Ranked LGBTQ Dramas & Films

A short but sweet introduction to the characters of Pete and Kao which was perfect for me as I wasn't really interested in the main Kiss Me Again series but wanted to understand the characters before watching Dark Blue Kiss!

While this was initially absolutely great, I found my interest slowly waning as it got on - it was still good,  just a bit too stretched out for me!

This is a pretty raw and unpleasant film - but hear me out.

It tells the story of two individuals drawn together by an inexplicable force. It is a codependent, unhealthy relationship based on a whole tangle of emotions; a mixture of love and hate, imbalanced power dynamics and a general sense of instability. One cannot survive without the other. 

I quite enjoyed this interesting and unique take on a relationship as it’s clearly supposed to be unhealthy, yet I wish their characters were developed more instead of the plot (though I understand this is a difficult thing to achieve in a film as opposed to a series). 

I can’t score it any higher as I’m a softie and enjoy happy stories lol, but the acting was solid and the whole production was really well put together - the music especially was gorgeous. Read the description and the tags (carefully!) and if you like the sound of it, you’ll probably enjoy it!

In my personal experience with Japanese 'BLs', these usually fit into one of two categories: silly, fluffy pieces that aren't to be taken too seriously, or are deeper and more character-driven. This as well as its prequel are classic examples of the second category, though I think this formula works better in this sequel than its predecessor. I will just say, please do heed those tags - this series is probably the most explicit I've ever seen and I wasn't prepared at all lol.

I don’t think it was the best idea to air this at the same time as The Director Who Buys Me Dinner as I kept getting confused between the two - the plots were slightly different but the identical setting got them confused in my mind lol! But I’m actually really impressed by the chemistry between the two main characters; a common problem with queer Korean dramas is that the main couple often lack some chemistry and I tend to not really believe their relationship, but I was pleasantly surprised here! This is probably the first realistic kiss I’ve seen in a Korean bl lol!

I thought this was a surprisingly unique plot and I actually really enjoyed the historical scenes too! If you liked this drama I really recommend the webtoon, there’s only so much a drama this short can get into. I actually liked that the drama was a little different from the webtoon though, it kept it interesting and I actually way preferred Dennis’ role here way more! I have to say though that I way prefer the ending in the webtoon, this version wasn’t really my favourite. The acting was fine and the chemistry was okay (I’ve seen a lot worse) so overall I recommend this perhaps as more of a filler series but definitely a stronger filler than some!

This was a cute, relatively short series that I managed to finish in one day! The concept was super interesting, but I would have liked to see a much deeper exploration of Heng 9's character and experience in particular. This also might just be my inner sci-fi geek but I also would've loved the universe to bit a bit more fleshed out - what do you mean Heng 9 "can do everything a human can do"? Does his heart beat? How does he charge? What data is his AI system trained on?

The acting was decent but the best part of this series was the chemistry - ooh boy XD 

I'll admit that due to the advice of a reviewer (thank you for your continued service BL Compilations!) I skipped pretty much all of episodes 9 and 10 and just watched the final few scenes due to the terrible angst I could sense - and I 1000% recommend anyone else does the same!!

This isn't the deepest series but might be a cute watch for anyone who is a bit tired of the usual romance settings!

Yeah this was okay - dramas based on webtoons usually have pretty solid stories but can be somewhat hit-or-miss with the acting and pacing. The acting here was fine (nothing special) but the pacing, as with a lot of Korean 'bls', just wasn't great. I enjoyed it well enough for a simple, fluffy series but I've honestly come to expect more from dramas these days lol!

I originally absolutely loved the first 3 or 4 episodes of this - the premise was super cool, the acting was decent and the main couple had great chemistry! 

However, as soon as feelings started developing between them things got kinda... stagnant? Unrealistic? I don't know, I just couldn't really believe that these two were actually in a romantic relationship. They had some pretty stiff kissing scenes, which was strange considering they included so many of them, so that was probably a large reason why I couldn't really get on board with the romance.

But it was a pretty good, fluffy series that had an interesting concept and wasn't too long, so I'm definitely still glad that I watched it!

I feel like these movies could have been tightened up a little bit - as is a running theme with the dramas/movies I score a 7, they're not bad but I couldn't help but want a bit more from them. Give them a go, but be warned there are a lot of long pauses and moments of silence lol.

This was actually the first Thai series I'd ever seen and I was kinda into it for the first few episodes. you really can't fault the acting, cinematography or directing - they were all pretty decent, and the production value was great. But it was just the writing that got me - and I know it's unpopular but I didn't really like the characters. They were unrelatable and I just wasn't rooting for them. Perhaps it should get a higher score, but honestly this just wasn't my cup of tea.

This is another prime example of a show that was incredibly boosted (at least for myself) by a secondary couple. I wasn't too invested in the main couple but the performances given by everyone were decent throughout. 

Going back through these dramas now is making me realise I've probably been a bit too generous with a lot of them lol. But as I've said, these scores are purely based on my own opinion and are largely gauged by how much I enjoyed them.

Another example of a series I watched very early in my drama career when I didn't really know how to score things properly, so don't take this rating (or that of 2 Moons 2) very seriously!!

This was a very interesting and original concept! I will just give a MASSIVE content warning for suicide, it took me by surprise and is a pretty big part of the story so please skip this one if it will affect you! The storytelling was a little awkward but I appreciate that it was concise and relatively well-paced; but for me, I just didn’t think the romantic angle fit at all and I would have much preferred it if they’d played into the ‘mirror’ concept much more.

So I think it's about time to admit that the golden days of HIStory are over - in fact, I would argue that HIStory 2 and 3 are the only ones really worth watching. Sure I had enough fun watching this to finish it but, despite the consistently high production quality and decent acting, I wasn't really convinced by the chemistry between either of the couples (which is a huge deal for me). I think the plot was pretty interesting and it had me hooked from early on but it wasn't fleshed out enough to be fully impactful, and it's unfortunate that everything was all resolved pretty abruptly at the end. It wasn't a waste of time to watch, though admittedly I think my expectations were just a little too high going into this; I was destined to be a little disappointed.

Omg it’s finally happened - a mainstream GL!!!  I was beyond excited about this when I first heard about it and  I'm delighted that it's been so popular.

Let's start with the positives! This had some of my favourite guilty pleasure tropes: the ice-cold boss whose heart slowly melts when they meet their naive but sweet employee, the idol and the fan, the list goes on! I loved the workplace atmosphere and friendships between the employees, it gave great depth to the characters. I also have to rave about the accessibility of this series - not only was it posted in fantastic quality on YouTube but the subtitles actually gave important context and elaboration for people who don’t speak Thai. Incredible!

Now, an explanation for the somewhat alarming score... I really wish, from the bottom of my heart, that I could have rated this higher, but honestly, I wasn’t overly convinced by the acting/chemistry, and if you've read any of my other reviews you know this is probably the most important part of a drama to me. I imagine I would have enjoyed this more if it were about half the length - the second half definitely dragged. This series definitely has the exact same vibes as something like Cutie Pie (which isn't the greatest compliment) but I'm still really glad to have watched it and I'm over the moon that we're starting to see more GL media!!

I rather enjoyed the simple concept of this series, the focus on cooking your way around the world was quite charming! The execution was okay and so was the acting - I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the performance of Kondo Shori as Ichijou as this is his first role.

 I was initially quite nervous that Yutaro was one of the lead actors as I wasn't really impressed with his performance in Cherry Magic, but I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, this is no different and I have to say that I really wasn't impressed with their chemistry either (let's not even talk about that horrible kiss!). Chemistry is the one thing that will sell me on a series, and it's unfortunate that this didn't really hit my personal preferences.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable concept, but I just think that the 'romance' aspect was a complete flop for me. Watch Love Tractor instead!!

Once again I wasn't the biggest fan of this concept but the drama itself was well-made and overall still an enjoyable watch!

I went back and forth on whether I'd actually watch this one after all the drama with Krist and the recastings, but clearly I finished it so here we go!

I actually really enjoyed Krist's performance in SOTUS so I was keen to see him in another role, but I don't know what happened with this one - his character was incredibly stiff, childish and completely unlikeable, I genuinely couldn't root for Kawi at all. I also don't think he had much chemistry with the other main character and it didn't make any sense as to why they ended up together.

The premise was actually really interesting and I appreciated the message, however I ended up skipping through quite a lot of the second half of the drama to see when it would get good - alas, I don't think it ever did.

Being a GMMTV production on their Friday slot, this series was obviously very well-made: great cinematography, decent music, coherent writing, etc. But it just felt overly manufactured and was a bit of a chore to get through the final few episodes. Bit of a shame, but GMMTV are pumping out so many 'bls' nowadays that not all of them can be a hit. I just wish that it didn't feel like a series that was queer just for the sake of it.

This is certainly not the greatest masterpiece ever but I really enjoyed tuning into GMMTV every Friday evening to watch it. This is another example, however, of a show that I've probably been a little too generous with. 

One thing I wish would stop happening in this industry is hiring underage actors for romantic roles, especially when they're partnered with someone quite a few years older - and this goes for other series, not just this one.

This series really had that whole High Production Vibe - it was clearly very well funded and had fantastic directing, acting, music, etc., and really had a similar aura to series such as SOTUS, Theory of Love, and other big-budget bls. I hope you get what I mean lol. If I had one personal criticism, it would be that the cheery lighting and crisp visuals perhaps didn’t lend themselves to being the deepest and most impactful series, but I don’t think the producers were going for that anyway.

I didn't mind the plot of this; the push and pull between the main couple was fun and the side couples kept the series feeling fresh and improved the pacing (although it did drag towards the end). My biggest criticism, though, is that the series was based a lot around miscommunication and misunderstandings - these are probably my absolute least favourite tropes, so if that frustrates you then perhaps skip this one.

So overall, I recommend this series especially if you’re looking for something lighthearted with great visual quality!

At only six episodes, it was a pretty fun and easy watch; the acting and quality were great and I enjoyed the plot! My main criticism is probably the pacing - the main two characters seemed to get together somewhat out of nowhere and it kinda felt a bit rushed in that aspect. However, I think the story was simple enough and I'd still recommend it!

Simple but sweet! This drama isn't anything special but I rather enjoyed the journalist setting, even if the chemistry was a little off for me. It very much reminds me of Takara-kun to Amagi-kun, but I enjoyed this more as I found the plot a bit more substantial!

See my review for Moon Indigo (the sequel) - this was really quite something lol, read those tags carefully!

So this was kinda just okay in my opinion; the acting was decent, the production value was quite impressive and the story was easy enough to follow. I remember reading the manhwa a few years ago and I really liked it so I was excited to see it being adapted! 

My main problem was that it felt… overly manufactured? Like I enjoyed it well enough but I didn’t really believe what I was watching. It felt somewhat safe and predictable. Maybe my expectations are just too high now lol - after seeing something like Bad Buddy, it’s easy to spot when the actors don’t have the most natural chemistry. It’s pretty short though so I do still recommend it even if it wasn’t really for me! I feel bad putting this so low :')

I was initially a little worried when I saw that one of the leads was played by an idol; I’m really not sure how I feel about K-pop artists entering the ‘BL’ acting scene, but Leo’s performance was actually great! I think this drama’s strongest asset is its sophistication - the sound, music and visuals were stunning and the story was actually pretty mature and very well-told. It’s interesting to see the portrayal of unhealthy or possessive relationships and how real people deal with setting boundaries and making hard or selfish decisions. 

I think if you like the sound of this, you’ll absolutely enjoy it! For me though, I wasn’t really invested in the plot (I usually enjoy something a bit more gripping), hence the lower score. I will say that the drama also suffered from being too long which is odd considering it’s only 8 episodes - but the second half just felt like it was re-hashing the same point over and over and not really adding anything new, so that was a bit annoying.

Quite fun but definitely I lost interest towards the end.

Yeah this was fine, a pretty short Japanese drama with a sweet, innocent love blooming between two teenagers! I was just not convinced they had any chemistry, like I didn't truly believe they were dating. This was more of a filler series for me anyway, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that it felt like a 'bl' for the sake of jumping on a trend rather than portraying a sweet queer series - watch Heartstopper instead!

A bit too goofy and slapstick for my liking but I don't regret watching it - you just have to be in the right mood and I'm sure you'll get some enjoyment from it!

I initially really liked this drama, but beyond the first episode or two... that's really it. Nothing really happens, unfortunately. The production seems good enough, but the acting and writing left a bit to be desired. But definitely not the worst thing I've seen.

Although it was a little vague and confusing at times, I enjoyed the story and acting well enough in this short drama. I might be alone in this, but I actually much preferred the music video sequel (Not That) Innocent.

This was a silly, lighthearted series that more or less follows the typical high school Thai bl formula - but it’s still pretty cute! The story was amusing (if lacking a little in originality) and I enjoyed the family dynamics between X and his mum and uncle. My main issue with this series comes back to a common complaint that it just didn't feel real; I didn't really believe in the world or the characters, and that kind of sucks. Overall, I think this was an okay miniseries but there are many others I’d rather watch.

To be completely honest, I don't actually remember watching this lol.

Not the best drama I've ever seen, to be honest - it was just boring and rather forgettable.

I didn't really enjoy this - if you're just getting into bl or LGBTQ media I would generally recommend the HIStory series but I'd skip on these first two and go straight to HIStory 2.

I won't lie, I wasn't really into the whole stepbrother concept but it was good enough to earn an average rating.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't really enjoy this. I'm usually a big fan of mafia/crime dramas (see my KinnPorsche and Not Me reviews back up at the top!) but this really wasn't it for me. I thought the plot was non-existent and rather boring, and it didn't help that the actors lacked any sort of chemistry. The scenes between them felt forced and I genuinely didn't understand why they ended up together; their feelings felt as if they came completely out of the blue. Unfortunately, this drama joins the list of many others where I just did not believe in what I was watching - the plot felt unrealistic and the characters were unlikeable and two-dimensional. To be honest, I really need to adjust these ratings lol!

Honestly, this drama was quite forgettable - the word that best describes it is ‘rushed’. It’s such a shame as I really loved the concept and I think they really could’ve made a great series if it had been longer. I'm an absolute sucker (pun intended) for vampire media and I was really rooting for this series! As it stands, squeezing such a complex story into such a short time frame was never really gonna work out in terms of pacing. The production was decent and the acting was fine, but unfortunately (as with many Korean bls) the chemistry was a little lacking. Having just watched the final episode, I felt a complete absence of emotional connection and I think that was the show’s biggest downfall for me. I’ve seen a lot better.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.

So you've made it to the bottom. 

This is the only one on this list that I never finished and the only one I genuinely do not recommend. Please do not watch this, it's just terrible representation. I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I just felt frustrated while watching it.

The acting was excellent as well as the OST, and the production value was clearly very high, however I simply could not get over the story - while I desperately wanted to overlook some of the flaws and just enjoy the show, it got to the point where I found myself getting angrier by the episode. If the unhealthy relationship were intentional I would not be nearly as harsh, but it feels like the whole production was just completely unaware of the hurtful narrative they've produced.

The damaging views pushed by this show have greatly hurt the LGBTQ+ community (including myself)  and that is simply unforgivable. We deserve better representation than this.