#First Love Again

[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)

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

The back hug - the hug that makes you feel loved (Part 4/?)

Kieta Hatsukoi

The Eclipse

Ai Long Nhai

Vice Versa

Dark Blue Kiss

Secret Crush On You

My Sweet Dear

First Love Again

My favorite backhugs as part of my favorite bl-tropes-collection.

[dragonsareawesome123]

Jeon Changha, Cha Joowan, and Ki Hyunwoo running into each other at Seoul Fashion Week:

[baltharino]

Tanaka Chiemi performing First Love Again Nijigasaki's 4th Love Live! Love The Life We Live

[asiandramas-takeover]

As I rewatched the ending of Unintentional Love Story, it hit me real hard that I was part of history. I’ve been part of the growth of KBL’s. From “bromances”, to unhappy endings, to full fledge korean queer shows & my god did the realization feel amazing. I’m so happy for this representation & I can’t wait to see more.

I’m tagging 30 KBL’s because Tumblr doesn’t let me do more & the fact that there are more I can tag makes me emotional.

Ps. If you have yet to see “Long Time No See” I highly recommend it. It’s the first korean bl & it was released in 2017.

[negrowhat]

Hi Eboni!!

Top 5 most frustrating moments in any bl series for you

Hi Tyler! I feel like we haven't talked in a long time!!!

Top 5 Most Frustrating BL Moments. These are the ones right off the top of my head.

Kay shooting his shot with Gui in Oxygen the Series. He just would not fucking go away. Even when it was clear that Gui was not interested in him. He was a nuisance.

Yang breaking Phumjai's heart into pieces because he didn't want to tell him about his debt in Love in Translation. Because why tf would he hurt my sweet boy like that??? Yang is a sad boy and I get it but like it annoyed me so much.

Tita Susan bringing her homophobic vibes to Gav's house and triggering him in the process from Gameboys the Movie/Gameboys 2. She really walked her crusty ass into that man's house with her lil garden gnome and made Gav feel like an unloved child and then she dropped some info on him to purposely hurt him. Old bitch. I'll never never over that shit.

The NubsibAoey stans making Gene feel like he had to break up with Nubsib in Lovely Writer. Those hater ass stans had #GeneIsNotTheDriver trending while they exposed Gene and Sib's relationship and Gene felt like the best thing to do was to break up. Which was annoying because Nubsib only agreed to do the series so he could reunite with Gene. He didn't give a fuck about that show.

Yeonseok chasing boy Jeong Hayeon after hurting his feelings, kissing him, and then saying it was a mistake in First Love Again. Personally I would've slapped the taste out of his mouth. He was really doing Ha Yeon's sweet face dirty with his wishy-washy ass.

[bl-bracket]

Round 1: Vegas (Kinnporsche: The Series) vs Yoo Sinbi (First Love Again)

[Submitted Reasons Under Cut]

Vegas: "The sheer cunt this man slays. He only needs to wear a silky or velvet top with a simple necklace gracefully draped over his collar bones, flash his cheekbones and you're done. But then this motherfucker actually gets covered in blood, sports a white suit, then a leather jacket, and makes sure he's dressed to the nines in a disco chic suit to start a coup. He also manages to make a plain t-shirt look hot? Wears his birthday suit well, also. Don't get me started on his waist; he deserved to be in at least one crop top. Vegas is a gay man who dresses like a classy masc lesbian. Half my wardrobe is inspired by him now. That's just on the fashion. I haven't even touched on the fact that he had his cousin's ex-boyfriend fake engaged to him while he was flirting with his ex's current boyfriend solely to frame him for the crime of being a mafia mole, while there's implications that he and the *actual* mole were possibly involved too? Mans was busy!"

Yoo Sinbi: "canonically nonbinary cat spirit, do i need to elaborate?"

[7698]

[tartsmeow]

mr. writer, about us dating... i want to keep it a secret from the company and my sister. are you angry? no. i understand. that's a relief.

JEON CHANG-HA AS JEONG HA-YEON / "DAVID" | FIRST LOVE, AGAIN ( 2022 ) — 01x05.

[absolutebl]

some lovely 2022 BL domesticity 

domestic BLiss 

Papa & Daddy 2, Minato’s Laundromat, First Love Again, Choco Milk Shake, Vice Versa, Check Out, Coffee Melody, Ai Long Nhai, 2 Moons 3. 

Bonus from Forgotten Plumbing: 

AKA Unforgotten Night 

[bisexualboysbroadcast]

good fucking god i think first love, again (2022) has potentially the best plot to ever plot ever in the history of plotting

we are soulmates -> we find each other in every lifetime -> our story gets cut short twice -> first by social status, and then by war. -> i meet you again now -> FUCK you’re not a gender i’m attracted to??? -> but we’re soulmates and i cannot not care about you -> i love you. -> i love you across life times and status and war and gender. i love you without obstacle. i love you in spite of -> i love YOU.

10/10 PLOT

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The math just adds up!

[batcavescolony]

Katniss is such an unreliable narrator. She says "Then something unexpected happens. At least, I don't expect it because I don't think of District 12 as a place that cares about me" girl you deliver strawberries to the Mayor, you hunt and trade for the district, when you fell at Prim being chosen someone caught you, when you went to Prim people parted for you, when you volunteered EVERYONE stopped. Idk how to tell you but I think you're a pillar of the community.

[baltharino]

Tanaka Chiemi performing First Love Again Nijigasaki's 4th Love Live! Love The Life We Live