#bl show list

[le-trash-prince]

Tumblr put out its list of top 100 TV shows of 2024, and of course the only Thai BL series present has got to be the vroom vroom omegaverse show

I hope the rest of tumblr realizes we’re in for a second season ✌️💖

[littleragondin]

Favorite QL Characters of 2024

I got tagged by @lurkingshan and @bengiyo thank you both! I have watched very few QL this year compared to what came out, finished even fewer, but I still got some lovely favorites ♡

Nomoto Yuki - Tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna

I love the whole cast dearly, but Nomoto is one of my all time favorite ♡

Aoyagi Hajime - BL drama no shuen ni narimashita: crank up hen

He started my year with a bang, and I am so excited to get him back!

Tae Myungha - Love for love's sake

Not enough words for how hard i love him, truly.

Ishida Tomoya - Mitsuya sensei no keikakutekina ezuka

Everyone in this show was wonderful, but I especially adored Ishida and his journey.

Shiba Ryoma - Doku koi: doku ko sugireba koi to naru

#1 in the Best Plant Dad category.

Kurosawa Musashi - Ossan's Love Returns

I have not yet seen the original series, but I loved him so much in this one! (Contender in the "wildest in law" category).

And two recent addition to the list!

Junior - Caged Again

Like many, I do adore this sassy, fashion-forward little penguin.

Yang Zixiang - See your love

I don't care if he is a bit cliché, i just find him too charmingly adorable to not put him on the list.

I am not sure who did it yet, so if you haven't and feel inclined i will tag @iguessitsjustme @heretherebedork @petrichoraline @fandomfairyuniverse @benkaben and @troubled-mind -☆

[scarefox]

current QLs I am enjoying~

Every You, Every me (Thailand) : alternative universes, drama, soulmates, boss x assistant, car mechanic x customer, guitar teacher x students brother, BL actors, falling in love in every universe, humor, struggles, fluff, death, loss, abusive ex partner (not between the mains) See Your Love (Taiwan) : crime, thriller, drama, rich brat x caretaker, mafia business, mute + deaf main, martial arts, hurt / comfort, attempted murder, rich brats assistant x mafia assassin, dysfunctional family, loving family, friendship

Caged Again (Thailand) : mystery, drama, humor, animal to human transformation, boarding school, bullying, shy x feisty, animal trafficing, spirits, swim tournament, school clubs, friend group, nerd x dorky Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! (Thailand) : action, humor, debt collector x thief, poverty, (friends to) enemies to lovers, time jump, mafia, dysfunctional family, costuming & cross-dressing, from parents disowned children, heists, betrayal, secret relationships, wound patching, social injustice, martial arts, rich snob x poor thief, child adoption, rich to poor, violence, false friends

Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu / Our Youth (Japan) : high school, nerd x delinquent, abusive parent, secret friendship to lovers, hurt / comfort, opposites attract, wound patching Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru / Love is like a Poison (Japan) : investigation, humor, lawyer x conman, court battles, cohabitation, stern x playful, power couple, blackmail, trauma, abusive parent, talking with succulents (lol), street kids, underground gang, corruption

Petrichor (Thailand) : thriller, mystery, serial killer, forensic investigation, detective x forensic pathologist, crime investigation, enemies to lovers, autopsy, gore, incompetent police, feisty x cold, corruption, lovely siblings, coworker friend group Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring (Thailand) : thai prison setting, strangers to lovers, rough environment, prisoner x prisoner, homophobia, sexual harassment, based on a real story, hookups

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan) : Love in the Air remake, students, senior x junior, bike racing, auto mechanic, dominant x submissive, friendship, seduction, sexual abuse in the past Bad Guy My Boss (Thailand) : boss x assistant, mutual pining, power couple, possessiv, business life, multiple hookup partner, dubcon, attempted murder, shady business, jealousy, so many HR violations, blackmail, cheating, abusive side couples, spying, scheming, miscommunication, slightly dark romance

recent finished ones I rec to check out:

Affair (Thailand) : childhood friends, rich vs poor, family tragedy, time jump, friends to lovers, possessive, mutual obsession, stalking, rich to poor & poor to rich, abusive ex, divorce, secret relationship, suicide attempts, doctor x musician Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (S. Korea) : martial arts, strangers to friends, friends to lovers, bullying, unrequired love, abusive parent, time jump, stern x dorky, poor vs rich, hurt / comfort, misunderstandings The On1y One (Taiwan) : enemies to friends, mutual pining, cohabitation, nerd x nerd, power couple, dorm life, exam phases, not blood related soon to be step-siblings, forbidden love, secret love, coming of age, yearning, teacher x teacher side couple, hurt / comfort, unrequired love

4 Minutes (Thailand) : crime investigation, mystery, alternative realities, time jumping, patient x doctor, mafia, shady business, murder, hookups, drug use, corruption, death, violence, criminal x cop, hallucinations, cheating, blackmail, abusive lover (not mains), abusive parent, fixing mistakes Battle of the Writers (Thailand) : romcom, childhood friends, writer x writer, fictional parallel universe, secret relationship, friends to lovers, editor x writer, writer collaboration, BL writing, social commentary, childhood trauma, strangers to lovers Eccentric Romance (S. Korea + Thailand) : mystery, crime, romcom, childhood friends, friends to lovers, mutual pining, murder, bilingual, language students, working out, school club, friend group, investigation

Meet You at the Blossom (China + Thailand + Taiwan) : historical, fantasy, humor, dark romance, magic, rich noble families, playboy, crossdressing, noble son x assassine, fake identity, intrigues, fuck or die, royalty, doctor x servant, betrayal, childhood friends, misunderstandings, hurt / comfort at times, abduction, obsession, jealousy, abuse, imprisonment, torture, illness, implied unrequired cousin crush, abusive parent, dubcon My Damn Business (S. Korea) : office romance, short series, humor, boss x subordinate, misunderstandings, fluff, jealousy, teasing, drinking buddies, BL comic, talk about exes The Hidden Moon (Thailand) : historical & present, ghosts, mystery, horror, unrequired love, death, murder, accident, different era time jumps, ghost x human, time loop, friend group, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, f/f m/m m/f side couples, violence

[hotasfahrenheit]

my top 10 ql shows of 2024

we're a week into the new year already so i guess i should finally get this list posted 👀👀👀

to make this list, i kept an ongoing note in my phone all year of all the ql shows i watched, and then i sat down a couple days ago (*cough*a week ago*cough) and rearranged them to figure out which ones were my favourites. i didn't have any kind of ranking system going through the year (besides being very sure by the beginning of february what was going to be my absolute favourite of the year- and i was right) so this was all based on the vibes i was feeling about all these shows as i made the list, thinking back on them over the year.

i had JUST finished one of these shows so that's part of why i wanted to let it sit for a few days- make sure my ranking wasn't skewed by the feeling of having finished a show then immediately making the list right after while it was fresher than anything else. a week on, i'm still solid on these. i think. i keep looking at this list and being like "wait, did i really love that show more than this other one? did i? how is that one not in the top 10? wait but the ones above it are also just so good" and if i don't just post a list then i'll never stop fidgeting with it, so here we go!

10 - 4Minutes

was 4Minutes perfect? no, but i enjoyed the twisting layers of narrative and the speculation and discussion around this show so much. there were multiple times i thought i had things about the story figured out, and i kept being close to correct, but it kept finding ways to surprise me anyway.

9 - Love Is A Poison

this show was an unexpected delight in so many ways. it was funny, it was smart, it was wild, it was bonkers, i hope they get to make more of it.

8 - Jack & Joker

the longing, the heists, the shenanigans, the friendships, the everything about this show. it got a lil shaky towards the end but on the whole it was such a fun time, and it's still so incredible and such a triumph that they even got this show made, and i love it forever.

7 - Meet You At The Blossom

ANOTHER TRIUMPH OF A SHOW. so pretty. so splendid. so many long sleeves being waved around. so much nonsense and adventure. a fantastic pairing of characters, a fun side couple, just all around perfection.

6 - Love Sea

does this show get a biased boost in the ranking because i love Fort and Peat so much and even an imperfect show with them in it was going to be something i loved? maybe. possibly. probably. Peat spent the whole time looking expensive and pretty, and Fort spent the whole time looking like he was going to devour him, and they're just so good together. sorry not sorry.

5 - 1000 Years Old

this show gets two gifs, because they're my gifs, and i loved it SO MUCH. definitely a weird little show, but it had so much heart, and the way the story built was incredible, and it was just such a warm, beautiful show about found family and embracing your weirdness and being yourself and also love. all about love. the deepest love, and patience, and being willing to try again no matter how many times it takes. also soup, and so many umbrellas.

4 - My Stand-In

(this gif is from this set i made)

this show. THIS SHOW. the acting, the story, everything about it was absolutely insane and was all-consuming especially towards the ending of it. i love stories with complex, nuanced characters, and i love actors who can make you angry with how good they are at playing terrible people. this show had me shouting in the group chat all the time and it was just such a wild ride. an EXPERIENCE from start to finish.

3 - Love In The Big City

an absolutely stunning work of art. i watched the first two episodes with @poetry-protest-pornography when it first released then we both got busy with life for a bit; i listened to the audiobook at work the last week of December and immediately slammed through the rest of the episodes compulsively. i couldn't stay away. i had to inject it into my being. i'm aware that i interacted with and experienced this story differently than a lot of people i've seen talk about it on here because it didn't resonate with me in all the exact same ways as i am a straight person, and i saw a lot of people talking about how deeply it spoke to them about the queer experience, but the themes of loss and loneliness and searching for purpose and meaning and love were universal enough that this show did a number on my heart and soul and still is echoing in me now.

2 - Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo

another stunning, emotional show. this story had me in its GRIP from the first episode and has still not let me go. it was a rollercoaster and was such a deep tale about forgiveness and finding ways to just live life and how it's never too late for a new beginning. about how sometimes you can't let go of people, and you shouldn't. about being able to find and keep love and joy even through the darkest times and places.

1 - Love For Love's Sake

aslkdfjhalsfkdjhafd obviously. obviously this was my number one. an absolute powerhouse of a story about love and acceptance and being willing to not only help other people take second chances on life, but allowing yourself to as well. about being willing and open to loving and caring for others, and loving and caring for yourself. about taking control of your situation and writing your own future. about love, for love's sake.

THAT'S THE LIST.

everything here is obviously my opinion, if there's a show you're curious about that you loved that you don't see here, comment and i'll tell you where it ended up in my longer list (unless it's something i didn't get to this year!) and let me know how my list compares to your faves!

-------------------------------------

Bonus round: honorouble mention - Knock, Knock, Boys!

listen, as much as i loved all the other shows here, i considered making this a top 15 list instead of 10 because i loved this show so much and it didn't feel fair that it wasn't included. it was goofy, it was heartfelt, it was fun the whole way through and i really loved it a whole lot. 15 would have been too many tho, so this just gets an honourable mention at the end instead.

-------------------------------------

any gifs in this post that don't have credit under them are ones i made! i don't have the time or energy to make new gifs for every show so i just pulled from things i'd already made and had on my hard drive, or used ones made by others where needed. thanks to the other gif makers whose stuff i used!

[lurkingshan]

@incandescentflower this afternoon: you should watch Triage if you want a good time loop story

Me six hours later: halfway through Triage, foaming at the mouth, resentful of my need for sleep

[vital-information]

The camp aesthetic isn't dead. It's just doing what it's always done, waiting to be found and appreciated outside the mainstream of year-end lists and algorithms. Below, I've made a list of some prolific creators I see keeping it alive with two camp principles as guidance (apologies to Susan):

"Camp: doing more than is necessary with less than what you need." Zadie Smith, "Mark Bradford's Niagra"

"Decorative, 'amusing,' 'good theater,' witty in the right way, and likely to make heterosexual relationships look ridiculous." J.B. Priestley, "Block Thinking"

Julio Torres: the Salvadorian-American surrealist formerly of SNL

Los Espookys: a friend group uses special effects to fake paranormal activity to help rich people and government officials avoid their problems Problemista: an aspiring toy-maker must work for an art-world outcast played by Tilda Swinton to keep his visa Fantasmas: in a surreal NYC, Julio encounters a bunch of different people as he searches for a lost diamond oyster earring

Jojo Tichakorn: the Thai party-fiend with a love for the 90s and y2k

3 Will Be Free: Throuple escaping the mafia Mama Gogo: former diva inherits a male strip bar and has to make it successful The Warp Effect: High-schooler figures out what happened the night he blacked out when he wakes up ten years in the future Only Friends: Thai redux of Queer as Folk, updated for the current era The Heart Killers: Adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You and Taming of The Shrew but with gay hitmen and BDSM

Nida Manzoor: the Pakistani-British romantic punk feminist

Enterprice: two young entrepreneurs, Kazim and Jeremiah, try to escape the South London hustle and get their business, Speedi-kazz, off the ground We Are Lady Parts: an anxious med-student, Amina, finds herself drawn into an all-muslim punk girl band Polite Society: when her sister decides to give up on her dream and get married, teenager Ria tries to save her, Bollywood action-movie style

Cheewin Thanamin: gender-fluid Thai director making cringe euphoric

Make It Right: the queer messy love stories of a gaggle of highschool boys Secret Crush on You: an underdog friend group helps one member deal with his obsessive habits as he falls for a popular jock Bed Friend: A private guy has a one night stand with a casanova coworker he hates Playboyy: Investigating a missing twin, a pair of friends find themselves sucked off into the sex-work industry

Kunihiko Ikuhara: none of us knows what exactly it means

Revolutionary Girl Utena: girl arrives at a mysterious high school and has to sword fight her way to a girlfriend Penguindrum: saved from the brink of death by a spirit in a hat, a girl's brothers must repay their debt by retrieving a 'drum' with the help of some penguins Yurikuma Arashi: Two girl bears disguise themselves as humans and sneak over the city wall to enroll in school Sarazanmai: A musical in which a spirit that sucks souls out of anuses recruits three boys to help stop package theft

Kenny Ortega: gay white American brings camp to the kids on Disney Channel & Netflix Hocus Pocus: the annual favorite about the rebirth of the kid-killing Sanderson sister witches into a 90s suburban neighborhood High School Musical 1, 2, 3: How can a boy possibly like basketball and musical theater at the same time without ruining society? The Descendants 1, 2, 3: Made-for-tv cinemusicals about the children of Disney villains Julie and the Phantoms: lonely teenage girl without a mom forms a band with some gay ghost boys

Manolo Caro: Mexican showrunner who believes telenovelas can be even queerer

House of Flowers: a family reckons with their secrets and a faltering flower shop after the patriarch's passing Someone Has to Die: a conservative family in Franco regime Spain recalls their son from Mexico for an arranged marriage only to find he's brought a male dancer along as his companion Once Upon a Time (Happily Never After): musical comedy about reincarnated lovers who must fall in love to save a town's love lives Holy Family: the bond amongst a group of mothers turns dangerous as someone's past starts to catch up to them

[appleswithhoneyarethebest]

I feel like this episode choose to distract us with a bunch of cutesy romance things, for us to forget the fact that Fadel was buring/digging up something in last episode

what was that???

[twig-tea]

Top 5 moments of yearning in 2023 bl (no cheating you can only pick 5)

WOW. wowowowowowow. Wow. It's almost as though you saw my other answers before asking this (which I know you didn't because this came in first and I am Slow). Rude.

First, I need to establish a very important distinction: Pining (my beloved) is when you think or are determined that it will never happen; yearning (also my beloved) is when you think it could and are really struggling to hold yourself back from just going for it right now for Reasons. The possibility of fulfillment is the main difference.

Second distinction: Yearning is not necessarily sexual tension. It can be an element of it, but yearning is about wanting something, whether that's sex, closeness, acceptance, or something else. It's about wanting existing barriers to drop that are preventing you from having the thing you want most in that moment, whether they're internal or external, physical or metaphysical.

Finally, as much as I would love to talk about only my favourite shows exclusively forever, you did ask for my top five moments rather than top 5 shows that contain yearning, so I stuck to the rules. All that is to say, there are a couple of series on this list that I don't actually recommend lol

With that out of the way:

Top [For Real Only] 5 Moments of Yearning in 2023 BLs Because Shan Hates Me

1. Jae Won yanking and then patting down Ji Hyun before putting him in a cab, The Eighth Sense

Basically this whole show is yearning (except for the brief interlude for pining). I chose this moment because this was the first moment I was certain they both actually knew what was going on and it was clear to them both that they could have this, at least in theory; the tension felt palpable, and I really wasn't sure whether they were going to hold back or not. Jae Won is supposed to be saying goodbye, but he can't keep it in to the point where he just can't stop touching Ji Hyun (that backpack pull that happens immediately before this, guh), and Ji Hyun is also so clearly soaking it up. When the cab pulls up and they just keep staring, there was a real question in my mind about whether they were going to break and just go for it or not. For these two it's not just about sex; they yearn for version of one another they are when they're together, and they don't want the spell to end.

2. Khun Lu and Ken almost kiss while naked in bed, Chains of Heart

I'm still not entirely sure I know what happened in that show, but the yearning between these two was palpable the whole time. In this particular scene, Ken has just seen a hint the previous night that Lu is in fact Din, his missing-presumed-dead lover, and he's already previously rejected Lu on the premise that Din is still alive and is the only man he'll ever love, even though he feels drawn to Lu. Up until then, his yearning was for Din, though he also felt something for Lu. Now suddenly he's presented with the possibility that he's already reunited with his lover, which is all he wants, though he's unsure that's what's happening. On the other side of this equation, Lu has been wanting as much of Ken as he can charm, trick, or beg for. He just wants him now, here, under the pretense of this new body, because he knows Ken will never be safe if Din is thought to still be alive. At the same time, he is torn between wanting to be near Ken to keep him safe and wanting to stay away to keep him safe. Yearning barely covers it.

3. The post-sex breakdown of Yai and Jom in I Feel You Linger In The Air

This scene was particularly painful because the yearning only hits harder after his orgasm, rather than the catharsis Jom was probably expecting. In this scene they weren't just yearning for one another physically like in earlier parts of the show; they are yearning for a future they can't have together but both want and in this moment feels like it should be possible. Yai really looks like he wants to meld into Jom's skin. The way that sex does not break the yearning is quietly devastating. Is there anything worse than having everything you want in your arms but knowing you can't keep it?

4. Patts desperate to get through to Saengai on the other side of the door, La Pluie

@liyazaki the tumblr gif search is not crediting you properly so adding a tag to you here!

Listen, Patts has been yearning for reciprocation from his soulmate for years before he meets Saengtai, and it did not at all stop once they met, it just changed in quality. He's always yearned rather than pined because with soulmates comes the expectation that it will work, because of 'destiny'. We saw him say in a flashback that he thought his soulmate could be platonic, and I do believe him when he says to Nara that he'd be fine with that, because what he really yearns for is to be understood and wanted for himself (hence the heartbreaking line "is it that hard to choose me?" that comes before this). The fact that someone had a "destined" connection to him and rejected him for years took a real toll on this man. The way he claws at the door in this scene will stay with me into 2024.

5. Minato and Shin at the Onsen, Minato's Laundromat s2

As much as I dislike where this season went, a yearning list would not be complete without Shin and Minato. We spend a lot of time with Shin's yearning in this show, but we get glimpses that Minato is actually yearning too throughout the season and especially at the onsen. In this scene, he tries to get drunk to get past his own insecurities, but it doesn't work as well as he wanted. This scene was all about Minato articulating all the ways he also yearns, and how it's overwhelming for him--and how that overwhelm is frustrating. I love this outpouring of Minato's frustration around his own internal blockers to what he wants. Also Shin swallowing in this gif makes it perfectly clear he is also Suffering. Perfection.

Bonus and it doesn't count as cheating because it's not a BL SO THERE:

Sam and Mon comforting one another after Sam's grandmother found out about their relationship, GAP

This show was such a mess but my god these two women wanted one another so badly, and I appreciated the hell out of that. It felt like yearning rather than pining until near the end, because all through their getting together phase they insisted on such an intense level of denial that they didn't even seem to worry about what they wanted being impossible, they just knew they didn't have it yet. So they did things like bite one another and pretend it was platonic and wonder why they weren't satisfied. I was thinking about going with an early scene where they barely resist the urge to make out, but instead I went with this one because I think it's a double-whammy. in this scene, Sam is trying to get Mon to tell her what's wrong, and Mon confesses that Sam's grandmother saw her at her house and asked her to leave Sam. Instead of pulling away, Mon clings to Sam, and Sam apologizes to her for not being there for her. Sam thinks she can talk her around to accepting Mon. "Don't worry; I'll talk to her. We'll get through this". The yearning here is for them to be together and safe; accepted by their families and happy, and not feeling this pain. I don't recommend this show, but there is something to be said for the way it showed the impact of intergenerational trauma and the very real yearning so many of us feel to just be accepted as we are.

[lazzarella]

2024 Roundup - BL edition

It's done!! I spent WAY too long on this post and I have no idea why, but I've done it now haha

2024 was the year I started watching live action BL series (I went over how I got here a bit in this post, so I won't go over it again; I also reflected a little on how nice it's been to watch all these shows), so my focus wasn't on watching what's new (everything was new to me) but mostly playing catch up. That said, I did watch enough 2024 releases to let me do a top ten, so why not?

In all honesty, I'm a little embarrassed to be posting this. Like I said, I only started this year, so I'm not really sure my top shows of the year are particularly valuable or interesting to anyone but me, but I do love me a list! And I spent all this time on this post, so, here we go?

First, some numbers:

I watched around 25 or so 2024 releases (some spanned 2023 and 2024, but I don't feel like double checking all the 2023 releases I've logged on MDL to check when they started and finished). Of those 14 are Thai, 4 are South Korean, 5 are Japanese, 1 is Taiwanese, and one (Meet You at the Blossom) is a Thailand/Taiwan co-production iirc

My ratings ranged from 7.5 to 10, but honestly there was nothing I hated. Some I felt 'meh' about (which I won't talk about here) but even those had aspects I thought were really good. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I'm happy. Anyway. Onto the list!

More details under the cut (with possible spoilers, but it's most personal reflection rather than any kind of analysis), but if you want just the list:

Cherry Magic Thailand

Wandee Goodday

Century of Love

Kidnap

Happy of the End

Monster Next Door

Love for Love's Sake

Boys Be Brave!

Love is a Poison

We Are

CHERRY MAGIC (THAILAND)

(This spanned 2023 and 2024, so I'm counting it!) Image from BL Watcher, edited by me

This is such a special show! Being new to BL this year, I watched this not long after I watched the Japanese live action version, and I was kind of worried it might suffer for it, but I loved it just as much. They both had aspects I liked better than the other, but I love this show so much. I've watched it three times now I think? It was my introduction to Tay and New and I fell head over heels for them haha

I really enjoy the friendships in this, but, as I'm here for the romance, I have to say Achi and Karan's love is one of the sweetest and swooniest romances I've seen maybe ever! That beach scene lives rent free in my head <33 it's also nice to see a romance with characters (barely) in their 30s

WANDEE GOODDAY (THAILAND)

Image is my own cap

This was the first show I watched week by week and I had a blast. It's been a long time since I've done that, but it was really (mostly) fun to see everyone's reactions as each episode aired

But it was a delight from start to finish—a very joyful, fun show, that I thought handled most of the heavier aspects well and all that dreamy neon was so pretty to look at. Great and Inn have excellent chemistry and their acting is really incredible. I can't wait to see them in Memoir of Rati!

(My posts on Wandee Goodday)

CENTURY OF LOVE (THAILAND)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

I waited until most episodes were out to binge this one and I'm glad I did because I think the wait would've killed me each week! I can go either way on reincarnation stories (I really like a reincarnation murder mystery though, just as a sidenote) but I really enjoyed the way it was handled here. Daou and Offroad are so lovely together (I immediately went to watch Love in Translation, which I also loved) and I enjoyed all the side characters too. The tone of the show is very much in line with what I enjoy

KIDNAP (THAILAND)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

This show was absolutely perfect to me! Ohm and Leng have incredible chemistry, and I love that Min and Q are not only tooth-achingly in love, but they're also very much in lust. The physical affection in this was so good. And not just the kissing and sex, but the hugging too!!! They made hugging an art form!

A really sweet, fluffy rom-com that was a balm for my troubled soul <333

(My posts on Kidnap)

HAPPY OF THE END (JAPAN)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

A lot heavier than the other shows on this list, but gosh, it was beautiful. I'm such a sucker for 'broken' people finding solace in each other and trying to navigate a way to be happy together. I don't have a lot to say about this one because there was so much to unpack, but I thoroughly loved it, and the acting was so good

MONSTER NEXT DOOR (THAILAND)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

And now for something completely different!

This has to be one of the sweetest things I've ever seen in my life! God and Diew gave me a toothache every week, but I thought it dealt with some of the more serious aspects really nicely too. I enjoyed that the conflict was from their different personalities and ways of socialising and loving, essentially. As sugary sweet as this was, I found that aspect to be very realistic and grounded. But the best part was that neither was set up as being 'wrong' for being the way they are! They didn't have to change who they fundamentally are—just make some small adjustments. The acting was really good, too, and Big and Park have great chemistry! Looking forward to their next show

LOVE FOR LOVE'S SAKE (SOUTH KOREA)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

As I was watching, I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I wasn't like 'yeah, this is the best thing ever!!' But for weeks and weeks after I kept thinking about it. There's something very arresting about it that kept it in my mind. I love the idea of getting a do over in the form of a virtual reality game and it also vaguely reminded me of two of my favourite shows of all time: Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. The romance was very sweet, but felt grounded by the heavier themes of the show. And, gosh, it is GORGEOUS! Such a pretty looking show.

BOYS BE BRAVE (SOUTH KOREA)

Image from World of BL, edited by me

This show managed to be totally chaotic and totally sweet at the same time. Another very pretty looking show too! I adored Jin Woo and Gi Seop with all my heart and I like what it had to say about the ways we try to protect ourselves can end up hurting us (and others) in the end

LOVE IS A POISON (JAPAN)

Image from BoysLoveBuzz on Twitter, edited by me

Courtroom dramas (or dramedies) aren't really my thing but I DO love socially awkward weirdos falling in love, and I love lonely people finding a home in each other, and this was very funny and sweet and well acted!

WE ARE (THAILAND)

Image is my own cap

A show that didn't make me long for romance, but ache for the kind of friendship I've never really had, though certainly came closer to in my younger years. I think it's the kind of friendship you really only can have when you're this age. Maybe? Or maybe not! Anyway, enough old lady navel gazing...

Overall, it's a lovely, warm series about friendship and love that brightened my week and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I've met some cool people because of this show AND it introduced me to my beloved Aou and Boom

(My posts on We Are)

And I want to give a special mention to Meet You at the Blossom! That was a wild ride too

Anyway, I highly doubt anyone's read all that (I barely wanted to re-read it myself haha) but if you DID, then thank you! It's been such a joy to delve into these shows and to have such a wealth of happy queer romances to enjoy. I do wish I'd found them sooner, but I've found them now, and I can't wait for what 2025 has in store

My BL Masterlist (ranked by country) / MyDramaList

(Images in the main baner for this post are a mix of my caps, caps found on MDL, World of BL, BL Watcher and the same twitter account I mentioned under Love is a Poison; I realised a little too late it might not be okay to use other's images, even with credit... Although, I think the World of BL images are mostly grabbed from the Gaga previews, anyway)

[unpopularopinionbydemand]

Top 10 BL Series of 2024 !

Another list nobody asked for, but I'm bored, so here we are.

Overall, I saw 39 series this year (lower than it ever has been before, but I was not on my zoom for the first 6 months of 2024), and what I've noticed is that it has steadily gone down ever since I've been watching since 2020.

Previous years:

2020 - 60 series

2021 - 44 series (not sure what happened here??)

2022 - 68 series

2023 - 46 series

Even still, with 2021 and 2023 also being pretty low, I still can't believe that I only managed to watch 39 series within a year.

Ratings of 2024:

10 stars - 3 series

9 stars - 8 series

8 stars - 10 series

7 stars - 10 series

6 stars - 4 series

5 stars - 3 series

4 stars - 1 series

1-3 stars - 0 series (if i think it's that bad, then what's the point of watching...?)

I think with this year, I scored a lot differently than I did in the past, and I let the overall flaws or critics of a series overpower my overall enjoyment of it, which kinda stinks, but that's okay.

My Goal for 2025:

I can't really predict what I see and if I'll like it or not, but I'd like to at least rate 6 series with 10 stars.

I wanna pay more attention to the music and OSTs in series! I basically rate music between 5-7 because I never care to pay that much attention to it, and really only rate it a 7 if it was something I can remember. This time, I'll try to not skip through the intro and be able to remember the OST/Music.

And Lastly, my biggest goal that I have zero effing idea if I'll be able to do or just completely fall straight on my ass: watch at least 60 series this year. We'll see...

Anyways, getting into the actual point of this post, my top 2024 BLs! This list is as predictable as any other list seeing as I only watched what was popular or most talked about instead of going off of my usual list. I still haven't even watched a couple of the standout BLs of 2024 like My Stand-In, The Curse of Taekwondo, 4Minutes, Love in The Big City, or Monster Next Door (I will be on it this year 🫡).

From Most Favorite to Least Most Favorite: I will link my review for each series through the title (Potential Spoliers!!)!

1. Anti-Reset (9-stars)

I know, it shocks me too, but the reason it's my overall number one series of 2024 is because it was able to get me out of my very occasional BL slump. I desperately needed something new, something that wasn't a bunch of uniforms or office jargon, and this series was just perfect. It's the first in the BL genre (to my knowledge) that takes on the robot/human trope and I ate every single second of this series up.

Now the story isn't perfect, but it provided me with everything I usually love in a series, and all of it was wrapped in a pretty bow and left on my depressing door step.

2. I Became the Lead in a BL Drama (10-stars)

With only 3 episodes, each about 45 minutes long, IBTLIABLD hits hard in all aspects, specifically making me laugh my ass off, but also hitting you in the heart where it hurts. 

The leads' dynamic was so heartwarming to me. The perfect height difference, the perfect balance of cheeky and cute, portraying moments that made me pause so I could laugh, or moments when I had to pause so that I could regain my composure and not cry. A truly lovely pairing, played by some really fantastic actors.

3. Takara's Treasure (10-stars)

How can one be so perfectly handsome and incredibly endearing simultaneously? I'll tell you who, Eito, the mastermind behind the character Taishin who's an all-around cutey that I wanted to put in my back pocket. But besides how adorable he was, I thoroughly enjoyed this JBL. It balanced out the actual story plus romance very well, and I watched this without being bored or skipping through or wanting to scream at my laptop.

Taishin and Takara's relationship is my cup of tea. The stoic seme and the bubbly uke, urgh, they were perfect. And again, what added just the perfect cherry on top was Eito, who's the prettiest, cutest, most handsomest man I've seen in BL in a while, and he can also act!

4. Century of Love (9-stars)

I'm amazed at the amount of focus I had while watching this BL. I was able to watch it thoroughly and throughout without getting bored, or skipping past, or fast-forwarding. The entirely of the plot flowed perfectly, it never strayed into unwanted or unnecessary side arcs, it all was told in favor of the main couple, and I loved it. 

San as the man that waits 100 years to be back with his love, and Wee, the uncanny Ms.Wad reborn. This had my name written all over it. It reminded me a lot of the Korean series "First Love Again" which I adored for the longest time, and this trope has made it's way up the ranking of things I hope to see more of.

5. Two Worlds (9-stars)

I'm so happy that I decided against my better judgment and decided to watch this series because, in the end, I actually really liked it. Some parts give you a run for your money, and others I'm not so sure about, but overall, this series has more ups than downs, and tells a story interesting enough to keep me engaged.

Some of the best NC scenes in BL, and I don't say that because they were naked and we saw everything (and I mean everything), but because there was so much love poured into the way it was acted out, and you can tell it was genuine and organic. Great job to Max and Nat.

6. My Love Mix-Up! (7-Stars)

Had I been discussing the first 8 episodes of this series, I would've told you it was an amazing, jaw-dropping, brilliant series. Except, they went on for 4 more episodes and it completely plummeted on its face after that. What could've been a really neat and tidy 8 episode series was stretched to fill that usual GMMTV 12-ep series, but in reality, it should've just stayed 8 episodes.

Then you ask, "why is it in your top 10 of 2024?", because I loved Half and Mudmee more than I can explain in words... literally. There was one point I was specifically watching for purely only them, and even skipped through some of the boring stuff between Kong and Atom. Even though by the end of the series, Half and Mudmee are done terribly wrong, it doesn't matter cause that's just how much I stinking loved them.

7. This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (9-Stars)

They executed this series so well, and it's seriously why I love this production company so much. They don't do the unnecessary long stares or dragged-out conversations or irrelevant side plots. They stick to the story, going from point A to point B, and everything that we see in the series happens for a reason. The conversations are all what they need to be, and the story flows with little to no unnecessary bumps.

They took their NC scenes to a completely different level, one that I don't feel like I see often. it's obviously well acted out, and the actors were comfortable enough with one another to execute such amazing scenes. But even with the jaw-dropping sex scenes, my utmost favorite part of the series is Oab holding Wan accountable for his actions and them having an open and honest conversation before getting back together. Lots of time the plot can be lost for a quick resolution between two characters, but the writers ensure to the audience that it's going to take much more than that, and that made me happy. 

8. We Are (7-Stars)

I actually really enjoyed this a lot, initially. The set up of the characters, their dynamics, the start of their relationships, I really really enjoyed it. However, once you get past the 11th episode, with some little hidden gems in the latter, this series falls completely on its face.

Tan and Fang. They were everything to me. The stoic uke and bubbly seme, literally my favorite trope ever, I absolutely loved it down to pieces. Aou, hands down, played the best out of all the characters. His personality doesn't waver, he continues being supportive and protective and clingy, and I loved him. There the reason this series makes it into my top 10.

9. Cherry Magic Thailand (8-stars)

The few first episodes were the best out of the entire series. The building of the characters and the setup of the overall plot was golden. I was sitting on the edge of my seat throughout it all, feeling so intrigued with Achi listening to Karan's thoughts, the connection between Achi and Jinta, the office relationship, and the overall pleasantness of the series. I'm glad they kept the iconic elevator scene and they executed it perfectly.

Junior (Jinta) was by far my favorite actor/character. He took this quirky role and made it work perfectly in this remake. His conversations with Achi, his reactions to MIn, his way of analyzing and thinking and reacting, all of it was legit perfect. It was also so nice to see Mark (min) again since Sky in Your Heart. He did an incredible job in this -- showing how versatile his acting is compared to his character in SIYH. Their setup was nearly perfect, and their continued build-up was so good that I was rooting for them more than I was for Achi and Karan at one point (even though their story was a bit upsetting).

10. Sahara Sensei to Toki-kun (8-Stars)

In the first couple of episodes, I was immediately hooked on the story. Toki, a delinquent falls for his PE teacher who is everything opposite, and it starts the tale of a wild, hilarious, and rather touching romance story.

There are some parts that hit the nail on the comedy, and while this series is heavily overexaggerated, that is probably my favorite part. Rinataro as Toki plays up the dramatics so perfectly in this, it's insane. From his facial expressions to the way he talks, to his body language, I loved all of it. 

very VERY excited to see what the new year brings us. A few of my most anticipated series of this year (in order) that I'll most likely do episode reviews on:

Happy Ending

The Next Prince

Boys In Love

Burnout Syndrome

I'm the Most Beautiful Count

Thanks for reading all of this :)

[ranchthoughts]

BL WRAPPED 2023

thanks for the tag @distant-screaming (here)! I decided to get a little creative with it, and also customized it a bit to myself (I'm not a big soundtrack or fanfiction person).

This also functions more or less as my "First Year in BL" post - I watched my first BL in mid January 2023, made this sideblog in mid March 2023, and I haven't looked back since.

I'm going to tag @airenyah, @chickenstrangers, @colourme-feral, @sollucets, @twig-tea, @waitmyturtles, and @williamrikers to do any version of a wrap up they please (or none at all!). I'm also curious to see other people's years summed up, so if you're reading this feel free to tag me - I haven't been on Tumblr much lately so I know I've missed things.

[watchthisqqq]

All the Bls I’ve watch in 2024

This is my first year watching Bls. I randomly decided to watch Cherry Magic last December and became super hooked. I feel like I might get canceled for some of these rating but these are just arbitrary did I like/enjoy myself while watching. Nothing to do with the quality or if they are good or not. Also because I’m new I might not take note of things others would. Feel free to ask my to justify my ratings.

Completed Shows:

Cherry magic 10

Cherry magic (JP) 9

3 will be free 9

Water boy 6

Bad buddy 8.5

2gether 6.5

Kinnporsche 8.5

I cannot reach you 6.5

Dark blue kiss 6

Kiss me again 6.5

Kiss series 4

Moonlight chicken 6.5

Mr. Unlucky 7

Jazz for two 7.5

Bump up business 3

Love in the air 7 for part 1

My school president 7

Grey shelter 8.5

Wedding plan 7

Laws of attraction 8

Blueming 10

Unintentionally love story 9

Kiseki: Dear to Me 9

Breeze of love 6.5

Love for love’s sake 10

Love in translation 6.5

Bed friend 7

Love mix up (Japan) 9.8

Naughty babe 7

The director who buys me dinner 7

Love tractor 6.5

Bon appetite 8

My Only 12% 9

Manner of death 9

A man who defied the world of bl 7.5

At 25:00, Akasaka 8.5

Old fashioned cupcake 10

Knock knock boys 9

No one cares about old man’s underwear 9.8

Utsukushii Kare My beautiful Man 8 (Haven’t seen the movie yet)

Unknown 9.5

Our dining table 9

Semantic error 8

My personal weatherman 8

My stand in 8

Our dating sim 7.8

The rebound 8

My pornographer 9.5

Candy color paradox 7

Triage 8

Jun and jun 7.5

Century of love 7.5

I told the sunset about you 10

His (movie) 4

Roommate of poongduck 304 8

Our love doesn’t have long beans 7.9

Seven days Monday-Friday 8.5

I became the main role of a bl drama 8

Cosmetic play lover 7

About youth 7.9

My love mix up (Thai) 6

Love is better the second time around 8

Sunset x vibes 5

Takara’s treasure 8.5

Takumi pure Kim 4 -6

Perfect Propose 7.5

The Effect 7

The time of fever 9.5

4 minutes 7.5

I hear the sun spot 6

Tokyo in April is… 7

Restart after come back home 9.5

Jack O' frost 8

Sugar dog life 6.7

On1y one 10

Jack o’ frost 8.5

DNA says love you 8

Happy of the end 7

End of the world with you 6.7

If it’s with you 8.3

Love in the big city 9.8

The New employee 8

First note of love 6.5

I saw you in my dream 7

Minato’s laundromat 9.5

Stay with me 7

Let free the curse of taekwondo 10

Smells like green spirit 7.6

Eccentric romance 6.7

All the liqueurs movie 7.2

History 2: Wrong or right 9

History 2: Crossing the line 9

Dominant yakuza and wimpy corporate slave 6

Plus and minus 6.9

Light on me 8.5

Blue Canada’s of youthful days 7.3

Blue complex 7.5

I am your pet 7

History 3: make your days count 9.3

Mr. Heart 6.8

Where your eyes linger 9

History 3: trapped 9.8

Cherry blossoms after winter 6.9

My damn business 7

My tooth my love 9.9

Rule 1 no dating 7

Love is like a poison 8.8

Watching:

Our Youth

Caged again

Your Sky

See Your Love

Winter is not the Death of Spring but the Birth of Summer

Eternal Butler

Thame Po

The Heart Killers

Unfinished shows:

We are

Love sea

Wandee

The trainee

Every you and every me

Addicted heroin

Kidnap

Jack and Joker

[homiehopper4life]

Spoiler meme:

[faillen]

holy shit thamepo's production value??? what is going on

[dribs-and-drabbles]

The Thai Communal Wardrobe item #72

The Warp Effect ep 10:

UMG ep 9:

for @slayerkitty from @respectthepetty 💙💛

[pharawee]

🖇️BL WATCHLIST FEBRUARY

🎬To Be Continued - 3PLUS | NETFLIX - I won't be able to watch this as it airs which doesn't stop me from making heart eyes at Fluke Pongsapat. 🥰

🎬Time - GAGAOOLALA - I'm mostly watching this so I can figure out what M.Flow saw in this script.

🎬1000 Years Old - GAGAOOLALA - New favourite show detected.

🎬Playboyy - GAGAOOLALA - 🍌🍍🍈🍎🍑🍐

🎬For Him - IQIYI - Messy uni bl my beloved.

🎬City of Stars - IQIYI - This is going to be my new low-stakes comfort BL - in best Star Hunter tradition.

🎬The Sign - YOUTUBE - The fantasy lakorn BL of my dreams.

🎬A Secretly Love - WeTV - My long awaited oldschool uni BL with Kut and Kimmon is finally coming. If this doesn't have an inter release I'll cry.

🎬Dead Friend Forever | DFF - IQIYI - Okay, now I'm invested - mostly in Jin staying alive.

🎬The Whisperer - YOUTUBE - Will we ever get to watch that last episode?

🖇️COMING UP

⭐Pee Nak 4 - CINEMA - I love these movies and I'm counting the days until I can finally watch this. Maybe this time we'll even get some MeanPlan as a treat.

⭐Man Suang - NETFLIX - It's supposedly coming to netflix globally and in an extended version.

🖇️FINISHED

🎬7 Days Before Valentine - WeTV - This beautiful show has my whole heart and I'm going to miss it.

🎬Pit Babe - This wasn't supposed to consume my whole llife.

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