A World of Asian "Boys Love" Drama

Openly gay Korean director Leesong Hee-il's revisits LGBT themes from his other movies, such as blog favourite No Regret, in his 2014 film Night Flight. His portrayal of gay experience from a uniquely Korean perspective and distinctive direction makes his work highly watchable. But his warping of his stories under the magnifying glass of the strictures of Korean society can make his fatalistic view of homophobia and anti-gay violence tough to stomach at times. Night Flight is monumentally grim, despite its deceptively pretty BL-style high school promotional poster, but it's no less riveting for that. Summary: Three friends since junior high are now in senior school, but they are steadily growing apart. Yong-Ju is secretly gay and tries to keep a low profile, hoping to cruise through school more or less unnoticed by the bullies and bad teachers, not liked but not disliked either. He's had a crush on strong, silent Gi-Woong ever since junior high, but they are now completel...

When two of the most charismatic Thai BL actors in the business are in same series, deciding to watch it is the easiest decision you'll ever make. 2019 Thai series "He's Coming To Me" is that series, and Singto Prachaya (SOTUS) and Ohm Pawat (Make It Right) are the actors. Seriously, don't wait any longer, just watch it already. Summary: When university student Mes dies a sudden death on his 22nd birthday in 1997, he isn't reincarnated but left as a ghost to roam the grounds of the cemetery where he was buried. He has other ghosts to spend time with, but he feels lonely because no friends or family visit the cemetery. No one attends to his grave and, with time, it becomes overgrown and derelict. When a kind young boy Than takes pity on the dilapidated grave and lights an incense stick, Mes suspects the boy can either see or hear him. As he grows older, Than continues to visit Mes's grave once a year, leaving food and candy that Mes has asked for, much to...

The Taiwanese have a decided knack of doing BL well, with their own distinctive spin on the formula, and the team behind series 'HIStory' is probably its best and most famous exponent.  Crossing the Line episodes 1 through 6  (also known as Boundary Crossing) is a fantastic start to a new sub-series, with a snappy pace, crisp dialogue and some really endearing performances. I think it must still be screening on TV at the time of writing, or only very recently ended, because only episodes 1 through 6 are currently available on YouTube. Summary: Three rebellious boys who have been expelled from high school have started at a new school and immediately cause trouble. Step-brothers Zhen Wen and Zhen Wu are hot-headed fighters, while disdainful bad-boy leader Yu Hao mocks and disrespects authority. When the brothers almost cause a fight with members of the volleyball team, the intelligent and serious team manager Zi Xuan observes Hao's nimble potential as a good player and sugg...

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 ...

I'm going to jump forward now, and review a Korean movie I watched last night called No Regret . It had an immediate impact on me so I thought I would write about it while its impressions are still fresh in my mind. Summary: A young factory worker Su-min is struggling to make ends meet, and works numerous jobs. He's openly gay but has never had a relationship. When working as a for-hire driver one night, he meets Jae-min, drunk at a bar, and drives him home. Jae-min is instantly smitten but Su-min baulks and runs away, even though he is obviously attracted to him. When he loses his job at the factory, Su-min ends up working as a male prostitute at a host bar. Jae-min continues to pursue him obsessively, to the point where Su-min threatens to kill him if he doesn't stop following him. Eventually feelings develop further, but it's at this point that the story suddenly turns upside down and Su-min becomes desperate. Su-min makes a decision that could lead to total catast...