BL Drama Lovers Club

 RiqueXinw:

Japanese series except Tokyo in April, did not do it for me this year, oops I mean in 2023

For me, 2023 was quite a glorious year for Japanese BL - but then again, as the old saying goes: "That's why they make vanilla and chocolate", i.e. we all have different tastes and preferences. (For example, I think you like action, right? Me not so much.)

Including "Kimi ni wa Todokanai" and "Tokyo in April", I gave full marks (10 stars) to 12* Japanese BLs or semi-BLs with MDL release dates in 2023. (I'm admittedly a generous grader, but I really did love all 12 of these. I'm also admittedly a bit of a Japanophile.)

* The other 10 are: "Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu", "Bokura no Shokutaku" + "Bokura no Kyujitsu", "Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo", "Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2", "Utsukushii Kare Season 2" + "My Beautiful Man: Eternal", "Taikan Yoho",  "Zenra Meshi"(not so great as a BL love story, I liked it more for my beloved Yutaro and the food porn), and also "Beni Sasu Life" (not really BL but important gay side theme + my beloved Onishi Ryusei)

"One Room Angel" (9 stars) and "Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai" (8,5 stars) were both alright, but I didn't love either of these.

+++

P.S. Per World of BL: Today's release of Episodes 2 and 3 of "BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita" ("I Became The Main Role Of A BL Drama") has been postponed due to the major earthquake in central Japan.

About this whole Chinese censorship debate let me add my two cents. I have previously stated my strong aversion to bromance series; personally I do not like them. The reason however was not because I thought they were a poor representation of BL or that I thought they were actively or perhaps I should willingly conforming to a anti-gay regime. I have only ever watched one bromance, S.C.I, and I decided that hell no, never again. It was not because I did not like it, rather I love the heck out of that series but it left me unfulfilled and it broke my heart. I went in search of the book itself and luckily I found all three books on Wattpad; all translated to English; and it is from there I found fulfilment as well as other famous bromances all translated. I realised that personally I would never be satisfied watching a censored version of these stories; they are too good to be censored.  

Now I said all that to say, it is not black and white, bromances are living in the grey area. Unfortunately bromances are going to face tougher criticisms as more countries become more liberal. While series like Stay With Me, are well executed it does not change the fact that the bl undertones are so suppressed that these series being out there among the plethora of BL will be disagreed with, will fall short in fulfilling BL audiences and will be seen as insulting. People have choices now and it is human nature to choose what is most pleasurable and what is pleasurable is a open BL series with free expression because at the end of the day you are a BL fan and normally such fans enjoy open expression, love for all despite gender; gay romance uninhibited, especially older fans who have seen the struggle of the BL industry to where it is now. Stay with Me was a big success but I am confident that if it was released around the same time as Love Sick it would have blown up even more; because compared to the series back then it wasn't very great in difference. I mean Love Sick had so many episodes in total of both seasons with season 2 having stronger BL elements, and we got a "kiss" at the very end (If memory serves me right; correct me if I am wrong) and the other kiss scenes were cut, and when I say kiss do not even think I mean what we are seeing today with "tongue kung fu." 

Do I believe that bromances should be cut or boycotted, no I do not for a number of reasons. One being given the strong crack down on the gay community in China bromances is really one of their only forms of expression to have their voices heard on a global level. This is not the West where democracy is born and championed. It is easy for us living on this side of the world where we have been indoctrinated into what is considered liberal thoughts and freedoms to look at Chinese content like bromances and only see suppression and conformation. It takes reading and understanding of the political and societal make up of countries like China to be sagacious of what bromances bring and symbolise to the segregated gay communities within these countries. Homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997 and was declassified as a mental disorder in 2001. This is the fight the gay community faces within a communist country not a democratic one. Of course there are some people who make these bromaance for the money, and practically they need the money to make more. There will always be capitalist type people in the entertainment industry regardless of genre or country; but that does not take away the representation, as minuscule as it may be, these bromances serve for the suppressed gay community in China.

Plus I need these bromances to be released so I can go find the books. I love Thai BLs but I am sorry if these Chinese stories were to be released as openly BL Thailand would have to take several seats. The writing in these books is unmatched in my opinion.  For example we are all raving right now about The Sign, but if anyone here knows S.C.I we know damn well that it dwarfs The Sign in terms of the supernatural and criminal minds element being combined. Chinese writers have been there and done that.  Go read the books for your fulfilment.

At the end of the day watching bromances is a matter of preference and if you do not like them then do not watch but it would be the argument of smattering to  say that bromances are not part of the bl community and serves no purpose in it because Bromances are in the grey area and life is not just black and white but rather lived in the grey areas. 

Sorry for the long post.

 p43425:

P.S. Per World of BL: Today's release of Episodes 2 and 3 of "BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita" ("I Became The Main Role Of A BL Drama") has been postponed due to the major earthquake in central Japan.

Yes I saw the news of the earthquake this morning. Hoping for the best for the Japanese people.

 p43425:

Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu

I have this one my watchlist. It has amazing reviews but I have been apprehensive but seeing it mentioned yet again I will have to watch.

 nicole:

I WOULD LOVE TO JOIN THIS CLUB PLEASE

 katherine_pierce:

I WOULD LOVE TO JOIN PLEASE 

 Brittney:

I would like to join please. 

Just by posting in this thread, you're a member.

There are also lively Discord groups if you're interested, the MDL BL Drama Lovers server is here:  https://discord.gg/uRSVuwEqga  there is also the BL Wonderland Discord Server: https://discord.gg/blwonderland Both servers offer watch parties and lively conversation about individual BL and GL dramas and films. 

Fàilte!

 p43425:

P.S. Per World of BL: Today's release of Episodes 2 and 3 of "BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita" ("I Became The Main Role Of A BL Drama") has been postponed due to the major earthquake in central Japan.

Really? I watched them earlier today.

 Chun Mo Rionnag:

I liked this "Sing in Love", too. That said, I enjoy films with dark psychological aspects, like "Double Mints", "Dangerous Drugs of Sex", and "The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese"

I'm just gonna add those to my list-

 RiqueXinw:

Oh you are in for something with Dangerous Drugs of Sex

Second that