my favorite BL series with healing / comfort tropes

fainting / panic attacks / vision-related trauma responses / attempted murder / self-isolation / care-taking

NOTE : this is honestly my favorite show - the intimate/NC scenes were heartbreaking and beautiful - brought me to tears a few times.

Jimmy and Sea's layered acting was phenomenal - I could feel all the years of trauma behind In and all the fear/longing that came with it, while I could also feel Thap's deep desire to heal and understand In. They are both so soft. 

I really appreciated how they took turns comforting each other with each other's trauma - there wasn't a designated "strong character" - both characters felt so deeply written and acted. Every action made sense for their characters and where they were at in their emotional journeys.

Seriously though, I'm in awe of the emotional intimacy of this show - everything was so raw and honest for a journey through grief, healing, empathy, and self-love.

PTSD / wound tending / nightmares + panic attacks / protecting each other / violence

NOTE : Honestly, the best depiction of PTSD-triggered panic attacks I've seen in any BL so far - had to look away, heart racing, a couple times because it felt so real.

death / suicide / brainwashing recovery / violence / grief / mental health / healing

NOTE : The way they navigated all these difficult topics while also maintaining emotional intimacy and patience was amazing. Khao and First's acting really sold it. Beautifully painful. Honestly, FirstKhao scenes felt more intimate than other shows' NC scenes.

past trauma / violence / past parent death / nightmares / injury / shared pain

NOTE : This whole show is HEAVY. I could talk all day about this series so here are a few of my favorite "healing" moments:

1.  The conversation between Sean & White in Episode 8 where Sean opens up about his dad's death has to be one of my favorite "revealing my traumatic past" moments I've ever seen. Off's acting choices were venerable and nervous (which is such a contrast from Sean thus far) while Gun's listening gaze was attentive and filled to the brim with empathy. GORGEOUS scene - rewatch it often. Up to this point, White had seen Sean's mask slip only a few times  - during his nightmares (which I thought were very well acted and not overdone) and a few times when he's angry. White's patience to allow Sean that safe space to open up was beautiful to see.

2.  Also in Episode 8 - the drawing scene between Yok & Dan. Hats off to the writers because this was a masterfully crafted scene. In any other series, doing a nude drawing of your potential partner would be played and shot as seductive or objectifying. Instead, its played as an incredibly vulnerable moment where Dan connects with feeling exposed, sins laid bare. Fluke Gawin does so well here - you can almost see the moment his past trauma and guilt starts creeping to the surface.

I also really appreciate how First portrays the artist mentality - in figure drawing, the human form is rarely seen as a body to be lusted after but rather something beautiful made from a series of lines and curves. You can see this focused look in First's eyes as well as in the editing choices, dialing in on specific areas of reference. I loved this. Most shows and movies use the artist storyline as a way to to get one character naked and the other filled with lust, so I really appreciated this accurate look at art.

mafia / family trauma / past child abuse / forbidden to love / orphans?

( currently airing )

1. While this is definitely a rom-com and has me cackling with laughter, the soft and tender moments also have me by the chokehold. Thee and Peach's slow-building relationship feels incredibly well-earned and well-paced. We learn about their past as they learn from each other. As of episode 6, we don't know full details on both of their pasts, how they act or respond to situations let us know enough about the pain they might have endured. Pond and Phuwin have really mastered these roles by providing so many layers to their performances. Once we learn more about these characters, I'm sure it will be equally satisfying and heartbreaking.

can see ghosts / death trauma / fear / dark magic / family loss / suicide / murder / attempted murder / near-death experiences

( okay so this is not technically a "BL" but it has Tay and New in it, and even without a romance storyline their chemistry is insane )

Each episode, the gang tackles a different case to help a ghost move on from haunting Home's newly inherited properties. This means that each episode serves as an isolated story revolving around a guest role/roles' trauma or grief, tackling a lot of pretty heavy topics. On top of episodic story-telling, we also slowly learn about each of the main characters' past traumas. It gets pretty intense and the acting is insanely-good. 

Don't let the tags deceive you; this series is a BLAST - basically, a Thai Gen Z Scooby-Doo? This is such a gem of a series! Somehow, they maintain a perfect balance between vibrant chaos and incredible heart. I highly recommend.

PTSD / nightmares + flashbacks / manipulation / past + attempted SA / sickness / healing

NOTE : I still think about the scenes with Pai crying for Sky after rescuing him and while Sky shares his trauma - Fort's acting was phenomenal and super real (some of them were unscripted).

Nightmares / flashbacks / past parent loss / tending to injuries / family conflict

NOTE : loved the subversion of expectation for roles - usually the more "feminine" character has the trauma and is comforted by the "stronger" character - it was switched (and sometimes shared) here. The emotional intimacy was refreshingly and heartbreakingly real.

PTSD / nightmares + flashbacks / drowning / guilt / family member death / sickness

NOTE : Boun's eye acting when he's scared or concerned does things to my emotional state.

Family conflict / injury / fighting / emotional pain

heart condition / trauma + guilt / loss / wound-tending / violence

past relationship trauma / nightmares / family conflict / violence

visions of death / nightmares / anxiety

murder / can see ghosts / panic attacks / fear / family loss

( currently airing )