BL Drama Lovers Club

 p43425:

The artists page of the GMMTV website, although not always promptly updated after announced changes, seems to be current right now, i.e. includes latest additions like Almond and Progress. It's inconvenient because you have to click on each photo to see the name - but it's hard to find anything else that's as correct, comprehensive and current.

On the other hand, it's kind of fun to see if one can put names to all the familiar faces.

Yeah, it's rather overwhelming. I've given up trying to keep track of 'em all.

TYSM! It looks like it's alpha order. This will help a lot, Mr. P!  I'll have to rely on my memory, haha, to put acting couples together.

Are u going to play the bingo game with us?

 dora:

I have some pages of GMMTV couples photos. They don’t include everyone and a few are out-of-date but it might help. I’ll post to post images and then add the link here.

GMMTV couples photos 

A huge help! Thank u tons! ❤️ 

I have more wishes and ideas then boxes to fill on the card. 💀 Of course I'm being more imaginative than analytical about it. 

 jazme:

To be honest, I only know lesb, gay, bi. The other categories or letters after that I'm already confused 

I can totally relate: When I was younger, it was just "gay and lesbian" (with many gays just rudely dismissing bisexuals as closet cases), then came "LGBT" and now we're up to "LGBTQIA2S+" or whatever ... aargh, help! I'm lost! That being said, I accept that inclusiveness and respect for individual self-determination are indeed good things.

Dora explained the most relevant letters, but it should be added (if not already clear) hat "Q" can also mean "queer", meaning "not straight" (i.e. an umbrella term encompassing much more than just gay/lesbian).

 dora:

when Shows like Love in the Big City or Shine came out, many people preferEd to call them LGBTQIA because they go beyond what traditional BLs typically depict, and are much more true to life.

This is also my own view: BLs are (to me) more for escapist entertainment, have appealing protagonists, focus on the development of the relationship(s), and usually (but not necessarily) have a happy ending. I also think of BLs as East Asian, but that's far more debatable, depending on how much one wants to tie it to the historical origins in yaoi.

So yeah, I personally prefer to call true-to-life, struggle-focused shows like "Love in the Big City" LGBT rather than BL.

 dora:

many people in the gay community don’t feel these shows are a realistic representation of the queer experience.

I'm a gay guy, and this is precisely what I like about BL!

I've had a lifetime of dealing with all the issues and annoyances of being a gay man - not only growing up in a very conservative social environment where even the word "gay" was taboo, not only totally missing out on my teens and not even starting to date until I was in my 20s, not only watching so many of my friends die during the AIDS crisis, but also all the irritating behaviours and dislikeable stereotypes so sadly typical of the gay male community, club scene, etc. (drug and alcohol abuse, promiscuity and lack of commitment, narcissism, superficiality and competitiveness, bitchy humour that's not funny, etc. etc.) Alright, it's been decades since I've been in a nightclub or sauna, so maybe things are different now, but somehow i doubt it.

Anyways, yeah ... I adore idealised, non-realistic BLs with appealing, likeable cuties experiencing young first love and the fulfilling school/university years that I never had.

 dora:

i Am glad BLs sometimes address issues like homophobia, parental expectations, and marriage rights. But I also want escapist content from all kinds of romances.

Ditto - so long as the issues don't get too heavy or drawn out, and preferably with a happy resolution or redemption (e.g. non-accepting parents who come around within an episode or two).

 dora:

as far as how much we focus on sex or top and bottom in BLs, I don’t know if men who love men are bothered by this.

Yes, I am indeed bothered by this for two reasons: Firstly, it's intrusive (especially toxic fandom gossip about actor pairings and making speculative assumptions about who's the uke, bottom, femboy, wife, whatever). Secondly, and more importantly to me, human sexuality can be so much more complicated than top or bottom, gay or straight - so to me, pigeonholding gay guys as "top" or "bottom" is just as dismissive and oversimplified as saying "if you're not straight, then you must be gay".

 dora:

I don’t need to know this information unless I am trying to understand the logistics of a particular sex scene. I like details to make it real. But I also like when BLs change the typical scenario so it’s not so formulaic.

Yes, good points to qualify your previous point. Completely agree. 

Hello darlings! I hope everyone is well and safe, free from all the natural disasters, maladies, personal issues and other struggles. Warm welcome to all the new members and happy birthday to everyone who's been celebrating last month 😊
It's been like 90 pages since I was last here. I really want to be more active, but things just keep happening. I'm not an astrologist, but there's something in the stars this year...
Anyways, sorry for the absence. I'm just here to update you on the BLs I've watched lately and I'm disappearing again. I'll try to come by in December, but I don't promise anything.

COMPLETED

Khemjira
This was a really well-made drama with an interesting script and good acting. It could've got more horror elements, but that's just my personal preference. That baby's reincarnation plot twist from the last episode - I did not see it coming, even though it has been foreshadowed in the earlier episodes. Last episodes were suspenseful, but all's well that ends well. What I loved in this drama is the fact that I did not hate anyone. I could understand why certain characters made the decisions they did, what guided them and why they were forced to face the consequences. I'm glad Ramphueng was motivated by the motherly love and not some obsession with a man (that would be so cliché). I appreciated all of the characters, heroes and villains. I knew Khem would survive (chastity is the key to survival in horrors). I was more worried about Charn and Jet, since they didn't hold back, but fortunately they've survived as well. I loved Charn and Jet, in both, present and past lives. I'm still standing by my theory of them being the servants saved by Krongkwan. It's a high quality production, one of the top BLs this year for sure.
DMD/Mandee, be forewarned - apetyt rośnie w miarę jedzenia - you've whetted my appetite. I'll be expecting great things from you in the future!

I'm the Most Beautiful Count
I enjoyed this drama, it was fun. I really liked Nut Supanut's acting. Prince was a very different role from Way/Chris. Woradech was different from Prince as well. With a character like Prince it's easy to go over the top, but I think Nut managed to maintain balance. The ending was pretty much what I expected it to be - I knew Prince would not go back to his present times. Instead he sparked a political and moral revolution in ancient Thailand 😁 In the beginning some characters seemed annoying, but they grew and changed throughout the drama. Chaiyajed was a pampered young king, but he turned out to be a loving younger brother and a loyal friend able to see past the social class differences. Banjong was a coward, but he grew a pair. His annoying sister got rid of her prejudice and became quite a lovely girl. Kosol was a brave man, a faithful lover and a caring brother. Jet was the incarnation of devotion and loyalty. I pretty much grew to love everybody. Maybe it's not this year's best BL, but I found it very entertaining.

1000 Years Old
All hail the pork blood soup! I'm not sure if I would call this drama a train wreck, but it was a little boring for me. I'm not a fan of slow burns and this certainly was one 🥱  First half of the drama revolved around the pork blood soup, literally, the second half was more about vampires and other stuff. The main love story took too long to start. GL couple happened in the background, they had like one scene together! Somchai was cool, but the best part of this drama was the cat.

My Secret Vampire
Another BL with vampires. This one was sweet and cute, I liked it. DongHa was adorable. A bunch of vampires trying to fatten their human housemate to feed on him? So funny. I appreciate the character development. The ending was sweet, I just wish we could see more of EunHo and GyuMin. Really good for such a short drama.

Sangmin Dinneaw
Now this is what I call a train wreck. It was crazy, I asked myself every episode 'what am I watching?', but I kept watching nonetheless. I know it's not the best quality drama, but I still enjoyed it. I started it, because I was talking with my bestie and she reminded me about Non/Joke and so I wanted to check out their other dramas (this means I'll be watching Teach Me Touch Me when it comes out). Tor and Athit did not disappoint. Main couple was okay, but Dinneaw could go solo anytime (I mean, that scene in the last episode? Whew... 🥵 ) Third couple was there just for NC scenes and fourth couple had no reason to be there at all. Some scenes were weird, but I'm immune, so I had fun anyway.

Memoir of Rati
I've watched it for the challenge. Colonialism, the Great War, politics, power struggle, social inequalities and a forbidden love story in the middle of it all. I think both love stories were really beautiful, even if painful at times. It's a fairy-tale love story, considering how relatively many people were open-minded and tolerant. Everyone deserving a happy ending has got their happy ending. There were better BLs this year, but this wasn't bad, I liked it.

Business as Usual
It's got similar vibes to Our Dating Sim (one of my favs), but it's less fluffy. JinHwan and MinJun have got some serious communication issues, which cause misunderstandings and heartbreak. They meet again years later and try to clean up this mess. What bothers me the most is the fact that they start their relationship again, but the obstacle that made them break up in the first place (JinHwan is still insecure and they both need some growing up) is still there. I wish they took a break and worked on themselves individually before they decided to give this love another chance. Special episode was cute, though.

Ball Boy Tactics
This seemed like a cute drama, but it also touches on some more serious topics like power abuse and bullying in the sports community, psychological anxiety and trauma, dating in the public eye... It's a pity it was so short and these topics were not given the attention they deserved. I'm glad JeongWu and JiWon talked with each other and solved their problems together in the end. Communication is important. I was a bit worried, since it looked like JiWon wanted to keep their relationship a secret forever, but love gave him courage in the end. I didn't like Hyoseok, I don't understand him. I wish the second couple had more development, it could have been quite an interesting side story.

4 Destiny
Forget the first two stories. The first story I wouldn't even call a BL, the second story was so confusing I still don't know what it was about. The third story was better and more developed, even though it was bittersweet. The fourth story was nice and cute, I'd like to see the continuation.

MuTeLuv: Diva Deva Mata
Not my cup of tea. The story was disappointing. The best part were Nevia and Bank. I'd watch a BL with these two as main characters. That could be interesting.

ON HOLD

The Wicked Game
After two episodes I realised it's going to be angsty and probably too heavy for me at the moment, so I'll wait until I'm in a better mood to finish this.

The Story of Bi Hyeong
I've watched six episodes and it didn't manage to catch my attention, so I'm putting it on hold for now. I'll come back to it eventually.

CURRENTLY WATCHING

Punks Triangle
It's cute and it puts me in a good mood. I was a little worried about them falling out after the truth comes out, but there are only two episodes left, so their eventual separation won't last long anyway.

Head 2 Head
I was not interested in watching this, but I accidentally saw some YT shorts and I decided to watch the first episode out of curiosity. Then I binged all four. It's strangely addictive. I really like both couples and their dynamics. It's similar to Bad Buddy and I love it. Kto się czubi, ten się lubi. Can't wait to watch more.

Me and Thee
Again, I watched the first episode out of curiosity. It was funny and enjoyable and I'll definitely keep on watching.

 RXinw:

I tried to keep this list extremely questionable, so many did not make the list.

I've seen half of it, but I will look into the other half 😏

 dora:

I immediately saved this list. There are some things I can’t watch but I still need to know what I’m passing up. Maybe one day I’ll need some depravity. lol.

Same 🤭

 ZhouYanRan:

It's been like 90 pages since I was last here.

So glad to hear from you again. We've missed you!
Liebe Grüße vom Nachbarland / Pozdrawiam z sąsiedniego kraju!

And thanks for sharing your updates on the BL series you've watched and are watching. (I've watched most but not all.)

 jazme:

Just noticed, why doesn't the ratings show in  Bad Buddy Butt?

Possibly because MDL doesn't support negative rating numbers?  Yes, it's that bad. I can't even find the words for how bad it is.

 axdxex:

BTW has anyone posted their GMMTV 2026 predictions / wish list ? I would love to read <3

I have made a bingo a few months back. Hoping I'll win it this year. :D