BL / Gay - New Movies and Dramas 2020-2021

Director's cut movie version of drama "Life - Senjou no Bokura". 

I prefer the drama version because I think the format suits a drama better. The pacing and editing feels arranged that way--and I can detect it when it's cut into a movie. But the difference is minute and doesn't really matter.
The movie version does, however, contain a little bit extra. Rewarding! :)

I literally went "OHMYGAWD!" when I saw that this is coming as a drama. YES! YES! YES!
Based on an absolutely lovely one-shot manga--and this mini-drama turned out quite lovely, too. A bit of a different flavour compared to the earlier years of Japanese BL--fully in line with the freshness and "closer to reality makes it more beautiful, not less so", that they've delivered during the past couple of years. 

Sweet, quite simplistic and lacking all that over-the-top melodrama/exaggeration in acting and direction, that used to wreck far too many Japanese productions. An EXCELLENT choice of manga to adapt to a Live Action--and an excellent result, as well. It managed to catch the air and feel of the original work, bringing it to life with dedicated and believable acting and script.

Yay!

(Btw; If you read comics and decide to read/have read the one this is based on--do not miss out on the larger work which this one has more or less copied. "Complex", by Manda Ringo. Get through the first, messy part--and you will be rewarded with a knock-out of a BL...)

DO NOTICE the extremely gratifying cameo in the end--our (at least my) beloved boys from Taiwanese BL-drama "HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count" make a quick appearance! :D (I literally shouted and jumped up and down). Without spoiling too much--it was somehow a little bit of comfort to see them in an "alternative universe" as opposed to the actual drama...

BL and horror? Awesome.  Haven't gotten as far as to watch it yet, though...

Upcoming 2021 (probably).

Sequel season to "Love By Chance", this time focusing on the side couples, mainly on Tin and Can. 

I completely trashed this when I had watched the first episode, and totally ignored watching it, until recently. 

I didn't like it very much, but it wasn't as bad as I expected... 

I'll get to writing some thoughts about it, when I feel motivated to do so...

Was supposed to be released 2020, but no further info has been added to MDL since.

Sequel Special for movies "Love's Coming" and "Love Love You".

Full lenght drama version of the story of Mark and Vee from "En of Love: Love Mechanics". 

Upcoming August 2021. (Probably.)

Sequel for 2019 drama "Love Poison". 

No releasedate available as of now.

Upcoming 2021? (Release date yet to be announced.)

This project seems like a reeeaaaally bad idea :S
Don't go messing with classics, right...

Adaptation of the super popular classic BL manga with the same name. 

(Which I haven't read, since it's not my cup of tea. Whether I will watch the movie depends on the reviews, I guess.)

Upcoming 2021? (No release date available as of now.)

It's seriously questionable whether I should include this title on the list, or not. I still haven't quite decided. Yuck. 

If you have a serious story to tell--any content is justifiable. But this seems to be 100 % gratuitous catering to fangirls/boys that really should book an appointment to a psychologist.

Was supposed to be released in 2020. MDL has no new info.

Upcoming 2021? (No release date available as of now.)

Hmm. I'm ambivalent about this one... 

I was totally hyped up when I heard about it, and waited eagerly for the release. (I would've liked it no matter what--since I've been waiting a long time to see Max and Tul reunited in BL...)

After a couple of episodes, I gave it a "temporary" rating of 8, but I've lowered that considerably since then... I still haven't finished it, since I just can't say that I think it's very good :S I guess I have to get to finishing it, though...

The genre is tricky to navigate if one has been working in BL (director behind "The Love of Siam" and "Dew, Let's Go Together")--especially when giving a love story equal space. One will have to yield and here it will be the thriller part that gives in to the romance. Which is sad--and awesome--depending on how one sees it.  It's hard to mix and find the balance and it doesn't turn out that perfect here, but perhaps that's because of the original novel, I don't know. I plan to read it. Eventually.
I wasn't expecting thriller quality á la South Korea, so I wasn't too disappointed. 

I'm a bit split about that part above--since we're talking my two fav genres, BL and crime, I don't want either to fall flat. But I'll choose to see it this way; this is a BL thriller. Not a thriller with BL. And then it's fine. And I'm SO HAPPY that we finally get gay content in other genres than sappy romance and/or heavy dramas. So even if I'm critical, just that simple fact makes me love it. At least to some extent.

My final judgement shall fall when I've finished it...

Just a nerdy side note; As a life-long criminology/forensics buff + worked in human and vet care--I spot quite a few annoying little technical stupidities and errors in procedures and whatnot... but... who cares... 

Short mini series of the super sweet and innocent kind. Had some small flaws, but I really liked it. (And I'm a sucker for all sports BL--which is weird since I absolutely hate most sports IRL...)

Special episode for drama "Mr. Heart". Nothing much. Behind-the-scenes kind of interview thingy that bored me half to death but I guess it fills its purpose. 

Upcoming 2021? (No release date available as of now.)

Short.

Sequel drama for the "My Bromance" movie. 

In general, MDL ratings are crazy because nutty fans are too trigger-happy with the "10"s. I thought the case was the same here. 

It wasn't. This one deserves a top score.

It's that good. 

What really impresses--is the production. This is CLASS. The difference between this, and 95 % of other BL dramas--is that between heaven and earth. And class is about careful and talented work from the crew. Standard tv-shows vs. movie quality. Here, you have quality techs (sound, light, visuals etc), seamless editing and well planned writing and directing that create dynamic scenes and shots. 

But everything else is great, too. (If I had paid attention to the director--I would have guessed. This guy made "SOTUS"... The music gave me a "SOTUS" feel. I checked. And yeah, it's Lit Samajarn...)

The cast is excellent--compare ALL these guys to most BL actors. These dudes can ACT. Most are great and really make their characters come alive. And as icing on the cake; hot. (Especially Lay... so beautiful...) 

OST/score is not awesome at all times--but always fitting. Sometimes; great. I seldom like mushy love songs, but the ending (also in instrumental score) theme got to me. Love it. 

The storylines of four (!) couples, all fit in the time given, which is rare. I.e. = well planned. One couple is superfluous, but have their charm, still. All others are equally endearing and interesting. 

The is corny, yes--but this is true BL, and it's executed so well that it works even for crass BL fans like me. The humor is often (really) silly, but it's tongue-in-cheek and doesn't take itself too seriously. It even seems like it's going to angle the whole top-bottom-trope a bit differently; sarcastically. (Yay!)
The syrup is cute--not unbearable, and all guys have superb chemistry. 

It's light and cheesy, but sweet--and makes you fangirl. Hard.

Sequel season to drama "My Engineer". 

Upcoming 2021. (No exact release date is available as of now.)

One of the titles I look forward to, the most. Which is a surprising thing to hear from ME... lol... In general, I'm not exactly a fan of the cheesy, cutesy things--but I can't help but to adore "My Engineer"...
It might be because of King and Ram.
I'm actually pretty sure it's King and Ram.
No... it's DEFINITELY King and Ram... lol...

Special episodes connected to the drama "My Engineer".

Behind the scenes episode connected to the drama "My Engineer".

Short.

Sequel for short-film "My Friendship".

Upcoming 2021? (No release date available as of now.)

This was pretty "meh". So "meh" that I can't be bothered to write anything in particular, really. Forgettable, run-of-the-mill, definitely not comparable to recent Thai gems from 2020...

Was listed as upcoming November 2020, but the release info has been removed, so I guess we should expect sometime in 2021, I guess...

Short.

Upcoming May 7th 2021 (?) 

Something rare; historical BL. Generally, it's not my fav theme--but I'll definitely take a look since I'm really impressed by the direction Korean BL has been taking in the past years. 

Upcoming spring 2021.

No release date available as of right now. 

Hong Kong-remake of the Japanese "Ossan" franchise. Could be interesting if one is a fan of the sweet, innocent and quite unique "Ossan" story. 

Upcoming June 2021 (?)

Mini-drama.

Upcoming 23rd of April 2021.

Upcoming 2021. (Probably.)

Uhm. Horror-parody-something, featuring gay monks? :D Wtf... I think I'll have to watch it just because of the insane description. 

Has a previous installment, but I have no idea whether there are any gay characters in that one.

Short-film sequel for drama "Pornographer".

Sequel to movie "Present Perfect".

Short.

Mini-drama.

So... Waiting for this title, I was apprehensive. 

Furukawa Yûki in a BL role? Could work. I've never been a fan, but he did do a pretty good job in "Erased".
How about the manga? Well... it's cute. Mediocre, but cute. 

I finally got my dirty paws on the movie, a while ago.

It's actually really cute, and a good adaptation of the manga :) Furukawa, once again, convinced me that he's actually talented, and not just the annoying dude from sleazy, crappy Shoujo-adaptations. He was pretty fricking adorable in this one :) 

It's innocent, it's grounded, it's simple and it's really, really sweet. Totally in line with Japan's new style in BL--and I really, really love their 180-turn. (Or, perhaps their TWO 180 turns... From plastic manga-crap--to two polar opposites... Everyday love--and dark and twisted...)

I'll admit that I've only watched it unsubbed, so far. There doesn't seem to be any English subs available yet, but they should be out soon. My Japanese is weak, I'm far from skilled enough to be able to pick up more than the rough outlines of dialogue--but I HAVE read the manga, so I'd say I get the picture well enough to be able to rate the flick. 

Definitely worth a watch!

Short.

Mini-drama.

Special for mini-drama "Roommate".

Special episodes connected to the drama "Why R U?"

Totally "meh". Cheesy, superfluous and basically just a bunch of extras to show off the second couple from the main series. However, I do get why they made these specials, since their story was kind of haphazard in the main show. 

I'm annoyed by the extreme clumsiness between Jimmy and Tommy. They're not crappy actors, but their physical scenes are painfully embarrassing to watch.
Compare them to Saint and Zee, as Tutor and Fight, in the main series... They're supposed to be the same age, but the former come off as elementary schoolers and barely reach the level of "cute"--while Saint and Zee conjure up smoking hot tension and interaction. And no--it's not about "Yaoi" vs. "Shounen Ai". It's just about awkward vs. relaxed acting. And perhaps kissing skills... lol... 

Sequel for the 2019 movie "Saitankyori wa Mawari Kudokute".

Upcoming 2021? No release date available.

Short.

Sequel to drama "Skinship". 

Upcoming April 24th (?)

Short.

Supposedly has gay character(s).

LGBTQ theme, with one of the MCs being gay.

Mini-drama.

No releasedate available as of now.

Special episodes for drama "2gether".

Special episodes for drama "2gether".

Hmm. I think I actually like these better than the original drama. EVEN though they're even cheesier. Probably because the direction is better and the balance between the couples is more fluid and not so whiplash-inducing. And I'm fond of "everyday life" in BLs.

It still bothers me that it's this innocent--I don't quite see the point of that, considering that even the tamest Thai BLs take stuff further than this. Not that it necessarily needs to be tons of graphic stuff, but somehow it feels a bit odd that it's pretty abundant in hints and innuendoes--while the kissing and stuff keeps to this level. Well, whatever. That one kiss with the Pocky-looking candy--was sooo aesthetically pleasing ;P 

And... the main guys are still cute together. And still gorgeous. (So gorgeous it's distracting, actually. Not my personal type of guys, but these boys are BEAUTIFUL to look at.) 

And... I still love Toptap. I want him for a kid brother.

And... I will probably never get enough of Drake and Frank. (First pairing up; 'Cause You're My Boy", from 2018). They have among the best chemistry among all Thai BL couples, ever. Just devastatingly adorable together. 

And... Gunsmile still bugs me. Albeit not as much this time around. 

But yeah. It's cheesy. Too cheesy for my taste. And not even close to the quality I prefer to my BL. 

But I still enjoy it.

Huge plus for an awesome intro! (As in visuals. The super-catchy song is old news by now.)

Not BL, it seems--but with a central gay theme.

Short.

I have no idea what this is about--but it has Perth, who is always excellent.
Also features other familiar faces--and I was kind of delighted to see Nick come-back-popping-up in a BL. He's not... all that good--but I kind of love him since the idiotic horror parodies "Make Me Shudder"... 

The director could make this a disaster, really... He's the dude behind a big bunch of crap, like "Dangerous Boys" and the before mentioned "Make Me Shudder" flicks... But he's also the guy behind "Bangkok Love Story", which isn't exactly good, but at least unique.

Upcoming on April 6th 2021.

Special for second season of drama "TharnType". 

Well... 

I wasn't really expecting much from this second season. Their story was "complete" in season one, IMO. It wouldn't have needed more. But since the couple is insanely popular and there IS a second novel--why not. Even if I didn't "need" a S2--I'm still deliriously happy that I get to see more of them. And that--we get. 

It's pretty much like the second season of "SOTUS". Not all that much to say, not all that much to elaborate, not all that much to develop nor explore. The journey was completed in the first season since the premise was that two opposites needed to meet in the middle. This just is that kind of story--the kind that works the best with the climax that was already achieved in season one. But this couple just is one of those that one can't quite get enough of. So it doesn't matter to me that the storyline of this sequel season is (so far) "boring" and more or less non-existent. Just to see them is enough :) 

So yes--I love it. Because it's Tharn and Type. (AND because it's Mew and Gulf.) But there is absolutely no way that I will rate it as high as S1. Because S1 was a bull's-eye. A idiotic, compelling and funny story--that was tight, complete and lacked nothing. The ultimate romcom BL.
S2 is just... milking it. 

But I'm totally fine with that. <3

Okay, this should, in one way, be counted as part of the main series, which started airing 2019 and therefore shouldn't be on the list--but on the other hand, it IS a special disconnected from the first 12 episodes. So let's include it. 

Review is available in my "Thai BL" list as well as the "Asian BL" list.

No releasedate available as of now.

Mini-mini-drama.

Based on one of the best BL/gay-themed mangas ever written.
(Two volumes, by mangaka Mizushiro Setona--which recently were released in English by Seven Seas. And immediately landed in my book shelf. I had to wait 10 years for that...) 

I was equal parts thrilled--and nervous--before watching it. But I was pretty sure that even if it might turn out crappy, it's still an adaptation of a phenomenally good comic--so I would probably love it no matter what.

So... how'd it end up, then...?

I loved it. 

Not just because I'm happy every time I get live action adaptations of my favourites--but because it's GOOD. I have absolutely no idea why some people disliked it, and the ratings are fairly low. It caught the manga very well, and the direction and acting was pretty great.

I'll definitely update with an elaborated mini-review when I find the time...

Umm...

Upcoming drama with the much beloved pairing of Jimmy and Tommy ("Why RU?")...

I'm not thrilled... I do like the guys, and they do have nice chemistry as actors--but their physical interaction is soooooooo bad that I can barely watch them in those kinds of scenes :S
Perhaps it could work if they do some advanced make-out-workshop or something... lol... 

No releasedate available as of now. 

Mini-drama.

Sequel to mini-drama "The Moment".