Mature/Psychological
This list includes:
-Dramas/Movies with some BL contents and a complicated plot
-Dark or mature dramas/movies with BL contents (but without sexual contents)
-Psychological thrillers with some BL contents
- Mature BLs with or without sexual contents (read the description of each title)
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1. Kabe Sa Doujin Sakka no Neko Yashiki-kun wa Shouninyokkyuu wo Kojiraseteiru
Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
Even if this one should be a comedy, I found it, somehow, way more mature than others BL. It isn't dark but psychological heavy: it gives a pretty realistic view on the lives of people with depression. Both the two MLs are depressed (even if they act in a completely different way) and both of them have a lot of traumas.
TW: depression, family issues (cheating, divorce), bullying, homophobia.
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2. 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
Thai Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
This is, without doubt, the best thai BL I've ever watched. The plot is sad and the ending very realistic. It starts like a funny story, but it becomes darker very fast. It's full of metaphors and most of the recurring elements on the show (the travelling theme, the bed, the forest, the bridge) have an interesting meaning. You should watch it at least two times to get all the hidden meanings.
TW: death, internalized homophobia, family issues.
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3. Killing Curriculum: Jinroh Shokei Game - Prologue
Japanese Movie - 2015
Incredible to say, I loved this movie. It is so bad that it's good. The acting is poor, which made most of the death scenes look weirdly funny. The plot isn't that innovative but it works well. The weird cannibalistic/masochistic yet innocent relationship between the MLs was the cherry on top.
TW: death, suicide, bullying, sexual violence/incest.
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4. Jinroh Shokei Game
Japanese Movie - 2015
Sadly, I liked this one less than its prequel.
TW: Non graphic NSFW (main couple), death, suicide, violence, bullying, domestic abuse.
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5. Summer Vacation 1999
Japanese Movie - 1988
This movie is a must watch. It's weird, absurd, complicated and confusing.
TW: suicide, unrequired love.
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6. Double
Japanese Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
It's difficult to describe what is this drama. It isn't exactly a BL, it isn't exactly a psychological drama. It isn't even a bromance, since one of the ML confesses his feelings. Anyway, it's such a good drama. The plot revolvs around the unusual relationship between the two MLs who are completely dependent on each other; things become difficult when they are forced to split up: they want to stay together (maybe even as a couple) but, at the same time, they know that their relationship is unhealty.
TW: emotional dependence, self-destructive behaviors, selective mutism.
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7. Method
Korean Movie - 2017
This movie is a masterpiece. It's about two actors who need to get into their roles, but, while tring to do it, the roles and their actual personalities starts to blend together. The movie can be interpreted in different ways. This is how I interpreted it ( Contains SPOILERS + English is not my first language so it might contain mistakes): First if all: the method doesn't exist and it never existed. The only reason why Jae Ha is such a good actor is because he is the role that he interprets. In the movie he does exactly this: he become his role, cheating on his wife with a young man. Yeong Woo, by his side, isn't really interested in the acting career, and he isn't even interested in fame. The only reason why he continued to play is because he liked the new life he's into. He started living like Singer (his character) and he slowly become him. For Jae Ha this was such a good thing, since he wanted him to play well his role. In the end both of them are "defeated": Jae Ha ruined his relationship with his wife (she might give him another chanche, but things will never be the same) and his reputation; Yeong Woo is now confused about his real persinality and about what he wants to do next. At this point there's still a question: Did they liked each other? In my opinion, they where so into their roles that they didn't really reflected on this. We don't know what happened next but, if they had the chance to met again, Jae Ha would definetely cheat on his wife with him again (but, maybe, Yeong Woo wouldn't want him).
TW: Cheating, love triangle, suicide, torture, blood.
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8. Dead Friend Forever - DFF
Thai Drama - 2023, 12 episodes
Horror drama with a complex plot and an open ending. It deals with many sensitive topics and it's a bit gory.
TW: Sexual content (between all the different couples), death, suicide, revenge, blood (and a bit of gore), torture (physical and mental).
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9. Journey to the Shore
Korean Movie - 2020
Sad and dark short movie. The ending can be interpreted in different ways, but it still a very sad movie.
TW: internalized homophobia, bullying, self harm, depression.
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10. Kuroi Gashu: Shogen
Japanese Special - 2020, 1 episode
Dark movie about a cheating husband and the terrible conseguences of his actions. I really liked this movie even if it's a bit predictable. Even if cointans sexual contents and violence , they aren't explicit at all (in most of the cases, nothing is shown).
TW: death, homicide, suicide, cheating, sexual contents (main couple).
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11. Monster
Japanese Movie - 2023
I don't know if this movie can be considered BL, but it's pretty close. About the other contents, it's definetely dark.
TW: child abuse, internalized homophobia, homicide, death, bullying
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12. One Room Angel
Japanese Drama - 2023, 6 episodes
This one isn't exactly a BL- the bond between the two MLs is so strong that they want to stay together forever- but it has an heavy plot based on death and suicide. It's quite dark and the ending is bittersweet.
TW: depression, bullying, suicide, internalized homophobia, death.
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13. The Spell
Thai Drama - 2024, 6 episodes
This drama is like 1% horror and 99% pay gorn. It's very dark and twisted, but all those spicy scenes were so useless. The plot itself is kinda confused and many of the things that happen don't make any sense. Some scenes very pretty disturbing as well.
TW: sexual content (a lot of sexual content), cheating (multiple times with litterally everyone), sexual violence (everyone got, at least, sexually molested), rape, necrophilia, homicide, violence (even against people who were already dead), public indecency, body snatching.
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14. The Effect
Thai Drama - 2019, 3 episodes
This drama starts like a romcom and becomes very dark fast. I tought it was about cyberbullying, but it was way worse. The best part is that all the "bad things" that happen are romanticized: in the past I saw some movies/dramas romanticizing abuse, but that's not the case.
TW: sexual abuse, rape, stalking, cyberbullying, violence, psychological torture, depressin, suicide.
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15. Lychee Light Club
Japanese Movie - 2016
I don't even know why I decide to watch a such disturbing movie. I don't think it needs any presentation.
TW: rape, torture, sexual content, kidnapping, pedophilia (implied), gore, graphic gross scenes, vomit (worst part tbh), death
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16. Sad Temptation
Korean Special - 1999, 2 episodes
This drama isn't that dark but rather sad. I was excpecting it to be explicit or morally disgusting since it's about a cheating husband. On the contrary, the bond between the two MLs is pure and innocent, basically a link based on mutual understanding. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this one that much especially if you think that it is an LGBT movie made in 1999.
TW: mention of suicide, homophobia, cheating.
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17. Innocent
Taiwanese Drama - 2021, 4 episodes
This is probably the most controversial BL I've ever watched. There's this guy who lives with another guy who acts like a 5 years old (because he thinks he's a 5 years old). And the first guy has this incredible idea to sleep with him ( well, it's better to say that he forces him to sleep with him). And people call this a love story ?! Anyway, there are a loteof mature contents as well (most of the plot is them doing "stuff").
TW: personality disorder, past traumas, explicit sexual contents, rape (?)
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18. (Not That) Innocent
Taiwanese Special - 2021, 1 episode
Just a little sequel of "Innocent". It's probably not as bad as the sequel but has some sexual contents.
TW: sexual contents, bondage
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19. Sensei wo Boku Iro ni Somete
Japanese Drama - 2024, 50 episodes
This drama feels like one of those never-ending soap operas that my aunt loved to watch. The whole plot is based on a long series of scandals and love affairs. There's an art teacher who has a quite weird relationship with one of his students (who has a crush on him); he doesn't want to cheat on his wife but, at the same time, he enjoys spending a lot of time with the student. And then, many other characters join the already complicated situation. I liked how realistic this drama was, expecially the ending even if I felt like the characters were testing my patience.
Fun fact: this drama mede me remember about the handsome art teacher from my highschool. I thought about him so much that I accidentally manifested him (it was a shock to see him again after all those years).
TW: nudity (I got mooned (。•́︿•̀。), cheating
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20. Be Love
Japanese Drama - 2020, 4 episodes
This drama was surprisingly good. I've read a lot of negative comments since many people found it very confusing. It is a bit weird, but when you get its logic, it's simple to understand what's happening (even if you're forced to watch the last episode without subtitles (ᵕ—ᴗ—) ). It's about a married couple- they have a very deep bond that goes beyond the normal definition of love- and a tragedy. It has, surprisingly, an happy ending (or at least I consider it a good ending).
TW: death, blood, mild violence
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21. Kissable Lips
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
I had a hard time finishing this drama. It's not bad but not good either. I usually love vampire dramas, but in this one somethng was off. The acting was weird, the ending was weird and the dynamics between the characters were absurd (SPOILERS!): the ML kills one of his friends without a good reason, a character (the older brother) disappear in the middle of the drama and the relationship between the couple goes from 0 to 100 in a second (they barely talked for the whole drama but they "sleep" together in the last episode). Anyway, the drama isn't that dark or gory as the other titles.
TW: death, homicides, blood, non graphic NSFW (main couple).
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22. Discipline Z: Vampire
Korean Drama - 2020, 6 episodes
I probably watched this drama four years ago and only today I discovered that I've never watched the last episode. I would say I didn't miss that much tho. It's a drama about vampires with a tiny tiny bit of romance (and their relationship even ends up bad).
TW: violence, blood, torture, sexual contents (main couple)
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23. Ai no Kuchigenka
Japanese Drama - 2024, 10 episodes
To be honest, I don't know where to start to talk about this drama. It turns extremely dark in seconds. It' s all about true love and revenge, but I wasn't expecting it to end in that way. I swear, this is the most unpredictable drama I've ever watched.
TW: cheating, blood, violence, murders, manipulation
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24. Grand Guignol
Japanese Movie - 2022
I don't know why I felt the need to watch it. I love horror movies and I love BLs, but that's a no for me. I get the main idea, about madness, violence against innocents and grotesque love scenes... but everything was nonsensical. In some parts it looked like a parody since it ws so random. The plot was completely lacking and the ending adds even more nonsense. The BL part was bad as well. I don't get why they tried to make the cook and Amagami look like a lovely couple in the end, since everything in their relationship was extremely wrong (and they don't even try to stay loyal). The "main couple" relationship is better since it really fits in the grotesque atmosphere, but it's hard to understand what's going on between them.
TW: gore, nudity, sexual contents, extreme violence, murders, cannibalism, gross scenes, vomit, castration (he deserved it ♡).
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25. Bungee Jumping of Their Own
Korean Movie - 2001