A World of Asian "Boys Love" Drama

2019 Thai BL sequel series Dark Blue Kiss (DBK) gets its greatest gift and strength from the charisma of its two lead actors Newwie and Tay, reprising their Kiss The Series and Kiss Me Again roles of sensitive intelligent Kao and hot-tempered tough guy Pete respectively. These two very likeable and popular actors have amazing chemistry, and with this series they've reimagined one of the least sympathetic couples in Thai BL as one of its greatest. But the real surprise here is how unexpectedly great the new series is too. The screenplay is just so good. Summary: At the start of this sequel, set three years later, Pete and Kao's loving and trusting relationship is now well-established, though they remain closeted and discreet in front of most of their friends and family. Perhaps surprisingly, it's Pete who wants to take the next step and come out, whereas it's Kao who resists firmly and won't be pressured. Perhaps this is partly because Pete is already out to his fa...

I was drawn to watch new Thai series Kiss Me Again solely on the basis of the actor Newwiee, one of my BL favourites and a fun charismatic performer. He didn't disappoint, although that's about the limit of the interest to be found in this series. It's a prequel to 2016 drama Kiss The Series. Summary: A disparate group of five university students unite together as friends. Two of the boys in the group, bad boy Pete and intelligent sensitive Kao, don't tell the others that they know each other better than they are letting on. They hate each other, after a series of violent incidents that has set them at odds. One of these incidents ended up with them accidentally kissing. While it's clear that Kao wants to talk about his confused feelings for Pete after the kiss, Pete pushes him away angrily, leading to more violence. Their friends eventually realise that something is wrong between Pete and Kao, leading Pete to lash out at Kao even more violently and destroy the gr...

Adorable couple Kongpop and Arthit are back, in the SOTUS second season SOTUS S: The Series  ! I've been very keen to see how their relationship has progressed since series one. And I've been gunning for a Prem / Wat romance! Summary: Arthit has started his new job at an electrical goods company Ocean Electric and is discovering that he is being treated like a university junior again, although in a very different adult world. Kongpop is now an Engineering senior at university and the head hazer. His approach to hazing is the complete opposite of the violence and humiliation of his predecessors; while still being very firm and sticking with ritualised activities, he prefers being constructive, helpful and positive. They weather these new circumstances of their lives together and give each other the strength and happiness to persevere, and of course they get by with a little help from their friends. Even though their social group now knows about their relationship after season...

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...

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 ...

So now it's time to step back into what I consider a more standard BL drama - the Thai series SOTUS . Summary: Handsome intelligent Kongpop begins his freshman year at a university, majoring in Engineering. A clan of Engineering seniors soon enforces a strict oppressive regime of hazing, ritualised gatherings and discipline on the new students. The main hazer Arthit is particularly brutal. Kongpop, horrified by the pointless cruelty, rebels against the seniors and vocally opposes them at their gatherings, sometimes even mocking them. This incenses Arthit, who singles Kongpop out for ongoing humiliation and punishment. Kongpop soon sees the point of the hazing and what the senior hazers are trying to achieve. As his rebellious behaviour mellows, he also begins to reconsider his feelings towards Arthit. He delivers sweet compliments to Arthit very casually, and which soon increase and intensify. Arthit is mortified and pushes Kongpop away repeatedly. Can Kongpop convince Arthit tha...