#Korean BL reviews | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

absolutebl · 8 months

Text

This Week in BL - Korea drops my favorite cameo ever & gives KISSES

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized sorta by favs in each category.

Sept 2023 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Fri grey) ep 4 of 12 - Well that’s one way to find out if he’s gay, see how he reacts to reading a het sex scene out loud. Yai is flirting so hard it’s like he knows everything.

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 4 of 12 - Oh no! I love them. Also cohabitation trope! Also ALL the other ones: hair dry, meet in childhood... GMMTV going no frills with this one.

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 9 of 12 - Zo’s drama over Pat helping Joke flirt seems awfully manufactured. I’m losing faith in this show. Could GMMTV PLEASE hand JoongDunk a decent script?

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 5 of 10 - Sand & Ray are the only interesting couple, and I’m pretty much only watching for them. They gonna go south fast, tho, and they're already ruined by persistent singing. Ooo. When Sand said Top "stole his ex" did he mean Boston? How gay.

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 2 of 8 - The pronoun conversation had a bonkers translation but I enjoyed the actuality of it. The reasons for Yi's trickery are very convoluted soap opera. But I suppose that is the amnesia trope for you.

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 10 of 12 - Boys. We discussed this already. No sex in onsens! I found this one dull, until the end when LLS showed up. Happy to just have him in everything. Thank you Thailand. Looks like it is a classic ep 11 DOOM next week. Who cares?

Venus in the Sky (Tues iQIYI) 1-2 of 10 eps - The usual Thai pulp claptrap this time a reunion romances in and around a convenience store between a boy who recently quit his job and his former bestie who is now a doctor. Mostly not great acting, plot, or production but the sound is okay and no bad effects or singing (so far), so that’s something. The gay brothers have a fun relationship. It’s vampy and campy but fun. I like it but not sure anyone else would.

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - The date was cute but I still don’t like the lead or the premise (we moved into Cyrano de Bergerac territory). It’s moving slowly but it seems like we might be over the crush/stalker part of the narrative, so that’s a relief.

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I just can’t. The sound is too weird. With punch down humor and other issues incoming I may DNF this. You’ve been warned. This ep we got to see LLS with his shirt off. Did anything else happen?

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 8fin - No wonder he is everyone’s favorite hyung, boy can read the room like no one else. I love that we got to see exactly how clingy and demanding Choi Jun was always going to be. Only Lee Jun is easy-going enough to put up with him. Also I’ve never watched a KBL with more innuendo. For Korea this was… raunchy. I gotta say had Laws of Attraction not come along, Simon might have been my favorite character of 2023.

Final thoughts on Jun and Jun:

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. Others boys are sniffing around too. Operative word being "sniffing" as much of this romance involves smell. With a snappy script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching. With tons of rewatch potential (especially the last few eps), my only caution is this is for fans of the BL genre only, I don’t think it’ll work for anyone else. A solid 9/10 from me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I like that Korea is trying high heat, but Taiwan and Thailand are leaps and bounds better at it.

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 9-10fin -

Omg they so cute as flirty bf. Eeeeeeee! CAMEO!!!!! My fav guest couple ever! So exciting!!!! I love that they intersected with MY Strongberry couple (Private Lessons). I’m not used to this but Holy innuendo Korea, what with Jun & Jun and now this show? It’s a bit much for my gay little heart. The final episode was entirely unnecessary, but it was fun to see them being all domestic and stuff. Maru with his dumb lettuce leaves was hilarious. I feel like I need to rewatch this one to really understand it properly, so I will likely do that soon.

Summary of Love Class 2:

3 couples form within a semester of university: 1. a hyung romance reunion of exes, one of whom has a dangerous past, 2. a friends to lovers romance, and 3. a mature student and TA one night stand + complexities (many aspects of which had me laughing). I enjoyed the characters and dialogue of this show immensely. It was a little bit more breezy and friendly than I was expecting after the first installment, Love Class. I’m not entirely sure Korea can handle multiple couples like this because it definitely felt disjointed, especially the 3rd more mature couple (also my favorite) who probably should’ve had their own series. But it was definitely fun and something different from Korea. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

Also, Korea tried to give us higher heat... that was... interesting. I mean, you tried hon...?

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) ep 4 of 13(?) - Everyone is a sad sack this ep. Ooooo. Teach/student my favorite. We never get this one. It’s messy. I’m not sure if there is a plot. I’m not sure they’re sure if there is a plot. But I am still enjoying it.

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 8 - Why is the Fighter character always so frustrating regardless of name or country? Ji Oh stalking his crush via IG is so relatable. He’s very first crush awkward, unsure, and sweet. They also gave a nice kiss - I love the backpack drop (kiss version of a mic drop?) I still hold that if you haven’t seen the original this might not make much sense. But I am enjoying it.

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 4 of 8 - Oh goody, another JBL where we have to pay attention solely to what they do and not what they say.

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - Big fat sigh.

It's Airing But...

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 3 of 24 eps - I couldn't get hold of it and I'm not mad. I'm putting it on hold until distribution gets sorted, or icky get their shizz in order (like that'll happen).

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan Gaga) Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/15 Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) suspected cinema release? I don't know much about what's going on. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency. Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf has signed up to star in this idol-based BL (based on a webtoon). They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

Still To Come In September

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/27 Bon Appetit (Korea iQIYI) - from 2022, 8 eps from GoGo Studio, romance between an office worker who lives off junk food and the man next door who cooks well.

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I love him. And I love his version of this character better than Jimmy's.

I also love it when a show gets meta. (Both Why R U? Korea) Why they didn't just go for YRU? the world may never know.)

(Last week)

157 notes · View notes

mare-sanguis · 1 year

Text

this scene here is shot like we're jaewon. yes, there are multiple pov shots in other kbls as well but this takes the cake. here the sole focus point is jihyun. theres no annoying background, not even annoying noise from other people. just the shower running. the cherry on top is the fact jihyun isnt fully visible but hidden- making it obvious those are stolen glances.

if they continue to deliver us more scenes like this idk how i'll survive because as a lifelong artist and someone who was raised with melancholic media the whole bl is scratching the right part of my brain and i already know i'll obsess more over it the more episodes come out

#the eighth sense #bl drama #korean bl #bl kdrama #bl series #queer drama #queer drama review #bl drama review

236 notes · View notes

chrispychanniem · 20 days

Text

My Honest Opinion:

I read the Webtoon and definitely that one looked amazing. But when I watched the series, my mind was blown. I mean, I sure wasn't expecting that. Seo Ham are Jae Chan sure do have an amazing chemistry and they did full justice to the series.

In fact, I was definitely shocked when I got to know that Jae Chan is an idol. Idols are generally not that into kissing in the BL series. But Jae Chan gave it his all.

I really liked the fondness and frankness that the actors had developed while working with each other and I definitely will be waiting for the season 2 announcement of "Semantic Error".

20 notes · View notes

gunsatthaphan · 2 years

Photo

(◡‿◡✿)

#ocean likes me #ocean like me #korean bl #ocean likes me ep3 #han gi chan #holland #han bada x tommy #i know this show is not getting a lot of good reviews and admittedly the start was a bit strange lmao #but its getting better!#idk its cute #i like it #i think #kjdhgkd #also i like han gi chan so much better in this role than in wyel #send tweet #anyway #stan holland #bye

170 notes · View notes

scorbleeo · 10 months

Text

Drama Review: Love Tractor

Source: Google Images

Seon Yul, a temporarily relocated city man, meets Ye Chan, a rural man who adores the countryside.

Seon Yul comes to the countryside to experience life knowing nothing about farming and Ye Chan appears before him. As Seon Yul learns to adapt to rural living and engage in farming activities, he becomes increasingly attracted to Ye Chan's sincerity and enthusiasm. Together, the two embark on a chaotic and romantic countryside journey of healing and love.

Source: MyDramaList (2023)

Whooooolesome

Never have I ever watched a BL drama not filled with trauma or the plot is driven by trauma(s). To call Love Tractor wholesome is actually a huge understatement. The whole time I was watching this drama, I was constantly placed in one of my best moods. Actually, I can see myself coming back to Love Tractor if I seriously need a mood-boost. And because of how good I felt while watching Love Tractor, I did not care if the plot was just average.

However, even though I said the plot was just average, the characters were something else. I did not fall in love with Love Tractor because of the storyline but because of the characters in it. Really, pretty much all the credit goes to Yechan. Not going into the fact that he is 'baby girl coded' or 'a big fluffy warm teddy bear', I had always liked the twisting of a gender stereotype. You see, if you just look at Yechan, he's tall, big and muscular, and sadly, people will jump to the conclusion that despite his sexuality, he is going to be the "man" of the relationship. Yet, bam, no. Yechan is your tall, big, muscular farmer but also the cutest, most gentle, demure and thoughtful man. And Dojin, the actor for Yechan, did an excellent job portraying that!

Love Tractor is a magnificent BL drama, totally top tier and completely binge-worthy.

Rating: ★★★★★

P.S.: If you hate this drama, I will fight you, literally.

#drama review #love tractor #korean drama #bl drama #korean bl drama #seon yul #suh ye chan #do won #yoon do jin

9 notes · View notes

aprilblossomgirl · 1 year

Text

My Drama Universe 2022 Wrap-up

For someone who’s been fussy about being in a drama-slump this year (well, k-drama slump to be exact), this wrap-up list sure proved otherwise. Not as extensive as what others might have, perhaps, but these are what showed up to me this year that I willingly embraced consumed. Mostly BLs and Thai’s series, not all that I picked were airing this year, some aired year(s) back. Even for the ones airing this year, not all I watched live. So, it will probably cloud my perception of the show, somehow. However, I’m a firm believer of that not every show is for everyone (or, in this case, me), and that sometimes I had better experience of consuming certain shows when I watched it later after its airing period in my own pace.

A bit of story nobody asked. I’ve been watching Asian tv series / movies since the mid-end 90s. Started with mostly J-drama(s) and very occasionally C/Tw-drama(s), and then followed by an intense past decade of mostly K-drama(s). It was only at the beginning of this year that I’ve been exposed to Th-drama(s) and BLs (or QLs in general) and that was partly due to some major changes I had this year (moving back home to a time zone 12-hours ahead after 4-5 years being away in a foreign land + the series of reverse culture shock). Diving into these media has somehow given me a new kind of comfort I didn’t know I needed at the time. A comfort I know I will still be seeking for the next years to come. And since I’ve made this Tumblr page as my safe zone, why not include a yearly recaps/wrap-up list for my own documentation, also as an index to refer to if later I decide to make some Best-of-2022 kind of posts.

Anyway, I don’t do quantified rating here, I’m just giving some little hearts or highly subjective brief commentary shouts, if any. But if anyone would like to talk or share some thoughts about some of these shows with me, feel free to drop by the comment or my dm or ask box :)

Oh, and when I said little hearts, I mean these:

🤍 (white) - the show owns my soul, period.

🖤 (black) - it’s my top-something-kind-of shows.

❤️ (red) - loved any aspect of the show: the stories / the tropes / the character(s) / pair(s) / the music / the aesthetics.

Ok, now, the list(s) will go under the cut. A little notes: I didn't separate them based on the genre (QL/non-QL) or the regions for my own convenience.

First, here’s the list of the shows I watched and finished this year, supposedly in a chronological order I picked them (but maybe some were off the timeline -- I didn’t really track them real time, unfortunately):

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (Thailand 2021-2022) -- I watched almost all adaptation of Hana Yori Dango, and I must say, the Thai version was better written in most parts. Also, Kavin-Kaning was cute here, almost a match to the Korean’s counterpart: So YiJeong - Chu GaEul <3

🤍 Kieta Hatsukoi (Japan 2021) -- my first love, ever, in BL. I adore this show so so much!

❤️ 2gether + Still 2gether (Thailand 2020) -- not gonna lie, these ones gave me comfort in an unexplainable way.

❤️ TharnType (Thailand 2019) + TharnType 2: 7 Years of Love (Thailand 2020) -- you can say anything about this show or everything about it, but to me, this gave me my #1 comfort character: Type Thiwat Phawattakun, and it hasn’t changed.

Together with Me (Thailand 2017) + Together with Me: The Next Chapter (Thailand 2018) -- the friendship in this show was one of my favorites. Also, this show introduced me to my ultimate favorite BL casting pair: MaxTul. But my most favorite part? Their hometown by the river in the Amphawa district.

My Husband in Law (Thailand 2020) -- what to say more: a drama, that I enjoyed but will not revisit.

❤️ Bad Buddy (Thailand 2021-2022) -- the 5th episode’s rooftop kiss arc my beloved, and need to say no more, a comfort show until today.

Cupid's Last Wish (Thailand 2022) -- my introduction to EarthMix; in a way I was glad I watched this first instead of ATOTS.

❤️ Star and Sky: Star in My Mind (Thailand 2022) -- another comfort show, my adorable Khabkluen & Daonuea; can’t wait to see them again in Our Skyy 2!

🖤 KinnPorsche (Thailand 2022) -- the show that ignites something in me which I cannot label. KimChay will forever hold a chokehold on me. A show that, in one way or another, I might never have a proper closure with. That said, the chaotic that is their casts ensemble had a very special place in my heart.

🤍 Manner of Death (Thailand 2020) -- my forever #1 (not so) BL! TanBunn remains one of my top BL couples.

🖤 HIStory3: Trapped (Taiwan 2019) -- Meng Shao Fei is everything I need in a lead character, and I need him to be with Tang Yi. Also, this show has one of the most adorable second couple.

❤️ To My Star (South Korea 2021) -- this show is strangely beautiful to me. Kang Seo Joon and Han Ji Woo were those unlikely pair that I need to see being together.

Semantic Error (South Korea 2022) -- a beauty that is not for me specifically, but I enjoyed watching the growth of relationship between Chu Sang Woo and Jang Jae Young.

❤️ A Tale of Thousand Stars (Thailand 2021) -- I LOVE everything about this heartwarming show with my whole heart. Tian is another comfort character to me. And the village kids! I just can’t stress enough how I really appreciate and love it that the show made the kids part of every step on Tian’s emotional growth all throughout. The slow burn romance, though, tested my patience to the peak, but in the end, it was all worth it. My very brief halfway thought here and final thought here. Can’t wait to see Moonlight Chicken for more of EarthMix.

🖤 Not Me (Thailand 2021-2022) -- I don’t think any words would suffice to express my thoughts about this show, so I’ll just settle with: it’s fucking brilliant, enough said.

❤️ Old Fashion Cupcake (Japan 2022) -- this show very much feels like a hug and comforting in way that especially when you’re at the age range of TogawaNozue you will understand. The conversation and gradual growth of emotional intimacy between them was something I could relate and reflect to.

Tonhon Chonlatee (Thailand 2020-2021) -- I’m a big fan of mutual pining, but not so a big fan of last minutes reveal. That said, this was a show with another favorite friendship squad.

Blacklist (Thailand 2019) -- watched this during my The Eclipse era mainly because of First and Khaotung were in it. I liked the overall story and the theme it brought up, but more especially I loved the cast ensemble and their chemistry with one another.

🖤 55:15 Never Too Late (Thailand 2021-2022) -- this was my first time watching a Thai series with a kind of slice-of-life genre, and I love it, such a realistically beautiful takeaway about youth and regret. Another lovely casts ensemble with my favorite performances of Khaotung and View.

❤️ Vice Versa (Thailand 2022) -- an absolute beauty nobody could convince me otherwise! The aesthetics (and clearly the budget) of both audio and visual were on a whole different level. I adore JimmySea’s chemistry (and so I will definitely tune in for Last Twilight). The only thing I missed was Talay’s job as a colorist. Would’ve loved to see it more incorporated during his time in the parallel universe.

🤍 The Eclipse (Thailand 2022) -- this show owns my soul. AkkAyan is my everything. I lose my mind here but would love to experience the getting lost for any one more time. As imperfect as it was, this will always be that special show for me.

Big Dragon (Thailand 2022) -- a dynamic that’s not for me but I stayed until the end with no complaints regardless. If anything, the color-coded lighting and sets of this show were actually something I believe to mean something more.

Love in the Air (Thailand 2022) -- not gonna lie, I’m here mostly for the depiction of the architectural students’ life (which brought some nostalgia in me) instead of the romances; dropped a bit during the few last episodes of PayuRain and picked it up again once PrapaiSky started. I love Sky and he must be protected at all costs, yet I found Prapai to be that exact figure Sky needed. I was aware of the talks within the fandom about this one, and I stayed with my take.

❤️ Enchanté (Thailand 2022) -- this one comes as the nicest surprise for me this year. It might not have the best twist of the story of all time, but I did enjoy every turn and the eventual reveal. As a diehard fans of friend-to-lover trope, I had an instant massive crush on Akk Itsara (as well as a silent and slowly whinny ‘why why whhhyy’ toward Theo) only the heaven understands. The music elevates every emotion I felt. The aesthetics were specifically made for me. My highly subjective full thoughts here.

Fish Upon the Sky (Thailand 2021) -- my introduction to PondPhuwin, and what a chemistry! This show prepared me mentally for the rollercoaster of pinched heart that is Never Let Me Go.

Choco Milk Shake (South Korea 2022) -- adorable! A cuteness that’s not really for me, but cute, nonetheless.

And then, this list is for the shows that I’m still watching or still ongoing, and most likely will finish:

The Warp Effect (Thailand 2022-2023) -- a chaos I’m looking for ever since Love Shuffle.

Never Let Me Go (Thailand 2022-2023) -- a new (hard) obsession detected. (a reminder that I need to make a specific tag for this as I did My School President)

My School President (Thailand 2022-2023) -- they’re cute, so cute, the cutest thing I’ve ever watched! I love these babies so so much!!! And the thematic music? My everything! -- I scream a lot about them here.

Between Us (Thailand 2022-2023) -- so far, I’m loving all the relationships in this show, but most especially the friendship trio Team, Pharm, Manow - they’re everything I wanted to see in a squad!

Remember Me (Thailand 2022-2023) -- I got a mixed feeling about this one, but Champ’s storyline hits too close to home it hurts as much.

Gaus Electronics (South Korea 2022) -- hilarious! I adore the consistency of thematic advert on each episode.

The Shipper (Thailand 2020) -- with this one, I am now convinced there are no roles that First and Ohm could not tackle.

And here, for the ones I’ve started (mostly 1-2 or some more episodes in) but as of now the mood just never right enough to continue. Most likely will still be on my list next year, so I am temporarily reserved my commentaries.

3 Will Be Free (Thailand 2019)

10 Years Ticket (Thailand 2022-2023)

609 Bedtime Story (Thailand 2022-2023)

Cruel City (South Korea 2013)

Dark Blue Kiss (Thailand 2019)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (South Korea 2022)

First Love: Hatsukoi (Japan 2022)

Ghost Doctor (South Korea 2022)

Grid (South Korea 2022)

I Told Sunset About You (Thailand 2020)

Love Between Fairy and Devil (China 2022)

My Liberation Notes (South Korea 2022)

Taxi Driver (South Korea 2021)

The King's Affection (South Korea 2021)

Triage (Thailand 2022)

Lastly, the ones that I dropped (but who knows I’m gonna pick it up again later):

Cutie Pie (2022) - dropped at later episodes.

LITA (2022) - dropped PayuRain’s part at around episode 4 or 5; picked up again when PrapaiSky’s part started.

So, that’s it, that’s my wrap-up. I hope 2023 treats us better and allows us many many more good shows to devour!

#my drama journal 📝#not my drama review #not tagging any of the shows because too many of them #asian drama series #japan drama series #korean drama series #taiwan drama series #thai drama series #asian bl series #japan bl series #korean bl series #taiwan bl series #thai bl series #2022 asian drama series wrap up #2022 asian bl series wrap up #*i hope i use the correct tags #*might change later if found to be not too appropriate

14 notes · View notes

vivianstravelblog · 5 months

Text

Asian Drama Review: Jun and Jun

~ Warning! Minor Spoilers! Korean Drama Review: “Jun and Jun” 준과준 (2023) ~ REVIEW I was intrigued by some clips of “Jun and Jun” that showed up on my Instagram feed. I am currently on a BL drama kick, and now my targeted content on social media is mainly BL. In “Jun and Jun,” we meet childhood friends Choi Jun and Lee Jun, who were separated and reunited in adulthood. This friends-to-lovers…

View On WordPress

#2023 #asian drama review #BL drama #준과준 #Jun and Jun #Korean Drama Review #LilVakaVivLu

2 notes · View notes

afabstract · 8 months

Text

#JunAndJun has such a great last episode, it's funny, cute & spicy. The climax gets all things right for a romantic comedy but feels like an ending to a completely different series!

#entertainment #reviews #korean #kdrama #romantic comedy #jun and jun #korean bl #kbl #romance #office romance

2 notes · View notes

absolutebl · 2 months

Text

This Week in BL - It's 2024 & I'm talking about TayNew... really?

(They pretty much told us all to sit down and shut tf up, 'cause they got this. AND THEY DO.)

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

Feb 2024 Wk 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube grey) ep 9 of 12 - I broke. In my defense, it was Monday, I needed comfort, and TayNew were right tf there. Ya know what? They are great in this show. It's a great adaptation. I might like it more than the JBL live action. You know why? Really, honestly WHY...?

That was a PHENOMENAL KISS. Those boys did Thailand fucking proud. They did fandom a solid. Thank you OGs for reminding us how it's done. I was getting used to SloppyHot. And SloppyHot has its place, but that TayNew rooftop kiss was a top tear class act. It was tender and sweet and respectful and joyful. It was eye work and breath work and years of practice. How very far BL has come while still staying so much the same. TayNew - I salute you!

(Read all about distribution issues here.)

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 12fin - we waiting, I guess? Bah.

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 11 of 12 - The recipe book thing was so damn cute and I love a claiming. YOU KNOW I LOVE A CLAIMING!

In fact, I love OffGun.

I love food based BL.

I adored seeing a reboot of "the infamous dragging".

But I don’t love anything else about this show. Sigh.

1000 Years Old ep 1 of 12 - Finally we get our gay vampire BL from Feel Good Bangkok. Stars Shane (My Engineer) and fresh face Opal, directed by Champ (2gether). It’s kind of odd but enjoyable. A group of teen UFO seekers find a vampire instead. Opal looks a bit like a mix between Newnu + Leo (VIXX) - so cute + edge. Also, nice to see Shane again on our screens after so long.

Finally, I like the subtle (and sometimes not subtle) presence of ghosts permeating this show. Do the friends know she's there? Do they know she's dead? Is the existence of paranormal accepted but not that of aliens? Or are the two combined? Is this lazy writing or just fun world building? Who cares! It's enjoyable.

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 12fin - the nail painting bit was very cutie queers and I've not seen it done in BL before, so that was nice. For some reason captions never dropped for me on this last episode, but it didn’t really matter. Not much happened and I understood everything anyway.

Quick pitch?

From the people who brought us Unforgotten Night based on a y-novel, about a young man nursing a heartbreak who has a one-night stand, but the other boy didn't want it to end. This turned out to be a pulp that wasn’t half as good as it should have been and even less memorable, but not terrible. 5/10 DON'T BOTHER unless you're v bored

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 3 of 12 - Oh it is such a pulp: the acting is not good and the script is terrible. Of course, I’m mildly enjoying it. Very good dream kissing. There's something appealing about these main characters - I think it's the moot crushes. We rarely get to see that. These days everything feels very one sided, this... isn't.

A Secretly Love (Thai WeTV) - Khonprot, a third-year hazer of the engineering faculty, has a secret crush on Pluem, a tsundere fourth-year head hazer. Over the years, he's seen Pluem cycle through girlfriends. Recently, after a public breakup, however, Khonprot thinks maybe a boy has a chance.

I tried but I can't get into my WeTV account anymore and I'm way too lazy to figure it out. I'll catch it grey if I can, since I've rebooted the bootlegging side of my BL life for Cherry Magic anyway.

So this show may stay in this section, or I may bump it down to "it's airing but..."

If anyone is watching it, let me know if it's good?

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Love For Love's Sake (Korea Weds iQIYI) 7-8fin - Ugh it was GREAT, despite some pretty telling flaws. I ended up feeling like some of the filming was amateurish (very overworked low angles - director's first feature, I assume), and the narrative is a little disjoined and on the nose, AND the subs are clumsy (which I don't expect from KBL) BUT I still loved it. (FYI - I wouldn't be so harsh on a BL for this kinda thing except one from Korea.)

Quick pitch:

This isekai-based KBL is about a man who must win a game by convincing a reserved teen outcast to fall in love with him. Of course, that teen represents himself and his own unhappiness. Like many queer narratives, this show is actually about self worth, trust, and found family, and it is VERY on the nose. But I don’t expect subtlety from my BL and I enjoyed it's truly lovely redemption arc and earnest performances. While I found the narrative a touch disjointed with overworked filming angles and poorer than average captions, this is certainly much better than early KBL in terms of consistency of tone, script, and immersion. Highly rewatchable and charming, which counts for a lot. 9/10

Trigger warning for suicide depicted.

Perfect Propose (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 4 of 6 - Gosh, it’s so lovely. But I do just constantly want to give them both hugs.

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - Oh look, Taiwan has created yet another BL where I spend most of the time watching it grinning like an idiot. Surprise surprise. The pet name thing was fucking adorable. Also Taiwan once more proving they come by their "kings of kissing" title honestly. I mean to say. In a week of good kisses this one was just... WOW.

On the other hand, some of the underpinning themes are starting to v worry me (ownership, consent, age), and we only just got started, and I don't trust this production company so... I have concerns.

But also... YAY KISSES!

(I'm made of weak moral fiber.)

Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - Like many other shows on this list. I just enjoy it the most when the two leads are on screen together. So this episode was kind of lacking because they were apart for most of it. I also am starting to agree with the tone of the plot, that maybe they ARE better off as friends not lovers. (And I'm sure I'm not supposed to want that.) Oh Japan, must you?

My Strawberry Film (Japan Gaga) ep 1 of 8 - Oh it’s good. In the arthouse lane so don’t expect sweetness & light or an HEA. If there’s no cartoon aspect to a JBL, there’s usually no joy. But it is certainly good. Teens uncover some old film and a mystery around a pretty girl. The background music is wildly annoying (and rarely in the background).

It's Done

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have any spare time. 2024 is crazy busy for me so far.

The Servant and the Young Master - from Vietnam, it's on YouTube. I will give it a try when I have a window of time.

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) - A Burmese BL? @heretherebedork vouched for it, so I will give it a watch.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) - Gave me Luminous Solution vibes have decided not to watch.

It's Airing But...

Dead Friend Forever (Thai iQIYI) - rumors are it's interesting. I'm waiting to know how it ends.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 5 years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so… probubly not. I won't be watching this. I disliked Season one and actively hated the follow ups. No thank you.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - dropped it at ep 4.

Next Week Looks Like This:

2/24 Unknown (Taiwan Youku) 12 eps - Older brother tough guy breadwinner looks after his sister and defacto adopted little brother. Little bother falls in love with him and is sent away after a stolen kiss. But when he comes back…

Sam Lin has a cameo so even if I wasn't already excited, I'm in. We should be on our guard though, Taiwan will occasionally go edgy, dark, and sad... this could go there.

One assumes GMMTV is filling in the BL time slot with something queer on their YT Channel after Cooking Crush ends, they gonna lose subs if they don't. But I've not been paying attention to the chatter so I don't know which of their line-up it will be. I think G4 are filming/off radar now, and Earth is in that het noona thing? Plus they gotta sort out the IP for MIx-Up and Ossen. So it won't be one of the announced adaptations. They'll hold My Golden Blood for the high season, so I think it'll be one of the lesser known lead-outs. Wandee or Only Boo maybe? But they only just started filming those. Are we getting our long awaited GL? Anything else left from 2023 that I forgot about?

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.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Two crawling kisses from Thailand this week. Now this is a fetish I didn't know I had. Turns out, we love this one! (*waves hand in air* I speak for all of us now.)

Cooking Crush

City of Stars

Possibly the best tsundere to cinnamon roll pivot we've had in a long time.

Also the best asshole to KING pivot. Could we have a whole drama staring this character now? Please?

And finally our sunshine learning to love himself.

SIGH. what a lovely show.

And a good SMILEY kiss from a KBL.

And then some cute cuddles? Korea is spoiling me these days. I'm catching expectations now. What's next? Japan learns to kiss in their light BLs? Ha! I kill me.

(All Love for Love's Sake).

(Last week)

154 notes · View notes

mare-sanguis · 1 year

Text

straight up obsessed with this shot.

notice how the light shines different on them?

jihyun sees jaewon in a glowing, golden shine. implying hes light/change in his life. something hes never seen

meanwhile, on the other hand, jaewon sees jihyun in a dim glow. implying hes struggling- and we know he is.

but look at how he sits in front of jihyun and helps him putting on the surfing suit, he already considers him as something of so much worth

all the suble symbolism is driving me insane

just look at how he helps him slip in the plastic bags. its reminding me of the glass shoe scene in cinderella

#the eighth sense #bl drama #korean bl #bl series #bl drama review #queer drama #queer drama review #korean bl review

229 notes · View notes

chrispychanniem · 1 month

Text

BL Title: Mignon

My Honest Opinion:

This series has left a strong impression on me. While on one hand, I totally relate to the feeling of falling for someone against all odds, on the other hand, I can't overlook the loopholes. I mean, let's be for real.

This would have made so much more sense had it been a series about two humans. But that's not it. It's about a human and a vampire. First of all, isn't it true that vampires can smell blood? Then why did the doctor look all over the place for Mignon when he could simply have smelt his blood. I mean blood was oozing from his head so I believe that it's scent was strong. Also, don't Vampires teleport? Then why was the doctor carrying Mignon on his back and slowly taking a stroll towards his house? Most importantly, when you die all your metabolisms stop including secretion of melanin which is responsible for our hair colour among other things. So why did Mignon's hair suddenly turn black?

I personally am not a fan of vampire or boxer concepts but this story got me hooked. So I suggest giving it a go.

12 notes · View notes

gunsatthaphan · 2 years

Note

I think the epilogue scene was also a bit of a callback to Jiwoo’s speech about why he left Seojoon. Seojoon clearly thinks it’s bullshit and I do too, but I think the epilogue scene hinted at it too. His whole speech was about a bunch of minor things and yes in real life minor things can sometimes add up and reach a breaking point but I don’t think that was the case here. The epilogue scene showed Jiwoo upset about a relatively minor but nevertheless annoying thing, showed that Seojoon easily realized something was wrong, showed Jiwoo expressing what was annoying him and then showed him cheering up with Seojoon comforted him and promised to do better. It showed them working through an issue exactly like the ones Jiwoo claims he left over! So I’m interested to see what the real reason is lol.

Also I wasn’t sure how I was gonna like the introduction of a kid to the show bc child characters can be super hit or miss for me but this little girl is adorable I had so much fun watching her. I’m also really loving that we get to see Seojoon working, that was a big wish of mine for season 2 and it’s been fun so far lol. I’ve also always kinda loved stories of people breaking up and coming back together so I’m having a blast but I get why others are having a hard time this season is definitely not for the fluff lovers so far haha

100% agreed. that's what I've been thinking the whole time lol. I loved that epilogue scene for a number of different reasons but when jiwoo claims that those are the reasons for why he abruptly ended the relationship - apparently without ever addressing these things to seojoon while they were still together - I don’t believe him one bit. It just sounds like he’s reaching for something. And you’re right when you say that that scene specifically shows them successfully overcoming one of the issues jiwoo claims hinders them from having a functional relationship, so obviously something doesn’t add up. I’ve seen comments from people saying he’s being blackmailed or manipulated by someone and honestly I can see that. Or maybe I’m just in denial. But the whole situation is just too odd to be true lol.

To be honest I don’t think the child is necessary to the plot so far lmao and the whole “dad” scene had me rolling my eyes lol but let’s see what role she will play moving forward. My main concern right now is the girl they introduced at the end of ep2. It might be another misunderstanding or whatever but the introduction of a girl for the sake of drama in a bl is the most shallow move in the book and I just hope they won’t go overboard with this one..

I don’t know. I'm having very mixed feelings so far. I don’t really have a definite opinion yet. I’ll have to see how it continues. I don’t hate it but I don’t exactly love it either.

xxx

#to my star #to my star 2 #tms 2 #jiwoo x seojoon #seojoon x jiwoo #korean bl #bl drama #opinions #reviews

30 notes · View notes

kinglenaaaa · 9 months

Text

Sing My Crush:

That was a very korean show. It reminded me of Happy Merry Ending, in it’s sad baby/literal sunshine dynamic. The main character was miserable 95% of the show but oh boy was he cute. A very pretty crier.

Not a bad show, it’s very soft and gentle. But it’s not memorable either.

I give it an 8/10

#sing my crush #korean bl #kbl #king lena’s review

4 notes · View notes

theweebwithgoldenhands · 9 months

Text

A pretty romance for a pretty day ˋ( ° ▽、° )

Behind Cut (Romance/Slice of life) 2021 - 8 episodes

Korean BL

Rating: 10/10

On a sunny day, what could be more refreshing than a romance that's as beautiful as it is simple? If you're looking for that kind of refreshment, then I highly recommend Behind Cut! Ki jin and Yeong woo will prove to you that love still exists and that there's nothing easier than falling in love. Like them, you could well find your soulmate on the run from an ex you met on a street corner life made you pick up for no reason.

Yeong Woo is a very positive, hard-working, and straightforward young man. He loves his life and puts his heart into everything he does, whether it's his work or caring for others. His radiant smile soon gets the better of Ki Jin, a promising apprentice designer who is putting all his energy into fulfilling his dream. As their paths cross, Ki Jin and Yeong Woo discover and accompany each other on their respective life journeys, both of which are turned completely upside down by the other. While Ki Jin sees it as a way of deepening his dream and sharing it with the person he loves, Yeong Woo sees it as a new, unknown path to discover, with no particular motivation other than his feelings for Ki Jin.

Between sweet romance and solid friendship despite the blunders, Behind Cut explores all the subjects of building relationships, trust, and discovering each other and oneself with a great deal of positivity. Despite some difficult moments, the well-written plot takes us down well-trodden paths with a unique twist. The highly engaging characters will make you lose all sense of time and plunge you into an everyday reality that will seem almost too real to be true. The excellent acting combined with the high-quality direction of this series makes it a must-see!

Behind Cut will take you back to the fragility of young people discovering themselves and love at the same time but without any of the frills. You'll be immersed in a daily life stripped of any excessive narration. Let yourself be lulled by the simple, pungent feelings of our protagonists, who experience both the pain and the sweetness of love. The only negative point: eight episodes are far too few to enjoy a story of this quality...

2 notes · View notes