#takara kun & 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:

#best bls on gagaoolala #top 10 bls list #gagaoolala #bl recomendation list #recomendations by platform #japanese bl #live action yaoi #taiwanese bl #thai bl #My Beautiful Man #Utsukushii Kare #Minato's Laundromat #Minato Shouji Coin Laundry #my ride the series #Takara & Amagi #Takara-kun to Amagi-kun #kiseki: dear to me #My Personal Weatherman #Taikan Yoho #Our Dining Table #Bokura no Shokutaku #Step By Step the series #Long Time No See #strongberry #korean bl #About Youth the series

[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.

#i will say that thai bls own the aquarium date tho #kieta hatsukoi #ida x aoki #cherry magic #cherry magic the movie #kurosawa x adachi #takara-kun to amagi-kun #takara x amagi #mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss! #fukou kun wa kiss suru shikanai! #naoya x kota #old fashion cupcake #togawa x nozue #utsukushii kare 2 #utsukushii kare #hira x kiyoi

[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

#ao3 #ao3 stats #Monster High #Dead Plate #Marionetta #Sousou no Frieren Frieren: Beyond Journey's End #Scott Pilgrim Takes Off #The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins #Blue Eye Samurai #Takara-kun to Amagi-kun #Alan Wake #Slay The Princess #Trolls #Joker Out #Baldur's Gate #PHIGHTING! #Forgotten Realms #Red White & Royal Blue #The Amazing Digital Circus #Final Fantasy XVI

[katzenjammerd]

You decide to check out that kinn porsche show after spotting the gifs on your dash and four months later you’re knee deep in Gay Bangkok Bridge, Stairs of Death, lays and seaweed crisps product placement, architecture and engineering as the only two options in university, wet towel on head is the best medicine, rhapsodising over fan service, head pats and little hoop earrings in the left ear…

#I was about to mention the clothes but that may be because I’m Officially Old #that awkward moment when I had to Google what bl was #seems so long ago #it was April #thai bl #kinnporsche #bad buddy #Tharntype #the eclipse #a tale of 1000 stars #love in the air #2gether #lovely writer #theory of love #old fashion cupcake #kieta hatsukoi #takara kun to amagi kun #roommates of poongduck 304 #semantic error #jesus I’ve watched a lot.

[gillianthecat]

I feel like Japanese BLs use place and space and landscape differently. Perhaps it’s as simple as the fact that Japanese architecture and plant life looks different from Thai, Korean or Taiwanese architecture and plant life. Perhaps it’s just that the Japanese industry generally has higher budgets and more experienced/skilled people behind the camera, which creates a certain look. But there’s something about the use of space, either expansive and wide open, or closed-in and intimate that’s… I don’t know what it is, but it feels like it’s something.

This was brought on in part by watching Eternal Yesterday and then watching @iguessitsjustme’s HiraKoyoi video (which almost made me cry this time, now that I’m primed to). And they got thinking about the way there’s a certain… almost desolate emptiness? that’s not the right feeling. perhaps just… openness, realness, slight wildness… to the landscape in this trio of small town high school BL I’ve watched recently, the two above plus Takara-kun to Amagi-kun. Even Kabe Koji somehow felt that way when they returned to their hometown. Is that just what all small towns look like in Japan? (Are they even set in small towns?) Or are these locations deliberate choices.

And even in city settings there’s a certain way that buildings and spaces are shot, inside and out. But I don’t know enough about filmmaking techniques to say what it is.

If anyone else has any thoughts on this I’d love to hear them. I’ve never been to any of these countries and haven’t watched all that much other media from there, outside of BLs, so I have little context, just vague feelings.

#japanese bl #place and space in bl #questions tossed into the void #bl comparisons across countries #eternal yesterday #my beautiful man #utsukushii kare #takara kun to amagi kun #kabe koji #old fashion cupcake #senpai this can't be love #my love mix up #kieta hatsukoi #absolute bl the series #cherry magic #minato shouji coin laundry #cinematography

[bengiyo]

We are headed into our final Drama Shower show of the season. How do you rank the shows we got this season and how are you feeling about the direction of the project?

What is Drama Shower and Why Does It Matter?

Before we get into rating these shows, I want to do a breakdown of what this is. To give you a sense of how big a deal Drama Shower is, fans are regularly updating a Wikipedia page for it with relevant links to follow the project. Also, there is a dedicated MDL page for it.

Drama Shower is a dedicated half-hour programming block on MBS, a Japanese broadcaster that is over 70 years old, in conjunction with Kadokawa, a Japanese publisher and holding group, that plays BL content at 1:30 am on Fridays. The project's main producer is Kaoru Azuma, who is a self-described long-time BL fan. He wants to show that BL can do a variety of stories in genre, and has recently stated that he wants to produce original content through the project as well.

We originally had six shows air through year one: Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss!, Senpai, This Can't Be Love!, Takara-kun to Amagi-kun, Eternal Yesterday, Candy Color Paradox, and Jack o' Frost.

I originally reviewed these shows as overall a mixed bag, but showing great promise. I liked that they got more comfortable with depictions of m/m intimacy over time. I thought Mr. Unlucky was legitimately funny (9), Senpai never found its footing (6), Takara and Amagi mildly squandered their premise (8), Eternal Yesterday was extremely poignant (10), Candy Color Paradox had ambitions that exceeded its talent pool (7), and Jack o' Frost was a really strong finish (9.5).

MBS seemed to enjoy the performance of this project enough to continue it for another year.

For me, I think it's very significant to give BL itself a time slot to see how audiences are responding to BL as a concept compared to the pitch of individual shows. I'm really encouraged by MBS doing this. Even if you don't care about the name MBS, you have interacted with their content, because they are also behind Full Metal Alchemist and Haikyuu! anime adaptations.

Rating Year 2

I actually liked the way year 2 started, even if I'm a bit mixed on the end. I really loved opening with Tokyo in April is... I liked that they had BL trying to be topical. I think the show unfortunately conflates some things it shouldn't, but I loved TIAI and I loved Ren and Ryunosuke's experience being gay men. I liked the changes they made to the source material. This show was dark in a way that it owned, and I really like that. I gave it a 9.

We then moved to My Personal Weatherman, and that went over well for the people who like to see really hot people go at it with each other. I actually enjoyed how much Yoh and Segasaki actively misunderstood each other even as they were speaking to each other. I don't know that they exactly completed their story, and I suspect that there may be a future outing for this show. Despite enjoying it, I think it didn't get all of its pieces together fully and gave it an 8.5.

We then crossed over into uncertain territory with One Room Angel. Despite enjoying a lot of what was going on in this show, I don't actually think it's a romance. It's my understanding that the angel character is a lot younger in the source material, and so they may have been a little shy about how much they did with these characters on screen. I also don't think the storytelling was balanced between the leads. However, because I am susceptible to complex stories about grief, I gave this show an 8.

Now, we have Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun. I hated this show so much. I think it makes the unfortunate mistake of asking me to care about how homophobia and public perceptions impacts people through its flashback drama, but then does nothing with that in the front. It sucked so hard, and I'm really disappointed because I thought this show had some of the most potential, and I thought Toki was one of the most watchable characters Drama Shower had produced. I ended up giving it a 4.

Our next and final show (I think) for this outing is called My Strawberry Film. This one will also be in a high school, but I know little about it, other than we may have a GL plot in it.

So, overall I'd give Drama Shower an 8. I think fans of BL, and especially Japanese BL, should continue to show up and support it. The fact that we have a dedicated programming block is important. The fact that none of these shows has felt like a retread so far is super important. Drama Shower is varied. There is something in here for almost everyone. Drama Shower is the biggest commitment to BL we've had from a distributor other than GMMTV's ongoing BL slate. Taiwan has Vidol doing is four projects, but Drama Shower is the first time I know of that a Japanese distributor has focused on BL in a meaningful, ongoing way. We should stick with it.

#answered #Ben writes #japanese bl #bl series #drama shower #tunku shower #mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss! #senpai this can't be love #takara kun to amagi kun #candy color paradox #eternal yesterday #jack o' frost #tokyo in april is... #my personal weatherman #one room angel #sahara sensei to toki kun #my strawberry film

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

I choose you as you are a million times 'Cause I am not ashamed of you I won't walk away from you I will carry you Through your darkest night When you're terrified I will carry you When the waters rise When your hope runs dry I will carry you ~ I will carry you by Ellie Holcomb

My School President

The Untamed

Addicted Heroin

Ghost Host, Ghost House

Secret Crush On You

You Make Me Dance

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

Roommates of Poongduck 304

Favorite piggyback rides (Part 1/?) as part of my favorite bl-trope collection (no particular order).

#multi bl #multibl.edit #bl tropes #my school president #the untamed #addicted heroin the series #ghost host ghost house #secret crush on you #you make me dance #takara kun to amagi kun #roommates of poongduck 304 #thai bl #chinese bl #korean bl #japanese bl #asianlgbtqdrama #myedit #piggybackingintosunset #bl series #bl drama

[thasorns]

#same braincell squad

#kieta hatsukoi #takara kun to amagi kun #jdramasource #userstorge #lextag #takara-kun to amagi-kun #michieda shunsuke #oriyama nao #jdramaedit #jdrama #zeystuff #gif: kh #gif: tktak #gif: plls #I live for parallel's #*500 #*1k

[niaoniaos]

userdramas event 01: favorite

favorite disasters (affectionate) [cherry magic, kieta hatsukoi, takara-kun to amagi-kun, mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss]

#cherry magic #kieta hatsukoi #takara kun to amagi kun #mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss #fukou kun wa kiss suru shikanai! #jdramasource #jdramaedit #jdramagifs #japaneseartistsinc #userdramas #lextag #userstorge #syaring #maregifs #gifs #mare22 #so big brained of me!

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

#takara kun to amagi kun #japanese bl #rosygifs #rosygifsjbl

[absolutebl]

500 BLs - My Top 50

Somehow, in the mad end of year rush, I missed the fact that the BL Spreadsheet of Doom tipped over and into 500 BLs. Yep, I’ve now watch over 500. 

Top 50 BLs - The Elite 10% 

Seven Days - Japan 2015 (oldest BL on this list, also hold #1 spot, cute)

We Best Love: No. 1 For You & Fighting Mr. 2nd - Taiwan 2021 

Semantic Error - Korea 2022

Light On Me - Korea 2021

Until We Meet Again - Thai 2019

To My Star - Korea 2021

Color Rush- Korea 2021

Old Fashion Cupcake - Japan 2022

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun - Japan 2022

Minato's Laundromat - Japan 2022

My Beautiful Man - Japan 2021

Cherry Blossoms After Winter - Korea 2022

HIStory 2: Crossing the Line - Taiwan 2018

Cherry Magic - Japan 2020

Bad Buddy - Thai 2022

A Tale of Thousand Stars  - Thai 2021

Oxygen - Thai 2020

Be Loved In House: I Do - Taiwan 2021

Lovely Writer - Thai 2021

He's Coming to Me - Thai 2019

Blueming - Korea 2022

My Ride - Thai 2022

Wish You - Korea 2020

Not Me - Thai 2022

Nobleman Ryu's Wedding - Korea 2021

Love By Chance - Thai 2018

See You After Quarantine? - Taiwan 2021

Addicted - China 2016

Long Time No See - Korea 2017

My Tooth Your Love - Taiwan 2022

Why R U? - Thai 2020

The Tasty Florida - Korea 2021

About Youth - Taiwan 2022

SOTUS - Thai 2016

DNA Says Love You - Taiwan 2022

My Love Mix Up - Japan 2021

Roommates of Poongduck 304 - Korea 2022

The Eclipse - Thai 2022

Dark Blue Kiss - Thai 2019

Oh! Boarding House - Korea 2022

My Day - Pinoy 2020

Ocean Likes Me - Korea 2022

Gameboys - Pinoy 2020

Cutie Pie - Thai 2022

Life: Love on the Line - Japan 2020 

Love Class - Korea 2022

Restart After Come Back Home - Japan 2020

Tinted With You - Korea 2022

2gether - Thai 2020

Choco Milk Shake - Korea 2022

Rankings aren’t fixed (outside of the three ratings). I basically just asked myself which one would I want to rewatch right now. 

Bold = 10/10 (#1 ... #7)

Italics = 9/10 (#8 ... #25) 

everything else is 8/10

Absolute BL not included because it’s parody 

Love is Science? & Puppy Honey not included because BL is a B plot

Word of Honor has been censored off the list. Fuck that noise. 

The following are highly ranked shorts

A First Love Story - Korea 2021 

Just Friends? - Korea 2009 (would have been the oldest on the list)

Some More Korea - 2018 

This is as of the end of 2022. Not responsible for any additional awesome BLs that have aired since then.

#best of BLs #50 for 500 #yes i have now watched well over 500 bls #obsessive is as obsessive does #top 50 BLs of all time #Seven Days #Japanese Bl #We Best Love #Taiwanese BL #Semantic Error #Korean BL #Light On Me #Thai BL #Until We Meet Again #To My Star #Color Rush #Old Fashion Cupcake #Takara-kun and Amagi-kun #Minato's Laundromat #My Beautiful Man #Cherry Blossoms After Winter #HIStory 2: Crossing the Line #Cherry Magic #A Tale of Thousand Stars #Be Loved In House: I Do #Lovely Writer #He's Coming to Me #Blueming #Pinoy BL

[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.

#japanese bl #asianlgbtqdramas #if it's with you #Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo #amane x ryuji #Kieta Hatsukoi #My Love Mix Up #Takara-kun to Amagi-kun #gagaoolala

[dazzlingkai]

Arata Sato and Nao Oriyama  for Anan (October 2022 issue) 

#arata sato #nao oriyama #jdrama #takara kun to amagi kun #asiandramanet #asianlgbtqdramas #maleidolsedit #underratedidolsedit #edit #mine #my edit

[kexing]

#that’s it that’s the show #takara kun to amagi kun #takara x amagi #mj talks

[liyazaki]

i love you get used to it.

takara-kun to amagi-kun | episode 6

#takara kun to amagi kun #takara and amagi #jdrama #jdramaedit #jdramasource #have you heard? romance peaked #they're so soft & sweet & dumb & SWEET- i could scream #sato arata #oriyama nao #userstorge #lextag #asiandramanet #asianlgbtqdramas #mor gifs takara & amagi

[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!!

#tag game #10 bl boys i want carnally #between us the series #love by chance the series #not me the series #Takara-kun to Amagi-kun #the sign the series #utsukushii kare #pit babe the series #love in the air the series #the eclipse the series #only friends the series