#Udagawachou de Matteteyo

[absolutebl]

Okay, FINE, the shows you should watch for BL's QUEER AF roots

You ready to go hunting?

Many of these are difficult to find. Also many of the images of them and their posters have been block/banned by tumblr, so, no screen grabs for you! (Good times.)

I don't necessarily *like* any of these, but if you are queer and in this fandom and need to dialogue around BL's queerness - these are going to provide a foundation for you. They are important for various industry, reputation, directorial, and cultural reasons. As seeds often are.

Trigger warnings throughout.

The true beginnings:

Boys Love, Japan's 2006 movie is a REALLY rough start featuring a journalist + hot model = murder gay, mild necrophilia, cheating, abuse, rape, and suicide for love. Start as you mean to go on, why don't you, Japan? Is it queer... maybe? Is it BL... honey, I am very sorry to inform you, this started BL.

Note: Yoshikazu Kotani is famous in og BL circles since he acted in 3 early BLs, both Boys Loves and then Same Difference. Also he v tall and hawt.

Eternal Summer, Taiwan 2006 - unlike Japan, Taiwan did NOT start how it would, eventually, go on. But what a messy way to start. A high school story of 3 besties in a love triangle, self discovery, and sexual awakening that fucks it all up.

No Regret, Korea 2006, is a very unhinged queer catastrophe piece about a lost gay man who ends up a host and then almost a murderer because of both his job and his identity.

Note: This is the directorial feature film debut of Lee-Song Hee-il Korea's (so far as I know) first openly gay director who specialized (to this day) in queer content.

The Love of Siam, Thailand 2007, this was Thailand's queer awakening, sure they would backpedal for YEARS after, but in 2022 they began to remember what this movie was (and did) and overtly referenced this quiet little masterpiece. This movie is sad but stunning in that way that the best queer works from Thailand can be (like Present Perfect or ITSAY.) It has Thailand's quintessential softness around theme and character, which you'll understand perfectly when highlighted against the backdrop of the early 2000s works from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Thailand will never lose this soft style and it's one of the most attractive qualities of Thai BL: it's never very harsh with us or its characters. This movie very easily COULD have been quite harsh indeed.

I thought long and hard about including Rice Rhapsody AKA Hainan Chicken Rice (Hainan ji fan) on this list and finally decided it doesn't really qualify. Still let me mention Hong Kong's 2005 movie. It is amazing, fascinating, and very rough going for an ostensible comedy. It wasn't the actual beginning because few saw it and Hong Kong never really picked up or ran with BL let alone QL, but it was hella queer. It's also hella homophobic.

Just Friends? (2009 Korea) - this is Korea's first (kinda) upbeat version of a BL featuring already established boyfriends, one of whom is on military leave, trying to decide on coming out, family life, and the future. All of these are themes Korea will pretty much never tackle again, retreating as they would to their bubble. But what a fun little offering this little show was and is to this day. You should watch it.

Like Love 1 AKA I Love You As A Man: Part 1 - China's 2014 offering is actually pretty classic early form live action yaoi with things like whipping boy, a university setting, rich/poor jock/nerd pairing, hard grumpy/sunshine and a very odd title. It's pre-censorship with an HEA, also explicit, yeah China once did that. This is a lot less queer that it is classic BL and classic Chinese romance, neither of which have any kind of connection to reality. But hey, that's what I'm here for. But it's important to note the drifting away from queerness beginning to occur.

Love Sick - Thailand's 2014 "boys in blues shorts" high school set soapy (in all ways) offering is widely considered the true beginning of Thai BL and by default, eventually, BL as we know it today. (As the biggest producer they somewhat dictate taste and trends in the genre.) This is one of those BLs that owes almost nothing to yaoi, although it started a number of tropes that are now endemic to Thai BL. What it is, instead, is a well scripted story of bisexual self-discovery and the inherent chaos of loving someone of the same gender for the first time, all wrapped up in hormones, existing relationships, and communication issues. It is high school queer angst at its messiest. Nothing is going to be easy for these boys because queer isn’t easy but also because life isn’t easy… welcome to adulthood sweethearts. Is is overtly queer? For 2014 Thailand? Sure is.

Love Next Door 2 a movie from 2014 and one of Thailand’s early very high heat pieces, it’s odd, but sexy I guess? Some unexpectedly decent queer rep including femme characters getting screen time + HEAs. (Part one from 2013 has the same high heat content and features the same lead character (and actor) discovering he is gay with the sex worker next door, but isn't as good nor is it relevant to this installment.)

A few other unknowns, for the queer babies

Wait For Me at Udagawachou AKA Udagawachou de Matteteyo - from Japan in 2015, this is a story about two boys in high school one of whom is a repressed outsider and the other who has a terrible secret (body dysmorphia & cross dressing). When the first boy discovers what's up with the second one, his reaction is very much fetishization. "Oh Japan must you?" kinda started for me with this show. But in this case, Japan, weirdly MUST. This is the ONLY show laboring under (and testing) a pointedly straight lens (or is it?) and identity examination (yes but which boys' identity? that's the question) that I've EVER seen even edge into the BL genre. It is crazy queer, even as it mostly focuses on the fetishization of identity from an outsider's perspective. I WISH more people in fandom would watch it so I could at least talk to someone about it.

The Lover (BL Cut) Korea's 2015 series had multiple couples in an apartment complex, one pair of whom is a BL romance between a Korean man and a visiting Japanese tourist (played by a Kpop idol). It's comedic, slapstick sexy only (no kissing), but basically starts up Korea's bubble and use of idols in BL. It's kinda fascinating to watch them dodge around and still represent gayness in what (is sadly destined to become) a very Chinese way, but which Korea in pursuit of Hallyu and market share would morph into the bubble.

Mr. X and I from China in 2015 is a compilation piece and, I think, the first of this kind of multiple narrative shorter grab bags AKA "Sampler Pack BL." Two of the stories are very queerly sad, but the third is CLASSIC BL of the kind that would become China's best (and last) true BL, Addicted.

Sweet Boy, (Thai 2016) Chimon's first gay role and it is quite sad, oddly sexy, and similar to Dew the movie or My Bromance (just so you know what you are in for) but the acting is on point. When Thailand goes dark, this is how they do it, but this is rough going for baby queers because that's the darkness it is exploring. Our old thematic friends: the pain of self discovery and coming out into a homophobic environment and unfriendly reality, and the cost of being the one able (and willing) to stay in the closet.

Method (Korea 2017) this movie is a May/December actor/idol pairing, that should have been everything I wanted in life but is more about the older character cheating on his wife and their weird “artsy” relationship and frankly, I hated it. And I don’t say that lightly. Is it queer? Who tf knows, but is sure has some interesting things to say about the nature of PERFORMATIVE queerness.

Red Balloon is Taiwan's 2017 precursor BL to their biggest and most famous prestige piece Your Name Engraved Herein. If you're making a choice, choose that instead, but this series certainly paved the way for it to come into existence. Both shows tackle the pressures of culture and social structures on self acceptance and identity and the loneliness inevitably caused by conflict between the two.

(As indeed does Life Love On The Line, Present Perfect, Grey Rainbow, Tropical Night, My Sky, and many other queer meets early BL pieces that revolved around coming out and family acceptance.)

China's 3 2017 "they tried to censor the gay... and it went HORRIBLY wrong":

Beloved Enemy,

The Fairy Fox,

Mr. CEO is Falling in Love with Him.

Honestly these 3 are basically the uncanny valley of BLs.

The Novelist AKA The Pornographer series (2018-2020). Messy psychological machinations, gaslighting, fetishization, sexual corruption, and more good times from "well, what did you expect?" Japan, but also no holds barred queer, just well and truly fucked in the head (and arse) about it.

The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese AKA Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru (Japan 2020) - Drama llama queers so queer and so dramatic it's like Japan is trying to PROVE something: obsession, cheating, break-up, reunion, then break up again, all of it explicit. This show is just SO JAPANESE. I can't even, but you should watch it and you'll know exactly what I mean. Something like My Personal Weatherman owes it's lineage to this kind of BL. If you like Japan naked, boney, emo, and smoking (hot & ciggy) you will love this, and should watch it. It's objectively amazing, I can't stand it, but I NEED people to talk about it more.

More Queer Stuff about BL from moi

BL Linguistics & Queer Identity - I Am Gay versus I Like Men 

Will BL Get More Honestly Queer? 

Actually gay, not BL gay - the idea of “by queers, for queers, about queers,” the BL bubble, sanitized gay, and a queer lens

Queer lens (from the director) and chemistry (from the actors) in BL (A Tale of Thousand Stars)

Touch & Daisy in Secret Crush On You - Queer Coded Language and 3rd Gender Identity

BL in Taiwan & Gay Marriage

Debating Queerbaiting in BL ( + Devil Judge… is it queerbaiting?) 

BL Actors and the Assumption of Queerness - outing actors, coming out, being out, more:  Is that BL actor actually queer?

So is it really fetishization? straight women loving bl 

Some BL fans are sasaengs, and it’s a problem in this fandom 

BLs That Highlight How Society Treats Queers

10 BLs That Are Honest to a Queer Experience 

If you like these kinds of shows try the "Moody Arthouse Smackdoodle" section of this post too.

Happy watching!

(source)

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

My memory is terrible so I wanted to do a breakdown of my stuff every once in a while. Might be monthly, might be whenever I feel like it.

QL - Currently Watching

🇹🇭1000 Years Old [10/12] - This is dragging and I am incredibly bored.

🇹🇭23.5 [4/12] - This show is incredibly cute and I'm smiling through the whole thing. Aylin is my favourite and I'm hoping against hope for the teachers to become a couple. Make it happen gmmtv!

🇹🇭Deep Night [6/8] - The long shots are killing me but the story is moving fast. There's a surprising amount of good communication and the throuple is almost inevitable a this point.

🇰🇷Jazz for Two [6/8] - This is the first bl show where I read the source material before the show and I wish I hadn't. The changes that were made just don't make sense to me, because I don't see how it serves the story. But putting that aside, the story feels rushed and the pacing is weird. The second couple doesn't read believable with this time frame. Anyway I might edit this post when I watch the last 2 episodes. [EDIT] Completed. Final thoughts here. 🇯🇵Love is Better The Second Time Around [4/6] - Why must you do this again Japan? 6 episodes for this one? I'm not happy about this. This show is so good. I love how the mains communicate, not to mention they are beautiful to watch.

🇯🇵My Strawberry Film[7/8] - I have no idea what this show is about nor it seems does it. Do I care at this point? Nope, not really. Let it be over.

🇹🇭To Be Continued [6/8] - This is getting into The Promise territory and I'm not amused. Another one that is dragging and I like the second couple but they barely have any screen time. I'll finish it because there are only two episodes left but I'll be sprinting to the finish line.

🇹🇼Unknown [7/12] - It hurts so good. The songs were killing me this episode. I really liked the separation, I think it was necessary for them. Yuan seems more mature and it will be interesting to see how it changes the relationship.

QL - Finished

🇹🇭Cherry Magic Th – What a wonderful surprise this was. Tay and New are beautiful together and their chemistry was on point. I really liked how the source material was used here.

🇯🇵Cherry Magic Anime – It was quite faithful to the manga with only a couple of deviations and of course it didn't cover everything but I really enjoyed watching yet another version of these characters.

🇹🇭Dead Friend Forever – It was quite a ride. I specially enjoyed the communal watching of this one and all the theories as more people tuned in. Didn't love the ending but it was better than I thought. Still not over White though. 🇯🇵Although I Love You, and You? - Started great, the middle was meh, and by the end I wasn't invested enough in the couple so even though it ended happy, it didn't make up for the rest of it. 🇯🇵Perfect Propose - Great all the way through. I loved this characters a lot and still think it's amazing how well the time was used here. 🇯🇵Ossan's Love Returns - It's Japan at it's finest. Love, food, chaos, found family and cherry blossoms. What more can I ask for? 🇯🇵She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat - My heart grew.🖤

🇹🇼Anti Reset - This is one of the most frustrating shows I've watched in a while. This started off strange and most of the show doesn't seem to know what it wanted to say about the AI part of it. It drove crazy on a weekly basis. But I thought their chemistry was really good and they are just an adorable couple. These 4 VBL series [Stay By My Side, You Are Mine, Vip Only] were a mixed bag for me. I think Stay By My Side is my favourite overall.

🇨🇳The Spirealm - First of all, Ruan Lan Zhu is absolutely gorgeous and his outfits are always perfection. The visuals are really good. This was definitely not a cheap production. The sets for all the doors are incredible. Talking only about the game, I gotta say the second door was my favourite. The bromance toes the line, but I'm not surprised this was taken down. I think if they'd kiss it would be less obvious than some of their scenes. I'm not going to spoil the ending but if you're thinking about watching here's your warning. A bit after the halfway point it gets incredibly sad and the ending is just heart-breaking.

Dropped 🇹🇭A Secretly Love [3/10] 🇹🇭Kiseki Chapter 2 [2/6] Also haven't started Two Worlds because I'm waiting to know if I should bother. I'm experiencing a bit of Thai bl fatigue so we'll see.

Rose Watches OJBL

Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers (2007) - The editing is choppy as hell and it gets hard to understand the characters motivations. And the acting is not good. Yeah, not a fan of this one. Udagawachou de Matteteyo (2015) - This one is weird. I recently watched Life as a Girl so I admit that the comparison doesn't help this one at all. The idea is interesting but the execution is poor. There's a couple of scenes that are a bit hard to watch. In this particular story I think if we had a bit more insight to the characters motivations it would've helped me connect and feel more invested. In the end, for my particular goal it was fine I guess.

Other - Watched

🩷Tengu's Kitchen (2023) | Fudanshi Bartender no Tashinami (2022) Formula 17 (2004) | Mars: Zero no Kakumei (2024) | 🩷Joshi-teki Seikatsu (2018)

1 Year of Rose-Tinted Glasses

It's been a year of Rose this month. And it's been kinda great. It took me a while to get over my shyness here and I still feel intimidated but it's gotten better. The people in this space have been really kind to me and I appreciate it so much. Thank you so much for the space.

That's it for right now. As usual my ask box is open for gif requests and any other questions. Happy Easter to all who celebrate.

Have a good week💜

[ineffable-opinions]

so much gender performance in Zettai BL 2024

Makes me wonder how much of L in BL (especially those with cross-dressing) is androphilia and how much is gynephilia. Maybe it is all ambiphilia.

I mean BL like

Udagawachou de Matteteyo (2015)

Meet You at the Blossom (source novel)

where cross-dressing and initial attraction can't be clearly separated.

This pretty much settles the matter for the Halloween party arc, I guess.

[gabrielokun]

Dorama/Lakorn/Live-action

Thai

2 Moons

2 Moons 2

2gether

7 Project

609 Bedtime Story 

A Tale of Thousand Stars 

Big Dragon

Coffee Melody 

Cutie Pie

Cutie Pie 2 You

Dark Blue Kiss

Deal lover

Don't Say No

Enchanté

Fish upon the sky

Friend Forever

Future

Gen Y

Gen Y 2

Ghost Host Ghost House

Golden Blood

I Will Knock You

Ingredients

KinnPorsche

Kiss Me Again

La Cuisine

Love by chance

Love in the Air

Love Lie Hide Fake

Love With Benefits

Lovely Writer

Manner of Death

Meow Ears Up

My Engineer

My Gear and Your Gown

My Keychain

My Mate Match

My Only 12%

My Pistachio

My Ride 

My School President

My Secret Love

My Sweet Dear

Never Let Me Go

Not Me

On Cloud Nine 

Our Winter

Oxygen

Remember Me

Saneha Staries 4: Saneha Kap Cheewit

Secret Crush On You

Sky in Your Heart

Star in My Mind 

SOTUS 

SOTUS S

That's My Candy

The Eclipse

The Love Of Winter

The Miracle of Teddy Bear

Tin Tem Jai

Top Secret Together 

Triage

Until We Meet Again

Unforgotten Night

Vice Versa

What Zabb Man!

Why R U?

Work From Heart

Y-Destiny 

You're My Sky

Taiwan

49 Days with a Merman

About Youth

Be Loved in House: I Do

Craving You

DNA Says Love You

Fragrance of The First Flower

Love to Our Youth: He Falls in Love with Him

HIStory1: My Hero 

HIStory1: Obsessed

HIStory2: Crossing the Line

HIStory2: Right or Wrong

HIStory3: Make Our Days Count

HIStory3: Trapped

HIStory4: Close to You

HIStory5: Love in the Future

Innocent

Love Is Science?

My Tooth Your Love

Plus & Minus 

Papa and Daddy

Stay by My Side

Korea

A First Love Story

At a distance spring is green

Boy Meets Boy

Cherry Blossoms After Winter 

Choco Milk Shake

Color Rush

Ghost Doctor

Happy Merry Ending

His, Ice Cream

Hold Me 

Hotel del Luna

Individual circumstance

Kissable Lips

Light On Me 

Love Class

Move to Heaven

Mr. Heart

My Sweet Dear

Numbers

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding

Ocean Likes Me

Oh! Boarding House

Oh! My Assistant

Our Dating Sim

Please Tell Me So

Roommates of Poongduck 304

She Makes My Heart Flutter

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner

The Lover

The Tasty Florida

To My Star

To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories

TREASURE

Two Cops

Unintentional Love Story

Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart

Wuju's Bakery

You Make Me Dance

China

A River Runs Through It

Ancient Detective

Anti-Fraud League 

Be Reborn

Guardian

Killer And Healer

Men with Sword

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend 

Legend of Long Yang

Nirvana in Fire

The Untamed

Winter Begonia

Youths in the Breeze

Japan

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

Cherry Magic

Criminologist Himura and Mystery Writer Arisugawa

Fallen Angel

Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!

Gannibal 

His the Movie

His The series

Junkyouju Takatsuki Akira no Suisatsu

Kabe Sa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shouninyokkyuu wo Kojiraseteiru

Kids

Kieta Hatsukoi

Minato Shouji Coin Laundry 

Minato Shouji Coin Laundry 2

Restart After Coming Back Home

Sumika Sumire

Suki Suki Wan Wan!

Tabikurage Detective Diary

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window

The Reason Why he Fell in Love with Me 2 

Udagawachou de Matteteyo

Utsukushi Kare

Utsukushii Kare 2

Vietnam

Hey! First Love

MR CINDERELLA

Stupid Boys Stupid Love

The Star Always Follow You

Stormy honeymoon

Want to see you

YOU ARE MY STUPID BOY

Philippines

Ben X Jim

My Day

[lei-ki]

[shookyyye]

Udagawachou de Matteteyo

[weebrecs]

Fujoshi Handbook: Live Action BL Films and Dramas

I’ve noticed a large gathering of lost souls looking of BL Live Action Films and Dramas, but aren’t sure where to look. Fret not, for I’ve created the following list to get you started. 

2Moons (10/10): A film that centers around three interlocking couples that attend college and their attempts to fall for each other. The couples include: Wayo and Phana (main couple) who had crushes on each other in high school, Ming and Kit (side couple) who are Wayo and Phana’s best friends respectfully and are enemies turned lovers, and the last couple is Forth and Beam which have yet to develop in season one. The story centers around the competition for campus Moon. Thailand, Drama, 12 episodes

A Round Trip to Love (8.5/10): Gay relationships aren’t always greeted with sunshines and rainbows. In this case when their families discovered their love one of them was sent to another country. However, their love story isn’t over. They meet several years later as boss and subordinate and now must maintain their secret, or risk being separated once more. China, 2 Movies

Bite Fight (7.5/10): Thomas is now enslaved in a vampire’s house and all those old folk lore about how to get rid of a vampire don’t seem to be working such as silver and garlic. Trapped, he learns that everyone has forgotten about him and that this vampire is also holding secrets to Thomas’s past. In the meanwhile, vampire hunters are coming to kidnap him because he knows the whereabouts to a secret magical book. Not going to lie to you the trailer looked epic and the film fell a little short, and the special effects are nothing to write home about. But the the storyline is still interesting. China, Movie

Doushitemo Furetakunai (8.5/10): When Shima arrives at his new job he’s determined not to get attached to anyone and just live a normal life. However, when he meets his boss, drunk in the elevator on the first day he can’t help but feel like everything’s about to change. His boss constantly makes excuses to be with Shima until one night he kisses Shima. And the rest is history. Shima tries to prevent himself from falling, but he can’t help his own heart. This is based off a manga! Japan, Movie

Go! Go! G-Boys (10/10): A-Hong’s girlfriend is a real hassle: she spends way too much money and now A-hong owes thugs 10 million. In order to save his own skin he joins a gay beauty contest with his best friend A-Shin (who secretly likes him) to win the grand prize of 10 million. The only catch: anyone who isn’t gay can’t compete. So A-Hong needs to pretend to be gay. During the contest he slowly comes to realize that he doesn’t really love his girlfriend, he’s more comfortable with the other gay contestants, and his true feelings for A-Shin. However, he might realize all of these too late. With the competition drawing to a close their friendship will be tested as well as their morals. There are plenty of humorous moments to get your through the serious scenes. Taiwan, Movie

HIStory: My Hero (7.5/10): After his girlfriend dies she ends up bribing a genie to allow her to swap souls with someone else to return to her boyfriend. It just happens that a boy that her boyfriend knew is scheduled to die. After jumping into his body she aims to make her boyfriend re-fall in love with her (even though she’s in a boy’s body). As time passes she learns that her boyfriend never really loved her and that he actually loves that boy that she’s possessing. Taiwan, Movie

HIStory: Obsessed (10/10): After receiving terrible news from his betraying boyfriend, Shao Yi Chen runs into the street and is killed by a speeding vehicle. When he opens his eyes he’s transported 9 years into the past and swears that he won’t fall in love with his boyfriend, thus he won’t fall for his boyfriend’s lies, and won’t die again. However, that’s proving to be difficult when his boyfriend is struggling to make them a couple once more. Will Shao Yi Chen be able to say no to the man that he’s loved for nine years in order to save his own life? Taiwan, Movie

HiStory: Stay Away From Me (8.5/10): After his mother remarries Cheng Qing’s new step brother moves in with him, but they don’t get along at all. The first issue might be the fact that his new step-brother is a famous celebrity who is completely selfish. However, they quickly warm up to each other and soon the question of what’s right and wrong come up. But never fear, Cheng Qing’s best friend is a Fujoshi helping their romance behind the scenes. Taiwan, Movie

Junjou (9.5/10): After going out for drinks, Tozaki reveals his crush for Kurata that he’s been hiding since high school. That night they end up sleeping together and now their relationship is not lovers, but not really friends. Sex friends would be the most accurate, but then their feelings start meddling. This is also based on a manga! Japan, Movie

Just Friends (8/10): While being on leave from the military Min-soo informs his mother that his “friend” is coming over to spend some time. Everything is going great for them as they steal silent moments and kisses behind people’s backs. However, when Min-soo’s mother catches them their lie of “Just Friends” shatters. South Korea, Movie

Like Love (10/10): It started as a dare to see if An Ziyan liked guys. Soon Mia Ding found himself drawn to the rich, handsome loner. Together they overcome social beliefs that are thrown upon them and stand up for what they believe in. They also face the anger of both of their families that are conservative and want them to be a “proper members of society”. They partake in steamy sex scenes and scandals. Together they’ll make you laugh, cry, and cheer for their victories. Sadly the third season has been canceled because the main actor decided to go live his dream of being a singer instead of a seme T_T China, Drama, 15 episodes

Love Love You (Love’s Coming) (9.5/10): A group of boys suspect that two of their friends are actually in love, and they come up with complex theories on how they can prove that they are together. It’s a heartwarming story of falling in love with your best friend with a large spoonful of comedy to make sure you leave with a smile on your face. The second movie talks about having a long distance relationship. Thailand, 2 Movies

Red Balloon (8.5/10): Chen’s father is a gang leader so he has high expectations thrust upon him. He’s top of his class, good at sports, and good looking on top of everything. He hates people who don’t try, but one day he meets Wan who is his exact opposite. They are drawn to each other, but with everyone against them they’re not sure if they can make their love last. Taiwan, Drama, 8 episodes

Right By Me (9/10): the story follows three boys as they struggle with coming to terms with being gay, having others accept them, and learning to love others. This movie plays out as a love triangle with the best friend falling in love with his friend that loves the basketball star. However, unlike most love triangles this one doesn’t get much friction because the main characters know who they love. The characters show human weaknesses and grow stronger by the end of this film. There’s a rumor that a second film is coming out soon. Thailand, Movie

Seven Days (10/10): Seryou Touji has a rule: He’ll go out with the first person that asks him out at the beginning of the week, but he always dumps them by the end of the week. Through a series of strange events Shino finds himself outside with Seryou and out of curiosity asks him out. Seryou agrees and thus their seven days begins. Shino starts developing feelings and also learns how Seryou's pushing away all of his girlfriends from previous weeks. Now he struggles to make sure that he won’t be just another week long fling. Based off a manga! Japan, 2 Movies

Sotus: The Series (7.5/10): The Sotus system is basically a hazing system where the upperclassmen teach the underclassmen their place and make them earn their place in the college through discipline and hard work. Sotus tells the story of the lead hazer and the underclassmen rebel’s love story. Thailand, Drama, 15 episodes

Udagawachou de Matteteyo (8/10): Momose one day sees his fellow male classmate dressed like a girl and now his attention is immediately drawn to him. During school while Yashiro is in his normal clothing Momose can’t stop watching him. Momose finally approaches him and their relationship will never be the same. Yashiro starts to worry that Momose only likes him as a girl and not for himself. Based on a manga! Japan, Movie

[absolutebl]

a follow up from my yelling:

hi hello yes i have seen smol earth's instagram and it is a breath of fresh air. i don't have an instagram but i was actually considering breaking my social media abstinence vow to follow him lmao.

but i do actually have a few questions: why do you think thailand (instead of somewhere like taiwan where they actually have marriage equality) is the one giving us actually good genderqueer rep? do you think it has something to do with there being a "third gender"? why do you think taiwan aren't doing anything with genderqueer rep? and what are your predictions for korea and japan in terms of genderqueer representation in the future?

my bets are on kbl being second to feature a non-cis characer, based on the fact that we had a surprisingly well done trans character in a mainstreem k-drama.

thank you,

~linc

why do you think thailand (instead of somewhere like taiwan where they actually have marriage equality) is the one giving us actually good genderqueer rep? do you think it has something to do with there being a "third gender"

Hum yes I think it has to do with 3rd gender and cultural and linguistic malleability around ideas of gender and sexuality. I don't want to be biologically deterministic though. The two are linked, it's not necessarily that the one causes the other.

I’m assuming you are not including Pinoy and Vietnamese stuff? Because they had this covered from the start. 

here more kinda stuff around this topic:

Queer Lens & Thai BL 

BL Linguistics & Queer Identity I Am Gay versus I Like Men 

Husband Wife Language in Thai BL (SOTUS, TharnType + a lot of 2022 BL) 

Touch & Daisy in Secret Crush On You - Queer Coded Language and 3rd Gender Identity 

Daisy, kathoey, 3rd third gender, Thai language & culture (and a bit of BL)  

Thai BL Lacks Representation of Butch & Transgender Men (and why this has to do with Thailand's 3rd Gender) 

my bets are on kbl being second to feature a non-cis characer, based on the fact that we had a surprisingly well done trans character in a mainstreem k-drama.

And... I'll take that bet because I'd win, Taiwan is the one who actually just put a femme in a manger role in their latest BL HIStory 5. Admittedly, a side and not a main but still, this is a pretty big deal for them. 

Unless you count The New Employee’s pride college crew? 

Why do I think Taiwan is so late to the party? 

Well Taiwan is still very much Chinese in culture and aesthetics (for all its westernization). China doesn't have much of a history portraying cross dressing or other visual markers of queerness in their pop culture, legends, or mythos. Every culture has some, of course. Korea does (mostly women cross dressing as men, which they flipping LOVE). Japan really does (check out Edo period Wakashu for an epic historical mind fuck) also they LOVE (fetishize) gender bending, crossdressing, and intentional androgyny on the main, and have a strong tradition of queer films and representation (just not much in JBL for source yaoi reasons). So I think Japan probably actually got there first, just not in the shows we follow (see soemthing like 2015′s Udagawachou de Matteteyo or 2021 Colorful Love: Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu)

I think a country's heritage even if it's staged cross dressing (men as women) for punch down humor (as we see throughout Western history) plays into how and what queerness is depicted by that country in pop culture's modern iteration. Also how it crawls down its own path to acceptance and representation in the entertainment industry. 

What are your predictions for korea and japan in terms of genderqueer representation in the future?

Japan we are gonna (I hope) see some more out gay/queer actors in leading roles, as well as a skew more kinky stuff in general, and more androgynous visuals plus cross dressing their characters for stage, comedy, or fantasy etc... (See My Love Mix Up for an example of this). 

Never discount Japan if they have access to maid costume. 

Or a butler/waiter uniform for that matter.  

Korea I don’t know. I think butch lesbians are more likely from them as side characters than anything else and even then, I’m not confident. They like gender bending in their kpop fashion but they like their male mannerisms to be super masc there, clearly. Manic pixie dream boy = yes, but actual femme =  seems pretty frowned upon, if not outright bashed. (See the Holland incident.)   

Taiwan: even though they are unquestionably the queerest country to produce BL, and the only one with marriage equality, Taiwan is very invested in super masc presenting BL leads. (As, indeed, was China in its BL heyday.) It's kinda a matter of taste but also a kinda in your face: 

our two men and manly men and they wanna fuck each other. Whacha gonna do about it?

Is this a bit of a side effect of leaning hard away from seme/uke and Thailand's obsession with imposing a heterosexual skew on their BL? Maybe. Taiwan also distinguishes itself by rarely adapting from graphic novel content, or even novels, so they are particularly separated from a literary tradition that likes the skewed het-ness of seme/uke. 

Also all these countries are following a trend, which is towards more and better queer rep of the kind that is partly dictated by global taste. (Well, except Japan, of course. Because Japan sticks to its lanes.) 

BL is getting not only queerer than we supposed it could, but queerer than we can suppose.

[save-the-data]

Wait for me at Udagawachou postcard set x 7 that came with the DVD. 

Taken with camera (sorry)

[gabrielokun]

[suritsubusanight]

I CAN'T RESIST HIDEYOSHIKOOOOOOOOO /CRIES

[absolutebl]

Hello! I discovered your blog relatively recently so forgive me if you’ve already done this but would you consider compiling a list of all the times crossdressing has been done in bl? Whether as a plot-device, for comedy, for serious reasons, just all the times crossdressing as a trope has appeared.

In a similar vein if you wanted to explore it I’d also be interested in the breadth of trans rep in bl/queer shows and movies in Asian media and if that ever blends into the crossdressing (maybe also drag would be interesting to throw into the mix as well?). Also just an exploration of Queer Femme characters that are not made fun of or villainized by the narrative would be cool! Basically just exploring femme queer aspects in bl in all its good, bad, and I’m sure sometimes ugly forms!

Hi, welcome! Ooo, crossdressing. Frankly I can't think of many and I don't have great recall on this one so I will have to ask the feed.

BL's With Crossdressing

Meet You At The Blossom (China 2024) - major plot point

Nobleman Ryus Wedding (Korea 2021) - historical, entire premise

Kieta Hatsukoi AKA My Love Mix-Up! (Japan 2021)

Love Stage (Japan 2020) - major plot point (better executed in the anime version)

Love Stage (Thailand 2022) - major plot point better executed than either Japanese version

About Youth (Taiwan 2022)

I Told Sunset About You (Thailand 2020)

Jack & Joker (Thailand 2024)

My Bromance the movie (Thailand 2014)

My Love Mix-up (Thailand 2023)

I Am Your King (Thailand 2017) - this is Mark Siwat's first BL, and yeah, he's the one cross dressing (he plays the femme rich boy in Jack & Joker)

The Sign (Thailand 2024) - historical costume for the girl of the past being played by a boy is a gender mix of female/male attire, it's very clever

YYY (Thailand 2022)

I feel like Gun has crossdressed in one of his. Theory of Love maybe?

Mr Cinderella (Vietnam 2022)

My Sky (Vietnam 2017) - trigger warning

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam 2021) - major plot point

Moots et al...... other (older?) BLs with cross dressing?

Others worth noting

Either the representation or the BL is in question, or it's not exactly crossdressing it's something else. Still, some obscure ones just in case.

Wait For Me at Udagawachou AKA Udagawachou de Matteteyo (Japan 2015) - may be triggering involves body dysmorphia and fetishization of trans identity, but if you can you should watch this

Spring of Crush (Korea 2022) - this is a bromance

Rainbow Prince (Pinoy 2022)

DNA Says Love You (Taiwan 2022)

Great Men Academy (Thailand 2019)

3 Will Be Free (Thailand 2019)

Love Sick 2024 (Thailand) - made an aggressively male character from the original into a newly out 3rd gender/trans character in the new version, very intentional modernization choice, fascinating. Directly addresses dead naming among other things in the few scenes she has.

Saneha Stories series from Thailand

You should follow Cooheart on IG he does some fantastic gender bending and crossdressing styles. He's the fashion icon gift that keeps on giving.

Thai BL has tons of representation and use of characters/actors of Thai third gender, a lot of which is for comedy. Rarely if ever in BL more like Diary of the Tootsies. I would say my favorite and most beloved 3rd G rep is in The Sign. But that is is different than what you asked for.

Femme rep I have talked about before, most specifically in the context of Daisy in Secret Crush On You......

More Queer Lens & Thai BL 

BL Linguistics & Queer Identity I Am Gay versus I Like Men 

Husband Wife Language in Thai BL (SOTUS, TharnType + a lot of 2022 BL) 

Thai BL Lacks Representation of Butch & Transgender Men (and why this has to do with Thailand's 3rd Gender) 

Thai Military Service & Thai BL

Hope that helps.

(source)

[save-the-data]

Wait for Me at Udagawachou (2015) 

[gabrielokun]

[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

[absolutebl]

do you foresee bls with trans boy leads appearing anytime soon?

No. At least not out of Thailand and not from any of the BL houses.

I could see Japan or Taiwan doing something in this vein but it'd be a movie.

I'm thinking about Udagawachou de Matteteyo or Your Name Engraved Herein.

There is also the chance the Vietnam could shock us with this one. Like they did with Goodbye Mother.

Whoever did it, would trot this one out gunning for the awards circuit, not the BL market. So we have to assume dark, gritty, and likely unhappy.

I can tell you one thing. It's not coming from Korea.