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absolutebl · 3 days ago

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10 BLs to Watch if You Loved KinnPorsche

It’s really hard for me to understand exactly why you liked a thing, anything, let alone a phenomena of pop culture. Also there is nothing exactly like KP. With those two codicils in mind, I will do my very best.

So here are 10 things I’m going to assume you are looking for.

higher heat levels - things get steamy

lower angst levels - external conflict (rather then internal agony and navel gazing)

good chemistry (not the same thing as heat) - this means the actors are good at portraying physical, mental, and emotional attraction to each other

action

grey morality

multiple couples

mature characters

non-school setting

longer length treatment

a happy ending

I do hope I’ve gotten it right. This BL list will be rated on a scale of #/10 KP rating system - one point for each of the above, half points allowed. (Which is NOT my normal BL rating system.)

Some things that I can’t really help you with:

Explicitly kinky characters. There is very little of this in light BL (stories with happy endings) and what there is I’ve a listed here.

Mafia or yakuza set dramas are more common in dark BL. There are a few exceptions, but none of them have the bodyguard trope of KP.

Trigger warnings: assume if it happened in KP it may happen in these. including the stuff people argued over and disliked. Also dubcon and few others nasties. (Why so much dubcon in BL?)

Narrative structure. As you probably noticed in KP, strong story structure is not a hallmark of BL, but rather the exception. So far there have been only a few great strongly written high concept and killer narrative BLs.

Let’s start, shall we?

Loved KinnPorsche? Try These BLs Next

1. Manner of Death

(Thailand 2021) WeTV

This is a gay romantic suspense featuring a doctor and a mafia character. It’s more a murder mystery investigation with multiple plot twists than a mafia romance, but it is tons of fun. It’s stars the Original Kings of BL IRL ships: MaxTul. Also two of the hottest bodies in BL.

KP rating 9.5/10

It has higher heat levels, low angst (there is no angst at all, really, these boys got other things to do), great chemistry, action, grey morality, multiple couples (kinda - this is where it flails at bit so I dinged it ½ a point), mature characters, a country + medical setting, longer length treatment AND a happy ending.

What to watch next if this was your favorite off this list? Triage or Dear Doctor, I’m Coming for your Soul.

2. Trapped

AKA HIStory 3: Trapped

(Taiwan 2019) Viki

Basically the definition of enemies to lovers. Is about a cop investigating a cold case where a mafia boss is the only witness, so he starts chasing him. Along the way to solving it, they fall in love. Side characters = mercenary hitman meets nerdy cop of his dreams, cooks for him. All the leads are stellar. It’s high heat, fun action, and a bit of a mystery drama but is pretty about all of it. My only warning is that the main couple doesn’t entirely end up together, it’s implied, but… amorphous ending. The sides end happily tho.

KP rating 9.5/10

Contains mature characters, non-school setting, higher heat, lower angst, great chemistry, action (some of it the SAME action, these two run through the woods hand-cuffed together for days too), grey morality, multiple couples, and a longer length - only the ending falters.

You want HIStory 3: Trapped NOT the other HIStory 3!

If you’ve been frustrated by the heat levels and setting of Thai BLs since KP, then that’s because you need to turn your attention to Taiwan instead. Taiwan specializes in high heat levels and non-school settings. (They have some, but it’s not their focus.)

What to watch next if this was your favorite on this list: HIStory 2: Crossing the Line, DNA Says Love You, and you can explore the top 10 I talk about in my Taiwan’s history with the genre post. A warning, do not take Trapped as a typical example of HIStory franchise, it’s all over the place.

3. Long Time No See

(Korea 2017) GaGa

Long Time No See is about two assassins who fall in love via online gay fanfic without knowing they are hitmen on opposite sides of a turf war. Or do they? It’s absolutely great and very under appreciated. One of Strongberry’s few longer pieces (but still short by Thai BL standards) with good fight sequences and very suspenseful.

KP rating 8/10

Contains all KP elements except multiple couples and a longer length: mature characters, non-school setting, high heat, low angst, good chemistry, action, grey morality, and a happy ending.

What to watch next if this was your favorite on this list: Actually you might try some of Japan’s darker stuff, I’m thinking Double Mints, for example.

4. Not Me

(Thailand 2022) YouTube

This is crime thriller BL-lite about a group of motorcycling malcontents bent on bring down a corrupt system. Overtly queer, the romantic threads are not entirely the narrative drivers and it’s very slender on tropes, making this one, like MoD more gay romantic suspense than BL. But if gritty tension is what you’re after, this one has that in spades.

KP rating 7/10

It’s pretty low heat, this is OffGun+GMMTV and heat is not what they do. It has some angst because of the twin thing and the political thing (but not as much as I expected). The characters are not mature by my personal standards, they do act with the idealism of youth and they are in university some of the time. Otherwise ticks all the boxes: good chemistry, action, grey morality, multiple couples, longer length treatment, and a happy ending.

What to watch next if this was your favorite on this list: you can try OffGun’s back catalogue but it’s probably not what you’re looking for, try Bad Buddy instead and consider my favorite Thai BL, Until We Meet Again.

5. 3 Will Be Free

(Thailand 2019) YouTube

Is about a mafia kid, a stripper, and a grifter who accidentally kill a hitman and then have to go on the run with two assassins chasing them. Along the way the three of them basically fall in love with each other. You also get the mafia hitmen perspective. It’s GREAT and very queer.

KP rating 6/10

Low heat levels for this one because it’s from GMMTV. However it is also low angst (there consistent outside stressors and this plot moves FAST), good chemistry, lots of action, very grey morality, multiple couples (but with each other, this is a poly romance), is not set at school, and has a longer length treatment. However, the characters aren’t entirely mature and it has a slightly ambiguous ending - they survive and are kind-of together but also stuff has happened. I dinged it an extra point because technically this is a queer romance and not, actually, a BL at all. Still it’s a very under-appreciated gem of a show, and I highly recommend it.

What to watch next if this was your favorite on this list: there’s nothing else out there like this show, sorry, it’s unique. However if you like Tay (Shin) you should watch his BL series the Kiss series and Dark Blue Kiss (watching guide here) where he plays a completely different personality.

6. Irresistible Love

AKA Irresistible Love: Secret of the Valet (YouTube) + Irresistible Love 2 AKA Uncontrolled Love (YouTube)

(China 2016) grey

This two movie series is mafia esk but it’s very rough and lacks narrative cohesion. Rich kid (maybe mafia) boss has obsession with his family’s butler in a classic execution of the whipping boy trope. It’s in two parts and the second part has two endings, you want the one that ends not entirely unhappily. I not-so-secretly love this BL: obsession, mutilation, very hard fought and absolutely classic Chinese BL pre-censorship. It’s a wild melodramatic ride.

KP rating 6/10

This has higher heat levels (all are dub con), good chemistry, very grey morality, mature characters, non-school setting and a medium length treatment. It also has some serious angst because of the unequal power dynamic and the seme’s bisexuality, there’s little action, only one couple, and the ending is all over the place, happyish if you can find the right one. (As of typing this post: the YouTube links should still work, but this is a grey show it has no official distribution.)

What to watch next if this was your favorite on this list: really? This one was your favorite? Okay then, how about trying My Beautiful Man AKA Utsukushii Kare? Or go for Addicted, if you want the best that China can do.

7. Golden Blood

(Thailand 2021) YouTube

A Thai BL pulp with the whipping boy trope (attack dog variant) about a boy who is pulled off the streets because he has the correct blood type and trained to be the servant/caretaker/bodyguard of a rich mafia kid. They fall in love.

KP rating 5/10

This one has higher heat levels, multiple couples, a longer length treatment and a happy ending. But it is a Thai pulp so the production values are poor. There is some unnecessary angst as the characters are not mature and it is partly set in university, the chemistry is uneven (great with the sides but not the mains), there is action but it’s not very good, and grey morality (sort of). All in all, a mixed bag.

If you liked this best you have some pretty relaxed standards. why not lean in and try some MAME stuff like TharnType, Don’t Say No, or Love in the Air. Consider yourself warned.

8. Unforgotten Night

(Thailand 2022) iQIYI

Ostensibly a kinky story of a mafia Dom who after a one night stand gets obsessed with a simple office worker and kidnaps him into his dark crime riddled world. But that made it sound appealing. It’s terrible.

KP rating 5/10

It does have higher heat levels but they aren’t actually, ya know, good because the chemistry is poor, there’s a lot of unnecessary angst, there’s some action, grey morality, multiple couples, longer length treatment, and a happy ending but ho boy. It’s not a wild ride, it’s a confused and quite dull one. Also you will spend a lot of time worrying about plumbing, and not in a euphemistic way.

If you liked this best, you’re confused. You need to learn what good chemistry looks like, watch Zee’s catalogue - Why R U? and Cutie Pie.

There is also Chains of Heart to consider.

9. Where Your Eyes Linger

(Korea 2020) Viki

Ostensibly high school set about a poor kid whose been raised in a mafia kid’s family specifically to protect him (whipping boy trope, attack dog variant). Themes of codependency and survival with pretty classic Korean style romance ending.

KP rating 4.5/10

Excepting Strongberry, Korean stuff is rarely high heat, this one gives you a kiss at the end but that’s it. Decent chemistry, only a little action, only one couple (also a hallmark of KBL), and short treatment. It does have grey morality and a happy ending (at the very last minute). The characters are not mature and it is set in high school.

What to watch next if this was you favorite: you might try Hwang Da Seul’s other BLs To My Star or Blueming. I like the both a whole lot.

10. Word of Honor

(China 2021) Viki also Youku’s YouTube

Yes a censored Chinese bromance actually made one of my lists. But remember I’m rating this by KP standards, not my own. Normally I leave the censored stuff off my lists because I believe in censoring the censors. However, if anything gets on, it’s usually this one.

This show is my favorite of the post 2016 bromance wave. It’s two murder-gay assassins (pining sunshine/tsundere), and they are so insanely gay for two boys who are never allowed to kiss. Tropes include: wuxia, soulmates, paranormal, historical, and fantasy elements.

KP rating 4/10

No heat, this is Chinese BL post censorship, some angst (China likes angst) but in this case it’s warranted, good chemistry, fantastic action, beautifully grey morals, there are other couples but only het and they die, a VERY long treatment, and an ambiguous ending.

If this was your favorite go ahead and watch Untamed (knowing they don’t end up together) or even The Guardian. You might also try Advance Bravely if only to see our boy Jun swap seme for uke. That’s kind of a bodyguard romance.

And that’s it, those are my recs. Feel free to leave your own recs (and reasons) in the comments.

This post is dated Sept 2022, not responsible for other BLs that come along after that date and fit the KP model better.

That said, recent additions!

Never Let Me Go

KP rating 7/10

This is a bodyguard romance with has lower angst, good chemistry, action, multiple couples (sort of), mature-ish characters, longer length treatment, a happy ending. However it is medium heat, no grey morality, and ½ in a school setting.

The Sign

KP rating 9/10

Def has the higher heat levels, lower angst (it’s mostly external conflict), fantastic chemistry, and some grey morality, mature characters, non-school setting, longer length treatment, a happy ending. It’s only flaw is weak secondary couples. They there, but not awesome.

This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It’s BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it’s madness but there is genius in it. Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was. Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not. Was it also a charmg, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing. I think this show is basically my KinnPorsche, and frankly I’ve been chasing that dragon naga since KP aired. Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN.

Kiseki: Dear to Me

KP rating 8/10

Def has higher heat levels, medium angst levels (so half a point off for that) one of them is in high school, after all. Still mostly external conflict. Great chemistry, some action, grey morality, multiple couples (sides steal the show). Only half the cast is mature, but they get there, so half a point ding for that. Half of it is in a school setting so it loses half a point for that too. Longer length treatment and a happy ending. However everyoen is a little bit kinky, and the sides are insanely good, so I’m giving it a full point as VegasPete extra credit.

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged, but that’s normal for Taiwan. It involves all the tropes under a very casual framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. Absolutely every character is queer. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs, and a KILLER side couple. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan. Personally? I enjoying this a hell of a lot.

(source)

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absolutebl · 5 days ago

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BL Directors - Overview

Some DMing has made me think perhaps it’s time for a master post about some of the directors we have who always (or often) specialize in BL. I’m interested in better training my eye to spot BL director style (I think I have Cheewin & New down). This isn’t going to be an exhaustive list, but there are certainly ones whose names come up a lot, and some who have a very specific style. So I’m hoping many of you are as interested as me.

A word on address in Thai:

Many bloggers will refer to directors as P’New (for example) to distinguish them as directors, also because this is often mode of address used by their actors in bts and on promo circuit. Quite apart from the fact that there is a good chance I am older than many of these directors, the correct form of address to ANY ADULT from an outsider or stranger (like me) is Khun. So technically I should use K’New. However, to distinguish in my posts a director like New from say an actor like New of TayNew, I will occasionally use the moniker “Director New,” otherwise, as with other Thai names I will just use the person’s ชื่อเล่น chuelen.

New Siwaj

BEST KNOWN FOR: Until We Meet Again, Make It Right series (2016, 2017, 2019 co-directed with Cheewin)

OTHER NOTED BLS: Star and Sky series (2022), 7 Project (2021), My Gear And Your Gown (2020), Love By Chance 1 & 2 (2018, 2020)

FORTHCOMING: Absolute Zero, Between Us

OFTEN WORKS FOR: GMMTV, Wabi Sabi, MAME projects

LIKES TO CAST: Mean (will be co-directing Remember Me), Title, BounPrem, smol Earth, Yacht, Sammy, Plan, BoomPeak, Perth

STYLE: basic but high tech (he likes a lot of different camera work); redundant transition shot (he likes to reuse the same one for a given location in a series - Dean’s house = the koi pond in UWMA, for example); staged distance (long) shots; central aperture framing; neutral tones and backgrounds; school settings; good at encouraging genuine emotion, gets his actors to cry a lot; likes location shoots (forests, beaches)

NOTES OF INTEREST: He’s the producer but not director for Dear Doctor, I’m Coming for Soul; he’s the cinematographer but not director for En of Love: Love Mechanics; he was the screenwriter & director for both Love by Chance and Until We Meet Again

CONCERNS: none really, his style can sometimes feel redundant and a bit dull, like he’s phoning it in (see my thoughts on Star) but that’s about it, no negative rumors that I’ve noticed, he is very inconsistent in his story picks and therefor results (since he is so workmanlike he needs a very strong narrative to carry him), some stuff of his I love, others I can’t stand.

TRIVIA: New’s cousins in the industry include Captain (Noh in Love Sick) and Primrose (Aim in Love Sick)

Cheewin Thanamin

BEST KNOWN FOR: Why R U? (2020)

OTHER NOTED BLS: That’s My Candy (2022), Secret Crush On You (2022), the YYY series (2020), Make It Right series (2016, 2017, 2019 co-directed with New)

FORTHCOMING: War of Y, Bed Friend, Middleman’s Love

OFTEN WORKS FOR: LINE TV, Channel 3, GMM One

LIKES TO CAST: Zee, BoomPeak, JimmyTommy, MaxNat, YoonLay, Poppy

STYLE: commercial; bright, cheerful, favors primary colors, a touch campy and slapstick; no manga framing techniques; likes close-ups and mid-shots (few distance shots and when they are there, VERY staged); no drone work mostly dolly & steadicam; likes beach locations; loves a pillow clutch trope; very much signature Thai BL; good on higher heat; touch voyeuristic; later work has a queerer POV

NOTES OF INTEREST: Cheewin cut director’s teeth on the set of Love Sick 2, co-directing with two others. I don’t know the particulars on Cheewin’s preferred gender/pronouns or sexual orientation (translated into English) but Cheewin uses queer coded Thai linguistics (of the kind I discuss in this post), most specifically preferring ha, ja, and kha when being interviewed. So I would guess Cheewin identifies (by western definitions) as queer and/or gender fluid.

CONCERNS: almost always weak on story and plot, some marketing (fan scamming) rumors on some projects

TRIVIA: Cheewin played side role Christina in the Make it Right series, and the press conference host in 2021′s Lovely Writer.

Aof Noppharnach

BEST KNOWN FOR: Bad Buddy (2021), A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021)

OTHER NOTED BLS: Still 2gether (2020), Dark Blue Kiss (2019), He’s Coming to Me (2019), Our Skyy (2018)

FORTHCOMING: Moonlight Chicken

WORKS FOR: GMMTV (content production director)

LIKES TO CAST: EarthMix, Ohm, Nannon, Tay

STYLE: cinematic, thoughtful, sometimes a little overworked; attention paid to setting; likes strong scripts; LOVES a long shot (crane work I think); pays more and better attention to audio, background music, and sound than many other Thai directors, specifically will choose orchestral music (less singing, thank fuck)

NOTES OF INTEREST: he clearly prefers experienced actors and established pairs or pre-existing friendship dynamics to ease the way for the intimacy scenes; he obviously tests and pushes his actors and is a bit of a perfectionist (actors and viewers seem to appreciate this)

CONCERNS: I have concerns around Moonlight Chicken because I don’t think his strength is in higher heat and messy gay, but as a director he hasn’t really failed us yet, so…

TRIVIA: Is the screenwriter behind the My Dear Loser series. So far as I can tell linguistically, identifies as gay. Produced but did not direct Cupid’s Last Wish, Baker Boys, Fish Upon the Sky (so, lets keep him directing and NOT producing, okay?). Has had cameos in Baker Boys, Bad Buddy, A Tale of Thousand Stars, Our Skyy and Friend Zone. Appeared in BL: Broken Fantasy documentary. According to tumblr comments is openly gay (someone drop a primary source in the links to confirm?).

Other Thai directors to keep an eye on:

EXPERIENCED THAI DIRECTORS NOT FOCUSED ON BL

Ma-Deaw Chookiat - director & noted screenwriter, he does a range of genres, not just BL. He is responsible for the first gay YA drama out of Thailand, The Love of Siam (2007), as well as Grean Fictions (2013) which is not a BL but features many BL actors in their first major roles, and similarly dramatic and not BL but gay Songkram Yeng Poo To Be Continued: Secret of a Heart That Doesn’t Exist and Dew the Movie. He’s from Chiang Mai and often casts northern actors. Amongst BL fans he is best know for Manner of Death and Triage. His BL is “BL light” often not really owing anything to the film genre but just the original y-novel story. He has neither a queer lens nor a BL style, but more of an objective outsider almost documentarian approach. This results in content that’s a lot more like western queer indie cinema than BL. He likes a strong almost literary story, driven by characters, and following that character to see what happens (VERY few tropes). He’s heavy on action and mystery elements, and likes complexity and movement in space, time, narration, and camera shots (I think he uses hand held quite a bit). There is no guaranteed happy ending with his work, but he will include gay threads whenever he feels like it regardless of genre (see Slam Dance) which is relatively rare out of Thailand.

Nuchy Anucha - co-founder of G Motif, one of the largest video production companies in Thailand. Nuchy is trans and explicitly queer in all her work, she is the genius behind Not Me, but she is not focused on BL.

Thitipan Raksasat - works mainly as a marketing director and comes out of musical theater, he did the two X-rated and not really BL but hella gay installments of Love Next Door, and most recently Love Stage!! He brings a queer lens to his work and good high heat, and I really hope he does more BL.

Mike Phontharis - Mike’s stuff is all over the place, messy, he’s absolutely does not specialize in BL and does a ton of work. I clearly am not a fan of his style because I’ve struggled with all his BLs, which include: The Tuxedo, Golden Blood and Siew Sum Noi.

Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong - I did a whole post on him here.

EXPERIENCED THAI DIRECTORS FOCUSED ON BL

Andy Rachyd - basically birthed Thai BL, and the Thai Pulps, helmed Love Sick (YAY!), both Water Boyys (BOO), Make It Right 1 & 2 (I am trash because I love them), and ‘Cause You’re My Boy (AKA My Tee), mentored New and Cheewin. Now he does mostly terrible pulps (Thank God It’s Friday, Friend Forever, Physical Therapy) and there are some challenging rumors about him. I don’t really know more than that. He has a soap opera style approach to his filming and is pretty darn terrible on story structure.

Lit Phadung - with only a few exceptions has focused on BL since the unexpected success of SOTUS in 2016. His stuff includes the SOTUS series, Meow Ears Up, My Engineer, Our Skyy, Love Mechanics. He has broken away from GMMTV but I think he’s a better director when he has their backing, funding, organization, and talent pool - it allows him to do ensemble pieces and broad characterization with lots of minor characters and group scenes, at which he excels. He is supposed to be directing My Engineer 2.

Tee Bundit - mostly focuses on BL and helmed TharnType, Lovely Writer, and Something in My Room - so yeah, his style is all over the darn place and hard to pin down. I can say he is good at spotting and cultivating chemistry, and he likes a clean, pretty uncluttered picture that feels graphic if not exactly manga influenced, he loves mid-shots and I think is mostly using steadicam and dollies in his stuff. He is the kind of director that feels storyboarded, whether he is or not. He’s behind much anticipated forthcoming BL timeslip historical I Feel You Linger in the Air.

Jane Botta - specializes in BL and was the screenwriter of Together with Me and director on Nitiman, Oxygen, Our Skyy, and SOTUS S. His style it a bit slow and I worry about his pacing, but I generally like his work. His next BL is supposed to be Trouble Maker.

Aam Anusorn - is a pretty famous new wave Thai filmmaker who comes out of documentary work and does a lot of co-funded projects with other countries including gay narratives like Present Perfect series (w/ Japan) and Call It What You Want (w/ Taiwan) which is also an exposé on the BL industry. He’s a risk-taker who’s been recognized throughout Asian for example he has funding from South Korea to film in China, and also did the BL documentary BL: Broken Fantasy. In addition to those already mentioned he helmed 2 Moons 2 and DID NOT HAVE A GOOD TIME. I would call him a queer director NOT a BL director so I hesitate to even put him on this list. I doubt he will ever do anything “typically” BL ever again. But he does seem to be somewhat driven to queer up the genre so he’s worth keeping an eye on. I have to say, as a genre fan, I dislike everything he’s done except 2 Moons 2. So I think he and I have VERY different taste.

Nob Sathanapong - Nob’s first BL is the interesting, but unsuccessful Love of Siam-esk 2016 piece Sweet Student Boy (this is Chimon’s BL, often forgotten, not without reason). Since then he’s done BL (occasionally working for Star Hunter): La Cuisine, both Gen Y series, and forthcoming Ai Long Nhai. His stuff is… messy.

Phadej Onlahung - came up in the pulps and not much is known about him. Everything he’s directed has been gay if not BL: Dear Doctor, I’m Coming for Soul (I loved it), I Love You, Love Poison (TERRIBLE), Love at 7-11, The Best Twins (also TERRIBLE) and forthcoming Cafe in Love. So very much hit or miss for me.

NEW THAI BL DIRECTORS

Aoftion Kittipat (Aof) - the director of Cutie Pie who clearly has a STRONG yaoi/manga influence to his vision. He’s one of the only Thai directors who does. His scenes and aesthetics are very staged and he pays careful attention to framing details (and spends his money on getting the vision RIGHT). Cutie Pie was his first major directing gig but I really want more from him. However, he has his fingers in LOTS of pies (DomundiTV, Mandee Work, & Emojii Music). He also helped write Why R U? and is producing Middleman’s Love & Bed Friend. (The characters that showed up at the end of Cutie Pie.)

Niink Karnpicha - a young up and coming director specializing in BL, Niink is clearly still working out his POV and style. He trained under New and often works as his assistant director (Star and Sky: Star in My Mind, My Gear And Your Gown, Love By Chance 2, Until We Meet Again). His helmed projects have a similar almost slap dash workman-like approach, whether as screenwriter (7 Project, 2Wish) or director: What Zabb Man! and En of Love series. Like New, as a result, his directing style can come off feeling (oh how do I put this?) a bit lazy. I’d like to see him rise above this and develop his own voice.

Chacree Rujiviphat - only known for the Close Friend series and while I was not wild about that series content, I did LOVE the directing style and queer lens, there’s a solid, focused (gritty, but not really because still Thai) honesty to his style. His close camera work is very clear and clean, almost like something from Korea, and I’d love to see him handed a full length BL.

Pepzi Banchorn - has been a co- or assistant director on KinnPorsche, Bad Buddy, Dark Blue Kiss, and Great Men Academy. I expect and hope we will see her helm her own BL soon as one of the few women consistently involved with directing BL in Thailand, it’s time.

OUTSIDE THAILAND

Tsai Mi Chieh - Legacy director and queen of Taiwanese BLs her works include: About Youth, H3:MODC, Crossing the Line, H1: Stay Away From Me, and Love is Science (BL side). Her entire body of work is in queer media, including Dear Uranus and Hijra In Between. She captures intimacy well.

Chiang Ping Chen - directed Taiwanese BLs Plus & Minus (2022), Be Loved in House: I Do (2021), Craving You (2020). His preferred tropes and handling of intimacy is distinctly domestic. In other words, he likes close camerawork, home settings, and casual physical affection.

Nancy Chen - directed HIStory4: Close to You and the Papa & Daddy series. She’s newer to BL but as problematic as H4 was, it did include some good elements (in the main couple) like negotiation and representation of lube, and Papa & Daddy is explicitly queer. So I would keep an eye on her with regards to queer rep.

Ray Jiang - We Best Love & My Tooth Your Love. He seems to love long shots and working closely with experienced actors taking input from them, giving them space to play with a script.

Adiamond Lee - Light; Dark Blue & Moonlight; H1: Obsessed; Jump the Boy - she’s an out queer director to keep and eye on, but I’m not wild about her stuff so far.

Hwang Da Seul - AKA Our (Evil) Queen directed Korean BLs To My Star & To My Star 2, Blueming, and Where Your Eyes Linger, she’s also a professor in the Department of Film at the Korea National University of Art. So she’s training the next generation of BL directors. Her style is varied, she doesn’t seem to stick to any particular technique or trend. But if you watch her stuff in order you can actually see her improve over all as a director, picking up and trying different techniques. She is also one of the few out of Korea to give us 2nd seasons. I haven’t been wild about them, but that’s my issue.

Park Sun Jae - directed Peach of Time, the Color Rush series, and Mr. Heart. Clearly can’t be entirely trusted with happy endings but is very strong on story for Korea. He’s atmospheric in his approach with a dream-like POV that suits magical realism more than it does plain old contemporary BL.