#anything bl 2023

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Hi Josi 😊 For the Top 5 BL: Best Hug and / or Most Beloved Sidecouples ✨

Uuhhhh, two in one! Maxine, thank you for this ask ❤

I love a good hug. Seeing those feels like I get a hug (and sometimes it makes me feel really single). There are the hugs that you can feel through your screen, some of them you just want to look away, because this moment belongs only to the couple on screen, they are just so intimate and there are so ones where one wants to crawl into the other one and I am here for this kind of hug. This desperate need for each others closeness.

The start makes the oldest one on this list:

My School President

Their hugs just felt so good! I loved giffing those moments. They needed the other one physical close, they felt peace in those hugs and it was their way to show how much they cared for each other. I loved every single one of those hugs!

I just realised the next ones are all just some really desperate hugs... and I love them! I have a thing for them...

Kiseki: Dear To Me

This hug felt so good. Finally they were reunited again. Finally they could hold each other again. And damn this was such a beautiful hug! They hugged with their whole body and soul. Imagine holding the love of your life finally in your arms again after years of spending apart. I love it!

Tokyo In April Is...

There is no space for anything else between them. Kazuma made sure of that. He neeeded Ren to feel this hug, and for himself to feel this closeness again. Both are in love with each other, even though they couldn't tell each other yet, but for us viewers it was cristal clear. This hug alone made it clear for us. I love this hug so much!

Pit Babe

Yes Babe, cry because you're so happy to have Charlie back in your arms! Beautiful. I needed this, he needed this and Charlie needed this too! We all needed this! And I love Pavel's facial expressions in this moment.

I Feel You Linger I The Air

The most desperate hug after the most saddest fuck this year! Such a beautiful scene! They knew they didn't have much time left and just made love. They wanted and needed to feel every inch of each other, and it felt so intimate, I had the urge to look away and let them have this time alone in closeness and happiness and desperation.

And now after these beautiful scenes we go on to my favorite side couples 2023. I love a good side couple I can concentrate on and forget about the main couple 😅

The first couple is one of the most precious ones of this year. We knew them and we knew they had incredibly chemistry and could act really nice, but nevertheless they blew us away:

Heart and LiMing from Moonlight Chicken

Their story was so wholesome and important. Their journey was so good. LiMing's struggles with his mum and his uncle, the money and the fact that he wanted to see the world were so ordinary and felt so real it was so good. And Heart's problems with his parents and the urge to be more independent and to be seen felt so sad and Gemini was so good. Oh I love these two and their stories!

Next we have a show I didn't like that much, but I was in love with the side couple. They were the only reason why I kept up with this show.

Zeke and Fifth from My Story

They had an extreme intense chemistry. I loved them on screen and their journey to finally become a couple. I was hyped for their own show and was so let down. I couldn't watch it. It was too much cringe for me, but this is just personal preference. In My Story I adored them and this scene especially.

Next is the couple, that has the most entries in all of my Top 5s this year:

AiDi and ChenYi from Kiseki: Dear To Me

I love them. They stole the show and my heart. Their dynamic is so adorable after they finally become a thing. In the beginning I was a little put off. I didn't understand their relationship, but within a few episodes this changed I was rooting for them so much! I was so happy when ChenYi finally understood his feelings for AiDi and AiDi finally got what he wanted desperatley for years!

I don't know if the next one counts... The show has three couples and I guess one was the main couple. Well, I cared more about the other ones.

Love Class 2

Maru and Minwoo had the softest kiss this year in my opinion and Sungmin and Joohyuk had this lap-situation and everything else that came after. I really enjoyed their stories and their characters. The main couple was just not that interesting for me. But because of the side couples (or the other main couples) I enjoyed this series so much!

I close this list with a couple, that is a little bit problematic for me. I don't like the series that much, mostly because of the main couple and the bad writing for them. But the writing for this side couple was so much worse!

Jaab and Jane from Step By Step

I was so pissed with their ending! What was that? There was no real conclusion and I still don't know if they are happy together now. They had this huge cheating plot (and I like those tropes, but only with a good solution in the end) and before they could work on that Jane was never seen again. This was so sturpid, I was so angry. I wanted them to have their own stupid happily ever after, but no, we have some creepy stalker like behavior and some mystery... no thank you, but besides that I liked them so much and I wanted so much more of them!

Ask me Top 5 BL Anything from 2023

[bengiyo]

Top 5 beautiful boys you didn't know were beautiful until this year (whether because they're new arrivals or because you gained a new appreciation)

Ah, yes, my Bestie in Taste. Let us simp together.

Title Tanatorn Saenangkanikorn

I was aware of Title before this year from small appearances elsewhere, but I loved him so much as Saengtai. He is so ridiculously pretty to me.

Honda Kyoya

I get why everyone was sprung over this man in two shows this year.

James Supamongkon

Yes, we all chose King for our WOULD asks earlier, but I still don't think we've talked enough about how beautiful James is. I'll just use this gif of King's tits to help prove my point. He's prettier than the tits.

Net Siraphop

Yep, I'm including both of them. He was on all of our lists for a reason.

Babe Tanatat

A late entry but a new favorite. Babe is my current bias and I don't care how off the rails The Sign goes as long as he's still in it.

...

Oh, it seems I've run out of slots. Anyway, I'm gay and can do whatever I want.

J-Min

I actually liked J-Min a lot in Love Class 2 and found myself checking in for the first three weeks just to look at him before the show really hit its stride.

Daou Pittaya

I know Daou is growing his hair back out, but he doesn't have to.

Mashiko Atsuki

I would have finished My Personal Weatherman even if it was bad for his visuals alone.

Izuka Kenta

I love the way this man plays quietly unhinged.

Iijima Hiroki

I will watch anything he's in.

Nakata Keisuke

Truly one of the men of the year for me.

Lee Seung Gyu

Y'all should see his workout content on IG.

Thor Thinnaphan

I took notice of everything he did in The Warp Effect and A Boss and a Babe.

Im Ji Sub

I started this with Emily last night and her first comment after it ended was, "Jae Won is hot."

Ben Bunyapol

As NiNi says regularly: "I just know he's keeping someone up at night."

Poom Phuripan

So glad he's going to be in a show with Up Poompat! It's what we deserve!

Edit: I excluded the following people because I was already aware of them, but I loved them anew so I can.

Nonkul Chanon

I was aware of him and his incredible chest from earlier work, but he really was so stunning and so good as Jom this year.

Bright Rapheephong

I was aware of him as one of PP's video babes, but this man's eye work was so fucking good in IFYLITA

Ask me Top 5 BL 2023 Anything

[lurkingshan]

Not sure how many of these you'll have, but Top 5 'if they had sex right now, it would probably be less gay than whatever the hell is happening here' moments?

Hmmmm I think I do have a few. First, let me be a curmudgeon and say nothing is gayer than actual gay sex lol. But those moments when characters give their very gay intentions away or just lay it on extra thick are always so fun.

Yai and Jom making flower garlands, I Feel You Linger in the Air

When having him literally read porn to him didn't get through, Yai moved on to doing the gayest activity he could think of. He really wanted Jom to pick up what he was putting down.

Jae Won teaching Ji Hyun how to surf, The Eighth Sense

That was an awful lot of unnecessary touching, sunbae.

Tinn dressing Charn in his fussy blouse, Laws of Attraction

Honestly it was hard to choose just one scene from this show but I think this one takes the cake.

Hantae pledging his life to Baram, Sing My Crush

Fellas, is it gay to take one look at a sad cute boy and dedicate the rest of your life to making his dreams come true? ...fellas??

Mhok feeling up Day's hands, Last Twilight

Sirs. What the fuck.

Ask my top 5 anything in bl

[twig-tea]

2023 BL/GL/QL Round-Up Post

I thought for posterity I'd post a reflection on everything I watched that completed in 2023. For me, that means anything that started in 2022 but the last episode was in 2023 is on this list, but anything that will still be airing after 31 December 2023 11:59 my time (EST) is not on this list, even if the bulk of the show did air in 2023.

A few stats:

110 discrete pieces of content (series/films)

clocking in at est. 600 hours of NEW BL/GL content only

from 9 different countries (Cambodia [1], Philippines [3], Hong Kong [1], Japan [18], Korea [19], Myanmar [1], Taiwan [6], Thailand [56], Vietnam [7])

~50% of the content I watched on this list is from Thailand

~85% of my content was on YouTube [40%], GaGaOoLaLa [23%] and iQIYI [21%].

[Note that this year a lot of older GMMTV shows moved off of YouTube and onto Viki so if you're looking at these stats to decide what to pay for, this won't account for that.]

This doesn't include re-watches or catching up on old shows [e.g. I re-watched Love Sick, My Ride the Series, Semantic Error, ITSAY/IPYTM, Our Dating Sim at least 3 times lol, and anything with a s2 I re-watched s1 to prep, among others, watched Fujoshi Ukkari Gei no Kokuru (2019) for the first time] or non-QL [e.g. Heartstopper s2, Our Flag Means Death s2, Taskmaster s. 15 & 16, Uncanny Counter s2, One Piece s1, etc.] but does include films as well as shows, though I don't count special episodes separately (so Wedding Plan counts once, though I watched both the show and the special).

I hope you all appreciate that with this much content, and with my general brand of being unable to make decisions, I really struggled to narrow down a top 10 list. What follows is the best I could do lol

Top 20 Shows I'd Recommend From This Year:

Moonlight Chicken

Our Dating Sim

Bed Friend

The Eighth Sense

La Pluie

Sing My Crush

Tokyo in April Is...

Wedding Plan

Laws of Attraction

I Cannot Reach You

I Feel You Linger in the Air

What Did You Eat Yesterday S2

I Became the Lead in a BL Drama

If It's With You

Love in Translation

Our Dining Table

My Personal Weatherman

My Beautiful Man: Eternal

My School President

Be My Favorite

+10 I liked but I would only recommend with caveats:

Love Class 2

The New Employee [for the Rainbow Rice Cakes]

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru

Never Let Me Go

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Unintentional Love Story

The Day I Loved You

End of the World with You

A Breeze of Love

Jack O'Frost

Bonus: Not a BL but worth calling out:

One Room Angel

Midnight Museum

Grand Guignol

The Warp Effect

Sadly, of the GLs that aired this year, I wouldn't recommend any of them. The best one was Show Me Love, which was not actually good but had very gorgeous women and a LOT of flirting.

The other huge thing that happened this year was that I stopped lurking! Thanks specifically to @lurkingshan and @bengiyo demanding everyone start talking about La Pluie, because they got me to post my first meta post. And because I started actually talking to people, I started making actual friends, and participated in organizing things like the Be My Favorite clown checkpoint for ep 11. I also disappeared a month because of life, and am still catching up on everything I intended to write this year. But it's been really rewarding finding this corner of tumblr with likeminded people who like good shows, like to think about these shows, and who are interested in talking about them in a way that's insightful and respectful.

It's been a long time since I felt comfortable enough participating actively in a fandom, and I just want to say to everyone I've interacted with this year: Thank you!

Full list under the cut for anyone curious! [Mostly in order it aired but may be slightly off].

Love Bill

Director Who Buys Me Dinner, The

Star Always Follow You, The

Cutie Pie 2 You

Between Us the Series (Hemp Rope)

Reason Why He Fell in Love with Me Special & S2 [international release]

New Employee, The

I Will Hit You/I Will Knock You

Individual Circumstances

609 Bedtime Story

GAPYuri / GAP the series

My School President

HitBiteLove the Series

Never Let Me Go

Moonlight Chicken

History 5: Love in the Future

Oh My God (ToDo) the Series

Warp Effect, The

End of the World, With You

My Blessing the Series

Our Winter (miniseries)

All the Liquors

Once in Memory: Let Me Be Yours

Shoulder to Cry On, A

Jack O'Frost

Our Dating Sim

Midnight Museum

Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend

My Colleague at BL Shop might be My Meant-to-Be

Unintentional Love Story

Chains of Heart

Bed Friend the series

Bad Brother the Series

Stormy Honeymoon

Eighth Sense, the

Bad Brother the Series

Future Series

Tin Tam Jai the series

Crush on You

House of Stars the Series

Happy Merry Ending

Boss and a Babe, A

Pastsenger the Series

Love Mate

Love Syndrome the Series

Promise the Series, The

Day I Loved You, The

Our Dining Table (Bokura no Shokutaku)

Our Skyy 2

My Story the Series

Starstruck

Love Tractor

Naked Dining

Luminous Solution, The

Omai Series / Is My Roommate A Foreigner

Stupid Genius

Step By Step

La Pluie the series

Tie the Not

Sing My Crush / Follow the Wind

Tokyo in April Is .../ Shigatsu no Tokyo wa

Senior Love Me?

Be My Favorite

Show Me Love

Dinosaur Love

Low Frequency

Stay Still

Stay By My Side

Jun & Jun

Wedding Plan the Series

Laws of Attraction, the

Love Class s2

Minato's Laundromat S2

Hidden Agenda

Bon Appetit

Why RU the Series [Korean adaptation]

Be Mine Superstar

Star, The Season 2

Love In Translation

My Beautiful Man: Eternal

My Personal Weatherman

Bump Up Business

Naughty Babe Series

Only Friends

Grand Guignol

Dangerous Romance

If It's With You / Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite Mo

Y Journey: Stay Like a Local

I Feel You Linger in the Air

Venus in the Sky

Kiseki: Dear to Me

I Cannot Reach You

You Are Mine

Breeze of Love / Weather Forecast of Love

Mr. Cinderella 2

Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru

One Room Angel

Marry My Dead Body

Lucky My Love the Series

Pure Vanilla: Recipe for Romance

Absolute Zero

Memories, The

My Dear Gangster Oppa

Shadow

What Did You Eat Yesterday? S2

Middleman Love

Beyond the Star

Bake Me Please

You and My Stars

I Became the Lead in a BL Drama

[iguessitsjustme]

Hello everyone! So I’ve been working on something for a good ass minute, and while it is not done (alas that full-time employment), that doesn’t mean I can’t post it. Sooooooo

This year, I have met some really awesome people here through BL and honestly, y’all have made my year so wonderful so I wanted to do something for the BL community here. For the month of December, up until Christmas, I will be using polls to do a Choose Your Own BL Adventure (this is basically just a BL dating sim but we’ll all be playing it together don’t worry about it). There will be some common BL tropes thrown into the story as we progress. Each day, a new poll will go up based on the results of the last poll. I also want to state that it will not always be clear what/who each choice is for, but each choice does lead to a different story. There will not be a specific time for each poll because I can’t guarantee when I’ll be done with work, but I am going to do my best to make sure that the next poll with the next section of the story goes up between 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM CST.

Later today (don't ask me what time I don't know), I will be posting the set up for the first poll. I want to give everyone a day to read the set up before the first poll goes live, which is why I’m posting this today instead of tomorrow when it starts. I will be using the tag “#2023 choose your own bl adventure” for each post related to the game and god willing, I’ll be able to link that tag on my blog.

This is my gift to all of my friends who have made this year truly spectacular and I hope you all have fun with me while this goes on (and there might be a little Hanukkah surprise for y’all later as well). So look out later today for my post that will explain the beginning of the story and I'll try to link it here after it goes up.

Thank you all for a fantastic year and Happy Holidays!

Edit: I posted the beginning of the story.

[rares-posts]

OFF'S BDAY PARTY PICS!!!🎉🎉🎉

CAKEBOY GUN IS REAL!!!🥳🥳🥳

These photos are so cute, thank u p'best😭❤️

[milkbreadtoast]

WAIT... IS THIS GOING TO BE GAY?

THATS WHAT IM SAYINGGGG IM GOING CRAZY🫵🫵🫵😳🏳️‍🌈

[silverraes]

okay you know what, I seriously lack the brain cells to come up with comprehensive lists so I'll likely struggle but I've seen so many people do this and it looks fun and it seems only fitting that I do this for the year I properly joined BL tumblr so:

Ask me my top 5 anything of BL!

[visionsofmagic]

day 17: jason todd [thigh riding]

࿓ synopsis • while begging jason to start fuck you, you discover how you can get the pleasure you seek from riding his thigh.

―❦ nsfw, f!reader, brat!reader, pet names, begging, clothes on, red hood!jason, punishment, watching, jerking off, good girl/bad girl dynamic, ‘is all I guess? • 0.7k • who didn’t think about riding jason’s thigh whenever you see his MASSIVE thighs. mmh, delicious. enjoy! [kinktober m.] + the last work for the second week of kinktober 2023, yaaay! feel so good to come this far & the last week of it is close to the gates – open your horny sides for the rest of ‘em – see you in the last week/the week of games! *kiss* & thank you for all!

“really?” he mocks you, a smirk on his attractive face, eyes full of entertainment, understanding what you try to do after he declines the offer of fucking you – he gives you a punishment for being a brat, calling him here, having only a tiny dress on you, exposing every part of your delicate and soft body to his eyes to make him want to bend you over, starting fuck your greedy clit – he indeed has the desire to do that. however, you need to learn your lesson for making him worry about you in a way you should not.

“jay –“ his name leaves your mouth as a pray, so sweetly that his cock twitches with pleasure inside his pants as you sit on one of his thighs, palms on his well-built abdomen with muscle, holding them dearly as a source of steadiness. “please – please – I need you!���

he doesn’t say anything, only watching you while leaning to the chair he’s sitting on – eyes darting between your soaking pussy on his thigh and half-closed eyes as you roll your hips forth and back, holding him tight, biting your lips to keep your loud moans escaping.

“need me? you’re looking you’re having what you need pretty,” his long fingers hold you by the chin, making you look down at the mess you’re making on his massive thigh, the hips moving on their own – the warm feeling is coming because of both his clothed thigh and your naked pussy rubbing it. the painful motion makes the pleasure you receive get higher and higher until you begin to bounce on him like a mad girl, rubbing still from time to time.

the edge’s closeness comes sooner than you expected it to be – it feels so different to fuck you on his thigh while jason has his fisted hand under his chin, the elbow on the side of the chair, looking at you with a smirk on his face – his clothes make you go shy suddenly, making you feel so exposed – so weak.

for him – you will always be weak, and this is known by both of you. the knowledge makes jason put his free hand on your hip, moving it in sync with your movement – cock getting harder because of seeing you trying to make yourself cum – and only by using his thigh without even getting permission.

he chuckles deeply, voice huskier than ever, eyes on your face – bouncing breasts with hardened nipples, pussy clenching and soaking wet, dark circle on his pants, and your moving ass cheeks from sides. “what a mess you’re making out of yourself on my thigh baby,” he hold you by neck now, closing the gap between your bodies as he pulls you into himself, smirk is still there, burning you alive. “and only by riding my thigh, huh? always a brat, greedy slut for me, aren’t you princess?”

nodding, you close your eyes, breaths hitting your face, sending another source of warmness into your core, making the climax you seek to reach its highest point.

harder you ride his thigh, the more his cock grows bigger inside his pants – a bulge appears visibly, and he can’t hold himself back from jerking himself off above the clothes – hand moving up and down rapidly, same pace as your hips.

and when you look at it, you moan his name loudest, coming undone at the exact moment he holds your hand and makes you hold his bulge, his dripping precum creates a darker color on his pants.

“fuccck – jason!”

he doesn’t wait for you – to get yourself together, get the power to open your blurry eyes, and witness the great amount of wetness you created – your cum drips from his pants onto the floor, chest raising up and down, hot breathes hit his chest you put your forehead on.

by holding your hair gently, he makes you look at him – a pride blooms in his face, sending chills, “what a bad girl,” he remarks, “ride herself on my thigh and cum shamelessly while I was trying to teach her a lesson. even though I like how you look right now, I don’t want my girl to stay ignorant. so, do you want to be my good girl again, slut?” he asks, the grip on your hair getting tighter.

nodding mindlessly, you let him pick your body up – with bridal style, he holds you, walking to the bed you share. “then, you will lie down and take my cock inside your warm pussy princess. you are the reason why my dick is dripping now after all.”

❦ tagging: @lilvampirina & @snowprincesa1 & @dookiemeshibear & @chloee0x0 & @marmar-c *lots of kisses!*

[exhaslo]

Masterlist + Rules~

Hello, Hello! Thank you all for stopping by my page and reading my stories!

I update once a week. Usually 1 Request and 1 Chapter of my Story.

CURRENT INBOX REQUESTS: 5

If you would like to make a Request, please do follow the rules I have below:

Things I do NOT write about:

Vomit Play, Fart Play, Voyeurism, Spitting, Pregnant sex, Huge age gaps, no minor sex, fisting and no real life people. BL (Mainly bc I suck at it 😔)Also, anything involving certain mental illnesses or sex change, I will not write only because I do not want to offend anyone if I write something wrong or incorrect.

If I didn't list something and you ask, I will reply as politely as possible as to why I won't write it and I'll add it to the list.

As for characters, please ask away. I normally write my own favorite characters, but if you have a character you want me to write about. I will do my research and write about them!

Masterlist

Here is all the stories I have written so far, request and non! Mainly Miguel, but I do have a few other characters! Click on the links since Tumblr is being a butt

Puzzle Pieces (Mafia!Miguel x Shy!Fem!Reader)

Corruption (Villain!Miguel x F!Hero!Reader) Over-Time (CEO!Miguel x F!Clumsy!Reader) Ghostface!Miguel x Reader: PT1, PT2 Kinktober Masterlist 2023

Kinktober Masterlist 2024

Miguel O/Hara Request Masterlist

Other Characters:

BadBoy!Grimmjow x GoodGirl!Reader (Smut)

Gabriel O'Hara x Reader (Fluff)

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Top 5 Scenes to GIF

Thank you for this ask and I am sorry it took me so long to answer, but life 😅 and I want to take my time and think about the answer. This year had so many beautiful moments in our beloved shows and there were a bunch I loved to gif and the decision was really difficult 🙈

The first one I chose because I loved the whole scene, but especially this exact moment:

Love Tractor

The way YeChan looked at Seon Yul after the kiss is so beautiful. I could look at this gif for hours to take in every little detail and never get tired of it. This kiss was one big surprise for me, it was a solid and good kiss, but this little moment... I needed to capture it!

Next we have another little moment I needed to get as a gif:

I Feel You Linger In The Air

And again, I loved this whole scene and it left me speechless and as a muddly pudding on the floor. But this exact moment was the cherry on top for me! Yai just used every little opportunity to kiss, touch and feel Jom. This little kiss felt so real, so intimate, so perfect.

In third we have a scene that was just breathtaking:

The Sign

I didn't expect such a scene! I saw the trailer, but still this scene came as a big surprise. I was watching with my jaw dropped to the floor and I loved to gif it. This whole scene was so good. This series is so good and visual stunning! And I can't wait to see more of it!

In number four I honor the best use of lightning:

Kiseki: Dear To Me

This scene in the car was perfection. The talk about who is allowed to die first and how long one can survive without the other... it was so weirdly romantic and the lightning was so good in this scene! I had so much fun to gif this whole scene. And AiDi's hair looked so freaking good in this lighting! The way his hand is wandering to hold ChenYi, it looks so soft and tender. Such a beautiful moment!

Last but not least, the scene I was just screaming "FINALLY" at my screen:

Wedding Plan

I did love to gif this show. Sailom and Namnuea have a special place in my heart and every little interaction gave me so many butterflies and heartbreaks. When they finally talked and could just want each other without regret and Namnuea understood how much Sailom indeed liked/loved him was so good and this scene was everything for me. And it still is.

Ask me Top 5 BL Anything from 2023

[bengiyo]

Top 5 boy moments

Bestie, you know me so well.

Un-fuck it! from La Pluie

This is the kind of thing that can only occur between siblings and the specific grouchy way Tien can be as a boy.

The Chinzilla Fight in My School President

Boys can have a knock-down drag out fight and then immediately hug it out right afterwards. These boys had suffered a major blow together and that needed to be vented. At the point at which they start swinging, Gun felt betrayed by his biggest bro in Win. Ah, men.

Jae Won Forgiving Tae Hyung in The Eighth Sense

Tae Hyung sucks so hard, but I totally get Jae Won forgiving him and accepting him as the reliably shitty. They're in their early-to-mid twenties. I had friends like this at the time.

Ye Chan Saving the Piano in Love Tractor

Every man has a box of wires that are totally useless. Saving things that might be important and meaningful later is a masculine expression of love.

Yang and Phumjai Fighting in the Lobby and Later Throwing Oranges At Each Other in Odo's Office in Love in Translation

Unhinged behavior. I love them so much.

Ask Me Top 5 BL 2023 Anything

[lurkingshan]

Hi! So there have been a lot of top5 asks already done. So I'm giving you 5 slots to talk about a show/scene/character that you didn't get a chance to in other asks because it didn't apply or they didn't make the cut. If you want obviously. Rose💜

Ooh, thanks Rose! Let's see, what have I not talked about yet... I'll do a few additional superlatives for the year that didn't make other lists.

Best (Squandered) Side Character: Max, Be My Favorite

I loved this man and his done-with-your-shit energy. The wise queer elder to a bunch of confused messes. His mix of disdain and patience was absolutely perfect, and one of my biggest beefs with BMF is that it failed to give him a proper story when there was so much ripe material right there on the table.

The Show That Was Way Better Than Expected: Love Class 2

I went into this one with zero expectations and knowing the first Love Class was kind of a flop, and was surprised by how well it worked. All three couples were good, but Joo Hyuk and Sung Min's more mature storyline was definitely my favorite.

Most Surprising Character: Amane, If It's With You

@bengiyo and @ginnymoonbeam can attest that when I watched the first episode of this show I shot straight up and started yelling when I realized our protagonist fucks. We so rarely see school age bls that are honest about the sexual activity of minors, and that don't present early sexual experiences as traumatic. Amane just likes sex, and gets it when he wants it. This show didn't make it onto my all time greats list because they pulled their punches on this at the end, but they still get credit for giving us this character in the first place.

Favorite BL Pairing That Was Not Technically In A BL: Army and Joe, The Warp Effect

These two been living rent free in my head for almost a year now. I found their second chance romance so charming and I loved the push-pull between them as they figured out what they needed from each other. Both hot and a great model of healthy communication.

Best Time Watching an Old Classic: Make It Right

When @waitmyturtles got to this one on her old GMMTV project, I decided to join in, because it was my last remaining gap in my early Thai bl education. And damn did I enjoy it a lot more than expected. As @bengiyo says, this is truly a boy show, with all the mess and frankness about sex that entails, and Frame is one of my favorite characters.

Ask my top 5 anything in bl

[absolutebl]

Best 23 of BL 2023 - Quirky Awards

SHOCK & AWE AWARDS

1. Biggest BL surprise of 2023:

The last 3 months of 2023 in general got my biggest WTF award.

GMMTV fielding OffGun AND TayNew in the same quarter while also airing Last Twilight (arguably one of their best BLs ever)

That they ALSO optioned 3 JBLs

That there's a high heat omegaverse BL staring Pavel

That there were 20 BLs airing and none of them Korean.

With 5 VAMPIRE BLs announced for next year

But my prize in this category goes to My Dear Gangster Oppa.

It's just crazy:

Thai talent, Korean money + IP (this is adapted from a manwha) airing on a Chinese channel (iQIYI). Plus it was GOOD and made smart reuse of a pair who richly deserved it. I'm delighted by the eclectic insanity of this production. And wonder if any other film genre could even do anything like this.

2. The “that country did WHAT?” award:

The 8th Sense from Korea?!

I mean, seriously?! Dealing with metal health, suicide, darkness, therapy, age gap, & first time love BUT FROM KOREA? And then openness and casual boyfriend physical affection? What's next? An actual hard fought coming out narrative with an HEA? Gay domesticity and families?

Careful Korea, you'll strain something. Possibly your own culture and film industry.

I should stop having expectations of Korea, they keep surprising me.

Runners up: Korea letting OnlyOneOf do Bump Up Business not to mention that OmegaX thing. AND Korea adapting Why R U? What are you up to, Korea? Qua? Is this a coded message? Should we send help? Do you need snacks?

3. Biggest casting whoa! where did you come from? award:

GeminiFourth in My School President.

Seriously? Babies what? How did GMMTV find you? How do you exist? How is BL this lucky?

4. That studio did WHAT now? award:

GMMTV putting EarthMix into Moonlight Chicken.

And then doubling down with G4 as the damn sides.

Fucking genius.

5. I’m sad you were ignored award:

Destiny Seeker.

It's just a really fun little Thai pulp, the pairs were good, silly dialogue, plus consent and other good rep. I enjoyed it. No one talked about it AT ALL.

6. 2023 BL That Actually Made Me Lose My Mind Award?

Laws of Attraction. -The casting, the crazy story, the soapy drama! But specifically: Film playing Charn - the range of his smiles alone. GLORIOUS

I mean I Feel You Linger in the Air also sparked something in me, but LoA drove me actually nuts.

NARRATIVE AWARDS

7. Best story 2023:

La Pluie

I know, you're surprised, right? At the time I didn't chat much about it but I really enjoyed the discourse others were having. I love anything that really examines the fated mates (soulmates) trope and the idea of "the one". What a clever way to do that. (This is one reason UWMA is my favorite Thai BL.)

This one reminded me of the way Color Rush approached allegory and that's no bad thing. Such an impressive little piece.

8. Best narrative structure 2023 award:

Unintentional Love Story.

I know this may seem a simplistic pick. But I love the tidiness of this no frills contemporary romance, how the culture of work and personal ethics and corruption fight against the main character's affection and integrity. Poor baby boy is driven into a corner and then punished for it. But it is punishment he feels he deserves, and so it is up to his (now) ex to figure out what went wrong and why.

It's just great. I love it when no one is stupid or wrong, it's just impossible circumstances and unintentional love deeply felt.

9. Best 2023 dialogue (script) award:

Jun & Jun

Never before has Korea laced a BL with that much perfectly executed innuendo. It was a master class. I didn't know you could be that lascivious in Korean, quite frankly. Plus the way the 2 Juns constantly seamlessly transition between formal register (work, public - where they are boss/employee) to informal register (when they are alone and age mates + childhood sweethearts).

Beautiful to hear and watch.

10. Favorite scene 2023:

The dub con scene in I Cannot Reach You because I AM TRASH for an out of control seme. I'm sorry I just AM.

I have said it before, I will say it again, NO ONE DOES THIRST like Japan. And when that thirst bubbles over, it is heart-clenching and very hot.

11. The most rewatchable BL of 2023 award:

Our Dating Sim

That scene where they lie on the floor + the stolen kiss + giggle? Come on, it should be on comfort repeat in war rooms. It could bring world peace.

ACTORS & CHARACTERS AWARDS

12. Best performance of a queer actor in a leading role, 2023:

Fluke in Make a Wish.

It was fun to see him as an irreverent immortal and while I love OhmFluke I also really enjoyed this new pairing. It was a genuine pleasure to watch.

13. Best pining 2023:

The moot pining in Tokyo in April is...

Boys, seriously? Japan must you destroy us like this? Hurts so good.

14. Best wingman 2023 (The Namgoong Award)

Tiw from My School President

I mean, come on, of course it's him!

(Also can you believe Mark went on from this to do fricking Only Friends!? To Last Twilight! Come on GMMTV GIVE HIM A LEAD!)

15. Biggest OMG I LOVE you boys together, YAY!

Dimpled McMafia & Feral Bunny Foo Foo from Kiseki Dear to Me.

They were feral for each other.

We were feral for them

It was a whole delightful THING.

16. Most unexpected return of a BL pair? award:

The Private Lessons pair showing up in Love Class 2.

I know it was only a cameo, but SERIOUSLY? Thank you SO MUCH Korea! A big studio picking up a Strongberry pairing? I love you.

Seriously tho between them, Taiwan & Korea tried for ALL THE CAMEOS this year.

17. Well aren't you two just the prettiest? award:

NetJames in Bed Friend.

Need I say more?

18. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bah Vinh in Vian & Mr Cinderella 2. I did like either show but I loved him in them. Especially the make outs.

Yes you have chemistry with all the boys in Vietnam and you kiss beautifully. But it's okay now honey, you have the crown. Relax, you're stressing us out.

RANDOM PICKS

19. Favorite Linguistic Moment of 2023:

Our Dating Sim

Caught in the act by the elevator scene. OMG it's so funny. They're being such boyfriend shits to each other, and to be caught in the act by THAT character, and try to manifest formal language whole cloth? Hilarious.

Honorable mention to War Peanuts in Destiny Seeker.

20. Biggest disappointment of 2023:

You Are Mine

Seriously Taiwan, AGAIN you disappoint me with an Office BL? You're Taiwan, land of offices and suits. This should be YOUR SETTING TO WIN. And yet... argh. I mean it wasn't bad. But it wasn't good either. Stop it Taiwan, do better.

Runners up? Between Us, Chains of Heart, Dangerous Romance - this was a HOTLY contested category.

+ 2 Winners in the sub-category of FUCK YOU FOR THAT ENDING award:

The Director who Buys Me Dinner - I mean this nicely but: you have your lane now Korea, stop hurting us, that's Japan's responsibility and they do it better.

I Feel You Linger In the Air - I'm just hugely disappointed. Thailand ALMOST got its second 10/10 from me, but that damn ending.

Argh.

21. Best Wardrobe/Prop Use 2023

The shower of packaged bedsheets in My Personal Weatherman

Amazing. Brilliant. No notes.

22. Best Queer Rep 2023

Chot in Step By Step

In fact, all the queer characters in this show were treated with great integrity.

AND props to this cast for refusing to do fan service. GOOD FOR YOU! Fuck those sasang wankers.

Runners up? The found family cast of Love in Translation and the Rainbow Rice Cakes in The New Employee.

23. Best Meta Trope call out

Tin Tem Jai

Come on, what a zinger, but at themselves (and Taiwan)

Final question: which of the 23 was the hardest for me to pick?

Honestly? Question #1 this year. But also question #20.

(Last year: 2022's Version) 

Remember I only pull from shows that were completely finished by the end of 2023. Or The Sign probably would have taken multiple categories. But it will fall into 2024 offerings.

(source)

[iguessitsjustme]

Choose Your Own BL Adventure - Day 21

Options:

Say you’re fine and ask if he’s ready to go.

Tell him he looks nice.

Ask him if he always dresses up like that for dinner parties.

Day 20 here.

[agmapansa3008]

Well, I guess, we sort of got it after all!

So are we going to get a Pride & Prejudice-esque scene where Cher's little brother gets involved in something illegal to make money and Boss Gun has to help out with his fortune and influence and "You must know, surely you must know, it was all for you."

... no?

Just wishful thinking?

Okay.