BL Compilations

how a painful past affects relationships

Overall: I was very impressed with the first two episodes that had a slice of life/serious vibe; however, many plot elements, the shifting characterization and editing has brought my initial 9.5 rating down. 8 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala for Southeast Asia and most of Europe (not UK or Spain) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4854/let-free-the-curse-of-taekwondo-2024 and iQIYI for I'd assume the countries not covered by GagaOOLala https://www.iq.com/play/1713h09ez2k?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 Watch after the initial credits of episode 1 for an extra scene.

Content Warnings: child abuse, violence, beaten up, death, trauma, dub con kiss, fraud

Watch Suggestions (to get rid of angst between the leads and the love rival)
- watch episodes 1 & 2
- watch episode 3 up to 25 min
- skip episode 4
- watch episode 5 21-23
- watch episode 6 11-14:35 and 32:45-end
- watch episode 7 beginning to 4:45 and 27 to the end
- watch episode 8 6:12-8:10, 19-19:45 and 21-36:45

What I Liked
- chemistry
- caring/sweet moments especially in episode 3
- realistic nervousness/awkwardness
- good kissing
- production value (except the confusing editing)

Room For Improvement
- ominous voice overs
- wish they had established the year in episode 1 (was established as 2004 at the beginning of episode 2)
- the cut to black after a certain moment/not showing the reaction
- plot elements were not well explained, there would be a brief flash or 1 sentence about major events that the viewers didn't get to see
- the plot element at the end of ep 3/beg of 4 was too long and not seeing something very important was cliche
- flashbacks/flash forwards made things unnecessarily confusing
- love rival and other side plots (student, drawing) instead of fully developing the main storyline
- I didn't ship the 2 characters romantically, felt like the cliche 'love heals all trauma'
- the very ending of episode 8 was anticlimactic

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I was entertained...

Overall: this was what I'd call standard Thai BL with an enemies to lovers plot. Though it had some flaws, I was entertained. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: voyeurism, manhandling, fight, non con touch (sleeping), manipulation

What I Liked
- the sweet brother relationship
- the food looked delicious
- the cute moments
- the funny moments
- the dynamic of an aggressive flirt and a feisty guy
- how Poon made Athip see how Athip's niece was feeling
- Athip's assistant (can we get a series with her and the assistant from Cutie Pie?)
- good production value

Room For Improvement
- cliche wannabe girlfriend although it wasn't the worst example that I've seen of this trope
- trans woman used as comedy
- continuity error in ep 3 with stains that magically vanished
- the drama in episode 6 was stupid and Athip was dumb
- brother and niece weren't in the finale
- kiss partially blocked
- the blur filter is pretty high with everyone's faces
- the subtitles said "partner" a few times which is confusing because they could be talking abou business partners however I think they meant "boyfriend"
- odd title isn't explained until episode 4

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too many characters/couples and an unfinished finale (watch the 1 couple cut)

Overall: there were 9 actors listed as main roles and 14 listed as support roles, they needed to cut the characters by half and then focus on the fewer characters/couples. I took a full point off for that finale which was one of the worst finales I have ever seen in anything, they dropped several plot threads/had no resolution for several characters/couples. 8 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI and MFlow Entertainment's YouTube Channel (not in the U.S.). Produced by MFlow Entertainment which also made Tin Tem Jai, Ai Long Nhai, Coffee Melody Second Chance and With Love.

After airing they made a special cut of just the established couple which I'd suggest watching instead of the series https://www.iq.com/play/beyond-the-star-nnkh0lxm1c?lang=en_us Just wish they would have had a better ending for them than a pinky promise promising not to cheat...

What Suggestions if you watch the whole thing (prioritizing the established couple and intimate scenes)
episode 1 - 14 minutes established couple sniff kisses
episode 2 - 32 minutes established couple in a window seat having fun
episode 3 - 5 minutes established couple in a tub having fun
episode 4 - 4 minutes glasses & friend dream kissing, 22 minutes established couple flirting & 33 minutes shopping
episode 5 - 16 minutes established couple on a couch having fun, 33 minutes established couple brief kisses
episode 6 - 36 minutes foot injured couple confession, sniff kiss and bed scene
episode 7 - 24 minutes (NSFW with foot injured couple) to 33 minutes and just pretend that's the end (episode 8 does have a meh NSFW scene with that guy wearing glasses 31-37 minutes)

Content Warnings: non con video recording/sharing, slap, manhandling, attempted suicide

What I Liked
- an established couple, they had some nice kisses/scenes
- cafe worker's dimples (though not sure why he lied about his part time job when the other character specifically said he didn't have to lie about it???)
- some decently done NSFW scenes (the established couple)
- (neutral) there were a few comedy sound effects, they weren't overwhelming

Room For Improvement
- there were a ton of characters introduced in episode 1 and I didn't care about any of them, I did eventually figure most of them out but then characters would vanish for an episode or more
- nonsense writing, a character said that they were waiting for another character to practice when we clearly saw them all practicing...
- slow pacing, I watched at 3x speed, didn't care about the rival company stuff or dance practices
- slap was not needed and not funny
- kind of hinted at a love triangle was annoying
- that final episode was absolutely terrible, barely anything was resolved, they also threw in a very serious thing in episode 8 with no discussion of counseling/medication/help

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good start, lackluster ending

Overall: I liked it overall but will add a half point to this review if they do a season 2 as there were several plot threads hanging. 8 episodes about 7 minutes each. Aired on Sukfilm's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwR6JKy1hl4Jq93_HjCqSLgc&si=dKNaW9aTzGwFqFUg - SUKFILM made these BLs: Seoul Blues, Blue Boys and Bad Guy

Content Warnings: dub/non con kiss, unwanted outing

What I Liked
- a character's actions show that he's romantically interested without an exposition dump or voice over
- visuals
- cheeky with the drink
- good kissing

Room For Improvement
- they needed to focus on the main leads and get rid of the queer panic if it was going to be resolved in a second
- the music with lyrics needs to be quieter when the characters are speaking
- in episode 4, one character's reactions
- in episode 4 if he had said that with the wallet privately then it would have been fine but I think in front of the line it went into mean/cruel territory
- one character gave me whiplash with hot & cold
- the dub/non con kiss (when someone is sleeping)
- episode 8 was not a good way to end a series

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heartwarming slice of life series

Overall: this series really gets you in the feels. Aired on GagaOOLala, 10 episodes total about 20 minutes per episode. Has a 1 episode spin off. It is based on a manga which I purchased on Amazon and read (and it stayed pretty close to the source material).

Content Warnings: past bullying, trauma

What I Liked
- the intro/outro songs
- sweet moments
- the cooking
- slice of life vibe
- that kid is adorable and the dad is super supportive
- Minoru seeking out communication
- production value

Room For Improvement
- not a fan of some of the exaggerated expressions, many series based on manga have a character like this but it doesn't feel right in the live action adaptation
- too many flashbacks
- wish we got some/more romantic attraction signals from Yutaka
- went too quickly from daytime to nighttime in episode 8 during a short story

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cute but rushed

Overall: this was cute but they tried to cover too much plot and it felt jumpy/rushed. 8 episodes total, about 20 minutes per episode. Aired on GagaOOLala and Viki.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- that opening scene isn't super common in fiction (but very common in real life)
- funny moments
- the characterizations/opposite personalities
- the friendships especially Han Ji Yu and Ji Hoon, that's the friend who tells you honestly that you got a bad haircut lol
- need a spin off with the friend and the new character introduced at the end

Room For Improvement
- they needed to narrow the plot because scenes would quickly jump from 1 to another and it felt rushed overall, they didn't clearly explain some parts
- I thought that scene at the end of episode 1 was a preview for next week but it was actually an extra scene in the first episode. The second episode had it as well with an extended scene before the next week's preview. This was a bit confusing.
- having a conversation while someone is on the toilet
- too many falls
- the dead fish lip presses

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abusive relationships (watch suggestions)

Overall: I have conflicting thoughts on this that I'll try to describe below. Based on a webtoon that I haven't read and will review the series based on its own merits. 8 episodes about 30 minutes each, 2 episodes per week. Aired on GagaOOLala (not available in U.S., Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, U.K., Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5149/secret-relationships-2025 and iQIYI (assuming for countries not covered by Gaga) https://www.iq.com/play/1f4631z99hw?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4

Content Warnings: implied rape (coercing someone is not consent freely given), sexual assault, non con kissing, self harm, blood, stalking, manhandling, punch, past non con touching, past violence/blood, harassment, manipulation, coercion, cyber bullying, kidnapping, near muder-suicide

Watch Suggestions (to take the abuse out and turn it into a love story of two people)
- episode 1 watch 7-11 and 21:20-29:20
- episode 2 watch 4-5:30, 19-22 and 30-33:50
- episode 3 watch 6:10-7:35, 9:30-10, 13:30-16:25 and 18:10-22.25
- episode 4 watch 11:30-14:40 and 29:20-30:20
- episode 5 watch 11-12:05, 13:15-17:40 and 25-26:45
- episode 6 watch 20:30-22:45
- episode 7 watch 21-22:15 and 26-27
- episode 8 watch 23-35:45 or all the way to the end for a flashback from 12 years ago


What I Liked
- visuals
- the tie tying/sweet moments
- a character recognized his feelings fairly quickly and expressed them
- twists as the viewer learned more about what happened in the past
- showed how emotional abuse is also horrible, interesting as a viewer to see a character more outwardly abusive cast as the villain but then another character is also terrible and does his abuse more covertly
- the grandma
- in episode 8 that a character was able to do his original plan/what he wanted and his love interest didn't hold him back
- production value* (I especially liked in episode 8 how the light changed around 27 minutes)

Room For Improvement
- voice over start
- multiple flashbacks, I appreciate that they were clear and in the beginning it lent to the twistiness of the plot but later it felt like the flashbacks dragged the plot in the present, also the sweet flashbacks at the end were extremely jarring
- nonsense stuff: even though the initial "plan" was stupid and likely not one that anyone has ever made/for that long, a character not telling another character the truth about what happened in the past until the end of episode 6 was infuriating/unrealistic, no one covering a wound in episode 8 in the ambulance, how a character was not immediately in police custody
- not enjoyable to watch 2 abusers fight over Daon, I don't blame Daon, he's been abused and not sure he even recognizes the extent of it, I think the writers made Daon a bit too doe-eyed/naive and was unbelievable like his actions at the end of episode 7
- a character who is supposedly a green flag: kissed Daon back when Daon was extremely drunk/unable to consent, repeatedly ignored Daon's boundaries, borderline lovebombed him and felt obsessive in a unhealthy way, in episode 7 he refused to let Daon explain, he did have some redemption in episode 8 but it wasn't enough for me to fully support/feel confident that they would have a long lasting/healthy relationship
- too much time is spent with the dad and two characters instead of focusing on the main romance/relationship development, a 5 minute montage in episode 8 didn't make this a romance series
- cliche time gap in the final episode (but at least it wasn't too long)
- a 5 minute conversation and 1 action as the redemption arc for a character
- no consequences are mentioned in the finale for a character
- flashback with a cliche at the very end of episode 8
- *some scenes were too dark and needed more light on the actors' faces/bodies

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set up to be spicy but then not spicy (watch suggestions)

Overall: something didn't quite work for me, but I'd love to see the actors in a new series. This is based on a manga which I read though I tried to review it on its own merits (the manga has a lot of NSFW scenes). 8 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4647/cosmetic-playlover-2024

Content Warnings: (there were a few, check this review's comments for them)

Watch Suggestions (removes work drama, love triangles)
- watch episode 1
- watch episode 2 beginning to 8 minutes and then 21:30-the end
- skip episode 3
- watch all of episode 4 or 4-5:10, 7:40-10:40, 15:20-the end
- watch episode 5 beginning to 4:17 and then 17:20-the end
- stop episode 6 at 20:45
- watch episode 7 11:50-13:25, 20:15 to the end
- watch episode 8 beginning to 5 minutes and then 18:15 to the end

What I Liked
- a character was honest in episode 1
- clear premise
- several characters introduced but I wasn't confused
- sweet moments
- supportive family & coworker
- had some good communication

Room For Improvement
- a tsundere character tells the other guy to "prepare himself" and then basically does nothing, they eat spaghetti, there's a hug, the intensity is missing in their relationship and then we have a blushing virgin trope
- work drama was uninteresting
- why did multiple characters find another character so irresistible?
- episode 5 was too late to give the other character's perspective/explain his motivation
- the voice overs
- that Natsume trusted a total stranger over his boyfriend and repeatedly ignored boundaries
- that stupid contest in episode 8 with a no physical affection clause
- I ended up being worried about Natsume's low self esteem and didn't have faith that they would stay together

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challenging the idea of normal and does it matter

Overall: This series has realistically flawed characters who are trying to figure out how to make each other and themselves happy. They are challenging the idea of normal and does normal even matter to them and their happiness. If you're looking for a steamy poly relationship or a fluffy romcom, then look elsewhere. 10 episodes, 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: non con photo taking, harassment, homophobia, sexism, non con kissing/touching maybe turned consensual, teacher/former student, and there is something and I've put it on a comment

What I Liked
- challenging norms/ideas such as monogamy, how putting others' happiness before your own can actually be a burden to that person, addressing that just because someone wants to be in a poly relationship (and also that they are bi/pan) does not mean that they are attracted to every person
- diversity (polyamory, gay, bi/pan, lesbian)
- Misaki and Yuuki standing up for one another and against the father
- Misaki was smart and figured out who was taking the pictures
- Misaki seeking communication and carefully thinking/changing
- sweet moments
- production value

Room For Improvement
- sub par kissing, 1 kissing partner did not move his lips and it looked strange
- some plot conveniences/wish they had more time to delve into some parts more deeply
- Yuuki's "plan" was terrible in episode 8
- reinforced negative stereotypes about poly relationships (we see so few representations in media, so I was hoping this would play out a bit differently)
- the open ending, it really could go in a number of different directions

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aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee

Overall: although the writers tried to make the aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee a comedy, it did not work for me.. Aired 2 episodes per week on GagaOOLala and Viki. Same production company as Our Dating Sim and My Sweet Dear (you can see a poster of the series in the office).

Content Warnings: harassment, non con picture taking, kick, non con touching, punch, manhandling

What I Liked
- laughed a few times ("my love for you isn't unconditional, I care about your looks" great line/writing!)
- there are tropes but they are done well
- sweet moments
- the last restaurant scene in episode 8
- some good kissing/actual mouth movement
- turning bedroom lights on and off at appropriate times
- Lee Jun was able to separate his work life from his personal feelings
- Lee Jun did end up having some agency instead of just an object others fight over

Room For Improvement
- dislike this type of dynamic where someone won't take no for an answer, the harassment lasted way too long and was too much
- this couple's relationship is doomed, where is the trust, where is the communication, where is the respect?
- never any explanation for why Ha Ram was so aggressive/smitten
- a scene was during the day and then suddenly it was night time
- the ignoring thing was stupid
- what Ha Ram told to their coworker in episode 7 without first consulting Lee Jun
- I don't mind people who are just looking for the short term but that should be clearly stated before going on a date (that guy needs a spin off series)
- voiceovers

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excellent premise and actors let down by bad writing (minor spoilers in content warnings)

Overall: the trailer totally hooked me but the writing just wasn't there. This is basically a classic Thai BL romance with window dressing. Aired on YouTube.

Content Warnings: death, suicide, mental health struggles, grief, manipulation, non/dub con kiss (fake sleeping), non con touching (sleeping), punches, fight, homophobia, non con photo/video taking and posting, unwanted outings, blackmail

What I Liked
- acting and chemistry, especially First and Khaotung (hope to see them as leads again either together or separately)
- promising premise with mystery elements
- flirt and cute moments
- Akk's parents
- good OST and opening credits

Room For Improvement
- that a main drama was private school students being angry about wearing uniforms, this fell flat and would have been better if it focused on bullying/homophobia as many private school students everywhere have to wear uniforms
- too few plot twists and too late
- the writing was a let down, was Ayan even investigating most of the time? A teacher wearing louboutin shoes? Why weren't the 3 students just expelled? Random bonfire on a beach? Why on Ayan tell Akk that at the end of episode 10 at probably the worst possible time? I still don't really understand a character's motivation in episode 11
- Akk was reluctant and Ayan was aggressive for too long, Ayan consistently violated Akk's boundaries, he was being disrespectful not supportive
- two slow burns, would have been better with a fast burn and a slow burn
- what two characters did in episode 11 is close to unforgivable but they have no consequences and all of a sudden everything is totally fine
- hugging and thanking that character in episode 12 part 1 was bizarre
- very angry/sad about what Ayan told Akk's parents in episode 12 part 2, that's not his place to say especially without first discussing it beforehand with Akk

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A comedy that lost its way

Overall: I've seen the anime and also the Japanese live action series, so I have a couple things to compare it with. I have not read the manga it's based off of. AIS Play has released the episodes on their YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: non con touching (ripped off his shirt), non con repeated kissing (sleeping), homophobia, blood with an injury, body policing (don't eat that or you'll get fat), manipulation

What I Liked
- there were some crack comedy moments, especially in the beginning episodes
- the kissing/steamy scene was done pretty well (but I didn't like the overlap)
- at first I liked that Anda's brother was taking care/looking out for Anda, but then it just felt like he was infantilizing Anda and taking Anda's agency away
- I'd like to see the actors in other projects

Room For Improvement
- really wish they had removed the non con kissing, it was so uncomfortable to watch
- the relationship between Anda's brother and Jet was odd, I thought it was something and then suddenly it's something totally different? I wish they had a bunch more crack comedy moments between them.
- useless added love triangle
- gay for you trope
- cliche ending drama
- they should have kept Anda terrible at drawing and used that as a part of the comedy
- it has silly sound effects which aren't really my thing
- the cliche evil manager

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got better as it went on

Overall: this was in the 'close but not quite' category for me, there was just something missing overall. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala, 8 episodes about 25 minutes each.

Content Warnings: attempted/beginning sexual assault, past sexual assault/non con mentioned, manipulation

What I Liked
- clear set up
- bartender and two bosses
- showing how people aren't always who they seem to be
- the funny and sweet moments
- the best insult ever: smutty alien
- that Onoe Satoshi confronted Kaburagi Motoharu about something that was bothering him instead of letting it drag on

Room For Improvement
- wasn't totally sold on their dynamic, I think we needed a bit more explanation about Kaburagi and earlier on
- Kaburagi's words and actions after what Onoe went thru in episode 3 was not the right time/place
- Onoe was a bit too much of a dumb dumb at times

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Want Something Sizzling Hot? Look Elsewhere

Overall: Well that was a thing. Though it has similar flaws with most Korean BL (rushed/choppy plot), I'm downgrading it because of the odd/bad ending. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: there's some manhandling - wrist grabbing, shoving to the ground

What I Liked
- the music
- the original premise of opposite personalities, we have a strict/disciplined guy vs free wheeling/out of the box thinker type guy. (unfortunately it didn't play out as I had hoped)
- that they showed some consideration for one another (not wearing perfume and covering sharp kitchen corners)
- juxtaposition/parallel of the opening scene between the two protagonists
- I did chuckle a couple of times
- that ear nibble/bite

Room For Improvement
- the nonsensical plot: why wouldn't the boss just fire the chef and hire the new one? The chefs should have teamed up at the end and opened their own restaurant together to teach the boss a lesson. There were no people at the fairground, how did the ferris wheel run? How do these chefs have so much free time? Why would the first chef's friends congratulate the 2nd chef???
- choppiness: scenes would just leap from one thing to another, how did they get out of the freezer?
- overdone cliches: "I can explain" (2 minutes of silence and gives no explanation) "I refuse to listen to your explanation (although you had 2 minutes to give me your explanation) and I will never speak or see you again in my entire life even though we work together"
- the flat, cliche evil female character who also has zero repercussions 
- lack of explaining character motivations: why did the 2nd chef sign the contract? He has a really nice apartment so he can't be broke?
- the ending, they didn't talk/date for 3 months, what??? The parallel was nice but we all know they should have kissed at the very end.
- some shaky camerawork
- I felt bad for that octopus

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standard Thai romcom elevated by Off & Gun

Overall: this is a pretty standard Thai romcom, it was nice to see Off & Gun again. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTVs YouTube channel cut and WeTV uncut.

Content Warnings: past death, grief, mental health struggles, stalking/harassment, bullying, dead body covered, slap, homophobia, unwanted outing, punch, non con video recording/sharing, cyberbullying

What I Liked
- reverse personalities/dynamic from their previous characters
- laughed a few times
- sweet moments
- dream sequences
- motivations/responses of the main leads make sense
- how Prem checked in about Ten's boundaries
- Prem/Ten's mutual and ongoing affection, being supportive of one another
- supportive grandma, Unky's parents and the stepmom
- Ten apologizing for what happened in ep 10

Room For Improvement
- started with an inner voice exposition dump
- not a fan of an aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee for the side couple (liked them more starting in episode 7), and then there were some unwanted relationship games in ep 8
- quite a lot of the intended humor was a miss for me
- choppy at times, heard the uncut is less choppy
- the long press and hold kiss with zero lip movement, need more energy in their kissing
- comedy sound effects made things less funny
- could have condensed into 8 episodes, felt slow
- ep 8 the friend going as the in between felt very immature instead of funny
- was disappointed about the Unky arc/telling others without first checking in with the person
- punch was unneeded and then the scene after was jarring with the different tone
- a dad who slaps his son then lecturing him about using physical violence made me roll my eyes
- episode 12 time jump

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