#Restart after Come Back Home

[absolutebl]

BLs to Recommend to Your Queer Friend

I put these in each bracket in levels of accessibility, as in “how easy I think they are for a non-BLer to enter into” without explanations of genre needed. 

Bleeding Heart Romantics 

Semantic Error

Bad Buddy

A Tale of Thousand Stars

Earnest Queer

The New Employee

My Ride

Drama Llama Indoor Kids

Our Dating Sim

Cherry Magic

My Love Mix Up

Repressed Arthouse Aesthetic 

Old Fashion Cupcake 

Love Life On The Line

Restart After Come Back Home

Hot Mess Gay Babies

The Eighth Sense

Moonlight Chicken

Hawt Mess Kinky Fuckers 

Bed Friend

KinnPorsche

My Beautiful Man 

Bonus Round: 

Adventure bois with a side of queer

Manner of Death

Not Me

Long Time No See

3 Will Be Free

He’s Coming To Me

From @mestizashinrin who asked me: 

“recommend a queer person to first start in BL”

(source)

[theside-b]

RESTART AFTER COME BACK HOME (2020) ✕ LOVE TRACTOR (2023)

[red-hibiscus]

BL characters I relate to most as a mentally ill gay trans man

Daisy from SCOY

Surprising no one, I, a trans person, relate to Daisy. They're outgoing and seemingly don't care about how people view them. They know they're visibly queer and they normally don't mind it (from what I see). But at the end of the day, society does affect them. They're hesitant to believe Touch genuinely cares and is attracted to them despite Touch being an absolute green flag who is very direct with his flirting. Even after, Daisy was worried about people would view their relationship with Touch and tried to become Day, a more masculine version of themself. Impossible of course and they broke down emotionally exhausted. I feel that so much because I also don't believe it when people, especially cis gay men, are attracted to me. I've caught myself trying to change my behavior to be more masculine (as I'm a bit on the nonbinary side of things). It's bad, but I know how Daisy feels.

Wang from 180 Degree Longtitude Passes Through Us

As a 26 year old trans gay immigrant in a country that doesn't want me, I have a shit ton of pent up anger that has been building up since I was a child. I've calmed down over the years, but I can still be stubborn and argumentative when it comes to politics and human rights. I'm also a linguistics major, thus an academic.

Wang is so much like myself and like a lot of people around me. Like me and Wang would be close friends irl I know it. We're young and stubborn. We're angry at the older conservative people around us, too much sometimes. So he lashes out. Many of his points are correct, but they're not hitting. Partially because the people he's talking to don't want to change, partially because he himself is stubborn. People like us yearn to be free, to be ourselves and to learn. Wang has a passion for the humanities like myself. Yet he knows society really only cares about STEM fields. I've compromised and am getting a master's in computational linguistics. Even though really I just wanna learn as much as I can about sociolinguistics.

Karl from Gaya Sa Pelikula

I haven't watched GSP in a hot minute, but I do remember feeling very seen.

So in the show Karl has his gay awakening, tries to internally and externally deny it, and eventually let himself be free to feel everything and be himself (at least in private).

Now I didn't have a gay awakening, but I guess you could say a trans awakening. In middle school I felt different, I suspected maybe some flavor of LGBT, but wasn't sure and I was too afraid to think about it too hard. Come high school I secretly wanted to join the LGBT club, but was afraid. Then I was essentially adopted into the LGBT club and dragged into the friend group during lunch because I was a loner like everyone else. At the time still "identified" as a cishet woman. As time went on people started to suspect. "Why are you in the club?", "why did you cut your hair", "why do you dress like that?", "your voice is low for a girl haha", etc. Much like Karl, I was not ready for any of that. I was still struggling to make sense of it all and come to terms with it myself. So I kept rejecting it and every time it hurt.

I kept rejecting it until I couldn't. Until someone I resonated with so much came out as trans and it clicked. My trans awakening was complete. I became able to be more myself, but only in private safe spaces. I wouldn't come out and live as a man until after high school and it was terrifying.

Adachi from Cherry Magic

I've only watched the jpn ver, but I'm sure that character remains the same.

I'm anxious and used to be quite shy. Now I'm just awkward. I'm really bad at seeing the good in myself cause I feel like I'm wandering around aimlessly in life. Not that impressive. So when people compliment me I think "haha they're just being nice" (refer back to me never believing people are actually attracted to me).

Adachi is the exact same. He has the same routine every day. Just going through the motions and not really thinking anything of himself. But then Kurosawa comes along and the ability to read minds. Adachi then realizes "wait, someone I respect so much actually loves me? And thinks I have a lot of good qualities? Makes me wanna cry." And me too Adachi. I'd be the same.

Jared from 7 Days Before Valentine

Jared, my precious baby, is described throughout the show as kind, but weird and different. We later learn that he has dyslexia, and honestly he seems to be somewhere on the autism spectrum. Even if he isn't, he has a behavioral difference people pick up on and then shun him for it.

I too was seen as kinda weird growing up. Maybe it was the autism, maybe it was the social anxiety. Probably both. And then of course there was the gnawing feeling that I was different than everyone else and it turns out it's because I'm trans.

So when Jared said that people didn't talk to him because he wasn't like other people it hit me so hard.

Myungha from Love For Love's Sake

The whole show is sad yet cathartic for me. Myungha is depressed yet spends his time comforting others. He has a hard time loving and receiving love. If you give him a fictional character who is very similar to him he will love them and see all the good, but he doesn't see it in himself. Relatable as hell.

I have an incredibly hard time being honest with my emotions and letting people love me and express attraction. Mostly in a romantic/sexual context. Dpdr is cockblocking me. So dating is hell, but I'm lonely and yearn to not be.

Probably if you put me in a situation like Myungha I'd also go "yep, that right there is my blorbo" and then not realize that all the things I like about the person and make me care about them are things I have.

Honorable mentions:

Both Akk and Ayan from The Eclipse

Nozue from Old Fashion Cupcake

Oh-Aew from I Told Sunset About You

Cher from A Boss and a Babe (I headcannon him as autistic)

Amber from DNA Says Love You

Uea from Bed Friend

Mitsuomi from Restart After Come Back Home

Jao from SCOY

Maybe I'll make another post for those later

[smittenskitten]

RESTART AFTER COME BACK HOME (2020) starring, Furukawa Yuki & Ryusei Ryo

[outofthemouthsof]

15 day BL Challenge part 2 - day 30!

Finally finishing @slonekaru ‘s part 2 of the 15-day BL challenge (a sequel to an earlier one started by @negrowhat ) !! (There are parts 3 and 4 to this challenge BTW, but I know I’ll never be able to finish those. But they’re easy to find if you’re interested!)

Day 30: Top 3 shows to introduce people to BL?

Oh that’s easy—KinnPorsche, Playboyy and Dangerous Drugs of Sex!

j/k j/k j/k…

I'm a white American as are many of my friends, so I'd start with shows that I think would make sense without knowing anything about BL tropes or various Asian cinematic techniques, cultural traditions, etc. I'd recommend these three in the spirit of, "I think you'll like these regardless. If you're hungry for more after this and willing to let go a lot of Western preconceptions, I have a whole universe of other shows for you..."

Semantic Error (I would recommend the movie version to anyone even if I didn’t think they’d like BL overall)

Old Fashion Cupcake

Restart After Come Back Home

Runners-up:

Our Dating Sim

The Eighth Sense

We Best Love: No. 1 for You

If I knew something about the media they like to consume in general, there are other shows I might recommend

Tailored to specific tastes:

If they love silly comedy, My Love Mix-Up (original)

If they like thrillers/crime drama, Manner of Death

If they love YA romance, Light on Me

If they love angsty coming-of-age drama, I Told Sunset About You

If they like historical fiction (and wouldn’t mind a supernatural touch), I Feel You Linger in the Air

If I thought they'd like kinky stuff: My Personal Weatherman

If they don't mind their heart being shattered forever, Eternal Yesterday

(Semantic Error gif from @leejoonho )

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

[ql-of-all-time-bracket]

QL of All Time - Round 2 (Loser's Bracket): Stay with Me (2023) vs Restart After Come Back Home (2020)

[blmpff]

Restart After Come Back Home (2020) x Love Tractor (2023)

[bl-bam-beyond]

RESTART AFTER COME BACK HOME (2020, JAPAN)

Kozuka Mitsuomi (FURUKAWA YUKI) comes homes after 10 years and quitting his job due to his a**hole boss and meets farmboy Kumai Yamato (RYUSEI RYO)

Becoming fast friends and working together bring the two closer and Mitsuomi develops feelings for Yamato. Confessing them while on a trip together to discover Yamato's beginnings as a child abandoned on a park bench.

Yamato at first seemingly afraid to love asks for time. But in a moment of happiness Yamato kisses Mitsuomi.

[somosinevitables]

All I want | Multicouples

(by @jieunntak & @hurleybird)

[annachu-cannot-write]

on the spur of the moment

[published on archive 7/11 2023]

[a restart after come back home fanfic, mitsuomi/yamato, 1293 words]

Two months after their trip to Tokyo, Mitsuomi and Yamato face a problem... coming out.

It happened on the spur of the moment. 

… Or maybe not exactly on the spur of the moment. 

Mitsuomi and Yamato had been dating for a little over two months and the subject of coming out had crept its way into both of their minds. 

While Yamato accepted the idea, saying he mostly wanted to let his grandpa know because he didn't think he could hide it for much longer, Mitsuomi dreaded it. His parents weren't exactly the most open minded people, and he didn't even want to begin to think of how his father would react. He just knew he might have to run off to Tokyo again if they ever found out. 

One afternoon, when they had just finished working in the greenhouses, Yamato took Mitsuomi aside with a concerned look on his face. 

"Hey Mitsuomi, I've been thinking - isn't it best if we just tell him soon?" 

Mitsuomi sighed and looked to the side. 

"I don't know… I've already told you I'm not comfortable with it yet."

"You don't have to worry, grandpa likes you! I'm sure he'll have a positive reaction."

"But what if he doesn't? I might never be able to step foot here again… And I'm worried about you, you know! What if he throws you out, where are you gonna go then?" 

Yamato seemed to hesitate a little before he said, quietly 

"He wouldn't." 

Mitsuomi sighed again, then grabbed Yamato's both arms. 

"I know you just want to let him know, and I wish I could tell you it's going to be alright - But truth be told, I'm scared… for the both of us."

Before Yamato could reply however, a voice called out to them from the distance. 

"What are you guys doing out in the cold still? Come in and have a bath!" 

~

A week later and they still hadn't told Yamato's grandpa. Mitsuomi watched as Yamato worked in the greenhouses, and noticed how he fidgeted with his overall, an anxious energy radiating from him, and Mitsuomi felt guilty. He knew that a part of it was his fault - if only he could just find some courage again… resigning from his old job had been one thing. 

Sighing, he looked away from Yamato, and continued on with his work. 

Later that same day, after Yamato had insisted on delivering the fresh produce to the local store on his own, Mitsuomi found himself sitting by the kotatsu with old Kumai, wondering what he would talk about. 

He didn't need to think on it very long though, before the old man looked at him with contemplating eyes. 

"Yamato has been acting a bit strange lately, hasn't he, Mitsuomi? It's not like him at all - I do wonder if anything has happened." 

Feeling a bit awkward, Mitsuomi fidgeted on the spot and looked down. What would he say? 

"He's probably still digesting everything he learnt in Tokyo." 

It wasn't a very good answer, Mitsuomi thought, so he looked down again, not wanting to meet the older man's eyes. 

"Hm, he seemed fine when you two came back…." 

That was true. Even though Yamato had had a rough time learning about his parents, the moment they had stepped on to the train station back home, it had been like Yamato could breath fresh air again. He had been more than fine at the time. 

But now… 

Perhaps it was best to let grandpa know, after all, Mitsuomi thought, as he watched the old man retire into his bedroom. 

With that thought still on his mind, he walked out of the house only to see Yamato pulling up. 

As soon as Yamato had jumped out of the car and closed the door shut, Mitsuomi walked up to him and gave him a hug. 

"Mitsuomi?" 

"Let's tell grandpa." 

~

The following day went by so fast, with everything that had to be done, that by the time they stopped working, both of them had forgotten all about what Mitsuomi had said the day before. 

Gathering the last of the boxes that would be washed, Mitsuomi and Yamato were just about to leave the greenhouses when grandpa came in, holding a broomstick in his hand. 

"Another hard day's work, huh."

He chuckled at the sight of the two men in front of him. 

"You two better hang in there though, you're the only one's I've got." 

Then he started to sweep the floor in front of them. 

Mitsuomi remembered then, very suddenly, what he wanted to do, and without thinking about it too much, he cleared his throat and said 

"Yamato and I are going out." 

Yamato turned to face Mitsuomi, his eyes wide. 

Old Kumai had stopped sweeping the floor, and was looking up at them with an expression Mitsuomi couldn't quite read. 

"We are dating." 

Mitsuomi grabbed Yamato's hand and smiled gently at him. Whatever was going to happen, they were going to go through it together. 

Neither of them could have expected what actually happened however. There was no yelling or cursing or name calling, like in Mitsuomi's worst dreams, instead grandpa only started smiling widely at them, and was soon laughing heartily. 

"Is that why you have looked so anxious lately, Yamato? My dear boy, have you been worried about how I might react?" 

Mitsuomi and Yamato both let out a sigh of relief. 

"To be honest, grandpa- Mitsuomi started -it's me who's been more worried about your reaction. Yamato just wanted to tell you, but I think me being scared held him off." 

Yamato continued 

"The real reason why I've been so anxious is because I've been torn between wanting to tell you, and wanting to respect Mitsuomi. I didn't know for how much longer I could go on hiding this from you without accidentally saying something, and by doing so, risk hurting Mitsuomi."

Grandpa smiled once again, before bringing them both in for a big hug. 

"You two don't need to worry so much." 

After a little while he loosened his grip on them, but let his hands stay on their shoulders. 

"Besides,- he looked both of them in the eyes with a raised eyebrow -I started suspecting something was going on between you long ago."

Both Mitsuomi and Yamato's eyes widened, and in chorus, they exclaimed 

"EH?!" 

Old Kumai just started to laugh again, loudly. 

"You didn't think these eyes would miss the way you looked at each other, did you? No, I notice more than you think, I'll have you know!" 

Mitsuomi and Yamato couldn't help the chuckles that escaped them. 

"That being said, Mitsuomi,- grandpa suddenly stopped laughing and brought up his broomstick right in front of Mitsuomi -if you ever try and do anything to Yamato, I'll know, and!- grandpa brought the broomstick even closer to Mitsuomi's face -I won't go easy on you." 

Horrified, Yamato yelled at his grandpa to stop and to lower his broomstick, while Mitsuomi looked extremely offended. 

"I would never! - Hey, quit that!" 

Old Kumai had started hitting Mitsuomi on the head with the broomstick. 

Yamato cried out "Grandpa! Stop it!" 

He looked even more horrified than before, and he tried his best to take the broomstick away, but his grandpa's grip was firm. 

Then all of a sudden, the old man stopped beating Mitsuomi with his broomstick and said 

"I wasn't hitting you that hard, you beansprout." 

And just like that, he left the greenhouses, once more laughing very loudly and very heartily. 

"There he goes again, calling me beansprout… grandpa really is mean to me.- He brought up his hand to brush off dirt from his hair -and why was he hitting me for?!" 

Yamato tried to hold back his laughter at this, but failed. 

"It was a bit funny actually." 

Mitsuomi just gaped at him. 

[absolutebl]

hi!!! do you have favorite bl movies (maybe with happy endings too)?👀❤️

Top 10 BL Movies

(as of end of 2024, in no particular order)

My personal favorites will always have HEAs (or at least HFN). I don't love ambiguous endings and I hate sad ones. I'm going to include the Korean stuff that has been recut as movies, because I can.

1 Seven Days

Japan 2015

AKA Seven Days: Monday-Thursday AND Seven Days: Friday-Sunday

This is a cheat as it's 2 movies, but that's still less run time than your bog standard marvel tent pole these days, so it counts.

One of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes. The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses.

2 Can I Buy Your Love From A Vending Machine

AKA Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? AKA Vending Machine Sabi Koi

Japan 2023

This movie is utterly adorable, impossibly awkward, and kinda old fashioned. About a cute nerdy little office worker (he's out!) who has a big'ol crush on the tall hulking vending machine guy. They fall in love. And that’s it. And it’s charming. There’s some first name eroticism (because Japan) and there's emphasis on communication (so not Japan) which turns this into an organically loving and talkative relationship. There’s a bit of an age gap and our office cutie may or may not have a muscles fetish (the hot bod, not the shellfish) because (if I’ve told you once I’ve told you 1 million times) Japan always goes kinky. And you know what, I loved it.

3 Restart After Come Back Home

AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de

Japan 2020

Atmospheric study in rural Japan meets complex family dynamics built on a romance framework of city boy meets country boy, grumpy/sunshine. It’s beautiful and icy sweet. Slow moving in places but ultimately worth the patience, low heat, low angst, and stunning.

4 His

Japan 2020

His is about being a grown adult and still struggling with coming out. It addresses the consequences choosing a life disingenuous to identity. Nagisa turns up on Shun’s doorstep with his precocious daughter in tow. This is a touch confusing to Shun since they were each others first love and Nagisa broke his heart. Shun has retreated from society, rejecting the world before it can reject him because without Nagisa he never had a reason to fight. Nagisa went the opposite, pretending to be something he was not, ending up with a daughter he adores and a wife who hates him. This movie is beautiful and the setting is unique and interesting but I'm not wild about the ending, it's HFN (happy for now). Honestly, I think I mostly liked this because I have a mad crush on Miyazawa Hio (Shun).

5 After Sundown

AKA Saengrawi

Thailand 2023

It's from Mandee and horror (neither really my thing), yet I liked it. It's oddly sweet and wholesome, for a ghost story. Phloeng and Rawee enter into an arranged marriage for confusing prophetic reasons. Twists of fate demand that they solve the mystery of a past that is haunting Phloeng's family and harming Rawee. Honestly, it makes no actual sense, but it's kinda historical, and very pretty, so I enjoyed it more than I should.

Korean BL that aired as shows but are cut together as movies & great

In some of these cases the movies are better than the originals, in some they are exactly the same.

6 Color Rush

2021

A unique paranormal twist elevates this classic high school drama into a pitch-perfect allegory for the queer coming out experience and one of the best BLs of all time (I will fight you on this).

7 Semantic Error

2022

The ultimate enemies to lovers, also the prettiest. Sexy older boy discovers pouty younger boy has outed him as a slacker, starts out bullying him, accidentally falls madly in love instead. Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks by doing a university BL with everything we expect from BL just done exactly right. Korea's signature quality executed perfectly with added bonus good story, great pacing, stunning visuals, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL.

8 To My Star

2021

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 chef who accidentally adopts him, but the gentleness will appeal to fans of the BL genre.

9 Long Time No See

2017

This originally aired as a series but I have only ever seen it as a movie. So I'm counting it.

Catfishing assassins on either side of a turf war fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Suspenseful plot, good fight sequences, mature characters, hot sexitimes, and even hotter beating the shit out of each other and kissing while covered in blood (this came from KOREA?), plus an HEA. One of the greatest hidden gems of the BL genre.

10 Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart

2020

Set in the music industry featuring a talented singer and the pianist who falls in love with him (and his music), this is subtle and achingly adorable. High production, low heat, short run, very tame, and Korea, so all the pretty. Slow burn and lots of pining.

(source)

[theside-b]

looking at the parallels between Restart After Come Back Home and Love Tractor and man... we're robbed of Yul having to deal with a potential rival, because I'm 100% sure he would be just as bad as Mitsuomi, you can just tell he would be a menace if someone went anywhere near Yechan

[ichihachiblog]

For people who were waiting for softsubs for a Jmovie I had English fansubbed a few years ago, I wish to let you all know its been officially English subbed by Gagaoolala.

If possible please support the film and crew by watching it there.

https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/2623/restart-after-coming-back-home-2020#video-details

[7nessasaryevils]

IRIE- KUN?!

RESTART AFTER COME BACK HOME (2020) dir. Inoue Ryuta

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

I wonder how many people in the world love themselves. I feel as though I've been stuck in a long, endless tunnel.