#I wonder if gmmtv always airs their best series at the end of the year

[theselightsareblinding]

You're telling me four of my favourite series are going to end this month (The warp effect, Never let me go, My school president and Moonlight chicken) and in their place we're getting My favourite with Gawin Krist and one series called A boss and a babe 😭😭😭

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

BL Wrapped 2023

A little bit late, but I wanted to make sure to do this for my own records! I've watched so many shows now, it helps to have something down more formally to remember stuff.

A few notes:

This includes shows that started in 2022 and finished in 2023.

No shows that are currently still airing - how the ending lands is too critical for me.

There's some shows I know I'm going to love that I just haven't had time to see yet, so if there are any shocking absences, that's probably why.

Total # of QL watched: 37 (35 BLs, 2 GLs) (really looking forward to more GL offerings next year)

Favorite Thai shows:

Bed Friends

I was not the biggest fan of Cutie Pie, so entered this one with a fair amount of skepticism. But what a lovely surprise. Uea was such an incredible lead and so well-characterized, his trauma was handled seriously, and though there were occasional hiccups due to drama, overall King was such a respectful and supportive partner. And let's not forget the cat ears.

Laws of Attraction

What a ride this show was! I had not watched To Sir with Love, so had no familiarity with Jam or Film, but they were amazing here. The side couple of disaster muffin + loving bodyguard were pitch perfect, there were fantastic women characters who actually had significant roles in the story, and who can forget our wonderful chaotic Nawin? The story was compelling, the emotional points hit, and even when it leaned towards the ridiculous, it always remained aware of what it was.

My School President

I still remember watching the trailer for Our Skyy 2 and noticing two random dudes I had never seen before. Little did I know!

I don't have much to say except that this was pure charm from start to finish, and Fourth & Gemini were a delight. Pure comfort watch.

Unforgotten Night

I SAID WHAT I SAID! (and yes this aired in 2022, I was late)

Look, I know a lot of people thought of this purely as a trash watch, but it's so much more than that. I wrote a whole post on it. It was fantastic. I apologize for nothing.

Favorite Korean shows:

Our Dating Sim

I adored this show from start to finish. I could understand the motivations of both characters, I was deeply invested in their relationship, and they felt so utterly natural once they got together. 10/10, no notes.

Jun & Jun

This was a little messy at times, and missed an opportunity to lean more into D/s dynamics, but I really liked all the characters, the leads had great chemistry, and it was refreshing to see a Korean BL be more open about sexual desire in a relationship.

Favorite Japanese Shows:

The End of the World With You

This one could have easily gone off the rails. End of the world stories can be very tricky to pull off. But there was such a solid emotional core to the storytelling, and it kept such a hold of my heart.

My Personal Weatherman

One thing I think Japan does extremely well is stories about people who have extremely deep internal lives, but don't show much on the surface. As someone quite introverted, who keeps a lot of things on the inside, I relate a lot to this. This show did such a good job of showing how challenging it can be to communicate with those we love, and the rewards once you are able to break through and really understand each other.

Favorite Taiwanese Shows:

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Of course it's Kiseki. This series was amazing. I don't care we never really understood any of the mafia stuff, that was all set dressing for some of the best couple work ever.

Honorable Mention:

Midnight Museum

I will never stop calling this a BL. Some day GMMTV will realize that Gun has too much chemistry with other people to keep him only with Off. Also, we got Nanon playing evil, which was so sexy.

[absolutebl]

Hi. Thank you for your blog. I really love it. I've recently become hooked on BL Dramas and binge watched a lot of them whilst I was stuck at home with covid for a couple of weeks (Bad Buddy, Why R U, To My Star, Light On Me, My Love Mix-Up! & TharnType) I love a good romantic comedy and was wondering if you have a top 10 list of BL dramas that have the best comedy in them. Thanks 😊

Ooo, a fun ask. And thank you for the compliment. 

So most BLs are romcom adjacent now. Since the lighter hearted "Thai style" has come to dominate the genre. And specifically following the American style classic romcom beats and tropes (e.g. Lifetime, Hallmark, or 80s Hollywood heyday) is actually pretty rare. But here are some...

Top 10 BLs that are RomCom-esk!

These are the 10 I think most closely would be called a "rom com" if they were to be spat out by Hollywood.

In no particular order... 

1. My Love Mix-Up! AKA Kieta Hatsukoi AKA Vanishing My First Love (Japan - Viki) 

Honestly this is pretty much Japan giving us a classic yaoi romcom. It's very Japanese about it, so lots of slapstick but it is quite funny and spastic and full of caricature, meme-able moments, and awkward encounters. The only way it's not a romcom is that it didn't end on a kiss. 

2. Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard (Japan - indie subbers or Crunch)  

A bit softer on the extremes of humor than Mix-Up but equally charming. It has adult characters and an office setting so it is smack dab in the romcom wheelhouse. In this one a lot of the humor comes from hearing everyone’s thoughts. Also, doesn’t end (quite) on a kiss, but almost. 

3. 2gether & Still 2gether (Thailand - GMMTV’s YouTube) 

I think you can safely call this a romcom. Is it actually funny? You decide. But I think that the drunk scenes in both seasons are comedy GOLD. Win is an under appreciated physical comedian. 

4. Puppy Honey (Thailand - GMMTV’s YouTube) 

Okay so, it’s two parts and the first is mostly het, and the second is about 50/50 but I think it qualifies. And the whole think has that slightly absurd edge that makes in romcom-esk. 

5. Why R U? SiafahZon (Thailand - Viki) 

I wanna say that the SaifahZon’s story arc in Why R U? is a romcom (or intended to be) but FighterTutor is not? So 50/50 split? Does that count? Eh, I don’t have many options so it’s going on the list. 

6. YYY (Thailand - search me) 

This is more of a farce than a romcom, especially the special (aborted second quarantine season) and it is ... odd. It’s kind of BL does Diary of a Tootsie or something. I don’t know, I’m always confused by this show. (Origin of YoonLay tho.) 

7. Secret Crush On You (Thailand - sigh) 

This is definitely an attempt at a romcom. I forgot about it because I DNFed and I really did NOT like it. But yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what it’s trying to do. 

8-10. GMMTV’s Failures 

You’ll notice there are quite a few from Thailand that didn’t make it. I think they missed the mark even though they were trying for romcom (Fish Upon the Sky, Thonhon Conlatee, even Enchanté). GMMTV seems particularly bad at romcoms, although they will keep trying. (Don’t get me wrong, I like Enchanté, but it’s not very funny even when it wants to be.) The success of 2gether drives GMMTV to try to recreate that magic (when really they should stick to SOTUS style BLs, more drama than comedy, like Bad Buddy). I say this knowing humor is subjective but none of these really made me laugh consistently. 

I’m leaving these ends spots open to add more in the future, I hope. 

Sirs Not Appearing On This List

Love Stage!! both the Japanese version (not recommended) and the Thai version (currently airing) I think would qualify. If the Thai version goes well I’ll come back and add it to the upper list. But I have to reserve judgement, as this is a very difficult yaoi to adapt for a modern audience. 

Ossan’s Love both the set of Japanese movies and the newer series from Hong Kong are kind of romcom soaps. So dramadies? Soapymas? But I don’t personally like them at all. 

I would probubly put Gen Y into this category too - soapy romcom. 

This kind of BL is always uneven - they aren’t sure if they want to be taken seriously or laughed at or laughed with. 

There are a couple of self titled BL sitcoms airing right now, Oh! My Boarding House (Korea) and that one from Thailand I can never remember the name. I wouldn’t call them romcoms tho. 

In general Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Mainland China seem to take their BL too seriously for comedy, although there may be some shorts out there. 

It could be argued that 49 Days With A Merman is going there but I find the characters backgrounds a little too dark, and don’t really enjoy the humor that’s beens showing up. Also it’s still airing now, so may not be a BL in the end. 

I have a few gay romcoms on this list: Old Guard Queer Cinema for BL Lovers

(source)

[patpran]

just watched 2gether the movie in theatres today & honestly i'm kinda speechless (2gether the movie spoilers ahead, long rambly post):

i'd somehow managed to avoid spoilers ever since the release date and had no idea what was gonna happen going in (w/ the exception of them graduating lol + knowing most of the movie were clips reused from the series). & let me say Holy shit it was so so gorgeous like the scenes flowed so smoothly, tied together by tine's (& later, wat's) narration. i fucking LOVE that we got some background information on certain scenes (wat talks about how he woke up super early to be the doctor's first patient of the day so he could make it for tine's performance) — it really Really gave the show a little more depth and reignited all the chummy feelings i felt early 2020 lol i absolutely cannot believe it's been two years since this series aired and my lockdown emotions just all came back .. T____T even as i "move on" and find new dramas i think 2gt will always occupy a precious place in my heart — i'd never felt such pure unadulterated joy watching a romance blossom in my life & i'm so glad they managed to tie everything off with a nice bow for fans to say a proper goodbye to sarawatine

the new scenes were wonderful too — i bawled at the point tine's parents recognised wat as tine's bf & even harder at the scenes of them having a family dinner together.

there's just something so fundamentally life-altering about seeing the little dudes on my laptop screen blown up in a theatre. i managed to sneak some pics & tried my best not to yell but towards the end i think i was kinda inconsolable LMFAOOOOO my irl and i cried and cried and just Vibrated in our seats for almost Two hours straight. i know some (read: many) people complain that gmmtv just wanted to milk 2gether for all it's worth but honestly the movie is sweet and, i think, a really nice anniversary gift for people who had 2gether accompany them through the dreariness of lockdown, or any other life event. the movie was really precious and i left the theatre with a heart so full it quelled all my previous anxieties about attempting to sneak into a 21+ show while being 20.... LOL.....

ultimately i think the movie is just cozy and feels like a resting place. i had a terrible day at uni and looking forward to the evening movie kinda reminded me of the way i lived as a ghost till friday rolled around. i wouldn't be here without 2gether so i'm glad i got to see it on the big screen!!!! definitely gonna paste the ticket on my wall for memories' sake <3

[petekaos]

hey, bro! i read u listing elements that could have been better developed in 2gether and started thinking about it. when it comes to conflicts, i'd like to see couples going through different experiences and dealing w/ them. we all know the love triangle trope - honestly this is extremely tiring for me - and i feel like having a third party is not always the best way to face problems and show a relationship development. +

in 2gether for instance, wtf is mil doing? at this point, what's his contribution to the story? i feel like instead of this weird crush on tine, he could be living his life and facing different obstacles. anything really. maybe explore why he hates sarawat and how he deals being close to wat's bro, idk. when it comes to sarawatine, we know that tine is insecure, so why not explore it in a more subjective way, getting to know the roots of this insecurity? +

i see how having a third party can bring this subject to light, but will the problem be solved after the other person disappears? there are many things that might make tine insecure and it would honestly be amazing to see him facing different situations and slowly overcome his insecurity issues. that would involve conflict, drama, fights, etc. and would be kinda refreshing to see (instead of jealousy then "oh ok that person is not going to tear us apart so everything is fine now"). +

i also agree that it would feel amazing to see them saying the words bi and gay, but i guess i am happy with the fact that we don't have to be constantly listening to ppl say "wife/husband" as if they weren't two men. i am happy the show explores friendship, tho i also think we could see more about their family relationships. if we are going to watch the characters' development, why not get to know more about them as individuals (someone's brother and son and friend), right? +

and holy shit, the way women are treated needs to seriously change! gmm loves to portray women as crazy beings about guys (yea TOL this also applies to u), which is disrespectful to say the least. the fact it's a mlm doesn't mean it's ok to pretend women don't need personalities or a more well-written role. i hope this will change in the future. and that we'll also get wlw from these great companies. i ended up talking to much. i hope i made sense. as always, thx for your insight! -- emo sis

hi hi! ah i absolutely agree with all of your points, like one of my biggest pet peeves is the need for a third party to jumpstart growth in a relationship. this isn’t all too prevalent in 2gether, but mil’s character just really pisses me off? not he himself, but the way he’s been written. like you said, he could have had his own storyline and progressed in his relationship with phukong wonderfully. there comes a point for every antagonist where you can’t redeem them anymore, and mil is hurtling towards that point of no return. and i really don’t want him to! he was a good source of conflict initially but his character feels flat now. like why does he hate sarawat? is there any ulterior motive or reason to his crush on tine? how does he feel about phukong being sarawat’s brother? why did he get a bit choked up telling phukong that he likes him... like a brother? his character could have been super multifaceted and three-dimensional and a good example of someone who makes mistakes (ie hitting on tine even when he has a boyfriend and doesn’t want to be hit on) but apologises for them (we could have had a great apology scene in ep 10!). but he just keeps pushing! and it makes me so sad because we could have had a TOL style storyline between mil and phukong where mil redeems himself and proves to phukong he’s worthy of his love, y’know? because right now i’m kind of like :/ about their relationship. phukong deserves better. 

god, yeah! tine’s insecurities hit so hard on my rewatch of ep 10. i see so much of myself in him--he’s in his first proper relationship and he’s scared he’s gonna mess everything up and all of these objectively minor things keep happening and he’s so frightened that sarawat will feel it isn’t worth it that he sneaks out to right the lil spirit house thing. how many times did he apologise this episode? too many. i feel the scene where he asks if sarawat really thinks they’ll be together in 10 years exposed how much tine truly feels that he’s not enough and not worth it. he tries to keep up the chic chic demeanor and while he’s soft with sarawat and shows him all parts of him, he’s scared that sarawat... won’t want him anymore. tine and the mortifying ordeal of being known... it hits so close to home and god i wish they would explore that in a way that doesn’t have to do with other people! i hope this will be touched on a bit more next episode with pam’s entrance but how much of that is gonna hang off pam? that’s the real question.

yeah i’m happy that they don’t use the wife/husband thing too much. the bar is underground, but... well, you know. and yes! the friendships are done so so well in 2gether and i really do wish we could get to see more of tine and his friends. familial relationships would be such a wonderful added bonus to this show, especially considering that tine and sarawat’s brothers are also part of side romance storylines. tine and type are amazing and i adore their relationship. as an older sibling, i see so much of myself in type, like we’ve known our younger siblings all our lives, know all their insecurities and exactly how they could be hurt, and that’s why we protect them with all our lives, y’know? i would love to see more of sarawat and phukong and wat as an older brother! i think wat being the older brother is something really interesting? and i wish they would explore more of his relationship to phukong and being his p’.

i could go on about the treatment of women in 2gether and gmmtv in general. honestly there are very few times they’ve done women right (he’s coming to me was a good one!) and i wish they wouldn’t portray women as part of fanclubs and as fetishisers. i would love to see more earn and pear, obviously, as tine and sarawat’s friends and people they’re close to! it would make sense to see more of them, especially considering the fact that earn had that wack catfishing subplot with man. i’d have loved to seen an actual apology from him for that one as well. and air! air could have been featured heavily in ep 10 and i’m slightly bitter they didn’t actually, i mean she’s a huge part of the music club and it was a music club trip. i really hope that they do pam right and establish her as a character and not a plot device, if they do that right, then i’ll be satisfied. and yeah, i would love a wlw series from gmmtv. there are so many brilliant actresses who would take on those roles and execute them wonderfully! hopefully they listen to our prayers and see how many people would actually watch a wlw series and deliver soon. 

thank you for these asks, my friend! they really made me think and i always love to provide insight on all things 2gether and lgbt thai series stuff in general :’)