#ql 2023 recaps

[aprilblossomgirl]

my favorite QL 2023 recaps: part 2 - Mark Pakin

Mark Pakin Kunaanuwit and his co-stars in shows throughout 2023.

GIF 1. The Warp Effect (2022-2023) - as Jedi with Best Jira as Rose

GIF 2. Moonlight Chicken (2023) - as Saleng with View Benyapa as Praew

GIF 3. My School President (2022-2023) - as Thiuson with Ford Allan as Por

GIF 4. Only Friends (2023) - as Nick with Neo Trai as Boston

GIF 5. Last Twilight (2023-2024) - as Night with Namtan Tipnaree as Phojai

[littleragondin]

2023 Recap - Songs from (QL) Dramas

I've been tagged by @troubled-mind to make a list of my favorites songs from this year's QL dramas (thank you so much 💕) and of course I can't resist. I liked a lot of music from shows this year, which is great but made the selection harder so it will be a little long, I hope you'll forgive me.

OST I've been milking in full

I don't very often go through full OST unless someone does a background music playlist i can put on (Like this one for La Pluie by troubled-mind, and this one for To Sir, With Love for example) but two stood out for me this year.

My School President OST - I knew in advance I would enjoy a musical show, and I have to say I was NOT disappointed. My favorite though is ฟัง by Fourth, Ford, Satang, Winny, and the fantastic Pijika Jittaputta. Have a go at the original too!

Unintentional Love Story OST - This one came late this year for me, but i have been listening to the whole thing again and again. My favorite is Beautiful Day by Cha Seowon. I really enjoy his voice a LOT, and I'm weak for a nice, so soft it's even a little mushy love ballad.

With those two out of the way, let's go through the list country by country I think.

From Thailand 🇹🇭

ลางสังหรณ์ by Teng Tachaya from The Sign

This one is just a banger! It literally rocks, and I keep belting out the chorus every single time i listen to it. I love everything about it, even the spoken words. Also, not music related, but that costume!!

เงา by Lazyloxy from Shadow

I like Lazyloxy's voice a lot, as well as the rhythm/bass line (?) during the verses. There is an edge in that song that fits the show very well, too.

พรุ่งนี้ by Ford Arun from Moonlight Chicken

Ford's voice, do I need to say more? Tbh I got a little teary the first (ten) time(s) I listen to it.This ballad is so very touching, it's gentle and hopeful, I can never tire of it.

Honorable mentions >

รักคุณยิ่งกว่าใคร by NuNew's cover of Got Jakraphan from Cutie Pie 2. I loved this one so much I got myself a video editor so I could post it there. Only honorable because it's a cover, but it got me into luk thung so it deserves to be here.

เพลง รักนี้มากับดวง by Bmine & Near from Lucky My Love. This one is just because it's goddamn cute, sweet and peppy, and it makes me smile and bop my head. Sometimes I don't ask for more.

From Japan 🇯🇵

U&I by Hi-Fi Unicorn from Kimi ni wa todokanai

It's just a perfectly crafted pop song imo. It's cute, fresh and lively, fitting the show perfectly too. Since it came out, you can catch me humming "kimi ni waaa todokanai hmm hmm hmm" all day, every day, so it deserves its place on the list!

Yoruwazura by osage feat Ishino Riko from Kimi to nara koi wo shite mite mo

This one got me the second Ishino Riko started singing. The harmonies between the two are SO good! I really like the guitar in this one, and the little claps in the background. It's also really easy to hum so it stays with me a lot.

Bitter by Royce from Utsukushii Kare season 2

The contrast between the energy of the melody and the nearly bored sound of the voice (the singer sounds like their mouth does not open fully) works reaaally well for me. It's catchy and fun, and well, the lyrics are just so perfectly Hira...

ふたたび Futatabi by HIROBA & Otsuka Ai from Bokura no micro na shuumatsu

I was very surprised when I saw it was a feat with Otsuka Ai (who I only knew for her sugary pop in early 2000). The melancholy of the lyrics and the melody are beautiful, I am a huge fan of the way their voices mesh together, and I can't resist a piano + violins combo like that.

Honorable mention > Go Sign by Billy Laurent from Ameiro Paradox. The little piano, the rhythm, that chorus, it makes me shake my ass every single time.

From Taiwan 🇹🇼

'痛苦擁抱 (Painful Hug) by Ozone from Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

(I won't hear anything about technicality and it being a QL show or not =3) Had not realized it was from a boy group before checking the clip for this list. I like the way the melody rises for the chorus, their voices are pleasant, and it carries both power and some sort of melancholy that reminds me very much of Pu Yiyong.

Honorable mention > Come With Me by K6 from Marry My Dead Body. The whole OST of that movie is great, but I somehow got completely obsessed by this one from the gym scene at the start. It also features Austin Lin (I think as backup on the chorus).

From Korea 🇰🇷

IoU by UTOPI from The New Employee

It's a sweet, simple one that never fails to put me in a good mood, and sometimes that's enough to listen to a song non stop over months =3

Natural by Young K from A Breeze of Love

This one is also sunny, light and joyful. I like the guitars and I am especially fond of Young K's voice - it got me looking into him which I do not regret. A nice little surprise for the end of the year.

Thank you if you made it all the way through it, otherwise...

Tl;dr you can find all songs under this playlist (´꒳`)♡

i'm not sure who would have fun doing this, maybe @iguessitsjustme if you fancy it? Anyone who see this and want to do it, please tag me so I can have a look at your faves! <3

[khaotungsfirst]

2023 BL wrapped

@khaotunq tagged me!! tysm ❤️❤️

Welcome to your 2023 BL Wrapped! Let's see how your year went...

You watched a total of 48 QLs.

You watched 409 episodes total with an average length of 37 minutes.

All of this amounted to a total watchtime of 247 hours and 34 minutes or a bit over 10 days.

Your busiest month was August with 12 shows finished.

Your top country was Thailand with a whopping 54,17% of the dramas being produced there. Here‘s your full breakdown:

Thai: 26 = 54,17%

Korean: 10 = 20,83%

Japanese: 8 = 16,67%

Taiwanese: 2 = 4,17%

Chinese: 1 = 2,08%

Hong Kongese: 1 = 2,08%

30 shows you watched were released in 2023. You caught up on 13 dramas from 2022 and 5 from previous years.

Your overall BL mood was eager. You've been gone from the scene for a while and were excited to fully get back into it.

The acting pair you couldn’t get enough of was FirstKhao. Their performance in The Eclipse and Only Friends captivated you to the point of changing your url.

Your most listened to OST is Your World, My World by Khaotung Thanawat and First Kanaphan for Our Skyy 2.

You giggled and yelled at your screen approximately 78* times and had 132* mental breakdowns.

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for my full recap to find out about my favourites of the year and let me know if you wanna be tagged for it ☺️

idk who hasn't done this yet so I'm just gonna tag a bunch of ppl 🫶

@firstmix @blneobin @maxescheibechlinichacheli @first-kanaphan @gunsatthaphan @itsallaboutbl @ithappensoffstage @bunnakit @jeffsatur @veemark @omegaphobe @bfwangji @akkpipitphattana @gayshrug

*rough estimates based on zero evidence

[bengiyo]

Happy almost 2024! I really like your recaps of 2023. Maybe someone already asked, but what are your 5 wishes for QL in 2024?

Oh, let's think about the future.

More GL

I feel like we had less offerings this year than before. One of the projects got into distribution frustration for me so I haven't been able to go back for it. I still need to finish catching up with the others. I feel like I only watched GAP this year and I gotta do more than that.

GAYS IN SPACE

I am a Star Trek fan. I want QL to tackle Gays in Space, but not the way YYY did it. Please give me a space opera QL.

More Domesticity QL

Vietnam really had this nailed down early on. I wanna see more domestic QL. WDYEY is a good starting point. Our Dining Table scratched the itch. Naked Dining tried. Other attempts this year have fallen a bit flat. Keep working on it, QL.

Gamer QL

The intersection between the teambuilding of multiplayer gaming and the rapid closeness of gaming anonymity is fertile ground for queer storytelling. I was chatting with @twig-tea @so-much-yet-to-learn and @lurkingshan about this when we were discussing what we wanted from My Dear Gangster Oppa. I didn't want another mafia BL. I was hoping that the mafia stuff with be a bit in the background of them focused on preparing for a tournament or defeating a rival team. When you're online, people's real lives are just lore.

More Terrible Gays

The biggest thing wrong with Only Friends is that it doesn't realize that it's entire cast is full of terrible queers. it's why the audience latched on to Boston because he's the only one punished for it. Lee Jun is also a terrible gay in Love Mate. I want more terrible gays that the narrative knows are terrible gays and to explore why people are such terrible gays. We talked about Queer as Folk way too much this year because of Only Friends, and everyone's memory of that show is wrong. We do need a QL answer to Queer as Folk, Noah's Arc, and The L Word.

Ask Me Top 5 BL 2023 Anything

[dribs-and-drabbles]

This is a PSA that if you haven't seen any Soonvijarn react/recap videos then you should check them out.

This, for example, is them reacting/recapping the GMMTV 2023 QL trailers and it's such a joy to see them talk about the shows, the actors/actresses, and the little bts details. Some of the things they say makes me even more excited for the series...if that's at all possible.

Soonvijarn are a group of friends who either work in the Thai TV/film industry (Aof and Jojo are directors of many series you know and love) or nearby (e.g. one is a management agent to some of the actor/actresses, one is a singer/songwriter, etc...). They have a wonderful rapport with each other and banter about the ql series, themselves, and each other.

I got to know them during Bad Buddy, when they would react and then recap each episode (the videos have approx. 200,000 views each - the ones with Ohm and Nanon guesting have two and four times that respectfully), and I think the first one they did was A Tale of a 1000 Stars. After a long break, they are back with react and recaps of Never Let Me Go (as brought to my attention by @jemmo), and I highly recommend you watch them alongside the series (they'll eventually get english subs, we just have to be patient!).

It will enhance your enjoyment and appreciation of the series immensely, I pinky promise.

[weizhiyuan]

2023 Recap - Songs from (QL) Dramas

Thank u for the tag @troubled-mind !! Choosing my top 10 songs from qls isn’t too difficult but I’m gonna force myself to stick to shows that came out in 2023 only

1. Bitter by Roce - FROM MY FAV BL OF THE YEAR UTSUKUSHII KARE (2)!!!! I’m only counting this one (& not follow by roce) cuz the first one didn’t come out in 2023. There is just something so addicting about it. I think at one point in the year it may have been in my top 10 songs of 2023 lol

2. Plumeria by Cocktail - the INSTRUMENTALS. the YEARNING. the ROMANCE! IFYLITA is one of the best bls of all time and that INCLUDES its osts…

3. ต้องโทษดาว… by Bird Thongchai - ever since it played in last twilight I’ve found myself going back to it quite a bit

4. รักคุณยิ่งกว่าใคร by NuNew (cover) - this cover is probably my fav ost from not just cutie pie 2 you but all of cutie pie! Nunew slayed

5. Hook by Gemini Norawit - if I don’t put hook on this list I’d be a LIAR. I was listening to the new hook version of msp credits when they dropped on loop for way too long before the full song came out lmfao

6. Come Closer by Ford Arun - out of all my bl songs harp covers this was my fav to do. Ford’s voice is beautiful and it was in this moment I felt a switch go off in me while watching msp and I knew I’d be hooked (no msp ost pun intended…)! Another fav bl ost of all time ngl

7. City by Gemini Norawit & Fourth Nattawat (cover) - ur out of ur mind if u don’t think I’m gonna put at least THREE songs from the damn MUSICAL bl… anyway this is the highest ost from a ql in my 2023 top songs of the year lol (it’s at 11th place!)

8. Is This Love by Better Weather - cheating bc yes I got into this song from love sick which is NOT a 2023 show… the actual song (as in, not the cover that they did for love sick (which I listened to more)) was used in the cherry magic Thailand pilot trailer and I’m saying it counts enough! It’s a complete ear worm and I physically cannot get it out of my head…

9. My Fault by Bain (JUST B) - one of those songs you listen to on repeat for a few days tbh. and I did! (Also from one of the fewer higher tiered kbls this year imo..I rlly liked sing my crush)

10. Night Owl by Anonymouz - I liked Jack o' frost! I may have liked the ost more…?? I listened to it a LOT…

The order doesn’t really matter in this list but ya these are the ones I rlly enjoyed hehe

Tagging: @pondphuwin @justafriend-ql @celestial-sapphicss :-)

[celestial-sapphicss]

2023 Recap - Songs from (QL) Dramas

thank you for tagging me @tenprem!!! <3<3<3<3 this is completely going to expose me for the GMMTV sinkhole that i'm in but it's what it's skskskkskssk

You Can Always Trust Me - Laws of Attraction

JamFilm were such a revelation to me this year and this song just gorgeous <3

Sunset - Dangerous Romance

Honestly Wind and Here with You are also my top faves from this OST!

Better Days - Last Twilight

HAS ME IN A FUCKING TRANCE CAN YOU EVEN BLAME ME

Come Closer, City and Once Upon a Time - My School President

I can't talk enough about my most beloved boys and what a wonderful OST this show has <3

The Moon Represents My Heart and Tomorrow - Moonlight Chicken

literal tears in my eyes when i listen to these songs for obvious reasons

Only One and Living for You - Never Let Me Go

the music in both of these songs is just so dear to me!!!

Special Mention:

I'm Not Boring, You're Just Bored (Tilly Birds) - Only Friends (Pilot Trailer)

Stand by Lor (New Country) - My School President (Prom Night Live on Stage)

tagging anyone who wants to do this <3

[mikuni14]

Hiii!

I want to ask them all haha, but I'll stay with 2, 3 and 15 (for the 2023 ql ask I mean)

Happy New Year darling!

Hiiiii! Thanks for your questions! haha I'd like to answer all the questions, but it would probably put me in a coma from pulling a brain muscle trying to remember what I even watched this year lmao

2. What show surprised you the most?

Be My Favorite because the unusual pairing actually worked, because I liked Krist 😮, because the series was simply very interesting

Laws of Attraction how the show is so well made and enjoyable, how Film is an EXCELLENT ACTOR

many series created couples this year that surprised me with how well-matched they are and won my heart unexpectedly (like To Sir, With Love and LoA, Love in Translation, Sing My Crush, and several other series from Korea)

The Sign surprised me with how great the show is and what a great couple BillyBabe is

Korea surprised me with amazing series in which they finally started kissing and even having bold scenes lol

Bake Me Please surprised me, I don't know if it was intentional, with how realistic the series is

not a series, but an actor: Mick surprised me as a seme character in My Universe

3. What show did you have high expectations for, but ended up disappointing you? oh boy, here we go: Step By Step, Between Us, Chains of Heart, Pit Babe (though if I focus on other couples, it's ok). I write mainly about series whose trailers and descriptions suggested something different than what I ultimately received. There are, of course, a lot of series that I had no expectations for, but which started out great and ended up disappointing me after I became interested in them.

15. What is your favorite scene from a QL this year? ohhhh "sweats nervously" there are so many of them???

To Sir, With Love (watched this year): Tian and Jiu's first meeting (I can watch it over and over), Yang realizing that his brother is gay, jealous Tian and Jiu running after him… oh they have so many wonderful things scenes together

The Eighth Sense: this series is made up of scenes that are carved in my heart, I really don't know which ones to choose

Sing My Crush: same

Our Dating Sim: same lol

Laws of Attraction: jfc SAME lmao 😆 from Charn's deranged smiles, to King Himbo I's Grand Entrance, to the shirt buttoning scene, flower scene.. omg..

Love in Translation: all their kisses, how is Yang with Phumjai, oh, and their making out session in the store? 10/10

Unintentional Love Story: Tae Joon "testing" Won Young, making him feel good in his car ;), tying a scarf around his neck, his scenes of being possessive, being shocked that Won Young doesn't want to go with him to the dinner..

Jun & Jun: Choi Jun pulling Lee Jun closer (daamn, I should add this to my recap as the hottest scene in 2023, silly me), the series has a lot of great scenes that I love rewatching

Our Dining Table: scene on the stairs 🥺

Chains of Heart: gift shop scene, love making scene

Be My Favorite: Piseang discovering his sexuality

PhayaTharn: I can't choose, I'm so sorry but they are perfect and have only great scenes that I keep rewatching all the time

I probably forgot half of what I liked lol

HAPPY NEW YEAR HONEY! ✨✨✨😘😘😘😘

[aprilblossomgirl]

my favorite QL 2023 recaps: part 3 - say it with flower

GIF 1. Double Decker Hibiscus in Laws of Attraction (2023) -- Thank you to @embraceyourfandom for mentioning about the flower in a reblog of my gifset.

GIF 2. Sunflower in Last Twilight (2023-2024)

GIF 3. Chrysanthemum in Hidden Agenda (2023)

GIF 4. Plumeria in I Feel You Linger in the Air (2023)

GIF 5. Unidentified flower in Laws of Attraction (2023)

[aprilblossomgirl]

my favorite QL 2023 recaps: part 4 - the boys x the beach

GIF 1-3. Nueng & Palm in Never Let Me Go (2022-2023)

GIF 4-6. Gun & Cher in A Boss and A Babe (2023)

GIF 7-9. Mhok & Day in Last Twilight (2023-2024)

[aprilblossomgirl]

my favorite QL 2023 recaps: part 1 - look at the stars

+ bonus - the fourth star under the city sky: finally, a thousand stars.

GIF 1. Tinn & Gun in My School President (2022-2023)

GIF 2. Khabkluen & Daonuea in Our Skyy 2: Star in My Mind (2023)

GIF 3. Saengthian (Tien) & Lomfon in La Pluie (2023)

GIF 4. Guy & Nawa in Dangerous Romance (2023)

GIF 5. Phupha & Tian in Our Skyy 2: A Tale of Thousand Stars (2023)

[littleragondin]

✨2023: A Summary✨

Post your most popular and/or favourite edit/gifset/analysis for each month (it’s okay to skip months!)

Tagged by @troubled-mind thank you! (⌒ω⌒) This year I got into giffing, which I have been enjoying a lot. I drew a little, and I have started slowly putting down some thoughts about shows by the end of the year. Consequently, this is a bit all over the place lol

January

most popular: Tiwson being the Best Best Friend a boy could ever need! which is what he deserve 😌

my favorite: Golf failing at ripping Art's shirt off in Till the world ends. My second gifset ever, and I'm still pretty proud of it.

February

most popular: pffrtt xd ok it's my reaction to the "I want to eat you" incident from Tiw in MSP

my favorite: the Ameiro Paradox boys being silly and cute on the rooftop

March - it was my most productive and most popular month this year, with 3 of my yearly Top 10 posts

most popular: this Hands gifset for Bed Friend episode 04. Followed very closely by Alan/Gaipa and that Mulan quote.

my favorite: of course it has to be this gifset about Tian and Yang from To Sir, With Love.

April

most popular: this Hands gifset for the last episode of Bed Friend.

my favorite: once again, have to go with a To Sir, With Love gifset of Tian and Jiu. It was my first time using blending for my gifs!

May

most popular: this very serious gifset about the mains of Love Between Fairy and Devil

my favorite: I hesitated but it has to be Guangyan slapping Pu Yiyong repeatedly

June - small month this one, not a lot from me

most popular: daydreaming of the duck painting in the hospital of Love Tractor...

my favorite: this sketch of horror boys

July

most popular: my Gao Xiaolan apreciation gifset from Word of Honor

my favorite: this post of propaganda for my favorite QL siblings, especially the numerous siblings of Uwma

August

most popular: my musings about Thee and Thantai's childhood and relationship from Laws of Attraction

my favorite: Thee and Thantai again, drawing the morning hug before it actually happened

September - the month of Absolute Zero starting and my hopes going through a roller coaster

most popular: Suansoon watching movies while Ongsa watches him, as I got bewitched by AZ

my favorite: Phojai breaking Tag's heart in Love in Translation (i am so very proud of this one). Also, my Thee/Thantai's fic.

October

most popular: would you look at that, it's a Hands gifset! this time from Absolute Zero.

my favorite: my first ... comments post I guess? About Absolute Zero. I didn't finish it but i liked doing it, and I want to get into that a little more again next year.

November

most popular: Evolution of the Kimi ni wa todokanai opening sequences, which I loved dearly

my favorite: sorry to say it has to be exposing all of you to my thirst for Brother Anurak.

December - very slow month again, have not done much even during the holidays

most popular: My 2023 recap of QL songs!

my favorite: My Top 5 of QL intros.

I think most people have been tagged already, but I will tag @petrichoraline @iguessitsjustme and @benkaaoi if you fancy it!