QL Essentials: Tag Game
Post 6 (and only 6) gifs/pics of the QLs you personally consider essential viewing for fans of the genreāemphasis on āpersonally.ā These are your feels, so no need to pick series you donāt like just because they seem "important". Feel free to explain your choices or not.
Then tag 6 friends for their 6. I was tagged by @xagan
I tend to value engaging with different country's approaches to BL, so I'll do one from six different countries.
Thailand - I Told Sunset About You / I Promised You The Moon
It's really hard to overstate how good this series is. It's so good that I sometimes don't recommend starting viewers here as an introduction to BL because I worry it'll set the bar too high for what's available afterwards. However, part of what will always make this particular project so important is how specific it feels in its approach to the coming-of-age romance. Perhaps its my own angst from decades of stories like this that end of separation, but the final sequence of Sunset healed something in me.
Japan - My Beautiful Man
I almost selected Eternal Yesterday here, but I think Utsukushii Kare might be the better choice for the way it shows how well Japanese BL can handle more complex pairings. The desperation and ugliness that Hira and Kiyoi have to work through make the three outings we have with them a standout in the genre. It's the rare example of a good sequel.
The Philippines - Gameboys
When it comes to The Philippines, other than Like in the Movies, I love going back to Gameboys because it is the project that I think best captures how we all felt during the lockdowns of the pandemic. Moreover, it's a scrappy project carried by incredibly strong performances from the entire cast. I think anyone's cinematic experience is improved by becoming familiar with Elijah Canlas, and it's incredible that they found actors and actresses that could match him.
Korea - Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo
Hwang Da Seul loves stories about relationships in which one of them pushed the other way too far, but still they made it. This is her latest and best version of this. More than any other outing, it was easy to understand exactly what happened here and follow the threads. I also love the way this story resolves the romantic rival more than any other show I've experienced in BL. It also stands out for me as one of the best examples of sex in BL not being used to signify love; sometimes the sex is being used to avoid dealing with other problems.
Taiwan - We Best Love
I don't think this is the best project from Taiwan, but it's probably my favorite. I like showing people this one because it's an example of the standout chemistry the Taiwanese teams are able to bring out of their talent. Despite the plot getting a bit silly, the emotions between Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi remain extremely accessible across both seasons, and I especially like that our protagonist is the one who lets down the romantic lead.
China - The Untamed
I thought about other recommendations for China, but this project is probably the one I return to the most. It's a dense show, but it's rewarding to follow the plot threads of this one. Despite it being a censored romance, I remain fond of it for making the bonds between men the core of its narratives. Despite the censored nature, the fact that the story revolves around guys' obsessions with each other captures the core of what draws me to m/m literature.
I'll tag my usual folks: @negrowhat, @shortpplfedup, @lurkingshan, @twig-tea, @benkaben, and @waitmyturtles













