My Grandpa is a BL Writer (2026)

When writing a BL novel changes the family

Before anything else, let me point out that this is NOT a BL.
This drama's focus is on a journey through a time of growth -- in this case, it's the grandfather and the grandson, along with their family members, who try to save their orphanage; it just happens to have a few gay characters (and one confused character).
Along the way, the series picks up a few topics that are currently discussed in Thai society -- That there is some romance is more coincidental than central.

So, those who are interested ONLY in BL romance series should give this one a miss.
However, if you're willing to follow the story of a family of multiple generations through troubled times, who push through by doing things they would have not done normally, and who learn and grow because of it, then I fully recommend this drama.

The script is written extremely well -- the plot flows smoothly from one point to the next. Problems are -- although enhanced for tension -- never too "out there", and characters don't react dramatically, but rather like *people*. The characters are well-defined from the get-go, and the following character development makes sense.

The titular characters, their relationship with each other and their own journey -- both grandfather and grandson are mentioned in the Thai title -- get, of course, the most screen time and the most character development. Grandfather Sak starts out as the typical (Thai) traditional patriarch, who might care for his family but thinks he has to be strong and flawless as well as strict with his sons at all times, and learns to let his family take on part of the responsibility, learns to show weakness and, most importantly, learns to accept his sons the way they are. Grandson Save's story is a more common coming-of-age story; with a light twist in that he doesn't just grow up to be a responsible adult family member but also that he learns things about himself that he had never thought of before.
The development is gentle, but by intention not smooth: It has fits and starts, stalls occasionally -- just as it happens in real life.

The family dynamics are introduced step by step -- at first they just seem like an ordinary family of four generations that share a house, and then slowly we get to know and love their kindness, their flaws, their struggles, and their love for each other. Which is why when the reason for the uneasiness that occasionally pops up in early episodes gets revealed later, it hits much harder.

What is a bit unfortunate is that the children and the great-grandmother get only a minuscule bit of plot for themselves. I do understand the need for a focus on few sub plots but I would have loved to know more about the kids and about great-grandmother's own story. Maybe we can get a spin-off?

The plot is, for the lack of a better word, a slice-of-life, that refuses to collapse into soap opera, even though some plot points would make a weaker writer yield to temptation. Instead, in these moments, it gentles the tension -- by having a character accepting the inevitable, or neatly side-stepping the huge fallout by giving into the big emotions.

The actors as well as the directors follow the understated way of dealing with these big emotions -- they get as much room as they need to, but no more than that.
All of these elements combined make for a drama that feels very grounded, even as the emotions hit hard at the same time, especially in episodes 8 to 10. And by this I mean that Yes, it made me cry. More than once.

In all of this, as well as in its overall style, it is a very typical Thai PBS production.
Which means it comes as no surprise that it also touches on contemporary issues like scams, health issues in age, gender roles, to name a few, as well as a call for mutual respect between generations.
The most prominent issue is the acceptance of gay men and of gender non-conforming people by their family members -- how what we are taught in childhood still influences what we believe in adulthood, but also that there's a chance of changing your beliefs.
Another point, one that I found very interesting and think would deserve its own series, is how BL (dramas and novels) are still considered "lesser" than other, more traditional genres. And I find it quite fascinating that it's specifically compared to adventure novels here, which don't have the best reputation for quality themselves (at least here in Germany they don't).

Overall, this is an excellent production in terms of writing, directing, editing and acting. Done in the typical Thai PBS style, it's made to appeal to an audience of different ages with a goal to educate Thai viewers for the 21st century.
There are a few things to nitpick (like the fact that all children at the orphanage are all of approximately the same age), but in the greater context, these become insignificant.
The drama has a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve, and in my view, it did.

I have no reservation at all to recommend this to anyone who is willing to follow a story about a family with flawed characters, who struggle through a time of confusion.

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So Much More Than its Title

When I first heard of this show, I thought it would be a gimmicky show with no depth or value. It ended up becoming one of my favorite queer Thai dramas of all time.

THE GOOD
- This show has some of the best character writing EVER from Thailand. Every single character (even those you think won't) get a developed and interesting storyline. Even though the plot of the show was already interesting on its own, the addition of such realistic and deep side characters made this show so special to me.
- The relationships in this show are brilliant. The grandpa and his grandson, the estranged dad and his gay brother, all the kids at the orphanage's friendship... This feels like such a full & realistic show thanks to those varied relationships.
- This show has so many deep lessons. Even going as far as building a backstory of the grandpa having his own homo-erotic friendship back in the day but never acting on it or even realizing it fully... Save's growth about his feelings for Guy... The gay uncle finally being accepted by his family... I was invested in all of them, and I feel like this show added so much to my life by watching it, which is very rare!
- The first few episodes of the show are so freaking hilarious, I never thought I'd see a grandpa reading omega verse yaoi, I was deceased lmao!
- This show was very satisfying and wrapped every single storyline very neatly, which is more than most Thai dramas can do! Again for the overall execution, it truly stood out so much to me!!!

THE BAD
- Not a huge problem for me but the chemistry between Guy and Save is giving BL from 6 years ago instead of a 2026 one. They're cute but compared to other pairings' chemistry, theirs felt a bit hesitant. However imo this show is much less a BL than a queer story so I don't think you should even watch it for the fanservice and shippey moments.
- This is a PBS show. Sometimes the scenes linger a bit too long or are paced slightly too slow, however I'd say the show managed to keep my interest throughout them all anyway.

THE UGLY
N/A

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