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My Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

(tagged by @befuddledcinnamonroll tysm 😊)

The rules of this tag game are simply “shows or movies that give you hope” so I took that a couple different ways.

1. Cutie Pie

(gif by @rinsarchive )

An odd one to start with, I know, but I will forever love this weird show in a special way because it was my entree into BL, which overall is one of my greatest sources of pleasure and, yes, hope in this dystopian timeline.

I’d seen “Wish You” and “Gameboys” on Netflix but had no idea they were part of a vast genre. I’d fallen in love with “Heartstopper” and was scrolling my FYP on instagram where I saw some Cutie Pie posts—and getting fixated on that show (and ZeeNunew) was how I found out about the wide amazing world of QL.

2. DNA Says Love You

(gif by @cytharat )

I was so happy to see this on a few other folks’ lists. There is something so hopeful about this series—the acceptance, the cozy supernatural elements, the found and blood family ties, the utter sweetness of the MCs when they finally become a couple…it just makes my heart happy.

3. Some More

I literally don’t know how this isn’t on everyone’s faves list—it is perfect in every way. And conveniently, it’s the epitome of hope. Shy city boy is burnt out by work. Taciturn older country boy left the exhausting city behind but is now starved for love. Luckily they meet by chance and get brave enough to get together in short order. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched this.

4. Love Is Science

(gif by @gabrielokun )

Okay I’ve only watched the BL cut, but the all-in devotion of the seemingly asshole straight guy once he falls in love is breathtaking—and one of the most hopeful character transformations I’ve ever seen.

5. Cherry Magic Thailand

(gif by @aprilblossomgirl )

This is one of two shows that engulfed my heart and soul from beginning to end. No two main characters have ever struck me as this incredibly adorable. And it’s one of the most hope-inspiring shows too—the way they enrich each other’s lives and help each other gain confidence is intoxicatingly optimistic. Oh! And in the spirit of hope, they filmed two versions of the mom’s wedding speech—one talking about marriage equality being law of the land—just in case it had happened by the time the show aired!

6. City of Stars

(gif by @alejunsu )

While not as overall amazing as Cherry Magic, this series featured two of the kindest, gentlest couples ever—I find myself thinking about them often. I also loved how the movie star had the courage to come out, suffered real career consequences, but found a way to keep acting on his own terms.

7. Monster Next Door

(gif by @loveisactivated )

Yeah, gentle characters give me hope (don’t get me wrong though I love toxic gray characters too!) The way these two slowly adjusted to and learned to honor each other’s personalities and friend groups was SO darling. The one serious fight they had only strengthened their bond in the end.

8. Meet You at the Blossom

(gif by @khunkinn )

This one embodies hope for me as the first uncensored Chinese BL since the censorship crackdown! Although I didn’t live through that era as a BL fan, I felt the visceral incredulity, nervousness and ultimately excitement as it proved to indeed be uncensored. And my fear each time a new Chinese show airs is nonetheless always tempered with hope because of MYATB.

9. Short Bus

(gif by @mythcreant )

I thought I’d throw in one non-BL little queer show. I haven’t seen this movie in ages so I don’t know if it aged well but I remember it being so exhilarating and liberating—sex positive, poly-affirming and so, so hopeful about people’s ability to connect with one another on every level.

Tagging whoever sees this and has some hope to share!

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Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom [Cherry Magic (Thailand, 2023) Episode 11]

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Less kinky but still pleasing:

Woof.

OHM THANAKRIT as PAYTAI in The Next Prince (2025)

GUNNER NATSAKAN as THUN in Knock Out (2025)

HUANG XING as HUA YONG in ABO Desire (2025)

WINNER TANATAT as PHARIT in Reset (2025)

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Four Seasons Tag Game

(tagged by @negrowhat —thank you 😊)

The rules: For each season (summer, fall, winter, and spring) pick one BL, GL, or queer series that you think embodies the feeling of that season for any reason. Let your heart guide you. Post two gifs for each show. Then, let people decide which season each belongs to and why.

Mine are pretty obvious but hopefully fun!

gifs by @save-the-data & @bl-bam-beyond

gifs by @namtan

gifs by @paisky & @loveisactivated

gifs by @save-the-data

No pressure tags to @slonekaru & @buckystilinski & @befuddledcinnamonroll tho you probably already played this one—it’s been a while!

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#thada being cheeky and denying armin his morning kiss 😗

RESET (2025) | Episode 9

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Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

I was tagged by @my-rose-tinted-glasses and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to think about this prompt (credit to @soypim)

When I thought about "hope" within the context of BL/Queer media, the shows that came to mind explore love and romance outside of the traditional timeline of romantic fiction. By that, I mean stories that kindle the hope of finding love (and queer joy) later in life, rekindle a romance ended before it had a chance to bloom, or leave you feeling hopeful about the future of a couple who are still trying to make it work.

DNA Says Love You (Taiwan, 2022)

What begins as a seemingly straightforward show about young adults filming amateur adventure vlogs becomes a heartfelt exploration of memory, friendship, and identity. Le Chien and Amber make you believe in the power of fate to connect two souls across time and space. A deeply queer and deeply sincere love story.

A First Love Story (Korea, 2021)

This is a two-episode special approximately 15 minutes total in length, and yet it's one of the best portrayals of friends-to-lovers we've seen in BL. The first episode deals with the revelation of romantic feelings between best friends Jaeseong and Mingyu following Jaeseong's enlistment. The second episode follows up with the pair after a brief time skip. As a viewer, you can't help but root for their love to survive the separation and hope they will continue to hold strong against whatever life pits against them.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Japan, 2022)

My favorite JBL for a number of reasons, but foremost because Old Fashion Cupcake is about how it's never too late to change your life. Middle-aged office worker Nozue learns to stop denying himself simple pleasures while growing closer to his younger subordinate Togawa, who has nursed a crush on his boss for years.

Minato's Laundromat (Japan, 2022)

Another age-gap romance from Japan, but this one really gets to the core idea that you cannot hide from yourself or what you want. You can move to a remote seaside town to run a coin-op laundromat, but you are still queer and lonely and full of desires you believe you cannot have or don't deserve. Shin's devotion and persistence are strong enough to break through Minato's impenetrable walls.

Our Dating Sim (Korea, 2023)

"Have you been well? Without me?"

The best execution of the second-chance romance trope. Lee Wan ghosts Kitae after a botched confession in high school and the two spend the next seven years pining over each other until Kitae orchestrates their reunion at a gaming company. Despite the show's short length, you fully believe by the end that these two are ready to spend the rest of their lives together.

The Novelist / Pornographer (Japan, 2018-2021)

This is a story about a deeply flawed man who finds his way to hope after a long and turbulent journey (spanning two series, two shorts, and a movie) of romantic and sexual dysfunction. Honestly, an essential piece of queer media.

Tokyo in April Is... (Japan, 2023)

Japan really knows how to put its characters through the wringer. A terrible accident separates childhood lovers Ren and Kazuma, who reunite years later at their workplace. Deeply traumatized by the past, Ren proposes a friends-with-benefits relationship to Kazuma, who has never gotten over his first love. The way Kazuma loved and cared for Ren throughout this series was deeply healing.

Until We Meet Again (Thailand, 2020)

A story about reincarnation and intergenerational family trauma that mines hope from love and forgiveness. Truly one of the best BLs ever made.

You're My Sky (Thailand, 2022)

One of my favorite Thai BLs is a sports drama about three separate couples overcoming various obstacles as they pursue their dreams and each other. There is something really generous and careful in how the show treats these characters and their relationships. Even with some of them facing uncertain futures, the ending makes room for hope.

Thanks again for the tag! Tagging whomever sees this post and is interested in participating.

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the way this scene has me on chokehold. i can't.

aside from the tease/implication of a kiss, it's the way jiang xiao shuai is just openly staring at guo cheng yu with unrestrained affection that really gets me because in EP 14, we saw how xiao shuai was before he was betrayed by his first love.

originally, he's the type of lover who's openly affectionate, but all this changed, of course, after MT's betrayal. naturally, after all the suffering he ended up enduring bc of MT's conspiracy, xiao shuai started putting up walls and has become more cautious, if not at times even cunning.

but in this scene, we get to see that pure version of xiao shuai again. the version of him who doesn't feel the need to put on airs all the time and can give his love freely and openly again. all this leap and healing, thanks to cheng yu's effort.

and like, idk, but to me, this is peak romance, cheng yu loving up xiao shuai back to the unhurt version of himself 😭✋

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Take me.

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Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

Tagged by @thisonelikesaliens 💙 This post was inspired by soypim's lovely reflection on the question of "what gives you hope?".

I'm not a particularly positive or optimistic person but in the face of all the unrelenting shit that has happened in the world these last few years I've been trying to cultivate my own theory of hope to get me through. To keep it brief, I've settled on thinking about hope in three ways:

A rebellion against despair

A commitment to seeing possibilities where others see none

A choice of courage over comfort

Here are a few QL shows that remind me of those three elements...

Love for Love's Sake

Hope is a rebellion against despair. It's a refusal to believe that joy can't exist alongside grief and pain. It compels us to take things day-by-day and ask “what is my definition of joy for this moment?"

At the beginning of Love for Love's Sake, Tae Myung-ha explains that people who have awful lives can still be happy. Although it takes some time for him to apply that lesson to himself, there's something beautiful about him eventually seeking a second try at life so that he can find the happiness hidden in each day going forward.

Fangs of Fortune

Hope is a commitment to seeing possibilities where others see none. It doesn't mean we deny the reality of our situation but instead continue onwards through uncertainty, always believing the future has not yet been lost to history.

As the title suggests, Fangs of Fortune ends with tragedy. All that is left of Zhuo Yichen's great love is a whisper of his soul, lost somewhere between the human and demon world that used to divide them. The last scene we see of Yichen is him journeying across the land in darkness, promising to search every mountain and sea, his pursuit as unwavering as his feelings. It might take centuries to find and bring his love back, but "no matter how long the night is, it can't suppress the dawn."

Old Fashion Cupcake

Hope is choosing courage over comfort. It's understanding that to build new futures, we first need to look inwards and claim ourselves as sites of change.

Nozue from Old Fashion Cupcake lives a comfortable but stifling life ("I do the same thing everyday, nothing good happens, but nothing bad happens either"). He has lost himself, choosing to endure rather than be happy. But when he starts embracing experiences that challenge the image he has of himself, he soon recognizes the need to bravely chase the life he wants to build. There's always time to choose you no matter how uncomfortable it might feel to change.

Bonus Pick: China's QL Renaissance

If you had told me at the beginning of 2025 that we would get omegaverse, Priest and Chai Jidan adaptations, period danmei, L-word style baihe, queer coming of age stories, etc., I would have assumed you were off your rocker. (And that’s not even including Guo Jingming’s upcoming dramas that are bound to be hella gay as well!)

But here we are. If that's not a hopeful sign from the universe that the future is unknown and full of possibility, I don't know what is 😂

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No pressure tagging for @dreamyklutzs @fiftysevenacademics @lotus-queer @incandescentflower @wei-ying-kexing-apologist and anyone else who wants to share!

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Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

Thank you @nabi-unveiled, @my-rose-tinted-glasses and @colourme-feral for the tag <3. So I'm not gonna overthink it and just go with shows that I come back to in times of need. These are my little comfort blankets.

-> If It's With You

I run both here and to manga VERY often.

-> Every You Every Me (the carrot instalment)

I mean, the office and colour one are also favs, but nothing beats the dishelved rockstar look. And the carrot. And other innuendos.

-> A First Love Story

Now that's probably the most rewatched piece of media in my life.

-> Step For You

Where is my long-format dancing AU with PROPER DANCING?

-> Our Dating Sim

Look at my profile picture. It hasn't changed for so long for a reason.

-> Our Dining Table

The spring of 2023 forever in my mind. The parallels were paralleling, and the world was a more cosy place.

-> My Enemy Has a Crush On Me

This is still one of the favourite things of the year for me (China, look at you go!)

I have probably omitted something obvious, but this is the flavour of the day, so to say.

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What's so special about this one? Well... Because the face of Orianna is a woman like me. Same age, too. And she's just as good-looking.

LOOKMHEE PUNYAPAT as AIWARIN HARMONY SECRET (2025)

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smoking while choosing a toy for the sub on the waterbed 🚬

They released this BTS and said, "The followers and fans of our drama are not yet going crazy enough!"

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Jom is too kind believing that Tee's betrayal was his fault.

But Yo is the best boy!

And these other boys wish they could be him.

This boy is just out here with the emotional intelligence of a wise old man.

I love Yo!

And he is the best Blue Boy.

Jom deserves a loyal guy.

Jom deserves this.

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Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

I got tagged by the lovely @watchthisqqq check it out the og from @soypim here

Hope is such a pretty word, entails so much while still being quite simple to understand.

First Note of Love

Hope is pretty much the driving force behind the motivations of all the players here. When their world was at the darkest someone came along and gave them hope that it could get better.

I'll always have a place in my heart for this adorable show that wasn't interested in generating conflict or misunderstandings, it's about healing and falling in love and hoping that the future is gonna be brighter than yesterday.

Happy of the End

Dark and twisted, getting to the end of this one is like crawling out of a grave alongside the protagonists. They start life with very little, then they lose everything and then some, and it's not until the meet each other that they finally understand what is it like to care and cherish someone. The scene with Haoren breaking down after asking to be happy with Chihiro forever is beautiful while also sad, and despite the hardships they face there is a hopeful ending waiting for them.

HIStory 3: Trapped

I rarely bring the HIStory franchise into my blog because I feel like it's the hour concours of BL-land. Whatever the trope, whichever the plot, HIStory has done it before anyone else so much as dared to think of it. When it comes down to hope as narrative element, Trapped is the one that comes to mind.

Funnily, it's also the one entry that seems to keep the fans hoping for more — not only for a sequel itself but in the hopes that we will see it's leads together again, it's one of the very few of the franchise where the mains did not return to the genre.

Takara's Treasure

"I hope to see you again" it's a simple as that in this show.

Hope is Taishin's driving force, and what you know? He got what he wanted and more.

DNA Says Love You

This overlooked little gem has all the ingredients to hook anyone, it just flew under the radar I suppose.

Blending hope, love through multiple lives and queer identity, Taiwan crafted one of the most unique shows I've ever seen. And remains one and only, it's not sitting at the same table with it's peers thats for sure.

It was fun looking back at this shows, most of them warmed my heart by the end, even if the journey wasn't always easy with them. Now let me tag some of the ones that I'm curious to see @its-a--love-story @avorbl @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle @the-evil-pizza @aousboom @purlpeiris @starlightskyshine I'm quite certain I'm forgetting someone so feel free to take part in this challenge and tag me so I can see what shows are bringing you guys some hope!

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Tag Game: Hopeful Little Queer Shows 🌈

@soypim made my week with a delightful tag game all about hope. No rules really. Just make a list. What shows give you hope?

That's easy.

Revenged Love -> Like only a few hours until the next episode. Right?

Jokes aside (that was not really a joke), this is a tag game I desperately needed. While I try to keep a positive outlook in general, I was a bit in my feels this past week.

(Gif by Me)

Based on the reblog tags for my Revenged Love posts, those feels definitely seeped out. Sorry for making so many of you cry! I am keeping my fingers crossed it was the good kind of crying at least.

Hope is a word that has been weaponized in my past, and it's one of many I'm working to reclaim. So if I shake off all the voices in my head (from the people in my life) that tell me that I find joy in the wrong things, put my efforts in the wrong places, and think the wrong way, then what's left to foster hope? A whole lot. Beauty, peace, contentment, patience, kindness, acceptance...there are so many wonderful things to embrace in life.

(Gif by Me)

Fair warning: I've rewritten this list SO many times in the past couple of days. I've tried to sprinkle as much positive pixie dust on it as I can. But...I'm still in my feels, hope often intertwines with pain for me, and that's likely to show. Thanks to my mutuals who reassured me that was okay and to post it anyways. 🫶

Hope From Acceptance: See Your Love

I am not deaf, but I have always been moderately hearing impaired. Both my family and my school decided it was best for me to hide it if I could. The sad thing is...they were probably right at the time. I developed workarounds and learned to mask it as much as possible. After all, it was better for people to think I was an arrogant jerk or a space cadet rather than admit I couldn't understand their mumbling. It wasn't until my 30s that I came to accept that my hearing was just a part of me and openly discuss it. So this show? So many aspects of it just felt healing. It gives me hope that maybe the world is moving towards a place where differences are just differences.

Hope From Comfort: My Personal Weatherman

No surprise here. This show has been my companion during every sad spell I've had since it aired. This show gives me all the feels and sexy thrills I love. It also reminds me to question my own feelings and reactions. Am I being an unreliable narrator? Probably. I really think we all are. What would be the other person's perspective? Let me consider that. But in addition to the fun sexiness and reflection it brings, this show comforts me. It shows understanding developing in baby steps. Segasaki and Yoh are two very internal and flawed people, and they are CRAP communicators. But we see them make small and steady progress towards each other. They're trying, and that gives me hope to keep trying too.

Hope From Community: The Heart Killers/When It Rains, It Pours

Either of these shows could've been chosen for their message on having the courage to make the needed changes in your life. But they're on this list because I started my blog writing about them. I've watched BL since 2017 and lurked (certain accounts) on Tumblr for years, but it was only six months ago that I decided to lean in and engage...to speak. And I was blown away by how my words were not only allowed but welcomed at this table. The community engagement during these shows gave me hope that there was a seat available for me. There was a place where I could share some of the thoughts rattling in my brain. I just hadn't been at the right table.

Hope From Contentment: Perfect Propose

I grew up in a family where telling someone "no" was considered selfish and disrespectful. If it was within your abilities to do, you did it. Period. Selflessness and service to others. First and always. This led to a lot of workaholic tendencies. I tried to be the best and all things to all people for a long time. It's always been important for me to find spots of personal joy, but I still burned out. You can only go without sleep for so long before you crash. For me, this show is about discovering what truly matters. Your life really can be yours. Saying "I don't want to" is a perfectly ok reason to make a decision. There's hope in enjoying the small pleasures of life and people by your side.

Hope From Kindness, Peace, and Beauty: Trapped in Osaka

(TW: Suicide mention)

This may seem like an odd choice to some, and it will not be everyone's cup of tea. It's very much mine. This small show incorporates so many things that bring me hope.

Hao Yu is kind, and that matters. It may not change the entire world. But it matters. I place a lot of hope in people being kind.

Chen Xi is struggling - just like Xiaoshuai in Revenged Love or Myungha in Love for Love's Sake. Different causes, same outcome. They all consider suicide. My grandfather ended his own life. My brother struggles with suicidal ideation. When I was a teacher, I had four of my students end their life within the span of a few years. I lost count of the attempts. Any of these stories that show people coming to some level of peace after that level of pain brings me hope. Hope that other people can reach that place too.

And the reason I chose this show instead of any of those others? This fit...

Hope springs from beauty. Let's appreciate beauty when we find it.

Hope From Representation: Two Husbands, One Wife

A fully realized and official throuple. You don't have to have the answers. But to reach for happiness, you must move forward rather than stay paralyzed in the what ifs. This show gives me good feels.

(Gif by Me)

And it gives me hope for the future. I love that we're seeing a wider variety of shows now. If you had described my current watch list to me eight years ago? I would have laughed in your face and said "dream on". I'm living that dream. That's a pretty amazing thing.

Hope has no limits, so if you want to play, consider yourself tagged. Please tag me so I can enjoy your choices. 🫶

A huge thank you to everyone that tagged me! Seriously, you all are the best! @my-rose-tinted-glasses @dramalove247 @watchthisqqq @thisonelikesaliens

Tagging some folks to play or just to share the joy and the love (thanks Rose for that quote): @babyangelsky @obsessedferalgremlin @hughungrybear @iguessitsjustme @ginnymoonbeam @usertoxicyaoi @bentnotbroken1fanfiction @delesaria-blog @dribs-and-drabbles @befuddledcinnamonroll @troubled-mind @pointlesscandies @poetry-protest-pornography @abstractelysium @slayerkitty

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do I wanna know what’s happening in reset ep 9….

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Bit sad I haven’t seen a pretty gif of Keen saying “You’re the one who should be afraid.” Before getting railed in every room of his new house. Redefined power bottom that one did.