#bl Rom com

[lgbtally4ever]

19 Hottest BL Series for April 2023

From @ThaiBL on You Tube

SO MANY HOT, NEW BLs, so little time!!!

[absolutebl]

Perhaps one of the greatest scenes in BL.

[fanatic-freakshow]

Hey everyone! I'm on the hunt for a BL drama that hits just the right notes.

I'm in the mood for a romantic comedy with substance—something witty, and meaningful. Fluff and laughs are encouraged but not void.

Smut or no smut. From any country. Old gem or a recent hit.

I'd love your recommendations! Drop them in the comments.

[stellarflex]

Boyfriends ✔️

[miss0atae]

I'm glad they gave the Sunday slot to Only Boo. When Cooking Crush was airing, my Sunday was only meant to watch fluffy and sweet series and now with Only Boo, it's just the same feeling.

I feel like Only Boo is the perfect substitute for Cooking Crush. Gmmtv should keep only light and cute series on Sunday. So, you finish the week on a positive note and you can be ready for the next one. 😊

[danielsarmand]

[bl-bam-beyond]

1000 YEARS OLD (2023, THAILAND)

Episode 1 (Premiere on Gagaoolala)

February 14

What is this...exactly? A rom com. A Supernatural Rom Com?

Pun (NUTCHAPOL CHEEVAPANYAROJ aka SHANE) is a mysterious young (old) man that carries an umbrella and eats blood at a local outdoor eatery. He keeps to himself.

Yoh (KRITSAPATORN NAPAWIWATTANAKUL aka OPAL) sees the mysterious Pun and is immediately captivated at first seemingly because they both eat this "blood" dish of course Pun consumes alot more of it. Yoh seems to want to beat the competition so he orders more...to go.

But after Pun introduces himself, Yoh is even more enamored (but why?)

Yoh rents the room not far from Pun (even though it's said to be haunted)

And the two strike up a tentative friendship. Yet Pun is somewhat suspicious of Yoh's intentions...

WELCOME BACK TO BL SHANE (he played Frong in Season 1 of MY ENGINEER)

@pose4photoml @lutawolf @kingofthereblog-boysloveed @wanderlust-in-my-soul

[cinnamonsikwate]

these lines are WILD to put in a drama about investment bankers. settle down my guy

[liquindaze]

堕落家族論 (Daraku Kazoku-Ron; eng: Dysfunctional Family Therapy) by 鶴亀まよ (Tsurukame Mayo). Complete, 2022.

Years ago, Sentarou and Touma were involved with the same free-spirited young woman, Ririko. After Ririko's unexpected death, they find out that she had a 6-year-old daughter, Meguru - and one of them is the father!

This is sort of a Mama Mia situation, but gayer; according to a letter expressing Ririko's last wishes, they must forego paternity testing and instead parent her together for one month before she chooses her permanent guardian.

In my opinion, this manga is funny, heartfelt, and often beautiful.

Tags: Romantic comedy, gay romance (BL), co-parenting, grief, mature emotional and sexual themes, romantic comedy, forced proximity, music industry, being an adult is hard!

[myromancedramas]

My Master Lists

Hi welcome to my little blog :,) Here are my recommendation lists! I try to keep these updated but I'm not always punctual, forgive me. Let me know if you have any questions or trouble with the links!

My main is @softandorsweet <3

currently rewatching: Doom at your service

just finished: Love for Love's Sake

MY TOP 5 FAVORITES (see google doc list for plot descriptions and my full list of recommendations)

Romance Kdramas

DOOM: AT YOUR SERVICE (TW death, terminal illness, parent death, themes of su*cide)

TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE (TW anti-fatness, mild bullying, themes of depression)

HOMETOWN CHA-CHA-CHA (TW anti-fatness, themes of su*cide, ensemble character death)

YUMI'S CELLS (1 & 2) (TW anti-fatness)

 LOVE FOR LOVE’S SAKE (BL) (TW homophobia, su*cidal ideation, shown su*cide, death, blood)

Romance Thrillers Kdramas

VINCENZO (TW multiple characters death, murder, gun violence, homophobia, torture)

W: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (TW themes of & su*cide, gun violence, parent death, homophobia, sexism, anti-fatness)

HEALER (TW parent death, murder, childhood abuse, kidnapping, themes of su*cide)

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (TW childhood trauma, parent death, so much anti-fatness, homophobia, sexism, main character death, murder, slipping someone a drug, themes of & shown attempted su*cide, gun violence)

HAPPINESS (TW self h*rm, murder, zombies basically so lots of blood, classism, gun violence)

Thai Romance Dramas

NOT ME (BL) (TW physical altercations, gun violence, arson, kidnapping, commentary on ableism, racism, capitalism and more)

BAD BUDDY (BL) (TW physical altercations, blood, family violence, gun violence, unwanted public outing) 

MY SCHOOL PRESIDENT (BL) (TW mild manipulation, shove, slap, punch, homophobia, non con photo taking, unwanted public outing)

KINNPORSCHE (BL) (TW gun violence, murder, torture, kidnapping, mafia altercations, physical altercations, under the influence sex scene, dubious consent) 

THE ECLIPSE (BL) (TW homophobia, minimal physical altercations, outing someone)

Japanese Romance Dramas

MY LOVE MIX-UP (BL) (TW homophobia)

ALICE IN BORDERLAND (TW shown death, su*cide, extreme violence, sexual assault, severe psychological trauma)

CHERRY MAGIC (BL) (TW age gap)

SEVEN DAYS (BL) (TW cheating)

ONLY JUST MARRIED (TW fake marriage, unrequited love)

Taiwanese Romance Dramas

ABOUT YOUTH (BL) (TW family stress)

WE BEST LOVE (BL) (TW blackmail, dubious consent, manipulation, non con kiss, violence)

MY TOOTH YOUR LOVE (BL) (TW trauma, parent death, physical abuse, family abuse)

HISTORY 3: TRAPPED (BL) (TW gun violence, kidnapping, gun violence, blood)

BE LOVED IN HOUSE: I DO (BL) (TW manipulation)

Chinese Romance Dramas

PUT YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER (TW anti-fatness) 

i wanted to include any warnings i noticed while watching these shows, as to reduce any harm to anyone taking my recommendations! these are still my favorite shows and have as many nuanced positives as nuanced negatives!

key: FL = female lead, ML = male lead, TW = trigger warning

message about south korean dramas: i think so many of us are drawn to kdramas for their depth and analysis of different forms of oppression and traumas. however, kdramas are lacking so much in so many ways thus the TWs. i recently found out that studio dragon, the largest production company in south korea is a monopoly company (bought out all smaller independent businesses and now has total control over most production in south korea). studio dragon alone has produced vincenzo, hometown cha cha cha, happiness, twenty-five twenty-one, yumis cells, my roommate is a gumiho, doom at your service, true beauty, start-up, tale of the nine tailed, flower of evil, it’s okay to not be okay, hi bye mama, my holo love, love alarm, hotel del luna, because this is my first life and way way more. plus they just signed with Netflix in the last year or two, and will only be continuing to expand. if you regularly watch kdramas there’s not much we can do, expect support the dramas that have become more inclusive. knowledge is power and having perspectives on why studio dragon is not perfect is more beneficial than living in the dark.

[lgbtally4ever]

LOVE IS LIKE A CAT

Ep. 1 & 2 now on Viki

Judging from ep. 1–this show looks, fairly, well-produced, and starts off like a, regular, Thai series, or kdrama.

Episodes 1 & 2 available this week (4/3).

Consists of 12-15 minute episodes.

Episodes 1 & 2 seem to be, quite, highly-rated. (Ep. 2 has a 90% rating on MDL).

[cryingonlyhereforhim]

[queersouthasian]

It's actually kind of hilarious how I am watching both ghost files and ghost host ghost house, like the ultimate spook overdose which resulted in me doing double check everytime there is slightest of sound hehe *crying* why do i do this to me :') , also today roomates of poongduck for the much needed comedic relief lmao

[madeinjapan-thailand-blbambeyond]

MADE IN THAILAND

NUTCHAPOL CHEEVAPANYAROJ

[Nickname: SHANE]

KRITSAPATORN NAPAWIWATTANAKUL

[Nickname: OPAL]

SATITA SINSAMNAO

[Nickname: MILD]

NATTHAKIT SANGVORNKITRUCHAI

[Nickname: BIGBOSS]

[bl-bam-beyond]

1000 YEARS OLD (2024, THAILAND)

Episode 3

Kind Hearted but weak vampire Pun (NUTCHAPOL CHEEVAPANYAROJ aka SHANE) has found friendship with Master Yoh (KRITSAPATORN NAPAWIWATTANAKUL aka OPAL) and Pork Blood Soup Maker Kamsai (SATITA SINSAMNAO aka MILD)

He yearns for Master Yoh to believe though he has little to no power except the inability to die. He is a vampire over 900 years old.

Can Yoh believe this fantastical story?

Bonus:

And what does the arrival of Somchai (NATTHAKIT SANGVORNKITRUCHAI aka BIGBOSS) add to this trio. And their new PORK BLOOD SOUP restaurant on a rooftop?

@pose4photoml @kingofthereblog-boysloveed @lutawolf

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Screw everything else inject On1y into my damn veins

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Aug 2024 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) eps 5-6 of 12 - Extreme introvert dealing with a very hot, very drunk, very affectionate extrovert was an excellent experience all around. “I was drunk and talking out of my ass, but I wasn’t lying” maybe one of the world’s greatest confessions. How meta that he’s checking out the book of the story that he’s in. Carry on boys, very enjoyable, very Thai BL.

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 12 fin - It’s cute. They are all very cute. I do like it when high school BL gives us a coming out sequence. I know it’s old-fashioned, but it’s a trope that goes with this particular setting really well, and I just like it when it’s done nicely. I’m not sure I needed it to totally dominate the final episode of the series. But it was fine.

I gotta say, Fourth is an absolutely outstanding actor. He really did knocked it out of the park in this last episode especially. 

In conclusion:

It was fine and it was charming, but it was also a little lackluster. Thailand managed to take one of Japan's softest cutest most bonkers BLs in recent memory and make it softer and cuter and... dull. They did this by watering it down. JBLs almost always have an edge to them, even the rom-coms, by dulling the edge, MLMU lost a great deal of the sparkle and tension as well. What an office setting managed to mostly maintain in the consummate hands of TayNew felt somewhat lackluster when handed off to the next generation and a high school setting. Cherry Magic was a lovely reinterpretation, Mix Up was an amateur's watercolor rendition of a colorful oil painting. Am I being harsh? G4 tried their best, and Fourth turned in some outrageously good acting in the latter half. But the show? It was fine. If you like water colors and you haven't seen (and loved) Kieta Hatsukoi. 8/10

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 8 fin - This was the first hint we got that the lead's relationship was anything more than sexual. And it was utilized for a breakup?! JJ and Wan's friendship is the best thing about this show. PWan selling JJ out to Methas was great. I was modestly delighted by the big fuck off ownership engagement ring. I admire a boy who likes to mark his territory with bling. I actually thought this was a decent final episode. If very rushed. I know, in general this ending was objectively weak, but I grinned the entire time, so I can’t really complain that much.

Final thoughts?

A story about a kid who infiltrates a cooking competition under false pretenses and then has to deal with the consequences when he falls in love with the head chef. The side couple is a poor little rich boy meets physical therapist (morality chain). The core friendships are excellent and the chemistry cannot be faulted across the (charcuterie) board. What this show lacks in substance it makes up for in health code violations. It was all chili all the time. Considering that the plot centered on betrayal but the romantic relationship never sweetened enough to balance that bitterness; one could be forgiven for throwing this one in the compost. But I got over all its weaknesses in flavor balancing for an ultimately satisfying meal, with a great dessert course. I've always loved spicy food. Plus the blooper reels were fantastic. 8/10

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 2 of 10 - I like the side couple a lot. It’s nice to see that dynamic developed (as it wasn't in the CBL version). Of course, Thailand leans into a secondary couple, but I also like the super popular jock + geeky boy who couldn’t care less. You know what? I’m actually really enjoying this. And yes, I AM biased because it's August. (Wait, that could be taken several different ways this month. But you know what I mean.) Anygay, this is a lot softer than the original, and so Hero is much more of a pining character and less harsh. But I'm still enjoying it. I like the stepbrothers trope (we don’t get it very much from Thailand), and I enjoy the beats and pulses of this particular story. We will see if it derails into inconsequence and lack of conflict the way My Love Mixup did.  

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - I’m enjoying this show but it should’ve been just 10 eps. It’s feeling bloated at this juncture. That said, I loved our little GL kiss. Very pretty. I also really like the bit with Sam and Yo flirting with each other. Sam trying to get Yo to call him P'Sam was fucking brilliant. And then slipping in all of those nongs. Delightful. Linguistic negotiation, it's what's for dinner... along with Sam's d**k apparently. I frankly did not think they would take this couple that far. So, thank you very much everybody involved.

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 4 of 12 - I do enjoy watching Yim freak out and fall in love all over again. The reality is still better for me than the fantasy parts, but it’s all fun enough. The magic mushrooms bit was odd. In fact, there is definitely a core tenor of ODD going on with the show. Which I’m accustomed to from Japan but I’m not really sure about from Thailand. Thus I remain engaged but suspicious of this BL. 

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - Yu wants to take his baby on a trip, gets thwarted by his younger brother. Ouch. I really do think it’s time for Ai to tell Yu what’s going on with his dreams! Drunken boyfriend bolster pillow is a fav trope of mine. As usual, I’m catching second lead syndrome. What? I liked the rich boy badminton player. And then he picked up a guitar. Oh well.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - No one cares about the hets. He was jelly? Cute. Also kinda an arse, by hey this is BL. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) eps 1-2 of 12 - announced in 2023, high school, stepbrothers, and is reputed to be high heat. Based on a novel Mou Mou + the Your Name Engraved Herein team.

ARE YOU READY? I'M GOING TO NOT SO QUIETLY LOSE MY DAMN MIND

This is old-school BL and it’s bloody fantastic. Tsundere seme to beat all tsundere (smartest + tallest + bestest at everything but people) meets socially-ept cutie smart-ass protag.

They living together by end of ep 1 and start kissing by end of ep 2.

There is an Unknown quality to this, and that I love. Also, and ironic to say this while Addicted Heroin Th is airing, but this REALLY reminds me of Addicted. It’s so fucking good. I am all in on this show. Shut up while this eats my life.

Cosmetic Playlover (Japan Tues Gaga) eps 5-6 of 8 - Of course! The POV shift to the seme character at ep 5! How could I forget? Japan loves this beat! AND.... The running of the gays. And a use of a first name! So darling. Also some crazy great communication and conversation that is NOT a hallmark of Japan. Sahashi is so very possessive. I loved the switch that went on in his brain and the mania in his eyes when he thought someone else was interested in Natsume. I continue to love this.

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 10 of 12 - I’m never going to like Maya. Sorry. And the leads were separated for most of this episodes so it was largely disappointing. I did like the insight into the way T sees the world, and sees the alienation of a disability and what it's dong to his friend. It’s very empathic. He’s such an appealing character in his obtuse bull-headed way.

Seoul Blues (Korea Fri? YouTube) ep 2 of 8 - It’s intriguing, and I'm happy to have anything from Korea on my dash. But, like Blue Boys, I’m not entirely sure if I like it or not.

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) eps 3-4 of 12 - This may be Taiwan but I’m still in the "no singing" camp. I’m getting a slightly better chemistry feel off the leads in this episode. I’m not sure if they’re keeping it stiff because the younger character is under age or if it’s just that the actors aren’t there yet? (In other words is this a directing choice or a performance issue?)

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - I've finally come down firmly on the fact that it’s the uneven power distribution (in terms of interest and enthusiasm for the relationship) that I dislike about this show. Generally, I like a power dynamic differential, kinky and all that. But this particular dynamic, when it’s the weaker personality that’s so much more into the stronger one? I never like it, unless it engages a serious pivot at some point. (See My Personal Weatherman or Takara & Amagi.)

It's airing but...

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 3 of 10 - I was really loving this one but I can't find ep 3 anywhere so I guess I gotta wait it out. I hope I get to see it eventually.

4 Minutes (Sat Gaga) eps 1-6 of 8 - Gaga picked this one up so we can watch it there. If I have time, I'll get caught up and put it into rotation.

In case you missed it

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - I'm eating crow, binging the fucker, and live blogging.

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER!!!! (Yeah this is gonna sit here until then).

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Coming Next Month:

The Time of Fever (Korea)

9/1 Live in Love (Thai)

9/3 Happy of the End (Japan)

9/6 Kidnap (Thai)

9/7 The Hidden Moon (Thai)

9/9 Jack & Joker (Thai)

9/14 Love Sick 2024 (Thai)

9/17 Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan)

More deets next week. It's late and I'm tired.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

It was pretty. I am very shallow.

Even more pretty. Petition to have Tenon with his shirt off and hair back in every subsequent Thai BL? Just because.

(SunsetXVibes)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.