#Buy me dinner first.

[absolutebl]

BLs with Strong Historical Elements

Costume dramas, historical BLs, and BLs with time travel or flashbacks to historical locations & times.

These are in order of my personal preference, best at the top.

I Feel You Linger in the Air

2023 Thailand

IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). It's about a gay man from our time who falls into the past, becomes a servant to a noble house, and falls in love with the heir. It turns out this has all happened several times before. Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but not as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy soulmates BL... from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and as individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show could easily have earned a 10/10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls in the final quarter. Argh. Whatever.

Nobleman Ryu's Wedding

2021 Korea - WeTV

A boy cross-dresses to take his runaway sister's place as a bride to a shy scholar, turns out they like being married. A historical setting allowed this BL to use some seriously old fashioned romance tropes (arranged marriage, evil step-sisters, Cinderfella) but also modern BL stylings like fake relationship & secret identity (drag) plus some cute gay panic. It reminded me of 12th Night more than anything else which just happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. For all these reasons, I adored it.

(the ghat kiss!)

Tinted With You

2022 Korea - Viki

Fun stylish time travel meets portal fantasy with a likable cast, historical setting, and two actual kisses that mitigate the rough plot and issues around anachronisms.

Word of Honor

2021 China (censored) - Viki/YouTube?

I don’t rec Chinese stuff often, because I believe in censoring the censors, but this show is one of my favorites of the post 2016 censored bromances. It’s two murder-gay assassins (pining sunshine/tsundere), and they are so insanely gay for two boys who will never be allowed to kiss. Tropes include: wuxia, soulmates, paranormal, historical, and fantasy elements.

To Sir, With Love AKA Khun Chai

2022 Thailand - YouTube?

This is a true lakorn (basically Thai tellenovella or soap opera) with scenery chewing performances, especially from the mother characters. Gone With the Wind + Days of Our Lives but gay. That said? I loved it: A glorious central brother relationship (the best, made me cry), het romances, class divide + gay *gasp* main romance - oh my word, the campy drama of it all! Arranged marriage, rebellion, cut sleeves, over-the-top death with curses and regrets, beautiful if inaccurate costumes, secrets unraveling, cover ups, sparkle murder, sex herbs, coils within coils including snakes and murderous green metallic sequins (is anything gayer on this earth?). It’s a WILD ride but it does end happy for our gay boys. A man cries when he finds DEATH GLITTER. Come on! You haffa watch it. That said, like Manner of Death I struggle to rate something on a BL scale when it patently isn’t a BL. So I ended up giving this exactly what I gave that show, 7/10 I enjoyed it a whole lot, but not as a BL.

The Untamed (Special BL Edition)

2020 China (censored) - YouTube

Censored wuxia bromance, amorphous ending. Probubly the best known BL of its kind out of China and responsible for bring many fans to the BL side.

Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go

2023 Thailand - YouTube

I was nervous to watch this PondPhuwin vehicle but I liked it a lot! Doomed soulmates + paranormal time travel to fix the past. I’m happy for the outfits and the dancing (if not the singing). It’s not a bad premise and it’s nice to see GMMTV lean into its high production values for a change. I'd adore a full historical starring these two and this was definitely the best of the second series of Our Skyy. I don't think you have to have watched the original Never Let Me Go to enjoy this.

Legend of Long Yang: Rebirth

2017 China

Gaga

Whipping boy trope... literally, servant character takes the strap for the prince, who then makes him his bodyguard and lover when he becomes king. Low budget historical, comes off as kind of cosplay wuxia version of Irresistible Love, but we get (in the credits) an actual kiss, and they both live. So yay for small mercies.

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner

2023 Korea (historical flash backs)

iQIYI

A new employee at a film company encounters a director who claims to have lived 300 years and insists that they have to date (eat, hug & kiss) if baby doesn't want to die. It has a lot of Japanese elements, not the least of which are: an office setting, the fact that every character in this show is unhinged, and a killing of the gays. Featuring a gorgeous & stellar cast, TDWBMD should have utilized them less for melodrama and more for chemistry. This BL surprised me by going there with a lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. But (you knew there was a but) while it's a unique twist on an office romance it is NOT a unique twist on the doomed red thread trope, resulting in it feeling less than the sum of its parts and ultimately unsatisfying. This might have also had to do with the fact that this was one of those KBLs where I felt how very short it was the whole time I was watching, like I was missing something constantly, in every episode. Worth watching for some but seriously flawed.

First Love Again

2022 Korea (historical flash backs) - Viki

A popular novelist who remembers his past lives meets his soulmate for the third time, only to find she has been reincarnated into the body of a man. This one started out a touch mean-spirited, but we eventually got a good kiss. The confession/rejection scene was justified and the reconciliation and ending was... fine. All in all, the pacing felt rushed and the romantic arc was underdeveloped. They go from like to love to boyfriends in a red hot minute. But that’s par for the course with Korea’s short form. If you don’t mind a heavy does of melodrama in your BL this one has a solid story with a strong concept that’s well acted and produced, making it a classic KBL with better than average chemistry but ultimately a touch forgettable.

Love in Spring AKA Spring of Crush

2022 Korea

This show was all over the place with uneven acting, narrative, and focus (sometimes it wanted to be a slapstick comedy, sometimes a depressing melodrama) which meant no one, actors or viewers, took anyone or anything seriously.... AND it’s a bromance. I was left wondering if SalHyung is now code for “they were roommates” in Kdrama historicals but otherwise largely apathetic and unimpressed. Korea, I now know you can do better. Do better.

Mermaid's Jade

2019 China (censored-esk) - Gaga

Kills the gay.

The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao

2016 China - Gaga

Kills the gay. Schrodinger's BL, both a BL and entirely not one at the same time.

Diary of Heong Yeong Dang

2014 Korea

Kills the Gay

I was gonna do a top 10 list, but there aren't enough by my metrics, so many end sadly.

This post at the behest of @verymuchof thank you for the idea!

Dated April 2023, includes only BLs that had finished their run by that date. Not responsible for cool costume flix that come after that. But you should check the comments to see if any have been added by others!

I might have missed a few that only have time historical elements since I don't always track those.

Also I would like to point out a decided lack of Japan on this list. My ninja yaoi consuming tiny past self is VERY upset about this void.

WHERE ARE MY GAY NINJAS??!!!

(source)

[smittenskitten]

(+) Elevators Are Gay

Love Mate (2023) The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (2022) The New Employee (2022) Oh! My Assistant (2022) GAP The Series - Teaser (2022) First Love Again (2022) Bad Buddy (2021) Samjin Company English Class (2020) Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (2020) HIStory3: Trapped (2019)

[perilouspage]

roller derby friendship is crazy. we beat each other up regularly. body shyness does not exist; you tell me about how you pissed your pants and i tell you about my ass sweat. i trust you with my life. i do not know your first name

[dizzybizz]

he's just a widdle guy 🥺🥺🥺 wust a siwwy wiwwle guyyyy

i think sampo should've been arrested with us

[squidcandy]

horrible boyfriend chronicles 14: summer bird and the empty nesters he left behind

[sulfies]

Do the ancestors have specific kinks or are they on the vanilla side?

Shipping 4 dead people who never actually interacted,seperated by centuries but not bloodlines only to have em Vanilla would be a different brand of crazy I think😭

So yea I def imagine them Kinky tho I dont have kinks set in stone for them much bc It would change depending on whatever I feel like is hot that week lol, I imagine them all as vers switches even tho they have preferences and It changes depending on whos w who.

But rn:

Altaïr is a Exhibitionist (I have decided lol) and is a bit of a mean Dom that loves to tease/bratty sub that loves to order. Likes roughhousing too

Ezio is recently realizing he is into(due to Altaïr) Voyerism and almost cucking? (im not into cheating nor actual cucking, I just think Ezio enjoys seeing Desmond get pleasured by someone and not being able to join in for a while) He is a talkative Dom that loves to dirtytalk and oversimulate the other/cocky sub that refuses to shut up till u make him shut up(gags binds slaps etc etc)

Connor... Im again not that far into the game where I have a clearer idea on how I wanna HC him but he is the most Vanilla out of all most of the time. I wanna give him a breeding kink (no mpreg sorry i dont care for it lol)just bc I can imagine him being a silent manhandling gentle dom holding you down as he just goes town/ Shy pillowprincess that mewls quietly trying to hold it in

Desmond Im not sure tbh being from modern times is open to being freakier, he def enjoys the attention and letting the others figure out their turn ons (mans a enabler). He is basically a chameleon and his dynamic changes w everyone. He might blush and try to (playfully) stop them but He enjoys all lol I just dont like HC-ing him as a blushing virgin lol this man has fucked before he was 23+ in New York as a bartender.

But overall I dont wanna set anything in stone w kinks or bed dynamics bc again I just make em do whatever I think sounds/looks fun that week lol so U could get a shy pillow princess Altaïr and Mean Dom Connor.

So TLDR: I give em whatever kinks that get me going and fits their HC of the time

[chidouna]

What happened to "Hello"? And "Nice to meet you"?

[dimsilver]

☀️

[knightofleo]

[iamthepulta]

The best thing about Italy and Europe is that linen just- exists here. I can go buy a shitty cheap 100% linen dress like I would go to Fry's and buy a shitty cheap 100% polyester dress in America. Absolutely revolutionary for my wardrobe. I can't actually buy wardrobe enhancements because I have a carry-on suitcase, but the fact I still have the option is amazing.

[tmae3114]

My Mum, When She Is Buying Ingredients For Her Own Cooking: Everything must be as fresh as possible. All the prep will be done in the kitchen, it improves the quality of the meal. Get the WHOLE neep, we can make several things out of that. I need to compare these boxes of chicken to figure out which has the least water and therefore most meat - don't get the pre-cut chicken, it's never cut right and usually has more water. We will get the whole herbs and I will chop them myself.

My Mum, When She Is Talking To Her Daughter With Known Dysfunctional Executives And A History Of Forgetting To Eat: Buy the meat pre-diced. Here are good jars and packets of sauces. Buy the pre-prepped vegetables. Always have tinned things to hand for emergencies. Frozen stuff is still good for you! Order takeaway, it exists for a reason!

[noctilu-uca]

"Curse ya~"

ITS MY BIRTHDAY GUYS !!!! WAOAOOWW !!

went out with some friends ~ about to go out tomorrow as well, pretty exciting !!

I drew sasara because we share the same birth month ! ,,,barely. We're both on the curb of barely even hitting/exiting october. Im on the 1st ! Hes on the 31st ! Pretty fun !! this was fun to draw, not quite a sketch but not quite a finished piece. A thing. If you will

Heres a clear picture of it !!

[starryeyedmagic]

i love when i’m able to actually hold a conversation with people on here about basic stuff and that alone can bring me joy

[hellscupboards]

So I started playing bg3 and i had to draw the first time Astarion tries to drink your blood (id in alt)

[lila-rae]

The fact that Z immediately put her signet ring with Tom's initials back on after her nails were done when the manicurist was taking photos/vids of her new nails confirms to me that the ring is the equivalent of a collar and Tom is dom. In this essay I will...

Ease back into it damn.

[pandaspwnz]

Whoever decided it was a good idea to bake a pie on a fucking wednesday afternoon is a goddamn clown and should be dropkicked into the sun