#BEST AND WORSE BL SERIES 2023 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

languidlotus · 1 year

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2022 Watchlist

Current Watchlist // 2023 Watchlist // 2021 Watchlist // My Favourites / My Art These are all the dramas I finished in 2022. They might not have been released in 2022, but this is when I watched (and finished) them. Year total: 76 dramas watched. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beware, here be spoilers!!

(Everything is subject to change and just personal opinion. My ratings and opinions don't reflect on the quality of the shows at all. Tastes vary!)

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Dramas I finished in 2022.

(Alphabetical order.) 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (Thai BL) Final rating: 8/10 This show was painful but beautiful. Painful in that I knew from the very first episode that it wouldn't have a happy ending, but the writing and acting and cinematography were still gorgeous to look at. Wang falling in love was tragic, because it was never going to work out. He was the very image of his father, stuck between his (love for his) mother and (his love for) In. Except where his father was on an even setting with the both of them, he's still seen as a child. Him trying to convince the world that he's not was more of a struggle in this show than him being attracted to a man was. He represented his mother and In's greatest fears and regrets. And as a result he was never going to get what he wanted with In, because In was never going to risk making the same mistakes and destroying someone the way he destroyed himself. Beautiful, but painful. So be careful if you watch this.

21 Days Theory (Thai BL) Final rating: 7/10

A cute show that surprised me. I was expecting it to be, well, worse, but it was actually rather cute and I didn't even hate the side characters. I don't really have strong feelings about it, though, which means it was good enough to have me look back on it fondly, but nothing really stood out to me at the same time.

8.2 Byo no Hosoku / The 8.2 Second Rule (Japanese BL) Final rating: 6/10 A short little series with a main character who finds himself being the match maker for cute guys but never finds one who likes him. Or does he? It's short and not really much of a BL, but it's cute?

About Youth (Taiwanese BL) Final rating: 7/10 I have to admit that I don't remember much from this show. I remember that I thought it was cute and that I was surprisingly into the secondary pairing, but that's all. I may have to rewatch it at some point to be able to give a better review. Ai Long Nhai (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6/10 Oh boy, this one was messy. The two main actors try their best and do have chemistry, but the storyline was a mess and I left the show feeling confused. I finished it because I felt like I had to, but I wasn't really enjoying it. (And this is coming from someone who actually really liked Tonhon Chonlatee and was excited about this somewhat related show, so my taste is obviously flawed.)

Alchemy of Souls (Season 1) (Korean Drama) Final rating: 8.5/10 I really, really enjoyed this show. It's the perfect mix of other worldly fantasy mixed with adventure and great characters. The two main characters were both interesting, the plot a lot of fun, and I actually looked forward to every new episode. Worth a watch if you're into action/adventure fantasy shows set in a beautiful world.

Bad Buddy (Thai BL)

Final rating: 9.5/10 Bad Buddy is already a classic. Every person who's into BLs at all should watch this one, because it's the perfect example of what a good BL should be. It uses, creates, AND circumvents some staple BL tropes but it does it in a great way. The two main characters are awesome together, the actors have comfortable chemistry, and this show has one of the best first kisses known to man. (Also, the moment when Pat and Pran have a sleep over and talk about whether they have a crush on Ink will forever make me cry. Pran's reaction when he realizes that the guy he likes is into someone else is devastating and played so, so well. Heartbreaking scene.)

Be Loved in House: I Do Final rating: 8/10 I actually really like this show. It has a fun - albeit somewhat silly - plot that makes for some great tension between the two main leads. Their characters are opposites in many ways, but gradually you see that they also have some things in common and compliment each other. They make the other better people. Also, the final confession is great. Behind Cut (Korean BL)

Final rating: 7/10 I feel like this show had a lot of potential and I really enjoyed the first couple of episodes. The tension was there and I liked the contrast between the two main characters, but once they got together I wasn't super into it. I thought the best friend of one of the main characters was actually the best thing about the show. He was fun and tragic and his jealousy made for some entertaining moments.

Big Dragon (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 I feel very conflicted about this show, because on the one hand it didn't give me what I'd initially imagined it would, but on the other hand the chemistry between the two leads was great and the story was still very entertaining. The push and pull of the main couple's relationship was a lot of fun and while I'm not 100% sold on the story, the pairing and chemistry from the actors I'm absolutely behind.

Blueming (Korean BL) Final rating: 8.5/10 I always think back fondly on this show. It's one I've watched more than once, mostly because I like how comfortable the main characters feel and how pretty it's shot. As an artist, I just love looking at pretty shows that make me want to draw and this is one of those. It's cute, well produced, and the actors mesh well together.

Cherry Blossoms After Winter (Korean BL) Final rating: 8/10 Much like Blueming, this show is just gorgeous to look at. It has great use of colours and always has a dreamy atmosphere about it. I'm not usually one for step-brothers kinds of relationships, but I actually really like this one. It adds conflict to everything. Also, the younger character being the tallest and more confident of the two is cute. They're just cute, okay?

Choco Milk Shake (Korean BL) Final rating: 9.5/10 If you'd told me a year ago that one of my favourite shows from 2022 would be one about a cat and dog reincarnated as humans, I'd have told you you were crazy. In fact, initially I wasn't going to watch this because it just sounded too silly for me to suspend my disbelief. But, then I saw it was a Strongberry production and I gave it a shot anyway. And, oh my god, was it charming. Somehow the silly premise works and somehow it ends up both breaking your heart and mending it. The chemistry between both pairings is excellent and I still adore how heartbreaking and beautiful the Uncle/Milk pairing is. I still headcanon about them sometimes. <3

Close Friend Season 2 (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I actually like this one better than season 1, which is surprising because this involves established relationships instead of the journey getting there. Is it phenomenal? No. Does it showcase how cute Ohm and Fluke can be? Yes. Also, I was very into the second/main pairing that this season introduced, which probably helped make it less 'established relationship'y.

Color Rush Season 1 (Korean BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 Color Rush has an amazing premise and is absolutely stunning to look at. The use of colour is both important to the storyline as well as the production and you can tell. The main characters have great chemistry and the story is painful, dark, and colourful all in one.

Color Rush Season 2 (Korean BL)

Final rating: 8/10 Much like the first season, this season is gorgeous and there is a surprisingly interesting plot to it. I was skeptical at first because one of the main characters/actors had been replaced, but it worked well and there is something hauntingly tragic about this relationship where one person has spent a lot of time waiting for the man he loves to return while his new lover must now be terrified of that actually happening. Let's just say, if this ever got a third season I wouldn't be opposed to it. Cupid's Last Wish (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10 This is my least favourite EarthMix show and it's rated 8.5 out of 10. Can you tell how much I love EarthMix as a pairing? XD It's a bit of a wild story, but I was willing to go along with it for the famous comfortable EarthMix chemistry. (Which is funny considering how volatile those two sometimes are together in real life, lmao.) I wasn't even opposed to the inclusion of the sister. It made everything more tense. 'Is he in love with me or my sister?'

Cutie Pie (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I'm torn on Cutie Pie. On the one hand it's well made, has a unique storyline, and great chemistry between the characters, but on the other hand it has some toxic 'I'm lying to you and making decisions for you for your own good because I am older and more mature and know better' attitudes that I just can't get behind. If you ignore that then it's a fun show, though.

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul (Thai BL) Final rating: 7.5/10 I have to admit, at one point I didn't like this show and stopped watching it. It took me months to go back and finish it. In the end, it had me crying. It's a weird kind of 'I like it but I don't' show for me, where I'm not huge on the chemistry of the main couple - mostly because one of the characters is a literal angel of death and he's stiff and otherworldly for most of the series - but the story still makes me cry. A timeless, immortal being having to watch their loved one grow old and die will forever break my heart, okay?

DNA Says Love You (Taiwanese BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This is a show that does a lot of things really well. At the same time, it took me a while to get invested. I think it was the big reveal that cemented it as 'this one is decent' for me. And it does say some meaningful things about what love means and whatnot. It just...didn't do as much for me as some other shows do.

Double (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 6/10 I don't...remember much about this show other than what the basic plot was and that I wanted to like it more than I actually did.

It had everything I like in a show, complete with angst and pining, but I just...didn't feel it? Eien no Kinou / Eternal Yesterday (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 8/10 God, this show hurts. Imagine finally realizing your feelings and maybe having those feelings returned and then suddenly your happiness is taken from you. Only, that person is not actually dead. They're still with you, but everyone forgets about them and they're slowly dying in front of you. I know this sounds super tragic and sad - and it is! - but it's also beautiful, because love and affection are why that person was able to live just a little longer. He was able to show his love, talk about what he felt, and just live while being loved. Even if it was just for a little while, that was beautiful. This show made me so sad and yet I'm glad that I watched it.

Enchanté (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 Oh boy. I know a lot of people aren't hugely into this show and I do agree that the writing could have been stronger. (Also, Theo...my man. Decisions were made. Talking would have sufficed, okay?) However, I actually rather like this silly show. The two main characters are very different, but that's the fun thing about them and there are enough interesting side characters to put these characters in various fun situations. Also, ForceBook just have good chemistry and it makes it enjoyable to watch.

Even Sun (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6/10 Look, this show just has me so mad. BounPrem are better than this. So much better. And the sad thing is, this show being bad has nothing to do with them. I don't know what the writers were on, but...it either was way too much or not enough. What the hell was this? I actually really enjoyed episode one and then after about two or three episodes it just went down the drain. The story made no sense - Prem's character is there to get his money back from Boun's character even though it's apparently the other way around? and legally that somehow works? And then Boun's character basically kidnaps Prem's character even though earlier he was trying his best to get rid of him? - and the side pairing was cute but was so disconnected from the main story that it felt like two different shows. BounPrem deserve better. Honestly. I'm so glad they got Between Us.

Fahlanruk (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6/10 Failanruk, more like. Oh my god, was this show a mess. Like a lot of other shows before it, I was fine and kind of interested after episode one. Not so much after episode three or four. Basically, my headcanons were fun and fascinating. Two playboys hooking up and having a friends with benefits situation before gradually realizing they've fallen for each other and having to navigate a situation - genuine affection and an actual relationship - they've never been in before sounds great. But no, one of the playboys just falls in love after day one for absolutely no reason and the other somehow falls in love too after being hounded and pestered for a while. Why anyone would be at all attracted to Fahlan is beyond me, because he is one of the worst (non-criminal) human beings I've had the pleasure of seeing in a BL. He's rude, obnoxious, toys with his own boyfriend and judges him for cheating when he himself has done nothing but cheat on him, harasses a guy who's made it clear he only wants a one night stand, is an asshole to his friends, and is over the top jealous/possessive of his boyfriend several times. Sherbet can't even give or receive affection from his long time best friend when he's injured without Fahlan being mad. This show drove me crazy!! (The side couple was cute, though.)

First Love Again (Korean BL) Final rating: 7/10 Cute but nothing special. The chemistry is okay, but nothing amazing. The story, however, is cute and the tension between the two characters is believable. Imagine waiting thousands of years for your one true love and then they're nothing like you've expected them to be? And imagine having to live up to the expectations of someone who's been waiting for you for that long? Let's just say, my headcanons were epic.

Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! / Unlucky-kun Has No Choice but to Kiss! (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 Is it silly? Yes. Is one of the characters basically using the other for his personal gain? Yes. Is it still cute somehow and worth watching? Also yes.

Ghost Host, Ghost House (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8/10 This show pleasantly surprised me. I figured it'd be a ghost story with some comedy and basic chemistry, but it ended up being kind of heart wrenching with a great main pairing. These two have amazing chemistry and the attraction jumped through the screen. The story itself is also pretty good and interesting. If you're not watching for the chemistry between the main leads, then watch it for that. (It's not as scary as it promises to be, btw. The ghosts are generally good people.)

Hard Love Mission (Thai BL)

Final rating: 5.5 Look, I liked the actor playing Yoshi. He tried his best and was cute. That's about it. I can't even headcanon with this show because everything was just...lackluster or downright terrible. Ridiculous plot with sudden villains and next to no chemistry between the main pairing. I liked one actor and that was it. Sorry.

Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai / I Want to See Only You (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 7/10 Very cute show with pretty cinematography. It's short, which is both its advantage and disadvantage. Things aren't hugely fleshed out, but it's sweet and relatable and feels like your first (summer) love. Like the first time you looked at someone and felt butterflies.

KinnPorsche (Thai BL)

Final rating: 10/10 I might as well just link this post where I talked about it.

Kissable Lips (Korean BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 This just wasn't my show. All the things I liked - the chemistry between the characters and the two main actors' performances - I got (and better) in the second show they did together. Vampires just aren't my thing, I guess.

Love Class (Korean BL)

Final rating: 8/10 I could have done without the main character's obnoxious friend, but other than that this show was fun and I'll probably give it a rewatch soon.

Love in the Air (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This show is...questionable. Both relationships have fairly toxic beginnings - one starts out through subterfuge and repeatedly ignoring 'no' while the other is just built on not taking no for an answer - but do end up with clearly mutual attraction. If you can ignore the part where both of the older characters completely refuse to take their future boyfriend's word at face value, it does end up quite cute and with some very nice, steamy scenes. I just...had a hard time doing that. The rating is based purely on the chemistry between the actors and not at all on the story being told or the characters.

Love Like the Galaxy: Part 1 & Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2 (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 7.0/10 & 7.5/10

I was super excited about this show when I first started watching it, because it has my probably favourite actress - Zhao LuSi - in it with an actor whom I really enjoyed in The Long Ballad. And the storyline did seem very promising going in. However, I sadly didn't end up liking it as much as I thought I would. The main female character is fun, but at times she's also a total bitch and gets away with way too much. (All the important, good characters immediately love her even though she's everything a girl in those times would be expected not to be.) And the male character is just...boring. He isn't even near her for huge parts of the story and their chemistry disappointed me. I thought she matched much better with the actor playing Luo Yao. (Whose character I also liked better. He seemed a much better match.) So, yeah, fun show but not as good as I expected it to be.

Love Mechanics (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 This is another show that has a toxic relationship as the main focus. However, the difference is that it being toxic is part of the story. We know that Vee is an asshole to both Mark and his girlfriend. (Of course, his girlfriend also ends up cheating on him to offset this. Convenient!) That's something he has to work on throughout the series to eventually win Mark over. Had I been Mark I would have dumped his ass ages ago, though. The chemistry between the two leads is obvious and carries most of the show.

Love Stage!! (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10

A cute story, but there's not really much to it. Both leads are very pretty, though, and they did have decent chemistry once things actually started happening. Minato Shouji Coin Laundry (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 9/10 Look, as a grown up and a teacher do I approve of student/teacher relationships where one is a grown ass man and the other a teenager? Absolutely not. Does this show tell a great story and did I enjoy it? Yup. Because it's a fictional story, I was able to get over that and ended up really enjoying the tension and angst and the eventual happy ending. But had this been real life...no way in hell.

Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 8/10 It's been a while since I saw this show, but from what I remember I was really into it while watching it and for a few months after. The main female lead is a lot of fun and not as obnoxious as a lot of cdrama leads tend to be. Fun, action filled, pretty to look at show with good actors and great characters.

My Only 12% (Thai BL)

Final rating: 9.5/10 This show was made for me. Had the characters been a bit older and not teenagers, this would have been 10/10. Best friends who eventually realize - through a bunch of angsty, painful, beautiful episodes - that they love each other is my aphrodisiac. I love that shit. This show actually made me cry both sad and happy tears. It's comfortable, loving, gorgeous, painful, and heartwarming all at once. Earth and Santa work so, so well together and I actually liked them a lot more than I thought I would.

My Ride (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This is one of those shows that I kind of didn't care for the first time I watched it, but then liked it a whole lot more the second time around. It has a very likeable main character and the other main character actually being into someone else for the longest time was rather interesting. Plus, older queer character representation!!

My Secret Love (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10

This show is a little messy and the plotline goes back and forth a little, but it is cute and it has some great secondary pairings. I was especially into Tim/Mai for the longest time - they took the longest to develop and had the most angst, okay, I'm a sucker for that - and still have active headcanons for those two.

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwanese BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 This is a really good show. I don't have it rated that high because I didn't completely feel the main pairing, but that doesn't take away from that it's a good show and there is a lot of chemistry. Also, like many shows the secondary pairing was fascinating and I wish it'd gotten more of a conclusion.

Not Me (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10 Not Me has become a BL staple and rightly so. It's a very good story with some amazing characters and it deserves to be considered one of the best and most popular BLs in recent years. And Gun deserves so many accolades for how distinct the two characters he plays are. The only reason that it's not rated higher for me is that I was one of the few people who wasn't hugely into the secondary pairing.

Ocean Likes Me (Korean BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 Was it cute? Sure. Did I feel the chemistry? Not really. I love Holland and really liked his co-star in other shows I've watched, but I wasn't 100% convinced on this one. I also thought the storyline was on the weak side. Pretty shots of the sea (Ocean?), though!

Oh! Boarding House (Korean BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 I may have to rewatch this show, because I only have vague memories of it. To the point where I sometimes come across videos on youtube that have characters from it in them and go 'oh, hey, that show seems interesting. how have I never seen that be- wait, it's oh boarding house...'

Oh! My Assistant (Korean BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 A little weird, but cute. One of the main characters has the personality of a houseplant, but I think that's kind of the point? He's still very pretty, I guess. It's short but sweet.

Oh! My Sunshine Night (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This show broke me. It had so, so much potential and I was so invested in it for about half of the show and then it turned into murder plots and helicopters and completely abandoned what it had initially been about. Look, this show was supposed to be about Ohm and Fluke being tragic and sad because Fluke's characters had a heart condition, but in the end his heart problems didn't even matter to the story at all. I was so mad at the end, because I'd been so excited about everything - especially the secondary pairing - but everything they'd set up got thrown aside for literal murder and subterfuge. The rating is purely for the side pairing and the potential the show had. If you can ignore the last bunch of episodes and just headcanon what a normal show would have done, you're good.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 10/10 One of the few shows that I've given 10/10 to. As an older queer person, this show resonated with me a lot. It's about older people realizing they are still able to fall in love and discover things about themselves. Alongside that it's a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing tale of cupcakes and adoration. It takes short but sweet to an entirely new level. Please watch it. (Also, Togawa is unreasonably pretty.)

Paint with Love (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I actually really liked the main pairing. They were different, but that made them fun. It's also really funny that I watched this before I knew who most of these actors were. Looking back I'm going 'wait, Tae? Yoon? YACHT??!' It's also kind of an office romance show, which is currently all the rage. Ahead of its time, I suppose.

Plus & Minus (Taiwanese BL)

Final rating: 8/10 The kind of suffering and pining that LiGong does throughout most of this show is exactly the kind of thing I live for. Like I've said several times before, best friends who come to realizations is my jam and one of them pining for the other for decades is right up my alley. My interest kind of tapered off towards the end and the secondary pairing was a little weak - Yuki is pretty but... - but it's still a really good show.

Roommates of Poongduck 304 (Korean BL) Final rating: 9/10

This is what happens when you give the Kissable Lips boys a better story and it's a blessing. The tension between the two main characters is fun, the arguing amusing, and the chemistry is just undeniable.

JiWoong and SeoBin are so good together and I'm trying very hard to be happy for JiWoong and not sad that we'll deprived of this pairing now for a long time if not forever.

Secret Crush on You (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 SCOY is a bit of an acquired taste. It took me two tries to get past the first few episodes - look, I'm not into people falling for their creepy stalkers and Toh breaks a lot of boundaries that never should have been broken - but once you get into the meat of it it's a charming show with amazing chemistry between the pairings. Nuea/Toh is one of the few pairings that actually feel like they'd bone in public if common decency wasn't an issue. I think it's the sounds and the grinding, to be honest. Also, Sky is a green flag kind of character before that kind of thing was cool. Sky/Jao forever.

Semantic Error (Korean BL)

Final rating: 10/10 One of my 10/10 BLs. Even if you've only seen a few BLs I'm sure you've come across this one. It was even famous in non-BL circles in Korea and it made both of the actors verified superstars. The story is one of contrasting personalities clashing until they eventually realize that they actually work really well together. It's blue versus red. Reason versus emotion. Calmness versus passion. Just watch it. You won't regret it.

Senpai, Danjite Koidewa! / Senpai, I'm in Love! (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 7/10

Not my favourite Japanese BL, but that doesn't mean it's not good. It's an office drama and very cute. It takes a while to show the chemistry between the two leads, but once it does it's pretty good. And the main character is just adorable.

Shining Just for You (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 7/10 I watched this solely for Peng Xiao Ran, whom I loved in Goodbye My Princess. She's great in this too! I'm not hugely sold on the male lead, but the story and Xiao Ran's performance are good enough to have made it an enjoyable watch regardless. It has some similarities to GMP actually, as it starts out in similar settings. Not nearly as heartbreaking, though!

Sword Snow Stride (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 8.5/10 This show had such a pretty first episode that I ended up drawing three watercolour pieces for it before I even hit episode three. I knew Zhang Ruo Yun from several previous shows, so I knew he'd be good and I thought the story overall was a lot of fun and was super pretty to watch. Some of the characters - especially the female ones - were badass. I thought the romance aspect was weak, though.

Something in My Room (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10 When I watched this it was mere months before watching an influx of ghost related shows and this still remains one of the better ones. It's interesting, the characters work well together, and parts of it were painful. I like my shows to hurt a little sometimes.

Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This show was always going to have a tough time ending up as one of my faves because it reminded me too much of A Tale of Thousand Stars and it was never going to beat that. So, it started out on the back foot. However, much like ATOTS it did have beautiful scenery and I wasn't averse to the story being told. Very similar, but still cute. I'd be interested to see if this pairing could do well with a different setting.

Star and Sky: Star in My Mind (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 Much like the other Star and Sky episode, this show was fighting immense odds. School related shows are plenty and some have been way better made than this one. However, I don't dislike it as much as some people seem to do and actually think the main pairing is very cute together. Frustrating sometimes, but cute. Also, after watching their Our Skyy 2 episode I now need Typhoon/Maitee to happen.

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10

This is such a soft, pure show. It just exudes first love.

It's very pretty to look at at times and the characters are just adorable together. The ice prince who's been crushing on the innocent dork has kind of become a BL staple, but it works so well here. It's just cute, okay, much like My School President is cute. And soft. And adorable.

The Autumn Ballad (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 7.5/10

I don't remember much about this show, which is surprising to me because it has two of my favourite male actors in it. I do remember it was pretty and that the two leads were entertaining together, but other than that...?

The Blue Whisper: Part 1 & The Blue Whisper: Part 2 (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 8.5/10 & 8.5/10

Any show that has Dilraba in it is guaranteed to do well. That's just a given. This show is no exception. It has some amazing worldbuilding and a great, powerful main character with equally great supporting characters. Hell, one of them even circumvents the 'rival turns evil' trope and makes actual, sensible decisions. Good on you, Hao Qing! Very pretty show that will make you root for the main pairing. Might seem long due to two seasons, but at 42 episodes combined that's less than your average (single season) cdrama. The Eclipse (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10

The Eclipse is one of the most popular BLs released recently and proved First/Khaotung to be an excellent pairing. And it's deserved, because the show is great and the two actors have a lot of fun chemistry. My only gripe with this show is the ending. Having the perpetrators all be queer characters while the story is supposed to be about how oppressive regimes/governments/etc are and how they hurt those very same people just doesn't sit right with me. Like, all the people responsible for the curse were gay. And they were oppressing the out queer characters and putting them in actual danger. Really? That's what we're going with? The Love of Winter (Thai BL)

Final rating: 5.5/10 I...remember nothing about this show. Which makes sense, as it's only 2 episodes. Whoops? The Tuxedo (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 I know a lot of people dislike this show, but I didn't think it was actually that bad. Okay, I didn't give it a high rating, but it had a unique concept and I actually liked the way the characters developed. (And this is coming from someone who loathes 'he got better through the power of love' scenarios.) Not earth shattering, but still cute. Till the World Ends (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10

Just...not really my show. The storyline was all over the place and one of the main characters was just completely unlikable for most of it. Like, actively lying to his love interest, whom he pretty much got killed. And that's not even including the time he hit him over the head so hard that he ended up with amnesia. I like Art as an actor, though?

To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories (Korean BL)

Final rating: 8/10 It's like this show knows that I don't enjoy established relationships, so they broke them up and went through the pain of bringing them (back) together all over again. And I loved it. Was it painful and tragic and frustrating? Yes. But that's what I loved about it. Because in the end they suffered through all of that because they need each other.

To Sir, With Love (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 I have a weird relationship with this show, because on the one hand I love the relationship Tian and Jiu and I loved Tian's brother, but apart from that I had absolutely no interest in the storyline or the other characters. Like, it wasn't fun to me somehow and so I spent half of the series just fastforwarding to the good bits. And, no, that did not include magic mushrooms. I know a lot of people loved it, though, and I can see why. It just...wasn't for me. Only that amazing relationship. Hell, those amazing relationships because the love between Tian and his brother was just as deep and important. Triage (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 My issue with Triage isn't that it's not a good show with an original plot and good acting, because it's all of those things and I did really enjoy it, but that I didn't think the chemistry - which is there plenty, don't get me wrong - is realistic when it comes to two characters who basically meet for the first time every single day. At least from Tol's point of view the first time around and then the doctor the second. And initially Dr. Tin falls for someone who only ever gets introduced to him and has only known him for a day, basically. Like, how do you fall in love with someone who doesn't know you at all? Who will treat you like a stranger every time you meet him? My brain just...wasn't dealing with that. Still a really good show, though! Unforgotten Night (Thai BL) Final rating: 5/10 Oh, Unforgotten Night... What a mess you were. Supposedly dark and gritty, but in reality just silly and repetitive and throwing away any and all potential. I like Yoon, but I don't think he was right for this. Though I do think he and Ton work well together. The only thing I was really interested in at the end of this show was the relationship between the bodyguard and Baiboom. Which, in true tragic BL fashion, they did nothing with and it had no resolution. Truly cursed. Vice Versa (Thai BL) Final rating: 7.5/10 A really good show with an interesting premise and great main characters. I don't know, it's just a good show. It doesn't really hit my favourite tropes - there could have been more angst about not knowing what the other looks like, etc - and I still don't get why Puen didn't tell Talay who he was, but still a really good show.

War of Y (Thai BL) Final rating: 6.5/10 This show is tricky, because it was basically a collections of shows. Some I was really invested in - well, one, maybe two, I was really invested in - and the others I just...watched because I could. Billy and Seng have such amazing chemistry that I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, but after that it got to be less and less. It also became repetitive. Everything was about 'this thing bad for everyone involved, but the love is real guys!' (Not to mention the contradiction of making a show about how the very shows they're creating are bad and shouldn't be supported while wanting fans to support you.) So, yeah, this show is weird to judge. What Zabb Man! (Thai BL) Final rating: 6.5/10 One of those shows where I find nothing really wrong with it, but I also wasn't invested in it. I was most into the side couple, honestly. I'd like to see those two in more shows together. Who Rules the World (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 9/10 Look, if you put Zhao LuSi in a show I will watch it and if you add YangYang, an amazing story, and an equally amazing world to it? With a badass main female character? Then I'm sold regardless of what happens. This is one of those shows I'd recommend because it's just so much fun and has some great characters with a compelling, entertaining story. Why You… Y Me? (Thai BL) Final rating: 7/10 I primarily watched this because there was such an uproar about Shogun and Maito on tumblr and I get why. I do. They're cute. But in the end my angsty brain just felt bad for Green. Idk, I'm weird. You're My Sky (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I've seen people talk bad about this show, but I don't really get it. Yes, it's not ground breaking and there is some repetitiveness in the issues they deal with, but overall it had three pairings that I really enjoyed and that were different enough to keep things interesting. It was cute.

#arcana's watchlist #bl dramas #thai bl #korean bl #japanese bl #taiwanese bl #cdramas #chinese dramas #bl series

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