Time to rewatch Colour Rush??????
Also, (at risk of asking a controversial question) what do you think the most over and underrated BLs are?
I think Tharntype is probably one of the most overrated (love MewGulf but the story is a bit 👀), and We Best Love is definitely underrated imo. You?
It is ever not time to rewatch Color Rush?
The eternal question for the universe.
Also, (at risk of asking a controversial question) what do you think the most over and underrated BLs are?
Oh noes, very controversial. Okay... here we go, get ready to be mad at me.
I'm going with MDL rating & comments, amount of attention gifs etc on Tumblr, and amount of MVs and attention to the fandom on places like YouTube.
10 Most Overrated BLs
Ossan's Love original (Japan 2018) - why do people like this, WHY?
The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese (Japan 2020) - oh it’s hot I just... don’t like it
The Untamed (China 2020) - yeah, sorry not sorry? Not my jam, not my toast, not my fandom, not interested in arguing about it. I respect your kink but its a hard limit for me.
Love By Chance 2 (Thailand 2020) - nope didn’t like it, have never bothered to rewatch it
Where Your Eyes Linger (Korea 2020) - look people like it and I get it, but the total fan obsession with this one goes right over my head
2gether & Still 2gether (Thailand 2020-2021) - possibly the one I find the most overrated on this list, oh I like it, but the amazing fan reaction? I don’t get it and never will. BrightWin are fine, it’s fine, its a serviceable romcom with some questionable content and uneven chemistry, but that’s all. I think maybe because it was a lot of people’s first BL?
KinnPorsche (Thailand 2022) - I do not want to argue about it, for me it felt all over the place tonally, inconsistent in characterization and filming, and had a poorly executed plot that never lived up to the promise of that first trailer. The chemistry was fine but, guess what? I’ve seen better.
Enchanté (Thailand 2022) - am I bitter, yes I’m so bitter. I wanted to like this show so much. The chemistry was good, the team was good, the production values high. Chalk another one up to GMMTV squandering talent on a terrible script.
To My Star 2 (Korea 2022) - TMS original is one of my favorite BLs OF ALL TIME, I hated season 2 and I’m still upset about it. Oh yes I understand why they did what they did, but I am not happy about it, I don’t think the story was the right direction for the characters, and while actors stretching their shops is pleasing to watch, no matter how clever or beautifully filmed or meaningful I didn’t want to watch my boys done dirty like this. This was just another nail in the coffin of NO SECOND SEASONS iN BL.
Fish Upon the Sky (Thailand 2021) - nope nope nope
10 Most Underrated BLs
1. He’s Coming To Me (Thailand 2019) - for my money probubly one of GMMTV’s best BLs. Clean concept and flawless execution, good mystery, complex characters and one of the greatest coming out sequences ever put on screen. Boy and ghost boy fall in love, must solve ghost’s murder. Peak pining but also pretty tame, features my favorite sweet but important coming out sequence. The third in my precious triumvirate of unbeatable Thai BLs, that are only nominally BL because the story, acting, and production values are so good. (Together with UWMA & 1k*).
Find it on GMMTV’s YouTube channel.
2. Just Friends? (Korea 2009) - just so cute and hot and fun and no one knows it exists. Boyfriends, one of whom is on military leave, trying to decide on coming out and the future.
Find it on GaGa and also YouTube sometimes.
3. Seven Days (Japan 2015) - the best BL as a pure unsullied yaoi sourced piece of sweetness, I will eventually convince every one of my followers to watch this if it’s the last thing I do on tumblr. One of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes (rare in Japanese BL). The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses.
You have to haunt YouTube and grey sites like dramacool or this one, but I promise it’s worth it.
4. Long Time No See (Korea 2017) - high heat, violent, hella gay mafia hitmen falling in love even though they are on opposite sides of a turf war. Honestly WHAT MORE DO YOU PEOPLE WANT? You are not allowed to even mention KinnPorsche to me until you have watched this. I will accept no arguments on this matter.
This is on GaGa (sometimes) and I think you can pay to play on Vimeo too.
5. HIStory 2: Right or Wrong (Taiwan 2018) - everyone loves Crossing the Line but I also really like the companion piece too. This is a teacher/student power dynamic, tsundere/sunshine pairing, plus cohabitation with themes of self acceptance and family domesticity. It's a slow burn but high heat (and that heat is good). The uke is out gay, the seme is unapologetically bi, and it's the first time Taiwanese BL flexed its marriage equality muscles. Triggers includes some verbal and physical gay bashing (not from the seme) and child abandonment/neglect (yes from the seme). The second half it a lot better than the first. Ending is VERY happy.
The whole HIStory series is on Viki.
6. Dark Blue Kiss (Thailand 2019) - I adore PeteKao okay? This is probably my favorite GMMTV product. Bite me. This is classic Thai BL with a university setting, great acting and complex characters, one of my favorite friendship groups, friends to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers, multiple angsty af coming outs, including a long stretch of a secret relationship. Early GMMTV high production values, good chemistry, BL side couple, lots of classic tropes and some great domesticity.
It’s all on YouTube however, you do need a watch guide for PeteKao, and that’s here.
7. My Day the series (Pinoy 2020) - kinda the definition of underrated, it’s a fun campy high heat pretty boys being hot messes and I love it and no one else is with me on this. The set up on this one is enemies (also boss/employee) and they don’t like each other to start. But that gets resolved pretty quickly. And then they are some of the cutest, hottest, and best boyfriends ever. This is an under-appreciated BL, IMHO.
You can find My Day on YouTube.
8. Wish You (Korea 2020) - one of my favorite Korean BLs and it is quiet and sweet and earnest. Crickets. Set in the music industry featuring a talented singer and the pianist who falls in love with him (and his music), subtle and achingly adorable. High production, low heat, short run, very tame, and Korea, so more of a western style. It’s not the most logical story though. No coming out, exists in the “Korean BL bubble universe” where everything is just fine and dandy with the gays.
You can find this one on Viki & Netflix, you definitely want to watch the movie version.
9. Nobleman Ryu's Wedding (Korea 2021) - our first actual gay kisses in a historical BL with crossdressing! OMG why didn’t anyone love this as much as me? 12th Night goes BL in this cross dressing historical, that ended up feeling like a Cinderfella fairy tale, lightly dramatic and utterly charming.
In some parts of the world you can find this on WeTV, otherwise gotta go grey for it.
10. Hay Rival, I LOVE YOU! (Vietnam 2021) - it’s short, I love it to pieces, basically no one has seen it. Two boys (jock & nerd) learn that they are both dating the same girl. At first they hate each other, but then they decide to get together and take revenge. In the process they fall in love with each other instead.
Frankly a lot of Vietnamese Bl could go on this list including You Are Ma Boy and My Lascivious Boss.
VBL can usually be found on YouTube. Hay Rival is here.
Most Underrated Bromance?
S.C.I. Mystery (Hong Kong 2018) - honestly why does no one talk about this? Why chat about Guardian and Untamed and such and NEVER once does anyone mention S.C.I?
It was the first bromance I ever watched. This was how I learned bromances existed because I spent the whole time being like: wait are they married? Or are they cousins? No, they’re married? WHAT IS GOING ON? Then I looked up the origin.
(source)
