The HIStory series: A short (not so short) explanation
I’ve seen a lot of new people in the BL fandom (welcome) and wanted to give a summary of the Taiwanese HIStory series because I know they can be confusing.
Summary:
There are 8 series in total. They all have different storylines so you can pick and choose which one you want to watch. The names are there to confuse you, the stories are not connected, you don’t have to watch them in order; or watch all of them; to know what’s going on in either one.
Check the trigger warnings before watching, please
HIStory 1: Obsessed
Tags: enemies to lovers, nerd x jock, return back in time, high school
History1 is where Taiwan was really testing the waters with BL. Has probably one of the most common romance stories there is: A boy gets broken up by his boyfriend after years of being in love; runs away and gets hit by a car, only to wake up 10 years earlier in the body of his teenage self.
He decides that he’s not going through that heartbreak again, and actively tries to push away his love interest before they even start dating. Of course the BL Gods have other plans… shenanigans ensue.
Very short, hits all the right plot points, good chemistry. A very good start for Taiwan with BL. Not exactly extraordinary, but if you want to know where it all started, not bad either.
History 2: Right or Wrong
Tags: student/teacher, age gap, found family
A single dad struggling to raise his daughter enlists the help of a younger boy. Turns out that boy is in his class. A story about how our past does not define us and finding happiness in the little moments.
Despite the tags, this is one of the least problematic seasons of the show, relationship builds gradually, the little girl is adorable, and both main characters have surprisingly loads of depth. High school student who is struggling to accept himself due to the bullying of his classmates and teachers. And a father, who’s never had parent of his own to teach him what to do.
Not my cup of tea, I like my dramas a bit more toxic, but I get why people may enjoy this.
History 2: Crossing the Line
Tags: strangers to friends to lovers, slice of life
By FAR my favourite of the bunch! It’s cute! It’s adorable! Gives you little butterflies 🦋 in the stomach. It’s about a rebel boy who enters a new school. Wants to be left alone and out of drama when the captain and the coach of the volleyball team notice his talents and try to recruit him.
See the coach is also a student who used to be the best volleyball player in school. He got injured and he can’t play anymore but still has a love for the game. The rebel seeing his dedication to the sport and his caring personality, start to fall in love.
A sappy, very funny and adorable. Cannot recommend it enough 💛
History 3: Trapped
Tags: mafia, bad guy x god guy, mystery, enemies to lovers
Before Kinnporche or any of the other trending Mafia BLs, there was Trapped! You have to send yourself back, when BL was just entering popularity. There wasn’t any show where the main plot didn’t revolve around the relationship. Also, there wasn’t a show where both of the main characters were fully fledged adults with goals, desires and full understanding of their sexuality. So this was really a breath of fresh air for all of us.
Story revolves around a Mafia Leader and an honest cop both trying to uncover a murder. Being forced to work together their feelings deepen after they’re kidnapped and try to survive relying only on each other.
My favourite part of the whole show is the side couple: the unhinged bodyguard of the mafia and a very innocent and confused best friend of the cop.
Great storytelling and even better chemistry. Worth the watch!
History 3: Make Our Days Count
Tags: enemies to lovers, high school romance
Let me tell you THIS SHOW left a MARK on the BL fandom as a whole. This is not a recommendation, this is a must watch for everyone that considers themselves a BL fan. Not for any other reason, even though is a great show on its own, but mostly for the collective trauma it left on all of us.
Great acting, great plot, great side characters, especially the side couple are forever my beloveds.
Episode 6. This is all I’m going to say. If you know you know. Back in the day we were not spoiled with choice. We were lucky if the main characters even kissed or held hands. Episode 6 had us all gasping at the screens.
Spoiler: Anyways, if you want to stay happy and untraumatised, don’t watch the last 10 minutes of the final episode.
History 4: Close To You
Tags: pretend relationship, work rivals, friends to lovers
After the masterpieces that were Trapped and Make Our Days Count, there is really nowhere up you can go from there. Perfection has been achieved. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun!
Let’s meet the main characters: idiot 1 and idiot 2. They are best friends but also big rivals at the company they work at. So idiot 1 starts liking a coworker and finds out her interest is BL. In order to spend more time with her, he lies that he’s in love with his best friend, idiot 2, and wants her help to get him. Of course this is a bulletproof plan that cannot backfire in any way…
The side couple is a bit (a lot) more problematic. But honestly I don’t mind, it’s easy to skip all the scenes with their family drama and it won’t affect the enjoyment of the show. They’re toxic but also, I like it messy and toxic so this is right up my alley.
This is my comfort show. It’s not perfect, the plot is a little bit crazy, but the characters are adorable, the chemistry is unmatched and it’s funny as hell! Highly recommend!
Conclusion:
I know right now we are spoiled by BLs, I feel like there is a new one coming out every day at this point, but if you have the time, give those a watch. Taiwan really knows how to make entertaining series.
If you’re in the mood for something cosy - watch Crossing the Line or Close to you, if you’re in the mood for drama and heartbreak - Trapped and MODC.
Trigger warning:
I feel the need to say that you should Do your research before watching, BLs used to be a lot more problematic even 3 years ago, loads of things that will get flagged now were the norm back then (not that people weren’t outraged, but that companies did not care as long as there was watch time). Other than that enjoy some good shows!
