A World of Asian "Boys Love" Drama

The handsome protagonists of novel 'Mr Zhang and Mr Zhang' deserve a last look-in, with their final three episodes coming to a close. They are going to be difficult to write about without giving away spoilers and without writing too abstractly, but I'll give it a try. (To read my earlier review of episodes 1 to 3, you can find it  here .) Summary: Zhang Nan and Zhang Zhe continue with their struggles in their new separate lives, pining for each other but still heavily constrained by the forced exile imposed on them in episode three. They desperately try to meet when they can, but most of their secret contact is over the phone. The lives of their friends continue to deteriorate as well, and everyone is increasingly despairing of their future. Chunzi's relationship turns upside down and destabilises all his friends. The three final episodes of this grim mini-series are very grim indeed. The earlier trap set for Zhe and Nan is now inescapable and exerts an increasingly...

I am taking a break from watching and writing about BL dramas for the moment, but in the meantime, here's an overview of my top 5 favourite BL dramas that I've seen so far. Remember that I've only been watching BL for about 5 months, so there's still a long way to go and so much more love to share. And please let me hear from you if you have your own Top 5 or some viewing suggestions, or even just an opinion about my own list. #5: Seven Days . The high quality of this ethereal two-episode series from Japan is, in my view, unsurpassed by other examples of Japanese BL. Its greatest asset is its finely-tuned screenplay, which passes through each of the seven days with a gentle quiet beauty that's distinctively its own. If only all BL dramas could be this well-written and directed. #4: Together with Me . Korn and Knock are the greatest couple in BL, with the best sexual chemistry in BL. They are also the hottest. There, I said it. And they finally get the top-tier...

Examples of Korean BL haven't been easy to find. I've struggled to find anything other than "No Regret", a fantastic movie in its own right but it's not really BL in the strictest sense. Bromance seems to be more common in Korea, a genre that I always try to avoid due to its cynical use of gay-baiting. Mini-series The Boy Next Door is more bromance than BL on the face of it, but more than anything else, it's a brilliant and really effective satire of BL. Summary: University students Gijae and Kyutae live next door to each other in a block of small flats. They meet out front when smoking a cigarette and don't really hit it off. They feel uncomfortable with each other but at least make an effort to be more friendly with each other. However all their meetings in public end up having the very odd appearance of them being a new couple in love. Their friends and acquaintances are mystified by how close they seem to be, and they all jump to the conclusion that...

Chinese series The Ambiguous Focus is currently screening at the time of writing, so only the first three episodes are available to view, and only intermittently as they get taken down. It's described as a BL drama, but it's far removed from the youthful innocence and tentative attractions of that genre. It's a ferocious melodrama, riven with the exploitation, cynicism and cruelty of gay adulthood. It's blown me away, so I thought I'd work through my initial thoughts about it now, and watch the rest later.  (UPDATE: You can find my review of the final three episodes  here .) Summary: Friends since childhood, Zhang Zhe and Zhang Nan have been in a relationship for ten years, since university. When we meet them, it's obvious that they are having difficulties, to the point where trust and fidelity are no longer even the most serious part of the problem. They are both having affairs and hookups on the side, though Zhe is less brazen and Nan is more careless. Both...