What time will Soul Mate release on Netflix? Release timings for USA, UK, France, Germany, and India timezones

LOS ANGELES — Netflix releases the highly anticipated Japanese-Korean romance series Soul Mate globally this Thursday, May 14, featuring stars Ok Taec-yeon and Hayato Isomura in a decade-spanning emotional odyssey.

The eight-episode limited series marks a major milestone for the streaming giant as it leans into a cross-country fandom that has been begging for this specific pairing since the project was first announced.

It is finally here. Soul Mate follows the intertwined lives of Ryu Narutaki and Johan Hwang, two lonely souls who find each other across three world-class cities: Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo. After a traumatic event that destroyed his best friend’s life, Ryu flees Japan only to be saved from the brink of death in a foreign church by Johan, a Korean boxer.

What follows is a ten-year journey of pain, suffering, and a desperate search for joy that has Stan Twitter absolutely losing it.

This project has been a massive talking point in the industry for nearly a year. Originally slated for an August 2025 premiere, Netflix Japan officially pushed the release to May 14, 2026, to ensure the production was perfect.

This wasn’t just a scheduling tweak; it was a high-stakes PR move to capitalize on the growing global demand for raw, psychological LGBT+ dramas.

Can a K-pop legend really play a broken boxer in a boys’ love romance? Taecyeon has built a career on being the ultimate tough guy in traditional K-dramas, making this a total “out of his wheelhouse” move that fans are both terrified and thrilled to witness. Is he ready for the emotional vulnerability this role demands?

The trailer suggests a story that is more about the crushing weight of fate than simple romantic tropes.

Soul Mate Global Premiere Countdown: When to Hit Play

As per the official Netflix release strategy, Soul Mate will premiere globally at the exact same moment on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Because this is a Netflix Original, the show follows the standard 12:00 AM Pacific Time rollout.

This means while West Coast fans are starting their midnight binge, the rest of the world will be tuning in during their morning coffee or afternoon breaks.

North American Streaming Schedule

• USA and Canada (PT – Los Angeles/Vancouver): 12:00 AM
• USA and Canada (ET – New York/Toronto): 3:00 AM

European and UK Watch Times

• United Kingdom (BST – London): 8:00 AM
• France, Italy, Germany, and Spain (CEST – Paris/Berlin/Rome/Madrid): 9:00 AM
• Poland (CEST – Warsaw): 9:00 AM

Asia-Pacific Launch Windows

• India (IST – New Delhi): 12:30 PM
• Australia (AEST – Sydney/Melbourne): 5:00 PM

Meet the Souls Behind the Scars

The series features a powerhouse cast that brings a gritty realism to this poetic narrative. Leading the charge is Hayato Isomura as Ryu Narutaki and 2 PM’s Ok Taec-yeon as Johan Hwang. Joining them are Ai Hashimoto, Koshi Mizukami, and Ken Yasuda, making this a top-tier ensemble directed by Shunki Hashizume.

The evidence of the show’s emotional depth is already all over the soundtrack. The official theme song, Our Hearts, is a collaboration between STUTS, butaji, and the powerhouse vocals of AiNA THE END. This haunting melody sets the stage for a relationship that is described as having “suffocating tightness”.

Stan Twitter is already predicting that Soul Mate will be the definitive chart-topper for the month. While some critics were worried about a lack of physical chemistry in the early trailers, the production team has made it clear that the focus is on the psychological bond between these two men. Fate is calling. Grab your tissues.

We are looking at an emotional destruction event that spans a decade and three countries. All eight episodes drop at once, so prepare for a long night of binging. What happens when these two souls finally find peace? We’ll find out when the clock strikes twelve on May 14.