#La Cuisine the series

[mikuni14]

Favorite Kiss Game

Rules: create a poll with five (<- lol I'm bad at math) of your all time favorite onscreen kisses, setting any standard for qualification you choose. Then tag more friends to join in!

Thank you @my-rose-tinted-glasses for tagging me! 💜

I have A LOT of favorite kisses, but I decided to choose these:

This time I'm not tagging anyone because the tags haven't been working for me lately 😩 Anyone who sees this post: please consider yourself invited to the game 😘 (Please tag me, I wanna vote for fav kisses!)

[gabrielokun]

[gravity-knight]

Watching Pitbabe and I’m thinking “Winner may be an asshole psychopath but he has a face for BL. They should give him a few shows.”

Now I’m over here deciding on what show to pick up while the currently airing continues to air

And I find La Cuisine

And who is the ML?

Ding ding ding, Winner!

[tittylover26]

LUKCHUP WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE BABY??????

[absolutebl]

La Cuisine

La Cuisine Elevator Pitch

A sweet and somewhat pure show, and like the Thai desserts it features, perhaps requires too much patience for a layperson. Because of the pacing and the focus on a bad girl character, I did dock it points, but if you like stuff in the Oxygen vein, then this show is for you, and far better than most Thai BL pulps. That said, I suspect that I enjoyed it more than many would.

[7698]

[thequeenofsastiel]

you've watched LA Cuisine, right? do you think it's good? also, do character have D/s dynamics?

I never got around to finishing it. I enjoyed it somewhat, because absolutely yes there was a D/s dynamic between Ram and Lukchup, but I stopped watching it around ep 8 to wait for the whole thing to come out, and just forgot about it. But now that you mention it, I'll probably finish it.

[geekygirl24]

Prompt from BadPennyGirl: Can I have a LA Cuisine/Gen Y crossover? Lukchub and Wayu just being adorable together?

[pharawee]

I want my partner to work with me.

—EVERY YOU, EVERY ME · ทุกๆ เธอที่รัก · Universe 02/08

[scarefox]

Was scrolling through Micks tiktok when suddenly a familiar face!

And I remembered Pop was main in a BL before! Mick and Pop were a ship! Oh well I guess now I have to watch that series too (it's about food so it wasn't on my list, but this changes everything)

[mmepastel]

Ça y est, nous avons terminé la charmante série japonaise Dans la cuisine des maiko.

Le dépaysement est total. Au début, tout semble étrange ; les rires légers mais constants des deux amies à la moindre parole, la fonction même de maiko (j’ai passé le premier épisode à me demander de quoi il s’agissait, je me suis renseignée ensuite, notamment auprès de mon fils qui en savait un rayon grâce à sa passion pour le Japon), les multiples rituels, l’importance des politesses, des codes, des prières, le mode de vie.

Ensuite, j’ai craqué pour Kiyo, la recalée des maiko (trop gauche), qui devient maikana (c’est à dire cuisinière pour le gynécée où l’on apprend l’art d’être maiko), sa passion pour les plaisirs simples, son talent pour faire plaisir aux autres, surtout en cuisinant, la beauté des images de Kyoto, la beauté des plats cuisinés.

J’ai été, au fond, tout autant charmée qu’agacée. Au bout d’un certain temps, la philosophie de Kiyo (« chérir chaque instant ») m’a parue tout aussi belle qu’inatteignable, et un peu forcée. Et une part de moi, même éblouie par le raffinement des coutumes et des interactions sociales, ne peut s’empêcher d’être un peu irritée du rôle donné aux femmes. Certes, elles choisissent de devenir maiko puis éventuellement geiko. C’est à dire qu’elles s’entraînent dur pour se parer, se coiffer, se maquiller et danser pour être ensuite employées pour des soirées ou événements dans lesquelles elles seront admirées pour la pratique de leur art. Des dames de compagnie (en tout bien tout honneur) ou des danseuses, ou un peu des deux. Il faut mettre sa main devant la bouche quand on rit, par exemple. Je suppose que ça me dépasse un peu. On est loin loin loin du féminisme… même si elles ont un certain pouvoir et un statut admiré. Au fond, qu’admire-t-on chez elles ? La capacité à faire de leur corps et de leurs mouvements une œuvre d’art ? La capacité de s’effacer au profit d’une tradition ancestrale jamais remise en cause (il n’y a guère que la maiko aguerrie qui soulève des questions) ? La capacité de mettre sa vie personnelle sous le tapis pour plaire aux hommes ? Ces questions, pour une occidentale de 2023, sont naturelles je pense.

Elles ont l’air heureuses, pour la plupart, sauf la sombre Reyko, qui détonne de façon bienvenue avec sa m��lancolie maussade et son esprit désabusé. Mais peut-on croire la série sur parole ? Est-elle juste ?

Heureusement, ce qui sauve la série, c’est la solidarité et l’amitié (non dénuée de rivalités) entre les apprenties maiko. Surtout l’amitié de Surume et de Kiyo, qui survit à leurs changements de statut.

Peut-être que la série était trop longue. Neuf épisodes sur une trame aussi ténue, c’est beaucoup. En même temps, cela donne un côté documentaire qui est loin d’être inintéressant.

Une vraie curiosité en tous cas.

[mikuni14]

2022

2022 is over, what a weird and interesting year it has been for the BL world! 🤡

A lot of series, that I didn't expect anything special from turned out to be unexpectedly great for me. However, many series that I expected to be miracles turned out to be just avarage or even meh 🤷‍♀️

I haven't finished a lot of series. And to me that was the most surprising thing. Even those that I watched with some kind of interest, I just eventually... dropped or fastforwarded. Basically - after a week's break, I just didn't watch the next episode. This had rarely happened to me before 🤔 so I guess it’s a sign of something, idk (too many series? too many mediocre series that can’t keep my attention?). Anyway, I tumblr-watched many dramas, as in, I checked the gifs, read the reviews and that was enough...

So here’s my little summary:

✨Favorite, most rewatched BLs, a comfort food for my soul:

Semantic error

Oh! Boarding house

(and those started in 2022, if they maintain the same quality:

My School President, Never Let Me Go, The New Employee)

✨Very good series, but without high rewatching value:

My Secret Love

My Ride

Kabe Koji

About Youth

Eternal Yesterday (which, although subjectively ended badly, objectively kept the high quality until the end)

The above series started well, AND ended well. They just either maintained high quality from start to finish, or even their quality increased with each new episodes.

✨Shows that started well but either flopped, or clearly had no idea how to finish, or ended flat or did something really stupid in the finale that ruined the whole show for me:

Ghost Host, Ghost House - until the first half of the episode 7, it’s a 10/10 show, after that, this series doesn't exist for me, so angry with that one

The Miracle of Teddy Bear - I hate the finale SO MUCH, the rest of the episodes are 10/10, again, so angry with this one

Enchante had a chance to be a great show, what a waste..

Old Fashion Cupcake ended a bit anti-climactic, although otherwise the series is GREAT!

KinnPorsche - sort of? I mean, I LOVE Kinn and Porsche, but since the last few episodes kind of lost their focus on them, it stopped being that interesting..

✨2022 had another amazing thing, which was couples that had spectacular chemistry, or some great scenes together (quite often on shows that were otherwise weak plot-wise or simply boring for me, that I wouldn't normally watch, if not for that one couple). These definitely include:

Kevin and Pluem (GHGH) - who went beyond any scale in terms of naturalness in the relationship (which the show ignored in the end with a stupid, forced breakup)

Kinn and Porsche - forever the most beloved soft husbands, the best relationship on and off screen, Mile and Apo my beloved 💖💖💖💖

Jang Jae Young and Chu Sang Woo from Semantic Error, as well as ->

Moon Seol Won and Kim Ceol Soo from Oh! Boarding House - both couples prove, that Korea can also make a  BL, in which the guys are clearly into each other :)

Phayu and Rain from Oh! My Sunshine Night - in one show a couple I hate (sorry OhmFluke fans) and a couple that literally blew my mind

Nuea and Toh from Secret Crush - again, chemistry off the scale

Khoa and Dung with Mr. Cinderella - I love them for their naturalness and playfulness

Sky and Paitong from La Cuisine - had the same effect on me as Phayu and Rain, an unexpectedly hot couple in a very average series (their kiss in the car? woooooooow)

Dan and Yok from Not Me - my GOD but I was obsessed with them - until about the time they kissed for a first time, then their arc became so terribly stupid

Shogun and Maitoh (Why you..) - a very nice romance, Maitoh is gay from the start, which was a nice thing, also what I loved is that they ended up as a couple, I was so sure that Maitoh would end up with Shogun's rival "as a reward" for his long pinning

✨Untapped Romantic Potential - couples that could be:

Mon and Saint from Our Days

Porsche and Vegas - hehe, sorry guys but for me Vegas had more chemistry in the scenes with Porsche (or even with Kinn) than with Pete 🤷‍♀️

Kei and Yaku - they were a couple in every sense of the word - except being an actual couple

✨I can't resist writing who was the most pleasant for me to look at 😏:

Jang Jae Young (Semantic Error)

Nuea (Secret Crush)

Phayu (Oh! My Sunshine)

Kinn, Porsche and Vegas

Kei (KeixYaku)

Gun (My School President) that smile

Mork (My Ride) that dimple

Nekoyashiki (Kabe Koji) beautiful lips

Palm (Never Let Me Go) beautiful lips

Baek Eun Kyu (Tasty Florida)

✨It was also a year of some really nice kisses :) Can’t even chose which one I liked the best, but let’s say:

Nuea and Toh at the camp

Phayu and Rain on the beach

Kevin adn Pluem their fist kiss, Kevin sitting on Pluem ;)

Sky and Paitong - their one and only kiss

Kinn and Porsche - all their kisses, but especially bathroom scene kiss form ep 7, so emotional

all kisses from Semantic Error and Oh! Boarding House - there were just few of them, but all of them felt so right

Nuer and Syn at the club

✨And finally, my favorite yaoi to read:

Payback

Shutline

I probably forgot half of stuff I watched, but then again, 2022 did spoil us with a lot of BL series. I wish all of us, that 2023 will be even better in this matter and provide us with multiple new obsessions! 👨‍❤️‍👨👨‍❤️‍👨👨‍❤️‍👨💖💖💖 Here, have a cute boy as a good charm!

[gabrielokun]

[gravity-knight]

La Cuisine is over

And thank the gods

Omg what even was that last episode? There was so much. A gun. A proposal. A marriage. A new love.

I really did enjoy it in the beginning it it got more elaborate and dramatic as it went on. Every ep LukChub would cry. Mick is a beautiful crier btw. The friend group was funny and awkward. All the questions I asked myself between dialogue was asked by a character so that was funny.

All the time wasted on LukChub and Namning’s tears and outburst could’ve been used for Paitong and Sky. Ridiculous that they got together in the last episode. I was robbed!

Also Super getting a full relationship was odd.

And did they really think they could hide the pink hair under that wig for the wedding?

So many unnecessary characters as well

To whomever finds this good luck

[tittylover26]

Someone pointed out in the notes that you can also scroll through tumblr when the cringe attack happens, and I must say I wrote this post trying to manage the physical level of cringe I was feeling watching La Cuisine for the 2nd time.

Why do I keep torturing myself this way

Am I the only one that cringes so hard when something embarrassing happens in a series and then has to go open YouTube for a second and watch a random video or go keep reading my book where I left it for a few minutes before gathering the courage to keep watching that episode

[absolutebl]

Ranking Every Restaurant Based BL

As of August 2024. Shows not yet finished by that date are not on this list. Otherwise, features any BL set in the restaurant & beverage industry (that I've watched). I did not include the home cook domestic BLs on this list (like Our Dining Table).

1 To My Star

Korea 2021 Viki

10/10

Hwang Da Seul directing this show about a neurotic actor (actual puppy) who takes refuge with a grumpy chef resulting in sparks, cooking lessons, and LOVE! It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams. I adore this show so much. Limited use of BL tropes makes this feel more of a sweet contemporary gay romance between an actor plagued by scandal and the grumpy chef who adopts him, but the gentleness will appeal to fans of the BL genre.

2 What Zabb Man!

Thai 2022 YouTube

8/10

Star Hunter's WZM was better than we had any right to expect, with decent pacing and a foodie theme threaded through the narrative as both love language and plot driver. Basically CEO falls in love with a street vendor’s food, recruits him to work in his hotel, falls in love with him, and that’s just the beginning. Class struggles! Kitchen drama! Papaya pounding (not a euphemism)! Chef poaching (not literally)! Spicy scenes (yes both kinds)! It’s all so delicious.

3 DNA Says Love You

Taiwan 2022 Gaga

8/10

Okay it's only in a cafe about 1/2 the time but it is the main setting if not the plot. DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The first few eps are rough going but have patience, it's worth it I promise! The second half is really special and life/love affirming - and the end is big-grin charming.

4 The Tasty Florida

Korea 2021 Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/38119c-the-tasty-florida

8/10

Not really a love triangle featuring the prettiest men ever to be grouped together outside of K-pop, honestly the visuals are ridiculous, there’s a story, it has to do with food, whatever, they so pretty. I have a weakness for this BL and it's entirely Speed's fault.

5 My Day

Pinoy 2020 YouTube

8/10

The set up on this one is enemies (also boss/employee) and they don’t like each other to start. But that gets resolved pretty quickly. And then they are some of the cutest, hottest, and best boyfriends ever. This is an under-appreciated BL, IMHO. It's also more set in the office of a food creation company, but there is a lot about food.

6 My Tooth Your Love

Taiwan 2023 Viki

8/10

Earnest dentist hottie with sad eyes who worries too much is smitten by an adorable sunshine neurotic bar owner with serious anxiety issues. They fall madly in love while courting each other with food, plushies, and naps. Then, shocker, talk about their feelings and try to actually sort out their problems so they can have an adult relationship. Bonus crumbs = 18 year old poor little rich kid in mad crush with a much older man. I really enjoyed this show, it had a unique premise, killer dialogue, there was a solid lead pair with charmg chemistry, soft flirtation, delightful smiling kisses, and stinkingly cute domesticity. All that said, I wasn’t wild about some of the darker themes it explored, even though it did a good job with them. And while the sides were adorable, they were underused. In the land of May/December, baby boy kabedon is my kryptonite! Why so little of it? (Kabedon is My Krytonite = also the name of my indie band’s first single.)

7 All the Liquors

Korea 2023 Viki & Gaga

8/10

A pretty classic foodie set KBL that managed to distinguish itself from others in this category by having a particularly satisfying final episode centered around found family. Sunshine sweetie soju rep gets involved with a shy introvert chef who doesn’t drink. This has a somewhat uneven plot and ridiculous central conceit (much in the way of Tasty Florida), but if you are looking for a restaurant BL with Korea’s signature softness, then this is a great option. FYI I may identify with our baby party boy hedonist more than any other BL lead ever presented.

8 Although I Love You and You - Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

Japan 2024 Gaga

8/10

The promise of this show, younger cook courts older divorced office worker, should have been my catnip. I mean if someone pitched this to me in an elevator I would have downloaded it by the second storey. Unfortunately, it did not exactly fulfil that promise, not in the way I'd hoped. Did I still enjoy the ride? Yes, but I feel a little let down.

9 Ocean Likes Me

Korea 2022 Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/38367c-ocean-likes-me

8/10

Stars Kpop’s best known out gay singer, Holland & Han Gi Chan (Where Your Eyes Linger). Noodle shop! Broken dreams! This is a solid little KBL, with a good premise and cast. Manic pixie dream boy can get old fast but when contrasted with awkward grumpy chef? It’s a tasty combo that elevates both ingredients. Holland is a charming screen presence - baby boy is HYPNotiC. And while I wasn’t entirely sold on the chemistry, these two did give us some very good kisses and sweet domesticity. I grinned through most episodes and I didn’t even mind the standard KBL 1 year separation at the end because it felt so true to the characters. Is this Korea's first out gay actor in a BL? I think it might be.

10 My Sweet Dear

Korea 2021 Viki

8/10

I liked this one a lot better than most. Strict professional rivals (chefs) in a very enemies to lovers BL - to the point where we mistrust the sincerity of the seme because he’s so very in it to win. I kinda like that, because kitchens are hotbeds of drama, and I like a seme with some sinister edge. But be warned, it means the whole romance comes off as a little disingenuous.

11 You Are Ma Boy

Vietnam 2021 YouTube

7/10

The leads in this drama crackle on screen together and I kinda adore them. No one has seen this BL, and you should really give it a try. Is there angst? Nope even what could have been angst (a gay idol) doesn’t materialize, it’s just cuties in a cafe confusing each other with cat & mouse games. The side het couple is a touch disturbing, tho.

12 My Lascivious Boss

Vietnam 2021 YouTube

7/10

While it did have pacing issues and some questionable content at the beginning, MLB’s unabashed queerness carried it though and ultimately elevated it with camp. It never felt like mockery or punching down, it felt joyful, and very new wave BL. It’s as if Vietnam is starting a process of handing out HEAs to all the letters of LGBTQ+ in BL style - I love this look for them.

13 Pure Vanilla

Singapore 2023 microfilm Gaga

7/10

It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL.

14 La Cuisine

Thai 2022 Gaga

7/10

A sweet and somewhat pure show, and like the Thai desserts it features, perhaps requires too much patience for a layperson. Because of the pacing and the focus on a bad girl character, I did dock it. But if you like stuff in the Oxygen vein, then this show is for you, and far better than most Thai BL pulps. That said, I suspect that I enjoyed it more than many would.

15 My Universe - Lucky Love

Thai 2023 iQIYI

7/10

A boy suffering heartbreak is asked to look after a friend's restaurant, and meets a young chef whose food brings on a relationship. I enjoyed this 2 part installment, it’s a bit of a sad sack recovery SAGA, but the acting is genuine, the couple believable, and the story felt particularly queer to me. It was really quite charming.

16 Cooking Crush

Thai 2024 YouTube

7/10

1/3 of this is a sweet romance about a student doctor falling in love with a student chef, and the rest of it is utter dross. Look the OffGun bits were GREAT. In fact, I think they’re better AS A PAIR in this show than in any of their other BLs. And I'm a hard sell on any OffGun being better here than PickRome. Saying that, how can I review a show where I could only tolerate 1/3 of it? Because I didn’t like any other aspect of this show, no other pairs and no other plots. That gives me: 9/10 for the OffGun bits, 5/10 for everything else. Frankly, it probably should be an 8 but I gotta go with my gut and it's UPSET about this so 7/10. Sorry boys. It’s GMMTV’s fault. Your heart was in this show, mine wasn’t.

17 Love in Translation

Thai 2023 iQIYI

6/10

A sweet little pulp about a Thai boy with a crush on a Chinese influencer who ends up in a business relationship with her ex-bf. This show had truly great chemistry between the leads, cute found family with good rep, and an exciting (if silly) ending that almost, but didn't quite, make up for how incredibly annoying the main character was in the first half. Gotta say the make-out scene in the convenience store is one of the greatest in Thai BL history, but I can't like a show where I dislike the main character to such a degree, sorry DouOffroad I intend to enjoy your next offering.

18 Please Tell Me So

Korea 2021 microfilm YouTube

Cute barista (played by Han Hyun Jun star of Love Class) has a crush on his customer, musters up the courage to ask him out.

19 Love Advisor

Thai 2021 microfilm YouTube

6/10

Set in a cafe but not about cafe workers, this is an actor’s piece, more like a one act stage performance about friends to lovers and miscommunication.

20 VIP Only

Taiwan 2024 Gaga

6/10

A sweet if aimless story about a writer and a chef finding love via noodles, fake dating, and family challenges. If it had a tighter script and a shorter run, more like a KBL this might’ve been quite special. But it didn’t and it lost me too many times.

21 609 Bedtime Story

Thai 2023 WeTV

6/10

Okay it's sometiems set in a club but that's not really part of the... plot. An interesting time slip concept and a great set up ultimately disappointed. It opened strong, on one of my favourite under appreciated Thai actors: Plustor (as Vee) in a side bartender romance with younger bisexual king, Games. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. OhmFluke’s solid chemistry and romantically soft kisses were ill served by a reformed rake meets rich-kid cheater pairing. While it was nice to see Ohm play a part with more animated facial expressions, his was the only character that remained consistent. All in all, this was a confusing show about disloyalty and parallel worlds that never made sense or stayed true to its characters. A promising start, confusing middle, and disappointing end. I don’t say this lightly, but Oh My Sunshine Night is better, and OhmFuke deserve better than either.

22 Bake Me Please

Thai 2023 Gaga

6/10

A lackluster story about a group of bakers coping with (mostly) a shoddy script that could not be saved by either the beauty nor the talent of the actors involved. It suffered for lack of narrative backbone and so did I.

23 Bite Me

Thai 2021 Viki

6/10 (yeah I'mm surprise too, I thought I gave this a 5)

Thailand gave us Korean style slowly simmering ultra soft and sweet BL only at a Thai length so the pacing was… not good. Slower than molasses and full of insane subtext, long gazes, missing dialogue, abrupt mood swings, and one very pretty kiss. It curdled around episode 8, the sauce split, and there was no saving it. It did have some of the best food porn I’ve seen in my life, and I watch cooking shows regularly. It was beautiful, the leads were decent, it should have right up my alley, and yet… it left me with a feeling of disaffected ennui - bland and boring and unsatisfying. 11 courses of tasty tasty pacing issues.

24 One Last Order

Korea 2019 microfilm Gaga

5/10

Extremely hot cafe customer has to figure out which of the cutie baristas has a crush on him and sends hime poetry.

25 Craving You

Taiwan 2020 Viki

5/10

Honestly, I haven't rewatched this since it aired and I maybe might cut it more slack now. About a jerk of a cook with a crush on a musician and having to make a cake for a gay wedding.

26 Coffee Melody

Thai 2022 Viki

5/10

Stars Pavel (my love) as a cafe owner (Forth in 2 Moons 2) and Benz as a composer (Call it What You Want). This should have been my kind of BL - on the fluffy end of the spectrum plus honestly queer. Unfortunately, the slow pacing, manufactured angst, odd secondary story arcs, and a selfishly immature unlikeable wet dishcloth main character, meant its flaws outweighed its charm. Jean (flame on snark fairy) is ME, I love him so much but in the end neither he nor Pavel in an apron could save this show for me. It’s not bad. It’s not good either. Ultimately so forgettable I’ve probably already forgotten it. There is also a Coffee Melody holiday special.

27 Evening Cafe

Thai 2021 YouTube

5/10

Cafe setting with no heat and no kisses (almost Chinese in this regard), but a decent lead pair. About a boy who works in a cafe and the new employee who has a crush on him. That’s it, whole story.

28 Love Area: Part 1

Thai 2021 Gaga

5/10

It ended on a cliffhanger and I'm still annoyed by it. But it is somewhat set at a restaurant.

29 Love Next Door 2

Thai 2014 Gaga

4/10

One of Thailand’s early very high heat pieces, it’s odd, but sexy I guess? Some unexpectedly decent queer rep at the cafe including femme characters getting screen time and HEAs. Part one from 2013 has the same high heat content and feature the same lead character (and actor) early on in his queer journey, discovering he is gay with the sex worker next door, but isn't as good nor is it relevant to this story. Which, unfortunately, also isn't very good.

30 The Promise

Thai 2023 WeTV

4/10

Although well acted this show dragged a too simple premise out into the ultimate manipulative miscommunication repeats of idiotic "why don’t you just TALK!?” Phu & Nan are childhood bffs through college (almost lovers) until Phu disappears. After looking/waiting for him, Nan gives up and self isolates, and the actual story takes place 10 years later. Phu’s “reason” and inability to say it out loud makes the whole show just frustrating, squandering good chemistry, and a stellar cast of multiple faen fatals (whose personalities would’ve made them better boyfriends). Seriously do not bother. What a damn waste of talent, time, and electronic bandwidth. Fatally flawed.

31 Love Area: Part 2

Thai 2022 Gaga

3/10

It wasn't as boring as Bite Me, but it wasn’t actually good, either. This started out as Thailand tackles love triangles pulp style, but in part 2 lockdown changed everything. Valen & Kaitoon dropped some great kisses but traded off crazy hair and makeup in a scene-by-scene whiplash that was clearly pickups done months after lockdown, and the second lead vanished. It was... surreal. Side dishes jumped up screen time but tackled mental health... badly. A fantastic new queer side character was randomly introduced, June, who was the best thing to happen to BL linguistics in 2022 but had nothing to do with the rest of the cast, show, or plot. What a mess. In the end, I didn’t know what I was watching, and neither did it.

32 Cafe In Love

Thai 2023 grey

3/10

A café setting featuring 3 couples with a great queer fam but held together by tropes and sexual-harassment, surrounded by dubious consent and statutory rape. Avoid.

33 I Am Your King 2

Thai 2019 grey

3/10

Early love triangle BL about a cafe boy caught between two brothers, mostly not good because the wrong brother wins. Has no connection to the original I Am Your King.

34 Senior Love Me

Thai 2023 YouTube

3/10

Pulp cafe, nothing happens, not even a BL

35 Jealousy is My Guest

Korea 2016 microfilm Gaga

2/10

Just very very odd and kinda deadly.

I also have 3 unrated DNFs in this sub genre:

Accomplishment of Fudanshi Bartender AKA Fudanshi Bartender no Tashinami - Japan 2022

My Story - Pinoy 2023

About Us but Not About Us 0 Pinoy 2022

Restaurant & beverage is my favourite possible setting for a BL. I'm extremely disappointed that the BL world hasn't produced more that I truly love. I'm not demanding 10/10 but I could use some 9/10s.

Side eyes Thailand and Japan.

(source)