feklar42: I needed to spend more time online. Not. (0)
feklar42 ([personal profile] feklar42) wrote in [personal profile] mellowtigger 2023-08-30 12:47 am (UTC)

I would look into AbsoluteBL's lists.
https://www.tumblr.com/absolutebl
https://absolutebl.tumblr.com/archive/tagged/recommended%20bl
He's an academic with some interesting takes on BL--the gender politics, language, media aspects, how it mirrors Western Romance, etc.

This is interesting as well: https://www.tumblr.com/absolutebl/727019018625679360/as-someone-who-wrote-a-thesis-on-this-very-subject

Random things to note--
Most Westerners I know came to Asian BL through Untamed--a breakout hit on Netflix (also now on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/36657c-the-untamed)--it's Chinese, which means it's censored so the BL is all subtext.

Viki's collection is largely Korean shows with a growing catalog of Chinese, Thai, and Japanese.

Thailand actually makes the most BL; quality is highly variable. Korea makes the highest production quality shows and is better acted, but is often more reticent about the gayness. You can find most Thai BL on Youtube with a few exceptions (also Pinoy, but they might be hard if you started with high production value KR and JP shows on Viki).

You will also see more trans people and [butch] lesbians on Thai shows. They have a lot of gender essentialism, but also more variety of acknowledged genders.

You can find links to most BL shows on this comprehensive site: https://world-of-bl.com/

In no real order, my favorite shows on Viki:
https://www.viki.com/tv/38375c-semantic-error (KR, probably the best whole package in terms of quality story, acting, actor chemistry)
https://www.viki.com/tv/38172c-until-we-meet-again (TH, good but it's a reincarnation/red thread story, so there is an unhappy ending before the happy ending)
https://www.viki.com/tv/38885c-love-in-the-air (TH, pure fun tawdriness)
https://www.viki.com/tv/37301c-love-by-chance (TH, one of the OGs, slow at times and full of acting newbies, but the main story has a really good self-discovery/coming out arc; also one of the few shows with an overtly horny bottom)
https://www.viki.com/tv/36410c-history-3-trapped (TW, Cheesy, but also one of the first longer series with a non-school-based plot; also Taiwanese which is interesting for having the most diversity of actor looks, smuttier sex, and less gender essentialism for gay men.)
https://www.viki.com/tv/38173c-why-r-u (TH, filming was disrupted by the pandemic, so the latter half is wonky, but still fun. The leads have amazing chemistry.)
https://www.viki.com/tv/38580c-old-fashion-cupcake (JP, nicely done, good acting and chemistry)
https://www.viki.com/movies/36073c-antique (KR, yaoi adaptation; predates the BL craze)


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