The Ultimate Guide To Boys’ Love(BL) Universe in 2024 [BL Dramas Watchlist]
Apologies for not posting often. 2023 had been a horrible year for me. I had some major health issues which became so horrible to deal with that I had to resign from my 9–5 IT job. Coupled with family and financial issues, the only thing that kept me sane is my love for dramas and series. I am still on the job hunt but writing on Medium always brought me joy, and so here I am stepping down from my LinkedIn job applications to write a guide for all you newbies who are trying to explore BL.
First of all, we need to know what is BL. BL is a short for Boys’ Love. Gay Romance. Two males falling in love with each other. Homosexuality. I can’t explain each and every detail of the origins and history of BL or else this article will be too long for you to get bored, so feel free to explore this wiki page if you are a very intellectual and curious person: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoi
Ok. 2023 is about to end in a few days and we are about to enter a new year 2024. You are probably ready with some resolutions for the year (you would definitely drop them when the morning of 2024 dawns). You have come across the BL craze in Instagram and other social platforms. You either pulled a disgusting face 🤢 or smiled gently 😏 looking at BL pairs. You wondered what’s there in a BL when your friend suggested to watch them instead of your usual straight dramas. Whatever the case, please understand that love is love. Don’t put labels on which is natural or unnatural. There’s a famous Sanskrit quote: Vikriti Evam Prakriti (What seems unnatural, is also natural). Unless you are the creator of this universe, don’t judge people and lecture them on what’s right and what’s wrong. If you are a person aka dinosaur who has a closed mindset living in this 21st century, I politely request you not to spew any hate here and leave this page for good.
Enough of the preaching. Time to look at the shows for you to start binge-watching. I will be only focusing on the Asian content, as international BLs are pretty well-known. Also, the BLs I am recommending are mostly based on two factors: story and chemistry. I have categorized them for your convenience - Rookie, Pro and Expert.
Rookie: Newbies should start with bromance. Brother + romance. Somewhere in between brotherly affection and love. Bromance is usually two males in a very deep bond but they are not romantically or sexually attracted to each other. If you are new to BL, jumping into series with gay romance might overwhelm you to the extent that you’d start thinking of quitting even before you could get started. Some people might even lose their innocence altogether if they watched a very intimate BL as their first one. And if they are not very open-minded, such people will crawl under the rock and be there for eternity. So, bromances are the key to make you get comfortable with BLs. Here are a list of bromances to start your BL fan career in style:
- The Untamed(2019): No matter how many BLs may emerge in the future, it’s challenging for any drama to surpass the standards set by this drama. It’s essential to note that this adaptation is tailored due to stringent content regulations enforced by the Chinese government, which tends to be conservative in its portrayal of same sex relationships. While the C-drama focuses on bromance, the original literary work portrays a deeper romantic connection between the main characters. The show’s compelling storyline, talented cast, and exceptional soundtrack stand out as its key highlights. It’s worth mentioning that there are no intimate scenes like kissing, making it suitable for family viewing.
2. Other Chinese bromances: There’s a list of other Chinese bromances with no or minimal indication to romance. Best Chinese bromances are Advance Bravely(2017), Guardian(2018), S.C.I(2018), Word of Honor(2021), Killer and Healer(2021), and Winter Begonia(2020). Here, I need to give two honorable mentions that broke the restrictions imposed by Chinese government: Addicted(2016) and Stay With Me(2023). Before the release of Addicted, most gay romance shows tended to conclude with tragic endings, often involving the main characters facing separation or even death due to China’s take on homosexuality. So, the general audience believe that such relationships are inappropriate. Despite this, Addicted made a significant impact upon its release on video streaming platforms, sparking widespread conversation throughout mainland China. However, as the drama neared its conclusion, it was removed from all local streaming sites by the Chinese government, except for YouTube. Additionally, the main leads faced a ban on working together for several years due to the portrayal of a more intimate gay relationship. Stay With Me serves as its sequel, featuring a different cast. This show captures the essence of a romantic connection between the male leads without portraying overly intimate scenes(just a couple of cheek kisses). Watch the honorable mentions after watching the bromances so that your mind doesn’t get messed up.
3. Korean bromances: Mainstream Korean shows sometimes had bromances between two male leads or the male lead and a supporting character. Note that most of them will only hint a very intimate friendship and not a romantic relationship(but some accidental kisses could be present, hehe). Some iconic bromance shows along with the actors who portrayed them are Kill Me, Heal Me(2015)[Ji Sung — Park Seo Joon], Goblin(2016)[Gong Yoo — Lee Dong Wook], Strong Woman Do Bong Soon(2017)[Park Hyung Sik — Kim Ji Soo], Prison Playbook(2017)[Park Hae Soo — Jung Kyung Ho], True Beauty(2020)[Cha Eun Woo — Hwang In Youp]. Here’s a fun tidbit: In some shows, the bromances were so awesome that the actors even scored the Best Couple Award! People were more thrilled about these bromances than the romance between the male and female leads. In today’s date, we have mainstream BL shows from Korea as well which I will be covering next.
Pro: Time to level up your BL game. You have now adapted to your new BL induced lifestyle. Life seems to be a bed of roses. You no longer cringe at the thought of two males liking each other. You are now ready to witness a more romantic relationship. Don’t worry, these titles will not rob your innocence.
- Korean mainstream BLs: Only in the recent years, South Korea have started producing mainstream BLs, though BL webtoons were quite popular in the last decade. And most of these shows are adaptations from webtoons. Though they joined the BL marathon late, Korean dramas are doing pretty well in terms of story, visuals, cast and chemistry. The significant feature of Korean BLs is their sweet romance. Some amazing K-BLs are Where Your Eyes Linger(2020), Mr. Heart(2020), Color Rush S1 and S2(2020–2022), Light On Me(2021), You Make Me Dance(2021), To My Star S1 and S2(2021–2022), Blueming(2022), Cherry Blossoms After Winter(2022), Semantic Error(2022), Kissable Lips(2022), A Breeze of Love(2023), A Shoulder to Cry On(2023), The Eight Sense(2023), Bon Appetit(2023), Sing My Crush(2023) and Our Dating Sim(2023).
2. Japanese mainstream BLs: Japan is motherland of BLs, because the culture of yaoi aka gay romance started here. Japanese BLs are generally a mix of sweet and hot romance. Often, Japanese BLs are known for their simple and cute story lines. Also they have excellent cinematography and I also figured out they use a lot of symbolism and deep meanings. Here are some of best BL titles from Japan — Life: Senjo no Bokura Director’s Cut[Life: Love On The Line](2020), 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii[Eng: Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!](2020), Kieta Hatsukoi(Eng: My Love Mix-up!)(2021), Eien no Kinou[Eng: Eternal Yesterday](2022), Old Fashion Cupcake(2022).
3. Pinoy mainstream BLs: Philippines also produce some amazing BLs, though the number of popular series is quite low. Also watching Pinoy BLs are fun, since we international fans can understand much better as the characters frequently interact in English. Hope we can expect more Pinoy BLs with great storytelling in future, but you can watch these titles until then — Boys Lockdown(2020), Gaya Sa Pelikula[Eng: Like In The Movies](2020) and The Day I Loved You(2023).
4. Taiwanese mainstream BLs: Though Taiwan is a sister country to China and both nations share Mandarin as an official language, Taiwan stands out for its open-minded approach toward homosexuality. In fact, Taiwan takes pride in being the only Asian country where same-sex marriages are legally recognized. Give a try to these Taiwanese BLs: Your Name Engraved Herein(2020), We Best Love 1 & 2(2021), DNA Says Love You(2022) and Stay By My Side(2023).
5. Thai mainstream BLs: You can’t miss mentioning a nation where BLs rain down like cats and dogs… oops! Thailand is a BL powerhouse, serving up diverse storylines left and right. The funny twist? While the country might lean a bit conservative (locals still have mixed feelings about homosexuality despite it being legal), it sure dominates in terms of producing huge number of titles in BL genre. Thailand has had a massive impact on making BLs popular and has become a dream destination for BL fans worldwide, giving Thailand tourism a huge boost. Sharing with you some good Thai BLs — SOTUS and SOTUS S(2016–2017), He’s Coming To Me(2019), Dark Blue Kiss(2019), Theory of Love(2019), Until We Meet Again(2019), 2gether 1, 2 and The Movie(2020–2021), A Tale of Thousand Stars(2021), Bad Buddy(2021), Not Me(2021), Cupid’s Last Wish(2022), Dear Doctor, I’m Coming For Soul(2022), Triage(2022), Vice Versa(2022), The Eclipse(2022), To Sir, With Love(2022), I Will Knock You(2022), Never Let Me Go(2022), My School President(2022), Laws of Attraction(2023), Moonlight Chicken(2023), Be My Favorite(2023).
In addition to the aforementioned countries, Vietnam and Cambodia have also ventured into producing BLs, many of which are accessible on YouTube. India, too, is showing support for gay romance through short films and web series on prominent OTT platforms. However, these industries are still in their early stages and have room for growth. At this juncture, I’m unable to offer specific recommendations from these nations. It’s possible that in the future, these countries will emerge as significant contributors in the BL genre.
Expert: Congrats! You are now officially a die-hard fan of BL. You can’t imagine a life without BL now. You watch BLs during the days and dream about them during the nights. You are the one now who keeps pulling your uninterested friends into BL. You feel sad when you don’t have anyone to discuss BLs with(I’m right here, buddy 😉). You develop a habit of shipping random two males if you see them together. You are ready to indulge in very steamy and deeply intimate BLs. You try to understand more about our LGBTQIA+ friends and you will even advocate for their rights, and thus you become a proud ally. You are ready to kick the ass of anyone who speaks ill of BLs. Your empathy and social understanding score gets peaked. You guide newbies to BLs in every comment section of BL shows. YOU ARE AN EXPERT BL FAN! For below recommendations, I have given a steam level rating, to indicate the level of intimacy in the relationships. Note: The below BLs must be watched alone in a locked room. Make sure no parent or family member of yours walks in while watching them. Don’t forget to wear headphones.
- Taiwanese BLs(Steam Level- 4/5): Here are some steamy Taiwanese BLs for you: HIStory 1, 2, 3, 4, 5(2017–2022), The Immeasurable(2021), Papa & Daddy 1 and 2(2021–2022) and Kiseki: Dear To Me(2023).
2. Japanese BLs(Steam Level — 4/5): These Japanese BLs are damn hot: Utsukushii Kare 1, 2 and Eternal[Eng: My Beautiful Man 1, 2 and Eternal](2021–2023), Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu[Eng: The End Of The World, With You](2023) and Taikan Yoho[Eng: My Personal Weatherman](2023).
3. Thai BLs(Steam Level — 5/5): Thai BLs are mostly lava from a volcano: TharnType 1, 2 and Special Episodes(2019–2021), I Told Sunset About You 1 & 2(2020–2021), Manner of Death(2020), Love In The Air(2022), KinnPorsche(2022), I Feel You Linger In The Air(2023) and Only Friends(2023).
BONUS: Thai BLs(Steam Level — 10/5): Some Thai BLs became popular because of the intense chemistry and steamy bed scenes rather than the story itself. List of such titles where the lead pair are known for their intimate scenes: Together With Me 1 and 2(2017–2018), Love By Chance 1 and 2(2018–2020), Why R U? and Special Episodes(2020), Don’t Say No and Special Episode(2021), Cutie Pie 1 and 2(2022–2023) and Bed Friend(2023).
Some Filipino titles are also very passionate but they fell short on storylines and cinematography. All the titles I recommended are curated as per my taste, but that could be different for you. I can’t possibly add every Asian BL here, so here are the entire lists of BLs from each country to help pick your next BL title to watch. Thanks to @DramaLover143 from MyDramaList for compiling all the titles and creating the below lists.
(Lists sourced from My DramaList)
Do keep the above lists handy as @DramaLover143 keeps them updated with new BLs, so that you can save time spent on searching the titles. I hope this guide is helpful to you in flourishing your BL career. I believe you will be a guiding light to all the new folks once you have attained Expert level. If you want to chat with a fellow BL buddy, you can reach out to me at my MyDramaList profile.
Wish you Merry Christmas and advanced Happy New Year. May you be blessed with love, success and happiness forever. Love you, 😘.
You can check out my drama reviews on my profile: https://medium.com/@purple3dazzle