BL 2021 STATS & TRENDS BY COUNTRY
I keep a pretty detailed spreadsheet of everything I watch in BL each year including tropes, runtimes, origin country, etc... for the purposes of statistical analysis. However, I don’t watch/track a whole lot of Pinoy stuff, so be aware it is underrepresented in my meta analysis (erm, actually, I don’t talk about it at all).
Data note: There’s no question projects were cancelled, curtailed, shortened, and delayed because of C19. We have to assume 2021 numbers were heavily impacted by struggles containing the pandemic.
Nevertheless, I think we can safely say that we are experiencing the golden age of BL right now. Lucky us!
Thailand stuck to it’s pattern of putting out mostly longer running series of 9-13 episodes or so.
Last year, 2020, it produced c. 21 BLs with an average run time of 5.6 hours (skewed low by 1hr specials + short spin offs). These had a mean run time of 10 hours (13 eps @ 45 min ea) and earned an average rating from me of 6/10.
In 2021 Thailand produced 38 BLs (+ 4 microfilms), with an average run time of 6.5 hours, skewed by shorter pulps and the lack of GMMTV content.
Only Manner of Death was 12 episodes, the old standard. 2021′s mean run time was 7 hours with most actually being either 10 or 6. It earned an average rating from me of 6/10.
By the end of July it had already beaten the previous year’s record of 21 BLs. Thailand dealt with civil unrest and refugee influx in addition to C19 lockdowns, not to mention fundraising in a country that depends on tourism for c.13% of GDP so I think we can assume we should have gotten MORE from them in 2021.
This number of BLs under normal circumstances is INSANE. But I do think quality is now being seriously impacted.
We got three sets of sampler packs this year, Y-Destiny, Close Friend, and Seven Project. I wasn’t wild about any of them. I think Thai BL just does better long form although I’m not against this as testers to then give a pair a longer series (which it kinda felt like The En of Love was dong). Do I want to see more SantaEarth and ToruFirst? Who doesn’t? Was I happy to get bonus OhmFluke, BounPrem, BoomPeak, and KimCop? Of course I was. Did I want more time spent with them? Of course I did. So yeah, I guess I am okay with this trend but I’d rather they just gave us new long form.
Aside from sampler packs, 2021 Thai BL split pretty cleanly along the lines of pulps on the one hand (poor quality + flimsy narrative structures in a mostly high school setting at about 4 hours) versus better quality (but way fewer) university set stuff (coming from more prestigious studios at about 10 hours).
If there’s a trend we were all hoping for, it’s that Thailand successfully moved beyond those two models towards more sophisticated BL in other settings and with a wider ranges using mature characters. They did this in 2021 with 1000 Stars, Top Secret Together, Hometown’s Embrace, Bite Me, and a few others. But not many. And while I don’t think it’s technically BL, Manner of Death utilized MaxTul beautifully and pretty much transitioned BL into gay romantic suspense in a way we are all hoping will spur on similar shows.
I think this will continue, although with the current wild success of Bad Buddy I don’t anticipate them leaving uni or high school behind. (GMMTV is like that popular kid who peaked in school and will never let go of the glory days.) Thailand has always sporadically produced quality narratives: 3 Will Be Free, Until We Meet Again, I Told the Sunset About You and He’s Coming to Me spring immediately to mind, but none of those started trends. Honestly, for Thailand it’s all about cost of production and the moment it’s moved out of a school setting things get expensive. Still, we will absolutely see them explore cheap alternatives like cafes, but I don’t think they’ll stretch their wings much further.
Pretty much just started up its BL industry in 2018. They didn’t really do much in 2019, had a smattering in 2020, but went all in for 2021.
Since Vietnamese BL isn’t in MDL and I’m not actively watching it all I can’t really keep stats. Sorry.
I can tell you that I watched 9 of them with an average rating of just under 6/10, which means for me, they are almost up to Thai level. Pretty much all their BLs are under 4 hours.
Vietnam puts out student-quality production values using small casts and low budgets. But it’s pretty serviceable BL of 1-3 hr run time. The acting and chemistry tends to be decent and they are getting progressively better about both story and queer rep (more to come on that). However, they’re stymied by lack of a robust adaptation industry.
Tonally they feel like a combination of Pinoy + Thai, but they have lower heat levels and runtimes like Korea (although not as low). They stick to lighter-hearted HEA but and give consistently good kisses. I feel like they are slowly establishing their voice in the field, I’m just not quite sure yet what exactly that voice entails. I am very excited to see what it will be and if Mr Cinderella (will be assessed in 2022) is any indication it’s DELIGHTFUL.
Since 2017 Taiwan has brought out 2-3 BL series a year of consistent quality, if inconsistent story structure and length. I really thought 2021 was going to be their year, since they weathered C19 so well (initially).
And my precious tiny island DELIVERED! 10 BLs & 2 microfilms!
Not 1 but 2 seasons of We Best Love (one of my favorite BLs ever), plus HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy, See You After Quarantine? AND Be Loved in House: I Do. Not to mention a few indie microseries, several movies, some dark stuff, and a fantastic BL sub plot in Love is Science?. The average run time was 2.5 hours with H4 & BLINID throwing the curve.
I can only hope this is the start of a trend for them. But honestly, I’ll take anything I can get from Taiwan if We Best Love is one of the things I get. And I will revel the joys and miseries of the HIStory franchise like I always have.
The number of BLs out of China has dropped since its heyday of 7 projects in 2016. It’s now down to only 1-2 a year but those projects are SUPER long by comparison to other BL series and censored bromances.
They settled over the last few years into not gay (but really hella gay) fantasy historicals with amorphous endings.
Perhaps because they could get away with more swish in robes and fans than they can in a contemporary setting? Regardless, it happened, it was censored, and it was a sensation.
Unfortunately Word of Honor seems to have been too much of a sensation for the government homophobes. There are rumors out of Mainland China of actors and writers are now being persecuted and hounded. I can only advise keeping expectations under control for this market, so as not to be disappointed. I hope to be proved wrong but I don’t think we will get much from China for a while.
Our heritage BL nation produced 7 BLs in 2020 (I know, right, more than I thought, too (Sei no Gekiyaku, The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese, Love Stage!!, His, Life: Love on the Line, Restart After Come Back Home, Cherry Magic). In keeping with a decade long tradition they ranged in style and story; were mainly movies; and still played with amorphous endings, suicide, and the murder gay. Say what you like about Japanese BL, it will never let go of the yaoi that started it all. Very consistent in their taste and execution is Japan.
In 2021 we got 5. And 2 weren’t really BL at all: Absolute BL was a commentary meta analysis spoof of BL and Pornographer Playback was a continuation of that aptly named hot mess of a queer neurosis kink-fest (emphasis on HOT).
However, Given, Kieta Hatsukoi, and Utsukushii Kare were returns to form for Japan: adapted from a popular yaoi mangas and just different enough in filming style, story structure, and quality to SCREAM “Japan made me, I am not like other BLs.” Which I happen to truly love and feels rather special since it happens so rarely. These all reminded me of Seven Days, and I will move mountains to get that feeling.
However, 2021 was not a return to Japan’s style of production. Most of Japan’s 2021 shows were short series of the K-BL style, which is new for them and live action yaoi. The average run time was slightly longer than it has been in the past: 2.2 hours. I like this for them and I think they do too. I suspect we are going to see more like this and fewer movies.
After Utsukushii Kare‘s spectacular ending, I feel like we are experiencing a Japanese BL renaissance. For you K-pop fans out there, it’s like the BTOB rediscovery that happened because of Kingdom. So if you’ve just started delving into Japanese BL now, be aware, there’s a huge back catalogue for you to choose from and aren’t you a lucky duck?
Korea has found its stride, what started as a surprise victory last year is now a trend. They’re churning out high quality short run BL targeting a 1.5-2 hour running time (for movie conversion) and it’s consistent and consistently GOOD. Color Rush wasn’t only my favorite BL of 2021, it’s one of my top BLs of all time. And then Light On Me came along and casually blew my mind. Also To My Star = GAH!
Historically, there hasn’t been much Korean BL each year (except microfilms), but it went up from 3 to 11 in 2021!
ELEVEN with an average run time of 2hrs (plus 5 microfilms), which is a HUGE spike in output. And they still managed to stay on point with quality! I think we can safely say, Korea is consciously and intentionally gunning for BL fandom.
I am so grateful. I might be alone in this, but I enjoy that K-BL has a shorter run. I like a tight narrative arc. I appreciate the simplicity and brevity required to make something this high quality work financially. No drifting or waffling allowed. Pacing must be stellar. I understand that it’s a cost saving measure to keep quality BL coming, and I enjoy the results all the more for that. However, Tasty Florida did make me reconsider this stance - it felt underdeveloped and abrupt.
So, it’s 2022, and it’s about time Korea let their gay babies breathe a bit. It’s okay Korea - people will watch it, it will make money, give our boys a little more screen time, please? Drop us the 16 eps of that Decedents of the Sun BL - we all know you can do it.
At the very beginning of the year, when I was prepping the draft of this post (based on last year’s numbers, it’s my system) I typed that I wanted Korea to “give us the True Beauty of BL.” Well Korea answered my unpublished plea with Light On Me and BL’s first great love triangle. It was utterly painfully and gloriously yearning in a way that K-dramas do best. LoM was also longer than normal for Korean BL (double their average run time) and I hope it heralds good things to come.
But frankly it was Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding that firmly put Korea’s unique stamp on BL. That stamp is high production value, subtle acting, superior AV, decent story, and a VERY light touch. And no one is looking back. We even seem to be getting some second seasons and more historical set stuff.
You do you, Korea. Or specifically, you do you Korean sweet boys (in a very civilized low heat way) and we’ll continue watching.
2022 BL Trend & Growth Expectations
THAILAND will produce the same kind of thing as they did in 2021 with perhaps a few darker offerings, better queer rep, and a fall off in the pulps as money dries up. I don’t see how they can possibly keep up this level of exponential growth, their overall quality is seriously suffering. If we’re lucky, we will get at least 6 experimental pieces with stronger story and atypical setting (like KinnPorsche). ANNOUNCED? 73 BLs for 2022 (many of these are seed project fundraisers, I expect about half to die in pre-production or move to 2023.)
VIETNAM should continue to improve steadily, and give us as many as it can, I’m just hoping it doesn't fall down the Pinoy rabbit hole of no story. They are evolving quickly, if Mr Cinderella is any indication, good things are coming. ANNOUNCED? 2 BLs for 2022
TAIWAN has increased steadily over years but I think they’ll go down from 2021, and 6 is the max we can expect in 2022. I want them to do a gay spoof on Boys Over Flowers but they don’t have the funds. *sad sigh* (This is assuming China doesn’t carry out its political threats, in which case the world’s got more serious problems to worry about.) ANNOUNCED? 5 BLs for 2022
CHINA nothing but a few heavily censored bromances. ANNOUNCED? 1 bromance co-project with Thailand for 2022
JAPAN, look I have cried out for years for ninja/yakuza yaoi adaptations and something more adult domestic like Our Dinging Table, and Japan has announced both. BOTH I tell you. I am SO EXCITED for Japanese BL in 2022. Come on Japan, you can do eeet! ANNOUNCED? 4 BLs for 2022
KOREA. I expect them to double their BL output next year (from 11 to 20+), perhaps including something a little longer after the success of Light On Me. Of course, imma pipe dream Yuri on Ice staring Enhyphen’s Park Sung Hoon and you can’t stop me (but Japan probably will). ANNOUNCED? 15 BLs for 2022
2022 BL line up (announced projects, trailers, etc) as of the end of 2021 is here.
2021 audience analysis and thoughts here. I discuss growth in terms of audience, investment, and international market penetration. How I think pandemic viewing #s figured into it. Possible new production models. And changes in BL actors and their pairs. (Pure speculation since I don’t have access to these numbers.)
2021 BL Wrap Up - Top Trends analyzed & discussed
