A World of Asian "Boys Love" Drama

Taiwanese BL series Dark Blue and Moonlight is something of a mixed bag and a struggle to like at times. But it's at least more human than so many other dramas I've watched lately - it's both ugly and beautiful, dull and fascinating, camp and restrained. Summary: Aspiring artist Hai Qing notices a beautiful man Yan Fei at his local swimming pool and surreptitiously takes a few photos with his phone. However Yan Fei spots him, corners him in the locker room and the two share a long kiss, the sort of kiss that changes your life. The passion and deep connection between the two men is immediate and profound. It's love at first sight. Yan Fei gives Hai Qing his phone number, but Hai Qing almost immediately loses it through no fault of his own. Will these two men, whose destinies are now so closely bound together, ever meet again? They pine for each other and never forget their bond, but move on with their lives, believing they will never see each other again. Hai Qing mee...

I've seen that Japanese BL drama Seven Days is recommended just about everywhere on the internet as one of the greats. I entirely agree. Summary: At a high school in Yokohama, senior student Shino is in a rut. He's very popular and handsome, though he's unlucky in love. The girls he dates all end up saying the same thing when they break up with him: that his beauty and outwardly gregarious nature hide an obtuseness and vulgarity that only bring disappointment. He hears from his classmates that one of the juniors in his archery club, Seryo, has a very strange dating rule: he will date the first girl that asks him out on a Monday and then break up with her on the Sunday a week later if he's not in love. Shino is intrigued and, meeting Seryo by chance on Monday morning, asks him to go out with him. The usually suave Seryo is genuinely taken aback by Shino's request but accepts. Will the boys find love over the course of seven days, or will they be disappointed in ea...

I came across a short edit of Beloved Enemy and it looked interesting so I thought I would give the whole series a try. Summary: Corporate gun Gu Qing Pei is poached by a huge investment conglomerate to act as CEO. His job is theoretically to restructure the company and look for business opportunities, but in practice the Chairman wants Gu Qing Pei to act as a business teacher to his wayward violent son Yuan Yang. Gu Qing Pei takes on the job but stipulates that he must have total freedom in the way he deals with Yuan Yang, including removing his access to money. Yuan Yang reacts extremely violently but realises that he has essentially been trapped into working with Gu Qing Pei. He enlists the help of his friends to bring down Gu Qing Pei by any means possible, so that Gu Qing Pei will then resign and Yuan Yang can be free again. One of their plans goes horribly wrong, and has serious repercussions for Yuan Yang, Gu Qing Pei and the company. This show ...

I stumbled across Waterboyy The Series while randomly searching Youtube for BL. Initially I thought it might be related to the Japanese movie 'Waterboys' from 2001 with Satoshi Tsumabuki - of which I've only seen parts - but it's actually a Thai BL series based on a 2015 Thai movie Waterboyy. Summary: Captain of the university swimming team Waii is very handsome and popular with all the students, he even has an online fan club. He commands respect, but unfortunately he has a headstrong inflexible personality and doesn't tolerate differing opinions or ideas very well. He's dating fellow student Fay. His father Tee is the coach of the swimming team, and was once a great swimmer who appeared in the Olympics. New student Apo has transferred to the university specifically because of Coach Tee's reputation. He's an excellent swimmer, which puts Waii on his guard. Coach Tee places Apo in Waii's dorm room, much to Waii's dismay. Apo's quick intell...

Thai series GayOK Bangkok doesn't really count as BL for a number of reasons, but I thought I would include it anyway, as it's a good counterpoint to show up the differences. Summary: The series follows a group of six young gay friends living in Bangkok, over the course of about a year or so. Pom is a self-proclaimed nerd in a good job, but he is struggling to find a partner because of his insecurities about his appearance and effeminacy. He lives with his vain best friend Arm, who enjoys the single life and sleeping around, but he doesn't have much interest in anything other than himself. Oaff is in a happy long-term relationship with the much younger Big, although Oaff is starting to suspect Big of infidelity. Satang, who is katoey  and identifies as female, is caustic and bitchy, but is also staunch and loyal, delivering advice to her friends with gobsmacking savagery. When Arm and Pom run into a long-lost acquaintance Nat at a cafe, Pom plucks up the courage and invi...

I'm really excited about this next review because I've stumbled across a BL treasure, the Taiwanese short series Red Balloon . Summary: In 2003, high school student Chen has excellent grades and is an all-round star performer across many different fields. New student and photography enthusiast Wan transfers to Chen's school, under a mysterious cloud about the reasons for his transfer. Outgoing and friendly Wan draws the reticent Chen into a friendship that soon becomes much closer. An extreme decision taken by Chen's father has drastic consequences for the boys' friendship. Almost fourteen years later, Chen (now married) and Wan meet again, setting off a chain of events that could change everything. I think I've come to realise that I prefer BL dramas that have a stronger leaning towards a more serious, original and romantic approach, rather than those that opt for the crowd-pleasing formulaic approach (ie, harsh or hateful character dynamics transform into ...

Chinese series Addicted (also known as Heroin)  is a hugely popular BL series from 2016. There's a widely held view that it's one of the best BL dramas ever made. I don't subscribe to that view at all. Summary: High school student Bai Luo Yin is very unhappy with his estranged mother, who has decided to marry a wealthy party official. His life at school is becoming increasingly complicated by a poisonous relationship with fellow student Gu Hai. The two boys torment each other relentlessly and obstinately refuse to stop the oneupmanship of practical jokes and annoyances. However Hai soon realises that Yin is just as sensitive as Hai is himself, underneath all the sourness and bluster, and he eventually falls in love. His declarations soon pile up and become just as relentless as the previous bullying was. Yin's life now follows a pattern of never-ending resistance and finding ways to avoid Hai. Yin is horrified when the truth about his mother's new marriage is reve...

Time to take a look at the Thai BL drama, Love Sick: The Series . This show ran for two seasons over 2014 and 2015 and remains immensely popular. It's also THE benchmark for Thai BL, and has had an enormous influence on all BL ever since it first screened. But is it really that good? Summary: Noh and Phun attend a prestigious Thai boys high school, oddly nicknamed Friday.  Noh, blithe and sarcastic, is the president of the music club. Quiet and intelligent Phun is very popular and handsome, and one of the leaders of the student council. Both boys have girlfriends who attend an obviously expensive girls' convent school - the beautiful elegant Aim is Phun's long-term girlfriend, and cute Yuri is trying as hard as she can to be Noh's official girlfriend. Phun's father tells his son that he must get rid of Aim and date a friend's daughter for political benefit. Desperate, Phun comes up with a plan to deceive his BL-loving sister Pang into believing he and Noh are ...