#Taiwanese BLs

[respectthepetty]

Upcoming Taiwanese BLs

We are over halfway through 2024, and as usual, I've only had two Taiwanese BLs (Unknown, Anti Reset), so even though I'm sitting on a stack of BLs to watch every single week from other countries, call me Smaug because I need MORE!

Honorary Korean BL: Uncovering the Curse of Taekwondo (2024)

Former friends (and possibly lovers) reunite at a funeral after going their separate ways for over a decade, but, honestly, I don't care about the plot because this comes from Hwang Da Seul who was behind Blueming, To My Star, and Where Your Eyes Linger, so I know it's going to be amazing. There is a movie and a series version, and the movie already premiered at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea at the beginning of July. The runtime was 154 minutes, but the series is eight episodes around thirty minutes each and is currently seeking distribution.

First Note of Love (August 2024)

My most beloved, Charles Tu, from my favorite BL HIStory 4: Close to You is finally returning to me in the form of a washed-up singer who stepped away from the spotlight due to a tragic event only to be dragged back in by an up-and-coming composer who is also a longtime fan. It is a joint production with Thailand's Star Hunter Entertainment (the company behind Big Dragon, Love Senior, City of Stars, and Sunset x Vibes) and features a side couple of a Thai singer and a Taiwanese agent. It will involve singing, but I'm already too comfortable in my seat with my snacks to care.

Fragrance of the First Flower Season 2 (2024)

The lone GL holding down this list finished filming late last year and Gagaoolala has been releasing BTS images since filming began, so it'll likely land there once it is released. The series is a continuation of the 2021 first season, which people were not thrilled about because of the ending, so this season should solve some of the angst we were left with by exploring the two women actually coming together to navigate life as a couple.

The Only One (August 2024)

Directed by Liu Kuang Hui, who directed Your Name Engraved Herein, written by the same folks behind The Untamed, and based on Mu Su Li's novel A Certain Someone which is about two boys whose parents are dating and move in together, so the mains go from enemies-to-??? and the only reason for the question marks on a Taiwanese BL is because the word on these BL streets (and his MDL page) is one of the actors works heavily in China, so this might be the reason this one has been was in limbo even though filming finished earlier this year, but the socials are still posting it's coming this year.

See Your Love (Filming Complete)

This co-production with Japan is about a rich man who falls in love with his hearing-impaired caregiver. It finished filming at the end of May and will have those sweet sweet Taiwanese BL cameos from some Be Loved in House: I Do and Plus and Minus folks PLUS it will be the first cameos for the Kiseki: Dear to Me guys since the company that produced their show is the same one for this show.

Impression of Youth (Filming Complete)

Very little is known about the plot of this teacher-student romance, but it comes from the same folks who produced DNA Says Love You and one of the mains, Muji Hsu, was also the lead in 2020's Because of You. Filming finished at the end of May, and the company stated it would be out before the end of the year.

Islanders (late 2024/early 2025)

This is based on a novel, Islands, by Lolita Hu, features some well known Taiwanese actors, and for a bit was under the name Sea of Intimacy. It's being presented as an 'older BL' but the MDL summary is sparse of the BL-plot: Hung, a successful entrepreneur, has three intimate relationships: his wife, his mistress, and his girlfriend. The lives of these individuals in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s are intertwined because of romance, but their story extends beyond that. When Hung faces criticism on social media and loses everything, the way they react tells us how they see the world.

Wishing Upon the Shooting Star & The Young Gangster (2025)

These two deal with completely different plots but are together because of one reason: Ray Jiang. He is the director for these two and was the director for Unknown, My Tooth Your Love, and We Best Love. The companies behind them have stated the series are coming next year, but the guess is Ray's busy schedule is part of the hold up since he has a Netflix series in the works and apparently a film featuring Sam Lin (We Best Love) on the way. The Young Gangster is based on a novel and deals with a research assistant gathering information on the mafia (and we know how the mafia works in BLs), while Shooting Star deals with a man wishing that nobody notices him once he returns to his hometown after being fired. The wish backfires and nobody recognizes him, not even his dad or the boy he confessed to in high school! BL Mafia, Sideways Wishes, and Ray Ray are my favorite types of snacks!

Pray in Love (2025?)

A police officer falls in love with a man only to realize that man is the son of a prominent leader on the day of his arranged wedding in which he was hired as security for the event. The series already released a short film of the basic premise for fundraising efforts and festival rounds. Apparently, filming has started on the series, but there is no concrete confirmation from the production company.

Eternal Butler (2025)

Edited to add thanks to @cankersoregirl! This is a sequel to VBL's Anti Reset and began filming in early July. It focuses on Ever 4 who is sent to be a bodyguard for a young rich man only to encounter a rebellious man.

That Year, 162 Rainfalls (In Production?)

Is this a movie? Is it a series? Is it happening?! Who knows, but last year, it finally got funding and a director attached to it, but the real kicker is Lin Pei Yu is the screenwriter, and she is the writer behind all of my favorite Taiwanese BLs: We Best Love, HIStory 3: Trapped, My Tooth Your Love, Kiseki: Dear to Me, and so much more. Basically, the company struck gold getting her for this story about two archers and best friends. One gets confessed to but admits he actually is in love with his best friend, but before love can happen, the best friend has an accident and falls into a coma. It is based on a novel of the same name, and the plot is way more hefty than this, but I know Lin Pei Yu will make it work!

Four Seasons (Pre, Pre, PRE-Production?)

This is supposed to be four different stories focusing on different seasons, and is rumored to be VBL's next group of shows since the company has stated it wants to continue its formula from last year of releasing slightly connected shows. VBL/Vidol was behind Stay by My Side, VIP Only, You Are Mine, and Anti Reset. Winter is about a scrooge CEO and a florist who is hired to decorate for the CEO's Christmas event. Spring is about two boys meeting on a bus and falling in love over music. Summer is about a market owner and a chef falling in love over food. Autumn is about two former best friends seeing each other ten years after graduating and exploring their hometown together.

Connecting to You (Pre-Production?)

It seems to have gotten funding, but it's been quiet since which isn't surprising because when it comes to Taiwanese BLs, nothing is really heard until filming begins or even after it ends. I still have my hopes high because this is *THE* BL for me as it deals with a man who can see colored threads connecting people and one day runs into a policeman whose thread connects to him. The thread between them begins to change color, from silver-grey to yellow, representing friendship, and even to red, representing love. If I have to sell an organ or two to fund this myself, I. Will. Do. It. I NEED THIS!

And this wouldn't be a Petty Post if I didn't include this final one:

HIStory 15: Freed (GIVE IT TO ME!)

I don't care if this a long shot. I don't care if I seem crazy always asking for this. I. Deserve. It. HIStory 3: Trapped ended with our best mafia boy in prison, and it's time he got out! The HIStory franchise has not had a series since 2022's HIStory 5: Love in the Future, and although there have been rumors that a HERstory story might be next, I think bringing back a popular story would be just as good. I will ask for this every chance I can until I get it, and I plan on living a long life, so I got time!

[heretherebedork]

I just cannot wait. Taiwan doing disability representation in a BL? A hard of hearing nurse and a poor little rich boy escaping the future promised to any poor little rich boy? I cannot wait.

[aliceisathome]

I love the fact that Teen Vogue has a massive BL fan on staff.

[chicademartinica]

Me preparing my categories for my “Best of 2023” list like I work at the Cannes festival while writing down : “Best boohoo snot bubble I’m dazed and crying moment”

[laurenkmyers]

hi! it’s me! the anon that asked about places to watch bl! thank you so much. so far i’ve only watch Kiseki: Dear to me. I loved it. I adore Ai Di so much. i’m obsessed with him. do you have any recs for me?? thank you so much!

GAH! I'm so sorry I missed this message. In terms of rec's I have my main two:

Kinnporsche

Not Me

Other bls that I've watched and enjoyed are: Love In The Air (ep8 onwards though, lmk if you want me to explain) Tale of 1000 Stars Manner of Death Two Worlds Only Friends Moonlight Chicken Ingredients History 3: Trapped Unknown Bad Buddy Together With Me Between Us Last Twilight (stop at ep 9 and you're grand!) Vice-Versa Big Dragon

Currently watching: Love Sea (*screams in excitement*) My Stand-In The Sign

[blabberingabout]

??

[respectthepetty]

*flexes finger and pops neck*

The appeal of QL (Queer Love = BL & GL):

It's unapologetically queer.

The plot is secondary to the queer content. Every family member and every bodyguard in KinnPorsche is gay. Every student in The Eclipse is gay (Namo x Wat are canon in the upcoming book!). Having an arranged marriage in a country that doesn't recognize marriage equality didn't matter to Cutie Pie. Proposing to your parallel-traveling boyfriend with a bag of Lay's after telling reporters that you, a famous actor, love the fuck out of your blue boy was the expected outcome in Vice Versa.

Even if there is no kissing, it's still queer. A Tale of Thousand Stars refused to let the gays be gay until the very last episode, but somehow, they were still gaying up our screens every week with their soft touches and intense stares.

People question if shows like I Told Sunset About You, Triage, Not Me, and Manner of Death should be considered BLs since they have a genuine plot beyond "Do Gay Shit." How wild is that?! Having a plot that deals with trying to overthrow your oppressors and bring down capitalism has people questioning if a show is considered BL even though two guys were having sex in a tent and another two guys were having sex in an abandoned building while another two were constantly trying to kill each other (ToddBlack supremacy!). (I'm in neither boat. I support the gays, the girls, and the goths no matter the circumstances.)

Oh, and if a hetero walks into the plot, immediate death stares. They can't sit with us unless they are there to serve the queers in their endeavors like our favorite CEO, Pil Hyun, in To My Star. If the heteros want their own little romance, that romance better be outstanding (Manow, we see you girl in Between Us), or we will spend every second being pissed about it (Gram and Gene in Not Me).

The romance element is always present even in the worst of conditions (Eternal Yesterday and 180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us) and burying a gay is seen as highly controversial for most of the viewers (HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count). Every issue isn't because the characters are queer but there is never a doubt that the characters are queer: Bad Buddy's issue was not loving a guy but loving that one particular guy who is the sworn enemy of my family, and Semantic Error's issue was not loving a guy but loving that one particular guy who is my sworn enemy for not helping with the group project.

For a community that hasn't seen themselves represented in main stream media and when they do, it's as a comical side plot with no romance and most likely ends in death, to see ourselves not only represented but catered to is as appealing as it gets.

Even for the straight people in the fandoms, there is something here for them that is lacking in what they are currently being served in their countries, which is most likely the romance. Western media tends to think that romance is lowly and should be reserved for made for TV holiday movies about late 20-something women wanting a country escape, while Asian countries are throwing 30-year old and 40-year olds at us finding love in the workplace (Cherry Magic, Old Fashion Cupcake, GAP, and HIStory 3: Trapped <-Yes, I included it here!).

There is something for everyone here. You didn't have a great high school experience? There is a BL or 18 million to heal your soul. You couldn't play sports because of various reasons? There's a few BLs for you! College was rough for you? Well, we have some red and blue colored boys to help you through that. You want to see someone die? Let's serve you MaxTul, OhmFluke, and Japan. You like gaming? Here's Gameboys! Want to explore poly? We could have more if people weren't cowards, but we have a few. Your workplace has you stressed? Sit down and enjoy these soft workplace dramas. Want to overthrow the government? WE HAVE YOU COVERED!

TLDR: QLs are relentlessly queer in whatever way we want them to be served to us. We get to pick how we want to see ourselves, and for a community that has been underserved, underrepresented, and underappreciated, the appeal is seeing ourselves reflected back at us however we want, and that is a powerful thing.

someone asked me recently "what is the appeal of BL?" what do you think?

@heretherebedork @respectthepetty @yeetlegay @shortpplfedup @lutawolf @luckydragon10 @apomiles @moerusai @pharawee @poetry-protest-pornography @disaster-j @laughsalot3412 @queersouthasian @everyforkedroad @iffervescent @dancinbutterfly @godotismissingx @highpriestessofjogan @jupiterjames @colourme-feral (I don't know most of you but I've been following your blogs and I'd like to know what you think)

[happypotato48]

This Is A Gay Asian Rant About BL Comments Made By Some Queer Westerners I See Sometimes.

So you know of those gays (usually white) that made dumb tiktok dancing to list of countries that legalized same sex marriage and list of countries that discriminate against LGBTQIA+ poeple as a way to say something racist. yeah i kinda got the same vibes from some comments regard how asian BL is homophobic just cause they don't live up to queer western standard. look, i'm not saying that some BLs and their creators don't deserve criticism regard how they capitalized/exploited queerness for an easy cash grab.

But people need to understand that Asian countries despite recent progress are still very much culturally conservatives. so when people says that thai bl is homophobic and all the characters looks like bunch of straight guys, which is true for some olders thai BLs i'm not gonna denied that. but after all this time and newer BLs generally being very queer and most of creators being out queer themself and poeple still making these comments, i'm annoyed.

And don't get me start on the actors. you don't know them! why are you making assumption and calling them queerbaiter just cause they acts in bl. like maybe they're straight, maybe they're not but what they're definitely doing is making queer content for you know, queer people here. so when you made halfass comments about their sexuality what do you think that made other queer people who still in the closet feels. and when you add the nationality to that, "these thai bl pair are this and that, this korean actor is so ungrateful for his bl past", etc. when our societies are still very much still in progress regard LGBTQIA+ acceptance. it make us living here feels fucking awful like somehow we're lesser queer than people in the west just cause we don't have citibank at pride or some shit.

And the shittiest in my humbled opinion are comments regard censored chinese bls. people do know like, that the creators making these bls are risking their livelihoods for this. that these shows getting make at all are miracles. yes it sucked that they're censored but they're still very much queer shows making by queer people who want to express thier queerness despite the chinese government being the chinese government. when people dimissing these shows as not belonging in queer media, you're also dimissing their creators and audiences as not belonging in the community.

Look what i want to say is that we're trying our best over here, and maybe our best are not up to your liking. the ways we talk and express our queerness maybe still can be perceived as problematic by western queer standard. but these media are our house and you're the guests. for people aren't shitty we appreciated that you're here engaging and loving our media, this is your home too and you're welcome in it. i can speak for myself that i very much love being here on tumblr and interacting with people from all over the world who love BL. but for people who are being shitty sometimes about asian bl.

YOU'RE THE GUESTS, BEHAVE!

[just-misheru]

Unknown ep 11 nc scene edited in order without the flashback montages. I didn't want to change the sound because of the moans/kissing noises... I tried my best, enjoy!

[respectthepetty]

The Reddit folks pointed out something interesting about these three Taiwanese BLS:

Kiseki: Dear to Me (Miracle) had a visual trailer years ago for the book release, and it was Stan Huang (VIP Only) as Fan Ze Rui and Benjamin Tsang (The On1y One) in Bai Zong Yi's role.

It was believed they would act in the actual series as those characters.

So just know we could have had them there!

Instead of these two.

But Stan is showing up in The On1y One, so we could still have them in a way!

So here is the short trailer.

And the long one.

Oh and the first music video with them as a couple for the series.

And the second music video with them as a couple for the series.

So now it makes sense why some folks thought they would be cheated because the chemistry was chemistry-ing.

[respectthepetty]

Taking this post hostage because

TAIWAN!

Taiwan has marriage equality and flexes it every chance it gets, and it gives good domestic vibes, high heat, adult problems, and decent second pairings. I've never met a Taiwanese BL I didn't like. Plus & Minus included, but HIStory 4: Close to Me is my favorite, and I'm eagerly awaiting HIStory 5: Love in the Future and HIStory 6: Freed (if we bully them enough, we will get a sequel to HIStory 3: Trapped because our man has GOT to be out of prison now, no?)

Which is also why I miss my murder mystery husbands, Tan and Bun (WHERE IS TRANSPLANT?!) because these Thai actors, MaxTul, serve Taiwan every damn scene.

Every. Damn. Time.

Question for the masses: What country's BL style do you like the most?

For me it's Thailand. Their shows are pretty much exactly what I always wanted when I was a queer teenager. They're generally cheerful, a little silly, lots of singing(sorry, @absolutebl 😛), long form, with a guaranteed HEA and kissing that's getting progressively better by the year. My current top five BLs and all of the BL ships I've become obsessed with save one(Wangxian) have been from Thai shows.

Also, their first GL that's in the same style as most of their BLs is awesome so far.

Anyone can answer, but I'm especially curious about what @mygeekcorner @odi-et-amo85 @gouinetteparletrop @aliceisathome @scarefox

@chinashio16

@lelephantsnail

@gillianthecat

@heretherebedork

@absolutebl and @lutawolf think

(Put a bunch of spaces bc Tumblr is being weird about me tagging all of y'all)

[heretherebedork]

dfhjklfgfjk!!!!! @respectthepetty it's the reverse cameo!!!!

[aliceisathome]

VIP Only was a sweet little thing - 10 x 20 mins or so and packed full of tropes. Off the top of my head: crash into you, baby is a floppy drunk, falling onto his lips, 'fake' dating, love triangle (I did love the childish squabbling/jealousy of our two semes - the sequence on the stairs was hilarious), fireman carry, piggyback, noble sacrifice and, of course, they knew each other as children. Excellent.

Liu Li's friend Lai Tsai tries for the Namgoong Best Wingman Award but messes up a bit with the blind date before salvaging the situation with the help of Da Ren but nobody's beating out my Light On Me boy anytime soon. Talking of Da Ren, I love that he went from kinda ignorantly homophobic in the first eps to active cupid (and protective of his boss's interests) later on. Cute too.

Lots of nice food AGAIN - that's two series in a row that have left me drooling slightly. And I liked that the uke was the one to step up and face down the seme's awful mother. Good boy. Made up for the fact that he let his former crush crash his romantic dinner - not just crash but sit in Gu Jing's seat and eat his food. Da Ren's aggressive wait service was hilarious.

Worth a binge when you want something Taiwanese and short to nibble on. Also CAPYBARA!

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Was it you? Was I what?

[respectthepetty]

Taiwanese BLs, come back to me!

Stay By My Side 10 Ep / 20mins

Synopsis

Gu Bu-Xia (Yang I Hsuan) has the ability to hear ghosts, except when he is around his new roommate Jiang Chi (Hong Wei-Zhe). So he starts to find ways to approach Jiang Chi. But Is it because of the ghosts or Jiang Chi’s charm?

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BoysLoveUpdate 🏳️‍🌈 🇫🇷 🇬🇧 (@allabout_boyslove)

No airing date yet but Taiwanese BL so I'm excited!

@absolutebl @aliceisathome @bengiyo @heretherebedork @iguessitsjustme @waitmyturtles

[25shadesoffebruary]

You're cute.