#my love mix-up

[chinzillas]

my love mix-up th out of context - ep. 1

[absolutebl]

Hi P’abl!!

Basically, I died back in early July and have missed all things BL, GL, and all the works. I tried to figure out on my own, but I just keep running into spoilers of things I didn’t know had even aired!

Could you just give me a rundown of what’s been going on/happened? I honestly trust you with my life now~

In the last 3 months? Sure:

(I feel like this should be sung to We Didn't Start the Fire)

Wandee Goodday 9/10

Such a FUN show. A charming quintessentially modern Thai BL about a doctor and a boxer who start as a one night stand and then fall in love. Great rep for everything from Muay Thai, to safe sex, to FUN sex, to ace, to bisexuality, to smiley kisses, to the first legal gay wedding in a Thai BL. It’s a delight and I enjoyed (almost) every single moment of it. 

Century of Love 9/10

This is a great little show about a young man who fell in love with a pretty girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz.

I like this pair. (It’s not DaouOffroad’s fault I didn’t enjoy most of their first series.) Daou’s wushu is pretty snazzy and we got a fun meet cute. (Erm… Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?) Plus this is a very PRETTY show. Despite some ham handed comedy moments, this ultimately has more in common with something like I Feel You Linger in the Air meets First Love Again, then (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner.

The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen. It’s a good story and a great BL. I’m not sure this is going in my rewatch rotation, but I can’t find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lackorns. Also I’m going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as “good for a BL.” It was, to put it succinctly, simply a VERY ENJOYABLE show. 

We Are 9/10

We Are was slow to find its stride (I didn’t get into it until ep 7) but I’m very glad I gave it a chance. It’s a soft ensemble piece with multiple couples and very little plot, but I didn’t care because it’s not trying to be anything more substantial. Essentially this was a series of vignettes covering one year of uni for a queer friendship group finding love, new friends, and laughter. It’s not being harsh with us or it’s characters the way some offerings of this ilk have been (side eyes Friend Zone and Only Friends) nor did it tumble into Gen Y chaos.

In fact, this reminded me more than anything of a refined and elevated Love Sick - just with older characters and occurring within a genre that has matured too. It has that close queer friendship group meets earnest gentleness that made me adore Love Sick so much. In other words, this was Thai BL at its finest, finding it roots again 10 years on, but also stretching upwards and showing us what it could do with that original seed. So? I loved it. Did it blow my mind? No. But it left me smiling and made me belly laugh quite a bit.

Cosmetic Playlover 9/10

I loved this little show. It was a classic office BL about the older workaholic who loves his job and the younger upstart who unexpectedly loves his boss. It’s a hyung romance where everybody is extremely earnest and sweet and pretty about everything. Except our seme, who is slightly unhinged and a little obsessed in all the ways one likes best from Japan. Plus the kisses were good! I can’t ask for anything more, utterly charming unexpected gem. What a great time!

The Rebound 9/10

This was a sports romance Thai BL pulp with everything I could have asked for given this sub genre. More, actually, since MeenPing are both great basketball players and the team component really did form part of the connective tissue of the show (vital in a sports romance). Meen has his shirt off within the first two minutes which is all I needed but he's still pretty great as the sullen secret keeper against Ping's cheerful survivor - childhood sweethearts torn asunder and now reunited. Then Frank sweeps in to give everyone a bad case of second lead syndrome.

I always try to judge BL for what it is AS BL, and what it’s trying to do within its own territory and purview. This did exactly what it claimed on the tin: gay boys play b-ball and fall in love. That was all I wanted from it. Sure there was random kidnapping and a light bought of mass murder, but what’s a BL in 2024 without a touch of the mafia? You do you little pulp, I’m disposed to be pleased.

My Love Mix-Up (Thai Remake) 8/10

It was fine and it was charming, but it was also a little meh. Thailand managed to take one of Japan's softest cutest most bonkers BLs in recent memory and make it softer and cuter and… dull. They did this by watering it down. JBLs almost always have an edge to them, even the rom-coms, by dulling the edge, MLMU lost a great deal of the sparkle and tension as well. What an office setting managed to mostly maintain in the consummate hands of TayNew felt somewhat lackluster when handed off to the next generation and a high school setting. Cherry Magic was a lovely reinterpretation, Mix Up was an amateur's watercolor rendition of a colorful oil painting.

Am I being harsh? G4 tried their best, and Fourth turned in some outrageously good acting in the latter half. But the show? It was fine. If you like water colors and you haven't seen (and loved) Kieta Hatsukoi.

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans 8/10

A story about a kid who infiltrates a cooking competition under false pretenses and then has to deal with the consequences when he falls in love with the head chef. The side couple is a poor little rich boy meets physical therapist (morality chain). The core friendships are excellent and the chemistry cannot be faulted across the (charcuterie) board. What this show lacks in substance it makes up for in health code violations. It was all chili all the time.

Considering that the plot centered on betrayal but the romantic relationship never sweetened enough to balance that bitterness; one could be forgiven for throwing this one in the compost. But I got over all its weaknesses in flavor balancing for an ultimately satisfying meal, with a great dessert course. I've always loved spicy food. Plus the blooper reels were fantastic.

My Stand-In 8/10

Adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KinnPorsche.

Stuntman Joe dies on the job and wakes up in the body of another Joe with an entirely different life. But Joe just starts repeating the mistakes of his previous self - love, work, play.

I enjoyed the experience of watching this show, I looked forward to it every week. I thought everybody did a great job with it and in it, and I liked that is was something substantially different for Thai BL.

But I’m not sure I'll rewatch it or if it's bingeable. It left me feeling more sanguine than happy. Is there, objectively, anything wrong with it? No. But am I in love with it? No. I think that rests on the central characters, Ming in particular. I never liked him or warmed to them as a couple. I spent most of this show just very very sorry for poor Joe. Thus I was never rooting for their romance.

I would recommend it, if you enjoy your BL more cerebral, with complicated unlikable love interests, and a downtrodden sympathetic lead. Is it, perhaps, more JBL that ThBL? Am I biased because it's a Thai production and I had expectations? What magical carnage could Japan have done with this IP? I'm left with questions, but I'm ultimately glad I watched this.

SunsetXVibes 8/10

Classic CEO meets ingenue archetypes make for a somewhat banal and simplistic romance. This could’ve come from an 80s Harlequin, except that they’re gay. It's… old fashioned. There was nothing meta about this, there was no subversion or commentary on anything BL, queer, or beyond. It’s just a straight up (okay not straight) romance. I was not wild about these characters for this particular pair, but that’s not the pair's fault, they did a decent job with their parts and I look forward to their next show - here’s hoping it’s a bit more meaty. I preferred the side couple because they were more complex and true to BL archetypes, even if they were also a bit miss-handled.

Ultimately? This is a serviceable show if somewhat lacking in its convictions, but with some beautiful sex scenes, people, and fashion. I was a particular fan of Lin‘s gender bending femme style. It’s groundbreaking to see that aesthetic on one of the leads. There were multiple times they could’ve leaned into well established plot points, paranormal elements, and character tension, and instead just glossed over them. This should probably get a 7/10, but I’m giving it an 8 because of that one oppa line at the beginning, Tenon's tatas, and the call back to Big Dragon with that iconic musical refrain in the final episode. It was a pretty fun ride, emphasis on pretty and ride. 

Love Sea 7/10

Same couple as LITA2 (FortPeat) , new characters to the Mameverse. While traveling a writer has a one night stand with a very irritating man (who also breaks into his hotel room, among other red flag agendas). FortPeat are hot and great together, the GL sides are problematic, neglected, and forgotten. Frankly, this is probably a 8/10 show but I’m mad I wasn’t madder at it, and I'm mad I was so bored throughout. So it gets a 7/10 and let us not speak of this again. I’d like to simply forget about it. Trash watch here.

Knock Knock Boys 7/10

A story about 4 boys of differing personalities who end up living together and pair up, falling in love. Slow moving and waffling, with some artificially generated family drama makes this a classic Thai pulp except that in general it's a smiley kiss of a show. It had plenty of good qualities like great communication and sexual rep (including toys, first time, safe sex, and sexual identities). The heat levels were on point and well executed, and the performances were good. It’s just that the script and the directing were lackluster, rendering it ultimately forgettable. Still, fine on a rainy afternoon with some camomile tea or whatever.

For what's currently airing go here.

[chickenstrangers]

Kieta Hatsukoi | My Love Mix-Up! (2021)

Hashimoto about to make a well-thought out decision

[henwilsons]

ATOM & KONGTHAP My Love Mix-Up! เขียนรักด้วยยางลบ (2024)

[tanenigiri]

I'm floored that people are still liking and reblogging the collage of BL and BL-adjacent works that I reviewed two (!!) years ago. I haven't stopped growing my collection of manga, so I figured I'd make a sort-of Part 2 with a collage of some other fluffy slice-of-life BL and BL-adjacent titles I've enjoyed ever since I ended that project.

While I don't have time to give them full-fledged reviews like before, you can find some of my quick thoughts on each of them under the cut. I recommend all of these titles just as much as the 18 I included in the first collage - if you liked any of those, give these 10 stories a try!

Hirano and Kagiura by Shou Harusono - From the creator of Sasaki and Miyano and set in the same universe, this series revolves around one of Miyano's senpais and the roommate that he's been shipping him with since the start. This is every bit as charming and wholesome as Sasaki and Miyano, though I think this is a lot more chaotic considering the more hilarious take on the main pair's dynamic. I did a more comprehensive review of its first volume here if you wanna check it out.

Candy Color Paradox by Isaku Natsume - I'm not usually a big fan of enemies to lovers - the tropes they work with are rarely my cup of tea. This is one of the few stories I've read where that dynamic works really well, though, with these two reporters clashing a lot early on but finding out that they're exactly what the other needs. I wasn't too sold on the first volume but the second one really brought me onboard - I thought they treated the personal conflicts of one of the main characters incredibly well there.

My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame - More BL-adjacent than BL, this tells the story of a man reconnecting with the husband of his late brother (and no, there isn't any romance involved at all - this is a family-centric story first and foremost). It doesn't focus entirely on dealing with this loss, though - it's also a look into the protagonist's own family dynamics and troubles, with his daughter being a very prominent character here a la Tane in Our Dining Table. One of my favorites of this batch as it has a lot of heart and soul poured into it.

My Love Mix-Up by Watanu Hinekure and Aruko - The most comedic title here, this takes the misunderstanding trope to a really funny direction and builds a really good story out of it. The main couple is very adorable, and their dynamic with the side couple evolves in such a fun way that I ended up seeing this as a story about the four of them that just so happens to have two couples. If you watched the live action, the manga has a slightly different take on the story, and of course it spends more time on certain plot points, but it has the same chaotic and hilarious vibe.

Hyperventilation by Bboungbbangkkyu - I've only read a few Korean BLs, but this one is easily my favorite of the ones I've read so far. This is a lot steamier than most of the titles in this and in the previous collage, but those scenes are surrounded by a heartfelt dynamic between its two leads who are realizing that the connection they shared back in high school was a lot deeper than they thought. If you've watched the animation of this title, the manhwa's pretty much that but in book form, but I did notice some differences in the manhwa that made the story stronger in my opinion.

I'm Kinda Chubby and I'm Your Hero by Nore - I was slightly wary of this title since body image issues are quite difficult to tackle, but it turned out to not really be the focus of the story - one of the protagonists just happens to be chubby, and while there is some discussion on it, this story focuses a lot more on his growth as an actor and his newfound dynamic with the story's other protagonist. It's a really sweet story at its core, and the pun is definitely intended as the other protagonist is a pastry chef lol. (I'm also not sure if I would consider this as BL or BL-adjacent, coz by the second volume (which is the latest one so far) they aren't really together, but you can definitely sense that their dynamic goes beyond friendship.)

That Blue Sky Feeling by Okura and Coma Hashii - Picked this up mainly because the story is by the same person behind I Think Our Son Is Gay, one of my favorites in the original project. This has a slightly similar vibe, where it focuses more on exploring homosexuality and identity instead of romance, and it does so with the same interesting depth that Okura did in the other work. This one definitely has more BL tropes than I Think Our Son Is Gay though, and I'm more inclined to call it BL than BL-adjacent.

I Want to Be a Wall by Honami Shirono - "Marriage of convenience between a gay man and an asexual woman" is such an incredible pitch that I picked this up immediately, and I really enjoyed it for what it is. Said asexual woman is also a fujoshi, and the man that her husband is crushing on (who is straight) is a prominent supporting character, so you can imagine the hilarity that ensues. This isn't a comedy though - it's very much a heartwarming tale about identity and finding joy in a situation that isn't exactly the best.

Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher by Tama Mizuki - Already the second title here that has the same two-male-leads-plus-child dynamic as Our Dining Table - do you see the clear bias hahaha. This is quite far from that story and My Brother's Husband though, and I honestly thought that this was going to be trashier than it was because of the title, but I really shouldn't have judged this book by its cover as it's a great story about family and building connections with each other. It ended up being closer to Would You Like To Be a Family? in that regard, but this takes the time to flesh out the relationship between the two protagonists and the child, creating a silly but heartwarming dynamic.

Hello, Green Days by Ayu Sakumoto - Stumbled upon this short story online, and it has stayed with me ever since even if it doesn't have a physical English release (yet?). The dynamic between the protagonists is really sweet, and how it weaves in the plant talk (one of the main characters is a botany major) into the story is very clever. I also did a more comprehensive review of this before, so check it out here if you want.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you found more titles to add to your to-read list.

[sirlancenotalot]

[dramatictrajectory]

When you're stoic but you care.

[respectthepetty]

Because when a color demon is summoned by @negrowhat and @mggsttn's post, I show up!

Top 5 - Color-Coded Storytelling in BLs

Y'all already know what number one is, but let's pretend you don't. Instead follow me on this journey into BLs that gave the best color-coded storytelling. In order to be considered for this list:

The story had to integrate the colors into multiple aspects of the series: wardrobe, lighting, accessories, setting, etc.

The colors had to be meaningful to the plot.

The narrative did not explicitly state what the colors meant.

The color coding had to be consistent and featured in each episode.

The series has to be finished.

So let's begin!

Honorable Mention: Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This isn't a BL (yet it's queer, so anyone who says it isn't can argue with the ghosts), but that damn red thread of fate had me and Yiyong messed up all season! The appearance of the color red in the series was less of an alarm, and more of a signal that every single moment was connected. All those single red threads that Yiyong and his unlikely crime-solving buddies weaved each episode came together at the last minute not only to solve the crime, but to stitch Yiyong together and bring him back from the edge of death because the true message of the show about fate and dying was how connection is what makes life worth living.

#5 - Moonlight Chicken

Director Aof and Cinematographer Rath never miss, but this particular story being told in this series through the symbolism and lighting depicting moon vs. sun, coldness vs. warmth, dislike vs. love, and so much more was phenomenal. Watch the scene of Li Meng holding a crying Heart in Heart's cold, blue, dark room then witness the two kissing in Li Meng's warm, orange-ish, bright living room or watch the hatred and blue melting off of Alan as he begins to find love again and you'll understand that the color coding in this show wasn't just a simple red versus blue dynamic. This was the work of PROFESSIONALS. This color coding was like tiramisu made by the best Italian chef; it had layers and was effing delicious!

#4 - My Beautiful Man

This show did several visual devices oh-so-well. We got Hira always being lower than Kiyoi. We got the duck. We got Hira capturing Kiyoi with his camera instead of being present with him. We got traditional colors but with that Japanese twist. And all of the elements worked together to give us an elite visual story. Hira was blue. Kiyoi was white. Hira was the loyal and reserved servant. Kiyoi was a god. Yet this was the point of contention between the two. Kiyoi wasn't a heavenly being. He was a human boy devoid of love. He wanted Hira to love him, not worship him. He wanted Hira to stand with him, not lower himself. He wanted Hira to live with him, not through him. So we saw Kiyoi struggle with his color when he didn't feel stable in their relationship, but once Hira made it clear that he loved Kiyoi, Kiyoi never shined brighter.

#3 - My Love Mix-Up

Nobody does colors like Japan. It color codes its ties. It leans into the religious aspect of the light versus dark color scheme. It invents new ways to color-code and is always evolving . . . like Aoki's orange color did in this series. Our disaster bisexual started the series with a muted color and as he discovered he liked a boy and not the girl he originally was crushing on, his color started to emerge. At first it was a soft yellow, but by the end, it was a vibrant orange. Ida was a solid blue, so watching Aoki's feeling deepen for him was electric each time the blue lighting lingered on his face until it overwhelmed him. Oh, and that color exchange is the best that has ever been done!

#2 - Semantic Error

This show tricked us. Jae Young played us the way he played Sang Woo, yet Jae Young's true colors were revealed as the boys spent more time with each other because isn't that the entire point of color coding? Seeing people's true colors without having to be told? Jae Young started off as red solely because quiet and introverted Blue Boy Sang Woo HATED red. That was it! That was the entire reason Jae Young became red. He just wanted to piss off Sang Woo. But as the boys worked together and Jae Young's personality shown through, Sang Woo realized Jae Young wasn't the devil he made him out to be and was actually a pretty chill Green Guy who he wanted to hug longer than two weeks.

#1 - Big Dragon

The only reason 82% of the crowd decided to watch this show was because of the visual above. Let that sink in. This one visual piqued y'alls interest enough to watch a show about a guy drugging someone to have sex with him and blackmail him with the tape of it so he could *looks at notes* get the girl? A girl?! And the guy who was drugged, almost sexually assaulted, and blackmailed was *checks notes again* HE WAS IN TO IT?!

Y'all hated this show. I loved it. Y'all think it was ridiculous. I love it. Y'all are rolling your eyes right now. I will always love it because it understood the assignment! I can't keep repeating the same points over and over, but here I go again:

Everything was color coded!

And it all supported the story. It never distracted from the story. It never became its own story. It was laced into the story. It did exactly what visual rhetoric is supposed to - show don't tell.

And it showed me when Yai opened his heart to Mangkorn.

And how Mangkorn's love transformed Yai.

It showed me that Yai's sister was his only source of light living in that isolated house.

It showed me the warmth Yai felt from Mangkorn's mom.

And it showed me that no matter how much he protested, Yai was deep in love.

And to think it all started here.

And ended up here.

That's the power of color coding and remarkable visuals.

It makes you see the beauty is in the details.

[pigglepiephi]

I mean, he does know his friend well!

He’s definitely both!

[mojinchiimanga]

[therefugeofbooks]

cozy vibes 💫

[readtilyoudie]

MY LOVE MIX-UP VOLUME 3

[animehouse-moe]

My Love Mix-Up! Vol. 9

It's ended today in NA, and I'm sad. But also fuming because of how Minekure sensei toyed with my heart. I nearly put this volume down and walked away from the story. But I'm glad I suffered through the hell because the other side is beautiful. Ending a romance series can always be a struggle because the story isn't ending, you're just choosing to bow out from it. But I think this finale does a great job of addressing that. It puts a lot of focus into the transitional period between high school and college, and uses that to separate the characters to signal the "end" of the story. I think it works really well because they tease you with some of the life afterwards as well. It's not just "oh we're done goodbye" but it shows that the story has continued despite us not experiencing it.

All in all, I have a lot of love for this series. It's funny, down to earth, romantic, and important in regards to the exploration of sexuality and love. This whole thing started from a dropped eraser with a name on it, and it's really something to remember that and see where we've ended up now. Like a drop of water becoming a wave, almost. It's sad to see it go, but much like the time capsule the cast buried, I'm sure many (myself included) will return to revisit this series with fond memories of it.

[pooflemon]

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS HOW MUCH I LOVE 'MY LOVE MIX-UP!' NO ONE DJJ2HWJWJWK2YRZGDSDYDIY

I would love to talk to someone about it :>

[theselightsareblinding]

My GMMTV 2024 recap

A few hours before the event I was feeling pretty pessimistic but it turns out I got everything I could've asked for, which mostly refers to the GL series and TayNew. Something similar happened last year, so I realized if you give me my GL and Tay and New and a few interesting series I'll be ecstatic, I don't need anything else.

In order of how much I want to watch them:

On sale or Peaceful Property (I’m not sure which is the correct title): this is like Tha himself read my mind a made the perfect series for me. Crackhead role for New, my favourite for him, scary cat Tay, Jan and Mook which I love too, comedy, found family vibes. Woulnd’t change a thing, I don’t know if it’s BL or not but I don’t care. They also said the creators of The gifted will be working on it so I have faith it’ll be good at least.

Pluto: I would watch any GL crumbs GMMTV decides to give us but this is much more than that. Namtan and Film are a surprise couple, for me at least, but I like both so much, especially Namtan, and we have what looks like a solid plot and an interesting and mature story. Perfect for me again.

My Love Mix-Up: GeminiFourth are on it so I don’t need to elaborate much, it seems cute and I’m sure they’ll be great as always, like the director who is the same as MSP. Yes it’s a remake of a great series, do I care? No. Yes, they are almost the same characters as MSP, do I care? No. They could refilm MSP changing only the colour of their uniforms and I would watch it.

My Golden Blood: I’m still not sure we aren’t collectivelly hallucinating this series, never in my life would I have imagined something like this, but I’m 100% here for it. I actually really like Joss and Gawin both so let’s see what they come up with. Neo and Mond being part of the cast is the cherry on top.

Kidnap: I kinda love a forced cohabitation situation so I’m already sold. Ohm is great and I’m curious to see him with a new partner.

We Are: seems kinda fun and PondPhuwin and Marc make me want to watch it. Not the biggest WinnySatang fan but maybe they grow on me. I miss the time when we had 4 couples in a series like this and all had decent screen time, I hope this is something similar.

Ploy's Yearbook: girls cast, that’s enough to make me want to watch it, even if all of them have a love interest. Namtan, Aye, Film… No need to say more.

Wandee Goodday: like with My golden blood I’m here for the crack, I hope I don’t cringe too much.

The Trainee: OffGun, that’s it. I’ll watch anything. Seems fun, good cast, not that interesting storyline but we’ll see.

Enigma 2: I haven’t watched season 1 but I want to and season 2 looks even better.

My Precious: I’m going to watch it for Nanon and Film but I already know what happens in it, also I’m a bit tired of hearing about it year after year.

Summer Night: probably bad or very mediocre at least but yes I’ll be watching. Did the queerbait get to me? I’m not sure but maybe. I’m curious about it too, how Phuwin and Dunk act without their partners.

Only Boo: didn’t catch my attention but I’m not dismissing it yet.

Ossan's Love Thailand: haven’t seen the original, the original trailer didn't convince me and I’m a bit tired of Earth tbh. But my real first impression will be when I watch the trailer, we don’t even have a poster yet.

High School Frenemy: absolutely not.

This last one is the only one I’m definitely not watching, I’m overall pleased with the presentation and very excited for part 2 too. Some things I also wish for that maybe we can get in Part 2 are:

NeoMark series

Another GL

FirstKhao romcom

[absolutebl]

because of recent ask

Top 10 BLs Out of Japan 

(best BLs from Japan, these my contain problematic tropes sourced in yaoi manga and Japans brand of uncompromising emo, love of kink, and singular point of view)

Seven Days (2015 in 2 parts, grey sites & sometimes YouTube) - a faithful adaptation of the original yaoi of the same name, it’s not only one of the best Japanese live action yaois, it’s one of THE BEST BLs of all time (fight me). Contains no problematic tropes and it’s amazing (except for the hair… well that’s amazing too, just not in a good way). 

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (2022 Gaga & Viki) - I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this absolutely charming high school BL. And it is BL (rather than live action yaoi), a modernized version of the genre Japan started. Reserved cool kid must learn to communicate feelings to keep the tiny disaster nugget he’s madly in love with. It is beyond charming: soft and gentle, packed with cuteness and high school angst, thirst, & yearning. Full review. 

Minato’s Laundromat (2022 Gaga) If Seven Days is the best of the past, and Takara & Amagi is the best of the future, this is Japan’s modern take on classic live action yaoi, old fashioned and nostalgic but present. It’s age gap romance where a high school student pursues the man of his dreams (who runs a laundromat). This BL is so steeped in yaoi tropes and archetypes, not to mention a typical romance arc, that it will overload some, but those of who love this genre for its DNA will adore it. It’s the closest Japan has come to perfect live action yaoi since Seven Days (and I never make that comparison lightly). Squee watch-along here.

Old Fashion Cupcake (2022 Viki) - The ultimate in what Japan can do with this genre, and how they push it differently from any other BL producing country. This show had me from the moment they broke the egg yolk with the chopsticks in the opening credits. It’s about a younger man with a long cherished crush on his boss (ten years older and going through a mid life crisis) who decides to save and seduce said man with pancakes. It’s wholesome, comforting, sexy, and a very necessary narrative about still having hope, interests, and openness to affection at any age. It’s coming of age/queerness packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity and love and loneliness… and it’s beautiful.

My Beautiful Man AKA Utsukushii Kare (2021 Gaga) - one of the best most Japanese BLs to release in the last decade, and very very pushy about everything. It uses seriously old school yaoi derived problematic and kinky tropes, like whipping boy, for a truly classic piece that also manages to hit up themes of communication, consent, and self acceptance. It’s a wonderful BL but uniquely dirty and harsh, in the best possible way. This is a BL designed to test boundaries, enjoy the sharp edges of it or back away, because it gives no quarter. Full review here. 

Cherry Magic AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard (2020 indie subbed) - the sweetest fluffiest magical realism BL, packaged as a pinning office romance, very low heat (practically chaste) but the cutest. The opposite of the above. Pretty much anyone can watch this from grandmas to toddlers. 

 My Love Mix-Up! AKA Kieta Hatsukoi (2021 Viki) - slapstick and cartoonish but also incredibly raw and earnest look a high school crushes and first love. Also the meme generator to end all meme generators. 

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (2023 Gaga) - Lonely salaryman and talented cookgets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me with the best of what Japan can do.

Restart After Come Back Home (2020 Gaga) - beautiful atmospheric movie about returning home to find yourself and finding love along the way, more classic gay romance than BL but charming. Exemplifies Japan’s sweeping cinematic style, which they don’t often apply to BL. Full review here.  Full review here. (If you’d like this kind of thing from Japan try also Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa on Viki from 2023.) 

Life: Love on the Line AKA Life Senjou no Bokura (2020 rec director’s cut on Viki) - perfect yaoi manic pixie dream boy and the seme who loves him but can’t accept himself, follows the couple from high-school through a break up and then back together again. 

Absolute BL AKA Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko AKA A Man Who Defies The World of BL (2021 Viki & GaGa) - not really a romance at all, more a commentary on yaoi as a genre, including lampooning tropes, I would say this is a parody meta-analysis of BL, it’s essential watching for any super fan and I LOVE IT. Full review of both series here. 

Most of Japan’s older BL is movie length, and most “series” are installments of movies (like Twilight), not long running TV/web series of the style we see out of Thailand. When packaged as a series they now tend to be shorter, like those out of Korea. I talk about Japan’s history with second seasons here. 

Japanese BL (AKA Live Action Manga) in Brief 

Japan is the origin of yaoi and yaoi is the origin of BL. The earliest BL we have is from Japan (starting in 2006), and like any other nascent genre it has ISSUES. 

Most of Japan’s early stuff is depressing in that they like to kill their queers, either with the seme character becoming obsessed to the point of kidnapping, rape, and murder (the murder-gay trope) or suicide. Otherwise they end with separation by accidental death or some other form of mutilation or misery (the kill the gay trope).  

Yaoi manga also started out this way. Frankly, most queer characters enter pop culture media as punch-down jokes, token side dishes, or characters who must die. It’s a THING. 

Early yaoi manga has a wide heat range and so do Japan’s BL adaptations. They aren’t afraid to go VERY explicit, taboo, or kink (and still do, see The Novelist or My Personal Weatherman). Partly this had to do with them dealing with a wider age range than modern BL. When Japan started with BL it hadn’t firmly settled into the high school/uni age protagonists/setting that becomes de rigueur once Thailand enters the playing field in 2014. (This age bracket dominate 2nd wave BL 2016-2021.) 

Japan entered the market in a big way 2007 with 2 movies that still represent the 2 basic styles of BL origin yaoi: 

the first Takumi-kun adaptation - the light side (influencing Thailand & Korea)

plus the aptly titled Boys Love - the dark side (influencing China & Taiwan) 

These are models of what I call the “bifurcation of BL.” 

While both have very problematic tropes: 

Takumi-kun features student characters, incest, obsessive love, a strong seme/uke dynamic, and a hard fought but ultimately happy ending. This light side of BL is what Thailand and Korea would eventually pick up and run with, and which newer watchers tend to think of as BL alone.  

Boys Love features a teacher/student relationship (AKA a problematic power dynamic), even more obsession, child abuse, depression, violence, bullying, higher heat, angst, murder, suicide, and a not very happy ending. This is the darker side that China loved (before heavy censorship) and Taiwan still dabbles in. 

As movies, I don’t really recommend either, but best to watch Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers if you want a feel for the start of most modern BL and a taste of Japan’s traditional style. But Seven Days is vastly superior and will provide the same foundation. And if you want a “good” example of Japan’s dark BL I’d do Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese or Eternal Yesterday instead. 

In general, most BL we know and love today owes more to the Takumi approach to live action yaoi than it does to the Boys Love approach (thank heavens). It’s taken us a long time to get here. However, if you want a feel for the history of the warring factions that underpin the more problematic tropes of the genre (which we see surfacing in something like HIStory 4: Close to You), then you’ll probably want to watch both Takumi 1 & Boys Love. But you are in for a very rocky ride.  

Yaoi Filming Style 

Japan’s early oeuvre of the live action manga adaptations owes a lot of staging, framing, and filming style to its source. Which is to say, much in the same way that early American superhero movies cribbed their source comic books for storyboarding and scene staging, so too went Japan with yaoi. 

From a heritage BL film perspective Takumi-kun 1 in particular showcases how Japanese framing, filming angles, body positioning (staging), and cinematography for BL uses the origin manga as a storyboard. This filming style is still used in Japanese BL today (see Love Stage!!) and would go on to influence Korean BL in particular (see Color Rush). 

Some Examples

Staggered staging in central frameworks with attention paid to body positioning, posture, and stance.  

The classic tilted lens pointed over the shoulder shot. 

This style of filming is a signal maker of BL and manga/manwha and when it shows up in a modern piece out of Korea, Thailand, or Taiwan I would go so far as to say it indicates the director is familiar with the history of the genre and/or has been influenced by Japanese cinema. I have a post about how yaoi influences BL filming and how this can feel strange to a Western audience that comes to BL from romance. 

Here’s more on The Weeds of Japanese BL - why BL fans get frustrated with Japanese live action yaoi. Japan’s distinct POINT OF VIEW is discussed at length. 

This is part of a series on top 10 BLs from each country coupled with a history of BL.

Japanese BL

Chinese BL

Taiwanese BL

Korean BL

Thai BL

Also of interest? If you like this BL then try this yaoi! 

Where to watch it? Japanese BL can be really difficult to find. New series almost never air in a way that allows international fans to watch it legally right away, or (conversely) it airs on multiple platforms at once (usually Viki & Gaga). Some stuff will eventually drop on grey sites, but can be taken down quickly. Older stuff is sometimes on GaGa. You can check the My Drama Listing comment thread for links to indie subbers. 

Further into the weeds on Japanese BL, in which I tackle why people get frustrated with this kind of BL. 

ALL BLS OUT OF JAPAN as of Mid 2022 

That I have watched and rated, by date & then rating out of 10 as of June 2022.

2006 Boys Love compilation - 1 2007 Takumi-kun 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers - 5 2007 Itsuka no Kimi e - 5 2007 Boys Love: The Movie Boys Love 2 AKA Schoolboy Crush - 2 2008 Ai no Kotodama - 5 2008 Gymnasium Baby Taiikukan Baby - 3 2008 Melody of Our Love: Bokura no Ai no Kanade - 3 2008 Forbidden Love - 2 2008 Asymmetry - 2 2009 Takumi-kun 2: Rainbow Colored Glass - 5 2010 Junjou Pure Heart - 6 2010 Ai no Kotodama 2: Sekai no Hate Made - 6 2010 Takumi-kun 3: The Beauty of Detail - 5 2010 Takumi-kun 4: Pure - 4 2011 Takumi-kun 1: DaiMao Version (fan made) - 6 2011 Takumi-kun 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky - 5 2012 Fujimi Orchestra - 3 2013 Love Place: Hakanaki Kata Omoi: Gaiya no Koi: Shape of Happiness 1 - 3 2013 Love Place: Shiawase no Katachi: Shape of Happiness 2 - 4 2014 Docchi Mo Docchi: Same Difference - 5 2014 No Touching At All:  Doushitemo Furetakunai - 5 2014 Coming Out: Kamingu Auto - 3 2015 Seven Days: Monday-Thursday: Friday-Sunday - 10 2015 Candy and Kiss - 7 2015 Wait For Me at Udagawachou: Udagawachou de Matteteyo - 5 2015 Forever Summer - 2 2017 Silhouette of Your Voice: Hidamari ga Kikoeru - 7 2017 Double Mints - 2 2018 Ossan’s Love original - 6 2018 Does the Flower Bloom? - 5 2018 Pornographer: The Novelist - 3 2019 What Did You Eat Yesterday?: Kinou Nani Tabeta? - 6 2019 Athlete - 4 2019 His: I Didn’t Think I Would Fall In Love - 3 2019 Mood Indigo: Pornographer series - 3 2019 The Shortest Distance is Round (Blanc): Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute - 2 2019 The Shortest Distance is Round (Noir): Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute - 1 2020 Cherry Magic: 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii - 9 2020 Restart After Come Back Home: Risutato wa tadaima no ato de - 8 2020 Life: Love on the Line Life: Senjou no Bokura - 8 2020 His the movie - 6 2020 Love Stage!! :Rabu Suteiji - 5 2020 Sei no Gekiyaku:  Dangerous Drugs of Sex - 4 2020 The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese: Kyuso wa Chizu no Yume wo Miru - 2 2020 The Shortest Distance 3: Fallen Flowers Saitankyori Wa Mawari Kudokute: Rakka Ryūsui Japan 1 2020 The Shortest Distance is Round 2 : Rain and Soda Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute: Ame to Soda Mizu Japan 1 2021 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko: Absolute BL: A Man Who Defies The World of BL. - 10 2021 Utsukushii Kare: My Beautiful Man - 9 2021 Kieta Hatsukoi: Vanishing My First Love My Love Mix Up - 8 2021 Given: Givun - 8 2021 Pornographer Playback: Pornographer series - 5 2022 Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko 2 Absolute BL 2 A Man Who Defies The World of BL 2 - 10 2022 Old Fashion Cupcake - 9 2022 Minato Coin Laundry: Wash My Heart! AKA Minato’s Laundromat AKA Minato Shouji Koin Randori - 9  2022 Old Fashion Cupcake - 9 2022 Takara & Amagi AKA Takara-kun and Amagi-kun - 9 2022 Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! Mr Unlucky AKA Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss AKA Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! - 8 2022 Cherry Magic the movie AKA Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii - 8 2022 Mr Unlucky AKA Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss AKA Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! AKA Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! - 8 2022 I Want to See Only You - Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai Japan 2022 7 Kabe Koji AKA Kabesaa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shounin Yokkyuu wo Kojirasete iru - 7 2022 The 8.2 Second Rule AKA 8.2 Byo no Hosoku - 6 2022 Senpai, This Can’t be Love!  AKA Senpai, Danjite Koidewa! - 6 2022 Kiss X Kiss X Kiss - Perfect Scandal + Melting Night: Secret Kiss - 5 2022 More Than Words - 4 2022 Eternal Yesterday AKA Eien no Kino - 2 (this show is brilliant but SAD)  2023 Jack o'Frost Japan - 5 2023 Minato’s Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 Japan - 6 2023 The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu Japan - 6  2023 If It’s With You AKA Even If I Fall In Love With You Kimi to nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo’ - 7  2023 Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi - 7  2023 Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox - 8 2023 My Beautiful Man 2 AKA Utsukushii Kare Season 2 & Utsukushii Kare Eternal - 8 2023 My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho - 8  2023 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa - 8  2023 Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku - 9  2023 One Room Angel Japan 2023 - ? 2023  What Did You Eat Yesterday – Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 - ?

(This post as of end 2023. source)