A World of Asian "Boys Love" Drama

Of the three sub-series that make up season one of famed Taiwanese BL program HIStory,  HIStory: Obsessed gets by far the most thumbs up from its dedicated fans, and it's easy to see why. The other two don't even come close to its ability to immerse its audience it its out-there narrative and - let's be honest - its totally bonkers BL overkill. Summary: Shao Yi Chen and Jiang Jing Teng have been in a loving relationship for ten years ever since university, but suddenly Teng announces that he is going to marry a woman. Distraught, Chen runs away and is promptly struck by a car and killed. Chen is then reincarnated as himself ten years earlier (is that really how reincarnation is meant to work??), back at university and before he and Teng had ever met in person. Chen sees this as an opportunity to find some backbone and completely alter history, to ensure Teng never enters his life. But fate has other ideas, and the two boys are drawn together again when Teng finds one of ...

Time to go back to the beginning, with HIStory Season 1: My Hero , the very first instalment. Summary: Student Lan Xi dies in hospital, with her boyfriend Ying Xiong by her side. An angel of death (for some reason, this is translated as 'genie' in the subtitles I viewed) takes her soul to Limbo but realises he has made a mistake, so he sends Lan Xi back. She possesses the dying body of a young bookish male student at Xiong's university called Gu Ren. The angel gives her one condition for her rebirth: she must receive a kiss of love from Xiong in 7 days, or her soul will be taken back and Ren will die. The first thing that strikes the viewer who is familiar with some of the brilliant season two series is how low-rent the production is. The sets and costumes are ordinary (the angel wears a sort of bedsheet like a toga), the dialogue is amateurish, the acting is average at best, and the direction is confused and ponderous. It's hard to believe it was made in 2017, its ...

After watching the wonderful Crossing the Line recently, I decided it was time to catch up on the rest of the various HIStory sub-series from both seasons 1 and 2. I'd originally started watching Right or Wrong a couple of weeks back, but I had struggled with its early episodes, so this was a good opportunity to revisit it and give it a second chance. Summary: Fei Sheng Zhe is a university student who also participates in the drama club with his friend Ruan. When a lost young girl Yo Yo interrupts their rehearsals, Zhe and Ruan take her back to her home, only to find that it's an unliveable mess. Yo Yo's divorced father Shi Yi Jie can barely keep up with the demands of being a single parent. Zhe and Ruan are shocked to discover that Yi Jie is also their university lecturer. He has a terrible reputation for being strict and intimidating, which proves to be an understatement when they finally meet him in class. Zhe agrees to work as a nanny and cook for the father and daug...

The premise of Chinese short BL series Uncontrolled Love  (also known as Irresistible Love) didn't appeal to me when I first read about it. But I thought I would give it a try anyway, seeing as it has generally good reviews. Summary: Orphan Shu Nian is adopted by a wealthy industrialist family, the Xie's, when the malicious capricious young son Xie Yan chooses him from the other orphanage children, mainly on the basis of his passivity and his ability to withstand Yan's cruelty. They become very close as they grow up, but Nian's relation with the Xie's has clear boundaries that never allow him to become a fully-fledged family member. Instead he becomes a servant in a toxic master/valet dynamic with Yan and his parents. After high school, Yan is sent to England for several years to study and learn the family business. When he returns to China in his mid-20s, the two young men live together again in the family home but still as servant and 'young master'. Yan...

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...

The series Together with M e (TWM) came to my attention via a Youtube edit called something like 'Knock x Korn', as the format of many BL edits usually are. I could probably find it again if I wanted to, but once was enough to interest me in watching the whole series. I also discovered more recently that TWM is in fact a prequel to an apparently so-so BL drama called 'Bad Romance'. I think it makes sense to watch them in chronological order, rather than Back to the Future style. More to the point, I watched some of the first episode of 'Bad Romance' about two months ago and gave up in disgust, so that's even more reason to start here. SPOILERS WARNING: I've loved this show and want to share as much of my feelings about it as possible without ruining any newcomer's enjoyment of its surprises. I have gone into a lot of detail about the plot in this review, so be warned. Summary: Childhood friends Knock and Korn were separated when Knock's famil...

Rejoining the boys from Make It Right in their second season wasn't a hard decision to make. There was more than enough of value in the first season to make it the right choice. But was it really worthwhile in the end? SPOILERS WARNING: there's a lot of detail about the plot of season two in this review. No secrets are revealed, but you should still reconsider reading it if you want no surprise reveals or if you haven't seen season 1 yet. Summary: Fuse and Tee are still in a relationship limbo, with Fuse still unsure about what his relationship with Jean means to him. Frame and Book are closer than ever and virtually live together, but this season severely tests them with some horrifying trials. Fuse's best friend Lokmo meets effeminate and openly gay Yok and is instantly smitten. Yok's mother is still up to her devious tricks, with a view to turning Yok straight. She takes a different tack and enlists Lukmo's ex Praew to be Yok's faghag. For all intent...

I was ecstatic to be able to find the rest of Advance Bravely episodes 19 through to 30 on Dailymotion. This was a binge-watch feast and the happiest any BL series has made me. If you can find any of the season 2 episodes on youtube, watch them there, as the quality of the Dailymotion uploads is poor at this point. UPDATE: If you haven't read it yet, you can find my review of Season 1 here . SPOILERS WARNING: there's a lot of detail about the plot in this review. Don't read it if you want to be surprised or if you haven't watched season one yet. Summary: Xia Yao and Yuan Zong's relationship goes from strength to strength, and they are increasingly unfazed by being seen as 'close' by their colleagues, families and friends. Xia Yao's father gives him an ultimatum to find a girlfriend or else a marriage will be arranged. Xia Yao takes advantage of his parents' obliviousness to escape Beijing and go to Northeastern China for Chinese New Year to su...

I came across references to  Make It Right - Season One in an online forum that was ranking the best Asian BL series ever made. It was right up near the top, so this encouraged me to give it a try. This review only looks at season 1, I'll review season 2 later once I've watched it. Summary: After he finds out his girlfriend has been cheating on him, high school student Fuse has a big night out with his friends and gets very drunk. His friend Tee helps him back to his own place to stay the night, and they have sex. Tee is enamoured but Fuse is very confused. The push and pull of a blossoming BL romance ensues. Fuse is also pursued by hero-worshipper Rodtang, which makes Tee jealous. Fuse's brash womanising friend Frame is secretly using gay dating apps. An anonymous hookup turns out to be his classmate, nerdish Book, which turns both boys' lives upside down. Make no mistake, this is a cookie-cutter BL high school drama. It brings nothing original to the table, and s...

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...

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 ...