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absolutebl · 1 year

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This Week in BL - It’s My Birthday!

April 2023 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 2 of 10 (MDL says 12, but Gaga says 10) - Baby made a friend! Yay. I hope they stay friends. Up looks so good. Also, drama with exes! Excellent. This is awful grown up for a BL, esp a pulp. I think it may be more just a gay office romance than BL, but I love it no matter what.

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 1 of 10 - I love it. Strange premise to get at the fated mates trope but it stars one of my top picks to get his own BL. Been waiting since TT2 for this boy to feature. Tai is cute. It’s good. Except the singing. But we can’t have it all.

Our Skyy 2 (Star in My Mind) eps 3-4 - Dao is THE MOST SPOILED. But clearly Kluen prefers it that way. This was cute, but frankly a little bit boring. Kluen is clearly Thai for whipped. 8/10

Future (Thai Sun YouTube & Gaga) ep 5 of 6 - they added an additional ep because, why not? It’s a soap not a story, it doesn’t matter. MOAR softness for usssss! Drama llama boys continue to be overdramatic to the point of melodramatic to the point of ludicrous-dramatic.

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 8 of 12 eps - This is not as good as My Engineer but Marc makes for a much better pair with Cooper. It’s still not great but hey… and then HE PICKED UP A GUITAR. NOOOOOO!!!!!

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 9 of 12 - Is that a character in a GMMTV show actually trying to communicate? Say it isn’t so! Did you notice in order to calm Cher down Gun dropped to pom to put them on a more equal footing? Sweet. Cher is a tiny idiot for taking the blame for some random other coworker. Why? Omg this show.

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 6 of 10 - So it was a real serious total kiss kiss with both very drunk. And that’s why he ran? Sigh. This show sucks. How can we root for this couple especially when the faen fatal (Boss) is THAT HOT and so sweet. (To be fair I can’t decide if I want Boss or his outfits more). Phu should just not come back, who needs him? So they really are going to just keep drawing this one premise out the whole show?

Tin Tam Jai (Tues Gaga & iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 - yawn

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - They are cutest EVER - charming and awkward and sweet. I love the way the state of the food is used as an illustration for the state of the emotions of the characters. The loneliness of heating up a solitary meal bought from a convenience store in the microwave. The joy of memory of shared meals. What a lovely show.

The Eighth Sense (Korea Weds Viki) eps 9-10fin - To be honest, I was dreading this one. JH is such a first-time love bebe. I liked how realistic everybody’s behavior was to the university age bracket. We even got some proper boyfriends phase which is too damn cute for words. I do not think that JW should have made up with his evil friend. I love the way JW’s shoulders relax the moment he sees JH. This was really good show...

One of the longest BLs Korea has given us and (like Blueming) it feels more atmospheric gay coming of age romance than strictly BL. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with good chemistry and tension. It’s a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs (do I detect a touch of Taiwan?). This one deployed BL tropes (messy eater, shoulder sleep, protective seme, there’s even some hyung-slinging) but front loaded them, with tons angst driving the 2nd half. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled but it did have a glorious ending and that counts for a lot. 9/10 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Happy Merry Ending (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 1-2 of 8 - No shade (ha!) but I do think Leo would have been better in the role of the singer (SJ) but I’m okay with Dongwon. JH is a nice flirty bit of sunshine. SJ is clearly the most anxiety-riddled socially awkward broken baby evers. I’m not sure about this kinda angst, it’s not really my thing especially on the back of The Eighth Sense. Look, I’ve never been one for a fixer-upper. We shall see, I guess? This is the beauty of KBL, so short most of the time that it’s low commitment no matter my reservations.

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) ep 3 of 10 - it’s fine I guess?

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 12 - I guess the fetish matches are finding each other? How v Japan. Of course I like the conversation about names and protocols.

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) stopped at ep 2 of 12 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except Lee Long Shi and I can watch him in Tin Tem Jai) - saving to binge if the end is solid.

Venus in the Sky (Sat YouTube) pilot/tester?) 0 of 10 - not entirely sure what’s up with this one distribution-wise, but the pilot was classic university-set pulp. I hope it happens because the leads are cute with good chemsitry and I thought it was fun. However, this pilot holds together as its own little short too.

Make a Wish (Thai Weds ?) stars Fluke Natouch (OhmFluke UWMA etc...) & Judo (The Miracle Of Teddy Bear) in a medical-fantasy. About a doctor who sees ghosts and a deity who resides in a Bodhi tree that earns merits whenever he fulfills a wish, based on a y-novel by Sammon (Manner of Death, Triage). Same as above.

Stormy Honeymoon (Vietnam) - I’m tired of these characters

In Case You Missed It

Star Hunter dropped all their trailers for 2023 on their YT channel. Bit late in the year IMHO. Nothing really stuck out.

Big Dragon the movie = more of the same

True Moon = yet another loosely disguised attempt at the 2 Moons franchise?

Flirt Milk = standard pulp fodder, but they are cute

Acadex = The Eclipse + Destiny Seeker + Harry Potter 4 + The CW, as a movie that may not be BL

Sunset Vibes = Big Dragon pair as a one night stand but “uh-oh he’s my boss!” I’m game. Maybe it’ll have a better story? Maybe it will have a plot? Maybe... oh who am I kidding. It’ll be high heat and that’s about all we can hope for.

City of Stars AKA Fueangnakorn = An actor falls in love with a programmer and the narrative intends to “explore the ramifications of being public figure in the social network era who must endure critics, bullying, and defamation.” Looks like another Lovely Writer/Call It What You Want sort of thing.

The biggest shocker is how few they fielded of their original BL stable.

ALSO:

Love Senior = SOTUS but make it GL (I’m not mad about this one, it’s about flipping time. But it’s GL so I won’t track it, although I will watch it.)

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming in May 2023:

5/1 House of Stars (Thai iQIYI) - An LGBTQ actor in love with an actor from another company, plus other wanna be stars all trapped in a doom house together.

5/4 Love Mate (Korea Viki) 8 eps- Office romance between a team leader and a new employee who agree to date for 3 months to find true love, from the makers of Our Dating Sim.

5/18 - Starstruck (Korea ????) - A boy has had a crush on his childhood friend for a long time. Stars Zuho (Kpop SF9 - noted Good Egg) opposite rookie actor Kim In Sung (as the one with the crush).

5/27 The Luminous Solution (Thai ????) 10 eps - Thana is having trouble at work and in his relationship. He can't seem to catch a break. So he makes a wish to change everything. But every wish has a price.

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I do like a tie (or nametag) grab kiss. (Boss & Babe)

Our Skyy 2 SIMM ep summing it all up and reviewing itself.

Future the series, I like this reverse claiming thing. So cute.

The boyfriends eps are the BEST eps. The Eighth Sense.

I WANT BOSS’S OUTFITS.

My favorite, “there is only one bed but we slept together on the floor anyway.” (The Promise)

Now that is a claim that MUST be proved.

Loves the little babies with their killer communication style.

What do I always say about a BL that reviews itself? All from Destiny Seeker. (I’m getting caught up, I’ll post a review of the series when I’m done.)

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? UO’s Restart

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jenyifer · 6 months

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Our Dining Table 7/10

👨‍👨‍👦 - 🌶️ + 🍛 = cute mind numbing fluff

Lists: Family dynamics, Are you hungry for actual food?, turn your brain off, JBL

Review: About a man with extreme social anxiety caused from childhood trauma learns to enjoy life by cooking and eating with a new family. Honestly the first couple episodes are very promising get a little boring in the middle then… the last several episodes are a little disappointing. They are still cute though. There is a lack of music in general which got on my nerves. I wanted Minoru to go with Yukata to meet his family. I’m still not convinced that Yukata loves Minoru in a romantic way but… I love asexual representation he can have whatever level of relationship he feels comfortable with. Minoru is a simp so I know he won’t mind respecting Yukata’s boundaries. I wish the story had shown just what Yukata’s presence in Minoru’s life had. It’s clear Yukata gained a lot from his love of Minoru and his family. Idk I just wish the impact had been more. I did LOVE the conversation between Yukata and Minoru’s father at the end of the series and I’d like to talk about it so…. Some personal shit after the break.

I wish I could take screenshots so I could quote the dad fully but I’ll give the spark notes. Yukata wants to ditch Minoru and Tane because he’s afraid of how painful it’ll be when he loses them. Minoru’s dad says he still misses his wife every day and sometimes the pain is overwhelming but it’s proof that he loved her.

How extremely beautiful. I definitely agree it’s been 16 years since my friend passed away and I miss her. But when I think of her these days it’s because I truly loved her and miss the happiness we shared. It’s part of being a human. That thought also eases the pain I feel from having my heart broken a year ago. My ex is still apart of my life she forced me to be het best friend and with the time that has past I can see while my love for her is genuine and still colors my life it wasn’t like that for her. She doesn’t miss me every day and that’s okay. It was beautiful while it lasted. I should be happy that I have her in my life at all.

Idk anyways made me feel a bit introspective.

In conclusion I will maybe rewatch it. But I won’t put it on my MUST recommend list. It’s a cute show that isn’t that deep.

What will I watch next? I’m not sure. Definitely some new shows but I don’t have an old one in mind maybe Enchante?

#our dining table #jbl #bl review #bl recommendation #Jenny’s watching #bokura no shokutaku #jdrama

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earthfluuke · 9 months

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our dining table ep. 1-2

i’ve finally started our dining table, and i’ve gotten through the first 2 episodes. here are my thoughts so far:

it’s giving slice of life anime, which is great for me. it’s very wholesome and simple, which makes it very easy to watch.

i love found family, so the fact that yutaka is able to join minoru & tane in an adorable dads + baby situation is awesome.

that one woman from his office totally has a crush on yutaka, right? like, it’s not just me? or is she like fujisawa from cherry magic? time will tell.

not sure how yutaka and minoru are going to get together yet. or will they officially date at all? is it just implied? do they just naturally come together to parent tane? i can’t decide what i’m leaning towards yet.

i watch an episode every tuesday (it’s what fits in my work schedule), so i’ll get to episode 3 next week!

#stfu madeline #madeline watches #bokura no shokutaku #our dining table #bl review

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tanenigiri · 2 years

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Review #1 - Our Dining Table

Japanese title: 僕らの食卓 (Bokura no Shokutaku)

Story and art: Mita Ori

English publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment

Number of volumes: 1 (complete)

Starting this mini-project off with a delicious entrée - and what has very quickly become my favorite out of all the manga I’ve read so far.

(This review contains story spoilers.)

I was introduced to BL by a certain anime about some high school boys in a band. Eager to find more, I sought out similar shows, and I ended up watching an anime about a fudanshi dealing with a real-life BL experience with one of his upperclassmen in high school, as well as a movie that, funnily enough, also involved a boy in a band and his high school crush. Only one of the four shows I watched before delving into manga - about a boy who likes staring at the ocean and another who likes staring at him - had an older protagonist.

While I enjoyed all four of them to varying degrees, I did notice how similar the settings and premises were. Granted, high school romances are an endless well of stories so it’s not too surprising, but after watching those anime and reading manga with similar settings, I found myself wanting a change of pace.

So when I read the summary of Our Dining Table online, I knew I had to buy it. It was a premise that I’d never seen before and a lot more up my alley. Plus the cover art is really cute and warm, so I was hoping to get a story that would make me feel fuzzy after I read it.

Well, I did get that, but I also got a whole lot more.

Our Dining Table follows the story of Yutaka, a 23-year-old office worker that is introduced to us with a unique quirk: He doesn’t like to eat with other people. In one of his lonesome lunches that he spends in a park near his office, he runs into Tane, a four-year-old kid who’s enamored by Yutaka’s onigiri. The kid is subsequently reprimanded by his 23-year-old brother, Minoru, for eating another person’s lunch. But since Tane doesn’t stop raving about Yutaka’s onigiri, it leads to Minoru inviting the office worker over to the brothers’ home so that Yutaka can show them how he makes his food.

The story progresses with Yutaka slowly breaking out of his shell thanks to the Ueda brothers, who notably help him get over his fear of eating around others (in what is the first of many scenes throughout reading this manga where I involuntarily go “aww!”). While the story is relatively short - it only has eight chapters and a short epilogue - I never felt like it was rushing things. In fact, I thought the pacing was one of its strongest qualities, as Yutaka’s character naturally became less shy as his interactions with the two brothers became more meaningful. Minoru’s development isn’t as pronounced, but I felt that his character similarly progressed very realistically as he slowly realizes that his feelings for Yutaka have become much deeper.

It’s also worth highlighting that all these developments are happening while the characters share a meal, which really adds to the story’s overall strength and warmth. Almost every scene with Yutaka, Minoru, and Take together show them either eating or drinking - right down to the intro art of each chapter, which sees the characters eating something in almost all of them - and I definitely think this was deliberate. Not only does it show all the effort Yutaka’s making to get over his fear, but it also hammers in the fact that it’s their shared love for food that brings them together and eventually develops into a relationship.

These developments lead us to one of the story’s emotional cores - why Yutaka was fearful of eating around others in the first place. And it drops this lore bomb in what is probably my favorite narrative choice of the story - presenting this flashback in the same style as Tane’s drawings.

In the same way that we see Tane obsessing about his new crayon pack by making dozens of drawings, we see Yutaka finally coming to terms with something that he himself is “obsessing” over, albeit in a much darker and sadder sense. It’s in this sequence where he fully explains to Minoru the circumstances that led to his being adopted and his strained relationship with his own brother, both of which we get hints of earlier in the story that builds up to this reveal.

The manga then proceeds to do this a second time with Minoru - right after a quick confession scene in the snow - where he tells Yutaka the backstory about his deceased mother and how he had to adjust his lifestyle to become another parental figure for Take. While I do think this doesn’t hit as strongly as Yutaka’s big revel did - I felt like there was much less build-up for this plot point so it didn’t really lead to the same level of payoff - I still thought that it was a great way of expounding on Minoru’s character and understanding his own baggage. In a sense, it puts them on even terms, as these shared meals are just as important to Minoru as they are to Yutaka.

And it does become relevant in setting up the story’s very emotionally charged ending, which sees Yutaka talking to the Ueda brothers’ father about the former’s fear of Minoru leaving him and breaking his heart. At first, I thought it was odd that this is the note that the story wanted to end on - especially when it was only the chapter before this where Yutaka tells Minoru that he reciprocates his feelings - but after rereading, I realized that this is pretty much a convergence of both of the leads’ backstories. After Yutaka reveals his fears, Minoru’s father relays his own experience about losing his wife, and he gives Yutaka the confidence to still pursue the relationship even with these fears intact, as for the father, the experience of love also comes with accepting the fear of loss.

That’s incredibly mature, and it’s definitely a perspective that Yutaka appreciates, whose traumatic experiences of loss in his childhood led him to a situation with his adoptive family that is so far removed from the idea of love. Yutaka himself says that he feels like his “life has begun again” after meeting the Ueda brothers and getting into a relationship with Minoru, and I love how his fear of losing that happiness isn’t dismissed, but rather used as another way to solidify just how impactful the Ueda family has been to his life.

And I think that’s what makes Our Dining Table such a strong and fulfilling read. In just eight chapters and an epilogue, it’s able to convey a lot of emotions and build such holistic characters that by the end, you’re left with both a great sense of satisfaction and an urge to find out more about them. I signed up for a sweet and fuzzy story, and I got an emotionally rich portrait of two 23-year-olds slowly and steadily figuring out that their shared meals mean a lot more to each other than they both realize.

Random thoughts that I couldn’t fit elsewhere:

I don’t mention him a lot in the review, but I absolutely appreciate the dynamic that Tane adds to the story. Aside from his humor, he brings out both Yutaka’s and Minoru’s caring side, which adds another layer to their compatibility. A lot of posts online call the trio’s dynamic a “found family,” and I think it’s a great description of where they eventually end up. (I’d also like to point out that Tane brings up the idea of Yutaka living with them as early as Chapter 2, so he is five steps ahead of his elder brother in that regard.)

The mangaka has a few notes in the end where they mention certain plot points that unfortunately didn’t make it to the final story, and I thought they would’ve added even more depth to the narrative. In particular, more info on Yutaka’s job would’ve been nice, especially if we could’ve seen more of his progression in a professional setting. I do understand the decision to leave those scenes out, though, as it might’ve dragged the story to just reinforce a point that was already being done elsewhere. But I still think it could’ve added an interesting facet to Yutaka’s character, especially since it’s in a professional setting where we first see him and are introduced to his fear of eating around others.

In case the first paragraph didn’t make any sense, the four shows I bring up are Given, Sasaki and Miyano, Classmates, and Umibe no Etranger. While I have reviews lined up for three of them, I unfortunately haven’t gotten around to reading the manga version of Classmates. I thought the movie was alright, but would you recommend the manga?

Thanks for reading! This was probably the easiest review for me to write as I’ve read this manga several times, and it feels nice to finally put my thoughts on it into semi-coherent paragraphs. I’m still surprised that this turned out to be my favorite out of all of the ones I’ve read, but it really deserves the title - it’s such a nice blend of emotions!

#Our Dining Table #Bokura no Shokutaku #Mita Ori #Hozumi Yutaka #Ueda Minoru #Ueda Tane #BL manga #manga review #manga

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isaksbestpillow · 4 months

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Suki yanen kedo dou yaro ka episode 1

Another day, another bl. Produced by Yomiuri TV, Suki yanen kedo dou yaro ka ('I like you, so what do you say') is the newest bl to hit Tver. Here is the synopsis copy-pasted from Mdl:

Soga, who, after a divorce and relocation to Osaka, seeks solace in dining at 26-year-old Sakae's restaurant. Unbeknownst to Soga, Sakae sees him as more than just a regular customer.

I don't know anything about this show or the manga it seems to be based on, but I'm now going to review the first episode for you. Ikimahyo!

We're starting with a winter sale version of the opening of His it seems

It can be hard to stand out in today's bl scene but this time we're trying something new with a main character who speaks in Oosaka dialect

We are making dashi

The food looks great!!

I like how everyone is speaking in Oosaka dialect! I was a bit disappointed that you couldn't really tell Bokura no shokutaku/our dining table was set in Tokushima.

We're experiencing a Fated Meeting 運命の出会い

Now we're experiencing Love at First Sight　一目ぼれ. At least Sakae likes Soga for reasons other than looks (he's kind to strangers, well-mannered and likes Sakae's food)

So far all the Oosaka people have been quite intense to say the least

Soga is experiencing a culture shock in Oosaka. I've actually never been to west of Ishikawa so I'd probably also experience a shock because my Japan is in the slow life of Touhoku haha.

Soga thinks Oosaka people are too fun-seeking. Sakae is horrified.

Sakae majored in dramatic face journeys

Despite the aforementioned face journeys, Soga texted back!

All Tokyo people do is lie, says Sakae before proceeding to gush over a text message

Sakae and the usual bl backstory: he has sworn off of love and dating after a breakup

Soga doesn't like asparagus, he is cancelled to me

Asparagus as a symbol of overcoming your fears for love

That's a lot of baggage to display in front of a guy you barely know, Soga! I guess that's the bartender effect

Well that was fast!!! Explains the title lol

Verdict: The story felt a bit rushed at times but it was intriguing enough for me to keep watching for now. The izakaya is a nice change of scenery from the usual office and school settings. The chemistry between the actors remains to be seen.

For those of you with Gagaoola, the show is apparently coming there soon.

#suki yanen kedo dou yaro ka #siiri watches #that's my new tag for these! not gonna go through my old posts to tag them though

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gunsatthaphan · 1 year

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~ Monthly BL Breakdown: April 2023 ~

🌼 Happy May!!! 🐝

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post!

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Bokura no Shokutaku (Our Dining Table) - April 6th (Japan)

🌟 My Beautiful Man: Eternal - April 7th (Japan)

🌟 Eien No Kinou: Complete Edition - April 13th (Japan)

🌟 Naked Dining - April 14th (Japan)

🌟 Midnight Love - April 15th (Thailand)

🌟 My Story - April 15th (Philippines)

🌟 Step by Step - April 18th (Thailand) ❌(dropped)

🌟 Our Skyy 2 - April 19th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 The Promise: Part 2 - April 19th (Thailand)

🌟 Midnight Love - April 22nd (Thailand)

🌟 Stormy Honeymoon - April 22nd (Vietnam)

🌟 The Day I Loved You - April 26th (Philippines)

🌟 Happy Merry Ending - April 27th (South Korea)

🌟 Love Syndrome III (Uncut Version) - April 29th (Thailand)

🌟 La Pluie - April 29th (Thailand) ✅

Monthly likes/dislikes

❣️ Our Skyy 2 - Absolutely loving it so far!!! It’s exactly the kind of lighthearted chaos I was hoping for and especially the NLMG episodes were so much fun to watch. Once again proves that PP just work in a comedy setting. ngl these 2 episodes were better than the entirety of the 12 episodes of the main show for me lmao 🤷🏼‍♀️ The SIMM episodes were a bit strange plot-wise lmao but JD’s chemistry saved the day for sure. Very excited for what’s to come!!

👎🏻 A Shoulder To Cry On - I was very disappointed by this one. It was my first time dipping my toes back into the kbl world after TMS and I was hopeful as I read good reviews but my god it was so bad. it had a solid start but then the plot started reaching and it got weirder with every episode. and not to mention the lack of intimacy like I get they probably didn’t do it because of kpop or whatever but why even cast them to begin with then??? I have zero understanding for things like that. This was a bromance and I hated it lmao. bye.

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Colorful Melody - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Forever Yours - Date TBA (Philippines)

🎥 Rule No.1: Don't Be Too Emotional (novel adaption) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Night Dream - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Deep Night - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Khemjira Will Survive (novel adaption) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Let’s Eat Together - coming June 2nd (Japan)

🎥 VIP Only - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 I Can’t Reach You (manga adaption) - Date TBA (Japan)

🎥 The Bartender - Date TBA (Cambodia)

🎥 Love Supremacy Zone - Date TBA (South Korea)

🎥 Aedan The Series - Date TBA (Philippines)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ Workshops for the upcoming GMMTV BL Dangerous Romance have started. Filming is scheduled to start next month.

❗️ The upcoming Domundi Thai BL Naughty Babe is officially in production. Shooting will commence soon.

❗️ The upcoming WabiSabi Thai BL Absolute Zero (dir. New Siwaj) has started filming.

❗️ The company StarHunter announced their lineup for 2023:

City of Stars (BL)

True Moon (BL)

Sunset Vibes (BL, starring MosBank)

The Taste of Fresh Milk (BL)

Big Dragon the Movie (BL)

Love Senior (GL) -> this will be StarHunter’s first GL drama.

❗️ A movie version for the Korean BL Where Your Eyes Linger (re-edited version) was announced. Details such as plot + air date are still unknown.

❗️ After a supposed casting sheet was leaked in a video, rumors sparked that GeminiFourth will get replaced by ViewJune as the side couple in the upcoming Thai GL 23.5. The actresses were also seen in the workshops to Dangerous Romance, along with Papang and Pepper, creating further rumors about the 2 pairs being side couples in the show along with Marc and Pawin. Nothing is confirmed.

❗️ Actors Billkin and PP (I Told Sunset About You) have registered a joint production company called BKPP Entertainment. It will be managed by Billkin, PP, Bell Supol, Panut (Billkin's dad) and Sureerat (PP's mom). Details about possible productions (film or music) are still unknown.

❗️ Actors Bas Suradej and Copter Panuwat have left Starhunter Entertainment, which resulted in Copter and costar Kimmon parting ways as an on-screen pair. Their upcoming show Boy Never Smiles will still air as scheduled.

❗️ Actor Yacht Patsit has dropped out of the Korean idol program FANTASY BOYS due to a chronic illness. He will resume his acting career in Thailand.

❗️ Kpop group SF9 members ZUHO and Kim In Sung were announced as the leads in the upcoming Korean BL Star Struck. The series will premiere on May 18th.

❗️ The following BL actors won at this year’s Thailand Master Youth Awards:

Zee Pruk and Nunew Chawarin: People Favorites

Gemini Norawit and Fourth Nattawat: Youth Favorites

Upcoming series & movies for May

👉🏻 House of Stars - May 1st (Thailand)

👉🏻 Love Mate - May 4th (South Korea)

👉🏻 ViAn The Series (TikTok series) - May 6th (Vietnam)

👉🏻 My Partner (movie) - May 7th (Philippines/Hawaii)

👉🏻 Star Struck - May 18th (South Korea)

👉🏻 The Luminous Solution - May 27th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Tie the Not - May 27th (Philippines)

👉🏻 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa - May 27th (Japan)

#doreens monthly bl breakdown #thai bl #bl drama #upcoming bl #update #bl news #im noticing Taiwan hasnt been making BLs lately lol #i wonder whats going on #also cant believe Bas and Copter are finally free from Starhunter dkjhvfd #good call guys #im screaming at these DR workshop pics because if this is all true then we are getting 3 side couples dfjhgkfd #please no #i am intrigued by papang x pepper though 👀#also i had to drop step by step #i didnt like it at all #which is a bummer #but oh well

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plaidcladjuno · 2 years

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bl recs / watch list 👨‍❤️‍👨

it’s become too much work to keep my initial bl rec list updated (too many shows, too little time to review them all), so i’ve put together this new one which, as you can see, is much more to the point. feel free to use the ask box if you want me to go into more detail about any of the shows listed below!

currently watching

🇹🇭 be my favorite (2023)

🇹🇭 la pluie (2023)

🇹🇭 step by step (2023)

🇯🇵 zenra meshi / naked dining (2023)

to watch

🇹🇭 180 degrees longitude passes through us (2022)

🇹🇭 3 will be free (2019) [on hold]

🇹🇭 609 bedtime story (2022)

🇯🇵 eien no kinou / eternal yesterday (2022)

🇵🇭 gaya sa pelikula (2020)

🇹🇭 i feel you linger in the air (2023)

🇯🇵 life: love on the line (2020)

🇹🇭 moments of love (2023)

🇹🇭 war of y (2022) [on hold]

🇹🇭 the whisperer (?)

🇹🇭 wish you luck (2023)

🇹🇼 your name engraved herein (2020)

watched & enjoyed — recommended 👌🏻

🇯🇵 ameiro paradox (2022)

🇹🇭 bad buddy (2021)

🇹🇼 be loved in house: i do (2021)

🇹🇭 between us (2022)

🇹🇭 big dragon (2022)

🇰🇷 blueming (2022)

🇯🇵 bokura no shokutaku / our dining table (2023)

🇹🇭 a boss and a babe (2023)

🇯🇵 cherry magic (2020)

🇰🇷 choco milk shake (2022)

🇹🇭 dark blue kiss (2019)

🇹🇭 the eclipse (2022)

🇵🇭 gameboys (2020)

🇹🇭 ghost host, ghost house (2022)

🇹🇭 he’s coming to me (2019)

🇯🇵 his: i didn’t think i would fall in love (2019)

🇯🇵 his (2020)

🇹🇼 history2: right or wrong (2018)

🇹🇼 history3: trapped (2019)

🇹🇭 i told sunset about you (2020)

🇹🇭 ingredients (2020)

🇯🇵 kabe-koji-nekoyashiki-kun desires to be recognized (2022)

🇯🇵 kei x yaku: abunai aibou (2022)

🇯🇵 kieta hatsukoi (2021)

🇹🇭 kinnporsche (2022)

🇯🇵 kinou nani tabeta? / what did you eat yesterday? (2019)

🇰🇷 light on me (2021)

🇰🇷 long time no see (2017)

🇹🇭 love in the air (2022)

🇹🇭 manner of death (2020)

🇯🇵 minato shouji coin laundry (2022)

🇹🇭 moonlight chicken (2023)

🇯🇵 mr. unlucky has no choice but to kiss! (2022)

🇹🇭 my ride (2022) [morktawan only]

🇹🇭 my school president (2022)

🇹🇭 my secret love (2022)

🇹🇼 my tooth your love (2022)

🇹🇭 never let me go (2022)

🇰🇷 the new employee (2022)

🇹🇭 not me (2021)

🇯🇵 old fashion cupcake (2022)

🇰🇷 our dating sim (2023)

🇯🇵 restart after come back home (2020)

🇰🇷 roommates of poongduck 304 (2022)

🇹🇭 secret crush on you (2022)

🇰🇷 semantic error (2022)

🇯🇵 takara-kun to amagi-kun (2022)

🇹🇭 a tale of thousand stars (2021)

🇹🇭 theory of love (2019)

🇰🇷 to my star (2021)

🇹🇭 triage (2022)

🇹🇭 until we meet again (2019)

🇯🇵 utsukushii kare (2021)

🇹🇼 we best love: no. 1 for you (2021) & we best love: fighting mr. 2nd (2021)

🇰🇷 where your eyes linger (2020)

🇰🇷 you make me dance (2021)

🇹🇭 you’re my sky (2022)

🇯🇵 zettai bl ni naru sekai vs zettai bl ni naritakunai otoko (2021) & zettai bl... 2 (2022)

not flawless, but still watched & enjoyed

🇹🇭 2moons2 (2019)

🇹🇼 about youth (2022)

🇹🇭 bite me (2021)

🇵🇭 boys’ lockdown (2020)

🇹🇭 chains of heart (2023)

🇹🇭 close friend (2021)

🇹🇭 close friend 2 (2022)

🇹🇭 cutie pie (2022) + cutie pie 2 you (2023)

🇹🇭 destiny seeker (2023)

🇹🇭 enchanté (2022)

🇹🇭 gen y (2020) [mingkit only]

🇰🇷 love class (2022)

🇹🇭 love mechanics (2022)

🇹🇭 my engineer (2020)

🇵🇭 my story (2023)

🇹🇭 nitiman (2021)

🇰🇷 nobleman ryu’s wedding (2021)

🇹🇭 our skyy (2018)

🇹🇭 our skyy 2 (2023)

🇹🇭 second chance (2021)

🇹🇭 senior secret love: puppy honey (2016) & senior secret love: puppy honey 2 (2017)

🇹🇭 sotus (2016) & sotus s (2017)

🇹🇭 star and sky: star in my mind & sky in your heart (2022)

🇹🇭 tharntype (2019) & tharntype 2 (2020)

🇰🇷 unintentional love story (2023)

🇹🇭 why r u? (2020)

🇹🇭 y-destiny (2021)

not bad but forgettable

🇰🇷 my sweet dear (2021)

🇰🇷 ocean likes me (2022)

🇰🇷 oh! my assistant (2022)

🇹🇭 oxygen (2020)

🇯🇵 senpai, this can’t be love! (2022)

🇰🇷 a shoulder to cry on (2023)

🇵🇭 stuck on you (2021)

🇰🇷 the tasty florida (2021)

🇰🇷 tinted with you (2021)

🇰🇷 wish you (2020)

meh — would not rewatch

🇹🇭 2gether (2020) & still 2gether (2020)

🇹🇭 ai long nhai (2022)

🇰🇷 behind cut (2021)

🇹🇭 golden blood (2021)

watched / tried to watch but didn’t vibe with

🇹🇭 bed friend (2023) [dropped]

🇹🇭 check out (2022) [dropped]

🇹🇭 coffee melody (2022) [dropped]

🇰🇷 color rush (2020)

🇹🇭 don’t say no (2021) [dropped]

🇹🇭 en of love: tossara (2020)

🇹🇭 fish upon the sky (2021) [dropped]

🇹🇭 la cuisine (2022)

🇹🇭 lovely writer (2021) [dropped]

🇰🇷 mr. heart (2020)

🇹🇭 paint with love (2021) [dropped]

🇹🇭 together with me (2017) & together with me: the next chapter (2018)

🇹🇭 vice versa (2022) [dropped]

#bl drama #bl recs #mine #i'm sure i've forgotten a few titles but there are already so many 🙈🙈🙈

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neverhollowed · 5 years

Photo

Bokura no Shokutaku - Mita Ori

review here

Tyack & Frayne: Kitto - Harper Fox

review here

Soundtrack: The Mirror Artist: Damaged Bug Album: Cold Hot Plumbs

listen here

movie features: Pink Narcissus watch trailer here

ABC BOOK CHALLENGE - D here

for reviews of boy’s love manga, LGBT+ books and indie music, visit my blog >>>>>>>>>>>>> https://neverhollowed.wordpress.com/ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

0 notes

bookio · 3 years

Text

Our Dining Table (2019) by Mita Ori

Office man Yutaka get approached by a hungry kid named Tane during his lonely lunch break. He is soon introduced to Tane's adult brother Minoru. Yutaka's lunch is highly appreciated and the brothers invites him over to show them how he makes it. This start off a beautiful relationship between two individuals who enjoy food, but because of personal reasons have lost their spark in dinner making. Absolutely beautiful, and Tane is the cutest kid ever!!

I recently read another food manga (didn't write a review because DNF) called Not Love but Delicious Foods Makes Me Happy (2010) by Fumi Yoshinaga - which was AWFUL. Not only was there high lack of food pictures, the author had self-inserted herself to this goofy main character with a male roommate and they holds endless dull dialogue about different restaurants instead of showing us. Personal dating drama instead of focusing on the food. Our Dining Table takes the food and companionship first, and the drama second. But all this go together and creates this amazing manga. I loved it very much and can't recommend it enough! 5/5 stars

Original title: Bokura no Shokutaku

- - - - -

MW / ムウ (1976–78) by Osamu Tezuka

The sole survivors of a secluded island, where the inhabitants were killed by a chemical weapon called MW, are the main characters of this action packed criminal story. The survivors, both male bisexuals have a love/hate relationship with each other because of their current lifestyles. One is a former gang member turned priest, while the other one is a son of a famous Kabuki actor (he died in the gas as well) that uses the talents of his father to manipulate, rob and murder people. The priest try his best to convert his lover many times but to no avail, the trauma is too deep.

We watch as he scam himself to the top of a banking company, with the main goal to find the men who conducted and covered up the mass killing of the island all those years ago.

There is a lot of disgusting gruesome murdering, psychological harassment, explosions, conspiracies, complicated company stuff but also a lot of sex! This is the second work of Osamu Tezuka i've read and i'm still so in awe how he dared to paint homosexuality as something natural and normal in 70s when it still was very tabu. He was really before his time! 5/5 stars

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recentanimenews · 4 years

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Manga the Week of 12/18/19

SEAN: There are 9 or 10 debuts this week and half of them are from Seven Seas. Hrm… how about a reverse order week?

Yen Press gives us an artbook, as we see The Art of Sword Oratoria, presumably lacking the title of its parent series to save space on the cover. Enjoy gorgeous art of Aiz, Loki, Lefiya and the rest from the LN illustrator, along with rough sketches and the like.

ASH: I’m not particularly familiar with the series, but Yen has done a really nice job with previous artbooks.

MELINDA: That is my take as well.

SEAN: Also from Yen we have Trinity Seven 18, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As I Expected (manga version) 12, and The Monster and the Beast 2.

MICHELLE: I’m looking forward to more of The Monster and the Beast.

ASH: Yup! Me, too!

SEAN: Yen On debuts Weathering With You, the latest Makoto Shinkai book based on an anime film. Lately he’s been less depressing. Can he keep it up?

ASH: We shall see!

MELINDA: Count me in!

Yen On also has KonoSuba 10, The Devil Is a Part-Timer! 15, A Certain Magical Index 21, and Accel World 20. All these series are so long lately!

Viz has No Longer Human. This classic of Japanese literature has seen releases here before… even other manga adaptations. This one, though, is by Junji Ito, and is a 600-page hardcover brick. Get it for Christmas and wallow in it.

ASH: This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. No Longer Human is a touchstone work for me and I am a big fan of Ito’s manga, so I’m really looking forward to seeing his take.

MELINDA: I somehow missed that this was coming, and now I’m very excited!

For Manga Bookshelf folks, we also get the yearly Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 16. And there’s Tokyo Ghoul;re 14, Terra Formars 22, Golden Kamuy 13, and the 20th Century Boys Perfect Edition 6.

MICHELLE: I will never not love Ooku.

ASH: It’s true. Glad for more Golden Kamuy, too!

MELINDA: What Michelle said!

SEAN: Vertical has the 2nd Monogatari Series Box Set, containing the 6 books of the 2nd “season”, as well as the 3rd Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest.

OK, Seven Seas. Let’s go down the debuts one by one. First, the manga version of Reincarnated As a Sword debuts.

Our Dining Table (Bokura no Shokutaku) is a one-volume BL manga from Gentosha’s Rutile, about a salaryman who one day meets two brothers – one his age, one a little kid – and teaches them to make food. Love might follow! This looks sweet.

MICHELLE: Super sweet. I’m very much looking forward to this one!

ASH: Yes! This manga is catered to my tastes.

ANNA: This sounds cute.

MELINDA: Oh, how lovely.

SEAN: My Father Is a Unicorn (Unicorn Otousan) is not, as far as I know, related to My Bride Is a Mermaid. Its title is its premise (stepfather, of course), and it ran in Frontier Works’ Hug Pixiv.

ASH: This sounds delightfully ridiculous; I plan on picking it up.

SEAN: Gal Gohan I just reviewed here. It’s a cute but ecchi series about a gal who falls for her teacher and the cooking class they do together. It runs in Hakusensha’s Young Animal.

ASH: Hmmm. I do like food-related manga…

Dirty Pair Omnibus (Dirty Pair no Daibouken) is a manga adaptation of the classic novel, but with updated character designs that remind me a bit of Adam Warren. Very appropriate, that. It ran in Tokuma Shoten’s Comic Ryu.

ASH: I’m hoping the original might be licensed at some point, but this adaptation might not be a bad place to start.

SEAN: Bloom Into You is a very popular yuri series, to the point where we’re actually getting the light novels based off of it. They focus on Sayaka, and the first is out digitally next week and in print later in 2020.

Also, Seven Seas has the fourth and final volume of Our Dreams at Dusk, which should be on everyone’s manga of the year shortlist.

MICHELLE: Maybe I will really succeed in reading this series soon!

ASH: It is such a good series.

ANNA: We are getting it at my library!

MELINDA: I can’t believe I haven’t gotten around to reading this, but that’s where we are. I must fix that!

SEAN: And we get Monster Musume 15 and Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Kanna’s Daily Life 6.

One Peace has a 15th Rising of the Shield Hero light novel.

Kodansha has two print debuts next week. Saint Young Men is well-known, of course, and finally hitting our shores. Drifting Dragons is slightly less well-known, but, I mean, it’s filled with dragons. Both have already come out digitally.

MICHELLE: I’m happy to see Saint Young Men is getting a print release with, so far, no uproar.

ASH: I am so excited for a print edition of Saint Young Men! I’m very curious about Drifting Dragons, too.

ANNA: I preordered the print version of Saint Young Men right when it was announced.

MELINDA: I’m so ready for Saint Young Men!

SEAN: Also in print: Vinland Saga 11, To Your Eternity 11, O Maidens in Your Savage Season 5, and Again!! 12, which is the final volume.

MICHELLE: Again!! can be frustrating, in that it doesn’t always follow heartwarming sports manga beats, but when it pays off, it sure pays off. I’m looking forward to seeing how this manifests in the final volume.

ASH: Hooo! That’s a lot of really good stuff coming out from Kodansha! I’m reading all of these.

ANNA: I really need to catch up on Again!!. Also excited for more Vinland Saga.

SEAN: Debuting digitally next week is Watari-kun’s ****** Is about to Collapse (Watari-kun no xx ga Houkai Sunzen), a Young Magazine series which shows that digital-only can license seinen trash just as much as josei trash, I guess.

MICHELLE: *snerk*

SEAN: There’s also Shojo FIGHT! 8, Saint Young Men 4 digitally, Peach Girl NEXT 7, My Boss’s Kitten 3, and Are You Lost? 5.

MICHELLE: Shojo FIGHT! for the win!

SEAN: J-Novel Club has Banner of the Stars debut, the sequel to Crest of the Stars. We also get an 8th Lazy Dungeon Master.

Ghost Ship gives us World’s End Harem 7 and To-Love-Ru Darkness 13.

Dark Horse has a 6th volume of Drifters.

ASH: Oh! It’s been a while since I’ve read Drifters. Granted, there was a long break between the releases of some of the volumes. I’ll need to do a little catching up.

SEAN: Lastly, Cross Infinite World has the 2nd in the I Became the Secretary of a Hero! light novel series.

Lots of potential presents here. Anything catch your eye?

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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absolutebl · 11 months

Text

This Week in BL - When good chemistry goes bad

May 2023 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - yes it jumped to the top of the standings, the kiss was THAT good, best of the year so far. So soft and yet so sweet and yearning and with a proper chemistry - body, breath, everything. Also... there was plot happening this ep, but who cares about that? Some additional thoughts, now my brain has rebooted from that kiss. I do suspect Pat of still being a player: he is awful smooth, and he may want revenge for being jacked along for 2 years (I would). Ep 4 is early for a kiss like that, which means pacing-wise we may be in for a separation/break up around ep 8.

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 5 of 10 (MDL still says 12, but Gaga still says 10) - Pat, dear, your gay is squirting all over our screens. Meanwhile… That is the smallest presidential suite bed I’ve ever seen. Lucky for us of course. And lucky for Jeng. Me with the side dishes = UH OH.

Our Skyy 2 (My School President) eps 9-10 - Alt reality where Tinn is in charge of the music club and Gun is the school president with the crush. Basically, it’s an excuse for them to play each others’ parts (which just highlighted how well they were cast, originally). Ultimately, Gemini is a better piner, and Fourth is a better tsundere. Although the reversed “holding it over his head” was v funny & Fourth IS a decent seme. (I also realized what I like so much about Fourth, like Saint he’s one of those rare full body actors.) Sound was a great uke and I loved how they changed his makeup for the role (did you notice?). TiwPor were as adorably ridiculous as ever. I liked the minor baby pairing for Aun, too. Still my NO SIGNING holds (although there was lots of dancing to counterbalance). In the end, all this really did was make me wanna rewatch the original. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. FYI The MV was a parody of HCTM, BB, 1k*. 8/10

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 12fin - It was a cute sappy ending for a cute-ish sappy-ish show. I cannot abide that the mom who condoned the rape of her daughter got forgiven. No. Stop it GMMTV. Review below.

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 9 of 10 - I'm in trouble when I'm rooting for everybody BUT the main couple. I guess Nan doesn’t have a NO SINGING policy. Also I guess Nan was waiting for Phu all along? This show. ALSO could we not have just ended it here?

Past-senger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 11 of 12 eps - I don’t understand. What? Where did all these new characters come from? Do we care about the hets? Not even slightly. What is anyone doing? What’s going on? do I care abotu anyone anymore? No. Please make it stop.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - OMG so adorable, so repressed, so reserved, so soft, so awkward, so special. Heart melting. Also. Hungry. The WAY Minoru looks at Yutaka when he’s eating (now that he knows the history). The way we got to see the exact moment that Minoru realizes he is in love. Perfection.

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 1-2 of 8 - Zuho (Kpop SF9 - noted good egg) opposite rookie actor Kim In Sung (the one with the crush). icky is being weird about it but it looks like Gaga also picked it up? Depends on your territory I suppose. Anygay: Friends since childhood, jock/nerd, puppy/cat and I sense bi-himbo confusion and pining introvert gay. There’s family strife plus class issues and it has some interesting things to say already about the nature of friendship, romance, and jealousy. I like it, weirdly reminds me of something that might have come out of China. Not early CBL, but some of the later stuff that was censored but hearkened to Addicted. This has the feel of what China could have made now (were things politically different). Because of this feel, I’m not confident in this being an HEA or even a true BL but it is interesting enough for me to bump it way up the ranks.

Happy Merry Ending (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 7-8fin - I get why SJ pushed JH away, but I kinda agree that SJ is too much work. Abused or not, I wouldn’t put in the damn effort - so I guess I’m glad SJ took a year off to figure his shizz out? Far be it from me to agree with a year break in a Kdrama, tho. I didn’t even mind that they were separated most of these 2 eps: it was nice to see a Seme told no, who actually backed off and did as he was told. Plus the running of the gays (how Japan of you SK). I’m assuming that this was the final episode and that Viki thinking that there are 2 more is bonkers? Because this felt like a finale. For me this one had a stronger finish than any other aspect of the show (odd when the couple spent the bulk of it apart). Oh! And someone give Shin Myung Sung (the surfer bestie) his own damn BL, m’kay? Review below.

Love Mate (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 5-6 of 8 - Longest elevator ride in the world. Honorifics discussion! My favorite! And, “there is only one bed but they slept together on the floor anyway” trope. A BL staple. Also the tie/lanyard grab. Another fav. Still pushy puppy stalker remains creepy manipulative obsessive warped hotness. Basically KBL version of trash and… I’m into it. We all got our kinks, I guess.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - Such a cat. I’m reminded of Milk. It’s cute. They cute. I like it.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - So is the nude dining meant to be some kind of weird allegory for repressed gayness?

It’s Airing But ...

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) 10 eps - I bounced at ep 4. Someone will tell me if I should bother with the rest.

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) eps 6-7 of 10 - Terminal illness for the sunshine. I bounced at ep 6. DNF.

Ended this week

Love Syndrome finished its run on WeTV (I stopped at ep 2) - anyone wanna weight in with thoughts on the ending and whether I should binge or not? I do love Lee Long Shi.

Happy Merry Ending - Stars Lee Dong Won (KNK) as an ex-idol turned wedding singer with an abusive ex and a panic disorder + the sunshine pianist who falls in love with him. Timid tsundere & sweetheart gay is an interesting match. They’re gentle together, almost kindly and there is a calm ache to their pairing. However, it lost its way as a BL, being more about the main character’s struggle than the romance. It had a strong finish but ultimately the premise & characters meant this was never going to be one of my favorites. 8/10

A Boss and a Babe - With an inconsistent narrative and self-sabotaging characters this was not the Thai BL office romance I was hoping for. I spent most if it feeling manipulated without good reason and sorry for ForceBook. They did their best with a shoddy script (AGAIN!) and none of its flaws were their fault. This show was all over the place and so am I about it. It’s better than Enchanté but that’s not really saying much. 7/10 I guess

In Case You Missed It

BL Express reported that Taiwanese production companies have announced 7 new BLs (4 of these from Vidol.) Stories range from office romance to crime drama.

Someone did a survey on KBL watchers.

Build Jakapan has been cleared of all charges.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting this week:

5/26 Be My Favorite prev title: You Are My Favorite (Thai YouTube) Adapted JittiRain y-novel (2gether, FUTS, ToL, Vice Versa) one of those “rewrite the past to change the future.” Stars Krist (SOTUS) + Fluke Gawin (DBK, Not Me). Expect this to be v low heat, full of LIES and manipulation.

5/27 The Luminous Solution (Thai ????) 10 eps - Thana is having trouble at work and in his relationship. He can't seem to catch a break. So he makes a wish to change everything. The wish has a price.

5/27 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan) - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS (but that has never stopped Japan before) and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I ????? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*)

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

This Week’s Meta Moments

naturellement (Step By Step naming its trope.)

The Promise calling out the uke archetype, Mary Sue much?

ALL THE DANCING. Live the dream! Live the trend! Live the trope!

4 tropes in one! Drinking, piggyback, feed him, product placement. Very nice GMMTV & GeminiFourth. I’m impressed.

nash

(all My School President’s Our Skyy - kinda a masterclass in using ALL THE TROPES and ALL THE BL references.)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

The unmitigated irony of so-called fans of ZeeNunew coming after this show for this moment (not to mention the self sabotage). Truly mind boggling. (Step by Step)

The two boys who didn’t win the boy but totally should have. This show makes me wanna drink too. Next week... soju! (The Promise)

Yes please and thank you GMMTV. (My School President)

I do love the kinkification of Phi. (Boss & Babe)

These tiny idiots it turns out are, in fact, totally hilarious. La Pulie (side dish friendship group)

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Key & Taeyeon’s Hate that... (which if it wasn’t an OST SHOULD have been)

132 notes · View notes

absolutebl · 11 months

Text

This Week in BL

June 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - I really adore the family/household dynamics in this show. All the relationships between siblings are so well executed. All the tension and sub text and covert glances in the first “modeling” sequence was so good. I really want to watch the BL within this BL. Bruce is THE BEST. Jeng shutting down everyone with a cool few words is genius (especially given the curt sharp flat way he speaks Thai). Why does nobody have parasols or sun hats or sunshades or sunglasses or anything? I’m actually not mad about seeing an attempted reunion with the ex, bc we are getting to see both that (and how) they once were good together, and also the cracks that drove them apart (and will not allow them to ultimately be together a 2nd time around). I do feel sorry for Jeng, he moved too slowly and lost the 1st round. The captions were not good in the trunk seen, but trust me it was totally hilarious.

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 7 of 10 - I finally figured out why I am so tense around this show. In openly taking to task and challenging the soulmates trope, this narrative is telling viewers not to trust it’s core trope - which means we cannot trust the main couple to end happily, nor can we trust those characters who believe most strongly in fated mates (Pat & Mai). This means I, personally, not only can’t rely on an HEA but (as someone who also does not believe in soulmates) I am not entirely sure I even WANT an HEA. This has NEVER happened to me before. It makes me uncomfortable because that’s a core part of my identify with these shows. I mean, good job La Pluie, but also.... huh. Back to this ep: Uh oh. The crush is obvious and the soulmate knows what’s up now. The sex scene twist was v interesting, v gay, and v unusual in a BL. Unfortunately it’s still a BL so the faen fatal just HAD to appear. Will there ever be one out of Thailand where this trope doesn’t show up? Next week is the tried & true uke damsels off into the woods alone. Sigh.

Our Skyy 2 (Bad Buddy & 1k*) eps 12-16fin - Jimmy, baby, why so hot in an engineering smock? Please have mercy. Aw, Marc is back in yet ANOTHER BL. Definitely the current record holder for most BLs at any one time. (His filming schedule must’ve been insane at the beginning of this year!) PatPran are still great, and their eps this had me hooting with laughter (startling the cat). I forgot how much I enjoyed this show and cast. (Ohm looks great with longer hair, but also he’s lost a lot of weight. I hope he’s OK.) OhmNanon give pitch perfect LTR energy. Throwing EarthMix into the, erm, mix is fun if awkward. NO SINGING. 2 damsels in the forest! Also PatPran = geniuses at mock fighting. So much flirting. It was all quite adorbs. But me-thinks Chief & Tian have been eating moonlight chicken. Full review below.

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 3 of 10? - was enjoying it up until the last bit, why so digusted by smooches? Bad GMMTV no green tea for you. Trash watch here! Rollercoaster about to go DOWWNNNN.

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - I still only like the high school characters + Dome (WHY so gorgeous?). Is he a magical spirit too? Also, the subs were well off kilter.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 10 fin - God they’re so cute. This show used the manga as a storyboard, so I knew the “crisis of faith over possibility of loss” would happen. Still in live action this felt tonally off. While understandable given Yutaka’s character, and ultimately particularly important for the dad and a relationship with the family, I don’t know we needed it in this BL. The book does have a better ending second scene, but it wouldn’t be possible to do it on screen easily. Ultimately, this show had a simple, touching, quiet end to it. That’s very like the show as a whole. I did love it - it’s been top of my list all along. Full review after the special airs.

Love Tractor (Korea Weds iQIYI) eps 1-2 of 8 - I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT IS EVERYTHING. SHUT UP I AM FERRIL FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CITY BOY AND THE YOUNG FARMER. Come on. Korea. SRS? Plus some language play? I just go die now.

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 7-8 fin - Man this was a difficult show for me. I know we’re supposed to identify with HanJoon but I really felt for YooJae. I’ve been in his position more often than I care to count, and it’s terrible to lose a friend because they caught feelings and you did not. It’s an awful thing to hold a friendship hostage on condition of a romantic relationship. Especially if the other person is not sexually interested in you! All that said, the boyfriend ep was okay. Not sure I believed in this relationship, but it was cute enough. The final ep was (how do I put this?) a loser. We spent a lot of time with terrible home lives and then a semi happy for now final scene? Whatever. Full review below.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 6 of 12 - somehow I keep missing this one, I’ll catch it next week.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - I think the Taiwanese boss is my favorite character. Japan rarely (if ever ) trots out the faen fatal trope. I mean I named it with a Thai word for a reason, it’s not from origin yaoi at all. Yet still there she is. Sigh. This show.

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 1 of 6 - RL Studio (Stupid Boys Stupid Love) bringing us yet another high school set VBL. It’s actually not bad. I see a lot of common faces whom I’ve enjoyed in past VBLs.

It’s Airing But ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering but the first one did drop.

Ever After (Pinoy ????) - I got nothing.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) 10 eps - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*)

Boys Love Omegaverse (Japan ????) - honestly tho? Who tf cares? You’ll still tell me if you find it, because inquiring minds... Irony of this airing at the same time as Takumi-kun. Full circle much, Japan?

Tin Tem Jai Special (Thai ????) - honestly I checked Gaga & iQiyi in my territory (craptastic hotel) and neither had it listed so I quickly gave up. I mean OF COURSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE Lee Long Shi in a bathtub, who wouldn’t? But...

Just because I didn’t watch the special doesn’t mean I can’t gank Lee Long Shi wearing nothing but soap bubbles for you.

I’m not a monster.

Ended This Week

Our Skyy 2 final 4 eps thoughts: This was an interesting combination, and don’t get me wrong I very much enjoyed it, but it felt like the story was carried by PatPran’s characters while the setting and narrative followed an ATOTS arc - ultimately disjointed. OhmNanon are so bold and vibrant they’re too stark a tonal contrast to EarthMix’s more refined and elegant approach, so for me the screen presences and the style of story clashed. It was like a bouquet made up of tulips & roses: they are both flowers and they’re both pretty, but I feel like they actually belong in different vases. Still, enjoyable. And I got a crying kiss. Always makes me happy. Definitely the best of this bunch, and probably the best Our Skyy (and I genuinely loved both the NLMG historical installment and SOTUS.) 8/10

Star Struck. A friends to lovers story that felt more friends to tolerant yet disinterested partner. It was more about challenges with parents and class strife. I would’ve been disappointed if the show hadn’t come out of nowhere so I had no expectations. But as KBLs go, don’t bother. 6/10

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

6/15 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Gaga) 8 eps - Based on a yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Japan does Our Dating Sim? Yes please.

Still Coming - June 2023

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it will air... nothing except that it exists.

6/24 Tie The Knot AKA Under the Same Sky (Pinoy movie on Prime) Trailer - I guess Prime is coming for our Pinoy BL? From OXIN Films (Rainbow Prince), announced for 2022 based on a true story, Briggs's family runs a bridal business but he has never had a chance to fall in love until he meets Shao, a groom to be.

6/25 Dinosaur Love (Thai iQIYI) Trailer 5 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rak's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I will not watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? Never again with them.

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Bruce is so damn fantastic in this show.

Consent comes in all different forms. (both Step by Step)

Fight fight fight!

Sex sex sex blow job! (both La Pluie)

Smartest boy in the show.

Not enough InkPa... never enough. Never never never!

Love the suit.

All from the Our Skyy 2 BB + ATOTS cross over.

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? IVE’s I Am

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absolutebl · 11 months

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This Week in BL - Drunken Shenanigans

May 2023 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - this is Thai BL living its best life. Wait, who is Kong? Another ex? Ah just a Boy from the Past. (HI BIG, I love you, when you gunna lead a BL?) Chot & Pat’s friendship is giving me LIFE! It is the best thing in BL right now. Also this show is defining slow burn. Jeng & Pat both primping for their date? Come on! I am so glad I get to start my week with these boys. Also I would like to see the BL (within this BL) staring Up & Rice. They are VERY pretty together.

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 5 of 10 - I end my week with this one and it’s almost as good as starting with Step. The brothers relationship is pitch perfect younger to middle. P’Pat is serving up yacht rock visuals. (I’m not mad about it. Reminds me of Tay in DBK.) I do like them as a couple I just mistrust Pat’s constancy and motives. Although I am beginning to wonder if his motivation might feel suss because it’s pure lust (and we see that so rarely in a BL we innately mistrust it). Meanwhile, I like that Tai has a younger guy interested in him and with whom he has chemistry too. And it’s the one his brother likes. This is messy gay in a good way.

Our Skyy 2 (Boss & Babe) eps 11-12 - I was drunk for this one, so I thought it was mostly just foolish. While Book seemed to be having a bumper of a time with his role as Lord of Misrule I fast forwarded through a lot of it. It did make me laugh with some of the wordplay, but the fact that they involved an entire office (non-consenting) in their kink rollplay was a bit weird for me. 6/10

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 1 of 6 - The subs are truly bonkers (including a few captions that seem the be the subbers notes to themselves). There are 2 lead couples: 1 is an LTR with an overworked doctor & his recently fired husband and the other is an E2L jock+nerd with high school students (way more my thing). It’s actually pretty good for a pulp, the acting is decent and the pacing on point. I’m not mad at it especially now Dome has shown up.

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 1 of 10? - I’m doing a trash watch! I was drunk, it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, but the first 1/4 of a JittiRain BL never is.

Past-senger (Weds Gaga) ep 12fin - thank fuck that ended but also: WTF is with that ending? Guess that’s a massive prospective age gap relationship. I’m… unsettled. (And age gap doesn’t bother me.) Anygay, anydaddy that’s the lingering flavor from this BL: unsettling. You know I tend to judge on endings... full review below.

The Promise (Weds YT & WeTV) ep 10fin - did’t air to YT this week

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - I love this show. I know everything that’s gonna happen and I’m still riveted. Sweetly awkward confession.

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 3-4 of 8 - I’m enjoying the complexity of this one. It’s like a combo of Shoulder and 8th but somehow easier-going than either. Not totally my cup of tea, in a way because of that complexity, but also I faintly mistrust its BL-ness. Also: That was one of the most painful confession scenes ever. Ouch. (Meanwhile, have I mentioned recently I hate icky’s interface? Well I do. Also iQIYI is now officially icky henceforth!)

Love Mate (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 7-8fin - The asshole ex was perfectly cast but I felt a touch let down by this ending - it didn’t have the strength of its convictions. Full review below.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 7 of 12 - I like the Taiwanese boss, he knows what’s up. Cool dude. Arranged a sleepover and everything. Also... we win when there is experimental kissing but odds are Japan is faking us out.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - is it me or did this not drop? If it did I missed it.

It’s Airing But ...

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) 10 eps - I bounced at ep 4. Someone will tell me if I should bother with the rest after it ends.

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) eps 6-7 of 10 - Terminal illness for the sunshine. I bounced at ep 6. DNF. Ends next week, someone tell me if it’s as bad as I thought it was gonna be.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) ep 1 of ? - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*) also I’m really not inclined to hunt.

Ended this week

Past-senger - Marc (My Gear & Your Gown) & Copper (My Engineer) star in a time slip story of a 90s kid who travels to 2022. The central premise was solid and the actors gave it their best but the show was bloated with unnecessary awkward side couples and the ending went from confusing to unsettling to plain old (and I do mean OLD) not good. 4/10 NOT RECOMMENDED, FATALLY FLAWED

Love Mate - Launched very much openly gay older uke with commitment issues and a romantic if arrogant younger seme with no respect for boundaries. Workplace harassment much? That’s BL for ya. (Also a nonBL Kdrama specialty.) So yeah it’s questionable, but so is my taste. The ultimate premise that someone badly hurt shuts themself off to romance is very similar to Happy Merry Ending or 8th Sense but this version was more about fear than abuse or trauma. For me, this made Love Mate more relatable since fear of love makes it about the couple rather than one person’s self-acceptance journey. However, because the denouement in Love Mate was driven by a late in the run faen fatal and not the central relationship, the conclusion felt forced. I can, however, see myself rewatching this one, so if falls into the general rank of 2023′s KBL AKA solid high standard and eminently watchable. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

In Case You Missed It

Both the Egoist (Japanese movie) and Tie The Knot (Pinoy series) got picked up for international release. Tie is coming to Prime. Not yet sure who bagged Egoist but at least it has distribution. These both seem more ��messy arse gay” than BL but I have been waiting for them. About Us but Not About Us (2022 Pinoy movie) is also coming to Prime.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

6/2 Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - Andre, a film maker from the Philippines, works in LA. He finds a Korean-American roommate, Joshua, who helps him navigate the challenges and uncertainties of living in America. The two develop a bond, but then it’s time for Andre to go home. It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I won’t watch this.

6/3 Let’s Eat Together AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai (Japan movie) - Japanese cinema release means no inter distribution. Looks cozy: daily lives of college students and roommates who enjoy meals together, and a v codependent, adaptation of yaoi Let’s Eat Together Aki and Haru. I’ll keep an eye open for it but assume we can’t get it for now.

June 2023 Line Up

6/7 Love Tractor (Korea iQIYI) 8 eps - announced in 2022 from WATCHA (Semantic Error) I've been WAITING for this one. About a stressed-out law student who family obligations force into the countryside where a series of strange encounters and misunderstandings with his hunky young farmer neighbour. Will this be an extended version of Strongberry’s Some More? Or Korea’s take on Restart After Come Back Home? I'm chuffed. Country boy meets city boy is a very underused romance trope in BL.

6/9 Boys Love Omegaverse AKA The Boys Love sequel no one asked for (Japan movie) - everyone jockeyed to release the first ABO but it looks like Japan will take it. They do like to do all things BL FIRST. This seems to just be borrowing the branding of Boys Love, showing little resemblance to either original, since it's about 4 men in an idol group. (But could go very dark with that title. Boys Love is technically the first and one of the darkest BLs ever made.) Movie+Japan = no inter distribution.

6/15 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan ????) 8 eps - Based on a yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Japan does Our Dating Sim? Cool. Of course no idea where to watch it. Oh Japan, must you?

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it will air... nothing except that it exists.

6/25 Dinosaur Love (Thai ????) Trailer 5 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a cute uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rk's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I will not watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? Never again with them.

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

This bit made me bark laugh. The more Thai BL I watch the more I get the word play jokes the funnier they are. Language is so cool.

Dear Boss & Babe your ForceBook is showing.

Yes! One of my favorite dishes too! Nam Khao! Try it some time, you will not regret it. (Step by Step)

These too are gonna break us. (Star Struck)

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? P1Harmoney’s Peacemaker

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absolutebl · 1 year

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This Week in BL - I’m largely pleased with BL & pissed with Kpop

April 2023 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 1 of 10 (MDL says 12, but I think it’s just 10) - Abused intern trope is a go! I wasn’t sure I would like the lead, but he’s totally adorable. Although (I gotta say it) who tf eats a croissant with a knife & fork? Also.. the main couple has good chemistry! Hallyfuckingluya! In fact, the quality of the acting and sound etc is generally superior to a normal pulp. It’s good! This is a good show? How exciting!

Our Skyy 2 (PondPhuwin) eps 1-2 - Honestly, I was nervous to watch this but I liked it a lot! Doomed soulmates + paranormal time travel to fix the past. I’m happy for the outfits and the dancing (if not the singing). It’s not a bad premise and it’s nice to see GMMTV lean into its high production values for a change. I could’ve watched this as an actually full length BL. Gotta say, Puhwin’s English is so good and v west coast USA accent (international school kiddo got skillz). Meanwhile, loved seeing MarcPuwin again. My Gear & Your Gown disappointing us wasn't their fault. *Hilarious that Marc is side couple in 3 BLs airing simultaneously, that’s a record! (Waves at Marc X1.) I’ll be rating each of these installments separately, as I did the first time around. This one gets an 8/10 from me.

Bed Friend (Sat YT, GaGa & iQIYI uncut) ep 10fin - A very Check Out the series ending. Disastrous sun glasses. King being shy was adorable. Nevertheless I do think the final 2 eps felt a little tagged on and superfluous excess. Ultimately? This just wasn’t as good as the first 5 episodes set us up to hope for. Series review below.

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 7 of 12 eps - Cute confession and boyfriends phase. The bit with brothers’ boyfriends serving each other food was kinda charming. Could do without blushing maiden trope. But hey ho. (Waves at Marc X2.)

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 8 of 12 - Cute phi/nong convo and teasing, but this is largely boring. I do like that the conflict is all about business loyalty, cubical friendships, and coworker gossip. This is as it should be in an office romance. But I wish the characters were consistent.

Tin Tam Jai (Tues Gaga & iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - The boyfriends phase. I just know with this show that the moment it ends I’m going to entirely forget about it. It’s boring.

Chains of Heart (Sat iQIYI) ep 10fin - What a waste. Seriously don’t bother. It seems to end unhappily, but maybe not, but also who tf cares? 3/10 Series review below, for my sins. (Waves at Marc X3.)

Future (Thai Sun YouTube & Gaga) ep 5fin - It was Songkran so no new ep until tomorrow. May your New Year be blessed.

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 7 of 10 - the put YT on a week delay off WeTV, so I will watch it next week. I have WeTV but I prefer YT.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unintentional Love Story (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 9-10 fin - Awe a crying kiss. My fav! This one was fine. Not a v good kiss but KBL has to bow to form on occasion. The sides didn’t get much of a resolution. (Although we know why.) It was a solid ending. Series review below.

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - this ep was a little slow for me, oh I know, that’s what this show is doing, but yeah. Still it’s soft and sweet and wonderful. Why are you not watching it? Go. Now.

The Eighth Sense (Korea Weds Viki) eps 7-8 of 10 - Honestly? I checked out a bit this installment. Possibly because JaeWon checked out as well. I mean, I understand what the narrative is doing, portraying JW coping (badly) with loss and the complex knot of guilt, love, fear, lust, and shame. But I don’t really feel drawn into a romance when the main characters are separated for most of an hour. I do like JiHyun’s personality shift and aggressive stance on renewing the relationship. That’s fun to watch. And I do love his besties. Of course ep 8 ends with major heartbreak and pain. I expected nothing less from this show. Gotta admit I’m a little mad tho, I wanted it to EXCEED my expectations.

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) ep 2 of 10 - I don’t like one of the couples (not side dishes, this is a 50/50 split) but I weirdly like Sky’s new arc, even if he’s with someone new.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 2 of 12 - it’s just so odd. I can’t believe THIS is the JBl we get 12 eps of. This one? Japan, must you? (How many times a year do I type that phrase?)

Finished this Week

Unintentional Love Story - A boy who just lost his job due to faked corruption charges accidentally discovers his ex-boss’s favorite artist, now a recluse. His ex-manager offers him his job back if he can convince the artist to rejoin society. Instead, they fall in love. Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) carried this show (which I don’t expect from the idol element). He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes. That said, he had weak chemistry with his co-lead. But everything else was quietly queerly KBL pristine and beautifully executed, even the conflict. I’m not sure on rewatchability for me, and it didn’t whip me into a verbal frenzy the way some KBLs do but it’s still getting a solid 9/10

Bed Friend - Office frienamies transition a flaming hot one night stand into a f-buddy relationship, that is essentially built on a puppy/cat dynamic (and kinks into it at one point). Our puppy is loyal, smitten, and protective with endlessly worshipful eyes, while our cat is snarky, prickly, and deeply damaged (ALL THE TRIGGERS). NetJames give lovely high-heat with excellent chemistry and tuned-in performances of surprising depth, unfortunately the story ultimately failed them. Had the show had the strength of its convictions and kept to a tighter, darker, harsher 8 eps it would have been the first high heat to earn 10/10 from me, but once they fussed with it, it dropped to a solid 8/10. Could have been great but they overworked it. Still if high heat is your thing, this one will not let you down. Full review here.

Chains of Heart - This was a terrible show, unbelievably confusing, badly subbed, with characters behaving illogically, nonsensically, and heartlessly. What’s worse? The leads had fantastic chemsitry, were willing to do high heat (and do it well) and were pretty! So they squandered a decent cast and some actual production money on a shoddy scrip and terrible directing - what a waste. Seriously, don’t bother. It maybe ends unhappily, maybe not, but you should neither care nor bother to find out. 3/10

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) stopped at ep 2 of 12 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except Lee Long Shi and I can watch him in Tin Tem Jai) - saving to binge if the end is solid.

Stormy Honeymoon (Vietnam) - 3rd in this series and the ULTIMATE in domesticity. New side couple is cute too. But I’m kinda over the leads at this point. (see comments)

In Case You Missed It

BL Express has a post on upcoming GL. I don’t track this, but they do.

I decided to hold off and binge Cafe in Love and Destiny Seeker. So I’ll be watching and reporting back after I’ve collected all the eps. I realized that I miss binging BL. That said I have been siting on To Sir, With Love forever. Not sure why I am so reluctant to dive into that one.

[ Not into Kpop? Skip to “next week.”]

Peak Time pretty much ended exactly as expected, which was also exactly how it started. Our BL boy Karem got booted for the grave sin of being a, ya know, 2nd gen idol dude bro. But it was the superior survival show. BLK made me cry, so did MASC for that matter. We have discussed this before, I am a sap. I look forward to seeing where Vanner go next.

Boy’s Planet was ultimately disappointing. I watched some predictions about who Mnet actually wanted to win, and they were mostly correct. With the delightful upset of China scooping the #1 spot. (Delightful bc I am a chaos money who lives for politics fucking with soft power and watching China give the jaundice eye to S Korea for half a decade bc they Hallyued their way into winning the culture war using Kpop, and NOW China is doing what we all knew they would which is... infiltrate. Ultimately? Boy’s Planet was nothing more than an exercise in manipulative editing, they just accidentally manipulated the global vote into Zhang Hao winning. Not to slag off that baby boy’s serious cuteness - I genuinely thought he was great, actually. Frankly, I emerged cackling and mostly just v. disappointed in Pentagon fans. I think they deserve to lose their group for how little they supported Hui. Let’s be truthful? They are likely losing their group or Hui wouldn’t have been on the damn show in the first place. (Cube seems highly disinterested and their 7 year contracts are uppity up.) This is neither the first nor the most extreme version of me being disappointed by Kpop fans. There’s a reason I don’t participate in that fandom.

In more relevant news to THIS fandom, JiWoong made it into ZB1, which means we will NOT see him or the Kissable Lips pair back on our screens anytime soon (if ever).

RIP the pretty....

Whatever, it is still the golden age of Korean BL. Our Dating Sim happened. We will all be fine.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Happy Merry Ending starts Weds April 26 on Gaga (with ep 2 the next day) 8 eps total. It looks cute: opposites attract, musicians, giving me Wish You vibes. It’s from the Our Dating Sim’s Kidari Studio. Adapted from the manhwa of the same title (해피메리엔딩) by dorae (도래). Stars Lee Dong Won (main rapper of KNK - yes that’s Semantic Error’s Park Seo Ham’s group) opposite actor Byun Sung Tae. Also stars Kim Kyu Jong (of SS501) and actor Shin Myung Sung (The Heavenly Idol).

The Eighth Sense ends, thank fuck. I don’t think I could take much more of the tension with that one.

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

This week’s fashion hall of shame:

those glasses, both useless and ugly

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Leaning into their brand.

Leaning outside of it but looking sexy AF. Thank you GMMTV!

What do I always say? I love it when a drama reviews itself.

All Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go (PondPhuwin)

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? Winner’s Remember. I got nothing to say about it except it’s great and everyone always seems to forget about Winner but they just keep singing, and that’s kinda the sentiment of this song.

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absolutebl · 11 months

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This Week in BL - A Blah Week

May June 2023 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 6 of 10 - It’s so damn cute. Seme is still sus... but cute. I didn’t even mind the pratfall since they clearly both wanted to take advantage of it. These two are great kissers - like MaxTul level. I am PLEASED. Meanwhile, sides have a drunken MOMENT.

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 2 of 10? - I’m enjoying it which is fucking with my head, trash watch here!

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 2 of 6 - Dome has aged so pretty! Do we think the café owner doesn’t want him because he is happy in love? I’m enjoying the high school story arc a lot, and I wish we were just watching that and none of the others (Dome or no Dome). I finally figured it out the actor playing Mai is from Manner of Death.

The Promise (Weds YT & WeTV) ep 10fin - Soap opera brother relationship suddenly? Also more not communicating and more separation? Just bullshit. The best part of the ep was the interstitial cat. It feels like this show dragged on forever I am so glad it’s over and I intend never to think about it again. Full review below (although I pretty much just said it all.)

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - no ep this week, no idea why. It better not be because of the ZeeNew freakszoids or I am banhammering with a will. Our Skyy 2 (Bad Buddy & 1k*) eps 13-14 - skipped it this week as it concludes next week so I’ll binge all 4 at once.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 9 of 10 - It’s just so good. I say it every week but it IS. Oh the running of the gays trope! Japan1 For us? How thoughtful. Awe, Yutaka’s confession in tiny was the best. SMILEY KISS! It took 3 BLs but Inukai Atsuhiro has finally actually kissed a boy.

Star Struck (Korea iQIYI & Gaga) ep 5-6 of 8 - Oof this is such a hard show. Too much angst. It is a complicated story worth further analysis, but it’s too much for me and I don’t wanna dwell in it. Also, sweetie, you don’t get to cockblock the boy you rejected then invite him to sleep over, I don’t care how confused you are. Good for Hanjoon for standing up for himself, but holy shizz is this hard to watch.

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) - Cats are not caretakers. The neighbor is a cutie. Fun convo for a VBL - top/bottom & everything. Faen fatale showed up + a pratfall kiss and frankly I’m finding this show a bit dull now that the charm of the initial premise has worn off.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - I never know what to say about this one. This was the dark separation doom episode. I was pretty blah over it. I’m just not engaged with this show.

It’s Airing But ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy ????) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering to hunt.

Let’s Eat Together AKA Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai (Japan movie) cinema release means no inter distribution. Looks cozy: daily lives of college students and roommates who enjoy meals together, and a v codependent, adaptation of yaoi Let’s Eat Together Aki and Haru. I’ll keep an eye open for it but assume we can’t get it for now.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*)

Ended this week

The Day I Loved You (Pinoy YouTube) ended. I have been reliably informed it’s better left a DNF.

My Story (Pinoy YouTube) ended. I bounced at ep 4. Someone tell me if I should bother with the rest?

Pure Vanilla (Singapore) - 10 min short on Gaga featuring a cafe, boss/employee, friends to lovers. It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats on my screen. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL. 7/10 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

The Promise (Thai YouTube) - Although well acted this show dragged a too simple premise out into the ultimate manipulative miscommunication repeats of idiotic "why don’t you just TALK!?” Phu & Nan are childhood bffs through college (almost lovers) until Phu disappears. After looking/waiting for him, Nan gives up and self isolates, and the actual story takes place 10 years later. Phu’s “reason” and inability to say it out loud makes the whole show just frustrating, squandering good chemistry, and a stellar cast of multiple faen fatals (whose personalities would’ve made them better boyfriends). Seriously do not bother. What a damn waste of talent, time, and electronic bandwidth. Fatally flawed. 4/10 NOT RECOMMENDED

Okay it ended a while ago but I finished it:

Make A Wish (Thai grey) - 6 part PNR (from Sammon - Manner of Death & Triage) about a doctor who can see the dead and strikes a bargain with a wish-granting irreverent tree angel - naturally they fall in love. Stars Fluke Natouch opposite not Ohm, but who cares bc Fluke has chemistry with everybody. Once again the Thai afterlife is incredibly bureaucratic but I enjoyed the premise and the unfolding of the story (it’s not predictable but still satisfying and with nice little twist). I like that the doctor is just gay af and has a fag hag bestie and everything. The cast is excellent but the comedic stylings are too overblown and tonally off. It had sad parts and did make me cry but is ultimately happy with a great sex scene, good smiley kisses, and all the agency. 8/10 RECOMMENDED

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting:

Still Coming June 2023

6/15 Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Gaga) 8 eps - Based on a yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Japan does Our Dating Sim? Yes please.

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it will air... nothing except that it exists.

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

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

From Make a Wish.

Found my side dish. (Be My Favorite)

We asked this question literally the ENTIRE show. (The Promise)

My point exactly!

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? BTOB on Killing Voice - honestly I’m ded, end this show, no one else can ever be this good.

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absolutebl · 2 years

Note

Hi hi :D back again after asking for the free recs (thank you again!), to ask about you're recs on gagaoolala, or did you already do a break down per platform? (and yes I'm procrastinating again...xD)

Of course, I'd be delighted, since source is one of those things I track I can go straight to the spreadsheet for this. I should say I am based out of the USA so what they offer will depend on where you are based as well.

GaGaOOLaLa BL Rec List

In some kind of order, my favorites at the top.

Rate 9/10 - absolutely recommended, faithful to tropes, happy ending, good chemistry, only few flaws or pacing issues, some parts have rewatch potential

Utsukushii Kare (Japan)

AKA My Beautiful Man

One of the best most Japanese BLs to release in the last decade, as weird and as messed up as any 2000′s 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.

My Ride (Thai)

Thai BL grew up with this pulp - a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine AKA a cinnamon roll couple. 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.

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan)

Lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me with the best of what Japan can do, 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, it’s OK with me, but not traditional BL.

Step By Step (Thai)

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loaved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. And that authenticity added tension to the narrative and character development (how novel).

Takara & Amagi AKA Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan)

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. 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. Full review.

Minato's Laundromat AKA Minato Coin Laundry AKA Minato Shouji Koin Randorii AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry (Japan)

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.

Rated 8/10

recommended, some concerns around tropes (like dub con) or story structure but still satisfies as solid BL

Some More - Strongberry short (Korea)

One of my most favorite of Strongberry’s shorts, about a city boy on a bike tour who gets injured and rescued by a taciturn, but (as it turns out) very gay, farmer. Age gap, country mouse/city mouse, SO CUTE. Just too short.

DNA Says Love You (Taiwan)

DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The last few eps really are special and life/love affirming - and the ending is big-grin charming.

Love Class (Korea)

This was a fast-moving, bloated, complicated little show with stronger than usual story structure, well-acted if lacking in chemistry, that managed to be very appealing and engaging despite itself. What it lacked in content it more than made up for in pacing. Both bingable and rewatchable.

Rated 7/10:

recommended with reservations i.e. isn’t quite BL, convoluted, not strictly HEA, too short/long, or chemistry issues.

Red Balloon (Taiwan)

I should probubly do a rewatch, I’ve never done a elevator pitch for this one. It’s been a LONG while. I actually havent’ ever watched it on GaGa, I got is grey years ago.

Papa & Daddy (Taiwan)

Cliff hanger ending, season 2 coming soon, recast one of the leads. No review because I’m waiting for the full series.

My Esports Genius Brother (China)

A strangely cute, somewhat incomprehensible, censored magical realism BL micro series about fated mates who balance each other out and must find the courage to stay together.

Long Time No See - Strongberry (Korea)

One of Strongberry’s few longer pieces and the rating takes into account the fact that I don’t think this is strictly BL. It’s about assassins on either side of a terf war who fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Good fight sequences, mature characters, high heat, very suspenseful, AND an HEA. If you like KinnPorsche you will LOVE this one.

La Cuisine (Thai)

A sweet and kind of pure show, and like Thai desserts perhaps requires too much patience for a layperson. Because of the pacing and the focus on the bad girl character, I did dock it. But if you like stuff in the Oxygen vein, then this show is for you, and far better than most Thai BL pulps. That said, I suspect that I enjoyed it more than many would.

Step For You -Strongberry short (Korea)

Microfilm from Strongberry about a reporter from the student newspaper who has to interview an older dancer and falls in love with him.

Private Lessons - Strongberry (Korea)

Another one from Strongberry that I love and given it is age gap and teacher/student (catnip) it shoudl go higher. The chemistry is slightly off though, but stil I do love this one. Certainly world watching especially if this is your trope.

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan)

A civil servant and seemingly perfect man has a secret: he likes to eat completely naked. I have to be honest, I didn’t really like much about this show. The central premise was too odd and the main character too clumsy & slow on the uptake. I like the food, but there have been food-set BLs before that failed to meet expectations. Too many of them. This one joined that throng. Good ending tho.

Pure Vanilla (Singapore)

It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL.

Rated 6/10: worth watching but seriously flawed probably around the ending or in narrative structure/cohesion or censorship. I don’t always have notes on these because many I have only watched once and don’t usually recommend.

Being Me (Korea)

River Knows Fish Heart (China) - this BL managed to sneak by the censors probably because it’s not very well acted and low budget. It’s also in Addicted territory, only this time with the jock who falls madly for the nerd and then just moves into his house to takes over his life. The tsundere uke is VERY tsundere and the seme is hella pushy so it goes right into dubcon territory but also it’s very teen angst about it.

Legend of Long Yang Rebirth (China) - whipping boy trope... literally, servant character takes the strap for the prince, who then makes him his bodyguard and lover when he becomes king. Low budget historical, comes off as kind of cosplay wuxia version of Irresistible Love, but we get (in the credits) an actual kiss, and they both live. So yay for small mercies.

Paint With Love (Thai) - For me the mains were unlikeable and the actors had poor chemistry. So while this offered a lot of what I thought I wanted from a Thai BL - mature characters, office setting, adult themes - I’m wasn’t wild about the execution. I suspect Thai pulps are better when they stick to university/high school. This one felt like a better version of Loveless Society (not hard). The side dishes (Yoon & Yacht) gave us more chemistry and a better kiss but had little screen time. It was interesting to see them portray BL actors being shipped and then confessing to actually dating each others. I’m not sure how I feel about the handling of it but it was different from Lovely Writer. In the end, this show was nicely grown up but boring and became a matter of endurance for me. I can’t ever see myself rewatching it.

As if You Whisper - Strongberry (Korea)

My Pistachio - Strongberry (Korea)

Sonnet 18 (Korea)

Sweet Curse - Strongberry (Korea) - low-gore atmospheric horror but with very high heat BL.

The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu (Japan)

Rated 5/10: watch it if you have nothing better to do but don’t expect much, it’s a total hot mess. A lot of these are shorts.

Faded (Taiwan)

Meet Me Outside (Pinoy)

Suddenly Last Summer (Korea)

Fanatic Love (China)

Every Moment that I Think of You (China)

We Are Gamily (Taiwan)

Innocent (Taiwan)

Light (Taiwan)

Two Weddings and a Funeral (Korea)

Secret Roommate -Strongberry (Korea)

Love Stage!! AKA Rabu Suteiji (Japan) - the Thai version is heaps better

Top Secret Together (Thai)

My Personal Trainer - Strongberry (Korea)

One Last Order (Korea)

List current as of Oct 2023 only.

Some shows that ALSO air on Viki in the USA may not be present, since I prefer to watch on Viki's UX.

(source)

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