#180 degrees longitude between us

[forkaround]

BL Awards: Catch Me Sobbing Category

Sad things are just as important as the not-sad things and thus...

Scene that has me sobbing for whatever reason.

(BL Awards: At the end of an amazing year of absolute chaos in the world of BL. I come to you with my favorite moments of the year divided into categories that would not make it into any respectable Award show. But this is Tumblr. You know what you signed up for.)

Parpai reading from Sky's journal (Love in the Air)

I don't want to discuss the ethics of this and mileage varies for every other person. But this had me sobbing to the point my mother yelled at me for crying over fictional characters. It's how both of them are hurting. It's about Sky not wanting to open up. It's about Pai being confused and hanging over Sky's words. Pai doesn't know what happened, to Sky in the past and to Sky now and he can't accept that Sky would say all those things. Fort and Peat were acting. Truly in their Oscars bag. I remember holding my breath as if I was underwater throughout this scene. Uff.

Sky not crying and Pai crying in his stead (Love in the Air)

(I can't find a gif for the specific line.)

Who knew that not crying was worse than crying? This scene knocked me off the face of the earth. They are both reeling and the emotional intelligence Prapai shows here, god, another writer, another actor could have made this so much worse than it was. But in Mame and FortPeat's hands this was beautiful. It's gentle, it's mature, it's taking care of Sky before Pai can go around smacking people/taking revenge. But that was not the goal of this story. Revenge tel lene gaya. (revenge goes to buy oil. kinda like revenge go to hell.) This is about grace, this is about healing. I have never seen a narrative like this dealt with such gentleness and keeping the characters 'not-broken'. idk how to explain this. Gun gets everything that is coming to him but in this moment it's not about him. It's about SKY.

GAP: Mon being confused by Sam and crying

Something less intense. I feel for both our girlies. Sam is constantly going hot and cold and that is so taxing for everyone around her especially Mon, who has loved her since she was a kid. tbf Sam doesn't know this. And Sam is herself so tragic. Never expressing who she is and what she wants leaving for those around her to interpret her intentions. As much as I feel for her though, I can't see her as a decent boss.

Triage: Tin goes into a coma and Tol is reading to him

I did not expect this to hurt me as much as it did. I can't quantify even now why I love this show so much. But after the POV switch something about this show just fit. I was going to be so mad if they ended up unhappy. I was barely starting to get comfortable with BLs and their happy endings. And then this hit. It didn't end unhappy but I sure thought it would. (Also the clock tower kiss is just something else)

The Eclipse: Every AkkAyan scene towards the end

There are so many gifs/scenes where this boy is crying. First must have had quite the month crying over and over each episode. He is so stuck in his circumstances, in his own head about what's right and wrong. Brittle things. And you see that with how he is caught in between Chadok and Ayan.

ChadokDika story

Dika didn't deserve it. That's it. (tbf Chadok didn't deserve it either.)

(There's many different ways to kill the one you love / slowest way is never loving them enough)

180 Degrees Longitude Passes Between Us

Literally everyone is hurting on this show and hurting everyone else. And it all just HURTS. I can't fully put a bad guy/good guy label on any of them. It's so complexly human. So simply human. So beautifully human and so pathetically human. Seeing my own family in this show didn't help. Mol can't move on from her past. Inn can't see the future. Waan can't live in the present. Them always being on a different wavelength keeps hurting and I think some part of them recognizes this. The ending doesn't help. It's realistic. It's hard. And it hurts. This show is just:

The surety that no matter how much it hurts it would end happy help enjoy the angst so much better. I didn't have to worry someone might end up dead or they might not end up together. (there are exceptions to this, as you can see)

[queerlatine]

I need someone to do a analysis on 180 degree longitude passes through us, someone needs to dissect it and feed it to me with a little spoon

[drama-kpop-quotes]

Drama: 180 Degrees Longitude Between Us (2022) Genere: Romantico, Drama, Melodramma Paese: Thailandia Episodi: 8 Rete Originale: GMM One Durata: 46 min.

[blunaggregator]

BLA Top 20 Thai BL Series of 2022

KINNPORSCHE

MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT

LOVE MECHANICS

MY ONLY 12%

LOVE IN THE AIR

VICE VERSA

TRIAGE

TO SIR, WITH LOVE

THE ECLIPSE

180 DEGREE LONGITUDE PASSES THROUGH US

THE MIRACLE OF TEDDY BEAR

BETWEEN US

NEVER LET ME GO

CUTIE PIE

AI LONG NHAI

REMEMBER ME

21 DAYS THEORY

CUPID'S LAST WISH

STAR & SKY : STAR IN MY MIND

DEAR DOCTOR, I'M COMING FOR SOUL

[blorbingqls]

People from BL that make me want them carnally (always)

i was not tagged by anyone, however, was very inspired by the list of @respectthepetty @neuroticbookworm @lurkingshan @waitmyturtles and @bengiyo - and all others whose list had been on my feed. I have a very similar list but I just wanna give appreciation and adoration to a lot of these gays that have been on my mind. always.

note: you'll see a pattern. this list can't be numbered

Tan-Bun from Manner of Death

need i even say anything?

Kinn-Porsche from KinnPorsche

the main man-boobies and small waist appreciation

Pete from KinnPorsche

one gif can't sum him up (a trend following all my blorbos)

Win from Between Us

do i want him or want to be him? *cries in bisexual*

Sand from Only Friends

I want to do this exact scene above even though i imagine it would be absolutely disgusting irl (since i don't like cigarette smoke)

Ray from Only Friends

i mean can you even resist him? I see you Sand (and Boston), i see you

Jae Young from Semantic Error

see bad boys in greener flags is a weakness - i am sorry but it is what it is (ALSO HOW CAN ANYONE FORGET THE LIP RING)

Choi Yuna from Semantic Error

something something about this woman just makes me GAAAH

Molly from The Warp Effect

the one queer fat representation i wanted in media and it made me go weak on the knees every fucking time

Jean from The Warp Effect

maam, i'll be a better boyfriend than any cishet men you encounter

(not a BL) Giwi from The Player

NAMTAN TIPNAREE I REQUEST YOU TO JUST STEP ON ME

Wang from 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us

i mean you see it. i don't have to explain further.

Ayan from The Eclipse

is any of even surprised at this point? (you should not be)

SPECIAL MENTIONs

Jim, Wen, Alan and Gaipa from Moonlight Chicken

these thread of men don't need to be explained lord help me

Pete from Dark Blue Kiss

his one shot in the pool and fashion sense literally had me crawling

Karan from Cherry Magic Thailand

i am a sucker for Tay Tawan atp pls

also, also, also not necessarily from shows but general existence of this man (Jeff Satur [if anyone doesn't know]) makes me want to steal his gender every fucking time

tagging @gunsatthaphan @laowen @reptileofdoom @slayerkitty and anyone who wants to go about it

[untilweloveagain]

MY TOP 2023 BLs

6. Our Dining Table: it was such a cute and wholesome show.

5. A Boss and a Babe: is the show perfect? no but did I very much enjoy it? yes

4. Only Friends: the complete opposite of the previous two shows but so interesting.

3. The Eighth Sense: It feels very self-explanatory, one of the best Korean Bls to date.

2. Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo: my favorite Japanese BL hands down, rewatched it in less than two weeks.

My School President: This show is so precious to me, I wish I could watch it as if it was my first time again.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

I Feel You Linger in the Air: the emotions, the production, the plot, everything was great.

180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us and Eternal Yesterday: both aren't from this year but I watched them this year and they were great.

The cinematography for 180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us was gorgeous. And did Eternal Yesterday make me cry? Yes, it very much did.

Between Us: It ended very early in the year, but I just want to talk about it since it is such a good story. I love all the characters so much, including the ones from Until We Meet Again. I will always be ready for another story with them.

[languidlotus]

I finally finished my gifts for @joyeux-tintamarre and @benkaaoi. These are Jao from Secret Crush On You (how did you know I've been wanting to draw him??) and Wang from 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us/ 180 Degree Longitude Passes Between Us (of course I know him! that show made me cry. :(((). Hope you like them!

[pinkkop]

Day 60 - 15 Days BL Challenge (part 4)

This is it! Day 60! And the final day of my fourth part of the 15 Days BL Challenge. I've had a blast and I'll definitely keep interacting with the tag even if I finished doing the prompts.

Day 60 - Favourite lesser known BL

Number in the parentheses is the number of times I've mentioned each show in a prompt of the 15 Days BL Challenge which doesn't tell you much but it does show you have much space some of these shows take up in my brain.

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (0)

This is where my love and respect for Pond started. This show is an odd one because it's much more about interpersonal relationships and as such is like the opposite of an action series with little movement and only a few locations.

It works, however, really well for the show and the production quality and acting is great. It's an interesting character study and a must watch if you ask me.

Tokyo in April is... (2)

This show has my favourite type of pairing of hurt character with walls sky high gets loved with a side of childhood best friends and mutual pining.

I just love watching them piece together what actually happened in their shared past and heal while doing so.

It's one of my favourite Japanese BLs and more people should get to witness its beuaty.

Love Class 2 (1)

I love this BL so much that I even made a post about why more people should watch this!

It's a Korean BL with a good mixed bag of pairings and plot lines which makes for a good well rounded show with bucked loads of chemistry and pining.

And you can just skip the first season and go directly to season 2!

History3: Make Our Days Count (8)

Don't know if this could be called a lesser known because I think a lot of people know this exists but so many people seem afraid of actually watching it because of the ending which is a pity because it is such a good show! I promise one day I'll get around to writing a post about why it's so good.

This show is by far my most returned to show of all the BLs I've watched and I think the fact that I've mentioned it in 8 different prompts for this challenge says a lot about how much I love it!

It's sweet and spicy and wholesome and heartwarming and funny and healing. It both has moments of being silly and moments of seriousness in a good balance. It has some of my favourite characters and relationships and it just fills me with happiness.

Don't Say No (4)

This is another show I've returned to a lot and I think I've figured out why. Even if most of the plot points during this show are wild, I really like the basis for this show: childhood best friends who get together after a long struggle, but then they have to figure out how to be boyfriends with all their baggage and assumptions, both of their own but also of the people around them.

It's a battle between what they want, what they think the other person wants and what they think they should want. It's just so good!

Also I absolutely love a Uke that's more sexually experienced than the Seme. No Blushing Maiden Ukes in this show!!

Honorable mention to She Makes My Heart Flutter (1) as a lesser known GL. It's only 66 min. long and the movie version is free on youtube here.

The original challenge is here, part two here, part three here, and four here.

[lurkingshan]

oh i saw you recommending dramas to another anon so i was wondering if you didn't mind dropping some recs for me as well! i was really hoping for some really angsty ones if you know any (the country doesn't matter!)

Greetings, fellow angst monster! I am happy to rec angsty dramas for you; I went through my highest rated to find some that I think are particularly excellent. Since you didn't give me any other parameters, this is a pretty varied list. Their only real commonality is they all scream ANGST of some kind. Hope some of them work for you!

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (Thailand, Gaga)

Beyond Evil (S Korea, Viki)

Eternal Yesterday (Japan, Gaga)

Goblin (S Korea, Viki)

Flower of Evil (S Korea, Netflix)

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Thailand, Gaga)

Just Between Lovers (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

It's Okay, That's Love (S Korea, Viki)

I Told Sunset About You/I Promised You the Moon (Thailand, Viki)

My Mister (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

Someday or One Day (Taiwan, gray)

The Eighth Sense (S Korea, Viki)

The Miracle of Teddy Bear (Thailand, YouTube)

The Red Sleeve (S Korea, Viki)

Tokyo in April Is... (Japan, Gaga)

[forkaround]

you know I think it would have been incredibly cathartic for Inn and Wang to have fucked. They are both trying to proxy-love Siam. Not to say that Wang wants to do his own father. He is looking for a way to connect to this father through Inn, trying to love him by seeing what Inn loved in him. And Inn is just looking at a younger version of Siam, right in front of him and going - Holy Fuck.

Also I don't think they would have ended up together one way or the other. It would have been just the one time. It cannot be a relationship as much as both of them fucking Siam out of their systems. And it would feel like they were both betraying Siam and Mol in very distinct but similar ways.

I also think Wang would top. Inn literally doesn't want to be here. He is an inactive participant in his own life and in everything that is him and around him and that makes me think he won't be topping. And if they did have a sex scene it would easily be on the edge of dub-con, missing it by a degree or two, perhaps oscillating between con and dub. But that's the genre you sign up for in Gothic Romances.

[i-got-the-feels]

To you who call yourself a parent, you can only give birth to them but don't own them

To who who are still young, you have to bleed before you learn

To you who call themselves wise, dont let cowardice get the better of you. Pick a side or throw what you believe

[respectthepetty]

Well well well well!

I have seen you being asked about your fav TW BL dramas. but I’m here to ask about…… your top 10 (or however many you want tbh) BL thai dramas!

Teeheeheeee!!

Ps: can someone else pop up and then ask you too Korean BL dramas? *wink*

Anon, I think YOU will have to come back and ask about my top Korean dramas because after people see this list, they will realize how trashy I truly am and never seek a response from me again. I've already written about my Top GMMTV Actors, my Top GMMTV Pairs, and my Top Five Taiwanese BLs, but this requested list will really show people that I am a dumpster fire, so let me present my

Top Ten Thai BLs

Before I start, I need to list my personal preferences since I have watched over 150 Thai BLs (if not 200), with a third coming from within the past year and a half alone. A show must meet at least two:

Don't bury the gay (MANDATORY!)

Be gay. Do crime! aka "Eff the police" (literally or figuratively)

I'm a messy bi, and I'll cry if I want to

Adulting is hard like my sexual attraction for you

Vice Vers(a) - Flipping the norms and changing dynamics

Next, I need to establish some ground rules:

The series must have completed prior to June 1, so Step by Step, Be My Favorite, La Pluie and other running shows cannot be considered.

It had to be marketed as a BL, so 3 Will Be Free, The Warp Effect, and Great Men Academy cannot be considered.

I could only pick a pair once, so most of GMMTV shows couldn't be considered if I picked another show the pair was featured in.

It couldn't have hurt my queer feelings, so My Only 12%, Until We Meet Again, I Told Sunset about You, and 180 Degree Longitude Passes through Us were cut for rubbing salt in real-world wounds.

A third of the final list had to be BL shows that aired prior to 2022.

Narrowing it down with those two filters, here are a dozen shows that didn't make the cut with a brief reasoning:

The Eclipse - pair already picked

Triage - the gay died each time the clock reset

Ghost Host, Ghost House - not within my personal preferences

Never Let Me Go - aired in 2022. Sorry Jojo!

My School President - pair already picked

Secret Crush on You - aired in 2022

Bad Buddy - it knows what it did to me

Together with Me - pair already picked

Lovely Writer - not within my personal preferences

A Tale of Thousand Stars - pair already picked

Between Us - it knows what it did to me

My Ride - not within my personal preferences

One more thing before I give you the list -

Honorable Mentions

To Sir, With Love

I was raised on soap operas and telenovelas, so this lakorn was seventeen episodes of blissful drama, yet served one of the best pairings and family members of 2022. It was also a historical drama, so the ending being happy was unexpected, but much appreciated.

Destiny Seeker

All the shows on my list have color coding, but this show wins every color-coding award I can give. As a self-proclaimed color demon, this show fed my soul and my heart with its color exchange between two great characters who were just trying to unify the Pretty Boys and the Jocks in a tale as old as time, yet more colorful than ever.

Now, the actual list

Top Ten Thai BLs

#10 - Dark Blue Kiss

Pete and Kao went from a bit toxic in This Kiss series, to a solid couple trying to navigate the difficult situation of having one person in a relationship still in the closet. The reason was realistic as well - career. Kao coming out could have not only hurt his future, but his mother's job as well, and the socioeconomic difference between Pete and Kao was front and center during these discussions. Mix all of that with the addition of Sun and Mork and their dynamic of light enemies to lovers, and this ended up being a surprise favorite. It also had beautiful cinematography at a period when the production value of BLs was being elevated which is greatly due to director/screenwriter Aof and cinematographer Rath.

#9 - Big Dragon

If someone would have told me during the first episode that I would like love this show as much as I did by the end, I would not have believed it, but here I am, in love with this show. It started off with two idiots being at their peak toxic level, yet ended with the softest men in love. The cinematography was beautiful, Mangkorn and Yai had a natural chemistry when teasing each other, and the music was good, so good that I actually listened to the lead sing his love confession…twice! Mos and ISBANKY made me excited to see what else Star Hunter has in store, and that was a door I had closed long ago. Big Dragon 2 when?

#8 - Bed Friend

Much like Big Dragon, I showed up for a raunchy series about fuck buddies, but ended up witnessing two men work through trauma and showed that with support, healing is possible. King was the biggest green flag that has ever graced my screen, and the way Net's big brown eyes portray lust, love, and devotion is a skill that only matches James' embodiment of a sex kitten. I watched them in Catch Me Baby, but Bed Friend brought an entire new level of chemistry from them that balanced the heavier aspects of the show in a way that any other pair would have squandered. Because of NetJames, this show will remain in my tops for years to come, and makes me even more excited for Love Upon a Time.

#7 - You're My Sky

We, collectively, did this show dirty. As BL fans, we did not appreciate it enough, and still don't. Because it came out in 2022, a year stacked with excellent BLs, it was pushed to the sidelines when it should have been at everyone's top for any number of reasons like the pairings were solid (childhood friends, senior/freshman, pseudo-enemies to lovers), the plot was consistent, and the cinematography was beautiful. We have a few sports-related BLs which do a great job of discussing the connection between toxic masculinity and male-dominated sports, and although this series didn't lean all the way in, it gave us a glimpse of what men must sacrifice in order to be considered the best in such an environment, especially when it comes to love.

#6 - Not Me

Every character is shippable with every other character. That is the power of this series. Yet, because I’m petty, I’m still holding a grudge not about GramBlack (Eugene/Gene, really?!) BUT that ToddBlack did not happen! In a show that was queer in several aspects (marriage equality, society’s disapproval, found family, etc.), it was strange that it didn’t deliver on the Black front examining how power dynamics, socioeconomic inequality in regards to privilege, and performance of masculinity affect queer experiences (all possessed by the ToddBlack pairing), but what it did deliver was a great premise about fighting back against oppression (labor discrimination, educational gaps, monopolies), which is why even though the ending was shaky, it still deserves a top spot for existing.

#5 - KinnPorsche

As much as I wrote about this show, I’m shocked it isn’t #1, but sitting through the final episode’s credits believing what I believed about Vegas left me feeling a certain type of way that I’m still not over. It had all the elements I love: Be gay, do crime, messy tears, vice vers(a), and the cinematography was perfection. Symbolism and foreshadowing were intertwined into every scene, so watching each episode was an experience and the aftermath was devouring hours of meta analysis. This was the first series I was excited to watch live unmuted and at normal speed, and I liked each pairing, plus rooted for others who were never going to happen (Big & Chan, Khun & everyone), which made this a fun journey even after the final credits finished (World Tour, anyone?!).

#4 - Love Mechanics

I LOVE MESS, and this show gave me ten glorious messy episodes of the messiest mess. Much like the chokeholds VeeMark excelled out, this show had me by the throat (implication intended). I was shocked when it was announced En of Love: Love Mechanics would be remade and extended from four episodes into ten. I liked the original, but the basic plot (drunkenly having sex right at the beginning – how very Together with Me of them) did not sit well with me the first time around, yet once I saw the remake’s trailer, I WAS SOLD! Look at the angst! Look at the pining! Look at the chemistry! Look at the same steps and dorm from Together with Me! I could write forever about this show because it is better than the original, it was so similar to Together with Me that I had to squint to make sure it wasn’t, and the happy ending with Mark’s tears, although never doubted, feels like a personal win, which is why it was my number one of 2022.

#3 - Manner of Death

MaxTul own me. Every couple I watch gets compared to MaxTul and the chemistry they bring. Together With Me is a favorite, but when Manner of Death aired, it spotlighted the evolution of MaxTul in the most beautiful way imaginable. The dark plot of drug and sex trafficking was difficult for most, but both of these characters' commitment to finding the truth in their own way while taking on the ACAB attitude even towards the one police officer they did like was a buffet that just kept serving me. I was truly worried because of the nature of the show that a happy ending wouldn't be possible, but not only did the show end with vows being exchanged, but the promise of another season as well. TRANSPLANT WHEN?!

#2 - Moonlight Chicken

This was an adult show and toes the line of being truly queer media rather than a standard BL. I felt seen every time Jim sat silently examining his life and his choices. His hesitation to open his heart again to another person after being hurt in such a realistically queer way in a country that doesn't have marriage equality almost made me cut this show due to hurting my queer feelings. However, if I was willing to give up three pairs (FirstKhao -The Eclipse, GeminiFourth - My School President, and EarthMix - A Tale of Thousand Stars) for this one show, I knew it had to included. Aof working around the grief of losing a parent while examining gentrification and generational trauma all through a queer lens is a feat most would fail at, but this show shines, literally and figuratively thanks once again to cinematographer Rath.

#1 - He's Coming to Me

I must end where I began - Aof, the director and screenwriter, changed the Thai BL game with this one, and hasn't slowed down since, which is why two of his other pieces are in my top ten, and several others are featured in my short list. Cinematographer Rath has also made his mark on this list, and it all started with this one for me. No other BL series has stuck with me the way He's Coming to Me has. Not one element of this show doesn't work. It's cohesive. It's emotional. It's everything to me. I cannot give this show enough praise. It created a unique magic in eight episodes that hasn't left my heart for four years.

And probably never will.

Now, who wants to ask about Korea?

[bengiyo]

top 5 unpopular bl opinions??? no pressure lol

Wedding Plan is good and the most queer narrative MAME has ever made, and the first BL to have lesbians that are critical to the story, and I suspect folks didn't like watching a self-actualized assured uke. We should really examine what it means for this genre that we pick on MAME for exploring the lines between taboo, boundary crossing, and romance with queer characters, and the fact that her one project that responded to all of our criticism may have flopped.

I prefer my shows to be more serious and queer. I tend to like the shows about characters who Knew who they were. I like when there is a recognizable queerness to them that lets me know they were othered. Some of my favorite shows as a result are Eternal Yesterday, 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us, Until We Meet Again, I Told Sunset About You and I Promised You The Moon, What Did You Eat Yesterday?, La Pluie, The Day I Loved You, etc.

KinnPorsche is beautiful and fun, but honestly a goddamn mess. It's also incomplete. I find it hard to talk about this show because people had a great time with it and pulled some incredible analysis out of it, but it's kind of disjointed and will never be complete, so it's low on my lists.

Shipping makes the shows worse, not better. I really hate the heavy breathing going on over Only Friends. I cannot go into the tag because all the hand-wringing over whether a ship is intact drives me insane. I'm here for compelling narrative, not fap material. I hate how effective it is at getting y'all to buy merch and follow socials.

GMMTV is the Disney of BL. Because of their YouTube strategy, everyone is aware of them, and they're usually people's path into the genre. However, it seems like a lot of folks stop here. Maybe it's the paywalls and the fact that you have to join fan spaces to learn about a lot more of the shows, but it's kind of insane reading posts and talking to people who have basically only watched Thai BL, and specifically GMMTV BL. I'm from the era of hunting down gay film based on the rumor that a film existed. Queer media and cinema is an international experience. I trully cannot fathom identifying as an enjoyer of queer content in the modern era and then ONLY engaging with content from a single country let alone a single company. We are queer. Why would we ever allow a single corporation to dictate our tastes? That's not punk at all.

[bl-recs-and-reviews]

Hellooo! May i ask your help for something rather silly? Hahahaha. The thing is that i have just finished my internship at a hospital, i was there for a full year, barely existing at all and without seeing my family nor friends, but now i'm a doctor yay. And before that, BL helped me so much with my mental health because it was so light and helped me clear my mind, but since july 2023, when i entered the hospital, i lost total connection with it and i wanted to see if you could tell me what happenned ever since hahahaha, what were your favorite series since then? was there some groundbreaking series like "I told the sunset about you" or "180 grades of solitude passes between us"? What happenned with GMMTV and their actors? like i used to know everyone on the agenda, and now i see that the 2025 pilots are on and i feel lost I used to have full knowledge of your schedules and the shows on air (thanks to you, also. You were my main source of recs) but now i don't know where to start. If you can help me it would mean the world to me :))

Hi anon!! Of course, I'd love to help. This message made me super happy :)

If this was your source of recs then it means the blog is working as it should. So it'll be a pleasure to help you ❤

First things first, welcome back! And congrats on becoming a doctor!

BL recs from July 2023 to now

A lot of things have happened. There's so much BL out there that you'll have to pick and choose what to see. So I'll give you my favorites and I'll highlight some that have gained attention and praise

BL-recs-and-reviews picks

Laws of Attraction

You might recognize them from the bl lakorn Khun Chai. They had a very nice comeback with this legal adventure (or however you wanna call it) show. It has a righteous mourning uncle, an unhinged and shameless lawyer and a very nice grandma. Nice side couple too. A crazy lawyer works together with a righteous man to get justice for the killing of the righetous man's niece.

Be My Favorite

You might already know this one. We were all pleasently surprised by Krist's BL comeback. A great show overall. It was one of the interesting ones that stood it's ground until the end from GMMtv. A man gets a time traveling decive and ends up getting a partner.

Taikan Yohou/My Personal Weatherman

One of my favorites of 2023. To this day I'm still obessing over them. A Must Watch. Japanese BL with BDSM dynamics between the leads. Great and amazing overall. If you don't know what to start with, start with this one! A porn manga artist cohabitates with a weatherman. He takes care of the house chores in exchange for not paying rent. And they have sex whenever it's sunny outside.

I Feel You Linger In The Air

This one has become a classic. It's historical, it has angst and it makes you feel things all the way through. An architect gets thrown into the past and falls for an aristocrat. Time travel and reincarnation stuff is happening.

Love in Translation

The first series that gave us the amazing pair that is DaouOffroad. Lakorn vibes with some iconic NC scenes. A chinese immigrant needs a Thai patner to open his conveniece shop, but they don't really like each other. Shenanigans ensue.

Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite mo ii / If it's with you (aka NaraKoi)

A nice and warm Japanese mini series. These two are the sweetest and cutest babies. They deserve everything. It's once again Japan doing its thing. Teenager love in a very fluffy way. A young gay boy moves to his grandmother's house and gives a chance to love when he meets the nicest local boy.

Utsukushii Kare Eternal - The Movie

If you're a fan of UtsuKare, know that the movie was released for international audiences. It was a great watch and a nice ending for this series.

7 Days Before Valentine

This one I think you might like. It's has the same director as 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us. Similarly not a lot of people watched it, but those who did had quite a treat. A supernatural being appears in front of our protagonist when he's heartbroken and tells him he can erase whomever he likes from this earth.

Ossan's Love Returns

Talented, Brilliant, Incredible, Amazing, Show stopping, Spectacular, Never the same, Totally unique. We LOVED this show. No need to have seen the first season to watch this one. Just about people and their relationships, and loving each other. Big BIG recommendation. Haruta and Maki have trouble adjusting to living together as a couple and end up getting a helper in the house, who just happens to be Chief Kurosawa.

Love for Love's Sake

Lately Korea has been doing great things. This was tiny show that broke and healed our hearts. Pain and happiness hand in hand, with a happy ending. Very deep messages about loving oneself and others. A guy enters a game where he has to make the main character happy.

Unkown

I haven't seen it yet but everybody was loving it on tumblr. It seems to be a solid show that nails the landing. We say "thank you Taiwan". The love story between two brothers (not by blood) who struggle with their feelings for one another.

25ji Akasaka de / At 25:00 in Akasaka

Another Highlight form Japan (am I biased?). It's got 2 emotionally stupid men feeling big feelings and hiding them constantly. Misunderstandings of the good kind and a satisfactory ending. It's so good. Two actors that used to be in the same Uni are now playing lovers in a show, and decide to pretend to be lovers to get into the roles.

Century of Love

We got DaouOffroad back at it again. Giving us a great lakorn-y fantasy show. With some iconic side characters and everything one can love and get from a reincarnation love story plot. A young man's lover dies protecting him on the night they were escaping her imposed marriage, so he uses the power of a goddess to stay alive for the next 100 years vowing to find her again and fulfill their love. Or he dies. But when he finally founds her, she is now a man.

Mr Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

Another Japanese highlight. We got a great cast, great food, great characters, and a great plot. Great stuff overall. We have an age gap romance with a charming middle aged man and an earnest young man. A newbie magazine reporter gets to eat the food made by the renowned cook who's articles he's publishing. Feelings ensue.

4 Minutes

Another iconic show. It was the latest Be On Cloud project. Great production and interesting premise. The ending was a bit weak but it did give us some unforgetable scenes. Involving Bible's things. Pretty nice. A rich brat suddenly has the power to see 4 minutes into the future. There's also muder mysteries.

Happy Of The End

Japan being great again. Another one to the pile of unforgetables. This was such an amazing show. Sad hopeless people finding one another and giving each other a reason to live. A guy who sleeps around to live in his lovers's houses get beaten up by another dude and ends up deciding to follow him.

Jack & Joker

The long awaited return of YinWar. It ended recently, so you might be aware of it. Based on an MV they did a while ago they finally got to produce the series. Despite it not being perfect it was great and a fun time. Joke is a thief and cons naive Jack in his youth. Years later after getting out of prison he want to make it up to Jack, but he wants nothing from him and is now a ruthless debt collector.

Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo

The new series from the one and only Hwang Da Seul, Korea's bestest (to my star, etc). A show that had us stuck to the screen for weeks. Here we have a painful love story between two flawed people who despite their surrounding dificulties manage to find their little bubble of peace with each other.

Love In The Big City

This one is a rare thing from Korea. Based on an (almost?) autobiographic novel of the same name it shows us the love life of a gay man in Seoul, and the hardships that come with it. Pretty groundbreaking.

Other remarkable series from Thailand

Wedding Plan: a series from Mame, that has a very different vibe from her usual stuff.

La Pluie: A great show with an interesting side couple. I didn't love it all the way throught but it was a great production and has been widely discussed on tumblr. 🌟

Only Friends: you probably know of this one in one way or another. P'Jojo's show about messy gays. It gave a lot to talk about and everybody has different opinions on the ending. But, for me, the particular highlight was Neo's character, Boston. 🌟

Be Mine Superstar: If you're a fan of JaFirst, know that they did another show. It was cute but not as intense as their other stuff, with very different characters.

Naughty Babe: The long awaited story of MaxNat's couple from Cutie Pie. It was exacrly what was expected and had some iconic CGI and plot points xD

Twins: A less-known and smaller production. FrameRyan gave us great chemistry in a volleyball court with some questionable plot points. But hopefully we will see them again in something else. (also height gap)

Last Twilight: P'Aof's latest project. Looked very promising but the ending was very unsatisfactory. It did the rounds on tumblr but we were all left with a bitter taste in the mouth because of some plot choices.

The Sign: An ambitious project with fantasy and the police. Genres that require a thourough planning and might not have been totally up to the task. However, no other BL has had this type of mythological fantasy before and we got a lot of iconic characters, good and evil, and iconic butts in showers. BillyBabe are now a well know ship. A great watch too. 🌟

Pit Babe: The 1st live action Omegaverse! Wow, what a ride. It was a lot. The omegaverse traits were tweaked enough for it to work out. Unforgetable for many reasons. Pretty good. 🌟

Playboyy: This show was about sex workers and sex. And a dissappearance. I ddin't get to watch it but it was another one of those shows we won't forget for a while.

Cooking Crush: One of the 2 OffGun shows we got. It was cute and fluffy. Not my cup of tea but a lot of people seemed to like it.

Cherry Magic Thailand: The return of TaiNew. It was a great success and they managed to tell the story in a very Thai way, with some very funny scenes.

Dead Friend Forever: Be On Cloud's other project that was released. It shares a lot of its cast with 4minutes and we got a bunch of interesting pairs and actors from it. Drugs, murder and revenge. Interesting to say the least. 🌟

1000 Years Old: Another small production. Featuring a very nice vampire that only wants to find love and show off his umbrellas. It was very cute. Similar to IWKY in vibes.

Knock Knock Boys: Another show that made the rounds around tumblr. The couples were cute and we now love Almond and Latte. Recomended if you want nice fluffy times.

Love Sea: The show that features FortPeat (from LITA) as the main couple. It's adapted from a Mame novel so it has her usual tropes. I think it was overall liked.

The Trainee: The 2nd OffGun show we got this year. It was a great ride with a somewhat ok closure. Very nice way to learn about filming productions.

Two Worlds: Another show made by MaxNat, parallel dimensions, incurable sicknesses and gangsters. It was fun but also confusing. Had a bunch of nice parts.

I Saw You In My Dream: Small production with a bit of a supernatural plot. I haven't finished it yet but what I saw I liked.

The Hidden Moon: Another small production, that I think only one person I follow was posting about it. It has ghosts and supernatural stuff, and it seems to have been pretty great and emotional.

Monster Next Door: This show is a very traditional boys in uni type of show between an introvert and an extrovert. It gave us the pair BigPark who are now getting a second show.

Every You Every Me: Also finished recently it's a show that tells a lot of different love stories but with the same actors. Pretty interesting watch.

Other remarkable series from Japan

One room angel: A heartbreaking story of 2 people finding each other. An angel with no memories and a lowlife. It made us cry, and holds a special place in my heart. 🌟

I Became The Main Role in a BL: Cute, short and fun. Lots of pinning. The happy comedy version of At 25 in Akasaka

Perfect Propose: A cute show about an overworked salary man and his childhood friend who's crashing at his house. It was cute.

Cosmetic Playlover: The story between 2 make up artists and their rivalry turned love story. It had some nice moments, but isn't the best ever.

Takara's Treasure: This one also made the rounds on tumblr. Hiking, a social awkward junior in love with his cool senior. Cute overall, with some deep feelings as Japan knows how to do.

I Cannot Reach You/ Kimi ni wa Todokanai: A guy discovers his closest friend is in love with him and panics, but might also be ok with the idea. It was very cute and emotional. 🌟

Living with him: Two childhood friends who move in together to attend university. One has been in love since forever and the other is discovering feelings. Similar vibes to I Cannot Reach You. 🌟

Hidamari ga Kikoeru/I Hear the Sunspot: Had a solid start but kinda fell apart towards the end, sadly.

Other remarkable series from Korea

Sing My Crush: I haven't seen this yet, but I've seen it be praised over and over. Teens and music. It looks great. 🌟

Love Class s2: This one is not related to its first season, and it has a bunch of couples and a lot of iconic scenes. It is also pretty short.

Why R U Korea: I haven't seen this one yet either, and despite the low buget it seems it's pretty good.

They also have been doing a lot of reel format miniseries, and webseries like Blue Boys and Grey Shelter.

Other remarkable series from Taiwan

Kiseki: Dear to me: This was pretty talked about, the second couple ate.

First note of love: Cute, seen before faces making a comeback.

The on1y one: Made everyone insane. The ending was open, hoping for a second season. Some people were pissed.

Currently Airing

If you want a full schedule I recommend checking the website World of BL. Here are some of the series that are currently airing and that you probably have seen or will be seeing on your dash these days.

See Your Love (Taiwan) (cute and fluffy, pretty unserious)

Love in the air - Koi no Yokan (Japan) (it's a very nice remake and the second couple's story just started)

Caged Again (Thai) (they cuties of the month, animals that run human. We're having a blast)

Your Sky (Thai) (another pair of cuties, very fluff. Has a lot of people writing about it. Started recently)

The Heart Killers (Thai) (We are all OBSESSED. Do tune in, it's fun and silly. It's 10 Things I hate About You thai bl version, sort of)

Fourever You (Thai) (it has Earth and Bas)

Miseinen (Japan) (THE Japanese show right now. I am obsessed and we're all losing it every week)

Perfect 10 liners (Thai) (I don't even know why I'm watching but I'm watching, it's fun and lighthearted but will have too many episodes)

Spare Me Your Mercy (Thai) (Adapted from a Sammon novel, it's murder, euthanasia and gays. It just started and we're seated!)

Things that have happened since July 2023

I recommend checking the tag doreen's monthly bl breakdown where you will find, at the end of every post, the news of the month related to the BL industry. But here are some news I think are pertinent to recent days...

Big unforgettable stuff

The same sex marriage law passed in Thailand!

We're getting a second season of Pit Babe! And everyone is equaly curious and worried.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 started as a very nice season until halfway through it went sideways because of an amnesia plot.

In a surprising turn of events Tul (from MaxTul who left for the US) and Mew (from TharnType) revealed they were dating and recently got engaged.

GMMTV actors stuff

JoongDunk (who I'm assuming you know of), our guys from Hidden Agenda (which was an ok show with some great scenes but a bit forgetable) have been getting a lot of traction are getting a lot of series. I am loving them in The Heart Killers.

There was a sudden transfer of most of the WabiSabi actors to GMMTV. BounPrem, Ohm and Sammy are there. GMMTV also took charge of some of their projects, like the vampire BounPrem one.

The couples in My Rommance Scammer are Ohm (form uwma) and Fluke (from My Ride), and JuniorMark (whothe side couple in Cherry Magic Th and are starring in Perfect 10 Liners.

Dangerous Romance looked promising but it got lost in itself and not even Chimon and Perth could save it. Unfortunately a disappointment. Also, Chimon is on leave for mental health issues, so now Perth is paired up with Santa (from My Only 12%). They're starring in Perfect 10 Liners (where Chimon was supposed to appear but not anymore) and have their own show for 2025: Love You Teacher.

The mains in GMMTV 2025 Head 2 Head, SeaKeen, debuted previously on Only Boo this year. And it was particularly well received, hence why they got a second show.

The main leads for Memoir of Rati are GreatInn who previously starred in Wandee Goodday. Solid start. Weak end. The highlight was the side couple with ThorFluke. Fluke is also starring in one of the stories of Mu Te Luv.

GeminiFourth, from MSP, did the Thai adaptation of My Love Mix Up Th but I think most of us dropped it halfway through.

Recently the show Kidnap ended, featuring Ohm with his new partner Leng. The show was silly and unserious but I think a lot of people dropped it. I didn't watch, but I think it had some success. They appear in GMMTV 2025's OF: Dream on and Mu Te Luv.

Singto is back in GMMtv and scheduled to have a show with Krist again called the Ex Morning.

P'New has made a bunch of show that were disappointing and for GMMTV he had made to ensemble shows: We Are and Perfect 10 Liners. Featuring a lot of couples. In We Are we had PondPhuwin, WinnySatang (from MSP, also have their own show in GMMTV2025), AouBoom, and MarcPoon. In Perfect 10 Liners we have BookForce, PerthSanta, JuniorMark and MarcPoon. Marc got paired up with Poon after the Pawin got accused of physical abuse.

We're still waiting on a lot of shows that were announce in GMMTV 2024's event, so I'm sure you can check the trailers of the ones that haven't been released yet. Or wait until we get the official trailers.

Domundi's stuff

Bed Friend was a success and we got the ship NetJames from it. Until James decided to pursue other things and Net is now with a new partner and they will appear in The Next Prince (the new ZeeNew show, with european royalty looks we're all looking forward to. Also Jimmy is back with a new partner too)

Middleman's Love and Battle of the Writers are 2 shows that starred TutorYim, who were a side couple in Cutie Pie. They've gotten pretty famous.

Other news

We were all hyped for the show Shadow, starring Singto and Fluke (from uwma). The first half was promising but iirc the second part was a little disappointing. I couldn't finish it due to Real Life interruptions.

Ohm (from uwma) starred in a show called Bake me Please, with Guide (who played a side character in I Feel You Linger in the Air) which was ok. In that show we also got to meet Poom, as the rejected second lead.

Poom was the main character of a show called My Stand In, paired with Up (from Lovely Writer) and they play the toxic love between a stunt man and a selfish rich guy.

Tunku Shower no longer exists, it became a different project. No we get our montly japanese bl throught different companies.

China dared to do Wuxia BL with Meet You At The Blossom.

Derived from the succes of Pit Babe, the side couple got they own show in This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans. It was okey.

Thailand did some more adaptations of other countries BL like Addicted Heroin Th. And a remake of Lovesick is still airing.

Ending remarks

If you made it until here, thank you for your patience. I had to do a lot of pick and chose, so I did not include any GL in this post. Just know that there is a lot of that going on too. There are a bunch of posts on tumblr with all the current and planned GLs, and I've reblogged some of them. If you're interested browse the tags #gl news or #gl stuff on my blog.

I think, despite everything, I managed to cover most of it. I'm sure there's some shows that I've missed and we might have different tastes on which shows are better or worse, so do check whatever chatches your fancy. My blurbs are very summarized so do check the pages on MDL or even the trailers if you're curious about them.

This is a lot on information so I hope it's not too overwhelming and it can help you get started on your journey back to BL .

Good luck! And enjoy!!

[absolutebl]

Hello! I'm working on an art project and could use a bit of help. Any recommendations of BL dramas that are not happily ever after? Not necessarily "everyone dies" but where the main couple does not end up together? Separately, are you aware if anyone's ever made a collection of common Thai BL sound effects (with audio)? Such weird asks, sorry! Thank you in advance.

Sound effects? Nope.

BL's Without HEAs

There are so many I eliminated all shorts and compilations, and anything I DNF's. Ones towards the top = more likely one/both die.

Till the World Ends - Thai 2023

Love Bill - Vietnam 2023

A Round Trip to Love - China 2016

Lost Love - China 2016

The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao - China 2016

The Shortest Distance is Round - Japan 2019

The Shortest Distance is Round 2: Rain and Soda - Japan 2020

The Shortest Distance 3: Fallen Flowers - Japan 2020

No Regret - Korea 2006

A Frozen Flower - Korea 2008

Diary of Heong Yeong Dang - Korea 2014

Night Flight - Korea 2014

The Boy Next Door - Korea 2017

In Between Seasons - Korea 2018

He's Out There Somewhere - Taiwan 2016

Red Wine in the Dark Night - Thai 2015

Grey Rainbow: Views of Love (KarnNat) - Thai 2016

My Bromance - Thai 2016 & 2014

Dew the Movie - Thai 2019

Love Machine - Thai 2021

Ghost Boyfriend 1 - China 2016

Ghost Boyfriend 2 - China 2017

Swinging Blossom - China 2017

In Your Heart - China 2022

Boys Love: The Movie AKA Boys Love 2 AKA Schoolboy Crush - Japan 2007

Asymmetry - Japan 2008

Forbidden Love - Japan 2008

Double Mints - Japan 2017

The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese - Japan 2020

* Eternal Yesterday - Japan 2022

Method - Korea 2017

Tropical Night - Korea 2017

Kissable Lips - Korea 2022

Once Again - Korea 2022

Eternal Summer - Taiwan 2006

HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count - Taiwan 2019

Your Name Engraved Herein - Taiwan 2020

Love of Siam - Thai 2007

Love Next Door 1 - Thai 2013

Secret Love: Love Behind One's Back - Thai 2014

Feel Good to Say Goodbye - Thai 2015

Water Boyy / Waterboyy - Thai 2015 & 2017

Gray - Thai 2016

Sweet Student Boy - Thai 2016

I Love You - Thai 2017

Present Perfect - Thai 2017

What the Duck - Thai 018

The Effect - Thai 2019

Queer Beauty AKA Oppressive Love - China 2016

Melody of Our Love - Japan 2008

Fujimi Orchestra - Japan 2012

Shape of Happiness 1 - Japan 2013

Dark Blue and Moonlight - Taiwan 2017

Bro and Me - Taiwan 2019

I Am Your King 1 - Thai 2017

My Dream - Thai 2018

Something In My Room - Thai 2022

Mermaid's Jade - China 2019

Loveless Society - Thai 2021

Fools - Vietnam 2021

Vian the series (Bah Vinh) - Vietnam 2023

His Cat AKA His Cat Boyfriend - China 2017

Win Jaime's Heart - Pinoy 2020

The Day I Loved You - Pinoy 2023 (quite a lot of Pinoy stuff actually, I just started DNFing)

The Best Story (YinWar) - Thai 2021

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner - Korea 2023

There's more early stuff on this list because there was so little back then I watched it all, rated it, and noted triggers.

Now I tend to DNF a show if I think it's going south.

Thus you may note some high value propositions not on this list, although they satisfy your cirteria: I Told Sunset About You or Call it What You Want or 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us, which I have never watched because I know they v. sad.

* Eternal Yesterday is the only one I actually enjoyed.

More in depth answer:

[ginnymoonbeam]

11, and please feel free to list more than one :)))))))

SO. All but one of the asks I've gotten so far include 11, which is very funny. I suspect this has something to do with my loud and proud enjoyment of several taboo setups, such as stepsiblings/pseudoincest. And I wanted to take this opportunity to write about some of those, I really did. I thought I was finally going to write about my treasured mess, Ye Xingsi and Fu Yongjie. But here's the thing: taboo is different from forbidden, and the more I thought about it the less it fit. The forbiddenness in that relationship isn't the primary or even the secondary issue. And instead of writing a whole essay on why they and most other pseudoincest pairs aren't doing "forbidden love" as a primary trope, I sigh and turn my gaze to other pairs.

Forbidden Love, to me, has to involve at least one of two things as a primary obstacle: unyielding social/familial barriers, or deep internal guilt. It's one of several tropes on the list that plays a little different for gay ships, because in so many contexts just the fact of being a same-sex couple makes it a forbidden love. Most BLs let the social barriers soften pretty quickly, if they're present at all, and very few have the characters really wrangling with guilt (shame is slightly more common, but that's another essay I'm not going to write right now.) However, we do have a few stellar examples.

Pat and Pran, Bad Buddy

Obvious when you think about it. Pran's mother explicitly says that she'd accept Pran being with anyone except Pat (or Pat's sister.) From Pran's secret, agonized pining to them sneaking into each other's rooms years later, their whole relationship is conducted under the understanding that their parents cannot and will not accept it. A lot of Bad Buddy's power comes from the way it transmutes familial homophobia, letting queer viewers who live under that same degree of forbiddenness and secrecy see their experiences reflected without having to sit through on-screen homophobia.

In and Wang, 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us

Here's the other side of forbidden love, one that's primarily about internal guilt. The attraction between In and Wang is deeply triangulated on the ghost of Wang's father, but that doesn't mean it isn't genuine. Here's a love that In understands to be forbidden in every aspect: by age, by prior bonds, by his own enduring reluctance to accept his desire for men. Inthawut's guilt is a millstone in every moment between them, and in the end it sinks any possibility of a longer relationship. Now, is it better for both of them that it went that way? Almost certainly. But it's still a relationship saturated with guilt and the consciousness on In's side that this is and must be forbidden. And it constantly calls up the echo of In's past relationship to Siam which, without the same weight of guilt, might have taken beautiful flight.

And I don't want to end without a nod to a few historical ships, where the characters really are restrained by the simple fact of being gay in a hostile society:

Tian and Jiu, Khun Chai

Eeang Peung and Maey, I Feel You Linger in the Air

Jom and Yai, I Feel You Linger in the Air

(also tagging EVERYONE ELSE who asked me this one: @twig-tea @shortpplfedup @wen-kexing-apologist)

Ask me!