#takara-kun to amagi-kun

[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:

[negrowhat]

Have we ever discussed how Japanese BLs ALWAYS have the sweetest dates?

Exhibit A:

Exhibi B and C:

Exhibit D:

Exhibit E:

Exhibit F:

Exhibit G:

Sign me up.

[ao3-anonymous]

Fastest Growing Fandoms on AO3 This Week (12/25/2023)

Every week I pull data on how many fics are in each fandom and compare to the previous week, then calculate the percentage increase to determine fastest growing fandoms.  Since this naturally skews towards smaller fandoms, I have included the same data filtered to Over 1k, 5k, & 10k fics.

Overall:

Over 1,000 Fics:

Over 5,000 Fics:

Over 10,000 Fics:

Source: AO3 Fandom Dashboard

[thasorns]

#same braincell squad

[aliceisathome]

With that title I thought If It's With You was going to be a 'gay for you' trope but no. Amane is a disaster muffin of the classic Japanese variety, along the lines of Aoki from Kieta Hatsukoi, and Amagi in Takara-kun to Amagi-kun etc. But unlike those he isn't sexually naive or coy - he's gay and he's sexually experienced. I've never seen this combination before and it's rather adorable.

Of course, he's deeper than that - the manic pixie dream boy has been hurt in the past and plays up his manic pixie side, smiles and jokes forming a shield against hurt and rejection. BABY - I just want to give him a cuddle. And the title refers to him not his crush because, while Amane's had FWB kinds of deals with older men, avoiding building relationships and emotional connections to protect himself, he's falling for Ryugi. Ryugi who sees through his clown facade, who is kind and helpful. Ryugi who has the loud, loving family that Amane lacks. I love the fact that, when they talk after Amane confesses he is up front about being sexually attracted to Ryugi but that he's now caught feelings. So despite Amane looking, behaving, and sounding like the classic Japanese ditzy uke he's actually the seme.

It's sweet with a little tartness hidden in there. 5 x 23 min episodes so an easy binge watch and it made my heart happy. Thanks Japan.

[theflagscene]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally To Snuggle In A Motherly Fashion

I was tagged by @kennyomegasweave 💖 But since I already made a post about QL people I want carnally > here <

I figured I’d post 10 BL boys that I just really wanna snuggle, cause they clearly need it.

1 - Team (Between Us/UWMA)

2 - Pete (Love By Chance)

3 - Sean (Not Me)

4 - Amagi (Takara-kun to Amagi-kun)

5 - Tharn (The Sign)

6 - Kiyoi (Utsukushii Kare)

7 - Babe (Pit Babe)

8 - Sky (Love in the Air)

9 - Ayan (The Eclipse)

10 - Nick (Only Friends)

I tag whoever wants to do this, because I’m pretty sure everyone has done it at this point. But if you haven’t, do what I do and join in the fun even if you were tagged lol. I wasn’t the first time I did it, so go ahead, consider yourself tagged now. Go forth and make a list!!

[ardentlytess]

"My ultimate condition to achieve happiness is you being happy."

HEALING in TAKARA-KUN TO AMAGI-KUN (2022), episode 5

[storge]

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

[orbitofyours]

[niaoniaos]

SATO ARATA AND ORIYAMA NAO AS TAKARA SHUN AND AMAGI TAICHI TAKARA-KUN TO AMAGI-KUN

[fellhalcyon]

i love a good japanese bl so goddamn much. the sensitivity. the introspection. the subtleties. someone tell me what we did right to get old fashion cupcake, minato shouji coin laundry, and now takara-kun and amagi-kun all in one summer so i can make sure we do it again

[paisky]

I really like Takara, but it’s not convincing. I avoid him a lot, and I feel like I’m just spinning my wheel. I can’t return his favor. I wish I could do something that would make Takara happy.

TAKARA-KUN TO AMAGI-KUN (2022), episode 3, dir. Yoshino Mamoru

[hanjiwoos]

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun ep. 1-3

[gabrielokun]

[absolutebl]

My Top 10 BLs of 2022

I also chose 22 runners up for 22, but the top 10 includes reviews etc.. These are IN ORDER, which means I made it really hard on myself. Ready? 

1. Semantic Error (Korea Viki) 

The only 2022 BL that earned a 10/10. Korean hits peak KBL and lucked into killer chemistry. It’s a deadly combination. Sexy older boy discovers pouty younger boy has outed him as a slacker, starts out bullying him, accidentally falls madly in love instead. Korea hits it entirely out of the Parks by doing a university BL with everything we expect from BL just done exactly right. Korea's signature quality executed perfectly with added bonus good story, great pacing, stunning visuals, and fantastic chemistry. You cannot ask for more from a BL, let alone a KBL. Full squee here. 

All three of these next three actually hold the #2 spot in my heart depending on how I feel that day. 

2. Old Fashion Cupcake (Japan Viki)

This show had me from the moment they broke the egg yolk with the chopsticks in the opening credits. It’s about a younger man with a long cherished crush on his boss (ten years older and going through a mid life crisis) who decides to save and seduce said boss with pancakes. It’s wholesome, comforting, sexy, and a very necessary narrative about still having hope, interests, and openness to affection at any age. It’s a stunningly filmed late-in-life coming of age/queerness story packaged in a subtle critique of expectations around masculinity, love, and loneliness... and it’s beautiful. Full review. 

3. Minato's Laundromat (Japan Gaga) 

AKA Minato Coin Laundry AKA Wash My Heart! AKA Minato Shouji Koin Randorii AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry

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 tropes and archetypes, not to mention a typical romance arc, that it will overload some, but those of 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 BL 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. 

4. Takara & Amagi (Japan Gaga & Viki) 

AKA Takara-kun and Amagi-kun AKA Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this show. 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. Did anything actually happen? No. Was it emotionally tense and paced well enough for me not to notice? Absolutely. Was there plot? Not really. Did I enjoy the hell out of it, anyway? Oh yes. Full review.

5. Cherry Blossoms After Winter (Korea Viki)

Korea took on early Japanese sweet yaoi but gave it their signature softness and precise production with a STUNNING color palette (beautiful pastels, sun-saturated over-exposure), manga framing style, some traditional BL character archetypes, that tiny edge of bullying roughness and out-of-control seme, plus FINALLY a palatable take on the stepbrothers trope and it was, in a word, classic. Sophisticated and understated CBAW is not slow, it’s just subtle. It's dream-like and atmospheric, as if the whole thing took place under cold water on a warm spring day. Is there plot or peril? Not really. Do we care? Also, not really. Look, I can’t help it, I’m old school and so is this show. I grew up reading sweet yaoi, and this was THAT YAOI just on my screen. There’s no objectivity with me and this show. It’s a beautiful pastiche and I loved it for how it made me feel and what it reminded me of. It’s not flawless, but it is a wonderful experience. Full review. 

6. Bad Buddy (Thailand YouTube)

This was GMMTV’s flagship BL and it started 2022 on a BANG (okay no actual banging but you know what I mean), starring heavy hitters Ohm & Nanon in a pitch perfect university Romeo & Romeo masterpiece that will give you domesticity meets pain whiplash throughout and jet lag at the end. Some of the friendship and family dynamics are overworked, but it has great production values, killer acting, and some conscious effort to correct for half a decade of Thai BL’s anti-queer mistakes. Full review. 

7. Blueming (Korea iQIYI)

It’s a tiny bit dark and a tiny bit bittersweet, almost too honest to a university experience and first love for BL, but if you want your mind ever-so-slightly messed with and your intimacy hellishly sweet, this BL will do it for you in a coldly distant manner, while bitch slapping you with self worth issues. I wasn’t into it at first, but the leads are solid and by ep 5 it got really good, becoming a narrative about self discovery meets understanding and accepting others people’s flaws without hurting them. Ultimately we witnessed two characters maturing because of each other and their mutual affection, without that affection becoming the conflict point. Instead, tension was built around other aspects of identity, popularity, and self-worth. While production values were a touch lower than usual for Korea, Blueming included decent kisses and other forms of intimacy and a satisfying ending plus there’s judicious and very elegant use of tropes, this is a great BL. Full review. 

8. My Ride (Thailand Gaga)

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. Full review. 

9. Not Me (Thailand YouTube)

GMMTV gave us a dark disestablishment narrative (in a time of civil unrest) with established queer award-winning director Anucha and starring the biggest guns of BL, OffGun and THIS WAS AN AMAZING THING to get to experience at the time - nerve racking but remarkable. But was it ACTUALLY BL? It certainly has a lot of BL elements, but in the end romance was not what this show was about, or even what it was genuinely trying to be as a performance piece. Still a remarkable moment in Thai cinema, certainly worth your time. Don’t worry, it all ends happily. Full review. 

10. My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Gaga)

From the producers of We Best Love, earnest dentist hottie with sad eyes who worries too much is smitten by an adorable sunshine neurotic bar owner with serious anxiety issues. They fall madly in love while courting each other with food, plushies, and naps. Then, shocker, talk about their feelings and try to actually sort out their problems so they can have an adult relationship. Bonus crumbs = 18 year old poor little rich kid in mad crush with a much older man. I really enjoyed this show, it had a fun premise, killer dialogue, there was a solid lead pair with charming chemistry, soft flirtation, and delightful smiling kisses and stinkingly cute domesticity. All that said, I wasn’t wild about some of the darker themes it explored, even though it did a good job with them. And while the crumbs and sides were v adorable they were underused. In the land of May/December, baby boy kabedon is my kryptonite! Why so little of them? Kabedon is My Krytonite = also the name of my indie band’s first single.) 

Absolute BL 2, like ABL1 is technically unrated since I consider them mockudramas not true BL. But both are greatly beloved by me and deserve a mention.

22 Runners Up for 2022

DNA Says Love You (Taiwan) 

Cutie Pie (Thailand) 

About Youth (Taiwan) 

Choco Milk Shake (Korea)

The Eclipse (Thai) 

Tinted With You (Korea)

Roommates of Poongduck 304 (Korea) 

Plus and Minus (Taiwan) 

Oh! Boarding House (Korea)

What Zabb Man! (Thai) 

Vice Versa (Thai) 

Love Stage!! (Thai)  

Love Class (Korea) 

Ocean Likes Me (Korea) 

Cherry Magic the movie (Japan) 

Behind Cut (Korea) 

Star in My Mind (Thai)  

Mr Cinderella (Vietnam)

Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss (Japan) 

Happy Ending Romance (Korea) 

My Only 12% (Thai)

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Your Soul (Thai) 

Just a note my average rating for all BLs each year (6/10) - over the years I have been watching the mean has not changed. So for me, at least, Asia continues to produce about the same amounts of beloved, average, and crap. In other words: more BL this year (by a lot) has meant that there is more BL I love (and give high ratings too), but it also means there is more BL I dislike (and give low scores to). 

Streaming Platforms

The platform that hosted the most of my top rated 32 shows was, actually, YouTube with 10. Viki was a close second with 9, equal if you add in ABL2. It was Choco Milk Shake that made the difference (a KBL on YT? cray cray). 

Gaga scooped (or shared with Viki) many of my top 10 favorite BLs though, so whoever selects and curates over there shares my taste. 

Still, official recommendation as of 2022 is that if you only choose one streaming service to pay for? Viki is the best subscription platform for new BL. However, if you can get it there with ads, and really are strapped for cash? Go for Gaga. 

(source) 

[aliceisathome]

Kimi ni wa Todokanai aka I Cannot Reach You was divine. A quintessential Japanese BL. It reminded me a bit of Takara-kun to Amagi-kun in its characterisation: handsome, brooding seme who's nuts over his clumsy, sunshine uke (even down to the constant stream of girlies confessing their love to Mr Perfect) - this isn't a bad thing, I loved that drama as well.

There were all the Japanese BL tropes - bisexual panic, looming, the running of the gays (© @absolutebl), a bit of dubcon when the aloof seme can't resist his desire for a hot second, a cupid in the friend group etc etc. Whatever, it was divine - all cuddly and warm and shy.

Perfect way to spend a Sunday (especially when laid up with a horrible cold as I am).

Look at these sweet babies