#dining table for 10

[vintageretrolove]

Enclosed in Los Angeles Large enclosed dining room with a traditional dark wood floor, white walls, and no fireplace.

[absolutebl]

Top 10 Best BLs on Gagaoolala

My Beautiful Man AKA Utsukushii Kare

Japan 2021

One of the most Japanese BLs to release in the last decade, as weird and as messed up as any 2000s yaoi: emo af and hella warped, entirely true to itself with no attempt made to modify its POV for modern sensibilities or current BL fandom. It used seriously old school problematic and kinky tropes, like whipping boy, for a truly uncompromising piece that also manages to hit up themes of communication, consent, and self acceptance. It’s a wonderful BL but uniquely dirty and harsh, in the best possible way - Japanese cinema, uncompromising.

I lost my ever loving mind over the ending. This show won the Grand Prix “My Best TV Award” at the 16th Galaxy Awards.

Minato's Laundromat AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry

Japan 2022

A classic age gap romance where a high school student pursues the man of his dreams (who runs a laundromat). This BL is so steeped in yaoi nostalgia, not to mention a classic romance arc, that it will overload some, but those of us who love this genre for its DNA will adore it. It made me very happy because it did everything I want a BL to do - there’s not much more I could ask of a show than this. It’s the closest Japan has come to perfect live action yaoi since Seven Days (and I never make that comparison lightly).

Squee watch-along here.

My Ride

Thai 2022

Thai BL grew up with this pulp (the first ever to make my end of year top 10). It’s a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine (AKA a cinnamon roll couple) plus mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest, and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede, the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple.

Takara & Amagi AKA Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

Japan 2022 I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this BL. Reserved cool kid who must learn to communicate to keep the tiny disaster nugget he’s madly in love with. It is beyond charming: soft and gentle, packed with cuteness and high school angst, thirst, & yearning. Was there plot? Not really. Was it emotionally tense and paced well enough for me not to notice? Absolutely. Did I enjoy the hell out of it? Oh yes.

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Taiwan 2023

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged, but that’s normal for Taiwan. It involves all the tropes under a very casual framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. Absolutely every character is queer. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs, and a KILLER side couple. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan.

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho

Japan 2023

This style of live action yaoi really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's higher heat than we usually get from Japan's HEA stuff, and that part is also very well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" trope which is only exacerbated into undiluted frustration by the fact that they're already fucking. It's great, but watching requires more patience than usual, even for Japan.

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku

Japan 2023

A lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. I was always gonna love this show if they stuck to the manga (which is very dear to my heart). And they did, paralleling it almost exactly. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me as the best of what Japan can do with softness (like Restart After Come Back Home). It’s only flaw (if I dare say such a thing) is that it is not really “romantic.” Lovely & sweet but the romance beats are being used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy, but that's OK with me. This is a very safe show for anyone to watch.

Step By Step

Thai 2023

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This office romance between a stern boss and sweet subordinate felt more authentic to cubical work than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. That authenticity added tension to the narrative and its characters development (how novel). I also really enjoyed the charming side characters and the brothers' relationship to each other (although I could have done without that brother's side BL).

Long Time No See

Korea (Strongberry) 2017

Catfishing assassins on either side of a turf war who fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Suspenseful plot, good fight sequences, mature characters, hot sexitimes and even hotter beating the shit out of each other and kissing while covered in blog (this came from KOREA?), plus an HEA. One of the hidden gems of the BL genre.

About Youth

Taiwan 2022

A truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst and an earnest depth. I didn’t even mind the singing, and that’s saying a lot. A weak seme/uke dynamic but tons of BL tropes (both rare in a high school setting but common for Taiwan) makes this one feel both sweet and colored by real world authenticity and grit.

Some of these shows ALSO appeared on Viki or iQIYI, but these BLs will appear only once on these round up posts (here for Gaga), not on the other platforms top 10.

(source)

This list updated Spring 2024, not responsible for cool stuff that aired on Gaga (or was taken off the platform) after that date.

This is part of a series more here:

[bubblegeon]

I will never forget about tonight for the rest of my life.

Finally, I found my place. 🥕 OUR DINING TABLE (2023)

[respectthepetty]

So if you ask how I'm doing after episode 10 of Our Dining Table, well . . .

Why is Koji the best dad? EVER? He did everything right this episode. EVERYTHING!

He gave Minoru and Yutaka time to have a date without Tane, then Yutaka got in his head and moved away from Minoru's touch.

But Koji noticed his son's behavior when he got home from the date, and jumped into fix-it mode. He knows Minoru is too kind to push anything with Yutaka, and even though Minoru seems annoyed at his father's antics, Koji's heart is always in the right place. He understands these two boys love each other, but on their own, they will let the distance grow.

So he gives them a way to be with each other. He tells Yutaka he has to stay the night. He leaves them alone. He allows them to be close.

He consoles Yutaka!

Which allows the boys to be there for each other.

Because Koji cares for all his boys. ALL. OF. THEM.

So Tane easily understands that Yutaka is family.

I could (and probably will) write thousands of words on this statement alone, but while Yutaka worries about his place in their life, and overthinks how to define himself in their lives, and Minoru doesn't want to overwhelm Yutaka, Tane gets exactly what his dad has taught him.

Because Koji teaches all of his boys how to love openly and without fear. He teaches them to be proud of that love and not coward away from it. He teaches them that when you love someone, you don't hide it. He teaches that you love your family, even when they aren't there.

And Tane understands that Yutaka is family.

Koji made sure of that.

[lurkingshan]

The Asian Drama Generational Trauma Challenge List 

gif by @youdontloveme-yet

As @waitmyturtles has been making her way through her OGMMTVC I have been continuing to watch way too many dramas and thinking about the ones I want her to watch when she’s done with that project. And because I know Turtles, it’s always the dramas that feature themes around intergenerational trauma, filial piety, and lots of emotionally fraught interactions between parents and children that ping my “Turtles needs to watch this” radar. As I was mentioning the shows I wanted her to watch, Turtles joked that maybe I should make her a new challenge list that is focused on intergenerational trauma.

And if y’all haven’t learned this about me yet, you should know that I have no chill and absolutely will embark on a whole project because you make a stray comment in my direction. So here we are!

gif by @piningbisexuals

I wanted this list to be inclusive of a broad range of Asian dramas, exploring how it shows up in different Asian countries and through both het and queer lenses, so I consulted quite a few friends. Shoutout to @wen-kexing-apologist, @so-much-yet-to-learn, @bengiyo, @shortpplfedup, @ginnymoonbeam, and @emotionallychargedtowel for helping me refine this list. We landed on the following criteria:

Modern dramas only—not necessarily current but set in a time period recent enough that we don’t have a whole additional set of social mores to layer on top

The drama explores intergenerational trauma, not just intergenerational dynamics (so shows like Reply 1988 that are very much about family but not necessarily trauma are not on the list)

Intergenerational trauma is a primary focus and a major theme of the drama, not a background theme, a surprise reveal, or just part of a character’s backstory to engender sympathy (waves goodbye to most chaebol romcoms)

We are using the word trauma in a broad sense here–a lot of the complex trauma featured in these shows would not meet the formal DSM diagnostic criteria as a Traumatic Event

We did apply a quality filter–the execution of the story needs to be good enough that the intergenerational trauma themes stay intact, even if the drama overall is not a total slam dunk

gif by @gifetc

Note also that this list is not chronological and there is no suggested watch order. I also do not recommend binging all of these dramas one after the other. Some of these shows are heavy and you’ll want to space them out. This is a challenge to complete over time!

I decided to share this on tumblr in case others are similarly weird and wanted to undertake this challenge with us. If any of you see this and decide to watch some of these, please tag me with your progress and thoughts! I have also linked each show’s MDL page so you can see the synopsis and general warning tags, but if you want specific content warnings for any of these shows, feel free to comment or message me.

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

So after a lot of preamble…

Generational Trauma Challenge List

10 Years Ticket (Thailand, YouTube)

180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us (Thailand, Gagaoolala)

About Youth (Taiwan, Gagaoolala)

Bad Buddy (Thailand, YouTube)

Come and Hug Me (S Korea, Viki)

Flower of Evil (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

GAP (Thailand, YouTube)

Go Ahead (China, Viki)

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (S Korea, Netflix)

Khun Chai (Thailand, YouTube)

My Mister (S Korea, Netflix)

Our Dining Table (Japan, Gagaoolala)

SKY Castle (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

Something in the Rain (S Korea, Netflix or Viki)

Until We Meet Again (Thailand, Viki or YouTube)

gif by @gabrielokun

Good luck, happy crying, stay hydrated, and please pace yourselves!

(Tagging friends @neuroticbookworm, @kyr-kun-chan, and @chickenstrangers who I have already discussed this with.)

[wen-kexing-apologist]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally

I was tagged by @twig-tea, but I do what I want so I'm ignoring the Boys thing (and on at least one occasion the BL thing). Anyway, without further ado, and in no particular order.

Win!Lin- Cupid's Last Wish

LOOPHOLE FIRST!

gif by @angelbesideme

Thanks to Cupid's Last Wish, Jan is a boy here! So I am choosing Win from Cupid's Last Wish before he body swaps back. HOWEVER, if I'm honest, it was less Win and more masc!Jan that made my brain short circuit so do with that what you will.

Toon- Seneha Stories

I am breaking from the prompt immediately, but this is my post and I can do what I want, so I am choosing Toon from Seneha Stories, which @so-much-yet-to-learn brought my attention to. Seneha Stories is definitively not a BL, but Toon is hot, kind, sad, and he fucks so I'd be living my best life.

Miw, Neo, Shin, and Mae - 3 Will Be Free

THIS IS NOT ME SUGGESTING A FOURSOME, THIS IS JUST ME TRYING TO PREVENT FOUR OF THE TEN SPACES FROM BEING 3 WILL BE FREE.

I like it when my fictional women not only are capable of murder, but have, in fact, murdered. Miw and Mae are hot, competent, killers, fucking over evil billionaires so what is not to love?

I am not immune to Neo and his slutty little crop tops. He has three brain cells and they are all that is keeping him from not dying. Iconic to be honest.

I am not immune to Shin and his glasses, and his kindness. I mean, the boy got cut with a knife and not only comforted the kid that wounded him when he started freaking out but dated him.

Mollie - The Warp Effect

gif by @patpran

MY FIRST NON-BINARY REP IN THAILAND, MY BELOVED. Mollie is so fucking hot, they are talented, they have sick tattoos, they are fighting for themselves, and are changing the landscape of media, what is not to love?

You could also almost certianly put in any of Silvy's characters and I would probably want them carnally, cause...it's Silvy.

(honestly, I'd go for Nim too, but again, not for her character's personality, it's the masc!Jan effect)

Kim- KinnPorsche

gif by @namchyoon

For this scene and this scene only. Honestly, I think if nothing else this shows you that my type is people who could actually maybe kill me in a fight.

Or at the very least, people I could get in to a homoerotic fight with.

Anyway, Jeff gives me gender envy and the first time I saw this gifset, I thought he was a butch lesbian.

Speaking of homoerotic fights

Phaya and Sand - The Sign

MENACE! A MENACE I TELL YOU! I truly well and deeply have an appreciation for when someone who (I assume) typically would top absolutely just vibrates out of their skin at the first sign they might be topped.

And I'm adding Sand here as well because I think my jaw dropped like ten feet when I saw her on screen.

Sand, baby girl, let me know if Yai doesn't treat you right, cause I will.

King- Bed Friend

gif by @earthfluuke

Shout out to this man, I've seen him on at least three of these lists. But who could blame us? Look at him.

Choy Yu Na- Semantic Error

She did that bisexual sit and my heart was hers.

And for my last two picks, I certainly am asking myself the question, do I want them carnally or do I just want them?

Mork -My Ride

Helloooooooo Mr. Dimples. I mean....I feel like I don't need to explain myself here. We all get it, right? We understand, right? And besides, he gives rides for a living or something...

Minoru- Our Dining Table

HE'S JUST SO NICE, SO KIND, SO TIRED. @isaksbestpillow is so right, he is a mother. I love him.

Tagging @so-much-yet-to-learn, @solitaryandwandering, @respectthepetty and anyone else who sees this and wants to join!

[blmpff]

Our Dining Table (2023) 1x10

[erggggggggg]

finally in my bed in my new space and i’m very very happy about it

[ghostickle]

Kinda rlly annoys me that a ton of people I called friends think it’s their place to say I shouldn’t get stuff to make my apartment nice or act like I’m irresponsible with money just because I’m Able to make my place nice and they weren’t especially when like the majority of things I own are either second hand or I made it myself or some variation of that like my coffee table I got for $8 second hand missing it’s glass top and I just rearranged the wooden planks added a couple screws and anchors and got a nice wooden coffee table for less than $10 and some tools I already had when the tables original worth is over $300, my side table and tv are both things my brother left behind when he moved back north so I used them for my place, most of my wall decor I made myself or is just stuff that I’ve accumulated over the years same for dishes n stuff I’ve been slowly getting that stuff for like two years whenever I found something I liked and could afford really the most expensive thing I got was my couch being $400 and the Only reason I got a new couch instead of second hand is I get too paranoid about bugs especially bed bugs and couldn’t mentally handle getting a couch second hand and still found a nice big sectional on sale and had nearly $2k in saving specifically to fill an apartment with and I didn’t even use $1k of that

[xoxoemynn]

Begging the fireworks to stop, I'm so tired.

[prawniscuous]

like 2 years ago somebody asked to see our curious george menorah with headless man in the yellow hat and I dont think I ever posted it well here you go whoever you are. its also a music box

[sapphoslibrary]

living anywhere but america must be so fucking wild like do y’all really hear a random bang out in public and not immediately assume that the entire trajectory of your life is about to be permanently altered?

[bubblegeon]

Loving someone means accepting the pain of losing them too.

[fyeahsogong]

actually still in a very huge t8s brain rot but im so glad theres our dining table in between that i can look forward to as well and its so so so cute

[valenthario]

why is ts4 so fucking unplayable im losing my mind

[jjsanguine]

I haven't been able to watch Our Dining Table episode 5 until today, like 3 days after it aired, and when Nao showed up and asked when Minoru waa going back to school and he said "I'm not" by way of silence, I thought about my own reasons for not being able to go back to school, burst into tears like full body sobbing and still haven't been able to finish the episode