#Takumi-kun Series 3: The Beauty of Detail

[ineffable-opinions]

School Culture & Male Androphilia in Japan

[This is part of a series on Takumi-kun 6. The aim of this piece is to discuss the origins of student culture and male androphilia & how it plays out in Takumi-kun series.]

Takumi-kun series is an early BL novel by Shinobu Gotoh with an enduring legacy. It is also an on-going work as we follow Takumi-kun and others beyond their student (gakusei) days and into adult (shakaijin) life.

Takumi-kun series is mostly set in an all-males boarding school Shido Academy. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, pre-modern Japan has a long tradition of male androphilia[1], much of which was age-stratified, class-stratified or both and involved strict/normative inserter/insertee dichotomy. BL has inherited (such as in seme/uke dynamics) and bastardized (such as with younger seme/older uke pairing) traditions of male androphilia in its tropes. Let's discuss a bit of the history before diving into how Shinobu Gotoh plays around with the setup of boarding school male-male sexuality that emerged in the Meiji period.

Part 1

[ Main resource used for this part of the write-up is the chapter titled “Toward the Margins: Male-Male Sexuality in Meiji Popular Discourse” from the book Cartographies of Desire: Male-Male Sexuality in Japanese Discourse, 1600-1950 by Gregory M. Pflugfelder. ]

What Review of Senryu From Meiji Japan Reveals

Meiji period Japan saw transformation of Japanese customary male-male sexuality ‘within the newly established framework of a centralized nation-state’.

…male-male sexuality, which had enjoyed a prominent and respectable place in Edo-period popular texts, came during Meiji times to be routinely represented as “barbarous,” “immoral,” or simply “unspeakable.”

The marginalization of male-male sexuality can be traced through its representation in senryü verse composed during that period. In post-Meiji Restoration popular humor Yoshichö districts of Edo well-known for organized sex work was no longer associated with the kagema or male sex worker. Instead, it was associated with female geisha, mirroring the 18th centuary decline of kagema teahouse and their shutdown by local authorities'. Once mainstream male-male sex work had to go underground and faded from popular memory.

Just as old customs were forgotten, new ones emerged in senryu of 1880.

Two figures […] associated with male-male sexuality were the bantö and detchi—clerk and apprentice, respectively, in a commercial house. The bantö wielded considerable authority over other employees, and had been portrayed in senryü since the Edo period indulging his lechery with young male coworkers. The detchi, on the other hand, may be seen as the merchant version of the priestly chigo or samurai page boy: male adolescents for whom the favor or disfavor of senior males might have significant consequences for their professional advancement.

Meanwhile male-male sexuality involving Buddhist priests went from being considered ‘a lesser transgression than fornication with women’ and a ‘contradiction between the priest's personal indulgence and the ascetic ideals of his religion” to an “emblem of “ancient evils” (kyühei) in dire need of reform’ and ‘a criminal offense’.

Following period saw state regulation of representation of sexuality in media (print media, theatre and paintings - artist Kawanabe Kyösai’s erotic drawing of Meiji oligarch Sanjö Sanetomi & a male foreigner landed him in jail; not much different from jailing of ero BL creators in present day[2]) and a shift in popular discourse that deemed that male-male eroticism has no place in the “civilized” environment of Meiji. Male-male sexuality was further marginalized through silence resulting from ‘state censorship, editorial discretion, authorial inclination, public taste’, etc. Meiji journalists continued reporting on male-male sexuality but adopted a tone of moralistic outrage and condemnation.

In the demarcation of civilized behavior, male-male sexuality was relegated to ‘the Japanese past, the southwestern periphery, and the world of adolescence’.

Japanese Past

‘Male-male erotic practices lay in the past’ which was seen as ‘a backward and “feudal” age, whose institutions and customs Japan must abandon in order to achieve “civilization.”’

Meiji era authors depicted male-male sexuality with historical backdrop (such as samurai society of the Sengoku and Edo eras) that would excuse their representation in the name of historical accuracy. [This is in contrast to say depiction in cinema which has largely avoided depiction of nanshoku with exception of Taboo (1999) and Kubi (2023).]

Pflugfelder gives a couple of examples:

Higeotoko (Man with a Beard; 1890–1896) by Köda Rohan – very shonen ai about the whole thing – involved light hand-holding and fade to blank.

Kagema no adauchi (Kagema's Vendetta; 1899) by Jöno Denpei –about a professional “love boy”. As a person born in 1832 Jöno was familiar with male sex workers like the protagonist from his childhood. But the practice has thoroughly disappeared from the cultural fabric by 1899 that Jöno had to introduce the protagonist whose profession was “disgraceful” “from today's perspective” and his gender identity ambiguous.

Marginalization of Male-Male Sexuality Was Japan's Southwestern Periphery

Centered around Kagoshima prefecture (the former domain of Satsuma), the region encompassed various parts of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu. During the Meiji period, it was popularly believed that male-male erotic practices were more prevalent here than in the rest of Japan. Other than the obvious geographic distinction, there was a social reason too for this distinction. It was believed the region was a stronghold of old customs with lasting imprints of samurai class and the high concentration of warrior families. Satsuma had customary homosocial groups with strict sex-segregation practices such as hekogumi and gojü until the Restoration.

Male-male erotic interaction […] was reportedly common within such groups.

… the martial ethos of the samurai class slowly dissolved under the pressure of social change and “civilized morality.” Contemporary observers correlated the deterioration of shiki or “warrior morale” with a decline in male-male erotic practices.[3]

During the Meiji period, southwestern region (Kagoshima in particular) was known for its male-male sexual practices. These practices were seen as regional peculiarities, distinct from the mainstream culture centered in Tokyo. The southwestern region was viewed as a “feudal” backwater, and the association of male-male erotic practices with this area underscored their perceived “uncivilized” nature. Instead of being seen as a universal practice [the way shudo was percieved], male-male sexuality was considered a “folkway” (füzokü) surviving on the cultural margins of a newly “civilized” nation-state. In the 20th century, sexologists further marginalized these practices by diagnosing regions like Kagoshima with a hereditary condition called “regional same-sex love” (chihôteki döseiai). This effectively contained male-male sexuality within specific geographical and cultural boundaries.

Moreover, from Kagoshima men’s regional identity imperial navy and seafaring got associated with male-male eroticism in Meiji Japan.

male-male sexuality & the world of adolescence

… the sexual object in shudö had always been defined as a young male. In Meiji popular discourse, as in that of the Edo period, it was generally understood that youthfulness formed one of the conditions of male-male erotic desirability. More and more commonly, however, the desiring party too was presumed to be an adolescent, older than his partner as a rule, but neither of them yet an adult.

‘Adolescence (seishun) as an “institutionalized moratorium between childhood and adulthood” [allowed for a] social space where adult standards did not fully apply’. This also allowed male-male sexuality which had gained the status of uncivilized behavior to be excused as ‘youthful folly’.

Institutions of formal education were around since Edo period and so was male-male erotic practices in them. Not only that but also ‘violence between rivals in love’. Following the Restoration, schools mushroomed throughout Japan with an added emphasis on education as a vehicle for social mobility. Students, tasked with future nation building, were expected to be diligent in their study and to stay away from sexual diversion. Male-male sexuality in schools were not just that in discourse of the day but was inextricably linked with ‘shifting definitions of masculinity, regional and political rivalries, and the ongoing “civilization” of morality’. 

Mori Ögai - father of Mori Mari who wrote the first BL

Two terms born out of Mori Ögai's 1909 novel critiquing naturalism[4] Wita sekusuarisu (Vita Sexualis) köha and nanpa were used in discourses surrounding male-male sexuality among students. The term köha (translated as “roughnecks” by Pflugfelder and “queers” by Kazuji Ninomiya and Sanford Goldstein) referred to students who eschewed interest in male-female eroticism instead engaged in male-male sexual relations. This was in contrast to their nanpa (translated as “smoothies” by Pflugfelder and “mashers” by Kazuji Ninomiya and Sanford Goldstein) classmates.

[These are penetrator roles but not fixed categories. Students did move from one category to another even in Mori's novel. "Boy" (shonen) who were penetrated could take up penetrator role later on.]

“Smoothies” […] did not tuck up their sleeves or swagger about with menacing shoulders like their “roughneck” peers, but instead dandified themselves in silk kimonos and white socks (tabi) in order to win the favor of women.

In Mori’s school köha student were mostly from Kyushu and southwest Honshu prefecture of Yamaguchi while nanpa were from northeastern region. This regional distinction shows up in Tsubouchi Shöyö's novel Tösei shosei katagi (Spirit of Present Day Students; 1885–1886) wherein Kiriyama Benroku a quintessential köha is a native of Kyushu who wears coarse garb and is contrasted against his classmates womanizing peers not only by his leaning towards samurai ideals of masculinity but also by his interest in his companion Miyaga.

The köha-style of masculinity was modelled on engaging brute strength even in erotic dealings. Moreover ‘the strict age hierarchy that prevailed in student society constrained the very notion of consent, since junior males were in principle supposed to obey the dictates of senior schoolmates.’

In such an environment, male-male sexual practices often took a predatory form, with younger students providing fodder for older ones.

However, there were also non-forced köha-shonen sexual relations too.

Mori describes, for instance, a set of crude hand signals whereby a “boy” could consent to or refuse a senior male's overtures; subtler forms of seduction involved treats, favors, and the prospect of “special protection” (tokubetsu na hogo) by the older party.

Meiji newspapers was eager to cover köha violence wherein the older students who preyed upon “beautiful boy” in the streets of Tokyo and other Meiji cities or fought over a “beautiful boy”. They stood to gain readership especially those from middle- and upper-class who were likely to send their kids to boarding schools. It also fit well in the political context with journalistic crusade aimed at male-male sexuality & exploitation as a “Satsuma habit” in a time when ‘domination of the national government by the so-called “Satsuma clique” (Satsubatsu) faced mounting criticism’.

The portrayal of köha by journalists in post-Restoration Japan led to a strong association between male-male sexuality and adolescence. This association was so strong that any discussion of male-male sexuality would inevitably reference student societies and dormitories as common places for such relationships. Furthermore, accounts of school life often highlighted the culture of male-male eroticism as a distinctive feature. This is evident in memoirs by several notable figures such as Ösugi Sakae (himself a former köha), Iwaya Saza-nami, Ubukata Toshirô, as well as in literary works by Dazai Osamu, Hori Tatsuo, Kawabata Yasunari, Mushanoköji Saneatsu, Origuchi Shinobu, Satomi Ton, Tanizaki Jun’ichirö, and Uno Köji.

Chigo-nise ties (that is, erotic relationships between junior and senior youths) were reportedly common [in Kagoshima] as late as the 1940s, while student memoirs and other accounts describe similar attachments in schools outside the region. With the twentieth-century rise of the notion of [döseiai] “same-sex love,” however, popular representations of such relationships would come increasingly to focus on their psychological features, rather than on physical predation of the Meiji type.    

The other half of the ‘asymmetric dyad that made up a male-male erotic relationship’, the sexually penetrated partner, is referred to as ‘shonen’ (boy) in student lingo. By then a mix of inherited knowledge from various arena – Japanese past, classical Chinese, and contemporary forensic pathology – entered public discourse such as seen in Kömurö Shujin's Bishönenron (On the Beautiful Boy).

In Kömurö Shujin's work, the primary effect of this paradigm was to bring to the fore the psychology and physiology of the “beautiful boy” in a manner that would become increasingly common as the century progressed. Kömurö Shujin cited an impressive array of Western authorities on “same-sex love,” most of them doctors or scientists who believed that the “passive” partner in male-male intercourse differed from others of his sex on the basis of certain mental and physical peculiarities, both inborn and acquired. At the same time, the author's understanding of Western sexology was filtered through a set of native assumptions, emerging in a form that often differed in telling ways from the intentions of the original theorists.

Masculinity of wakashu was rarely ever problematized during Edo period. But with the medicalization of male-male sexuality led to attribution of “effemination” with “passive” partner put forth by Western sexologists as Richard von Krafft-Ebing to gain traction in Japan and persist.

[Parallels can be found in bishonen (beautiful boy) stock in BL deemed feminine by readers unfamiliar with the bishonen aesthetics. For example, misattribution bishonen Ayase even when contrasted with feminine Someya in No Money. This also extends to treatment of seme/uke dynamics as though it is a reflection of heterosexual pairing when it is in fact a pairing of two different masculine aesthetics, not to ignore the misogynistic, xenophobic and colonial conception of men who do not fit into specific masculine aesthetics being deemed unmanly/feminine.

Interestingly, Miki Koichiro the director (and screenwriter) of Pornographer, Given, Zettai BL, Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu  etc. is well versed in the male androphilic traditions (among other queer traditions). We can see him using the term “shonen” when instructing the young actor playing Mob-san’s brother’s friend who has a crush on Mob-san. His usage was perfect, proving that he knows what he is doing.]

Part 2

Relics of traditional androphilia in Takumi-kun series

The norm or at least the expectation is that senior students (senpai) pursue pretty boy (bishonen) juniors (kouhai).

This is what outsiders expect even within the universe the novel series is set in as is seen from the conversation between Gii, his best friend Akaike Shouzou and Namiko (Shouzou’s girlfriend) in Sorera Subete Itoshiki Hibi (Those Were Precious Days), a part that never got live action adaptation.

This plays out in Takumi-kun series in various ways. There are two notable bishonen in Takumi-kun’s batch: Gii with his exotic beauty and the princess-like Takabayashi Izumi. In case of pursuit of Gii plays out in a pretty straight forward manner. He is relentlessly chased by seniors who are interested in Gii and their numerous attempts at wooing him.

Takumi-kun 4 - Gii & Sagara

Notable pursuer is Sagara Takahiro who was in the third year when Gii joins Shidou. Sagara as the school president organized many recreational events hoping Gii would participate and they would grow closer. But Gii refuses to participate except for in the final one which took place in Sagara’s absence, the Shinto Shrine Hunt event that is depicted in Takumi-kun 6. Even though the pursuit plays out straight forwardly, it come to nothing since Gii is not there to be pursued. He is there to pursue Takumi-kun.

In case of Takabayashi Izumi, he turns his most ardent pursuers into a band of followers. This obedient little group of lackeys help him to stir up trouble for his love rival Takumi. Moreover, Takabayashi is one of Gii’s pursuers. This pursuit also doesn’t yield any result as Gii doesn’t entertain any pursuit.

Thus, both bishonen of Takumi’s batch subverts expectations surrounding bishonen by being pursuers.

Takabayashi’s plot gets further complicated when he falls in love with Yoshizawa Michio. Their pairing is that of weak seme x weak uke type – both are reluctant to actively pursue each other and requires external intervention to set their ship in motion.

Meanwhile Misu Arata wishes to be the target of his senior Sagara Takahiro’s affections. He actively participates in Sagara’s events wanting to get close [and they do get close as schoolmates] but Sagara is only interested in Gii.

Takumi-kun 4 - Shingyouji & Misu

Misu’s plot further deviates from the pursued bishonen track when a junior (Shingyouji Kanemi) pursues and eventually gets together with him in a clear inversion of the norm.

Takumi is also pursued by his seniors. Aso Kei’s pursuit is depicted in Takumi-kun 6 while Nozaki Daisuke’s attempts at courtship is depicted in Takumi-kun 1.

Aso Kei is the only one Takumi is comfortable interacting with apart from Katakura Toshihisa (Takumi’s best friend). Aso’s pursuit is aided by Gii who wholeheartedly wishes for Takumi’s happiness irrespective of whom he gets together with. Gii creates opportunities for Aso and Takumi to meet by delegating library duty to Takumi when Aso is around thus getting them to interact. Aso’s courtship fails and he takes it out on Gii by showing off – he lies to him that Takumi agreed to shrine hunt with him. When Gii notices that Takumi doesn’t reciprocate Aso’s feelings, he decides to actively pursue Takumi and turns from Aso’s enabler to rival in love.

Nozaki Daisuke’s pursuit of Takumi plays out within the senior pursuing junior set up. Another classic trope is that of love rivals fighting over a bishonen with both literary and in real life precedents. This is evoked in a race between Gii and Nozaki in Takumi’s name from Takumi-kun 1. Here the love rival’s competition is complicated since Gii is a bishonen who is fought over by many others (Takumi, Takabayashi, Nogawa Masaru*, etc).

* Nogawa Masaru is not depicted in any of the movies as far as I can remember.

Even though the novel series is called Takumi-kun series, there are many parts that doesn’t involve Takumi-kun and some of them are exclusively from the point of view of other characters. All in all, Takumi-kun series is like an anthology of many many love stories involving characters who are directly or indirectly connected to Takumi-kun. There are other stories involving younger pursuer and older pursued with all sorts of seme/uke arrangements. Here are some that I can recall right away:

Even guys who are not androphilic such as Akaike Shouzou gets pursued by seniors (Shibata Shun in Shouzou’s case). But these courtships are doomed from the get go.

Younger guy pursues older – senior & junior, teacher & student, etc.

senior x junior pursuit abandoned to establish senior x senior romance (Moriyama & Shibata) or junior x junior romance.

senior x junior romance sometimes end in heartbreak. (Takumi-kun 2)

senior x senior relationships are abandoned in pursuit of senior x junior relationship.

Sometimes seniors employ their seniority to retain power imbalance. (Misu and Shingyouji)

In case it is not clear, who pursues who has got nothing to do with who is seme, uke or riba and vice versa. Since the novel series involves many pairings, we get to see all sorts of seme/uke/riba dynamics (if we are to call it that given Takumi-kun is a June novel).

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Footnotes

[1] I prefer using male androphilia because queerness is a bit too vague and in most case in inappropriate since it was the norm. Academics usually use male-male sexuality, male-male desire, male-male eroticism, etc. Male androphilia must not be confused with the narrower term homosexuality.

[2] Danmei author Tian Yi and her companions were sentenced for 10 years for profiting from obscene content on male-male sexuality.

[3] while the courting of “beautiful boys” was a “barbaric custom” (banpü), domain authorities during the Edo period had tacitly encouraged it as a means of preventing young men from going “soft” (nyüjaku) through erotic involvement with women (joshoku).

[4] In the Company of Men: Representations of Male-Male Sexuality In Meiji Literature by Jim Reichert (199-208)

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Takumi-kun meta series

1.Trailer plus

2.School culture and male androphilia in Japan. (you are here)

3.How does the movie compare with the source novel?

4.How does the movie compare with previous adaptations?

[absolutebl]

Hello ABL. First of all, let me just say, that I love your devotion to Seven Days. It was my very first bl and what got me to discover the genre. Of course it was all downhill from there lol. Just kidding. Maybe... Anyway. I've been doing this thing since the beginning of the year where I watch older jbls (usually before 2020, although that is not old by any stretch) to kinda get a broader view of the genre in Japan. I haven't been in this for that long so I'm still catching up. Some of the stuff I've watched so far. All the Pornographer series/films ; Dangerous Drugs of Sex; Takimu-kun 1 & 2; Junjou (2010); Athlete (2019) Udagawachou de Matteteyo (2015); Ai no Kotodama (2008) No Touching At All (2014) ; The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (2020). I've also watched things like His (series and film), Restart coming back home, Life Love on the Line, and I'm probably missing a couple but not a lot. So I was wondering if you had more recs for me. Anything you can think would fit with what I'm trying to do.

Thanks so much for your time.

Rose💜

Hi darling!

You're missing Boys Love, both of them. If you can stomach it.

Did you see my History of Japan thingy? I'd say try to hit everything discussed in that post: (The top 10 is out of date tho)

And the ones I picked from Japan for the 101 Syllabus

Apart from that's I'm gonna just give you my list of older JBL stuff. I put a * next ones often referenced in the zeitgeist of weedy discussions here on Tumblr in particular, some of which you already mentioned but I just want it to be as complete as possible. These are by date (sort of).

Older Japanese BL (Live Action Yaoi)

* Boys Love 2006

* Boys Love: The Movie AKA Boys Love 2 AKA Schoolboy Crush 2007

Itsuka no Kimi e 2007

Asymmetry 2008

* Forbidden Love 2008

Gymnasium Baby AKA Taiikukan Baby 2008

Melody of Our Love AKA Bokura no Ai no Kanade 2008

Ai no Kotodama 2008

Ai no Kotodama 2: Sekai no Hate Made 2010

* Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers 2007

* Takumi-kun 2: Rainbow Colored Glass 2009

Takumi-kun 3: The Beauty of Detail 2010

Takumi-kun 4: Pure 2010

Takumi-kun 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky 2011

* Junjou: Pure Heart 2010

Fujimi Orchestra 2012

Shape of Happiness 1 AKA Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi - Gaiya no Koi 2013

Shape of Happiness 2 AKA Love Place: Shiawase no Katachi 2013

Coming Out AKA Kamgu Auto 2014

* No Touching At All AKA Doushitemo Furetakunai 2014

* Same Difference AKA Docchi Mo Docchi 2014

Forever Summer 2015

* Wait For Me at Udagawachou AKA Udagawachou de Matteteyo 2015

Candy and Kiss 2015

* Seven Days AKA Seven Days: Monday-Thursday AND Seven Days: Friday-Sunday 2 parts 2015

* Double Mints 2017

* Silhouette of Your Voice AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru 2017

* The Novelist AKA Pornographer (Pornographer series) 2018

Mood Indigo (Pornographer series) 2019

Pornographer Playback (Pornographer series) 2021

* Does the Flower Bloom? 2018

* Ossan's Love (original) 2018

* The Shortest Distance is Round (Noir) AKA Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute 2019

The Shortest Distance is Round (Blanc)

The Shortest Distance 3: Fallen Flowers AKA Saitankyori Wa Mawari Kudokute: Rakka Ryūsui 2020

The Shortest Distance is Round 2: Rain and Soda AKA Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute: Ame to Soda Mizu 2020

* His the series: I Didn't Think I Would Fall In Love AKA His - Koisuru Tsumori Nante Nakatta 2019

Athlete 2019

* What Did You Eat Yesterday? AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? 2019

* The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese AKA Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru 2020

* Dangerous Drugs of Sex AKA Sei no Gekiyaku 2020

* Love Stage!! AKA Rabu Suteiji 2020

The Reason Why He Fell In Love With Me AKA Kare ga Boku ni Koishita Wake 2020

The Reason Why He Fell In Love With Me 2 AKA Kare ga Boku ni Koishita Wake 2 2021

* His the movie 2020

* Life: Love on the Line AKA Life Senjou no Bokura 2020

* Restart AKA Restart After Come Back Home AKA Risutato wa tadaima no ato de 2020

* Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii AKA Cheri Maho 2020

Post 2021 - A few lesser knows that might be worth it

Given 2021

Kiss Kiss Kiss series

The 8.2 Second Rule AKA 8.2 Byo no Hosoku

[ineffable-opinions]

Hu Jun and Liu Ye

They played Chen HanDong and Lan Yu in Lan Yu (2001) directed by Stanley Kwan. They also acted in Painting Soul (2003), by the same director, which was not a BL.

Hu Jun had previously acted in East Palace, West Palace (1996). Episode 6 of Blue Canvas of Youthful Days (2024) had Qi Lu and Qin Xiao watching that movie.

.

Stills from Lan Yu and Manifesto.

They appeared together in the Chinese TV Show Where Are We Going, Dad? Season 3 (2015), an event celebrated by their CP fans! They also acted together in Manifesto (2023). This is in line with Chinese government's complicated history with shipping and fu-cultures.

CCP is not always hostile towards BL and shipping. I mean, CCP is the second largest political party in the world with like nearly hundred million members. Some of them are fu-people, who create and consume BL. Some of them engage in shipping - of characters as well as real people including celebrities and senior party members. (I have discussed this in the context of Addicted here.) The appeal of a branded pair, who is not against getting shipped, doing a series like Manifesto is therefore manifold. Hence, JunYe CP is one of the most important branded pair ever.

Watanabe Daisuke and Hamao Kyousuke

They played Saki Giichi and Hayama Takumi in 4 BL movies:

Takumi-kun Series 2: Rainbow Colored Glass (2009)

Takumi-kun Series 3: The Beauty of Detail (2010)

Takumi-kun Series 4: Pure (2010)

Takumi-kun Series 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky (2011)

and acted in an non-BL movie:

Our Kogen Hotel (2013)

All of these movies were directed by Yokoi Takeshi. While I wonder if he's going to repeat it with the new cast of Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa. (2023), I am less sure given Kato Daigo who played Saki Giichi in the new movie is already 24 and he can only play a high schooler for so long. Also, I am not sure how the movie performed on the box office and if it would have a sequel.

This pair started off with The Musical Prince of Tennis#4 where Watanabe Daisuke played Tezuka Kinimitsu with Hamao Kyousuke as Kikumaru for 2 years.

All early 21st century Japanese live action BL had a handful of actors (Saitoh Takumi, Kawai Ryunosuke, Yoshikazu Kotani, Aiba Hiroki, Takahashi Yuta, Saito Yasuka and Namikawa Hajime) who appeared in multiple BL works but with different onscreen partners, so DaiMao branded pair was pretty unique.

Japanese BL doesn't have any branded pair currently.

does anyone remember which bl pair was the first one to be consistantly booked together in multiple projects together??? cause im thinking its OffGun but idk if it could be someone else..?? and which pair do you think was the one that made other bl producers go "hmmm book a duo together = good viewer rating = consistant money making... 💡"

[addictedtomanga]

Shoujo manga recommendations - unrequited love

1.       360 Degrees Material

Taki is the cool yet strange guy in Mio's class. She bumps into him at the subway station after school and saves him after he almost gets pushed onto the tracks. The next day, he returns the favor by saving her from an incoming car. This marks the start of Mio's love.

2.       Ai Kara Hajimaru

Sakura Ai has always loved sunflowers, as they appear like the sun, which incidentally also was the name of her first crush, Taiyou, in the 3rd grade. From since then, Ai has never had another love and has also become quite introverted, but after meeting a guy with the same name, somethings will begin to change…

3.       Anta Nante Okotowari

Yui has a deep love for her "older brother" (they're not actually siblings, but are related), and she is devastated when he gets married. While at the wedding, Yui meets a sobbing boy, Kaoru. It turns out that his cousin (that he was in love with) is the one Yui's brother is marrying. When Yui moves into a boy's dorm so she can seek out new love, she finds that the head of the dorm is none other than Kaoru!

4.       Ao Haru Ride

Yoshioka Futaba has a few reasons why she wants to "reset" her image and life as a new high-school student. Because she's cute and had a demure personality she was ostracized by her female friends in junior high, and because of a series of misunderstandings and mishaps, she couldn't get her feeling across to the one boy she has always liked, Tanaka Kou. Now in high school, she is determined to be as unladylike as possible so that her friends won't be jealous of her. While living her life this way contentedly, she meets Tanaka-kun again, but he now goes under the name of Mabuchi Kou. He tells her that he felt the same way as she did when they were younger, but that they cannot go back. Will Futaba be able to continue her love that never even started from three years ago?

5.       Awayuki no Namida

Ritsuka, who likes to watch the snow as it falls, has an unrequited love for Fubuki, who lives with an older woman. Ritsuka and Fubuki fall in love, but Fubuki still has past debts toward the older woman, who was his dead brother's fiancee.

6.       Bambi to Dhole

Yukimi is her real name but everyone calls her Bambi. She is the student discipline committee member who locks students out of the school if they're a minute late, but sneaks cigarette breaks on the roof. Lone wolf transfer student Tetsu Nagasawa hops the fence after she locks it and breaks her cigarette in half when he finds her on the roof, but he's a super nice guy to a mother and baby on the train. Bambi already has a boyfriend but will the wolf steal her heart?

7.       Celeste Blue

Eishi is one of those popular guys that are smart, good looking, and is good at sports. However, he thinks people and "love" are bothersome and would rather not deal with either of them. When his teacher told him to help this girl, Uta, to study, he dreaded the idea of having to stick with such an annoying girl. Soon, though, his heart starts to lighten up towards her.

8.       Datte, Kimi ga Warau kara

Let’s get into a time machine and return to that time. Where it was always fun and you were always laughing, to that time... "I only have three more months to live" Yui who just transferred to a new school in the countryside becomes Ryo’s classmate. Yui who is suffering from an illness has a "wish" that she can’t tell anyone, but Ryo wants to grant her that wish but… After death, reality hits Ryo and Yui. This is the story of the eternal promise that was made by the two of them.  

9.       Eien no Mae

Arisa has had a crush on classmate Nageki since the school festival, but has never spoken to him. Will she be able to strike up a conversation before they part ways at graduation?

10.   Futari no Himitsu

Saijou Kiki is a model and child star and with the release of her new commercial her popularity skyrockets. At school, she harbors feelings for Takumi-kun... but somehow ends up kissing his friend Teppei?! And what's more, they've switched bodies due to some sort of old legend?!

11.   Getsuyoubi Kara Kataomoi

Despite his one-sided love, a prince at school encouraged his crush to confess to her crush. But he also could not resist confessing to her. What will happen?

12.   Hachimitsu ni Hatsukoi

Koharu and Nacchan are childhood friends which many of their friends thought they are a dating couple. Soon, after getting into senior high school, Koharu feels something different with Nacchan. While Koharu tries to figure out her feelings, Nacchan's already falling in love with someone else, the beautiful Saionji, but his love doesn't stop him from caring for Koharu. Does what Nacchan feel towards Saionji really be love? Why can't he let Koharu go on a blind date? 

13.   Hatsukoi Hakusho

A collection of one shots.

14.   Hiren Trip

Miyu, an ordinary new first-year student who hopes to become a mangaka meets the schools’ class president who seems to have a hidden side to him. While being pushed around by the cool but private class president, the curtain on Miyu's stormy school life is raised.

15.   Katakoi Triangle

Sekiya-san of the cultural library has an unrequited love for Yuuki-kun. The one who cares about Sekiya-san is the popular Kasai-kun, who is also Yuuki-kun's friend! And, what's this? Yuuki-kun is rooting for Kasai-kun?! It seems that everyone's feelings are one-sided... or are they?

16.   Kimi ga Inakya Dame tte Itte

Nayu and Oumi are childhood friends. Without realizing it, Nayu finds she has fallen for Oumi over the years. However, just as she comes to terms with her feelings, Oumi reveals himself to be in love with the pretty Tsuzuki-san in his class. How will Nayu deal with such heartbreak?

17.   Kimi o Omou Toki

What does it mean to love? Most of the time, I don't know... Falling in love with someone always ends up with a farewell. Encounters in which you can meet a kind man are very rare. For someone to tell me, "Momo-chan, I love you very much~ ♪" and to caress me with a smile... I don't understand the meaning of those things. Still, that kind of behavior gives me a warm feeling and makes my head spin.

18.   Kimi to Kyun Koi, Shiyou

A collection of one shots.

19.   Kobayashi ga Kawai Sugite Tsurai

The comedy starts when the cross-dressing begins! The Kobayashi twins, Mego and Mitsuru, were named after historical figures, but only Mego has grown up with a taste for history. So when Mitsuru is in danger of losing his weekends to extra history classes, he convinces his sister to swap clothes with him and ace his tests! After all, how hard can it be for them to play each other? But Mego can’t rely on just her book smarts in Mitsuru’s all-boys, delinquents’ paradise of a high school. And Mitsuru finds life as a high school girl to be much more complicated than he expected!

20.   Koi dano Ai dano

After constantly transferring during middle school (Warau Kanoko-Sama), Naedoko has entered Takara No Tani High along with Tsubaki. Follow her adventures as she tries to restore the Newspaper Club's status without being noticed by the Broadcasting Club or Student Council...!

21.   Koi ni Dokubari

Youthful, real love between a pure girl x sharp-tongued boy. ‘The boy I’ve had a long unrequited love for has found himself a girlfriend. On top of that, she’s my best friend. Even though I’m the one who met him and fell in love with him first. Why did he not choose me…?’ Heart-broken Aya meets Ryuu, an unpredictable, older boy. Aya gradually begins to be drawn to this sharp-tongued, but kind Ryuu. However, this love isn’t straightforward at all. “When you fall in love, you can’t keep being a ‘kind, good girl’.” Ryuu’s words pierce her heart, doesn’t disappear and is painful, but…? 

22.   Last Game

Yanagi is rich, smart, a girl-magnet, and always at the top of his class... well, until Kujou transferred in his primary school. She was quiet, plain, and poor, yet not once has she failed at beating Yanagi, both in academics and sports! Yanagi has made it his life goal to defeat her and thus, followed her from elementary until college over the past 10 years. Only when he decides to change the rules might he finally win. Here comes their last game!

23.   Love so Life

Shiharu is a high-school student who loves kids, lives in an orphanage, and works at a daycare... Until the handsome uncle of two-year-old twins offers her a raise if she'll be their babysitter. Often relying on memories of her mother's actions for guidance, Shiharu quickly finds herself falling in love with her new makeshift family.

24.   Mako to Aki-chan no Koigokoro

A collection of one shots.

25.   Metallic Colors

The story of a stylish and gaudy girl who strives to win the heart of the boy she likes.

26.   Nonchan to Watashi

Risa and Takumi are childhood friends, but due to a fight in the past, they stopped talking to each other. Now university students, Takumi is a famous playboy who goes out with a different girl every day, and Risa still regrets not having been able to apologize for what she did six years ago...

27.   Orange

In the Spring she was 16, Takamiya Naho receives a strange, but detailed letter from herself, ten years in the future. At first she thinks the letter is a prank, but then the things written in the letter actually happen, including the new transfer student that sits next to her in class, Naruse Kakeru. The letter reads just like her diary entries, down to the same characters. It is not till two weeks later, when Kakeru shows back up at school, that Naho finishes the letter. In the letter, her 27-year-old self tells her 16-year-old self that her biggest regret is that Kakeru is no longer with them in the future, and asks her to watch him closely.

28.   Propose no Okite

A high school girl becomes a wife?! And her husband is the worst man? Because she had to pay her family’s debt, she married! The husband is the son of a big Hotel company. The first time she saw him she said "You got a wife thanks to your money! You’re the worst!" "I maybe the worst", he said "but you’ll have to live all your life by my side…"

29.   Saboten no Himitsu

Miku Yamada has a longtime crush on classmate Kyohei Fujioka. But no matter how many times she tries to show him how she feels, clueless Kyohei just doesn't get it. Frustrated, Miku gives up on him, only to have him start calling her "Cactus" for being prickly when he's around. Will Kyohei ever figure out Cactus's secret?

30.   Shitsuren Biyoushitsu

A collection of one shots.

31.   SP x Baby

A romantic comedy about a privileged man and his kickass female bodyguard. Tamaki Hasegawa misses an interview for a much-needed job in order to stop an assault on a man running for his life! The man—Kagetora Sugo, the prime minister’s nephew—then asks Tamaki to become his bodyguard. Tamaki isn’t sure she’s cut out to be a bodyguard, but Kagetora has another reason for wanting to hire her. Unbeknownst to her, they’ve met before…

32.   Special A

Her whole life, Hikari Hanazono has been consumed with the desire to win against her school rival, Kei Takishima--at anything. He always comes out on top no matter what he does, and Hikari is determined to do whatever it takes to beat this guy!

33.   Suki desu Suzuki-kun

Suzuki Hikaru, Hoshino Sayaka, Ito Chihiro and Suzuki Shinobu are all new students who have just entered the same middle school. Sayaka is a shy girl who secretly loves acting. Hikaru is an energetic boy who loves basketball. Incidentally, he shares the same last name with Shinobu, a popular rich boy who would be perfect if not for his rotten personality. Chihiro is Hikaru’s childhood friend and has long had a crush on him.

34. Wana Love - Wanna be the Honey Trap

Mayuko is a model. She's acting like a beauty in front of guys but in fact she's suffering of an unrequited love with the cameraman Nagumo...Will she reveal her true nature through his lens...?

35.   Yoshiwara Hana Oboro

Hana is a normal teenager who goes to school normally, that is until she gets run over by a car... or did she? Suddenly, she finds herself in a weird place known as the "Red Light District"... in EDO PERIOD?! Trying to find a way to get back to her own time, she somehow gets mistaken for a prostitute and has to escape. Not expecting to be saved by a gentleman, she suddenly ends up in a geisha house.. but then she is bought by the same guy who helped her earlier?!

36.   Yumemiru Taiyou

While loitering in the park, Shimana Kameko, who intended to run away from home and skipped school, meets a suspicious man in a kimono. This man, who had been locked out of his house, offers Shimana a place to stay. However, he requests she fulfill three conditions in exchange for her tenancy?!

[kyotakumrau]

Sugizo Tube Vol.2 with Kyo as a guest Part 2/3

Same as always - don’t use it to make subs; if you notice any mistakes let me know. I tried to include as much detail as possible, but obviously some bits are edited. () have my comments.

*Ningen wo Kaburu video*

L: so we just watched the video for ‘Ningen wo Kaburu’, this was the promotional edit with blurred out scenes, full version is available for purchase on iTunes. That’s amazing.

S: You can buy it? Wow. It’s beautiful, this director is really wonderful.

L: Is it someone you have been working with for a long time?

S: The whole time?

K: Mostly it’s been the same person.

L: You always share the images together with the director?

K: Yes, well, uhm, this time it’s the image from the song title, we talked about it with the director and made the video.

S: Is it you who decide the visuals for DIR EN GREY?

K: Not everything, but majority.

S: Actually Kyo is an amazing artist in every way, also as a painter; he’s wonderful at the art that uses body, he also has amazing tattoos, he can use his body for expression amazingly. He has this visual sense that, even with Mr.Kondo*, when watching your videos/footage I always felt that the visual direction came from Kyo. It came from the ‘The World of Truth’, right? (I think Sugizo means Mr. Kondo, but not 100% sure)

K: Yeah, this too.

S: His lyrics also contain visuals like that.

L: Where do the visuals come from first?

K: When we are working on a song, the instruments are decided, lyrics and the melody usually progress together at the same time. We also create the main music (??) at the same time. I get the image then and try to give it a shape.

L: So the visuals come already at this stage?

K: Usually yes.

L: How do you get the inspiration for the visuals?

K: I love movies, but, well…

L: Even today you wore a t-shirt with Hellraiser.

S: He really loves Pinhead.

K: But mostly it’s from the news, from what I felt from them, recently there was a lot of such ideas.

L: This time it’s been 9 months since your previous single. What’s the significance of releasing a single for DIR EN GREY?

K: For us it doesn’t matter if it’s a single or album when working on a new music, it’s just that company told us to.

S: [chuckles] 'company told us to!’

K: But with an album it’s easier for us to create a worldview, to express it. With a single we have to express the us of this moment in only one song, that’s quite hard. So I prefer not to release singles. But if we don’t it’s hard to organize a tour, there are many things to consider, so it can’t be helped. DIR EN GREY has an image like this now - it’s like a business card.

S: So you don’t release songs just for promotion (for radio etc), you create a single version.

K: Now that’s true, ?? This way of thinking might be seen as an old fashion now though.

S: Recently LUNA SEA stopped releasing singles. We have a leading song and we use that for promotional reasons, so there’s no reason to create a single.

L: When working on an album do you create songs deciding on the image beforehand or do you work on new songs and then decide on the direction?

K: The latter. We don’t really have talks like 'let’s make an album like this’, 'a song like that would be good’ and so on. We randomly decide to work on a song for an album, everyone listens to it and we realize 'that’s the current course’ or 'we all want to make songs like that’.

L: Do you decide on one mode?

K: Usually we do.

L: To be able to choose one course of action, as a ??、I think that’s amazing.

S: It’s like that for a band that has been around for a long time. Even if the direction seen by each band member is different, if we try to create sound/melody, our direction will at some point settle, come together, instantly. A band is a being like that. I always say that, but the direction for details, way of thinking is different, but rock bands are amazing. Why I think so is, it’s not about how many people created it, it’s about who did it. A song created by these members is like this, with those members the band becomes a new existence. That’s what rock bands are about. DIR of course as well welcomes its 20th anniversary and with the same band members, even without the direction decided upto the small details, if they decide to create new song together, they will be able to do it as them now. What do you think?

K: I hope it will be like that ;)

L: DIR EN GREY is starting from 2014 doing a series of tours revolving around the past albums. It something often done by the foreign artists, but in Japan it was pretty unheard of. How did you get an idea to do it?

K: There was the 20th anniversary thing, if not with this occasion there would be no other chance to look back at the old songs and play them again. So we used this timing.

S: That sounds pretty interesting; I’ve never done anything like that.

K: It’s really difficult.

L: Which part is difficult?

K: We did some really old songs, I couldn’t remember the time/era of the songs, and obviously I completely forgot the lyrics too. We had a tour every 2~3 months. So in the end my brain was just keeping rotating, I had to memorize the lyrics again and again, each album and show atmosphere was also different, so we had to remember that and change the ourselves now, and while doing that we had to express ourselves. That was difficult.

S: I have a very straightforward question about that tour. Old time fans were really glad about it, right? What about the new fans, did they want to see that too?

K: I wonder. But if it was me I’d want to see it.

S: So I’d like to ask fans, would you be happy if the band revived old albums?

L: There were some comments from fans saying 'I’d like LUNA SEA to do that!’.

S: Yeah, I thought fans were thinking like that. But the key or tempo in the past was totally different, right? Bringing that back? When we are older?

L: Oh, there are many fans saying they want to see that. (She reads fans comments)

S: If DIR wanted to see a tour like that, should LUNA SEA think about it as well?

L: Woah! (very happy 'woah’)

K: Please try to visualize it!

S: If I’m able to, then. I can’t really imagine it. Huuuuh. But it would be hard on Shinya. He would complain 'No way, that’s impossible! Why were I drumming so fast?!’. Even now it’s quite hard.

K: But you played Rosier.

S: That was just for LUNA FEST! No way! Don’t wanna!

K: (laughing) Please do it!! Do it! At least one song!

S: (something about lunafes and CY, it’s more likely for CY?)

K: I’d love to see it.

S: Let’s say to Shinya 'do your best’.

L: Is it hard deciding on songs for CY?

S: You can only ignore it. There are also songs that I’d love to perform, but there also opinions like 'isn’t it too much? Wouldn’t people be happy enough with this?’. If we do it don’t we become kids? (??)

K: There’s a song by LUNA SEA with a Japanese title that wasn’t released, I’d love to see them playing it, but so far without luck.

S: I don’t remember it. We probably forgot about having a song like that.

L: It’s that bad? (Kyo laughs)

S: When LUNA SEA was formed we were quite hardcore sounding band, our songs were very fast, our sound was hardcore or goth. Even now I love a genre like that. I’d like to do that, but the reaction from other band members might not be that great, like 'our musicianship is different now’.

K: I’d like to see Inoran to play guitar solos from such songs.

S: There are those songs from before Shinya and I joined the band.

L: Woah, there are so many comments asking Kyo to push Sugizo more.

K: (laughs) I’ve been pushing him about it since before.

S: Extreme feel like during Sport Valley, songs were so fast then. Let’s move to the next topic. (He leans back with a smirk XD)

L: (laughs). Kyo has been leading another band starting from 2013. His fans probably now this, but sukekiyo’s first performance took place as an opening act for Sugizo’s solo show.

S: So nostalgic. To be honest, I totally adore sukekiyo’s music. DIR has that hardcore feel, anger, destruction and sorrow, so sukekiyo has a totally different side, grave (slow manner, solemn) and beauty and feel of progressive rock, they create this very wide worldview. The vocalist named Kyo is able to express the exact opposites. I was surprised by it from the very beginning. Is it like that?

K: Yeah.

L: With what kind of feelings did you start sukekiyo?

K: I wanted to try various things, when [creating music] with different people what kind of music would it result in? I wanted to try many things and sukekiyo was realized then.

L: So with that opening act, did the offer come from Sugizo?

S: No, Kyo asked me about doing an opening act at my concert, I was very happy. That was 5 years ago? You’ve been doing sukekiyo for 5 years now?

K: Yeah.

S: When they were releasing their first album I was able to do a remix song for it, the song was really great.

L: The members in sukekiyo are incredible.

S: And like that I was able to watch as sukekiyo was born. I was honoured.

L (she talks about the information that came up earlier about working on the remix songs - they are called 'sibling songs’)

S: First I got an inspiration from the song made by Kyo and guys, worked on it and it evolved into a totally different song. So they are 'sibling songs’. Through such a creative exchange, being able to exchange DNA, it was amazing.

L: We can see the cover art of IMMORTALIS on the screen right now.

S: Do we have any video to show of them?

L: It seems like it’s coming now. Which song is it?

S: Is it from the newest release?

K: From one before.

L: Then, let’s watch a video from sukekiyo, ‘anima’.

*anima video*

S: Is it okay to talk about the video?

K: Yeah, of course.

S: The video was made by the drummer.

L: That’s amazing. Directing the worldview at the same time as playing drums.

S: Takumi-kun who plays on guitar is also amazing. It’s alright to say that, right?

K: I think he will be very happy to hear that.

S: He’s amazing playing the guitar, but also does programming and he works as a manipulator for DIR EN GREY during their tours. It’s not a secret, right?

K: He’s probably watching even now.

S: Really? Takumi, how are you? (and Sugizo toasts with a bottle of water XD)

(Takumi’s reply: ‘Sugizo, I’m GREAT!’ – and it was followed by a tweet explaining that the reply to Sugizo was his 500th tweet. And when Sugizo asks you ‘how are you?’, you will reply great no mater how you feel XD)

L: So instead of hiring someone to do that, you prefer to chose someone you know.

K: That’s right. We create songs together, so even if we don’t talk about it he will understand many things.

S: That’s a totally new era. One person can do so many things.

L: There was a comment [from Takumi] “I’m watching!” (Changing topic, Layla introduces ONENESS M and Zessai done with Kyo). Zessai was truly beautiful; I’ve listened to it so many times. I love it.

S: Thank you, Kyo.

K: No, it was my pleasure.

S: I’m so grateful for that. When creating songs for my 20th anniversary, as something not done usually, I wanted to gather the vocalists I’m close with. First, I wanted to ask Kyo to join the project and I contacted him soon.

K: There was a talk about it quite early on and I was all for it. At the moment of the shout, I thought I would break my voice but I wanted to record it on the first try.

S: It was amazing [he demonstrates the shout…]. It’s a beautiful quiet song but for a moment there’s this mad shout. To insert this kind of energy, I thought only Kyo could do that. And the speed of him working! I’ve sent him a demo asking what he thinks of the song, and usually people send back more recorded into it including some lyrics. But he was like ‘I got the actual song done’. He was making sure with me ‘I recorded the final version, is that alright?’

L: Did you write the lyrics that quickly?

K: As I explained before, I write lyrics while I’m working on a song. So it was quick. I can easily understand the worldview of Sugizo’s songs. So I could imagine what he wishes from me. I gave it a shape in my own way, the original Sugizo’s work had a melody, I left the best part and added my own colour to it, mixing everything together.

L: In the interview about the release Sugizo commented that it as much better than he was hoping for, that inserting that part of insanity into the beauty; he commented that only Kyo could manage something like that.

S: It was a song I wrote thinking of Kyo, from the beginning. So the artist Kyo the way I see him, I was thinking how to let him exist inside of my music, I worked with this in mind. And when working about him as a vocalist, I how will it work with a dub? Actually, that song is dub. How amazing it would be for Kyo to exist inside of such song and sing that groove, to have a mixture like that. And from that came out a performance that went way over my expectations.

L: Were you thinking about the album track list (song order) already?

S: It was decided by chance. This album has grand, progressive songs. Next was much faster song from Yohei. I wanted to show Kyo’s depth and beauty. I could not imagine more from that song. Thank you for the lyrics and singing, Kyo.

K: Not at all.

S: It’s a song you would want to play live someday, isn’t it?

K: I totally agree.

L: It would be great to have a concert dedicated to ONENESS M.

S: What we want to express and our worldview overlap to some degree, of course the surface if different (??), but I was glad we could create this together.

L: I’d really like to see it live.

[absolutebl]

BL Master Post - List

List of 415 BLs as of mid 2022

This is just a list by request pulled from the Spreadsheet of Doom which contains all 400+ BLs that I have watched, dnf'd, or am currently watching. Dated June 30, 2022. 

It is in order by country (alphabetized) then year (oldest at the top) then rating out of 10. It includes shorts, movies, series, and compilations. In cases where there are multiple country production houses, it will fall under the dominant language (e.g. Peach of Time is under Korea). Feel free to gank. The spreadsheet of doom does contain most of my original sources for these, so if you want help tracking some of the more obscure ones down just ask in a comment. 

I have added these lists by country to the bottom of my History of the Genre posts. 

Japanese BL

Chinese BL

Taiwanese BL

Korean BL

Thai BL

China

2014 Like Love 1: I Love You As A Man: Part 1 - 5 2015 Falling in Love with a Rival: Counterattack - 3 2015 Mr. X and I: Us Against the World - 3 2015 Like Love 2: Nobody Knows But Me - 2 2016 Addicted Heroin - 8 2016 Irresistible Love: Secret of the Valet - 5 2016 Irresistible Love 2: Uncontrolled Love - 6 2016 Fanatic Love - 5 2016 Queer Beauty: Oppressive Love - 3 2016 Ghost Boyfriend 1 - 2 2016 The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao - 1 2016 Lost Love - 1 2016 A Round Trip to Love - 1 2017 Customized Companion - dnf 2017 Glass Heart - dnf 2017 Legend of Long Yang: Rebirth 6 2017 Mr. CEO is Falling in Love with Him - 5 2017 Till Death Tear Us Apart: In This Case A Pleasant Lifetime Alone: Love is in a Blaze - 5 2017 His Cat: His Cat Boyfriend - 5 2017 Advance Bravely - 5 2017 The Fairy Fox - 3 2017 Beloved Enemy - 3 2017 Ghost Boyfriend 2 - 2 2017 Love is Not Easy to Have: Rare Love - 2 2017 Swinging Blossom - 2 2017 Find You In The Crowd compilation - 1 2018 River Knows Fish Heart - 6 2018 Guardian - 6 2018 Past Youth - 2 2018 Ghost Boyfriend 3 - 2 2019 Mermaid's Jade - 4 2019 Broken Youth - 4 2020 The Untamed - 6 2020 Precise Shot - 4 2020 Capture Lover - 4 2020 Youth in the Breeze: People of the Skyy compilation - 3 2021 Word of Honor - 8 2021 My Esports Genius Brother - 7 2021 Every Moment that I Think of You - 5 2022 In Your Heart - 2

HONG KONG 

2012 From Here to There - 2 2014 For Love, We Can - 2 2015 I Go To School Not By Bus - 2 2018 S.C.I. - 4 2021 Ossan's Love Love or Dead - 5 2021 I'm a Fool for You 1 & 2 - 4

JAPAN 

2006 Boys Love compilation - 1 2007 Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers - 5 2007 Itsuka no Kimi e - 5 2007 Boys Love: The Movie Boys Love 2 AKA Schoolboy Crush - 2 2008 Ai no Kotodama - 5 2008 Gymnasium Baby Taiikukan Baby - 3 2008 Melody of Our Love: Bokura no Ai no Kanade - 3 2008 Forbidden Love - 2 2008 Asymmetry - 2 2009 Takumi-kun 2: Rainbow Colored Glass - 5 2010 Junjou Pure Heart - 6 2010 Ai no Kotodama 2: Sekai no Hate Made - 6 2010 Takumi-kun 3: The Beauty of Detail - 5 2010 Takumi-kun 4: Pure - 4 2011 Takumi-kun 1: DaiMao Version (fan made) - 6 2011 Takumi-kun 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky - 5 2012 Fujimi Orchestra - 3 2013 Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi: Gaiya no Koi: Shape of Happiness 1 - 3 2013 Love Place: Shiawase no Katachi: Shape of Happiness 2 - 4 2014 Docchi Mo Docchi: Same Difference - 5 2014 No Touching At All:  Doushitemo Furetakunai - 5 2014 Coming Out: Kamingu Auto - 3 2015 Seven Days: Monday-Thursday: Friday-Sunday - 10 2015 Candy and Kiss - 7 2015 Wait For Me at Udagawachou: Udagawachou de Matteteyo - 5 2015 Forever Summer - 2 2017 Silhouette of Your Voice: Hidamari ga Kikoeru - 7 2017 Double Mints - 2 2018 Ossan's Love original - 6 2018 Does the Flower Bloom? - 5 2018 Pornographer: The Novelist - 3 2019 What Did You Eat Yesterday?: Kinou Nani Tabeta? - 6 2019 Athlete - 4 2019 His: I Didn't Think I Would Fall In Love - 3 2019 Mood Indigo: Pornographer series - 3 2019 The Shortest Distance is Round (Blanc): Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute - 2 2019 The Shortest Distance is Round (Noir): Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute - 1 2020 Cherry Magic: 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii - 9 2020 Restart After Come Back Home: Risutato wa tadaima no ato de - 8 2020 Life: Love on the Line Life: Senjou no Bokura - 8 2020 His the movie - 6 2020 Love Stage!! :Rabu Suteiji - 5 2020 Sei no Gekiyaku:  Dangerous Drugs of Sex - 4 2020 The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese: Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru - 2 2020 The Shortest Distance 3: Fallen Flowers Saitankyori Wa Mawari Kudokute: Rakka Ryūsui Japan 1 2020 The Shortest Distance is Round 2 : Rain and Soda Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute: Ame to Soda Mizu Japan 1 2021 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko: Absolute BL: A Man Who Defies The World of BL. - 10 2021 Utsukushii Kare: My Beautiful Man - 9 2021 Kieta Hatsukoi: Vanishing My First Love My Love Mix Up - 8 2021 Given: Givun - 8 2021 Pornographer Playback: Pornographer series - 5 2022 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko 2 Absolute BL 2 A Man Who Defies The World of BL 2 - 10 2022 Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! Mr Unlucky AKA Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss AKA Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! - 8 2022 Old Fashion Cupcake: Old-Fashioned Cupcake - ?  2022 Minato Coin Laundry: Wash My Heart!: Minato's Laundromat: Minato Shouji Koin Randorii - ?

KOREA 

2006 No Regrets - 1 2008 Boy Meets Boy - 4 2008 A Frozen Flower - 1 2009 Just Friends?: Chingu Sai? - 8 2010 Love, 100℃ - 1 2011 Nabang Spark - 4 2012 Suddenly Last Summer - 5 2012 Two Weddings and a Funeral - 5 2012 Going South - 2 2013 Something, Crunchy Crunchy - dnf 2014 So Refreshed! - 2 2014 Diary of Heong Yeong Dang: Drama Festival 2014: The Diary of Heong Yeong Dang - 1 2014 I'm Horny Now! - 1 2014 Night Flight - 1 2014 Some - 1 2015 The Lover BL Cut - 5 2015 Open - 4 2015 Weird Housemates - 4 2015 A Naked Boy - 1 2016 My Eleventh Brother - 4 2016 Jealousy is My Guest - 2 2017 Long Time No See (Strongberry) - 7 2017 Free Bird - 4 2017 Secret Spectacles (Strongberry) - 4 2017 Tilted Summer - 2 2017 Tropical Night - 2 2017 Method - 2 2017 Mind - 2 2017 The Boy Next Door - 1 2018 Some More (Strongberry) - 8 2018 Step For You (Strongberry) - 7 2018 Being Me - 6 2018 My Pistachio (Strongberry) - 6 2018 Summerdaze: Stay Away From Me - 5 2018 Table Manner (Strongberry) - 4 2018 In Between Seasons - 1 2019 As if You Whisper (Strongberry) - 6 2019 Sonnet 18 - 6 2019 My Personal Trainer (Strongberry) - 5 2019 One Last Order - 5 2020 Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart - 9 2020 Where Your Eyes Linger - 8 2020 Mr. Heart: mr heart - 7 2020 Private Lessons (Strongberry) - 7 2020 Secret Roommate (Strongberry) - 5 2021 On His Turf:  On My Turf - dnf 2021 Color Rush - 10 2021 Light On Me - 10 2021 To My Star - 10 2021 A First Love Story (Strongberry) - 9 2021 Nobleman Ryu's Wedding - 9 2021 My Sweet Dear - 8 2021 The Tasty Florida - 8 2021 You Make Me Dance - 8 2021 Made in Rooftop - 7 2021 Peach of Time - 6 2021 Confidential Coffee Break (Strongberry) - 6 2021 Sweet Curse (Strongberry) - 6 2021 Hold Me - 6 2021 Fingers After (Strongberry) - 5 2021 My "S" Partner - 4 2022 Semantic Error - 10 2022 Blueming - 9 2022 Cherry Blossoms After Winter - 9 2022 Tinted With You - 8 2022 Oh! Boarding House - 8 2022 Behind Cut - 8 2022 Love Class - 8 2022 Ocean Likes Me - 8 2022 Color Rush 2 - 7 2022 First Love Again - 7 2022 Blue of Winter Judo Boys - 3 2022 Kissable Lips - 2 2022 Love in Spring: Spring of Crush - ? 2022 To My Star 2: Our Untold Stories - ?

THE PHILIPPINES

2014 Geography Lessons: Lisyun qng Geografia - 3  2016 4 Days - 5  2020 In Between: Sa Pagitan ng Kamusta at Paalam - dnf  2020 The Shore - dnf  2020 Amore - dnf  2020 Boyband Love - ? 4 2020 Happenstance - ?  2020 Gameboys the series - 9  2020 Like In The Movies: Gaya Sa Pelikula - 8  2020 My Day the series - 8  2020 The Boy Foretold by the Stars - 6  2020 Meet Me Outside - 5  2020 Win Jaime's Heart - 5  2021 Jack & Jill - dnf  2021 Love is the series - dnf  2021 Stuck on You - dnf  2022 Rainbow Prince - 6 

SINGAPORE

2022 Getaway: Get Away dnf

TAIWAN 

2006 Eternal Summer: Eternal Summers - 2 2012 Pair of Love - 3 2014 100 Apples - 4 2016 Friend or Lover - 6 2016 He's Out There Somewhere - 1 2017 HIStory: Obsessed - 8 2017 Red Balloon - 7 2017 HIStory: Stay Away From Me - 6 2017 HIStory: My Hero - 6 2017 Faded - 5 2017 We Are Gamily - 5 2017 Dark Blue and Moonlight - 3 2018 HIStory 2: Crossing the Line - 9 2018 HIStory 2: Right or Wrong - 8 2019 The Teacher - dnf 2019 HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count - 2 2019 HIStory 3: Trapped - 7 2019 Departure - 3 2019 Bro and Me Bro & Me - 3 2020 Because of You - 7 2020 Craving You - 5 2020 Our Memory - 3 2020 Your Name Engraved Herein - 2 2021 We Best Love No. 1 For You - 10 2021 We Best Love Fighting Mr. 2nd - 10 2021 Be Loved In House I Do - 9 2021 Love is Science? BL Cut - 9 2021 See You After Quarantine? - 8 2021 HIStory 4: Close to You - 8 2021 Papa & Daddy - 7 2021 My Type - 7 2021 Innocent - 5 2021 Light - 5 2021 Friend or Lover - 5 2021 The Immeasurable - 4 2021 The Immeasurable - 4 2022 Plus & Minus AKA Plus and Minus - 8 2022 DNA Says Love You - 8

THAILAND 

2007 Love of Siam - 2 2013 Timeline - 3 2013 Love Next Door 1 - 2 2014 Love Sick - 7 2014 Love Next Door 2 - 4 2014 My Bromance the movie - 2 2015 Love Sick 2 - 7 2015 Love Love You - 3 2015 Water Boyy the movie - 2 2015 Feel Good to Say Goodbye - 2 2015 Same Same Is Not The Same - 2 2015 Red Wine in the Dark Night - 1 2016 Puppy Honey BL Cut - 8 2016 SOTUS - 8 2016 Make it Right - 7 2016 The Right Man Because I Love You - 5 2016 Sweet Student Boy Sweet Boy - 2 2016 Gray - 2 2016 My Bromance the series - 1 2016 Grey Rainbow: Views of Love - 1 2017 SOTUS S - 8 2017 Puppy Honey2 BL Cut - 8 2017 Make it Right 2 - 7 2017 My Dear Loser Edge of 17 - 6 2017 2 Moons the series - 6 2017 Together with Me - 6 2017 I Am Your King 1 - 3 2017 Waterboyy the series - 3 2017 I Love You - 2 2017 Present Perfect - 2 2018 SOTUS Our Skyy - 8 2018 Kiss Me Again PeteKao - 8 2018 Love By Chance - 8 2018 My Tee: Cause You're My Boy - 6 2018 InnSun Our Skyy My Dear Loser - 5 2018 PeteKao Our Skyy Dark Blue Kiss - 5 2018 PickRome Our Skyy Puppy Honey - 5 2018 You Had Me At Hello - 5 2018 TeeMork Our Skyy My Tee - 5 2018 My Dream - 3 2018 Together with Me the next chapter - 3 2018 What the Duck - 2 2019 Until We Meet Again: The Red Thread - 10 2019 He's Coming to Me - 9 2019 Dark Blue Kiss - 8 2019 Theory of Love - 8 2019 TharnType - 8 2019 2 Moons 2 - 7 2019 3 Will Be Free - 7 2019 Great Men Academy - 6 2019 Good Loser 2 parts - 5 2019 With Love the series - 5 2019 I Am Your King 2 - 3 2019 Before I Love You 3 parts - 3 2019 2 Wish the series - 3 2019 Love Poison - 3 2019 Make it Live on the Beach: Make It Live: On The Beach - 3 2019 Reminders - 3 2019 The Best Twins - 2 2019 The Effect - 2 2019 Dew the Movie - 1 2020 Ghost Runner - dnf 2020 I Told The Sunset About You - dnf 2020 Oxygen the series - 9 2020 Still 2gether - 8 2020 2gether - 8 2020 Why R U? - 8 2020 En of Love Love Mechanics - 7 2020 My Engineer - 7 2020 Ingredients the series - 7 2020 Theory of Love special - 7 2020 Love By Chance 2: A Chance at Love - 6 2020 My Gear and Your Gown - 6 2020 Present Still Perfect - 6 2020 En of Love: This is Love Story - 6 2020 En of Love: Tossera - 6 2020 Location - 5 2020 YYY the series - 5 2020 Friend Forever - 5 2020 So Much In Love - 5 2020 TharnType 2: Seven Years of Love - 5 2020 Night of Love - 4 2020 YYY Special - 3 2020 The Moment - 3 2021 My Boy - dnf 2021 Call it What You Want - dnf 2021 Call it What You Want 2 - dnf 2021 I Promised You the Moon: I Told Sunset About You - dnf 2021 Love Poison 2 - dnf 2021 Hidden Love - dnf 2021 Country Boy - dnf 2021 1000 Stars A Tale of Thousand Stars - 9 2021 Lovely Writer - 9 2021 Golden Blood - 8 2021 Nitiman - 7 2021 Manner of Death - 7 2021 Second Chance - 7 2021 Y-Destiny - 6 2021 Gen Y the series - 6 2021 My Mate Match - 6 2021 The Yearbook - 6 2021 Bite Me - 6 2021 Once in Memory: Wish Me Luck - 6 2021 Once in Memory - 6 2021 Love Advisor - 6 2021 Tonhon Chonlatee - 6 2021 Top Secret Together - 5 2021 Love With Benefits - 5 2021 Siew Sum Noi - 5 2021 Love Area Part 1 - 5 2021 The Best Story YinWar - 5 2021 Don’t Say No LeoFiat Special - 5 2021 Evening Cafe - 5 2021 Brothers - 4 2021 Close Friend Season 1 - 4 2021 Loveless Society - 4 2021 7 Project BL Cut - 4 2021 Fish Upon the Sky - 4 2021 The Cupid Coach - 3 2021 My Bromance 2: 5 Years Later - 3 2021 The Couple - 3 2021 Hometown's Embrace - 3 2021 Love Machine - 1 2022 Saneha Stories 4: Thanon Sai Saneha - dnf 2022 Rak Diao Thai BL sitcom - dnf 2022 Restart(ed): Restarted - dnf 2022 7 Days 7 Boys - dnf 2022 Country Boy - dnf 2022 The Miracle of Teddy Bear - dnf 2022 My Ride Thai 9 2022 Bad Buddy Thai 9 2022 Not Me OffGun Thai 9 2022 Love Stage!! Love Stage - 8 2022 What Zabb Man! Star Hunter - 8 2022 Cutie Pie - 8 2022 Star in My Mind Star and Sky - 8 2022 Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul - 7 2022 Enchanté Enchante - 7 2022 Secret Crush On You - 7 2022 La Cuisine - 7 2022 Paint With Love - 6 2022 Close Friend 2 Season 2 - 6 2022 You're My Sky: Star and Sky - 6 2022 Cupid's Last Wish - 6 2022 Gen Y 2: Season 2 - 5 2022 The Love of Winter - 5 2022 Meow Ears Up - 4 2022 Our Days - 4 2022 Physical Therapy - 3 2022 The Tuxedo - 3 2022 Love Area Part 2 - 3 2022 That's My Candy KimCop - 3 2022 Something In My Room - 3 2022 Triage the series - ? 2022 KinnPorsche - ? 2022 Check Out - ? 2022 Sky in Your Heart: Star and Sky - ? 2022 My Secret Love: Secret Admirer - ? 2022 Love Mechanics YinWar Thai ?

VIETNAM 

2017 My Sky BẦU TRỜI CỦA KHÁNH - 2 2018 The Ring Goes Missing - 5 2019 Hey! First Love AKA My Sky Dam My hoc Doung - 5 2019 Goodbye Mother Thua Me Con D - 3 2020 Stage of Love - 6 2020 Sea Him TienTai universe - 5 2020 Tien Bromance EXTRA - 5 2020 Tien Bromance - 1 2021 My Lascivious Boss ÔNG CHỦ, ĐỪNG ĐẾN ĐÂY - 7 2021 You Are Ma Boy EM LÀ CHÀNG TRAI CỦA ANH - 7 2021 Nation's Brother - 7 2021 Hay Rival, I LOVE YOU! - 6 2021 Follow My Sunshine SAU VẠT NẮNG - 6 2021 Stupid Boys Stupid Love YÊU ĐI SỢ GÌ - 6 2021 Monster in Law Mẹ Chồn Dâu Cáo - 6 2021 Most Peaceful Place Is You - 6 2021 You Are My Sunshine - 4 2021 Fools - 4 2022 Next Door Crush - dnf 2022 Mr Cinderella Xem trọn bộ Mr Cinderella - 8 2022 The Promise - 5 2022 You Are My Stupid Boy - 5 2022 Want to See You - ?

(this was by request from @roices )

source 

[absolutebl]

If You Like This Newer BL Try...

It’s BL roots week! 

What you didn’t know? 

Yeah well that’s because I just declared it. 

So I’ve no idea when you got into BL, but most of us matriculated via the Thai renaissance within the last 5 years. So there is some early stuff out there you may not have seen... so how about some comps? 

If you liked: 

2gether (2020) 

then your should try 

Seven Days (Japan 2015) 

Seven Days comes in two parts: 

Seven Days: Monday - Thursday 

Seven Days: Friday - Sunday 

You can watch it eng subbed on YouTube. 

It’s one of the best Japanese BLs ever made and that’s because it has a lot (for Japan) of the more modern breezy style of something like 2gether. The leads have a similar comfort level with each other (with the same heat level - low) which yields up a similar on screen chemistry. 

Popular first year Seiryo has a policy of going out with any girl who asks... for one week. On a lark, third year Yuzuru tests to see if that policy also applies to boys. Seiryo agrees that it does. 

Yuzuru is very pretty and popular but so brash and honest that girls always end up dumping him. As the two boys date it becomes clear that Seiryo really enjoys this blunt side of Yuzuru, and Yuzuru starts to fall in love with Seiryo because of the joy of being liked for who he really is. Seiryo thinks it’s all just a game to Yuzuru, but he’s falling hard too. They both want it to last more than one week. 

Seiryo is young and reserved but yearns so much to be loved and give love, while Yuzuru is the best possible version of an obtuse tsundere without being immature or a brat. Their miscommunication comes to the story honestly and is sourced in their characters. The actors put these personalities into their physicality too, with Seiryo moving in a cautiously stilted manner while Yuzuru is relaxed and sprawling. It’s fucking adorable. I promise you will love it. 

This is an absolutely faithful adaptation (staging, story and dialogue) of the yaoi manga of the same name, but I actually think this film is even better. 

If you liked: 

TharnType & TharnType 2 (2019-2020)

then you should try 

Takumi-kun (2009-2012) 

Like TharnType (and for many of the same reasons) Takumi-kun is one of the most (in)famous adaptations (in Japanese BL). It also has similar themes and issues. But honestly, if you like Mame’s style then you owe it to yourself, and your fetishes, to figure out why and what’s going on (in your own psyche and in the history of BL and yaoi). I can’t help you with your personal kinks (or issues), but the Takumi-kun series will showcase a LOT about origin Japanese yaoi and why it’s troubling, why it’s addictive, and what a core foundation it gave to the modern industry out of Thailand, Taiwan, and Korea particularly. 

Beautiful fragile traumatized Takumi escapes the horrors of his youth by attending boarding school. There things aren’t great because his coping mechanism is touch-aversion, timidity, and fear. Alone and bullied, Takumi is barely surviving until handsome, rich, popular Gii becomes obsessed with him. Oh and they’re roommates. 

Takumi-kun (like 2 Moons/2 Moons 2) shot the first movie and then recast for the remaining adaptations. They did not, however, re-film book 1 except in flashbacks so I actually recommend you watch the fan made first movie version (from those flashbacks), and then 3 of the 4 follow ups. So here’s a watching order: 

Takumi-kun Series 1 DaiMao Version (Fan Made recut via flashbacks) 

Takumi-kun Series 2: Rainbow Colored Glass  

Takumi-kun Series 3: The Beauty of Detail 

Takumi-kun Series 5: That Sunny Blue Sky 

Series 4 is about side characters and doesn’t add to the main story, but it’s fine if you like those side characters. 

2007′s original Series 1 with the different cast is okay (I guess?) and a more honest adaptation of the original yaoi (which is NOT good), but not worth watching first. From a heritage BL film perspective this first movie (but also bits of the others) showcases how yaoi framing, filming angles, body positioning (staging), and cinematography for BL uses the origin manga as a storyboard. This filming style would go on to influence Korean BL in particular (see Color Rush) and is still used in Japanese BL today (see Love Stage!!). 

Expect the dark side of BL in terms of trigger warnings - but if you liked Tharntype then you’re already okay with that. Also like TT this series is a higher heat level, which we usually only see in the obsession=murder-gays from Japan. Takumi-kun ends happily (each movie) so don’t worry about that. 

If you liked:

Manner of Death (2021)

the you should try

Long Time No See (2017)

One of Korea’s early forays into gay suspense romance, this one is about two hit men (mafia assassins) who meet and fall in love. Neither of them knows they have to kill each other, or do they? This is also a grumpy/sunshine pairing. 

Like Manner of Death there are themes of brother loyalty and betrayal as well as mafia drama. It also has a higher heat level and is squarely in the adult sphere. This one has some great fight scenes, too. 

If you like: 

The HIStory franchise (ongoing) 

Particularly with how it deals with pining and obsessive love than you kinda owe it to yourself to watch...

Addicted (2016) 

Addicted deals with A LOT of the more problematic tropes that China loved until 2016 and Taiwan (and occasionally Japan) still use which are mostly sourced in yaoi manga. Tropes like pranking, kidnapping, stalking, stepbrothers, forced cohabitation, and dubious consent. These are notions of affection colored by the obsessive need to possess - destructive all consuming uncontrollable covetous love. 

Addicted does it all and pushes each trope just far enough. Also it was China’s first “censor that fucker now” controversy in the BL sphere, so it’s worth learning what all the fuss was about. 

You want the Viki version with the uncut extended final sex scene... trust me. And you might wanna stop watching right after that sex scene ends. 

Some Quick Picks 

If you like A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021), face it you’re basically looking for “find yourself transformative gay romance” featuring pretty boys. Try American indie gay romance films Latter Days (2003) and Shelter (2007). They are both brilliant, super romantic, HEA, and similar in spirit to 1000 Stars. Although I should warn you there will be no sponge baths or forehead kisses but there will be great sex scenes. Both are made by queer directors from queer production houses. 

Finally, if you liked Your Name Engraved Herein then you HAVE to watch Red Balloon. No seriously. They are weirdly similar.

Please feel free to ask for a suggestion based on a trope or current BL you love, or recommend others. 

Personally, I’m always looking for pre 2010 stuff that has the spirit of modern Thai BL (read: upbeat and with a happy ending). 

(source)

[absolutebl]

Hello!

Do you have any recs for shows/movies with high heat? I've already seen tharntype and why r u. Anything else? I'll gladly take any tips I get!

I'm here for ya!

HIGH HEAT BL

Okay so almost nothing gets quite as exposing/long running as FighterTutor in Why R U? except maybe some of the ones out of Japan, and they usually end dark. These tends to be less sexy and more there for the shock value. The next level will be the stuff from Taiwan and it comes with stories that use problematic tropes and trigger warnings but the heat is really quite good.

I am not going to rank any of these in order here, but I include my rating because it will tell you how I felt about the story. Also the lower the rating the more likely it ends unhappy.

I rate heat out of 0-3, and it's kinda subjective. Sometimes a high school set BL like Takumi-kun gets a 3 because it's so unusual to get sexytimes depicted for that type of BL. While a non-BL dark Japanese drama, like the Pornographer series, also gets a 3 and it is VERY explicit (but I expect that from Japan and this kind of drama).

All this to say, I divided it by country because high heat in BL is also a matter of the production house's location to a certain extent.

I put an (explicit) rating on anything that has a higher heat level than Why R U?

Are we ready for this? All my 3/3 heat rated BLs... 

High Heat from China

Addicted Heroin - 8/10 the uncut version on Viki

A Round Trip to Love - 1/10

Like Love 1&2: I Love You As A Man & Nobody Knows But Me 2-5/10

From Here to There - 2/10

High Heat from Japan

Pornographer series AKA The Novelist & Mood Indigo & Playback (explicit) - 3/10

Takumi-kun 2, 3, 5 Rainbow Colored Glass, & The Beauty of Detail & That Sunny Blue Sky - 5/10

Sei no Gekiyaku - 1/10

The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (explicit) - 2/10

Shape of Happiness 1 & 2 AKA Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi AKA Gaiya no Koi & Love Place: Shiawase no Katachi - 3/10

The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu (explicit) - 6/10

Also at lot of the dark BL and pinks discussed in this post. 

High Heat from Korea

Long Time No See - 7/10

A Frozen Flower - 1/10

Sweet Curse (explicit) - 6/10

High Heat from the Philippines

My Day the series - 8/10

I'm sure there are more but this is the only one I have noted down.

High Heat from Taiwan

HIStory 4 Close to You - 8/10

Be Love In House: I Do - 9/10

Plus and Minus - 8/10

HIStory 3: Trapped - 7/10

HIStory Obsessed - 8/10

HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count (explicit) - 2/10

Innocent - 5/10 

Light - 5/10 

The Immeasurable - 4/10 

High Heat from Thailand

TharnType 1 & 2 - 5-8/10

Why R U? - 8/10

Love By Chance - 8/10

Love Stage!! - 8/10

Manner of Death - 7/10

Make it Right 2 - 7/10

Love By Chance 2: A Chance at Love - 6/10

Together with Me the series 1 & 2 - 3-6/10

What the Duck (explicit) - 2/10

TharnType 2: Seven Years of Love - 5/10

Don’t Say No - 5/10

Love Next Door 1 & 2 (explicit) - 2-4/10

Loveless Society - 4/10 

The Tuxedo - 3/10

Cutie Pie - 8/10

KinnPorsche (explicit) - 7/10 (don't @ me I am not changing my mind)

The Tuxedo - 3/10

Check Out - 4/10

Love Mechanics - 6/10

Big Dragon (explicit) - 7/10

Love in the Air (explicit) - 7/10

Oh! My Sunshine Night - 7/20 (recommended for the sides, they v hot)

Secret Crush On You - 7/10 (it's awkward af but the THIRST is amazing)

Love Stage!! - 8/10

Chains of Heart - 3/10

Hit Bite Love - 3/10

Bed Friend - (explicit) 8/10

War of Y - DNF

Fahlanruk - DNF

I haven’t rated anything from Vietnam as high heat, 3/3. 

Note: If you want this list copy and paste it out because who knows how long it will be allowed to stay live here. Also post is up to date July 2023. 

(source)