#my ride rewatch 2023

[lurkingshan]

It’s heeeeeeeeere https://youtu.be/wMvG1LO23IM

My Ride begins re-airing on YouTube today, with a new episode dropping every Saturday and Sunday. It’s a wonderful show that not nearly enough people have seen due to limited distribution, but now it will be much more broadly available. (cc @absolutebl)

I know @bengiyo @ginnymoonbeam @wen-kexing-apologist @manogirl @callipigio @chickenstrangers @neuroticbookworm are watching along. Who else is joining us?

ETA: Full playlist with the videos in correct order is here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwr0z8ElcoF9HCchNUpXOWgH6lJb-LBXu

[gabrielokun]

[sollucets]

episode four mork face appreciation ✨

[bengiyo]

My Ride Rewatch: It's Even Better Than I Remember

Seriously, this was an absolutely phenomenal first episode. This show sets up its three couples it wants to contend with and outlines their dynamics so clearly. If you're enjoying La Pluie, you may want to also check this show out and see some earlier work from the same screenwriting duo.

We open with Tawan, likely because Fame had already been in BL with My Dream the Series (do not watch this; it's horrible and Fame's character has a horrifying outcome). Tawan is a doctor who overworks himself trying to be helpful to others. He's clearly beloved by his mom and sister. He's been nursing a crush on an older doctor, Por, for years and is excited because Por is currently pursuing him.

Meanwhile, we've got Nadia, Tawan's best friend. She's also a doctor, but kind of a hot mess. She's invested in Tawan's romantic outcomes, and is totally ignoring the hot coffee shop owner who's clearly enamored with her.

Yoon is also here and plays Toy, a medical resident who is beefing with his supervisor because he's not taking his learning or the care of the patients seriously.

Then we have the best boy in the world who is going through the worst time right now.

Mork is a motorcycle taxi driver and Line deliveryman. He supports his girlfriend through school and has no extra money. His girlfriend breaks up with him on her birthday, and it's later revealed that she's been seeing someone else. Someone richer. Mork and that guy get into a fight in the middle of traffic, and Fern (the ex) ends up slapping Mork.

Not to be forgotten are the rest of the motorcycle drivers in Mork's orbit. They are a lot of fun. (this gif is not from the first episode, but bear with me)

While watching this with @lurkingshan I kept commenting on how technically sound the first episode was. The shot composition is good and consistent. Who is in frame is chosen extremely well. The editing is crisp and engaging. The sound effect usage is tasteful, and the backing tracks are selected well. The intro also comes with art and lighter music than we normally get.

It's rare that we get two genuinely caring and sweet guys together. Sunshine x Sunshine doesn't happen often, likely because people like to see a grumpy guy soften. Shan and I noted that Mork is rather aggressive in this episode when he's upset, and we think that was chosen to give the audience that likes to see a hurt man soften could get some of what they need.

Few shows we have start as strongly as this show. So, if you have some time, please give the first episode a chance and let this show surprise you. Fluke is also going to be in The Whisperer later this year, so you'll want to appreciate his dimples now.

[twig-tea]

My Ride Re-Watch Self-Reflection

This is going to be self-indulgent and long, apologies in advance!

Something you need to know about how I watch shows: I care the most about character arc. I prioritize character arc over plot holes, pacing, and possibly even politics. This is not an endorsement for watching shows this way AT ALL and it certainly isn't a moral judgment on any viewers that do or don't do this, it's just how my brain is wired (and it's not an objective judgment on shows, either! Not every character actually needs to grow--even though typing that out is giving me hives lolol). So when a character does something that I think is either out of character or unearned by the narrative, I get annoyed; if they don't change or they keep making the same mistakes I lose interest; and if a character arc is awesome, I forgive a lot of things that can make shows unwatchable to other people.

I watched My Ride as it aired in 2022 and I was so in love with that series, it was poised to become a favourite. I was so burnt out on series that had a misunderstanding leads to breakup in the second-last ep, and this show has sidestepped that with the conversation about Khai by having Mork insist on talking right away! Plus Tawan, through the entire fiasco with Por, was always direct, he didn't run from Por and he didn't ignore his own suspicions or jump to conclusions, he sought Por out to ask directly: "Are you mad at me?" "Did I do something wrong?" "Are you seeing someone else?" I loved both Tawan and Mork so much, they clearly deserved one another and deserved happiness.

And then at the end of ep 9/start of ep10, Tawan sees Mork hug Fern and runs away, quits his job before he finishes his certification and internship?! And Mork is the one who the narrative seems to think has to prove his commitment to their not-yet-a-relationship when he's been the one committed this whole time? I had 2gether flashbacks and I did not like it. I didn't like either side couple's resolution, I didn't like that Tawan had regressed in a way that didn't feel (to me, at the time) earned, and I didn't like that Mork didn't have any (again, to me at the time) character growth.

So I never rewatched it. I remembered the first 9 eps fondly, loved so much of what the show had in it, especially Cheep and Dej and the characters of Mork and Tawan, and recommended it when it came up, but always hesitated to put it on a favourites list, and I struggled with the ending and how I felt about it--at least partially because I suspected it was a me thing rather than a show thing. And then, after La Pluie, I realized this screenwriter was good and trusts their audience and I should give it another chance and maybe pay more attention. Plus the re-airing was perfectly timed to start. So I've been (mostly) quietly watching again, and whew I'm so glad I did.

I still don't love the side couples, lets get that out of the way lol [if you don't want to think about these storylines, skip this and the following paragraph]. I think Boss is neurodivergent-coded and you don't get "over" neurodivergence through force of will (at least, not without burnout). Thinking about this couple through the lens of Semantic Error, which you could argue is very similar on paper, Toy tries to pull Boss out of his carefully constructed world, while Jaeyoung tries to make space for himself in Sangwoo's world while doing his best to follow Sangwoo's rules (though he definitely pushes--but contrast Jaeyong moving a single pen to Toy throwing whole shelves of books to the ground). If My Ride had shown that Toy didn't need Boss to completely change, and had them find a way of working through Boss' and Toy's needs to find a new normal together, I would have been much more comfortable with this story. On rewatch, I will say that Toy's initial bribery attempt was not as bad as I remembered, but that man needs to keep his hands off those bookshelves, and the show needs to stop scaring Boss in order to give Toy one redeeming thing to do, as @callipigio said that was not cute.

As for the hets, the only thing I picked up on rewatch that I didn't appreciate the first time was that despite her confidence, Nadia was also not used to being chosen by the men in her life, and so when she saw Mayom had options after coming back from Japan, she assumed he would choose anyone else and that's why she was so upset. And so, the reveal that he got this attention because he was trying to meet her expectations, and that he was thinking of her in Japan and bought her a souvenir, showed he did put her first and did choose her. I just wish Nadia had suffered longer by seeing Mayom being appreciated for the hot, talented, and kind man he is, and had visibly learned something or changed in any way because of it. I don't think she has a satisfying character arc and so I didn't like this story. [again: this is just my taste! Not every story needs to contain personal growth! I am not advocating for this to be seen as a moral judgment! It just means this story was not satisfying for my brain because of it.]

Ok, Mork and Tawan time. This time, on rewatch, I picked up on hints they dropped earlier; that Mork struggled more than I noticed the first time with his bisexual awakening; that Mork didn't like how he hadn't gone to college or university, but he had been willing to make that sacrifice for Fern. How Tawan really missed his family and wanted to eventually practice medicine in Chiang Mai. How Tawan only ran from Mork and Fern after Mork described their relationship as work buddies [he not only calls them friends, he backtracks and says "not even really a friend, I know him from work"! And as @sparklyeyedhimbo pointed out in their rewatch, Mork had literally asked Tawan to co-parent just the day before, so the messages were extremely mixed]. All of this feeds into what happens in eps 9-10.

[Mork you were like this even when you were just "workplace associates", stop this foolishness]

Firstly, the timeline of ep 9-10 struck me on this rewatch in a way it didn't when watching the first time. If I'm not wrong, Tawan was already mostly burned out; his heartache led him to use up his accumulated vacation to go home to Chiang Mai, but then came back after just a few days because Mork missed him; then went to see Mork while he was still on vacation, got shocked by the existence of Mork's kid, spent a day or couple of days with them, then made study materials for Mork and Khai (likely because he knew he wouldn't have much time in the future) and then got surprised again by seeing Fern--this would I think still be during the week of his vacation? At that point, he just wanted to go back home to once again lick his wounds but his vacation was over and he had none left (he told us he used it all when talking to his parents at dinner). So in that context, actually, quitting as an instinct makes a bit more sense--I've actually been there, at one point I was going to burn out and put in my notice, and my boss stepped in and told me to take leave instead. I'm really glad his advisor was able to do the same thing my boss did for me, and talk him out of quitting but encouraging him to take leave instead so that he could go home without messing up his future.

And in paying better attention, I realized this time around that for Tawan, going back home rather than confonting Mork both made sense and was good for his character arc. Before this, he'd clearly not been visiting home at least partly because he kept taking shifts for friends, and partly to make time for Por; so after giving up some of his time in Chiang Mai to be with Mork, it makes sense he'd want to be there when he thought he might have read Mork wrong after all. And Tawan pushing and pushing Por to get answers blew up so badly in his face last time, that retreating rather than confronting Mork actually does make sense in context. Also, like Tawan said to Nadia, he was tired of not being put first, and when Mork didn't go after him outside the garage after Fern called him back, Mork had put Fern first in that moment. And up until then the only confessions Tawan (and the audience) has gotten from Mork were in Mork's imagination; he'd flirted but not actually said anything concrete aloud. So Tawan needing something more from Mork to prove that Mork actually does feel the way he's been implying, and he would put Tawan first, is fair and fits what took place in the show, actually--my past self was I think applying an unfair lens on this as a point of convenient dramatic tension. Finally, I realized on this rewatch that Tawan leaving without saying anything, after he knew Mork panicked last time and specifically told him not to do that, could be read as Tawan being a little bit selfish, actually, (which as @bengiyo said these two characters could use more of), and leaving to be chased after could be seen as Tawan (at least subconsciously) indulging a self-indulgent impulse. Having thought that through I now appreciate it as an action of his character arc rather than resenting it.

And now we get to Mork's character arc. Because Mork is already the best boy, so what could his character possibly stand to learn?

This was my thinking on first watch, but on rewatch I think he demonstrates that he grew in a few ways. First, he goes through the self-realization and acceptance of loving another man. I didn't give that journey enough credit the first time around.

Secondly, he re-orients himself after a breakup from a relationship that spanned multiple years. I know a lot of people saw the petrol/gas analog by Dej as learning to love men instead of women, but I saw it as learning to love Tawan rather than Fern--because they are two different people, and they have different things they need from you, and he has all of these learned patterns from his relationship with Fern that he has to unlearn, including putting her feelings first. Going back to the moment when Mork doesn't go after Tawan, if you accept my reading of Uncle Dej's advice, Mork's choice not to go after Tawan but instead to stay with Fern is contextualized through this conversation as Mork falling into old habits and putting Fern's wants and needs over all others including his own. He then corrects this by not agreeing to get back together with her, but not until promising to always be her smile--in other words, he's still struggling with reorienting himself in terms of who Mork is in relation to Fern when not her boyfriend. [This also makes Dej's pointed comment about gas being cheaper than petrol a pointed jab at Fern and her demands of Mork's money specifically, which the petty part of me enjoys.]

Mork also faced his fear of heights for Tawan, though he did that before he even acknowledged he had feelings, so I'm not sure I'm counting that as anything other than Mork continuing to be the best. But when, on the mountain, Mork finally says aloud the thing he's been daydreaming about for at this point months, this is definitely character growth and feeds into my first part about Mork struggling with his feelings for a man. I realized on this rewatch that Mork always talks about his feelings for Tawan as a hypothetical or a question--"Do I like him?" "Could we be together?" "If I do like him, what should I do?" He doesn't state his feelings as a statement except in his imagination (I think--may need to rewatch again to confirm), until the confession on the mountain. So, as @lurkingshan pointed out in her post, My Ride also makes the same point as La Pluie that clear, verbal communication is key to a relationship.

Mork also gets to be a teensy bit more selfish near the end, which I didn't really clock the first watch-through. When Tawan explains why he thought about quitting and how he wanted to relocate to Chiang Mai so that he could help take care of his mother, Mork's wheels started turning and he began planning for their future together up North--again this is not new, Mork planned his future with Fern and her goals in mind so it makes sense he'd be planning his future with Tawan in the same way. Because Mork is best. But! This time he includes in his future plans his goal to get a degree and open a garage of his own. I love this, it's such a small victory but I think it's important for his character that the thing he's seemingly regretted most about his choices (giving up on his own chance to go to school) and that he did for someone he loved (putting them through school) is now something he's doing for himself (as well as for his shared future with his partner). And this also reflects Mork internalizing Dej's point about how he's got to recalibrate--because what Tawan needs from Mork is not the same thing as what Fern needed from him, and these different circumstances allow him to adjust his future plans and fit in his own dreams. Love that for him.

I love that we get the timeskip to see a glimpse into their future, beyond it just being so sweet, it allows us to see the ways in which they've fit together, and how their relationship is not perfect--Tawan forgets their anniversary, Mork is trying to establish himself in a small community that probably does not open easily to outsiders--but it's balanced in that they support each other to make up for one another's weaknesses (Mork doesn't actually care and is happy to be the one who remembers these things; Tawan is happy to pay for the restaurant).

I didn't say anything about the Tawan/Por relationship above because I didn't really catch anything new on rewatch, from the get-go I thought it was so well done. Por is believably self-absorbed and Tawan really does such a good job of trying to do everything right. He talks to him directly and listen to his own instincts, but is surrounded by people (Por, Nadia, Mork) who tell him to let it go and ignore the signs. I continue to love to hate Por. This thread is a little unresolved because Por comes sniffing back around Tawan's ward, but we didn't really need to see Tawan reject Por, which I appreciated as the show writing him off as not a threat. I did pick up more on the glimpses of the kindness that La Pluie shows its female characters in how Fern is treated; Fern is shown to be selfish and materialistic, but also legitimately struggling with their life as-is, and by showing her trying to get Mork back, at least it gives her the credit of letting her realize what she was missing when it was gone. I'm glad La Pluie went further with keeping Nara complex and human.

Finally, I have to shout out how much love this show has for queer community and found family. Cheep and Dej give Mork and Tawan and even Fueang a safe haven to come to when they're hurt and confused, and they give so much advice. Everyone else has said it (I know @chickenstrangers mentions how special it is in their rewatch but I'm sure others have too) but it's worth repeating how much of a difference this makes for these characters.

Fueang and Mork also give one another advice and support, and I think it works well in the show that actually both Fueang and Mork can mostly just give support and some generic advice, but they can't speak from experience the way Cheep and Dej can. Still, the motorcycle gang support Fueang, and then Mork, in getting their respective partners. Tawan's sister knows exactly what is going on and gives Mork a challenge to make sure he's good enough for her brother. Fueang and the gang also show up in Chiang Mai because they're so sure their bro is going to mess up his confession, and then they cheer on the kiss when it does go well.

Mork taking on Khai as his own child when his brother failed to step up is also a beautiful reflection of the love and care his uncles gave to him and modeled for him; he clearly sees them as parental figures and was able to imagine himself as a parent to Khai because of it--and he never questions whether his getting together with a man would have a bad influence on his nephew/adopted son, the way we see Jim struggle with this in Moonlight Chicken, for example. More queer elders in stories please and thank you!

I feel so much less conflicted about this show now that I've gone through this exercise. Feel free to tell me if you think I got too far in my head and overanalyzed lol I'm always open to being told I'm now adding things that aren't there. I just really needed to deconstruct why I had issues last time and what changed for me when I paid more attention. Also, this experience makes me want to binge Step by Step to see if it makes a difference in how I feel about the ending to that show...but I don't think I'm ready for that yet.

And if you read all that, you're awesome.

[distant-screaming]

Mork is the biggest sparkly eyed sunshine boy I've seen in a hot minute goddamn I love him

[colourme-feral]

THE WAY THEIR LEGS ARE TOUCHING EACH OTHER AND THE WAY THEY ARE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER??????????

WHILE DISCUSSING GOING HOME???!

[orangemocharaktajino]

I’m watching My Ride for the first time and I started watching it with almost zero knowledge about the plot. All I knew was there were gay uncles and it wasn’t a school setting.

-I almost gave up on the show halfway through the first episode because I didn’t like Por.

-I love Fueang and not only because he is my hair twin.

-I loved the violent mood swings in episode 5. Sweet festival date? Wait, was that a fucking bomb? Run for your life! Followed by Mork’s tragic discovery. Delicious

-Shit, this is gonna make me finally watch Unforgotten Night, isn’t it?

-I can only imagine how confused this poor security guard is in episode 8 at Por’s condo. He doesn’t know how to break up a fight apparently and he probably doesn’t know the context either. I liked how he just stood there awkwardly after Por and Mork quit fighting on their own. All three giving Tawan some respectful silence while he sobbed on the floor, was a nice touch.

[lurkingshan]

Having now rewatched episode 4 I’m coming firmly down on the side of not liking Toy or the Toy/Boss romance. I hate starting off a relationship with manipulation and blackmail, and no amount of jaunty music behind these scenes is going to make me think it’s cute.

Also reflecting on what @bengiyo shared about this side couple being a new addition for the show that was not in the novel. I don’t think the show needed them and I wish they’d had more confidence in the main couple to carry the drama without packing it full of side plots that don’t add value. That extra time could have been used elsewhere.

In the comments on @callipigio's My Ride rewatch post, I asked if Toy was supposed to be likable, because so many of us don't like him. And @sliceduplife asked me what is likable about Toy, and the answer is, I don't know. That's why I am asking if we're supposed to like him.

This isn't news to anyone, but in general, a romance should probably endeavor to make its couples likable enough that you're rooting for them to get together, and when that fails, well...the show is failing, on some level. Don't get me wrong! I ADORE My Ride, and I recommend to anyone I think might give it a shot. But we could jettison Toy and Boss into the sun, and I don't think anyone would miss them.

The interesting thing is (to me anyway), I think we'll root for a "villain" in a love story, if it's told the right way and if the character has enough nuance. I'm sorry to bring up KP, but I keep thinking of VegasPete. Vegas is reprehensible, and there's not much to like there, but in my experience, most people end up rooting for VegasPete. (I suppose we could also quibble about whether Vegas is really a villain or not but either way, he's wildly dislikable.)

OR! Let's take Fluke Teerapat's currently airing show: La Pluie. Lomfon isn't the most likable chap, is he? He does a lot of really ridiculous shit, and it seems he's only realized it in episode 11. But man, I am ROOTING for him and Tien. Because there's enough nuance there that a) he's dislikable, b) he's at least a little understandable and c) the audience can thus feel for him and root for him.

I'm trying to think of a show that has a similarly dislikable couple, to the point that no one cares about them or if they end up together. I keep thinking of side couples where one of the fellows is some degree of unlikable or both are some degree of unlikable but I can't think of one where I think to myself, "This guy sucks so bad I hope he ends up alone."

(Shout out to other My Ride rewatchers out there! @bengiyo @lurkingshan)

[chickenstrangers]

I continue to love Mork and his uncles and I was so happy with the scene where Tawan met the uncles for the first time. As @bengiyo pointed out yesterday, Mork doesn't really see his uncles as gay or in a romantic relationship, they're just his uncles. And it's nice for it to be so normalized, but it felt different when Tawan met them this episode. It looked to me that there was a moment of recognition for Tawan as he realized that Cheep and Dej were together, and getting support and community from queer elders is really special. Seeing two people like him that are happy, after being together for so long, even doing something as mundane as a doctor's visit, that's very lovely. Cheep and Dej are so overtly supportive of Mork, especially as he navigates his own feelings for Tawan, and I look forward to seeing how these characters will continue to care for each other.

[lurkingshan]

It’s this look right here for me

Mork, who has realized he likes Tawan, has just caught Por in the act of lying and cheating. His romantic rival has betrayed Tawan and now he knows that. In another show, that could potentially be ammunition he could use, and another male lead might be happy about it.

But Mork? Mork is devastated. Because more than he wants Tawan for himself, he wants Tawan to be loved and respected and treated with dignity. He wants him to be happy. He is utterly dismayed to see Por so brazenly betraying Tawan because he knows how much it’s going to hurt when Tawan finds out.

THIS IS WHY MORK IS BEST BOY!!

(Time for Por to get what’s coming to him @neuroticbookworm @callipigio @manogirl @sliceduplife @chickenstrangers @troubled-mind @negrowhat @blmpff @colourme-feral @rocketturtle4 @bengiyo @wen-kexing-apologist)

[gabrielokun]

[plantsarepeopletoo]

Mork is a himbo in the best way possible, I love him and his uncles so much.

Did this man just realize that his gay uncles are gay?

@callipigio @respectthepetty help, I'm dying 😂

[sollucets]

MY RIDE || EPISODE FIVE

[bengiyo]

My Ride Rewatch: They Were Friends First

I love that Tawan and Mork start as just two kind people trying to help each other. Tawan was worried about Mork being so upset, and Mork is just trying to help Tawan with a project.

These two are just genuinely really sweet people. There's no angst in their beginning. Mork is the one who starts to feel a disappointment he can't place that Tawan is taken, but Tawan is just glad to have met someone reliable and kind.

We also meet Cheep and Dech this week! @neuroticbookworm pointed out that this throwing powder into the face of a potential intruder only for them to be a beloved friend or family member is a common trope she's familiar with. I love this because this means these are gays too deep in their stories.

Cheep and Dech are one of my favorite pairs of all time. They love their nephew. Cheep is so worried that he keeps interrupting the sad music because he just doesn't want to see his caring nephew lose his sunshine.

This time around I find myself still struggling with Yoon. I'm just not into that pair. However, I do like that they're integrated into Tawan's and Nadia's life in a way that doesn't feel forced. It even led to a silly dance number that sets up the public reveal that Tawan is seeing Por.

Mork is disappointed, and it'll be fun to see how he processes that again.

Please watch along with us!

Tagging @callipigio @lurkingshan @troubled-mind @blmpff @manogirl @sliceduplife watch along.

[absolutebl]

Of My 50+ Favorite BLs these are the 10 I rewatch the most

So you could call these my favorite comfort foods. Everything on this list got a rating of 10/10 or 9/10 from me.

10 Most Comforting BLs

(for me, in order of most recently rewatched at the top)

Our Dating Sim

Korea 2023 Viki (watch the series not the movie)

This is a perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy. I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent.

Cosmetic Playlover

Japan 2024 Gaga

The most recent release on this list, it came out this year and I've already rewatched it 5x. I love this little show. It's 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 (if one is me). Plus the kisses are good! Utterly charming unexpected gem of a show. What fun!

Jun and Jun

Korea 2023 Viki

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Other boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and decent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. My only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else.

My Personal Weatherman

AKA Taikan Yoho

Japan 2023 Gaga

This style of live action yaoi really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but are so repressed they don't realize they're in love. It's higher heat than we usually get from Japan's HEA stuff, and that aspect is also very well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" trope which is only exacerbated into undiluted frustration by the fact that they're already fucking. It's great, but watching requires more patience than usual, even for Japan. That said it's also bruisingly romantic. Emphasis on bruise.

Unintentional Love Story

Korea 2023 iQIYI

OMG the plot! Uke forced into a totally understandable betrayal, falling in love despite himself, put into a corner he can't get out of, the AGONY, the PAIN in those gorgeous eyes. Gah. Okay, so: A boy loses his job due to trumped-up corruption charges accidentally discovers his ex-boss's favorite artist, now a recluse. Evil manager offers him his job back, if he can convince the artist to rejoin society. Instead, they fall in love. I found the artist a bit stiff and reserved but Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is a fucking GIFT - he carried this show (which I do not expect from the idol element). He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes, just drown in the emoting abyss. The external conflict, social tension and pressure is complex and beautifully executed, plus Korea gave us legit side dishes (NOT a love triangle, hally-fucking-luya). All that said, when I rewatch this it's usually just the second half, but WHAT a ride.

Semantic Error

Korea 2022 Viki

Sexy older boy discovers pouty younger boy has outed him as a slacker, starts out bullying him, accidentally falls madly in love instead. Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks by doing a university BL with everything we expect from BL just done exactly right. Korea's signature quality executed perfectly with added bonus good story, great pacing, stunning visuals, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL. Another one where the rewatch is mostly just the second half.

Old Fashion Cupcake

Japan 2022

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 boss 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 a stunningly filmed late-in-life comg of age/queerness story packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity, love, and loneliness… and it’s beautiful.

Yes yes. But the bit you know you want to rewatch is that long shot with the bite kiss. YOU KNOW you wanna.

Seven Days

Japan 2015

Ha! I faked you out 'cause this wasn't at the top but of course it's on the list! One of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes (rare in Japanese BL). Older boy dares the hot af younger one to date him for a week. Turns out they both like it... A lot. The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses.

Takara & Amagi

Japan 2022

I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this show, but a rewatch is way less tense. Reserved cool kid must learn to communicate 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.

We Best Love

Taiwan 2021 WeTV

WBL successfully managed to pick up and combine the best features of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL as it exists right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the greatest BLs of all time, cooking to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible. It's basically every classic BL trope bombarded at us in two parts, rapid fire, one after another. Rewatching this show reminds me of everything I love about this genre. It is the genre in pure concentrated form.

The End!

I think it's no accident that none of these are Thai, part of a rewatch for me is the brevity of the show, longer stuff does get rewatched, but not as frequently.

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