#triage series

[iguessitsjustme]

I woke up with Triage thoughts. No idea why. Anyway so Tin actually ended the time loop. His goal was to save Tol’s life and by dying in his place, Tin succeeded so the time loop closed. That’s why Tol only had one chance. He didn’t enter a time loop, he went back in time.

[asylumwise]

Not to be delulu on main but don’t this look suspiciously like their Triage haircuts?

[thymo-leonta]

i had this tumblr post and triage stuck in my head for a while so i finally made the dang edit.

[pandasmagorica]

Triage question

Just discovered Triage is on HiTV. But it's strange. It feels like it's starting in the middle, as if he's already been through the time loop before at least once, as he is waking up a subsequent time on the 18th and has already met Jinta, the supernatural or heavenly being, and is getting his morning exam for at least the second time. But the title says it's episode 1. The HiTV desktop interface is difficult to deal with, feels more like a mobile app, so I can't pause, change where in the episode I am, or navigate the site easily.

Can anyone advise? Does episode 1 start in the middle? It does have brief opening credits saying it's Triage, so whatever episode it is it does seem to be the beginning of that episode.

Looks like they also have Jack & Joker and Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo, but Triage is my top watch priority.

Also, anyone know more about HiTV? I can only seem to get 720p and can't go full screen (though I'm not sure I want to on a 4K screen if it's only 720p). Do you have to join to get better resolution?

@absolutebl I've never seen you mention this service. Can you shed any light? You would know if anyone. They seem to be mostly KDrama.

(update)

Just tried another browser and saw the full opening credits. I think what happened is that when I switched to 720p, it also skipped forward to the middle of the episode. I can't access the progress bar, so I can't tell where I am in the episode or jump around.

My pointer disappears when I'm over the video, so I can't tell where I'm clicking. The user interface is terrible. The controls disappear and I can't make them come back by moving my pointer to the bottom edge. I tried in three different browsers.

Does anyone know how to interact with this thing? I can't pause it so I have to be ready to watch the whole episode at once.

There doesn't seem to be any info on subscribing either without signing up.

(update 2)

You have to click the video to get the controls back. And you have to act fast or they disappear again. I hate it when sites have nonstandard user interfaces.

And I still can't find information about the paid service without logging in first. Their pages don't have the usual links at the bottom for about us, FAQs, support, subscription info. I want to know what the terms and pricing are before I create an account. Grrrr. Gaga and Viki show this information without having to log in.

(update 3)

I've seen one web site claiming it's a legit site and another one claiming it's a pirate site that's been banned in India. I don't watch gray if I'm aware of it, so I plan to stay away until I can learn more about this site.

It's also hard to search for because there was apparently a streaming service in Nigeria with the same name.

[loveisactivated]

Rest your head against me.

[respectthepetty]

Wild Ass Theory - IT'S ABOUT TYME!

As much as I think Tyme is coding on that table in the first episode, I believe both of them are dying, and it would make sense that Great is on the table coding at the exact time that Tyme gets shot since that's what we were shown, which could mean they end up here as some sort of limbo

Because at first, I thought maybe they'd go on a little vacay together, but we only have eight episodes to bake this biscuit, so . . .

Tyme wants to stay in limbo but Great knows neither can, especially Tyme who needs to survive, and when Great is banging on the door in the trailer, it's Great's apartment that he is in because the paintings and pool table are there but Great is missing.

But the biggest WTF is in the first episode scene when Tyme is shot, it's raining on him,

Just like it is in the hallway from the trailer.

TYME NEEDS TO LIVE!

I think the light from the doorway is the light the patients mentioned seeing from the operating room, so I don't think this is the light of heaven. I think Tyme will survive, but Great is wearing white all the time which the patient said she thought were angels but were actually nurses, but . . . like . . .

Once a character wears white, chances of death increase because blood shows up well on white or something, but also Great's powers are pulling him to Tyme which we saw with him being kicked back so he would accept Tyme's dinner request, so all roads are leading him to Tyme, so is Great the angel who is supposed to save Tyme or even sacrifice himself for Tyme?

Once again, as much as I think Tyme is on that table, it makes sense that Great is being operated on because we keep seeing the light over him as if he was on the operating table!

(There is also another theory about the light but I don't have time for that)

So what I'm trying to say with my cork board and sticky notes is that even though the show is being framed through Great's perspective, the most important character is Tyme since he is the one who needs to make it out of limbo, so Great has to make him see the light.

(Also, I think this woman is connected to Tyme)

TLDR: It's about Tyme

And Great needs to save him.

[khaoray]

I will. I will bring you back. And we will see each other again. I promise.

@asiandramanet april bingo: tropes & lgbtq+ rep

[absolutebl]

Top 10 Most Underrated BLs of the last 3 years

(mid year 2021 - end 2023)

This list will not include BLs that ended their run in 2024. I need some distance to know if something is actually underrated (We Are maybe?) or justifiably ignored.

1 I Cannot Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan 2023 Netflix?)

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, increasingly unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen. Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life, which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way. This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen. Full review.

2 My Ride (Thai 2022 Gaga)

Thai BL grew up with this pulp (the first ever pulp to make my end of year top 10). It’s a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine (AKA a cinnamon roll couple) plus mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest, and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi rider in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede, the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple. Full review.

3 Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan 2023 Gaga)

A lonely salaryman (+ talented cook) gets accidentally adopted by a college kid (and his little brother). I was always gonna love this show if they stuck to the original yaoi (which is very dear to my heart). And they did! Paralleling it almost exactly. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me as the best of what Japan can do with softness (like Restart After Come Back Home). It’s only flaw (if I dare say such a thing) is that it is not really “romantic.” Lovely & sweet but the romance beats are being used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy, but that's OK with me. This is a very safe show for anyone to watch.

4 About Youth (Taiwan 2022 Gaga)

A truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst and earnest depth. I didn’t even mind the singing, and that’s saying a lot. A weak seme/uke dynamic but tons of BL tropes (both rare in a high school setting but common for Taiwan) makes this one feel both sweet and colored by real world authenticity and grit. Full review.

5 Step By Step (Thai 2023 Gaga)

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This office romance between a stern boss and sweet subordinate felt more authentic to cubical work than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. That authenticity added tension to the narrative and its characters development (how novel). I also really enjoyed the charming side characters and the brothers' relationship to each other (although I could have done without that brother's side BL). Full review.

6 DNA Says Love You (Taiwan 2022 Gaga)

DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The first few eps are rough going but have patience, it's worth it I promise! The second half is really special and life/love affirming - and the end is big-grin charming. Full review.

7 Unintentional Love Story (Korea 2023 iQIYI)

Of all the BLs on this list, this is probubly the MOST underrated. 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). Full review.

8 Dear Doctor I'm Coming for Your Soul (Thai 2022 iQIYI)

This is a romance between a doctor trying to save his patients and a reaper who is both his enemy and (eventual) lover (basically the genius premise of a gay Doom at Your Service). High concept looks good on you, Thailand. It’s lovely to see KarnNat back on screen together and they are still great, and Karn is just as painfully beautiful as ever. I enjoyed this one more than its ending deserved, and the best I can say is that it’s not strictly HEA but if you’re okay with Life: Love on the Line, you’ll be okay with this BL. It’s set up well, there’s no surprise unpleasantness like HIStory 3: The BL that shall not be named. Full review.

9 Destiny Seeker (Thai 2023 WeTV)

A darn near perfect pulp featuring 3 likable grumpy/sunshine pairings with uncomplicated iterations of enemies to lovers. At least one half of each does a decent amount of pining and there’s good chemistry, classic tropes, and excellent communication rep. It’s fun and full of linguistic jokes. Sublimely cheesy but a good rainy day offering with tons of rewatch potential. (Also WAR PEANUTS!) Full review.

10 Make a Wish (Thai 2023 grey)

A doctor who can see the dead strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love (from Sammon: Manner of Death & Triage). Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not Ohm, but who cares because Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but still satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay AF - fag hag bestie and made of swagger. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are a bit overblown and tonally off. It has sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency.

10 others I rarely see anyone talk about:

Triage - Many would put this at the top of the list, but I don't find it very rewatchable and that weighs a lot in my assessments. Still it is GOOD and very underrated. BL does Groundhog Day featuring a doctor stuck in a time loop who must save a poor little rich boy from death by seducing the stuffing out of him, then PLOT TWIST, poor little rich boy must do the same for doctor! Unfortunately… stuffing keeps leaking. I thought the plot was engaging if a little redundant and occasionally exhausting. The pairs were all well done, low heat but with decent chemistry and the support characters were likable (or unlikeable, as required). My reason it's not in the top 10? If anything, the romance arc detracted and distracted from the main plot, but that doesn't stop this from being a genuinely good show it's just time loop is not a trope I personally enjoy. Review here.

See You After Quarantine? - This under appreciated gem is Taiwan’s answer to Gameboys and is just as charmg and adorable yet still as quintessentially Taiwanese as one might hope. It features a Japanese love interest and the cutest most confused disaster gay. Slow burn because the two have almost no actual screen time together and yet manage some truly amazing chemistry. Honestly how does Taiwan do it?

The Tasty Florida - I don't know, maybe it's Speed nostalgia, but I love this one, classic Korean BL with all those strengths and flaws... but The Prettiest.

You Make Me Dance - it's Korea but somehow they got this one, maybe by featuring mature characters and a real world crisis? Also they both ve hot.

Blueming - at the time it got a lot of attention but it seems to have faded into obscurity under the shod of The 8th Sense and Love of Love's Sack. This was a precurser to both and well worth a watch if you like it when Korea gets a little gritty.

Love Stage!! (Thai version) - I liked this IP alerady more than most. But this is the best of the 4 adaptations, and the first full Thai version of Japanese IP. It's both charming and notable in the industry. Hard to find and that's why it gets so little creddit but I think it's well worth the effort to track down.

Oh! Boarding House - I think most who watched this din't jive with it because it's an ensamble piece witha wicked love traingle. But I really enjoyed it. It felt like the move Kdrama BL that Korea has given us and I like me some Kdramas.

What Zabb Man! - one of the better BLs to come out of Star Hunter in the last few years. I like this pair a lot more than most, and the sides are wicked great. This is probably one of my favorite food themed BLs, actually.

2 Moons The Ambassador - possibly the lowest scoring BL to appear on this list but I just really like the leads. Nothing else is good, but they are kinda awkwardly fantastic. I also like how gay af the seme is.

Stay By My Side - This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Despite a strong initial premise it ended up mostly being enjoyable for sappy domesticity but nothing more. Still, I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity.

Requested by the lovely @l1xyz

FYI: I judge “underrated” on the strength of what I see people talk about (or more precisely not talk about) on social media, MDL reviews, and YouTube watch numbers (when available, as compared to comparable shows from the same country). 

Because of this, statistically, there will always be quite a few BLs that are difficult to get hold of.

Here's my pulls of the Top Underrated BLs prior to 2021. Considering the amount of content generated over the last few years, the pool to draw from is likely about the same.

My Top 10 Most Underrated BLs prior to 2021

Seven Days

Restart after Come Back Home

Wish You

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding

He’s Coming to Me

Oxygen

My Day

Most Peaceful Place

HIStory 2: Right or Wrong

HIStory: Obsessed

I'd throw Great Men Academy in there, but I always dither over whether it actually is a BL.

[lurkingshan]

10 Things I Love About Triage

I am extraordinarily late to this party but I am here to scream about Triage, a show which I started on a whim after a stray comment from @incandescentflower and subsequently finished in two sittings. This drama has been on my list forever (I didn't watch it live because the distribution was wacky) and then it just kept getting overlooked as I fought to keep up with the deluge of Thai BL coming at us at all times. But I am very glad I finally hunted it down and made the time and I would like to tell you why!

Hello Again, Dr. Sammon

I am on record as a Sammon fan. She is one of the best writers working in Thai BL and she has a knack for mystery and suspense. Her narratives are always really well constructed with tight plotting and smart character work, and Triage is no exception. This story feels confident, steady, and complete in a way few Thai BLs do.

The time travel rules are blessedly consistent

Part of what makes the story sing is it's a time travel plot that actually gets the particulars right. In a time loop, the details are everything, and this show understands that. The series of events are consistent, the rules of the time travel mechanics are clearly explained, and when our protagonists learn something new, it always lines up with something we'd gotten hints about before or gives us new context for old information. There are no loose threads in this show.

My boy Tin is going through it

Tin is a fantastic protagonist. He starts the show disillusioned with his work and hilariously grumpy about this time loop situation--he is a busy ER doctor and he does not have time for this--but as he starts to piece together how the loop works he gets more methodical in his approach, and eventually becomes emotionally invested in his mission to save Tol. Tin felt really well-calibrated in that he was smart and he tried all the things you would be shouting at the screen for him to try, but he's still a human being with flaws and insecurities and so he makes mistakes, learns, and has to try again. The show really successfully put us in the frustration with him.

Tol makes for an interesting damsel

Because he's kind of an asshole! Tol is rude and disrespectful when he first meets Tin, he hangs around with some truly awful bullies, he treats Rit like garbage, and he's all around an arrogant dick. Until he isn't. I like the choice to make the focus of our mission such a difficult character, not only because it makes Tin's challenge that much harder, but also because it invites us to consider the reasons why someone might be behaving the way he is and whether they can be redeemed.

This show has everything: action, romance, and agony

It's truly an emotional rollercoaster all the way through, and you can't relax for a moment. The pacing is relentless through most of the show, and even as a bond develops between Tin and Tol and they begin a tentative romance, danger is lurking around every corner. As soon as these boys started making out in episode 9 I knew something awful was coming for me and IT SURE DID.

Jinta, the ultimate frenemy

On that note let's talk about Jinta, my nemesis!! Jinta is some kind of unspecified deity/whimsical god and the one who appears to be responsible for putting Tin and Tol in this loop. Is he trying to help them? Is he trying to torture them? I definitely think it's both! He seems to delight in showing up to taunt Tin as he struggles to figure out how to get through to Tol, and when it's Tol's turn on the merry-go-round he sends him to the darkest timeline for his high stakes final attempt to save Tin just because he can. I love/hate you, sir!

Sing and Gap and the darkest timeline

Speaking of which, can we talk about how appropriate it is that Sing and Gap are a couple only in the darkest timeline? I don't know if people were shipping this for real during the live watch, but I definitely was not and so I started cackling when we got to the worst possible timeline and Sing was suddenly calling Gap his boyfriend. Sammon, you are hilarious and I salute you.

Fantastic side characters

Let's talk about the sides I did love. First of all, aside from his weird aggressive flirting/not flirting thing with Gap, I actually did like Sing's friendship with Tin a lot. I also loved the hospital gang who were around to alternately tease and help Tin, most especially Toy and Fang. Toy is a sweetheart and a gossip who never misses a trick, and Fang is an actual badass who first cracked the case with that evil doctor and saved Tin's life. They are fabulous. Rit was also an excellent character with a lot of complexity and he added some much needed depth to the school storyline (does anyone else think he was basically the proto-DFF Non?). And while Mai and Heart were not my favorite people, I did appreciate that the show gave them a sympathetic portrayal instead of making them evil villains (we had the organ harvesters for that).

That beautiful clocktower

I must give a shoutout to this gorgeous clocktower featured in several important scenes. I got so excited every time it showed up. Fun fact: in the first clocktower scene I was like oh hey I recognize that from gifs, but it can't be that scene because it's too early for a kis--TIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING! (I was right, it was too early for a kiss and Tol was Big Mad but bless you for going for it anyway, Tin).

The romance is balanced and rootable

And on that note, let me give a shoutout to the romance part of this story for actually feeling balanced. This is not an epic swoony love affair, but more a story of two people putting in the time to understand and empathize with each other. Sometimes in these kind of time loop stories the romance can end up feeling very one-sided because one character is holding all the knowledge and all the cards. But in this show we have the neat trick of Tol taking over the loop to try to save Tin in the final arc, which means he got to go through a similar process of getting to know the darkest version of his lover and figuring out how to get through to him. I was delighted by all the events of the long loop playing out again, but this time with Tin being the obstinate one. Tol got a taste of his own medicine and it left me feeling like they were both equally invested in this relationship.

TL;DR: If you haven't watched this yet, you really should! It's a fast binge and a great time with some Thai BL favorites. It's unfortunately still not available for international streaming, but it's very easy to find grey now and it's worth the effort. Go forth!

[dragonsareawesome123]

"Don't try to be good to me." "Calm down. I just wanna help."

Triage (2022) dir. Ma-Deaw Chookiat Sakveerakul and Aum Natthaphong Aroonnet Episode 7

[mysterygrl20]

June 30, 2024 | TaeTee [📷EmiLiaO3O]

[tinstol]

They are about to toss your Gay Ass into the Alternate Dimension until you learn to love others and love yourself

[blmpff]

14.02.24

[jjsanguine]

Huge fan of when someone time travelling constantly does/says stuff referencing their original time period, and their love interest is just there like "they're so fucking weird <333"

[chaos0pikachu]

man I've tried writing this post like 3 different times b/c how the hell do I explain Triage the gay groundhogs day time loop romance mission from a Literal Angel set to the dance pop Lady Gaga track of an organ trafficking hospital factory?

Anyway Tin the protagonist has the energy of one of those fluffy slightly mangled looking older cats that would yowl TWAS I WHO SET THE HOUSE ABLAZE and bites the hand of everyone except his 5 chosen humans

Forget the uni BLs you've seen before because baby Tin is stuck in a thoroughly exhausting gay version of groundhogs day crossing over with an episode of house without the ironic homophobia set in the greys anatomy hospital all to save his Influencer Love Interest from increasingly concerning deaths with the power of having absolutely zero lying skills and negative rizz like Tom Holland levels no rizz ass having, which Zendaya's his Influencer love interest ANYWAY through the sheer power of romantic hyper fixation and being a top tier level 98 slow burn obsessed weirdo with a skill buff of STARE LONGINGLY that usually only appears in accidental gay kdramas like Devil Judge or Hannibal

In the end the day is saved with some the tongue action cheat codes that cure time loop amnesia so they can return everybody's kidneys back to their rightful owners so the hospital can just be a hospital instead of an organ trafficking factory for the chicken soup soul

oh and Techno from Tharntype is here too

[forkaround]

BLs in 2022 didn't kill me but they gave me kinks that are difficult to explain