BL Compilations

cute main couple

Overall: I liked the main couple, but there was too much time spent on the antagonist. 43 1-2 minute episodes with 1-5 free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwYMw24W9K4 Aired on the Shortime app (more info below). My referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus.
Content Warning: manipulation, non con recording

What I Liked
- easy to understand premise
- visuals
- supportive friend

Room For Improvement
- too much time spent on the antagonist
- ghosting
- that they cut the kiss in ep 41 and there wasn't one at the end
- (neutral) I set aside the physical therapist/patient squickiness



My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025)
My referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus.

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5, around 15 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

When you run out of popcorn while watching, you can watch 5 episodes each day with ads

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a quirky short film

Overall: this is a 13 minute quirky short movie where condoms have voices. I first watched it on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/1207/dom-2017 It later aired on Shortime (it was 100 popcorn in 2025).

What I Liked
- the way the guy bought it felt realistic
- made me chuckle a few times
- friendship

Room For Improvement
- them being very drunk beforehand
- the one guy trying to convince him not to use a condom

Note: this isn't a happily ever after, the main character's boyfriend cheats on him and then it's an open ending

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vertical series about step brothers

Overall: it was okay. 30 episodes about 1-2 minutes each. Episodes 1-5 (of 30 short episodes) on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4cN0VtI6fE
Aired on the Shortime app (more info below). My referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus. Later available on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: coercion, bullying, past injury, harassment, past death

What I Liked
- caring moments
- the parents
- there is a kiss

Room For Improvement
- a character being hot and cold and then when he grabbed/yelled at the other lead
- not much romance


My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025)
My referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus.

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5-15, around 30 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

When you run out of popcorn while watching, you can watch 5 episodes each day with ads

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a quirky short series

Overall: 3 episodes about 4 minutes each. Produced by Flying Penguin, originally released on Likey. Later released on Shortime app (app info below). My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

Content Warning: non con touching? (might not have actually touched)

What I Liked
- centered on 3 protagonists
- kissing

Room For Improvement
- that they didn't check for something and other nonsense stuff
- abrupt ending


My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025)
1 friend referral code = 20 (1 time bonus) My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5-15, around 30 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

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realistic portrayal of an unrealistic scenario

Overall: it was fine. Episodes 1-5 (of 40 short episodes) on YouTube https://youtu.be/4fBurNUWBQg?si=fE3XCNvFUlnJV6ww

Aired on the Shortime app (more info below). My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i) Shortime also also has: Long Time No See, A First Love Story, Color Rush, As if You Whisper, Choco Milk Shake, Double Play, Please Teach Me, Falling For My Boss, Can a Freeloader Make it as a Secretary, Summer Indigo, The Secrets of Male Students, Accent, Ippon: Hold Me Tight, Star Struck, Once Again, That Nerd is My Brother in Law, I'm Your Pet, I'd Rather Quit Than Die Director, Influencer Love, Happy Ending Romance, Happy Ending, Romeo and Romeo and Juliet, Blue Complex, Gangster Like Me Got a Boyfriend, Buddy Boy and W King.

Content Warning: homophobia

What I Liked
- the dad "if it's someone you like, I'm fine with anyone"
- the sister
- the visual while they were changing facing away from each other

Room for Improvement
- more time spent with the end couple
- wanted something at the very end

My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025)
1 friend referral code = 20 (1 time bonus) My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5-15, around 30 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

When you run out of popcorn while watching, you can watch 5 episodes each day with ads

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a decent special

Overall: I'm happy it didn't rely on the too frequent "I'm planning a surprise for you so I'll make you super sad because it looks like I'm cheating and I won't tell you what's going on" special episode plot. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/u23sfk7obd6z87j/o41013qcd2m-EP13%3A_Knock_Out

Content Warning: intimate partner abuse briefly shown, non con turned consensual
- sweet moments
- steamy moment
- that it wasn't the normal special episode plot

Room For Improvement
- the non con which we were supposed to think was fine because it turned consensual
- not sure I believe the "neither person has to compromise and it's fine because even though they'll make each other unhappy they still love each other" message (mini rant, there was a super easy fix to their first issue)
- the comedy sound effects didn't make things funny

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decent way to spend 20 minutes

Overall: I was put off by the title and how one character looked really young, but their ages were 20 and 30 and it was a decent story. This is one episode https://youtu.be/N36RyPrWRgE?si=qbCEznCpg4ybeo0B from Love Bites season 2 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPcB0_P-Zlj6UzkFSEipwgaNxQraj-S_5

Content Warning: vomiting

What I Liked
- easy to understand plot
- a character was sassy but also like a real person I could meet and not a stereotype
- cute moments

Room For Improvement
- voice over was unnecessary
- unclear on how much time passed, at the end that felt rushed for what he gave him but maybe it wasn't exactly what I thought it was or more time had passed than what I thought

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extremely well done

Overall: acting, tension and production were all stellar in this series. 6 episodes about 22 minutes each. Was available on Viki under the title "The Novelist", currently available on  GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/2189/pornographer-2018-e01 

Content Warnings: manipulation, dub con touching/kissing/and more, alcoholism, punch

What I Liked
- tension/chemistry
- some of the best intimate scenes ever (natural noises, facial expressions, body movements)
- acting (the silent screaming scene in episode 5 was amazing)
- production value (cinematography, music, attention to props like Kuzumi's shirt in ep 3)

Note: I normally struggle with manipulative leads in romances, but although Kijima is flawed, I still want him to work through his stuff and end up with Kuzumi. I think that is testament to strong writing and acting. 

Room For Improvement
- the voice over
- could have shortened the story of the student and his teacher in ep 1
- multiple running scenes
- up to 2 minute recaps at the start of episodes
- in episode 6 I've never understood the "though I'm a liar, I'll keep my promise" as he doesn't in the morning, but perhaps it's the promise to do what Kuzumi asked him earlier in the episode

Franchise Watch Order
Pornographer aka The Novelist (2018)
Pornographer: Indigo Mood aka Mood Indigo (2019) (this is a prequel but should be watched after The Novelist)
Pornographer: Spring Life (2021)
Pornographer: Playback (2021)
Pornographer: Continued Spring Life (2021)

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feels dated (and not a BL)

Overall: this is a sitcom about two guys who pretend to be a couple for views/money. I did not interpret this as a BL or censored BL. There are maybe hints with one guy towards the other but it did not feel mutual. 12 episodes about 10 minutes each, on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: attempted self harm played as comedy, mentions of stalking, harassment, fight

What I Liked
- laughed 3 times
- abs
- the innuendo in the title (and at one point they cooked eggplant so maybe that was on purpose)
- translator notes

Room For Improvement
- did not see mutual attraction/love, definitely didn't see the same kind of hints/chemistry like in other censored things from China
- the laugh track, didn't find majority of their jokes funny
- making fun of masculine woman and effeminate men
- making fun of abusive contracts
- bad sound quality in episode 3

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sweet and fluffy moments from two couples of Coffee Melody

Overall: this is a follow up 1 year later of two couples from Coffee Melody the series. I rate the 1st episode 7 and 2nd 8 for an average of 7.5. Each episode is about 30 minutes long. Aired on YouTube.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- the fluffy, domestic bliss and sweet moments (and there were quite a few)
- the teaching moments in episode 2
- same sex marriage advocacy in both episodes

Room For Improvement
- in both of these it felt like their dialogue and physical affection is what we'd see at the start of dating, not after 1 year, episode 1 had more physical affection but they felt unnaturally shy about it
- particularly in episode 1, scenes jumped around and lacked a coherent story line, episode 2 was less jumpy
- the road noise was a bit loud over some of the talking scenes outside
- the intro has a bunch of characters that aren't in either episode which seems strange (they were characters from the full series)
- a bit too slow paced for me which is reminiscent of the series

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A sweet, slice of life high school story

Overall: a nice, short (35min) realistic movie about two high schoolers, one of whom is trying to figure out who he is and what he wants

Content Warning: homophobia (mainly from 1 teacher, bleh)

What I Liked
- the theme of being true to yourself and pursuing your dreams
- a confident, out gay guy (and his friends were fine with his sexual orientation)
- the pairing of a goofy extrovert and a quiet introvert (this reminds me of MODC)
- how both apologize for pushing each other (both physically and mentally)

Room For Improvement
- no sense of how much time passed when they were getting to know each other or after the incident
- the night scenes are too dark and need a bit more lighting
- the two female students were intrusive and were not being as supportive as they thought
- the female teacher telling him not to pursue art and then being terrible at classroom management
- the male teacher for being homophobic (slight redemption after the incident)
- the ending was fine, but it would have been nice to have a super short scene (or even pics) during/after the credits with them meeting up later
- having both small hard coded and soft coded English subs, they were actually a bit different but I couldn't tell which was better (watched on gagaoolala)

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A beautiful story about family, love, self-acceptance, regret & atonement

Content Warnings: (not between m/m) character death, suicide (not shown and not sure if that's what happened)

Overall: I was moved to tears by a beautiful story about what it really means to be family (it's more than biology), how to accept oneself, and trying to right past wrongs. FYI the title on GagaOOLala is "On The Way Home."

What I Liked
- the themes of the story that I mentioned: family, love, self-acceptance, regret, atonement/2nd chances
- the friend's reactions were realistic, almost like going through stages of grief such as disbelief, anger, sadness and acceptance

Room For Improvement
- the m/m relationship was too off screen for me. It was a major factor of what happened, but if I hadn't read the synopsis, I wouldn't have even known anything until too far into the movie. I'm not saying that I wanted NSFW scenes, just to show the love between the characters and how the daughter was feeling left out (see below point)
- I realize the daughter was going through quite a lot, but there could have been additional motivation (like showing what was happening at school for example, was she being bullied? did she see classmates display homophobia and it made her worried?) to give her actions more reasoning behind them

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First Impression: Journey With You

Overall: gorgeous visuals/costuming and a unique setting/plot. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/7095/journey-with-you-2026-e01

Content Warnings: there are major ones right at the beginning, I'm keeping this spoiler free for now but this is not a fluffy romance

What I Liked
- costuming/setting
- unique plot

Room For Improvement
- there were a ton of characters/plot introduced and it was a bit confusing, but I figured out the main characters/plot fairly quickly
- that mom looked like a sibling
- some characters are kind of stupid to believe other things, knowing how dangerous their situation is, also the emperor is stupid since he seems to have 5 sons (2 of which have been dealt with whatever that means) and also doesn't seem to realize how dangerous his situation is

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