MONICA'S INCREDIBLY BIASED TOP 10 BL SHOWS OF 2025
1. my magic prophecy. JIMMYSEA TRULY KINGS OF ROMANTICISM SOULMATISM AND TRUE LOVISM WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY. look, there obviously is some bias at play here. i know it, you know it, we all know it. i do believe the show wouldn't have worked half as much for me if it weren't for jimmysea, because while the plot is there, the story mainly hinges on the romance, and no one could have delivered that amount of love, tenderness, vulnerability, devotion, and casual intimacy like jimmysea did. still, the narrative provides a solid growth for both main characters and takes the time to focus on friendship and family as important kind of love too, giving us one of the best parent-child reconciliation in QL history. even without jimmysea, this would have remained and incredibly healing show, but selfishly, im glad they were the one to give us those digital footprints.
2. secrets happened on the litchi island. watching this show feels like slipping into a dream and getting lost in it, until the sun peeking through the window reminds you it's time to wake up. the plot itself is a fairly standard coming of age story, nothing particularly new, but there is such a disarming beauty in its execution, such raw emotions in each frame, that the longing quietly seeps under your skin and stays there, lingering long after the final scene fades to black. it's hard for me to talk about this show because it's an experience that feels so personal you just need to see it for yourself, but it certainly proves that you don't need a massive budget or an endless runtime to tell a good story.
3. see your love. THE QUIRKIEST, DARLINGEST, YET SURPRISINGLY MATURE LITTLE SHOW THAT ONLY TAIWAN COULD HAVE PULLED OFF. I LOVE IT SO MUCH I NEED TO GO HOWL AT THE MOON FOR A FORTNIGHT JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. every single person involved in this show put very little care into the corporate/gang stuff and a whole lot into giving a deeply respectful and realistic portrayal of disability, and if that wasn't already more than enough to make this series memorable, the relationship between the leads is so tender, grounded, achingly sincere, and full of mutual care that you can't help but fall in love with it. even tropes that usually annoy me had me giggling twirling my hair kicking my feet with these two. yes, the show can definitely be ridiculous at times (especially when it comes to the side pairing), but sometimes that's exactly what a story needs: a bit of ridiculousness and a lot of heart.
4. rearrange. TIME SHENANIGANS MY MOST BELOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! im gonna be honest, this is far from being a perfect show. im aware of the plot holes, of the oversimplified resolution, of the rushed ending, of the million other things they could have explored, but sometimes you end up having such a great time watching a show that you're willing to forgive and forget all its flaws. i just love all these kids SO MUCH and really enjoyed all the different dynamics at play, from the romantic ones to the friendship ones to the familial ones. this is a sweet, heartfelt series about grief and second chances, about the things you can change and the things you cannot. it was a wonderful journey and the soundtrack is the best of the year from me.
5. mystique in the mirror. EVERYONE TRYING TO DO THE AMNESIA TROPE AFTER THIS SHOW CAN PACK IT UP AND GO HOME. IT'S DONE WE'RE DONE THERE'S NO WORK LEFT TO DO HERE. this may definitely not be everyone's cup of tea for multiple reasons, but i personally love psychological stuff and the show does a phenomenal job in keeping the viewers both engaged and confused while dropping hints along the way that all end up making sense once the truth comes out. the only reason this didn't get a higher spot is because i would have gladly gone without the side pairing and kept the narration focused on the main character so to really lean into the eerie and haunting vibes, but i understand they had to make this somehow more palatable. still, i enjoyed this immensely, and as unlikely as it may be, i hope to see the two main actors in another BL again because they had great chemistry and their acting was amazing.
6. gelboys. it doesn't feel quite right to have this show so low in the list because, objectively, it should be at number 1: from the screenplay to the cinematography, from the lighting to the editing, from the acting to the mise en scène, everything is absolutely top notch. in the past, i've had my grievances with some of boss kuno's narrative choices, but here everything flaws perfectly (and frustratingly, because these are still teenage boys we're talking about, but that's exactly the main part of the show's charm, the way it manages to capture the every day's passions and turmoils of the young generation). there's nothing i would like to change, nothing more i would want to see, and it's pretty rare for me to walk out of a piece of media feeling this satisfied (which is why im personally not looking forward to s2, but let's not go there). unfortunately, as per title of this post, im not free from bias, but that's hardly the show's fault: it remains a phenomenal series and very much the best of the year from an objective point of view.
7. secret relationships. LEFT ME GAGGED IN WAYS HITHERTO INCONCEIVABLE FOR A KBL. I STILL THINK ABOUT THE JAEMIN/SUHYEON S2 OF MY HOPES AND DREAMS. which is never going to happen, and it's also neither here nor there, but that alone should tell you just how obsessed this show had me for a while. the plot is nothing new: three suitors competing for the heart of the main character....except one of said suitors is the sweetest bestest most caring baby in the whole wide world and the other two are walking red flags serving cunt obsession manipulation religious symbolism and attempted murder. this is obviously an oversimplification, as the story is driven precisely by the complexity of all its imperfect characters, but still. if that's not enough to explain why the show earned its rightful place on this list then idk what else to tell you. TRULY ONE OF THE MOST TELEVISION EXPERIENCES OF ALL TIME.
8. school trip: joined a group i'm not close to. usually, im not really into this kind of youthful high school romance and, unlike a lot of people, i also don't often vibe with japanese BLs, so imagine my surprise when i found myself utterly charmed by this show!!!!!! i think maybe it's because, while the premise is still fairly cliché and not free of familiar tropes, the execution itself isn't predictable, especially in the way the characters are written: both main characters are a mix of awkwardness and earnestness that matches their young age but at the same time gives their relationship a surprisingly mature feel, without falling into painful stereotypes. add to that some delicious pining and one of the greatest friend groups i’ve ever seen, and you get the perfect comfort show.
9. love in the moonlight. this show has all the elements of a lakorn in BL form, and while for some people this may be a flaw, to me this is where its main strength truly lies: the story can often be dramatic and over the top, but it's also deeply entertaining. even the most caricature-like villains were fun to watch, making rooting for the main characters all the more satisfying. and it's exactly the characters, more than anything else, that made this show earn a spot on my favorites list. i mean, don't get me wrong, i did enjoy the romance, and i think a lot of people will appreciate it, but personally, having a well written female character such as pin made all the difference for me. she's as much the heart of the story as the two male leads are, and for that im deeply grateful.
10. reset. EVEN MORE TIME SHENANIGANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it does sadden me to put this show so low on the list but imma speak my truth: i think they lost the plot halfway through the series. there's just so much more they could have done with the story itself and all the characters that i still feel a bit disappointed about the execution being so lackluster at times. thankfully, the chemistry between peterpan and pond makes up for a lot of the show's shortcomings, to the point that you're willing to forget the mess and the inconsistencies as long as they are on screen. to me, however, the real MVPs of the show were weinai and janine. there was not one bad scene of them. every time they were on screen, either alone or together, i was having the time of my life. i wish the show did more than vaguely hinting at possibly be something between them in the future, but they still helped make the series unforgettable.
