What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedFirst Love
Film · 2019
If you loved First Love, start with First Love (2022) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to First Love across media.
What hooked you in First Love was the way high-stakes criminal chaos forces an unlikely pair into an intimate, desperate survival pact.
Start with the source
Inspired by
First Love
Series · 2022
Books on the same thread
Farewell, My Lovely
Raymond Chandler · Book · 1992
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Corruption, Femme Fatale.
Like First Love, this hardboiled classic places a lone protagonist within a sprawling, corrupt underworld where every interaction is a dangerous gamble and moral lines are constantly blurred.
Millennium
Stieg Larsson, David Lagercrantz · Book · 2005
Shares a thread with First Love: Crime Thriller.
The partnership between the leads mirrors the unexpected alliance in First Love, pairing vulnerable individuals against systemic corruption while they navigate a web of dark, violent criminal conspiracies.
Love Story
Erich Segal · Book · 1970
Explores: Forbidden Love, Class Differences, Terminal Illness.
If the emotional core of First Love resonated with you, this story offers a similar focus on a transformative, ill-fated connection between two people from drastically different worlds.
Crime and Punishment
Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevskii · Book · 1968
Shares a thread with First Love: Redemption.
This literary masterpiece delves into the same heavy themes of guilt and redemption found in First Love, following an isolated character grappling with the aftermath of a violent act.
Series on the same thread
Prayagraj Ki Love Story
Series · 2026
Explores: Intercaste Marriage, Honor Killing, Hidden Agenda.
This narrative captures the frantic energy of First Love by thrusting a couple on the run into a perilous situation where their trust in others becomes a fatal liability.
Mothevari Love Story
Geela Anil · Series · 2025
Explores: forbidden love, elopement, rural life.
Much like the protagonists in First Love, these young lovers find their elopement complicated by a sudden, shocking shift in their environment that forces them to act quickly.
Love, Death & Robots
Tim Miller · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with First Love: Dark Comedy.
This anthology mirrors the dark comedy and unpredictable violence of First Love, presenting visceral, high-stakes stories where fate and survival are always hanging in the balance.
BEASTARS
Series · 2019
Explores: Prejudice, Societal Hierarchy, Forbidden Love.
The tension between societal pressures and personal survival in this series reflects the same desperate struggle for connection that Monica and Leo face in First Love.
Podcasts on the same thread
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
Those who enjoyed the dark, conversational tone of First Love will appreciate how this podcast explores the human side of criminal activity through a lens of dark humor.
Criminal
Podcast
Shares a thread with First Love: Redemption.
Just as First Love explores the intersection of morality and crime, this podcast examines the complex motivations of those caught in the middle of justice and wrongdoing.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is the 2019 movie First Love related to the 2022 TV series First Love?
No, the 2019 movie First Love and the 2022 TV series First Love are separate productions. They share a title but feature different storylines, characters, and creative teams, so they should be viewed as distinct works rather than a single continuous narrative.
What is the plot of the movie First Love?
The movie First Love follows a young boxer named Leo and a sex worker named Monica who meet in Tokyo. They become entangled in a dangerous drug-smuggling scheme while being pursued by a corrupt police officer, a yakuza member, his nemesis, and a lethal female assassin.
Should I watch the 2022 TV series First Love if I enjoyed the 2019 movie?
If you enjoyed the 2019 movie First Love, you can watch the 2022 TV series First Love as a separate experience. Because the two projects are not connected by plot or characters, you do not need to watch them in any specific order.
Does the movie First Love involve a yakuza plot?
Yes, the plot of First Love centers on a drug-smuggling scheme in Tokyo that forces the main characters to flee from several dangerous individuals, including a yakuza member and his nemesis, alongside a corrupt police officer and a female assassin.