#Why R U Korean Series Review

[afabstract]

Why R U Korean Series Review

Read our quick review of the 2023 Korean series "Why R U" starring Lee Jun Min, Lee Ye Hwan, Lee Sang Min and Park Chang Hoon.

Imagine having a friend or sibling writing a fan-fiction romance novel using your name for the protagonist, and somehow all that’s being written comes true for you too. Depending on the story, the scenario can be fun, exciting, scary, or simply creepy. Based on the 2020 Thai series of the same name, the Korean show “Why R U,” much like the original, follows two close friends who develop feelings…

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - all these kisses Korea, are you feeling okay?

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized sorta by favs in each category.

Sept 2023 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Fri grey) ep 5 of 12 - I did think the sketch was done AFTER they’d become lovers. Meanwhile, I do enjoy the creepy slipping through time moments, adds nicely to the tension. I’m sublimely uninterested in all the hets but that's normal for me. Bit of a slow episode, but I'm looking forward to next week. 

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 5 of 12 - Cohabitation trope activated. Also "lovable grandma" is a new BL archetype I can get behind. Honestly PerthChimon's dynamic is good, it’s fun to watch a Thai BL where the leads are actually both stellar actors. There’s no stilted awkwardness to their dialogue back & forth or other interactions. I also like having MarcPuwin back on my screen. NO DAMN SINGING. Finally a fun twist on the faen fatale. 

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 10 of 12 - I like that we’re seeing actual realistic consequences of coming out. Not the big parental freak out, but the small nasties of opening up as an everyday queer. This is rare in BL.  

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 3 of 8 - Lap sitting, lots of kissing, one arm counter lift - thank you, boys. Stupid tiny dog (not a euphemism). Is it just me or does Max look extra pretty these days? Anygay, it’s all quite silly and I'm mildly enjoying it.  

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 11 of 12 - I remain enamored of Big Daddy & the Hot Doc but nothing else. 

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) 3 of 10 eps - Their history and the consequences of the confession to their friendship all seems a little sad & cruel. But also it’s just this pulp, ya know? 

(10 points to the True Geek who gets that reference.)

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 6 of 10 - I want Mew’s moms’ story as a GL. (Not from this team, of course.) Ah even Sand can be a lying creep, best not to like anyone in this show... frankly, best just not to like this show. And ya know what, I'm pretty sure I really don't.

Could I make something clear? You can’t "steal a lover from someone." That's puerile thinking. That lover wants to go. It’s the lover’s fault (if anyone) not the one who stole that lover, no matter how much an asshole Top is. Sand’s ex is at fault, not Top. And screw Sand for thinking that way. Like his ex wasn't a whole person in their own right capable of making decisions?

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 3-4 Marry Go Round of 24 eps - The premise of this is dumb. The pair is fun. They still kiss great. The actors are good. Crap story. What can you do? Don’t watch it. 5/10 

I need to rewatch Destiny Seeker now. 

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - Omg. Too stupid to live. Why am I still watching this? How many more? Ugh. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 7-8fin - SaifahZon (no matter what country) are probably the softest enemies to lovers ever put on screen. Yes they are very cute and I like them better than the original. However, no one can out do ZeeSaint for the count down kiss on the rooftop. All in all, I enjoyed the final 2 eps, very cute. I liked this BL a lot but I’d love to know what somebody thought who hadn’t seen the original.

Ultimately, what can I say about Why R U? Korea?

Korea decided to remake, of all possible Thai BLs, Why RU? And that is exactly what we got: a short form, clean & pretty, uneven chemistry, slightly confusing, all the same tropes KBL that kind of cliff-noted the original but with none of the heat or complex relationship dynamics. I just … what world is this? Because it is BOTH bizarro land, and EXACTLY what I expected. How do I rate something like that? In the end I have to go back to simple questions: did I like it, would I rewatch it, and would I recommend it? Yes. Probably. And probably not. What the actual hell reality? 8/10 

You Are Mine (Taiwan Fri Gaga) eps 1-2 of 10 - Office romance, broken-grumpy + innocent-sunshine. (Also cutie devil meets angel bestie hotties.) Gotta say, Taiwan is awfully good at moments of recognition. I sense some whipping boy and obsession incoming, looks good on you, Taiwan. Do I like it? Of course I like it! 

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 5 of 13(?) - Taiwan never met a trope it didn’t wanna play with. Teacher student + secret relationship, there’s only one bed but they slept together on the floor anyway... it’s a trope gum ball machine. I'm not mad, a bit confused, but who cares.

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 5 of 8 - Uh-oh baby is sad. Yo is such a drama queen - I respect that in a boy. Also, I love it that W took it as and excuse to play Real Boyfriends. Also leaning v obsessive stalker there Japan. As expected you had to go there. Carry on, you do (and track on your creep app) you.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 11 of 12 - Ugh. I kind of enjoyed seeing Minato in pain and having to work for the relationship for a change. But that’s just because I’m so frustrated with his character this season and I want him to SUFFER. Sides are cute tho. I like them better this season. 

It's Airing But...

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - I just can’t. The sound. DNF 

Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) original cinema release was 9/15 but MDL indicates it's been moved to October so I'll shift my dates. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency (based on a webtoon). Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf signed on to star. They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

In case you missed it?

What Did You Eat Yesterday? is now available on Gaga. If you enjoyed Our Dining Table, you will enjoy this. 

I did a quick analysis of 2 different acting styles based on these 2 boys here.

Boyband, I finally watched the 6 eps that are available. It aired earlier this year and was hard to find. For good reason it turns out. Yes it’s about a Thai boyband so I skipped all the singing bits. I like the actor playing Juju (Brothers). Also hi Art, are you actually ageless? Lots of other familiar faces popped up like Copter, Max, Fluke. It actually started as a solid little story (if not much of a romance). The stuff with the organizers was v boring and there were 2 het sides but the rest of it was palatable. Operative word being was. Something happened around ep 3, like they lost funding as well as distribution and it just... fizzled. No real ending, no character dev, no story resolution, just blank. It’s like it DNF’d itself. 3/10 I don’t know what I just watched and neither does it. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Still To Come In September

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/27 Bon Appetit (Korea iQIYI) - from 2022, 8 eps from GoGo Studio, romance between an office worker who lives off junk food and the man next door who cooks well.

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?) - it's Vietnam so your guess is as good as mine.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Just look at the PRETTY! His makeup is flawless this series. I don't know who GMMTV hired new for makeup recently, but this ain't Thai style, this genius trained at the feet of Korea's finest. You keep that bitch (hon. gender nu) around, GMMTV, ya hear? (Hidden Agenda)

Gah, I love Yai so much. He tries so hard. He's such a sweet earnest character. He's like the angel-baby opposite of Chan (devil-baby) but they both my 2023 babies. (I Feel You Linger in the Air)

You know I love it when a BL gets meta about tropes. Here's Why R U?K calling out enemies to lovers.

Kabedon!

Yes we like all the snacks, thank you Korea. Your BL is basically snack food anyway. I'm not mad about it.

SWITCHES! I love it when we get this kinda thing. (All Why R U? Korea)

It me in all horror movies and whenever a boy starts to sing in a BL. (Venus in the Sky)

(Last week) 

[chrispychanniem]

My Honest Opinion:

Korean BL series have finally decided to stop giving dead fish kisses and start giving us heart attacks. I mean, the kisses? The makeout? Hello? I don't know about anyone else, but I felt so happy when they just went for it without giving a damn. I was kinda getting tired of two grown ass men in their "newly-dating" era not giving each other a single peck.

As for the concept, I haven't watched the Thai version so I really am in no place to compare both the series. But talking about the Korean version, the concept is pretty cute and calm. I mean, it sure feels nice watching two men going from hating each other to caring about each other more than anything.

Also, the second couple is so freaking cute. They are legit the highlight of the show and no one can tell me otherwise. Overall, this series is definitely worth watching.

[dramaintherain]

SHIN HYE SUN 🌟 || Korean Actors 200

After making her mind to become an actor in elementary school, Shin Hye Sun attended an acting academy in her middle school days, went to an art high school, and then majored in film art at university. It was such a clever and steadfast movement. Since she chose the right path over a shortcut, she debuted rather belatedly at age 25, through the TV series “School 2013″ (2013). However, hard work is never wasted. The actor is expanding her filmography faster than any other actors of her age.

In 2014, through “High School King of Savvy” (2014), Shin met Director Yoo Jewon, drama writers Yang Hee Seung and Cho Seong Hee. Associating with them, the actor could fill out her filmography with popular romantic comedies such as “Oh My Ghost” (2015), “She was Pretty” (2015), and “Still 17″ (2018). The weekend family drama “Five Enough” (2016) helped Shin to be recognized by a wide range of audiences. The actor was repeatedly sought after by staff members she worked with, probably because she is a reliable actor in many ways and has impressive acting chops as well.

Through the TV series “Stranger” (2017), Shin Hye Sun grew up as an actor one step further, performing with her senior actors representing Korea, such as Cho Seung Woo and Bae Doo Na, then made a turning point with the weekend drama “My Golden Life” (2017). Recording the mega-hit of the 45.1% of the viewer ratings, Shin won rave reviews for her delicate tear acting and emotional expression.

After her success on TV, Shin turned her eyes to the films, proving her possibility of the main actor who could lead the whole story by playing a lawyer who cut off her family to escape from the poverty in the film “Innocence” (2019). The actor successfully expressed the multi-dimensional emotions with which her character healed and grew in the process of clearing her mother of a false charge.

Above all, Shin’s best charm is her precise delivery of the lines, and that’s why she’s called a ‘diction fairy.’ In “Collectors” (2020), she acted not only in Korean but Chinese and Japanese with perfect pronunciations, drawing admiration from the audiences. We can see how solid Shin Hye Sun’s fundamental acting skills are, as an essential ability required of an actor. She has been devoted to acting based on sincerity and passion since childhood and is now at the centre of Korean movies. Therefore, we cheer for Shin Hye Sun’s future and look forward to her next work.

[gunsatthaphan]

I was tagged by @sunsetknowsaboutyou thank you very much!! 🥰

1. your all time favorite bl and why  I get asked this question so many times and it’s a nightmare to answer every time djkfhd. I used to stick to TOL for the longest time but the more shows come out, the more it changes. At the moment I would go with Lovely Writer as my number one. It would be a lie to say I loved every single thing about it but nubsibgene just captured my entire existence jsdhf what can i say. I love them so much 😭

2. that one bl that scarred you for life  The Effect. Do not watch if you don’t want therapy. 

3. is there any bl that made you feel very single?  the easier question would be is there a bl that did not make me feel single lmaoo. I get attached to characters very fast which mostly results in me being extremely aware of my singleness at all times lmao. So yeah basically it’s most of them but if I had to pick one I would go with We Best Love. The chemistry of these bitches offended me personally. 

4. if you could change one thing from a bl, which one would it be? Aey’s & Mork’s story from LW because it was criminally underdeveloped and could’ve been so much better. I still don’t know why they just abandoned that entire story arc but yeah I wish they hadn’t just thrown away a story that had so much potential. 

5. that one bl you detest (don’t hold back)  oh gosh lmao. There are a few that are just straight up awful but I think I would have to go with Thank God It’s Friday because everything about is terrible. Which sounds bad because the cast is so young and it’s obviously an experimental project etc. but the production quality is abysmal. Another one that I consider terrible is So Much in Love. The story is all over the place and the acting is b-a-d.

6. your top five: like with question 1, this is also hard to answer bc it changes a lot lol. but currently I’d say it’s: - lovely writer - TOL - to my star - why r u  - we best love 

7. that trashy bl that you lowkey like  way too many lmao I live for crack shows. the first one that comes to mind is my engineer. Also bad romance which isn’t technically a bl but it’s a guilty pleasure for sure bc it was messy as hell lmao. 

8. your favorite korean bl (it’s important we know)  easy. to my star. iconic. life changing. still think about it every day. 

9. season 2? which one?  I mean I would be thrilled about a second season for all my favorite shows but not all of them have sequel-potential. I’m still super sad about the 2moons3 cancellation and I think they could’ve made it work so I will go with that. 

10. a bunch of dramas will air soon. which ones are you the most excited for?  BAD BUDDY OMG WHERE IS IT 😭 Also Not Me (cuz offgun supremacy), Cutie Pie (im super intrigued by the story also Zee!!!), The Theory (Dome and Ken in the same series bitch sign me up), Middleman’s Love (aka the Mii2 return that will end us all), Baker Boys (technically not a bl but I’m living for LeeSingtoPluem), Between Us (shouldn’t we have gotten that by now???) & Never Too Late (I loved the trailer and I think it will be a lot of fun)

11. tag them! I don’t know who has done this already so if you have or you have been tagged already then feel free to ignore as always. also sorry if I keep tagging the same people sdjkh don’t feel obligated if you’re annoyed. 

@itoldsunset @emisfritish @dollopheadsandclotpoles @bl-recs-and-reviews @meteorjam @fiat-pattadon @offspring-of-calliope @dangerous-button @german-bl-kpop-lover @tiansgalaxy @theblbois @zeejade88 @bruisingknees @earthmixs @tobeornottotc @metawin @earthpodd and everyone who’s in the mood <3 

xxx

[momentsofbllove]

A year of BL Love

I discovered BL for the first time this year, and boy what a year it was! I wanted to write up a quick and simple review of the shows that I watched just to finish off the year. So here goes! (Spoilers EVERYWHERE. So... be careful.)

Shows that I loved, will definitely rewatch in the future, and will skip very little of when I do:

The Untamed - beautiful story, beautiful production, all around worth every second of the 50 episodes. technically not a BL because of censorship, but still managed to portray the most beautiful love story I watched all year. Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan deserve every second of the acclaim and praise they have received for this masterpiece! 10/10

Until We Meet Again - I love every couple in this series with all my heart! a lot of people felt it was slow but I honestly just thought it was a beautiful story full of love and heartache and friendship and just... uhg, everything. I will rewatch this one again and again and again. 10/10

Like In The Movies - this one was heartbreaking and hopeful and beautiful and tragic and sweet and just altogether perfect in every way. I need the sequel right now immediately please! 10/10

He’s Coming To Me - this one was so good?!! I don’t know how a show about a love story between a ghost that was murdered 20 years ago and a university student could be so perfect, but it was? the only thing that was a little iffy was the previous relationship between Met and Thun’s mom. this one is sweet and sad (Met is dead afterall) and has love and mystery and good side characters and friendships. yeah. just altogether great. 9/10

HIStory 3: Trapped - fascinating story (I want so many more BL’s that AREN’T set in high school/university please!) and great chemistry between both couples. the acting was fantastic and the storyline was compelling. I truly love this show except for the fact that we’re not getting that sequel they were hinting at and that makes me SAD because it makes the ending hurt so much even if it was a hopeful one. 9/10

HIStory 2: Crossing the Line - cute story, amazing actors, wonderful side characters, just all around great! the only reason it’s not getting a perfect score is because I feel very OLD when watching highschool storylines. it makes the intimate scenes... awkward. even if the actors are adults. 9/10

Where Your Eyes Linger - loved the storyline, loved the chemistry and dynamics of the couple, the ending was rushed and left me wanting so much more, but since it was one of the first Korean BL’s to ever be produced it was wonderful. 8/10

Cherry Magic - I love Adachi and Kurosawa with all my heart! this show was so good. so so good! the only reason I’m not giving it a higher rating is because Tsuge and Minato’s storyline gives me so much secondhand embarrassment ALL THE TIME! but they’re still so cute despite that, so it’s not horrible. Rokkaku and Fujisaki are SO CUTE and the perfect side characters. basically this show is perfect (except for the second hand embarrassment) and the fact that we never got a proper kiss. like... I don’t need skinship in every BL show I watch, but that last second cutaway in the end was just... frustrating. 8/10

Theory of Love - OffGun have my whole heart and are 80% of the reason I love this show so much. but also I really liked the story line and the way Third and Kai’s relationship progressed throughout the show. it had a perfect resolution for all the couples (including the teacher/student ‘couple’ which I usually HATE) and was definitely a stand out from all the multitude of ‘university’ shows out there. 8/10

3 Will Be Free - this was was so interesting and lovely and tragic and I loved every single second of it... up until the last ten minutes. I almost put it lower just because of the ending. we deserved a happy, loving bisexual polyship d*mn it! but I’ll definitely rewatch it again. and stop right before the end when I do. 8/10

Because of You 2020 - ridiculous nonsense that I will gladly watch again! really there is no justifying this one being in my top list because it is NONSENSE but it makes me happy and that’s all that matters. all three couples are adorable and the last scene makes me smile so much! 8/10

Shows that I liked and will probably watch again, but will be skipping a lot of parts when I do: 

My Engineer - this show should be in my top list. but I HATE BohnDuen so much. so so much. and they are the main couple. so because of them when I rewatch this show (which I have several times now) I have to skip 60% of it because I really really hate them. so much. but the other three couples make up for it - especially RamKing who GIVE ME LIFE - so it’s at the top of my ‘not the top’ list. 7/10

Mr. Heart - this one was cute, but I felt like the couple was very... lop-sided. Sang Ha was almost obsessed with Jin Won before they ever even properly met and that gave me a weird feeling. their relationship was cute by the end, but... idk. and the whole side story with Sang Ha and the debt collectors was... odd. I felt like it was a very serious storyline that they did not take seriously at all. very off-putting. but altogether the show was cute enough, and short enough, to deserve a rewatch. 6/10

Why R U - I just... did not like SaifahZon. like... at all. Zon’s character annoyed me, their dynamic was... off, and Zon’s sister makes me so mad I can’t watch her at all. I adore FighterTutor (they are one of my favorite couples which is why this show is still getting such a high rating) and I have rewatched their part of the show 3 times now. but the rest, including the THREE other side couples (seriously? 5 couples in one show? why? it’s too f*cking much!)... no. no thank you. 6/10

Roommates The Series - it was cute, and did very well on a VERY low budget and a very limited cast because they filmed during the pandemic (or after the worst of it was over in their country at least). the side female characters were great (a rarity in BL’s for sure!) and there was a few really great scenes that I loved. altogether a bit of a lackluster show compared to others, but definitely worth at least one watch. 6/10

Tharntype - I know how problematic this show is, alright? but it’s fictional, and sometimes people like things in their fictional stories that they HATE in real life... all the very serious consent issues for one. that being said, if I had been watching the show as it aired I probably would have given up on it by, like, episode 2. as it was I knew everything that happened before I ever started watching and that gave me the freedom to appreciate the storyline for what it would become at the end. I love MewGulf and the way they portrayed Tharn and Type. I thought Tar’s storyline was interesting and heartbreaking and he is a precious bean that I want to protect with all my heart. however, a big factor in this series not making it into my top list is the handling of Lhong and the ending of his story. you want me to feel sorry for that monster? are you kidding me?!! he should have been locked up in prison for the rest of his life, not had Tharn’s brother come APOLOGIZE to him as if he was the one who was wronged. if that hadn’t happened, despite all the problematic things in this show, I would probably have put this in my top list. 6/10

Wish You - this one had SO MUCH POTENTIEL. the storyline was unique, the ‘twist’ reveal was interesting, and the main characters had a lot of chemistry. and everything was RUSHED RUSHED RUSHED! this show needed at LEAST 5-6 more episodes. there was no time to develop the relationship between In Soo and Sang Yi, and I wanted them to so badly! there was no time to deal with the ‘twist’ and the fallout that happened from it. everything just happened and then you moved on, and then more things happened and you moved on. uhg. despite all that I’m putting this one a little higher because the actors, writing, and production value were very good. but gosh do I wish there was so much more of it. the wasted potential is painful. 6/10

The Effect - wow. this one was... not what I was expecting. be cautious of watching this because it could be VERY triggering. but the acting was PHENOMENAL! I think they took a very dark and serious subject and portrayed it with a lot of care. one of the best things about it was Shin’s friends reaction to his trauma and how carefully and kindly they helped him heal. beautiful to watch! the only reason this is not getting a higher rating is because that ending was INFURIATING! absolutely unforgivable for them to leave it so ambiguous like that. Shin deserved to have a clear and obvious happy ending. not... whatever the hell that was. 6/10

Love By Chance - AePete are precious and adorable and I love them. But Ae’s possessiveness in the later episodes really bothers me, the fact that Perth was 17 when they were filming really bothers me, and once AePete get together halfway through the show it’s like they just get dropped to focus on TinCan which is a couple I can’t stand even a little. and don’t even get me STARTED on Techno and Kengkla. just... just don’t. that whole ‘relationship’ is 85% of the reason I refuse to watch the sequel. altogether, I probably WON’T watch this one again, but I probably would at least have watched the AePete and TumTar (yes, I liked them leave me alone about it) storylines if Perth wasn’t so young, so I’m still giving it a 5/10

Together With Me - MaxTul are fire both on and off screen and I love them with all my heart, but I hated, like, 95% of the show that wasn’t strictly about them. teacher/student storyline? gross. couple with a huge age-gap that ends up being super toxic and emotionally destroying a sweet and lovely character? thanks, I HATE IT. yet another BL portraying the girlfriend as a conniving b*tch so that we’re okay with one half of the main couple being a cheater while they figure out their sexuality crisis? ew ew and more ew. honestly if it wasn’t for the fact that they had two fantastic side female characters (again, such a rarity in BL’s!) and the pure intense chemistry between KornKnock this show probably would have been put even lower. 5/10

Dark Blue Kiss - I can’t stand PeteKao? like... why do so many people love them so much? Pete is SO JEALOUS ALL THE TIME! I just want to smack him! and he’s also completely not understanding of Kao’s fear of coming out. he basically spent the entire show sabotaging his own relationship and then blaming it all on Kao! uhg. no. just no. but I love SunMork with all my heart and wanted them to have so much more development and screen time. it would have made the final scene with them so much better if they had just had TIME to really show their relationship and how it grew, instead of just getting them together and deciding that was good enough. I’ll watch their part again I’m sure, but only their part. 5/10

Shows that were very subpar - I may rewatch some of these for a specific couple but only if I’m really bored and feel like skipping 80% of the show:

#MyDay - I know there’s a lot of people that really like this one. but... oof. the writing was so bad. so so bad! the pacing of the show was weird, there were some major moments that needed a LOT more attention, and some minor moments that got way more screen time than they needed. things were just... awkward all the time when they weren’t meant to be. and again, we have a character that needed to go TO PRISON but ended up being forgiven in the end. just... no. I’m honestly only putting this show as high as I am because the chemistry between Ace and Sky was fantastic. but that wasn’t enough to save this trainwreck. I might watch the sequel for them. maybe. but also maybe not. 4/10

Quaranthings - this one had so much potential but was honestly just so subpar in the end. I really just don’t even have much to say about it. it’s worth watching, I guess. but put it at the bottom of your list, after you’ve watched all the better stuff. 4/10

YYY (and the 3 special eps) - look... weird shows are just not my thing. I love Lay and his portrayal of Punn, Nott was okay as the lead character, but the side characters and storylines were... bizarre. I get that it was supposed to be a parody of other BL’s and their tropes... but honestly I like tropes. and this show was just... too bizarre. especially the three special episodes. in fact... I’m just now remembering I never watched the 3rd one. oops. 4/10

En of Love - This was such a mix and match of good and bad. I didn’t like Tossara AT ALL. Gun pressured Bar into that relationship, including flat out blackmailing him with his necklace to force him to go out with him! they may have been happy in the end, but Bar was CLEARLY uncomfortable with Gun’s advances for most of the first three episodes and it really grossed me out. I kind of liked Mark and Vee together, but the issue with Mark’s girlfriend was frustrating and their whole relationship was just a little bit toxic. and I actually liked Neua and Pra-Ram... AFTER they let us know that Pra-Ram was a legal adult. I hated their relationship up until they had the birthday party because I thought Pra was 17. I’m still a little iffy about a very experienced third year student in university dating a very inexperienced high school student. but at least it wasn’t ILLEGAL. oof. 4/10

HIStory 1: Obsessed/Stay Away from Me/My Hero - My Hero and Stay Away From Me were cute enough although I’ll probably never rewatch them, but Obsessed was toxic and horrible and gross in all senses of the word. -4 for that one which puts the whole series at a 3/10

Tien Bromance - y’all this one is... I don’t even know how to describe it. weird. bizarre. confusing. badly written. strangely acted. (the acting wasn’t bad... it was just... strange.) I watched the special episodes first and thought it was just a cute little domestic family drama with some strange moments. then I watched the rest. and the fact that the first episode started off with a ghost possessing and killing like 8 people while they were on vacation at a lake was the least weird thing that happened. 3/10

Craving You - no. the storyline makes no sense. why are a popular cake baker and an upcoming musician partnering together? why? it doesn’t make any sense! And one of the lead actors is just SO BLAND. I think he was going for ‘quiet and sad’ but just ended up with ‘emotionless and boring’. the most compelling part of the show was the side character dealing with the unexplored feelings that he had for his first love that were denied to him by a homophobic family and how those feelings are now interfering with his current relationship. the rest was pointless and bland. 3/10

My Gear and Your Gown - I liked this one SO MUCH for the first 3-4 episodes. then is went downhill and FAST. Pai and Itt had no chemistry for the last 8 episodes. they spend the whole show angry at each other and then we’re just supposed to accept them getting together in the end because Itt confessed his feelings. like... that’s not enough! the best part of the show was PureFolk. Pure finally believing in love again because he met the ray of sunshine and sweetness that is Folk? yes please! but even their storyline was not fantastic because it got rushed and pushed aside in the end to focus on Pai and Itt breaking up AGAIN and having to deal with the issue of homophobic parents for all of one episode. the last episode was so pointless! there was no reason to shoehorn in that last little bit of drama. none. 3/10

Oxygen - uhg. I do not understand why so many people liked this one so much. Solo’s feelings for Gui were UNHEALTHY. he became obsessed with him over one tiny act of kindness! that’s... that’s not love. that is a broken young boy desperately seeking out love and forcing it onto someone because he doesn’t know what it’s supposed to be like. and the side story with the fujoshi barista and her brother and the doctors was creepy and weird. the only good part of this show was PhuKao but they got about 3 minutes of screen time per episode. I would watch a sequel with them in a heart beat, but leave everyone else out of it! 2/10

Shows I’m currently watching but haven’t finished airing yet so my rating may change:

Manner of Death - this show is EVERYTHING! the murder mystery, the suspense, the suspicion, the CHEMISTRY! I have no idea what’s going on or who I trust or don’t trust (except for Dr. Bunn and Sorn, they are precious rays of sunshine!) but I love every second of it. MaxTul are FIRE and I am so so happy to get to watch them in a story like this! 10/10

Ingredients - this show is EVERYTHING! and yes, I just said that about MoD, but this one is on the complete opposite side of the ‘everything’ spectrum and I love it with all my heart. Win and Tops are SO. FREAKING. CUTE! their pining for each other for eighteen d*mn episodes was so beautiful and sweet and infuriating! their love for each other as friends above all else is precious and perfect! and now that they’re actually together my heart just bursts every time I see them. I think the series only has 1 or 2 episodes left and I am DEVESTATED because I want 20 more! 10/10

TonhonChonlatee - I watched the first two episodes then stopped. I’ve been ‘watching’ the rest via people’s reactions to new episodes online. I get that Tonhon’s homophobia and toxic masculinity is supposed to be awful and is a major plot point in the show... but I don’t want to f*cking WATCH it! I’m hoping we’re getting to a point in the show where he’s calming the f*ck down and starting to learn better and BE better. I want to watch this show. but I can’t watch THAT. 3/10

Color Rush - this one has started off fantastically! the story is interesting and the characters are compelling already. but... I can tell you right now that it’s going to go the way of all the other Korean BL’s that came out this year. it’s not going to have enough time. AT ALL. it’s going to be rushed, I just know it. I applaud Korea for getting into BL’s in the first place and for giving us such interesting storylines and characters to watch, but these 10 minute, 8 episode shows are KILLING me with want of better development! 7/10

Well dang! That was... a lot! lol! Sorry for making such a long post, but BL’s have been such a huge part of my life this year I really just wanted to get my thoughts and feelings about everything out. I was originally going to make a part of the post be about my favorite (and not favorite) couples, but I’m going to end this here and put the couples in their own post.

My ask box is always open to discuss any and all shows on this list. You agree with my faves and want someone to talk to about them, hit me up! You disagree with my not-faves and want to tell me why... let me hear your opinion. You have suggestions for shows that I definitely should have watched by now but have somehow looked over... give them to me! I’ve got a whole new year to fill with beautiful couples and interesting stories!

[kxrn7knxck]

top 5 mlm series (/ movies) and 5 honorable mentions

Tagged by my bestest buddy on this whole entire hellsite @doctorbeam​

I took it upon myself to try and pick my favourites of the lesser known series that i’ve watched, which is how some of them ended up being movies by accident. Whoops. Anyways, in no particular order, my list is as follows-

1. Advance bravely

It’s been a hot minute since I watched this series so tbh I may have forgotten some of it but I do remember really enjoying this as I was watching it. Theres a lot of pining and sweet moments and it felt like there was a very genuine connection between Xia Yao and Yuan Zong. Because of chinese censorship, there isn’t any kisses or anything in this series, but it’s still very worth the watch imo

2. Gray Rainbow

I have made it no secret that I love this series to bits and it would have been on my list regardless of whether or not I was aiming to focus on lesser known shows. This series covers a lot of very series subject matter in very respectful and realistic ways and it’s 100% worth the watch, regardless of the reputation the ending gets. Yes, it is sad, but it’s also beautiful

3. Long Time No See

Of the series on this list, I would argue this is the most well loved among them. A good mlm korean drama with a sweet couple and a happy ending is very hard to come by and LTNS ticks all those boxes. I enjoy the plot, I enjoy the side characters, I enjoy the main couple, of course I have to include this on my list.

4. Seven Days

A very very sweet pair of movies that have almost 0 angst. As I said in my review, I absolutely love that the issue/ conflict in these movies isn’t based around homophobia (internal or external) but rather around the unique circumstances of the one week time restraint on their relationship. Some of the most peaceful and easy to watch movies I’ve seen for a while, and I can claim they’re allowed on this list because theres two of them. That makes them a series and I didn’t break the rules, ok? 

5. Takumi Kun

Another very cute set of movies with minimal drama and just some good boyos. I think the way they handled Takumi’s “people-phobia” (see: trauma) was good, as well as the overall dynamic between Gii and Takumi being generally pretty healthy. I also need to do a rewatch of these too, damn. Anywho they count because there’s 5 movies. Come on, thats a series

Honorable Mentions-

2gether- this is pretty popular and still airing which means it didn’t fit my qualifications to be on the main list but I’ve been really enjoying it so far and am patiently awaiting the next episode. I enjoy the dynamic between Sarawat and Tine a lot and I really hope they’re not gonna get fucked up before the series ends

Until We Meet Again- very sweet story about a love strong enough it can survive anything, even death. I think In and Korn were a lovely couple to watch and I wish the world had been kinder to both of them. Pharm and Dean were also very sweet and I’m glad they got to live happily even after what In and Korn went through. As I said in my review, I liked how much of a soap opera it felt at times. This series had a story to tell and I really appreciate that

He’s Coming To Me- Might as well put this right after UWMA because I love it for a similar reason. This series set out trying to tell a story. That might sound kinda stupid but a lot of series are driven primarily by cute moments and the plot feels like kind of an afterthought (which is fine) but this (and uwma) was clearly written with the plot at the forefront of everything and I appreciate that. Also has a really nice coming out scene and sweet couple

History3 Trapped- A lot of people really love this series and it’s not hard to see why. The main couple is very interesting to watch, and despite all odds they ended up having a very healthy relationship where they are both head over heels for one another. Pair that with an engaging plot and cute side characters and bam! You got yourself a damn good series

Why R U- Another currently airing series that is pretty popular. If it weren’t for the absolutely angelic @doctorbeam​, I almost certainly wouldn’t have watched this just because the side characters.. get a little uhh on my nerves. However, both the main couples are very sweet and I am very glad I was supplied with an edited version to help prevent me from going insane while watching. The plot is uhh a bit odd at times but yeah, the couples are really carrying it for me

I don’t really have many friends on this site so I won’t tag anyone but if you wanna do this, feel free to say I tagged you!

[behind-the-screen-of-bangtan]

The love story

This post is part of the TSU. It belongs to the second part: Towards adulthood.

BTS wrote a lot of love songs and they follow the same global reflection as the other themes discussed by the boys. As the songs are pretty self-explanatory, this post will rather focus on studying them globally, to see if they form a coherent story.

Before starting, we need to consider BTS’ songs structure for a little second. Most of the time, each rapper has a verse and then the vocal line sings together during the chorus. So if you want to tell a story, considering the chorus is always the same thing, it will happen in the verses and thus will be told by the rappers. Which means we can have up to three points of view.

This leads us to the biggest problem with the love story from BTS songs: we don’t know how many boys and girls are involved. So I’ve arbitrarily decided to apply the rule of the simplest version: if it makes sense with one boy, then there’s only one boy. Also, when I say “the Boy”, it’s just the main character of the song.

The macho

This story starts rather sadly. Bangtan’s first two love songs are post-break-up songs. “좋아요” (I like it) is about the Boy stalking his ex’s Facebook and “Coffee” about the Boy remembering his ex, comparing their relationship to a sweet caramel macchiato and their break up to a bitter Americano.

As the Boy has other things to consider during 2 Cool 4 Skool and O!RUL8,2?, he doesn’t look for love and it’s only in the last song from O!RUL8,2?, namely “Outro: Luv In Skool”, that a new love is brought up:

“Even though I drink coffee and open my eyes I still feel like I’m going to fall asleep oh no no I often drew it up, if I ruled the world I feel like I would put you by my side again Tell me that it’s not too late If this is a nightmare, please save me quickly Take a good look, I’m still waiting for only you”

As they’ll often do in future releases, they reference their own songs in another song. “Coffee” and “If I ruled the world” are both from O!RUL8,2?, which theme is finding happiness before it’s too late. It thus appears that the Boy has come to the conclusion that to escape the sadness of his previous break up and to find happiness, he needs the love of the Girl. The song ends with Jungkook asking “Girl do you wanna go out with me?”

Suga explained in his review that “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” follows the outro and shows how each rapper would propose. The song concludes with hip-hop being the solution because it’s “Bangtan’s style”. It’s so much Bangtan’s style that in the video there are actually more “hip-hop” elements - radio, sneakers, “wassup”, caps, skateboards - than ones relating to love - a couple, hearts, roses. The continuity with O!RUL8,2? is also shown through symbols appearing in the intro videos of both albums - round, triangle, square, five-branch star.

In the lyrics of “Boy In Luv”, the Boy wonders how he could ask the girl out and prove he’s a “real man” (“상남자” which is actually the name of the song in Korean; it’s not as sexist as it sounds in English though, it’s more “real man” as in someone strong enough that you can trust them, someone responsible). It’s also implied the girl is playing hard to get:

“Even if you act like you don’t know me or act cold I cannot push you away I want to be your oppa I’ll become your man, just watch”

In ”Where Did You Come From” it’s Suga’s and J-Hope’s turn to flirt with a girl while speaking in satoori (Suga explains it in his review).

“Boy In Luv” MV seems to summarize those three songs:

the intro of the MV fits with “Outro: Luv in Skool” (it’s “Just One Day”’s instrumental that’s playing though): we see the Boy - played by our international playboy falling in love at first sight with the Girl - he possibly asks her out a first time: “Girl do you wanna go out with me?” and is rejected because she’s playing hard to get. (Note that based on the photo concept and on later content, it’s also implied Jungkook has feelings for Yoongi but it’s an element belonging strongly to the BU so I won’t consider it further here.)

Then the Boy’s friends help him, each rapper explains how he would confess (”Intro: Skool Luv Affair” and “Where Did You Come From?)

And in the end, Jin goes to fetch the girl and brings her to Jungkook so he can confess himself - it was decided while filming to add Jin’s and Jimin’s scenes with the girl. As she accepts the flower, we can conclude the Boy and the Girl start going out.

However, it’s explained in “Just One Day” that they have difficulties meeting:

“Just one day, if I had time I want to get drunk in your sweet scent And fall asleep soundly In the midst of my tightly-packed schedules If I had an opportunity I want to soak myself in your warm deep eyes”

I didn’t mention it until now, but as there are always biographical elements in Bangtan’s songs, the Boy sometimes has an idol life - here the tightly-packed schedule; in “Coffee”, there’s also the line “Girl, I’ve debuted, this one phrase should do it, right?”. It’s rarely talked about though and most of the time the Boy is just an average guy.

Another thing to note, about the MV this time, is how the boys are in the light but also surrounded closely by shadows. As if the end is already near when they’re still dazzled by their bright love.

It doesn’t stop the Boy, however, and so in “Outro: propose”, he’s fully in love:

“(Good to you) You’re the only one for me (Good to you) Even with this distance between us Always stay by my side (Good to you) You’re my everything Even if tomorrow brings us trouble Hold my hand”

You can fit “Miss Right” here too if you want.

The disillusion

Dark & Wild has two parts: the first half is “dark” and the second, starting from the interlude is “wild”. It’s a plot twist to the fairy tale we had until now: while the Boy is still deeply in love, the Girl isn’t invested in the relationship.

At first the Boy wonders, in “Intro: What Am I To You?” and then he directly warns the Girl, in “Danger”, as he gets angrier. We have similar ideas in the sentences written next to the boys in the photo book from the album:

RM: “I wanna be loved so bad”

S: “Luv turns to anger”

J: “My luv ain’t going nowhere”

JH: “My heart is full of you”

V: “U R the only one I need”

JM: “I luv U however painful it would be”

JK: “Why don’t U luv me like I do?”

Sadly, as we can see in the Japanese version of the MV, the girl doesn’t answer. And the boy ends up going to a club.

The next song on the album is ”War of Hormone”. The song where the Boy hits on a girl. A song that actually belongs to the “dark” half of the album and not the “wild” one. A song that happens when the Boy is arguing with the Girl. So yeah, if you interpret “War of Hormone” in the globality of BTS’ discography, you can see it as a possible cheating attempt made out of anger (it’s obviously a heavy over-interpretation):

“Hello hello (what!) Hello hello (what!) Tell me what you want right now Hello hello (what!) Hello hello (what!) Imma give it to you girl right now Even though you say that you’re not mine, you’re the best”

So the war would not only be the surge of sexual hormones but also the war between the love for the Girl and the anger against Her.

For love songs, this half of the album is concluded by “Let Me Know”. The Boy knows his relationship with the Girl has ended, but he still begs for her confirmation, possibly in hope that she’ll kill the last bits of love he still feels towards her:

“I just wanna know know know I just wanna know know know My regret is still standing in front of the ending sign So please say something to me Girl, let me know”

Fortunately, the “wild” side of the album is a bit more hopeful. Hard to tell if the girl for this part is the one the Boy met in “War of Hormone” or if it’s a new one, all we know is that he met someone and he’s trying to woo her. “Interlude: what are you doing” is a phone call and the only lyrics are “what are you doing”. It’s a deduction based on the next songs but it seems this “what are you doing” actually means “are you busy? Are you free to hang out with me?”.

“Blanket Kick” happens after the meeting. The Boy is kicking his blanket out of frustration because he failed at seducing Her and ridiculed himself:

“Once again I only do weird things in front of you You’re so pretty pretty pretty Oh Why did I do that I’ll launch a kick at my blankets in my sleep”

His frustration is all the more understandable when you consider the next song, namely “24/7=Heaven”. He has it really bad for Her:

“24/7 I thought only of you all day”

“24/7=Heaven” also gives details about their first date:

“The first date with you I keep getting excited like a child These days I’m Sunday Where the sun named you has risen, Sunday”

Their love is confirmed in “Look here”:

“At first it was mere curiosity As I started to show interest in you Holy Shhh Yeah, even if you ignore me The time when you fall for me, for a minute We look rather good together, without you I'm like a Seoul City without lights I wait for an opportunity to fill your empty spot, a rabbit hole graffiti The play called A day without you is a tragedy”

“At first, You answered once when I texted ten times But later, You call me first and look for me all day”

It also appears this time the Girl loves the Boy back.

“Outro: does that make sense?” is a bit hard to interpret because we can’t really know if the lyrics are about the current Girl or the previous one. The main idea here is that they fell out of love:

“Does that make sense? You, do you think that makes sense? That our love changes so easily So that nobody notices, so that I look fine, I’m with you but now I’m crying at the mere sight of your facial expression Explain it, explain it, explain it girl My baby explain it, explain it I hate you to death but I still think of you even now”

The School trilogy ends like this. It’s the only series with albums where love (for someone else) will be the main theme. The conclusion is rather dark for the Boy: no matter his efforts to be loved, his love always ends badly. If we refer to the coming-of-age story structure, this moment would be the hardship that counters the Boy’s vision of the world. It’s thus in a rather depressed state that he enters his youth.

The beggar

An important shift happens here. We have more reflections about inner feelings and a bit less about the outside world. There’s another difference, with the title song. RM said in the #hashtag interview:

“‘I NEED U’ is the title song. As you can feel from the title, ‘Ah~ I do need you’ trying to hold the love which is about to end. Singing the anxiety and wandering of the youth.”

More than the approximative subs provided by 1theK, what we can note is that the title song is one aspect of the theme of the album: “I NEED U” is a sad love song and 화양연화 Pt.1 is the pains of youth in general.

With the notable exception of “Converse High”, all the love songs in 화양연화 Pt.1 have the same basis, namely the Boy can’t stand the idea of the girl leaving him alone:

“Girl I would rather rather we break up Girl say that it wasn’t love love I don’t have that kind of courage Give me one last present So that I won’t go back anymore” - “I NEED U”

“Without you, I can’t breathe Without you, I’m nothing Open your closed heart, dampen my heart Give me an embrace so I can feel you” - “Hold Me Tight”

“Tell me why you’re trying to go so far away In your eyes Do you not see me anymore Uh Love, it’s a hurtful and hurtful thing yeah It feels like goodbyes are hurtful And more hurtful” - “Outro: Love is not over”

“Converse High” is closer to something like another “Intro: Skool Luv Affair” or “Where Do You Come From?”. It’s each rapper giving a point of view on the matter, which is not necessarily theirs (Suga said he had nothing against Converse and that his verse was just to oppose RM’s):

“You know what I want A white t-shirt, denim shorts and Red Converse Highs That’s it”

“Rather than those stars in the sky I’d rather see them stars on your shoes Haha all without Namjoon knowing”

“Converse converse I really hate a converse”

Maybe we can see this song as the Boy’s friends talking, reminding us that love can be at a different stage for everyone. Let’s be very clear, this last sentence was highly over-interpretative.

“FOR YOU” was released around this time too, so if you want, you can interpret the girl leaving as something literal. After all, we have no explicit lyric about a break-up, so she possibly just left for Japan and the Boy can’t stand the long-distance relationship.

In 화양연화 Pt.2, the love story and the Boy’s life blur together. It’s the stage where he flies away to an alternative dreamlike world to escape adulthood. It’s the butterfly dream story. In “RUN” and in “Butterfly”, the Boy runs after the butterfly leading him to the dream world. He’s aware of the fragility of this world, however, since he’s extremely scared to touch the butterfly and to see it shatter to pieces:

“Like a flower whose memories are dry All broken into pieces From the tips of my fingers, from underneath my feet Behind my running back As if chasing a butterfly, like wandering through a dream Following your traces Please tell me the road, please stop me Please let me breathe”

“Will you stay by my side Will you promise me If I touch (you), you’ll fly away and break  I’m scared scared scared of that

Will you stop time If this moment passes As though it hadn’t happened I’m scared scared scared I’ll lose you”

In “Dead Leaves” and “Outro: House of Cards”, he realizes it will fail. The butterfly is alive and flies, it goes up. The leaf is dead and falls, it goes down, it leaves the dream:

“Don’t go far far away Baby you girl I can’t hold onto you Baby you girl I can’t give up on you Like the dead leaves that fell This love, like the dead leaves Never never fall It’s withering”

“A house made of cards, and us, inside Even though the end is visible, even if it’s going to collapse soon A house made of cards, we’re like idiots Even if it’s a vain dream, stay like this a little more”

The photo concept for Young Forever is similar. In the Day version, the boys rise in a hot-air balloon and in the Night version, they’re camping - so it’s just a temporary stay.

Coming back to reality and seeing how frail and short life is, the Boy begs in “Save Me”:

Don’t wanna be lonely Just wanna be yours

And by placing himself at the mercy of the Girl, he becomes her prisoner.

The prisoner

Only two songs can be considered here: “Boy Meets Evil” and “Blood, Sweat & Tears”. The Boy thinks the Girl is the key to happiness, so no matter how she hurt him, he’s still tempted to go back to Her. The Girl probably represents different aspects like the protective mother, the sexual partner, the best friend, the sister… in which the boy could find some relief - affection, sex, support…

The whole “Boy Meets Evil” is about this relief: the Boy knows that “Too bad it’s too sweet”. It’s similar and different in “Blood, Sweat & Tears”. The Girl still is a devilish temptation but we can probably take it in the context of Demian - it’s also confirmed in the WINGS Concept Book that “Blood, Sweat & Tears” shows the act of rebelling against God. By deduction, the Girl can be associated with Beatrice, that makes Sinclair stop drinking and go back to a healthy lifestyle:

“Kiss me even if it hurts Come, tighten me (up) Until it can’t even hurt anymore Baby, even if I get drunk it’s alright, I’ll now drink you up Deep into (my) throat, (with) you as the whiskey”

The Boy admitted his love for the Girl was toxic but he still hasn’t found an alternative to save himself until now. She’s his only way to reach happiness.

 The boy and himself

And so it’s finally time for Love Yourself. The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm is essential here. If we summarize the 148 pages in a few words: love is an art and is thus something that you work on, that you perfect with discipline and faith, that’s both collective and individual, that needs to be acted on rather than thought about, and that’s killed by capitalism and vainly replaced by consumerism.

Bad news though, the Boy hasn’t understood yet. The same way Beatrice triggered Sinclair into a creative strike (that eventually led him to himself), the Girl from “Blood, Sweat & Tears” pushed the Boy into a love blackhole.

This time, he’s so despaired he calls their love destiny and he puts all his hopes into it:

“You are my penicillium The one who saved me My angel My world I am your calico cat One who came to meet you Love me now Touch me now”  - “Serendipity” (”Flower”, the poem referenced in the lyrics also emphasises how the lovers need each other to exist)

“From the days when the universe was created To go on for infinite centuries Probably from a previous life, and in the next lives to come Since we’ll be together forever

Since all this isn’t coincidence Since the both of us are the ones who have found destiny” - “DNA”

“Don’t lie, you are indeed an angel” - “보조개” (Dimples)

“There’s no me without you”

“You got the best of me So please just don’t leave me” - “Best of Me”

“The answer To all my wonder(s) I call you her, her Cuz you’re my tear, tear” - “Outro: Her”

“Outro: Her” announces the next part, namely Tear, where the Boy finally understands putting all the responsibility for his own happiness on his partner and altering his own personality to please said partner isn’t good.

Tear is the development of this outro. The Boy knows but he refuses to let go of his toxic relationship, not after putting so much of himself into it:

“Even in the dream that I briefly enter The torturous phantom pain is the same as ever

Did I lose myself Or did I gain you”  - “Singularity”

“I wanna be a good man just for you I gave the world just for you I changed it all just for you Now I dunno me, who are you? In the forest just for us you weren’t there I forgot the route that I came by Even I became unsure who I was before Talk nonsense at the mirror, who are you really” - “FAKE LOVE”

“We need to believe in only us Don’t let go of our two hands We need to be together forever

Others say If you’re like this, you’re the only one that becomes a fool But I don’t wanna use my head” - “Love Maze”

In the outro of this album, each rapper consider the meaning of the words “tear” and “fear” (see RM’s behind at 45:00). No matter how hard he tried, the Boy can’t save himself like that

“We walked towards the same place But this place becomes our last Although we used to talk about forever Now we break each other without mercy Although we thought that we dreamed the same dream That dream has finally become a dream My heart is torn, please burn it instead So that pain and regret, none of that would be left 

You’re my tear”

The word dream is quite present. The Boy left the dream world but he still longs for it - the forest from “FAKE LOVE” can probably be linked with the forest in Kafka on the Shore, a sort of ideal world.

“The truth untold” could be included but considering how it’s a reference to Smeraldo, I’ll rather leave it with the BU content.

And finally, in Love Yourself 結 Answer, the Boy realizes the solution is simply that he should love himself:

“I’m the one I should love in this world My shining self, my precious soul I finally realise it So I love me Even if it’s a little lacking, it’s so beautiful I’m the one I should love” - “Epiphany”

“You’ve shown me I have reasons I should love myself” - “Answer: love myself”

The epilogue of the relationship between the Boy and the Girl can probably be found in the trivia and in “I’m Fine”.

The innocent Boy from 起 Wonder just wanted to have fun:

“I like the feeling of being together, with you I like the dances that we dance together, with you I just wanna, wanna, wanna I really wanna, wanna, wanna Just dance” - “Trivia 起: Just Dance“

The one from 承 Her put a lot of importance in the other person:

“You are the person Who’ll change my recollections into memories A person who’ll change a person into love Before I knew you My heart was, in its entirety, just a straight line” - “Trivia 承: Love”

The one from 轉 Tear understood it was vain to continue:

“The start was, well, fun With the up and down in itself Before I knew it, we became tired of each other In the meaningless waste of emotionsThe repeated seesaw, seesaw game By this point, I’ve become tired, tired of it” - “Trivia 轉: Seesaw“

The one from 結 Answer answers to the sad Boy from Young Forever and can finally say he’s alright, on his own:

“It’s okay, because I’m my only savior With ugly steps, I live without ever dying How you doin? I’m fine” - “I’m Fine”

Forget the Girl, ARMY is better

With Map of the Soul: Persona, BTS acknowledges the precious friend that has always been there for them, ARMY. They don’t need to find love in a stranger to be happy, they just need to love and care for themselves and the ones close to them.

[just-some-other-reviews]

So, leave me a week of kpop album reviews. After that, I’ll come back with drama reviews. I just need time to write them.

So, last month (March) I had no albums to buy (well, I had no albums when I wanted to do my purchase, and I didn’t want to drag my order for too long), so I decided to investigate the site I usually buy albums from to find out the new groups with the lower sales on their first albums.  Even if there aren’t a lot of people following this series, I really wanted to put these reviews out and maybe encourage some to purchase these albums. I’ll introduce this order of new albums with low sales by Varisty’s album. I talked about Varsity a bit jokingly earlier (you know, about my birth date and the fact that Damon was the only person that I shared it with), but I listened to their songs and now I have their album...

There’s a small story around my purchase of this album. Originally, it was the one who gave me the idea of finding new groups with low sales and give a try to their albums in the goal of discovering them. But, when I passed my order on Ktown4u, I completely forgot to put Varsity’s album in it. When I noticed it, I was like “Dammit, I really wanted that album” so I decided to buy it anyway. The only problem is that the shipping price for a single album on Ktown4u is really high, so I went around the Internet to find it at a lower place and ended up purchasing it from Catchop CD and had a greater experience than the last time I bought an album from them. My album came super quickly (even a bit earlier than it was announced), the envelop was in really good shape and everything was perfect. So, now, I officially say that I like Catchop CD as much as Ktown4u. Varsity U & I, Date ended up costing me 14.48$ (CAD) without shipping fees.

I’ll start by doing a simple introduction to group because they are rookies. They deserve an introduction. Varsity is a twelve members group under Global K Center (GKC) Entertainment and In Hi Media. They have seven Korean members (Bullet/JoonWoo, Kid/JunHoe, XiWeol/MinSeok, Seungbo, RiHo/SeungWook, YunHo and Dawon... By the way, I am the only confused that they have a Damon and Dawon in the same team and didn’t think of giving another stage name than Damon to Bao Han...) and five Chinese members that I’ll literally massacre their names by not putting all the accents because... I don’t want to get a Chinese keyboard on my computer just for that... If I want to write in Chinese some day, I’ll download it... (Manny/Dong Cheng, Anthony, JaeBin/Deng Bin, Xin/Xin Yu and Damon/Bao Han). They debuted in January of 2017 (since then they only appeared on Mix Nine, well Manny, SeungBo and Kid passed the audition that I didn’t watch fully because these auditions of already debuted groups give me bad feels when I know only a part of them pass...) with U R my Only One (which is the title track of their first mini album), and, since then have released two other MV (Hole in One and 지금 나올래). Their youngest member is a 2001′s liner and their oldest members are two 95′s liners, which means that they aren’t babies (I know I’m not the only one feeling bad about liking idols younger than me).

The album contains a total of 6 songs, but only 5 full-length ones. Varsity (the first song) is an intro of around one minute. For the rest of the songs, I’m in love with Varsity. They have a fresh electro boyish vibe (I don’t know what I’m saying). I only listened to their three tracks with a MV before purchasing the albums (I decided to keep a certain mystery about all those albums before purchasing them because I wanted to discover the artists once I would make the purchase), and ended being gladly surprised by the two songs who didn’t have a MV. I mean, Rollin is probably the one I like the least on the album, but the four other songs are really good and catchy. The main reason why I purchased this album was because of 지금 나올래, but the other songs really grow on me, even U R My Only One, which I was a bit hesitant about at the start.

The packaging of the album is weird to say the least, but after seeing what kind of shit Woollim does sometimes, I kind of grew used to weird packaging. The album is put in a sleeve jacket, which is really soft, but it didn’t get damaged yet, so I’m hoping it will stay that way. And inside there’s the album... So far nothing seems too strange, right? But once you take the album out, everything falls out. The album has three pannels and the photobook and photocards are only slid into it, so if you stand up while taking it out, there’s nothing to protect the photocards and photobook. The shots of the photobook are quite standard and the boys are amazing (and as handsome as every kpop idols, girls included), but it’s quite thin. You also get two photocards with the album... And sorry for my ignorance, but there’s so many boys in this group that I’ll try to guess which photocards I got, but I’m unsure about the result (there are only two or three members I can identify because they have really distinctive features or roles in the group, like Damon and Manny if you want to know the truth... I’m pitiful...)... So, I’m quite sure that the one with the glasses is Anthony, since he wrote his name in Latin alphabet on the other side and he’s clearly a visual because he has not a lot of lines (he’s the one opening Hole in One if I’m not mistaken). The other photocard is another thing... Like, I’m not even sure it’s signed... I’m sorry for my limited knowledge of Korean. I can read the letters, but the words don’t make a lot of sense... Well, I’m like nearly 100% sure he didn’t sign... Ah... My life is complicated... But from my researches... I believe it’s Xin, another Chinese member of the group? Like, he’s the one whose facial features match the more with the photocard, also some identified that photocard as him, so I’ll say it’s him... But damn, he has a messy calligraphy. (like there were some letters I was really unsure about, but I’m quite sure I managed to translate what he put there).

So in the end, was it worth it? I mean, aside from the fact that it encourages the new “generation” of kpop idol, the songs on the album are really good. The packaging is a bit messy, but you get what you paid for. You have cool shots and photocards. I know I didn’t discuss about it, but esthetically speaking their album is really pretty. The cover is amazing and the album looks good on a shelf. It’s quite small also, so it doesn’t take a lot of place. If everything I’ve said can’t convince you that it’s a good album (by the way, I’m hyped while I write this review, but I’m afraid that my love for this album won’t show, so...) then pass it, you’ll just miss a good album in my opinion. For me it was worth it.

[absolutebl]

"Rewatch value is a huge deal for me." What are some shows with high rewatch value for you then? Sorry if you already answered this question. I watched the first episode of KinnPorche tonight and then was stuck on what I should be watching next. x_x What is the 10/10 BL series you can think of off the top of your head? Maybe I should give Why R U? a chance..

My Top Picks

10 Most Rewatchable BLs

This has to be a completely arbitrary call, I'm afraid. What I find rewartchable may not be what others find rewatchable. It's going to hit my highest rated 10/10 BLs right away and then a few oddballs. A BL doesn't get a 10/10 from me if I don't find it rewatchable.

1. Seven Days (Japan 2015)

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

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. Along the way they accidentally fall in love, although each is convinced the other one thinks it’s just for a week.

Full review here. Last I checked could find it on YouTube and DramaCool in 2 parts Seven Days: Monday - Thursday, Seven Days: Friday - Sunday) I tend to rewatch the whole thing. 

2. Color Rush (Korea 2021)

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

Monos can only see in grey scale, until they meet their probes. But when they do, monos can turn into obsessive monsters over the one person that turns on the world color. When Yeon Woo meets his probe, however, that boy seems a  lot more obsessed with him.

Color Rush is on Viki. I tend to rewatch the whoel thing in its movie form. 

3. Light On Me (Korea 2021)

Korea does an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles!

TaeKyung is a bit awkward and introverted and has never really wanted friends, but suddenly he thinks that might have been a bad life choice. So he joins the student council where he meets, among others, two very different boys who both want more than friendship from him.

Light On Me is on Viki. I mostly rewatch the second half. 

4. To My Star (Korea 2021)

It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams.

Famous actor (adorable bundle of neurosis) takes refuge in the house of a reserved chef and is immediately smitten by Mr Tall Dark & Glowering. The chef is also smitten but refuses to admit it to himself or anyone else.

Full review here. To My Star is on Viki. I tend to rewatch the whole thing in the movie form. 

5. We Best Love 1 & 2 (Taiwan 2021)

WBL is composed of two parts: We Best Love: No 1 for You & We Best Love: Fighting Mr 2nd. The 1st season is a short run classic university set BL combining the best of Korea & Thailand’s modern takes on genre. The 2nd season moves into the office, and employs Japanese style in terms of setting, obsession, and mature concepts. WBL thus successfully managed to pick up and combine the best features of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL as it exists right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the greatest BLs of all time, cooking to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible.

Story wise it’s pretty classic: Shi De has been in love with Shu Yi since childhood, but Shu Yi has always seen them as rivals. In university, events finally conspire for Shi De to make his move. It’s the ultimate tsundere uke versus the ultimate pining seme. Part two follows them into the workplace after a breakup.

I love this show so much, odds are I’m currently rewatching it as you read this. I tend to rewatch specific episodes. 

6. Until We Meet Again (Thailand 2019)

Thailand’s only entry in my 10/10 category (from the BL mass producer). This is non BL trope reliant fated mates (AKA soulmates) romance that just happens to have the right setting and age of protagonists to fit the BL genre. UWMA is a work of narrative genius, and all the actors all turn in stellar performances, it is the best Thai BL from a storytelling perspective. Possibly the best BL story we’ll ever get. It also takes full advantage of Thailand’s signature full treatment, never dragging despite 17 full episodes.

Timid sweetheart Pharm meets older serious Dean on his first day of university and is both irresistibly drawn to him and inexplicably sad. Dean starts an intense slow courtship but they both begin to realize they’ve been through this all before and one of them, 30 years ago in a previous life, made a terrible mistake. Can their current selves survive the sins and betrayals of their past?

UWMA can be seen on YouTube. I tend to rewatch specific episodes. 

7. Semantic Error (Korea 2022)

Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks (pun on the actors’ last names intended) by doing a university set BL with everything we might expect but done exactly right, their signature quality executed perfectly, and added bonus good story, great pacing, and fantastic chemistry. This one is actually flawless. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL.

Talented graphic artist Jaeyoung (emotional agro older seme) discovers Sangwoo has outed him as a slacker which means he’s not graduating this year. He sets out to find out who Sangwoo is and get revenge, accidentally develops a big o’crush. Sangwoo is a morally grounded strict routine based reserved programmer (logical uke) who’s world is entirely shaken by the chaos that is Jaeyoung. I love “the only one who can bully him is me” trope especially when said bully melts into all over whipped for his boy.

Jaeyoung pined like a master. Like Park Seo Ham took lessons from Sam Lin. And Sangwoo crumbles into complete submission like he’s been waiting for Jaeyoung his whole life. It’s an absolute pleasure to watch these two on screen together. (Full review here.)

Semantic Error is on Viki. I tend to rewatch from episode 3 (the bar fight) onwards. 

8. Be Loved In House: I Do (Taiwan 2021)  

A cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns, plus ALL THE TROPES and a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan, who usually prefer to go hard (Viki). I tend to rewatch only the last few episodes. 

9. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (Taiwan 2018) 

Taiwan’s best example of classic BL with a sports romance foundation using some of the most prototypical (but fortunately least offensive) yaoi tropes (Viki). I tend to rewatch the whole thing. 

10. Utsukushii Kare AKA My Beautiful Man (Japan 2021) 

One of the best most traditionally live action yaoi to release in the last decade. It used seriously old school manga derived problematic and kinky tropes, like whipping boy, for a truly classic piece that also manages to hit up modern themes of communication, consent, and self acceptance. It’s a wonderful BL, uniquely dirty and harsh in the best possible way. (GaGaOOLaLa) I tend to rewatch just the last two episodes. 

Others I have rewatched a lot because of what was available when I first joined the fandom, or for random oddball personal reasons. 

Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii (Japan 2020) 

Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart (Korea 2020) 

Oxygen the series (Thai 2020) 

A First Love Story (Strongberry Korea 2021) 

Some More (Strongberry Korea 2018) 

Dark Blue Kiss (Thai 2019) just PeteKao

Love By Chance (Thai 2018) just AePete 

Why R U? (Thai 2020) just FighterTutor

The Tasty Florida (Korea 2021) 

Love Sick (Thai 2014-2015)

Addicted (China 2016)

Make it Right (Thai 2016-2017)

Private Lessons (Strongberry Korea 2020)

(source)

Updated April 2022. 

[blaisydaisyreviews]

ABC recommendations

It’s been a while since I written a review. I still want to do my Solondz series along with other series. I’m going to do a spontaneous abc review of my recommendations just to get to juices going. I have not seen all these movies, but I’ve seen shots and bits from other recommendations.  

A is for Akira

I have not finished seeing this film, and I remember I only had an hour left of it. I really appreciated the cool futuristic style in Akira, and I’m not a fan of anime or the mangas but this movie looks really cool and it’s special to a lot of people.

B is for Bully directed by Larry Clark

I recently saw this film last week. At first, I didn’t know what to think about this film, but I think I like it. It’s based off a true story about a group of teens who conspire to kill a mutual friend, who’s a bully and an asshole to his friends. Larry Clark is one of my favorite film makers and photographers. This film is a real trip and I love the way it’s shot. Some of the scenes are very disorienting but in a cool way. 

C is for Cannibal Holocaust 

Due to technical difficulties, I can never finish watching this film on my Shudder App. I’ve only seen it up to halfway, but I’ve always been fascinated to how this film got made. Apparently, the filmmaker was arrested and was asked if those kills were real. The only creatures who were unfortunately harmed were animals like a turtle, a squirrel monkey, a pig, and more. The filmmaker was a dick for doing that, but if you don’t wanna see that you can look for an animal cruelty-free version. This film also sparked the found footage genre in horror, which makes the film look gritty and realistic.

D is for The Doom Generation directed by Greg Arraki

I’ve seen this film a couple of times, and it’s one of those movies that I’d like to own on DVD. I’d like to own The Doom Generation so I can appreciate it from time to time. It’s a queer horror exploitation film with Rose Mcgowan and James Duvall. This movie is a weird trip, weird in a cool way. This movie’s so cool, and it holds a special place in my heart.

E is for Ed Wood directed by Tim Burton

This film is about Ed Wood, the notoriously bad filmmaker, mostly known for Plan 9 from Outer Space. In this film, Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood, and it’s about the making of Plan 9 from Outer Space. Overall this is a very enjoyable little movie. In my opinion, it’s one of Tim Burtons under rated movies. I love how it’s shot in black and white. It’s a film about film making, and those films are always interesting.

F is for Funny Games directed by Michael Haneke

If you’re like me, you have to distinguish which version of Funny Games you prefer. I like the original Austria version a lot more. The U.S. remake is directed by the same one from the original. His plan was to make a U.S. version first but I guess his plans fell through. I honestly feel like the remake was unnecessary. Thank goodness I can read subtitles. Funny Games is a home invasion film that works as a satire on how we perceive violence. I love the main villain in this film and how he breaks the fourth wall from time to time, and there are moments in the film when he knows he’s in a film. I love it so much, it’s bonkers and it works.

G is for Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai directed by Jim Jarmusch

Forrest Whitaker plays a character named Ghost Dog, who embodies the philosophy of a samurai. I love this film, I’ve shown it to my friends and they grew to love it as much as I do. There’s a lot of elements of Ghost Dog that I want to talk about, but it’s mainly known for its beautiful cinematography and classic Jarmusch storytelling. 

H is for Happiness directed by Todd Solondz

The film follows three sisters and the people around them, and everyone is miserable or unhappy in their own way. This is a dark comedy, with amazing raw cringing performances. It’s listed as one of the most disturbing films ever made, and in my opinion, it can certainly be dangerously disturbing.

I is for Idiocracy directed by Mike Judge

To be honest, I recently saw this movie and I’m surprised how well it holds up for 2017. I’m a huge fan of Office Space, Extract, and King of the Hill so I’m upset that I just saw this movie now. It’s 2005 and the film follows Private Joe, who is selected to take part in a military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year. He is put in with another person, Rita, and they are forgotten for about 500 years til there was this garbage avalanche and their pods were open. Joe and Rita are separated and they start to realize the decline of human intelligence and because of this Joe is declared the smartest person on earth with an average IQ. A lot of the language is problematic because there are lawyers and doctors who use words like fag and retard. As bad as it sounds, it works for the plot and it makes this a funny satire. 

J is for Julien Donkey Boy directed by Harmony Korine

The story focuses on the schizophrenic Julien and his dysfunctional family. I love how Korine breaks some rules from Dogma 95, and he does so in a creative perspective. I wasn’t so sure about this film at first, but this film grew on me over time and this is very different from your usual conventional storytelling. This film is not for everyone, it’s very disturbing and dark. 

Ken Park directed by Larry Clark

I have not seen Ken Park yet. This was also written by Harmony Korine. From what I know it’s about the lives of several teenagers with dysfunctional family problems. I also heard this movie was messed up so I gotta prepare myself for that.

L is for Lost Highway directed by David Lynch

I’m not too familiar with Lost Highway, but this is definitely on my bucket list. 

M is for May directed by Lucky McKee

This film follows May, a lonely young woman with a traumatizing childhood, and the attempts to get closer to people. This is a fun little horror movie, with hammy acting and a great storyline. I love the shots and the meaning behind this film. I really sympathize with May, and I take pleasure in her reaching her sick goals. This movie is really special, very close to my heart, and James Duvall is in this film. Just for one scene but still. If you’re into weird films like Donnie Darko then I dare you to watch May.

N is for Night on Earth directed by Jim Jarmusch

Night on Earth follows five taxi drivers in five separate cities around the world. The first story follows a tomboy taxi driver, Corky, played by Winona Ryder, and she gives one of my favorite performances. Corky is such an adorable foul mouthed tomboy, she’s a taxi driver and an aspiring mechanic. I don’t know if I want to be her, or if I want to be with her, and that’s how cute and awesome Corky is. The characters are what I love most about this film. That’s just one story, and the rest are just as ridiculous and emotionally investing. 

O is for Old Boy Directed by Chan Wook Park

Oldboy follows a man who was mysteriously kidnapped and locked in a room for 15 years. After he’s released he has to figure out who locked him up and why. Oldboy is such a cool South Korean revenge film, with beautiful cinematography, poetic realism, and music. 

P is for Paris, Texas directed by Wim Wenders

The film follows a disheveled man, Travis, played y Harry Dean Stanton, who is found wandering the desert. When a stranger contacts his brother, Walt, he is forced to find his brother and bring him back home to his eight-year-old son. We don’t know why Travis disappeared for four years, and how silent he is throughout the film. I legit thought he was a mute, but no you learn that he hasn’t talked in years because of a heartbreak. This film is wonderfully shot, and it’s just a beautiful looking film. Paris, Texas is emotionally heartbreaking and it stays with you when it’s done. Harry Dean Stanton, you’re the fucking man!

Q is for

I don’t know any movies that I could recommend that start with the letter Q. Pass.

R is for The Room directed by Tommy Wiseau

It’s known as the Citizen Kane of bad movies. The story isn’t much, it’s about a banker, Johnny, who’s engaged with Lisa, his future wife, who has an affair with Mark, Johnny’s best friend. That’s the story, but this film has to be seen to believed. The Room is perfect to watch with a group of friends, and it’s wonderful seeing someone else’s reaction to seeing The Room for the first time. This film is flat out bonkers, and I love it. There are a lot of things wrong with it, and there are subplots that come and go and are never mentioned again. 

S is for Samurai Cop

I don’t know a lot about this film, only that it’s a Lethal Weapon rip off and it’s known as one of the best worst movies ever made. I heard it was discovered in a film vault, at a film company. I can imagine this is another one of those bad movies you can watch with a group of friends and have a good time. 

T is for Tetsuo: The Iron Man

I haven’t seen the first Tetsuo or any of them, but the first one is a body horror film about a man who transforms into a cyborg man with metal parts and wires. It looks so cool. It’s still on my watch list.

U is for 

V is for Visitor Q directed by Takashi Miike

I haven’t seen Visitor Q or a lot of Miike films besides Audition and The Happiness of the Katakuris. I heard this is one of Miike’s most prolific films, so gotta check this out sometime.

W is for Welcome to the Dollhouse directed by Todd Solondz

I’ve already reviewed this film because it’s one of my favorite films. This film follows Dawn Weiner, an 8th grader who gets bullied a lot and neglected at home. I love how heartbreaking this film is from the point of view of an 8th grader. It’s raw and brave for displaying a brutally honest depiction of middle school.

X

Y

Z

[weekendatennuis]

I’d definitely agree with this list. Oh, with the exception of UWMA. I can watch WinTeam over and over. But the rest is too high angst. I rewatch for comfort. Oh, oh! I’m going to add Manner of Death. Yeah I know that’s a strange definition of comfort, but there you have it.

"Rewatch value is a huge deal for me." What are some shows with high rewatch value for you then? Sorry if you already answered this question. I watched the first episode of KinnPorche tonight and then was stuck on what I should be watching next. x_x What is the 10/10 BL series you can think of off the top of your head? Maybe I should give Why R U? a chance..

My Top Picks

10 Most Rewatchable BLs

This has to be a completely arbitrary call, I'm afraid. What I find rewartchable may not be what others find rewatchable. It's going to hit my highest rated 10/10 BLs right away and then a few oddballs. A BL doesn't get a 10/10 from me if I don't find it rewatchable.

1. Seven Days (Japan 2015)

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

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. Along the way they accidentally fall in love, although each is convinced the other one thinks it’s just for a week.

Full review here. Last I checked could find it on YouTube and DramaCool in 2 parts Seven Days: Monday - Thursday, Seven Days: Friday - Sunday) I tend to rewatch the whole thing. 

2. Color Rush (Korea 2021)

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

Monos can only see in grey scale, until they meet their probes. But when they do, monos can turn into obsessive monsters over the one person that turns on the world color. When Yeon Woo meets his probe, however, that boy seems a  lot more obsessed with him.

Color Rush is on Viki. I tend to rewatch the whoel thing in its movie form. 

3. Light On Me (Korea 2021)

Korea does an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles!

TaeKyung is a bit awkward and introverted and has never really wanted friends, but suddenly he thinks that might have been a bad life choice. So he joins the student council where he meets, among others, two very different boys who both want more than friendship from him.

Light On Me is on Viki. I mostly rewatch the second half. 

4. To My Star (Korea 2021)

It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams.

Famous actor (adorable bundle of neurosis) takes refuge in the house of a reserved chef and is immediately smitten by Mr Tall Dark & Glowering. The chef is also smitten but refuses to admit it to himself or anyone else.

Full review here. To My Star is on Viki. I tend to rewatch the whole thing in the movie form. 

5. We Best Love 1 & 2 (Taiwan 2021)

WBL is composed of two parts: We Best Love: No 1 for You & We Best Love: Fighting Mr 2nd. The 1st season is a short run classic university set BL combining the best of Korea & Thailand’s modern takes on genre. The 2nd season moves into the office, and employs Japanese style in terms of setting, obsession, and mature concepts. WBL thus successfully managed to pick up and combine the best features of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL as it exists right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the greatest BLs of all time, cooking to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible.

Story wise it’s pretty classic: Shi De has been in love with Shu Yi since childhood, but Shu Yi has always seen them as rivals. In university, events finally conspire for Shi De to make his move. It’s the ultimate tsundere uke versus the ultimate pining seme. Part two follows them into the workplace after a breakup.

I love this show so much, odds are I’m currently rewatching it as you read this. I tend to rewatch specific episodes. 

6. Until We Meet Again (Thailand 2019)

Thailand’s only entry in my 10/10 category (from the BL mass producer). This is non BL trope reliant fated mates (AKA soulmates) romance that just happens to have the right setting and age of protagonists to fit the BL genre. UWMA is a work of narrative genius, and all the actors all turn in stellar performances, it is the best Thai BL from a storytelling perspective. Possibly the best BL story we’ll ever get. It also takes full advantage of Thailand’s signature full treatment, never dragging despite 17 full episodes.

Timid sweetheart Pharm meets older serious Dean on his first day of university and is both irresistibly drawn to him and inexplicably sad. Dean starts an intense slow courtship but they both begin to realize they’ve been through this all before and one of them, 30 years ago in a previous life, made a terrible mistake. Can their current selves survive the sins and betrayals of their past?

UWMA can be seen on YouTube. I tend to rewatch specific episodes. 

7. Semantic Error (Korea 2022)

Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks (pun on the actors’ last names intended) by doing a university set BL with everything we might expect but done exactly right, their signature quality executed perfectly, and added bonus good story, great pacing, and fantastic chemistry. This one is actually flawless. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL.

Talented graphic artist Jaeyoung (emotional agro older seme) discovers Sangwoo has outed him as a slacker which means he’s not graduating this year. He sets out to find out who Sangwoo is and get revenge, accidentally develops a big o’crush. Sangwoo is a morally grounded strict routine based reserved programmer (logical uke) who’s world is entirely shaken by the chaos that is Jaeyoung. I love “the only one who can bully him is me” trope especially when said bully melts into all over whipped for his boy.

Jaeyoung pined like a master. Like Park Seo Ham took lessons from Sam Lin. And Sangwoo crumbles into complete submission like he’s been waiting for Jaeyoung his whole life. It’s an absolute pleasure to watch these two on screen together. (Full review here.)

Semantic Error is on Viki. I tend to rewatch from episode 3 (the bar fight) onwards. 

8. Be Loved In House: I Do (Taiwan 2021)  

A cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns, plus ALL THE TROPES and a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan, who usually prefer to go hard (Viki). I tend to rewatch only the last few episodes. 

9. HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (Taiwan 2018) 

Taiwan’s best example of classic BL with a sports romance foundation using some of the most prototypical (but fortunately least offensive) yaoi tropes (Viki). I tend to rewatch the whole thing. 

10. Utsukushii Kare AKA My Beautiful Man (Japan 2021) 

One of the best most traditionally live action yaoi to release in the last decade. It used seriously old school manga derived problematic and kinky tropes, like whipping boy, for a truly classic piece that also manages to hit up modern themes of communication, consent, and self acceptance. It’s a wonderful BL, uniquely dirty and harsh in the best possible way. (GaGaOOLaLa) I tend to rewatch just the last two episodes. 

Others I have rewatched a lot just because of what was averrable when I first joined the fandom, or for random oddball reasons. 

Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii (Japan 2020) 

Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart (Korea 2020) 

Oxygen the series (Thai 2020) 

A First Love Story (Strongberry Korea 2021) 

Some More (Strongberry Korea 2018) 

Dark Blue Kiss (Thai 2019) just PeteKao

Love By Chance (Thai 2018) just AePete 

Why R U? (Thai 2020) just FighterTutor

The Tasty Florida (Korea 2021) 

Love Sick (Thai 2014-2015)

Addicted (China 2016)

Make it Right (Thai 2016-2017)

Private Lessons (Strongberry Korea 2020)

(source)

Updated April 2022.