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bi-disappointment · 30 days

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A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows

The guide includes a show’s basic summary; main genres/tropes/themes and official streaming links (additional info on how to watch at the end of this post)! You can find some content warnings in the reply section of this post. Shows are listed by countries, numbered by the order I recommend watching in, not by rating. All shows have happy endings unless specified otherwise. The list will hopefully be updated regularly (last updated on 04/04/2024, 98 queer shows in total).

Most shows are about mlm, I specify with coloured notes those that are focused on wlw, polyamory, aromantism/asexuality, etc.

Tumblr does not allow large texts or more than 30 images per post at the moment, so you can click on every country’s list to expand them and view them fully in a separate post. You can access this guide in a google doc here.

Thailand 🇹🇭 (full list here)

1. KinnPorsche mafia boss/bodyguard; action; kidnapper/kidnapee side couple

Kinn, a son of a prominent mafia head, is ambushed by an enemy, and meets Porsche, a bartender who comes to his rescue for a price, thus beginning their reluctant relationship as boss and bodyguard, which soon turns into something more.

iQIYI

2. Bed Friend friends with benefits; office setting; trauma

King and Uea work in the same office. After a company outing ends in a drunken hook-up between them, Uea and King agree to keep seeing each other on a strictly physical basis. With no strings attached, will these two be able to keep things between them simple and carefree or will their emotions eventually get the better of them?

Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or GagaOOLala or cut on YouTube

3. The Sign reincarnated lovers; fantasy; thai mythology; police

The story of the love between Phaya and Tharn who used to be mythological creatures Naga and Garuda in their past lives, and were forced apart. But fate intervened, and two men were reincarnated in new bodies. Now, they work together as partners in the Special Investigations Unit to uncover violent crimes and supernatural mysteries while their love is tested by mystical forces and past enemies.

YouTube

4. I Feel You Linger In The Air period drama; time travel; bittersweet

Jom, an architect overseeing the renovation of a rundown villa, continuously dreams of a man he's never met. When a twist of fate transports Jom to Chiang Mai in the 1920s, he assumes the role of a servant to the affluent young master Yai, the mysterious man from his dreams.

GagaOOLala or YouTube

5. You're My Sky sports; university setting; coming of age

Thorn, a young basketball player follows his senior Fah to university as a result of the promise they’d made — to become national basketball champions. However, to his dismay, he finds that Fah has already given up on basketball. --- Aai has to work in pairs throughout the semester with San, 1 year footballer; in order to receive a scholarship to study in Japan, Ai must be willing to do everything to get an A grade. --- Track running requires the compatibility of the team members to be very high. Vee, who became the new racquet 4, has to speed up training to fit in with the team as quickly as possible, especially with Dome, spending extra time together to train. Is love actually a major obstacle on the path of being an athlete?

Viki

> more tv shows from Thailand

GMMTV Thailand 🇹🇭 (full list here)

1. My School President high school setting; secret crush; school president/rebel musician

Gun is the head of his high school music club. Tinn is a school president and Gun's long-term rival. The Principal wants to disband some of the school’s “useless” after-school clubs, especially the music club. Per school rules, the student council president is the one who has the power to dissolve clubs. Gun is now at Tinn’s mercy, so he attempts to do whatever he can to persuade his rival not to cancel the music club. Little does he know, Tinn actually has a secret crush on him. Could romance brew as Gun makes a desperate attempt to secure the future of his band?

Viki (MSP) & YouTube (Our Skyy special 33-40) & YouTube (special)

2. Moonlight Chicken adult romance; age gap; deaf character

Jim is an ordinary guy running a chicken rice diner. One night, he meets Wen when he stays past closing drunk. Brought together by fate that night, intangible feelings arise. Neither can stop thinking about the other despite Jim's efforts to remain unattached. Jim also takes care of his nephew Li Ming, who is falling in love with Heart, a deaf teenager who is practically kept under house arrest by his affluent parents.

YouTube

3. Not Me revolution; freedom fighters; secret twins

When his twin Black is viciously attacked and subsequently left hospitalised in unconsciousness, White is unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence. He learns Black was a part of a gang of anti-capitalist freedom fighters, and it was one of them who betrayed him. White disguises himself as Black to discover which one of them betrayed him and put him in a coma.

YouTube

4. 23.5 wlw; high school setting; secret admirer

Ongsa moves to a new school and meets Sun, a cute popular girl who she immediately falls for. However, she decides to approach Sun in instagram dms under the pseudonym Earth, leading Sun to believe she's talking to a guy. But Ongsa does not want to lose the opportunity to talk to Sun, so she decides to keep the fact that she is a girl a secret and continue talking as Earth.

YouTube

> more tv shows from GMMTV Thailand

Japan 🇯🇵 (full list here)

1. Cherry Magic! mind reading; secret crush; office setting

By still being a vіrgin at 30, Adachi gains a magical power – the ability to read other people's minds by touching them. At first, he’s overwhelmed by his new ability, and it’s not proving to be helpful to him. But that all changes when he accidentally touches their office’s most perfect guy Kurosawa, who he learns has romantic feelings for him.

WeTV (Cherry Magic) & no international streaming of Cherry Magic The Movie is available to my knowledge, so watch on bilibili or KissKH

2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Love Mix-Up!) misunderstanding; high school setting

Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another boy — Ida — on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

Viki

3. Our Dining Table food; child character

Salaryman Yutaka finds it difficult to share meals with other people. However, his life starts to change when one day, his cooking attracts the attention of a young boy named Tane and his older brother Minoru. The two brothers are impressed by Yutaka's cooking skill and invite him to their house to cook together. Yutaka's dreary life begins to change, and soon he finds himself looking forward to the meals he shares with the Ueda siblings together, as well as developing a taste for romantic feelings.

GagaOOLala

4. She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat wlw; neighbours; self-discovery; food

Nomoto loves to cook, but tends to make too much food and has no one to share it with. Luckily for her, turns out her neighbor Kasuga has a big enough appetite for the both of them.

No international streaming available, translated to english by Furritsubs, S1 & S2, watching instructions provided, please support translator on kofi.

5. Takara-kun to Amagi-kun high school setting; relationship exploration

Takara is a good-looking popular guy in class, while Amagi is a simple but bright and pure fellow classmate. The two begin to date in secret after Amagi's blurted out confession.

Viki or GagaOOLala

> more tv shows from Japan

China 🇨🇳 (full list here)

Most chinese shows are adapted from explicitly queer novels, the shows are undeniably and obviously queer, but nevertheless the queer romance part is censured. The only exception is number 4 on the list, it is not censored.

1. The Untamed period drama; fantasy

An epic fantasy led by a problem child who comes back from the dead 16 years later in order to fix the broken world he left behind — and finally unite with his soulmate.

YouTube

2. Word of Honor period drama; fantasy

The leader of assassin organisation Zhou Zishu quits his position in pursuit of freedom with drastic measures. In his travels, he meets Wen Kexing, the leader of Ghost Valley who wants nothing but revenge. The two become entangled in various machinations within the martial arts world, and eventually become soulmates instrumental in each other's redemption.

YouTube & Special Episode on Tumblr or DailyMotion

3. Couple of Mirrors wlw; period drama; socialite/assassin

You Yi is a kind-hearted socialite and a successful author. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the two most trusted people in her life. With no one left to turn to, she finds refuge in the friendship and support of Yan Wei, a lonely female killer disguised as the owner of a photo studio.

YouTube. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 12 timestamp 28:02.

4. Stay With Me enemies to lovers; high school setting; unconventional families; slow burn

Su Yu is a high school student who lives with his single poor father. Su Yu gets a new classmate Wu Bi. The two clash right from the start, and after getting off on the wrong foot, their explosive relationship takes a turn.

YouTube or GagaOOLala. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 24 timestamp 05:00. OR watch the full thing and look at this post after

5. The Spirealm inside of a video game; mystery; fantasy; horror-ish; hopeful ending

A game designer Lin Qiushi is transported inside of a game he recently played, and now he must go through 12 horrifying survivor game doors to survive in the real world. Inside his first door he meets Ruan Nanzhu, a mysterious man who offers him to team up.

The show was taken down from streaming, download files here and subtitles here.

Various WLW mini web-dramas here.

Various WLW short films here.

South Korea 🇰🇷 (full list here)

1. Love for Love's Sake inside of a video game; high school setting; healing

At the age of 29 Tae Myungha finds himself transported into a fictional video game, and now 19 years old, he meets Cha Yeowoon, who is in the darkest moment of his life. And a translucent window appears where he receives a mission — to make Cha Yeowoon happy.

iQIYI (better subtitles) or GagaOOLala

2. Semantic Error enemies to lovers; university setting

A serious programmer and a rebellious artist clash over a school project. Their animosity keeps escalating to new extremes, defined by petty pranks and feisty arguments.

Viki

3. Love Tractor farm setting; farmer/city musician

Sunyeol, a city man with zero ability to survive in the countryside, comes to his grandfather's rural home. In front of him appears Yechan, a passionate and kind young farmer. While learning about rural life and assisting with farming tasks, Sunyeol gradually finds himself drawn to Yechan's warm and straightforward nature, while Yechan helplessly falls for Sunyeol.

iQIYI

4. Our Dating Sim high school friends to lovers; office setting

After 7 years, Lee Wan meets his first love, Shin Kitae, in a gaming company. When they were best friends in high school, Lee Wan was in love with Kitae. But he ran away and disappeared after confessing his feelings to Kitae after graduation. When the two of them begin working on a new dating simulation game and get more immersed in the project, old feelings are rekindled.

Viki or GagaOOLala

5. She Makes My Heart Flutter wlw; bar setting; niece and aunt dynamic

The extroverted Gang Seol is hired by her aunt Jung at her only-women bar. Even though they are both lesbians, they seem to be worlds apart and have very different love stories.

YouTube

> more tv shows from South Korea

Taiwan 🇹🇼 (full list here)

1. History3: Trapped mafia boss/policeman

The story of a police officer who becomes trapped in the underworld, as he develops feelings for a gang leader.

YouTube or Viki

2. Kiseki: Dear to Me mafia; age gap

Bai Zongyi, an exemplary high school student with dreams of becoming a doctor, is one day unexpectedly drawn into the world of a charismatic and mischievous gangster Fan Zerui, who blackmails him into taking him in and treating his wounds. Just as their love story begins to unfold, Fan Ze Rui's criminal life catches up with him. On the other hand, Chen Yi and Ai Di are two orphans who grew up in the gang together. Ai Di has always loved Chen Yi, but Chen Yi only notices their boss.

Viki or GagaOOLala or YouTube

3. My Tooth Your Love dentist/chef; trauma healing

Bai Lang is a successful bistro owner with an severe fear of visiting the dentist... until a toothache forces him to come face to face with the handsome yet cold dentist Jin Xunan.

Viki

4. Anti Reset android/human

When Chu Yi Ping, an emotionless man, dislocates his hand in an accident at school, his uncle gives him Ever 9 as a caretaker, an experimental intelligent robot that his company is secretly testing.

Viki or iQIYI or GagaOOLala

5. History2: Crossing the Line sports; high school setting

When an injury sidelines a high school senior from the volleyball team, he develops feelings for a recruit.

YouTube or Viki

> more tv shows from Taiwan

Philippines 🇵🇭

1. Sleep With Me wlw; radio; disabled character in a wheelchair

A science textbook writer with a sleep disorder meets a wheelchair-using radio host who runs the midnight shift. This chance encounter at the radio station quickly sparks their interest in each other.

GagaOOLala

---

You can watch many shows for free on YouTube, and watch others on the streaming websites by setting VPN to one of the countries in the list. In other cases I recommend paying for subscriptions to show appreciation and support of content in order to get more of it in the future, but if you can’t, watch on KissKH (better quality), Dramacool or get files from MkvDrama. Enjoy! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

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bi-disappointment · 1 month

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Kurodachi Wizards and Knights AU

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bi-disappointment · 1 month

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if she’s your girl why am i covered in her blood

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bi-disappointment · 3 months

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Reibert gifs~ The first one is for a silly game I’m making and the second is for “Web版トルトの笑顔が見たいアンソロジー” on twitter~ It’s a adorable event themed around Bertolt’s smile~ 🥰

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bi-disappointment · 4 months

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It’s the fact that Lu Guang didn’t even try to live without Cheng Xiaoshi.

He didn’t go months in which he tried his best to move on and continue his life without Cheng Xiaoshi by his side. Or weeks with the funeral happening and him getting to say goodbye properly. Not even a few days to process what had happened.

Lu Guang didn't try to let the past and future be as best as he could until it finally broke him enough to go back in time.

No.

He couldn’t even bear it for a single night to truly think about the implications of what he was about to do.

This man watched his partner die and immediately on the same day decided he couldn’t accept a reality in which Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t exist anymore.

decided that he couldn’t live without him.

decided that he wouldn’t even try to do so….

How tragically beautiful.

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bi-disappointment · 4 months

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These screenshots could never do it justice but this scene of Cheng Xiaoshi desperately and excruciatingly crying as his own trauma mixes with the feelings of Chen Xiao, directly followed by a shot of Lu Guang with his face hidden from view, always made me feel sorrowful; even when first watching the show.

But now, knowing just how deeply Lu Guang cares about Cheng Xiaoshi and how far he is actually willing to go for him, it hits even harder.

Because Lu Guang is hearing everything Cheng Xiaoshi is going through at that moment. He can hear his gut-wrenching crying; can hear him saying he is afraid of being alone; can hear him scream out not only for the client’s mom but his own as well.

And it’s Lu Guang who put him in that situation in the first place. By not telling him about the earthquake beforehand; by not letting CXS decide and prepare himself for it. He thought he’d have CXS finish the mission quickly and never let him know what happened after. Trying to completely shelter him from any and all harm and it backfires dramatically.

Before this frame, Lu Guang tells him:

but CXS never does and Lu Guang can’t intervene. All he can do is watch. And try to experience it with him. Trying to fully feel the consequences of what he did.

And we deliberately don’t see his face. We don’t know what expression is on Lu Guang’s face as he has to watch the one in his heart fall apart - because of his choices. All we do see is that Lu Guang too is holding his own hand. Just like CXS is holding the hand of the dying mother, all Lu Guang can do is hold his own hands.

And when CXS comes back he has to act cold and strict again. Because maybe he wasn’t just protecting their rules here. Maybe this Lu Guang is already the one who has to make sure their current present doesn’t change again. Even though he felt sympathy for Chen Xiao and wanted to help him let go of regret (because maybe Lu Guang already knows what that’s like) he still had to be strict about their rules.

And of course, Cheng Xiaoshi punches him. Wouldn’t you? Not telling him about the earthquake, lying to him about saving the mother and then saying sorry like he barely even cares. Why is his friend so cruel?

and Lu Guang isn’t surprised. Quite the opposite actually: Lu Guang expected this. Maybe he even welcomes it. He takes the punch, because he too thinks he deserves it. Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t know why he is doing this and he never will. But at least he can take one punch. Maybe that will ease some of the sorrow in Cheng Xiaoshi’s heart.

But when CXS falls down and starts crying again, Lu Guang can’t keep up the act either. It only takes him a few moments to get back up, walk over to Cheng Xiaoshi again and do what he actually wanted to do from the start:

Comfort him.

And then you think back to how they hid his face in the first few panels up above and you remember the face he made while telling CXS that he can’t save someone who already died.

And looking back at it now you realize there was a lot more to this face than just trying to prevent CXS from “doing something stupid”.

Because now we know.

And I’m sure we are all aware that whatever expression was on Lu Guang’s face here:

seeing it might just break our hearts alongside theirs.

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bi-disappointment · 4 months

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Day 16 - Eclipse

That one is really close to my heart, and I really like how it went. One of the best sns art Ive done, hope I do like this more

#snsmonth23 #sasunarumonth23

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bi-disappointment · 4 months

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sun and moon ships my beloved

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bi-disappointment · 7 months

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ok ok enough people have said to me that they aren’t “good at giving gifts” lately so i will tell you my wisdom. it’s a two step process, and two pieces of advice.

Process:

Step 1: Perk your ears up for the phrases “I love” “I want” “I’m thinking of getting” “i wish i had” and “I need”. Write the things down if you’re worried about forgetting. Knowing the specific brand or model they like takes the guesswork out of it. Pay particular attention to little, very specific things - favorite style and brand of pens, favorite chapstick, favorite hot sauce. things that people regularly need to replace make safe, appreciated gifts.

Step 2: Know thyself (and your relationship with this person). How confident are you that you know what they like, and how sure are you that this is something they’d be happy to receive from someone else, versus picking it out themself? If the answer to this step is “i worry they would rather pick it out themself/i don’t understand their criteria well enough to make a good guess” go back to step 1 and pick a different thing!

Advice the first: if you don’t know someone well, or aren’t feeling confident, little inexpensive things for no particular occasion are a good thing to do to make people feel seen, rather than going all-in for something expensive on an important date. the little stuff is lower stakes, and as you take in someone’s reaction to those things, you’ll hone your sense of what they like, or at least understand step 2 a little better.

Advice the second: although it can be nice to say “oh i wish i had [thing]!” and receive it the next day, you’ll often get more emotional bang for your buck if you wait a few weeks or months.

example 1: once i apparently told my ex that i wanted binoculars to get into birdwatching. six months later for my birthday they gave me a pair of binoculars recommended by people in birdwatching forums. i was shocked, because i completely forgot i ever said anything about it. my ex knew me well enough to recognize when i was giving voice something i truly deeply desire (versus a momentary whim), and they knew me well enough to know that if i had been researching binoculars and had Opinions about which ones i wanted, they would have heard about it. they knew me well enough to know that if i didn’t have formulated Opinions, then it wouldn’t be important to me to buy it for myself. it is the most emotionally impactful gift i think i have ever received, and just because my ex heard me say “i want birdwatching binoculars” and followed through on it.

example 2: one day i came home from work and a housemate of mine had gotten me a package of timtam cookies. “i love timtams! they make me think of a place i used to live!” “i know, you told me, so when i saw them, i thought of you and just got them.” <3 <3 <3 (this was years ago, and now when i see timtams, this gift and giver are what i think of)

Final thoughts:

1: Small, surprise things don’t have the weight of expectation that can happen at birthdays and gift-giving occasions, and i’ve often noticed people will mention them more to me in the following weeks than gifts given for occasions. This lovely thing! For no reason! To lil ole me! People are relaxed, it’s a surprise, there isn’t a lot of pressure to respond in a particular way, so I think if they adore it, they’re in a state to receive it where it can really punch the heart. And make it a small thing, so it isn’t a big deal to either of you if it isn’t the perfect thing.

1.5: People forget they said things, and they expect you to forget as well. So even if it’s just getting someone their favorite type of cookie, if you wait until they’ve forgotten they told you, they’ll be like “oh i love timtams!” and you can say “i know, you told me, so when i saw them i thought of you.” and they will be, internally, going “!!!!! THIS PERSON REMEMBERS RANDOM SHIT THAT I SAY ABOUT WHAT I LIKE” which sets off the big affection alarms. like absolute awooga red alert perhaps-this-person-is-not-reluctantly-tolerating-my-presence alarms. which is a pretty cool thing to be able to set off with a package of grocery store cookies.

2: Reciprocity is more complex than “you got me something so now i have to get you a similar thing.” Don’t rush to get someone something because they got you something, especially if it was a little gift out of nowhere. Allow yourself to receive freely, and practice giving freely without expectations of receiving in kind.

3. If you’re “bad at giving gifts,” that can be really rough. there are lots of social expectations around giving presents, and you have to navigate that. but please know that there are lots of ways to be a loving, valued presence in people’s lives without giving gifts, and there are a ton of people out there who know how to appreciate, or even prefer those other forms of love and affection. much as i love gifts and can be disappointed not to get them on my birthday, i wouldn’t trade in other forms of affection for presents, no way.

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