There was a surprising amount of sex in Be Mine Superstar! I really wasn’t expecting it…. Similarly, Love Syndrome had a LOT less sex than I was promised by the trailer…
Are there any BLs that had either many more or many less NC scenes than you were expecting before you started watching them?
BLs that exceeded (or underperformed) sexy expectations
Interesting question. So far, not that many Thai BLs. But I think that's just because I pay attention to the pairs and the actors in Thai stuff, and you sort of get a feel for what they will (and won't) take on. So in your examples: I know JaFirst did high heat so I expected the producers to lean into that advantage as part of BMSS because, frankly, it didn't have much else going for it.
I haven't watched Love Syndrome III yet but knowing Frank I wouldn't expect it to go super high heat in terms of actual physical contact.
I guess the ones that have surprised me are mostly out of Thailand are pulps that I knew nothing about going in. Let me see...
Thai BL that ended up being way hornier/better than I expected
Secret Crush On You - such a weird show but BillySeng brought IT, whatever IT is, they got it.
Love in Translation - yeah, what happened in that sauce isle boys? Very saucy. Whatever pun, more please.
2 Moons 3 - about on par with ForthBeam from 2 Moons 2 but nothing else in the previous 2 series would lead one to expect the horny we got in this show on the main.
Second Chance - yeah it was a throw away pulp and this studio is hit or miss on chemistry but it had one of the best kisses of its year.
Big Dragon - I don't know what I expected form the trailers, but it wasn't as good as it turned out to be. Don't get me wrong, the rest of the show is naff, but the chemistry/heat levels are scorching.
Ghost Host, Ghost House - generally the horror stuff doesn't do chemistry well, but these two have some of the best chemistry EVER put into a pulp. I really hope we see more of them.
KinnPorsche - It's no secret I'm not as wild about this show as most, but I did think the VegasPete stuff was unexpectedly killer in all ways.
Oh My Sunshine Night - yeah it was exactly what one expects from OhmFluke but THE SIDES!!!! I mean... WHAT? I'm not mad, just pleasantly surprised.
TharnType - Okay but remember at the time what we'd had from Mame was LBC (relatively low heat) and other Thai stuff I was familiar with at the time was Make It Right, Love Sick, SOTUS, and UWMA. TT was way higher heat that I'd seen from Thailand before. And then...
Why R U? - ZeeSaint's "away trip to the beach" full on sex scenes plus repping for verse was just crazy at the time. Especially since Saint played Pete in LBC before this and Zee was new to BL. Add that to the very odd and disjointed (and miss-matched) SaifahZon counter story and WRU? was this insane all over the place viewing experience, including the heat levels. There was this "what will they do next?" kind of tension over the production. Not the story (because who was following that?) but the PRODUCTION. At the time, it was welcome, but truly bonkers. What a way to drive narrative tension... pure high heat chaos.
Thai BLs where chemistry failed meet my (relatively low) expectations
My Ride - honestly, if they had just gotten the kiss right this might even have earned a 10/10 from me
Unforgotten Night - ugh
Bite Me - double ugh
Friend Forever - I know I'm the only person who watched this but why could we not have gotten ONE kiss from the leads?
Nitman - studies have since shown us it is entirely not Noh's fault... see Oh My Sunshine Night
Wedding Plan - the leads were fine, but Mame usually fails me in every way except chemistry, so "fine" is not up to her usual standards. Those standards being predominantly "they hawt together" and nothing else. There wasn't even a side dish couple to pick up the slack noodle... so to speak.
Korean BL
For most of 2022 I was consistently getting surprised by Korean BL's chemsitry when it was good but now I've settled into half expecting it yet still being delighted when it happens and is well done.
I do think Semantic Error was a bit of a seed change for them.
The problem is, now we know they can do it, we are starting to get pissed when it's bad or entirely absent.
Taiwanese BL
Taiwan is the opposite of Korea.
I expect good chemistry and almost always always get it. I struggle to think of a time when they've disappointed me (in this arena). Maybe a few? But I tend to cut Taiwan more slack than other countries because they have so few BLs and they are generally so consistent. If they falter at all, at least the side couple will pick up the slack.
Japanese BL
I have no expectations of Japan. Life as a BL fan is a lot easier that way.
am I the only one who wants BLs to stay as the middle level productions that they are? A couple of out of trend things like Kinnporsche or The Eclipse but overall the essence should stay the same. I don't want it to become a bigger production. I don't want 'sophisticated storylines'. Let it be messy with each country having their own essence and style. I don't want BLs to become serious. I don't want the simplicity and humanity taken from it.
In honor of people experiencing misery because Oh! My sunshine Night has been extended from 16 episodes to 20 episodes. As well as the upcoming realease of Between Us…I would like us to remember and send love to Sins Wig from Until We Meet Again.
I cannot believe this was the way I was introduced to the FINE ASS MAN that is Ja Phachara. When I tell you I could not and still cannot stop laughing. WHEW, whoever put him in this wig either HATED him or knew what they were doing when they placed it on his head. I couldn’t even take him seriously, the wig was a sin. I actually have tears rolling down my face while typing this😭😂.
Bonus clip: Na Naphat who played Sorn and played tawan in Kinnporsche wearing sins wig.
My current watch list and how I feel about the shows.
180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
This first ep just wow. I have really high hopes for this. If the quality continues it might just end up being the best thing I have seen so far.
21 Days Theory
Is this anything special? No. But do I like it? Yes. The only thing that worries me is that it’s only going to be 4 eps. We had 2 eps so far and we are only on day 3/4 of the bet. I feel like they will rush the ending.
Check Out
Same as before. Nothing changed, still boring. Atleast I liked the part were Tee is trying find himself a new parter.
Mama Gogo
Still love this show. I am just not ready for the angst next ep and asshole Chen.
Minato Shouji Coin Laundry
Still enjoying this show. But I knew the rejection was coming. The ending of this ep hurt. And Japanese BL’s continue to hit differntly.
Oh! My Sunshine Night
It’s still the side couple were it is. The storyline of the main couple is so damm boring. We are at EP7 and Kim continues to be an asshole for no reason.
The Eclipse
This show came in with a bang! First ep and I am already loving this. Had problems with sound mixing in ep1 but the director promised to fix it.
Unforgotten Night
Communication kings! Kamol has no secrets and he keeps telling Kim that he can ask him anything he wants.
War of Y
The angst in this BL. But this is good. Way better then some other director who claimed to be all about the dark side of BL. But I can see people not liking this show because they wanne keep on being in denial and pretend te BL world is all rainbows and sunshine. Because those people use BL as an escape from real life. So we can’t have their escape to be kinda harmful for the actors in it.
Rain is grasping at every straw he can for his last remaining freedom while Payu cannot decide who he is to Rain or who he wants to be or what he wants while Rain wants all of it.
The Jungle, Laws of Attraction, Be Mine Superstar, Be Mine Superstar Official Trailer, Show Me Love, Midnight Museum, A Boss and a Babe, Vice Versa and Cutie Pie 2 You (1, 2, 3)
Also spotted by @telomeke and @dribs-and-drabbles!
The Jungle and Midnight Museum (location)
As pointed out by @dribs-and-drabbles!
The Jungle and Be My Favorite
Also spotted by @dribs-and-drabbles!
Hidden Agenda, Moonlight Chicken and Until We Meet Again
Also spotted by @callipigio, @telomeke and @respectthepetty!
Sotus S, Oh! My Sunshine Night, Nitiman, Don’t Say No, A Tale of Thousand Stars, Tonhon Chonlatee, Laws of Attraction, Step by Step and Never Let Me Go (1, 2)
Hello there! Just wanted to mention that I absolutely adore your blog, your insights are true gems.
I recently found that one of my favorite characters in a story I was reading was someone I would actively avoid and wish to never meet in real life, so I wanted to ask: Are there any bl boys you loved in their series (maybe also were your favorites) but whom you would not want to meet or would actively avoid in real life?
Thank you!
BL boys I loved in their show but would actively avoid IRL
Most of the high school students in BL. Teen drama is EXHAUSTING.
Honorable mention:
Mostly any of the leads in any Chinese BL, censored or not. They just too unhinged and obsessed.
Most of the ukes in campy Japanese BL.
Any and all cop, law enforcement, mafia, criminal, and assassin characters.
Any character played by Zee, Mew, or Krist.
The entire cast of Only Friends.
(see tags for names of shows)
(source)
No intention of keeping this updated so current as of September 2023. Only BLs that completed before that date are included.
I know everyone hates product placements in BL but I will defend it till the end of time. Does it get ridiculous? Yes. But it also shows the characters being so human. Doing normal shit. They didn't wake up looking like that. They put effort into looking like that. They do normal shit like changing the printer ink. Or they take their vitamins. (In some cases dietary supplements at high end parties but it also kinda read e.d. Mind you I don't know enough about ed to make a judgement). They drink sugar heavy shit, like we all do.
Idk, something about it feels un-sanitized. human.
Also the Farmhouse bread just shows kinnporsche are freaks but that's neither here nor there.
Also it helps fund the shows. That- is- also a thing- that it does.