#Spring of Crush

[absolutebl]

BLs with Strong Historical Elements

Costume dramas, historical BLs, and BLs with time travel or flashbacks to historical locations & times.

These are in order of my personal preference, best at the top.

I Feel You Linger in the Air

2023 Thailand

IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). It's about a gay man from our time who falls into the past, becomes a servant to a noble house, and falls in love with the heir. It turns out this has all happened several times before. Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but not as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy soulmates BL... from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and as individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show could easily have earned a 10/10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls in the final quarter. Argh. Whatever.

Nobleman Ryu's Wedding

2021 Korea - WeTV

A boy cross-dresses to take his runaway sister's place as a bride to a shy scholar, turns out they like being married. A historical setting allowed this BL to use some seriously old fashioned romance tropes (arranged marriage, evil step-sisters, Cinderfella) but also modern BL stylings like fake relationship & secret identity (drag) plus some cute gay panic. It reminded me of 12th Night more than anything else which just happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. For all these reasons, I adored it.

(the ghat kiss!)

Tinted With You

2022 Korea - Viki

Fun stylish time travel meets portal fantasy with a likable cast, historical setting, and two actual kisses that mitigate the rough plot and issues around anachronisms.

Word of Honor

2021 China (censored) - Viki/YouTube?

I don’t rec Chinese stuff often, because I believe in censoring the censors, but this show is one of my favorites of the post 2016 censored bromances. It’s two murder-gay assassins (pining sunshine/tsundere), and they are so insanely gay for two boys who will never be allowed to kiss. Tropes include: wuxia, soulmates, paranormal, historical, and fantasy elements.

To Sir, With Love AKA Khun Chai

2022 Thailand - YouTube?

This is a true lakorn (basically Thai tellenovella or soap opera) with scenery chewing performances, especially from the mother characters. Gone With the Wind + Days of Our Lives but gay. That said? I loved it: A glorious central brother relationship (the best, made me cry), het romances, class divide + gay *gasp* main romance - oh my word, the campy drama of it all! Arranged marriage, rebellion, cut sleeves, over-the-top death with curses and regrets, beautiful if inaccurate costumes, secrets unraveling, cover ups, sparkle murder, sex herbs, coils within coils including snakes and murderous green metallic sequins (is anything gayer on this earth?). It’s a WILD ride but it does end happy for our gay boys. A man cries when he finds DEATH GLITTER. Come on! You haffa watch it. That said, like Manner of Death I struggle to rate something on a BL scale when it patently isn’t a BL. So I ended up giving this exactly what I gave that show, 7/10 I enjoyed it a whole lot, but not as a BL.

The Untamed (Special BL Edition)

2020 China (censored) - YouTube

Censored wuxia bromance, amorphous ending. Probubly the best known BL of its kind out of China and responsible for bring many fans to the BL side.

Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go

2023 Thailand - YouTube

I was nervous to watch this PondPhuwin vehicle but I liked it a lot! Doomed soulmates + paranormal time travel to fix the past. I’m happy for the outfits and the dancing (if not the singing). It’s not a bad premise and it’s nice to see GMMTV lean into its high production values for a change. I'd adore a full historical starring these two and this was definitely the best of the second series of Our Skyy. I don't think you have to have watched the original Never Let Me Go to enjoy this.

Legend of Long Yang: Rebirth

2017 China

Gaga

Whipping boy trope... literally, servant character takes the strap for the prince, who then makes him his bodyguard and lover when he becomes king. Low budget historical, comes off as kind of cosplay wuxia version of Irresistible Love, but we get (in the credits) an actual kiss, and they both live. So yay for small mercies.

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner

2023 Korea (historical flash backs)

iQIYI

A new employee at a film company encounters a director who claims to have lived 300 years and insists that they have to date (eat, hug & kiss) if baby doesn't want to die. It has a lot of Japanese elements, not the least of which are: an office setting, the fact that every character in this show is unhinged, and a killing of the gays. Featuring a gorgeous & stellar cast, TDWBMD should have utilized them less for melodrama and more for chemistry. This BL surprised me by going there with a lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. But (you knew there was a but) while it's a unique twist on an office romance it is NOT a unique twist on the doomed red thread trope, resulting in it feeling less than the sum of its parts and ultimately unsatisfying. This might have also had to do with the fact that this was one of those KBLs where I felt how very short it was the whole time I was watching, like I was missing something constantly, in every episode. Worth watching for some but seriously flawed.

First Love Again

2022 Korea (historical flash backs) - Viki

A popular novelist who remembers his past lives meets his soulmate for the third time, only to find she has been reincarnated into the body of a man. This one started out a touch mean-spirited, but we eventually got a good kiss. The confession/rejection scene was justified and the reconciliation and ending was... fine. All in all, the pacing felt rushed and the romantic arc was underdeveloped. They go from like to love to boyfriends in a red hot minute. But that’s par for the course with Korea’s short form. If you don’t mind a heavy does of melodrama in your BL this one has a solid story with a strong concept that’s well acted and produced, making it a classic KBL with better than average chemistry but ultimately a touch forgettable.

Love in Spring AKA Spring of Crush

2022 Korea

This show was all over the place with uneven acting, narrative, and focus (sometimes it wanted to be a slapstick comedy, sometimes a depressing melodrama) which meant no one, actors or viewers, took anyone or anything seriously.... AND it’s a bromance. I was left wondering if SalHyung is now code for “they were roommates” in Kdrama historicals but otherwise largely apathetic and unimpressed. Korea, I now know you can do better. Do better.

Mermaid's Jade

2019 China (censored-esk) - Gaga

Kills the gay.

The Male Queen: Han Zi Gao

2016 China - Gaga

Kills the gay. Schrodinger's BL, both a BL and entirely not one at the same time.

Diary of Heong Yeong Dang

2014 Korea

Kills the Gay

I was gonna do a top 10 list, but there aren't enough by my metrics, so many end sadly.

This post at the behest of @verymuchof thank you for the idea!

Dated April 2023, includes only BLs that had finished their run by that date. Not responsible for cool costume flix that come after that. But you should check the comments to see if any have been added by others!

I might have missed a few that only have time historical elements since I don't always track those.

Also I would like to point out a decided lack of Japan on this list. My ninja yaoi consuming tiny past self is VERY upset about this void.

WHERE ARE MY GAY NINJAS??!!!

(source)

[todayis-snowy]

who could he be looking at?

[serpentface]

It's peak springtime and everything's in bloom and nothing bad is ever going to happen again. Lets day-drink senseless in the bushes.

[nostalgic-retrosexual]

Carmen Electra Spring Break (2000)

[idontmindifuforgetme]

I genuinely love not having a crush like I’m not over here feeling physically sick over some mid guy being dry to me I’m literally chilling

[gods-favorite-autistic]

I am still willing to go on a rant over the nuance of the Ratgrinders and how they aren’t truly evil however I will be sending a laser guided ballistic missile to Oisin’s location at the next possible convenience

[insert-sad-billie-eilish-lyric]

[bansheesofinisherin2022]

speaking of remakes of classic literature: why does no one make a modern take on austen's northanger abbey that parodies the mordern horror genre (as opposed to the gothic satire it initially was)? that could be fun and cute without fucking up the main message

[solarbunzzz]

Rainy day 🌧️

This image has been on my brain since I was playing this omg..... Maybe they need more paint on each other ermmm..my

[tamaki-ako]

black butler: emerald witch arc | episode 9

[absolutebl]

Hi Phi. I asked this question when you were traveling. I forgot about it and now I am back again.

Who are your favorite "they should of been poly" couples?

They Should Have Been Poly BL

Sorry sorry, took me so long to get to this one. Also I don't have a ton of good screen shots, but I will do my best. In no particular order. (Pictured above are 2 that are actually poly, Deep Night and 3 Will Be Free.)

It should be of no surprise that many of these are Korean (the love triangle specialists).

Oh Boarding House

I love this BL either way but what a terrible case of second lead syndrome it gives. Already complicated to make the main relationship work, I don't think any of them are mature enough for poly, but I still stand by this choice.

Spring of Crush

This is a cheat because I want it to be both a BL (it wasn't, sadly) AND poly. But there it is. A solid choice. Probably the best of the bunch.

Tasty Florida

They are just all so pretty.

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner

Anyone think, perhaps, maybe, the solution to the tragedy of the time loop was, actually, poly? No? Just me?

Tinted with You

A bit of a cheat since many of us simply decided they were poly. And it was ever-so-slightly implied at the very end.

Behind Cut

I just think it would have been a better more memorable show if the model boyfriend had, in fact, also been their boyfriend. Dito KBL's Blue of Winter.

And now for Thailand...

My Mate Match

I mean COME ON. If anyone was going to do it in Thai BLandia it should have been these actors from this production company. Seriously! Just commit to the bit.

Two Worlds

It's no accident that the only still I have from this show is of the original relationship not the later MaxNat pairing. I just think they had great chemistry and they should have had their HEA in both time lines.

La Pluie

Oh yeah all of you gonna be mad. But I was never was big on the 2nd lead pair in this show. Would have preferred poly for the mains instead. Would have changed the ENTIRE tenor of the dialogue around this show and its tropes, but I would have enjoyed that too.

Our Days

Not a good BL. Would have been better with a poly agenda. I mean Offraod was the second lead, of course he stole our hearts.

Sweet Tooth Good Dentist

Frankly it'd just be a more interesting show with this aspect. And Jimmy has chemistry with EVERYBODY.

(source)

[lavampira]

ffxiv sapphic sunday 🌸 spring

[allthingstv]

HEARTSTOPPER | 1x0.2 Crush 🌨️🌨️🌨️

[nostalgic-retrosexual]

Jessica Simpson TRL spring break edition 2001

[sizzlingstarlightsky]

How are you gonna sit there and tell me this isn't young Tamlin

[apfelschorl]

I just love and love and love them.

Live

laugh

Nick&Charlie 🍂❤️♥️