Asian BL - BL/Gay Dramas and movies 1980's to 2021

I was hesitant about this one, and kept putting it off. I didn't even like the original and reboots usually make for a poor replacement.
This didn't.

This is much better than the original 2017 version. Acting and chemistry between most leads, pacing and focus, directing and planning, musical score (LOVE the instrumental score)-- everything is better. I haven't read the novel(s?) since I didn't like the 2017 drama, so I don't know if the side couples have this amount of time in the novel, but I love it. I prefer those to the main story. This version also has a  MUCH better pacing for the main couple's story, giving plenty of space and time for three couples.

I don't like cheesy, so at times the syrup makes me cringe, but for the most part, it stays "just sweet"--delivering an overall very satisfying parade of great BL treats that are bound to make you squeal...
In terms of actual quality--I was happy to find quite a few scenes that were REALLY well directed and made me go twinkly-eyed-silent instead of "iiiihhh". That's heavy praise coming from me.

Unfortunately, it's bursting with tiring and gross stereotypes and tropes-- especially Alpha Male-behaviour of self-proclaimed tops bossing their "wives" (i.e. their possessions) around. (Just because you do it kindly and gently doesn't mean that it's not degrading and emasculating. Fangirls/boys... please question the use of "wifey" and "hubby" and what the use of those words actually brings in terms of sexism and inequality... It seriously degrades bottoming guys as well as women...)
But let's blame the author of the original story for that, not the producers of the drama. I do, however like, that the three couples at least represent three different trope constellations, giving us some variation. (And hopefully one relationship more equal and respectful, when Ming and Kit progress in the sequel season.

Special for the reboot version "2 Moons 2", from 2019.

Upcoming (2020) sequel season to the reboot version of ("2 Moons")--"2 Moons 2", from 2019.

I'm sorry, but this one is so overrated. There are a shitton of better ones out there... Like the reboot from 2019, which is SO much better in every way. I really don't like this one but since the production as a whole is fairly well done, I can't rate it below other run-of-the-mill BL. 

The main crappy things; The pacing of the main couple's story is excruciatingly slow (slow progress is good if done right, but this is just drawn-out without any substance to back it up) and steals so much time and space from the side couples, that those two only come off as unnecessary and shallowly explored filler components. The chemistry is a bit better between the side couples. but the main guys have none whatsoever.
(No wonder...)

The whole crap with the IRL homophobic behaviour and comments from one of the lead actors as well as from people in the production, left one with a very bad taste in one's mouth. Not to mention that the homophobia severely affects the end result in terms of chemistry. If you don't sincerely want to portray homosexual relationships, but only think "BL is trending, let's release a BL title" without any desire to actually create a good piece, you won't be able to write nor direct in a way that actually creates a believable atmosphere or chemistry between the actors. 

Watch the reboot from 2019 instead.

Mini-drama

This... kinda' grew on me. After ep 1, I was "meh". Then I started to fall for the guys and now I kind of like it. But I might be biased. Anything that has guys with guitars and puts this much focus on music--is bound to get me hooked. 

But the MDL rating... Seriously?!

There isn't much to the story--it's standard and more than a little bit stupid (aren't most...), but it's generic BL. It's not meant to be super deep. It's sufficient for a fix of cute boys love. (Also, the MC actors are just about the prettiest BL leads ever. A runway model and a fairytale prince. Something like that.) Most of the cast is made up of familiar faces from earlier BL. Acting, from all involved, is... okay.
(Gunsmile drives me crazy, though. He CAN act, but he always goes over-the-top in comedic roles. I hate that.)

As for technical aspects... Not impressive. The editing is really weird and at times--so abrupt that it feels like one went to the bathroom during commercials and missed out on a couple of minutes... The jumps between the couples, are really haphazard. And the amount of time they get, is so odd in proportion that the side couples feel unnecessary. (But since I love Toptap, I won't complain. He's adorable. I want to adopt him. I want to pinch his cheeks. Like, really.) 

In Ep 10, stuff went haywire in writing/pacing. The story up until then, building slow, just went into total lightspeed, causing a crazy rushed progression. It took them 9 eps to get to mutual admittance of feelings--then one episode to hook up, shack up and shake it up... 

But fuckups aside--the OST is catchy and the cheery intro song from this series blasting when my alarm goes off in the morning--turns my cranky mood down a notch. 

Basically; despite a thin plot, messy techs and lack of originality... gorgeous guy x 2, with nice chemistry = Enjoyable even if it would be utter crap.

It's not amazing, but Me Like.

This isn't good. I have no idea how anyone could claim it is. The only reward is to see more of Mean and Plan--whom I like both as individual actors and paired up in BL. 

In this piece, I did love seeing the huge contrast between their characters in "Love By Chance" and this one. Mean's 180 change if one has watched "Love By Chance" before this one--makes you go "whot?!" They're both very versatile as actors, but especially Plan is crazy convincing both in his cocky, confident roles as well as his absolutely awesomely adorable ADHD-airhead-space-cadet role as Can in "Love By Chance". (One of my all-time fav BL characters...)

And I love their chemistry. I've seen people complain about the lack of that in their pairing in "LBC", but remember--in that drama, their relationship has barely even started at the end of S1 and the development of their connection is perfectly right for the storyline of their hate-to-love. In this mini-drama you see that they do have chemistry. And good such. 

So basically; the mini-drama sucks but since it's these two guys, it's still rewarding enough to be worth watching if one likes Mean and Plan--individually or together.

Short.

Short

Not BL, per se, and seems to revolve around BL fandom and includes female-male body-swap, but also has "gay character/relationship" listed, so probably a bit of both.
Either way, the themes qualify it for the list... (And it has Ohm. That in itself, is enough.)

Upcoming May 22nd 2020.

Short

This is fricking hilarious.  
I laughed my ass off--and I'm not a person that's all that easily swayed past the level of occasional giggles. (But if you aren't one for sarcastic humor, you might not be quite as amused as I am.)

I'm immensely entertained by everything that makes fun of BL, since no matter how much of a fangirl I am--I'm also a cynic... (And too old and hardened to wear rose colored glasses 24/7...) 

We've seen a bit of it lately--with Thai dramas "Why RU?" and "Lovely Writer" (haven't watched the latter, though), but this is different. It really, REALLY shows off all the nonsensical things with BL--outright and literally, not just with a wink. And it's great.
Here--one is allowed to laugh one's ass off at pathetic situations, predictable plots and cheesy stuff :D We're meant to.

It's not mean, not condescending and not judgemental--just sarcastic hightlighting of the stuff in BL that would make anyone roll their eyes if they weren't so caught up in a BL-high. All seen through the eyes of a dude that rivals even me in terms of having a sarcastic view of the world.

It's unique in its storytelling and definitely one of my favs for 2021. It becomes a little bit haphazard towards the end, so it doesn't quite hold all the way--but all in all, it's a little gem of a different flavour. Love it.

Upcoming 2021.

I did NOT expect to say this; I love it!
Overall, I dislike fantasy and gender-bender stuff pisses me off since they usually end up "hetero-cop-out-thank-god-you-were-actually-a-girl".  I was sure it was going to be crap, but this is one of the loveliest and most feel-good romcom-dramas I've seen in the department of not-all-that-dead-serious. The only flaw was really that a few parts were annoying, it would have been a 9 if they'd stayed clear of standard drama-plot-fillers.

James absolutely KILLS as a body swapped girl, I'm seriously impressed, he's usually so dudish in himself. But he's got the girly thing going on here, down to a T. He catches the smallest little details and never glitches--everything from expressions and mannerisms to body language. The acting overall is very good. Production is stylish, OST is great--especially the ending song is super-duper-catchy, and SFX are actually quite awesome for a tv-production.
It's about relationships--not just romantic love--but also love between friends and family.
It's funny, it's cute, it's engaging, it's deeper than one might have expected and it's just simply good.

It's BL and not BL at the same time. The romance is perhaps, technically, between females and males--since our MC is a girl originally, but it happens in male plus male forms, which gives us the boy-on-boy satisfaction. Plus, it's angled differently than these bodyswap-themes usually are. In GOOD ways. It doesn't cop out, it doesn't excuse itself with "Gay-4-U", it doesn't present a hetero-happy conclusion, NOR a gay one. Just a happy one. Because in the end, what the fuck does it even matter who's gay, straight, bi, girl, boy, unicorn, whatever, as long as everyone is happy?

The whole premise and theme of the drama is a division between genders--but ends up transforming into a theme that erases the lines altogether, making the characters learn to see things differently.

Not BL, but the MC , a "love doctor" serving romantic advice to a bunch of women, is gay. (But supposedly, the actual gay content is very low.) But the drama has high ratings and does sound entertaining.

This struck a chord with me, to an extent that very few pieces ever has done.
Even though I'm borderline compulsively objective, I just can't be with this one.

That feeling Yeon Woo gets whenever he sees color? I got a little piece of that when watching this. 

I won't call myself an artist, since I totally suck. But I've been glued to pencils, crayons, paints and pens since I was old enough to grab them. Losing my eyesight--losing the world and all the colors in it--would kill me. So the theme... Iget it. I truly, truly get it..
Also, I have sensory hypersensitivity, so I know that pleasure rush of awe.

But this drama has even more than the exceptionally unique story that it is on the surface. Put these guys and the way they experience their world and each other, in a deeper context.
Alienation, loneliness, "lack of color" in a metaphorical sense rather than actual--and the emotions evoked when finding someone who (or something that) normalizes it all. The high when discovering it--and the extreme pain of then losing it.
I truly get this part, too. 

There are profound thoughts and concepts handed out, but it's never written on the nose--it's subtle enough to avoid that trap. Some scenes are just exceptional. Like the one in school when Yoo Han is trying to convince Yeon Woo by talking about color theory and showing him the color chart. To be able to make such an innocent scene so sexually tense--one truly is a hell of a script writer... The effect is awesome, and shows us just how tempted and mesmerized Yeon Woo really is. 

The drama is so solid, so well told, and so well acted, that it became an instant fav of mine--even though I usually prefer to keep away from anything that even slightly resembles fantasy-themes.
Sure, it has a few flaws. Sometimes, the editing is a bit stupid and some parts of the plot are left hanging--but overall, this is a great, great, great little piece of art. 

Short

As far as I understand; no BL, but with one of the MCs being gay.

Old School Japan

Old School Japan

Short.

Not BL, but supposedly has gay character(s?)

This is good. This breaks some stereotypes and tropes. This is different.

We have a quite effeminate actual-gay MC, something we seldom see in drama/movie BL, even though it's such a cliché in comics.
And even though he's so cutesy he makes your teeth hurt, he's a normal person and not a passive doll with no will of his own. There is also room for a much shorter, "not handsome" (Perth IS cute, though) top... how often do we see a super cutesy,  tall bottom plus a shorter top? Answer; Never before.

(I hate the mandatory BL division into set roles, decided by "strongest-male-rights". But here  it just comes naturally and without fuss nor any Alpha Male attitudes. I like that.) 

Pete and Ae's relationship is just about the loveliest teen BL one on screen. Equal, genuine and real. Crazy sweet, amazing chemistry and both are good actors. Perth, as Ae, is always brilliant. (Pete annoys me at times, but Saint is good. Compare his different roles and you'll see his versatility...)

The side couples represent three BL tropes... Enemies-to-lovers (as well as opposites attract), Step-brothers and the Sadistic Schemer vs. Airhead. The first story is funny (and that couple will get their own S2), the second story is so-so and the third is disturbing even though it's played off as comedic. 

This drama is also different because it's... positive.
We don't have the mandatory interference, tons of angst and drama, sexual identity crises or other standard BL stuff --but a happy feel, without it being unrealistic. Serious issues are handled, but not wallowed in. It's about love, not OBSTACLES to love. Super props for talk about lube, self-education, consideration for your partner and so on. Thank you.
And the attitude to sex is awesome. Not gratuitous smut, nor unrealistic innocence. Just normal human drive.

Add to that good and solid production and OST--and you have one of the most feel-good BLs out there.

Sequel season to "Love By Chance", this time focusing on the side couples, mainly on Tin and Can. 

What... 

Okay, just one episode so far, but BOY was I disappointed. And annoyed. And hid my face and went "Oh-my-gawd". That first crying scene... should have been cut by 3/4. Yeah, sure, Plan cries well. But that was just too long and too much. 

Problem #2; The part about Tin & Can's storyline rebooting. That has to be the most stupid idea EVER. Not only was it hard to understand--it took me quite a while to get it, but it was also much, much worse than the S1 storyline.
The fact that their story had gotten so far in S1--made for an extremely weird feel when we're suddenly expected to erase that from our memories and accept that it never happened. Not to mention that I think that the S1 story started out in a great manner, that really cemented the personalities of the guys and the gradual build of their relationship.

Problem #3; WHY THE HELL would you scratch Pete in THAT way? Why not just make him study in Guatemala, or Serbia, or Brunei--or something, than to break up one of the cutest couples in Thai BL history. Thus = yet more excessive bawling and mood swings that really don't suit Ae. And since Saint is not likely to appear in this season, except POSSIBLY for some small cameos--wanna bet that Ae gets a new BF? Which feels appalling.
And what's up with Pete's extremely odd email to Tin? Sounds like he's dying from Ebola somewhere, or is running from the mob...  -__-

Problem #4; All the new guys. I smell the ton of hook-ups from a mile away. And that is NOT a good thing--to make everyone gay. It makes everything less believable, it steals room from the main couples and just makes the side couples shallow. And I am pissed that the ONLY GF was scratched. Wanna bet that Pond gets a BF? Is it really THAT awful to have some GFs in BL? Sigh. 

Pointless little mini-mini-drama-series with three short episodes featuring three different couples. Pretty much harmless junk, but if you have nothing better to watch and go ballistic over every BL you can get your paws on--sure.

See comment for other part of three episodes in the mini-mini-drama.

See comment for other part of three episodes in the mini-mini-drama.

Old School Japan, adapted from a (back then, at least) super-popular manga. BL hints are almost all wiped out, if I remember correctly. (Haven't watched it for a looong time, nor will I rewatch.)

So... Waiting for this title, I was apprehensive. 

Furukawa Yûki in a BL role? Could work. I've never been a fan, but he did do a pretty good job in "Erased".
How about the manga? Well... it's cute. Mediocre, but cute. 

I finally got my dirty paws on the movie, a while ago.

It's actually really cute, and a good adaptation of the manga :) Furukawa, once again, convinced me that he's actually talented, and not just the annoying dude from sleazy, crappy Shoujo-adaptations. He was pretty fricking adorable in this one :) 

It's innocent, it's grounded, it's simple and it's really, really sweet. Totally in line with Japan's new style in BL--and I really, really love their 180-turn. (Or, perhaps their TWO 180 turns... From plastic manga-crap--to two polar opposites... Everyday love--and dark and twisted...)

I'll admit that I've only watched it unsubbed, so far. There doesn't seem to be any English subs available yet, but they should be out soon. My Japanese is weak, I'm far from skilled enough to be able to pick up more than the rough outlines of dialogue--but I HAVE read the manga, so I'd say I get the picture well enough to be able to rate the flick. 

Definitely worth a watch!

This has gotten quite a lot of decent ratings, but I don't really love it. It's a bit strange, as a whole. At some parts--it's excellent. At other--not so much. But worth a watch. Acting and themes are good.

Short

Opinions are divided on this one, but I think it's very good as a whole.

The concept is unique--and it works.

There are parts that I dislike, some of them downright boring.  
But the good parts--goosebumps. This drama rides on emotion and it's melodramatic, to say the least, but it works, because the feelings portrayed are so overwhelming that they demand this kind of over-the-top emotional gushing.
I mean--we're talking humongous emotions here. Feelings strong enough to pass on into the next life. Of course they have to bawl their eyes out and go into half-hysterics. How else to portray such profound things?

The four main actors do a good job, especially Earth, who kills every scene he's in and already in the opening scene of the drama showcases exactly what he is capable of.
(And btw, let's support all his work, since he's one of few who dares to be out in an industry that has had the habit of demanding only straight actors (or actors that hide/deny their orientation) for BL roles... Thankfully that's changing and the few out-and-open actors are getting roles. Deservedly so, since Earth in particular, is a gem.)

The acting is so good that I decided to translate the subs into Swedish for my mom--and she really liked it.

I'm not a huge fan of the 2019-couple--actors nor characters--but they do carry their load and convince in both chemistry and acting. The 1989-couple though... Not only is their story the  BL version of Romeo and Juliet, but their chemistry is adorable and one can't help but love them. 

The side couple story is unnecessary. Considering the far too sparse airtime they get--it just becomes shallow and haphazard. Which is a pity because I like them.

This isn't a super fav of mine. But I think it's a must-watch because of the concept and parallel timelines, as well as for many of the "remembering" scenes that give you goosebumps. And for Intouch's and Korn's story. 

No synopsis on MDL but has "gay" tags, so...

Glossy, tidy, corny and stupid. And nuts, like all Chai Ji Dan's stories. Gotta' love it. 

It's not realistic, profound or intelligent in any way, shape or form--but it's entertaining. The budget was pretty high and production slick, especially so in comparison with the other dramatizations of Chai's stories--which were really low-budget. This needed that part in order to work. And it did.

There are far too few BLs with action/thriller/other "less cutesy" themes, so I get happy every time we get something like that. Bodyguards, cops and kick-ass martial art scenes that are really well done, to boot. Add some explosions and shit--and I'm a happy Fangirl.
(Yes, once again; I love my BL "manly".)
But don't get me wrong--this is quite typical BL in most ways. Just that the setting isn't.

Guys are hot, acting is decent, OST is quite catchy. The side couples don't work, since there just wasn't all that much material to go on, in the novel--and the drama had even less, so their stories end up feeling like fairly pointless fillers. (I haven't finished the novel, though.) 

The big, big, BIG minus here; Sadly, this is very strictly adjusted to work around the Chinese media ban on LGBTQ content, so you have absolutely zero BL action. Zero. But props to the production for still being able to conjure up some tension and clever scenes to imply stuff they weren't allowed to include. (But if I had to choose--I'd still go with this tame version, because Chai's novels are so dirty that they often step over the line to tastelessly vulgar. I like it hot and if it suits the story--preferably really graphic, but Chai often pushes it to the level of cheap porn-mag-jerking-off-material.)

But to sum it up; this is a mandatory watch for anyone who digs Chinese BL on a light and silly note.

Decent drama series of the slightly angstier and less cutesy kind. Kind of... boring. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely worth a watch--I just mean that the storyline isn't exactly all that exciting. It's mellow, with a melancholy feel to it, most of the way through. 

The plot and execution is a bit uneven but the acting is good. The play with colours as a theme--something you will actually see visually, if you pay attention to colours of clothing etc, as well as in the technical work with lighting etc.--is an interesting and artistic touch. I thought about it when watching, but thought it might just be me over-interpreting, but then I saw a review that pointed out exactly the same thing, so I guess I wasn't reaching. :)
The colours are more than just a prop, they paint the guys and their personalities, moods and states of mind. Observe how they change with time...

Has some really nice smooching and bed scenes, too. (Oh, let's see if you notice a thing which some other critics seem to have missed. Someone complained about that the bedroom chemistry between the leads wasn't even close to as good as the one between them and their respective BFs--but take a close look at the longest and most graphic bed scene.... I would, perhaps have agreed about the chemistry thing, but then I noticed something which I missed at first, but saw when playing back. You see--BF and Crush look similar enough to make you to miss out on something visually subtle in this scene, unless paying attention.)

Watch the specials as well. They give closure to the story.

Huge plus for a GREAT OST and score. I'm definitely not one for sleazy ballads and love songs--but when it's good, it's good. I tend to listen to all kinds of crap as long as it's from an anime/drama/movie I like, because I associate it with them. But in some cases, the music is actually really good. This is one of them. Max Lin's songs from the OST are just really, really beautiful.

Family sitcom, with the son of the family being confused about his sexual orientation due to being attracted to both a guy and a girl in a set of siblings. 

Haven't watched it, and I probably won't. Read the comment threads on the page for the drama, if you want spoilers about whom he choses. (If either.)

Haven't seen it, but supposedly the BL content is very low. 

(You'll find Max from the "Together With Me" series in a role, but I think a straight one? Tul, his BF from that series, apparently has a cameo in some episode, but I have no idea if they're paired up in any interaction whatsoever, this time around.)

It's crap. But it's classic, and there really wasn't very much to choose from, back then. The story is quite different from other Gay themed ones, and that's one reason to appreciate it, even if the thing as a whole is far from qualitative.

The parent story that first introduced the now-pretty-classic BL couple, Pete & Kao, as a side couple. They got popular and got much more screen-time when their backstory was told in the sequel to this-- "Kiss Me Again". (Which is a prequel in the chronological timeline.)
Their story further continues in "Dark Blue Kiss", which is almost entirely focused on BL.  

I don't love it, even if I do love most of the characters in the "Kiss" series. Sandee is, alongside Jihwa from the "Bad Romance" series, the coolest female character you'll find in most Thai dramas. Such a fresh breath of air compared to all the little princesses. Her and Thada's story is quite cute. Other straight story lines suck.

This first installment won't give you much of Pete and Kao, so I'd say--if you're only after the BL, focus on their parts in the sequel, then watch their parts in this one and then you have their own series saved for last. "Dark Blue Kiss".

Sequel (but in timeline a prequel) to "Kiss". In this installment, we get to know the beginning for the BL couple Pete and Kao and they get much more screen time this time around.

I REALLY hate the straight storylines in this one. All of them. The dork vs. playboy one is bearable because those two have an amusing hate-to-love chemistry, but other than that; bleh.

The BL storyline is nice, I really like this couple even if they're not my absolute favourite one. I have a very weak spot for Tay and his chemistry with New is great. I'd have loved much more skinship between them, but they're so fricking cute together that it doesn't matter in the end.

See the continuation of their story in "Dark Blue Kiss", which focuses almost entirely on BL.

One of the better shorts from South Korea, well worth a watch. It's not that special that many make it out to be--the focus isn't entirely where it should have been--but it's still good. Just not great.

De-BL-fied BL... 

We´re all aware of the disgusting Chinese bans regarding LGBTQ depiction in media--so naturally, dramatizations of explicit BL novels will become what they become. 

However, the story is quite appreciated among BL fans even in this "normalized" rendition, and it IS based on a (very dirty--I'm currently reading it) BL novel--so I'll include it on the list.  

Old School Hong Kong

Vampires. Or monsters. Or something like that. = I won't watch it.

A short-film/docu about the BL industry and the fandom? Haven't watched it and the rating is horrible but could be interesting enough to take a look. 20 minutes or so isn't too much of a sacrifice, even if I suspect that my own philosophical ponderings on the matter, are probably far more elaborated than what this little chunk on the matter, can serve.