Queer Ranking of LGBTQ & BL Series: C Tier

A pretty uneven series in its storytelling - insubstantial, yet enjoyable, and with tidbits of thoughtfulness scattered here and there. Lots of secret longing gazes in a way that feels very gay and very relatable. The plot situations feel somewhat contrived to advance the romantic drama, with incomplete characterization that doesn't fully explain why characters act the way they do, and a main conflict which is resolved really abruptly and conveniently. The narrative structure (present-day events interleaved with high-school events) is intriguing, though sometimes confusing. The cinematography also made some interesting creative decisions, such as what almost appears to be a Wong Kar Wai homage, but I'm not sure it was matched by the writing of the series.

The production is kind of mid, and two of the couples have some annoying mind games in their relationship development storylines. But one of the couples has a really interesting plot where one of the characters is trying to survive/escape from an abusive past relationship.

The editing was often pretty frivolous and excessive, but this reality dating show featured some nice friendship (and  one really cute romantic relationship).

A really cute/heart-fluttering office romance with actual queer characters. The writing and editing is often a bit slightly awkward/stilted. Sometimes the consent and power dynamics are rather gray-area.

Writing/pacing of dialogue is often stilted (and/or is given excessive expository duties for the plot) and awkwardly paced, and the acting is uneven. But it is funny at times, and in a few brief moments the missed  opportunity shines through of a really interesting story about a gay person in an unaccepting environment - too bad it's mostly confined to being subtext in this series.

The plot isn't very original (with many echoes of Cherry Magic), the soundtrack music is mildly overused to the point that it's a bit grating, flashbacks are excessive, and this silly comedy gives a lot of second-hand embarrassment with various situations and with some of the acting/directing, but there are lots of cute and heart-fluttering (if fanservice-y) moments which do make the series reasonably enjoyable.

Even though the concept was not very original and the story was rather contrived and melodramatic, this show still made an emotional impact on me, and it did have some depth in its exploration of grief and melancholy.

The writing, production, acting, and visual effects feel rather amateurish at times. Despite that, the story is more interesting than Nobleman Ryu's Wedding (2021),  the other historical costume Korean BL.

A slow-burn unfolding and warming-up of the two main leads to each other, with some really cute moments which felt organic and natural, as well as a side couple which is really really cute. This show kept revealing new sides of itself in a way which made it entertaining. Unfortunately, the ending fell flat (maybe even cringey) and indulged itself in cute moments without showing us proper character motivation, and overall the pacing was uneven.

Compared to the first season, this one is just as good in the production quality and maybe even better in the acting, but its plot is not as tight or sensible.  

Really leans into homonormativity and cultural signifiers of an upper-class, cosmopolitan, and transnationally mobile form of gay identity. Also goes full-on rainbow capitalism, complete with drinking games on a rainbow-decorated bottle of Barefoot Wine imported from the US to celebrate same-sex marriage lmao. It's mildly amusing though, and I appreciated the sense of "chosen family" in Damian and Jerry's friend group, and the way they shared parenting responsibilities among each other. Honestly, the queer women and the sisters in the show were the most interesting characters, and I'd rather have watched a series centered aroudn them.

The sense of gay & lesbian community (especially the contextualization of gay parenthood in a broader political movement) in Damian and Jerry's lives, and the exploration of how having a kid could impact conflictual relationships about queerness between the parents and grandparents, are meaningful ideas it adds onto the conversation already been explored in His (2020), Fathers (2016), and even Two Fathers (2013). Unfortunately, this show didn't explore with much nuance or complexity, which was a missed opportunity for some really interesting and complicated conversations to be had.

A really bizarre but hilarious comedy which lampshades the absurdity of the standard BL tropes. The only issue I have is that the main character isn't very relatable or likable.

A cute show with a really good OST and good production, of the same quality as previous Korean BLs. The story's pacing is quite uneven (lots of development in the first half, and then a lot of off-screen time-jumps in one episode for plot progression and relationship buildup which deserved more development, and then an important plot point towards the end is left off-screen so the characters just talk about it on-screen) because the series is so short and it's trying to be both a musical drama and a romance. Previous Korean BLs with similar runtimes managed to have better pacing, but still a fun watch.

Really interesting story concept - reminiscent of HIStory3: Trapped (2019), but also unique. Decent acting, with a romance between the leads which is more mature and less BL-tropey. The writing is a bit all over the place tonally (not in a good way), because the show is trying to be a lot of things, and because emotional shifts are rather frequent and abrupt. Sometimes the cuts between scenes are a bit awkward, audio noise reduction was overdone in the first two episodes, and in-car greenscreen shots really detract from realism/suspension of disbelief. But still, it's fun as a crime/mystery drama.

It was a fun watch but of a really generic story, and I got bored by this series's particular kind of (somewhat cliche) drama and angst towards the end. Not much depth or character development, so it was hard for me to stay engaged towards the end.

This is the most chaotic, weird, and slapstick comedy I have ever seen. Basically like a BL fandom crack video as a series. I loved its send-offs/allusions to previous scenes in classic pre-2016 Thai BLs, as well as the relationship between the two leads and the themes lurking underneath the surface. However, I didn't enjoy the ending much, it came out of left-field (and not in the fun way that the rest of the series comes out of left-field).

A cute slice-of-life featuring product placement which halfway through evolves into a slow-burn budding romance between the two main characters and loses a bit of the cuteness in favor of a bit more conflict and story (which sometimes falls flat) before the final few episodes improve the quality of the story. But the two lead actors are talented and it's a joy to watch them. The emotional core of the series is one guy who likes to cook for his housemate, who likes to eat what he cooks, and that's when the show is at it's best - think of a lower-budget version of Kinou Nani Tabeta? (2019). Overall not much plot or substance or character growth, and very slow progression, but it's fun and cute.

This show was chaotic and messy in ways that were often fun but sometimes ridiculous, but I loved the two lead romances, and I enjoyed Saint & Zee's acting in this series. I really liked the exploration of the characters of Tutor & Figher, while I liked the fluff of Zon & Saifah.

This quirky series set in rural Thailand is built on silly comedic gags, uneven acting, cinematography which ranges between gorgeous and average, musical numbers, and questionable plot elements, but it still manages to be entertaining, cute, and charming, with just the right amount of angst.

Too much angst and generic drama plot points and immature relationship communication issues (which aren't properly addressed) for my preference.  An enjoyable watch (mainly because of the side couple) despite those issues, though I'm not interested enough to rewatch it.

This webseries started out as a decently cute and seemingly shallow teen show about teenage issues, bullying, and friendship; but as it ended with an interesting (if wrapped up too neatly) exploration of harm, accountability, and self-love, and also with a bittersweet depiction of surviving in a homophobic school environment.

A well-produced edgy series about teenage rebellion which explores taboo topics (such as drug use, adolescent sexuality, and family dysfunction), including a gay character who deals with coming out. The series was short enough that it couldn't go into so much depth about the characters, so it was hard for me to understand the motivations of most of the characters, or to relate to them. While this isn't the kind of show I enjoy watching, its story takes bold risks and executes them well.

I loved the songs in the OST, I enjoyed Pete & Ae's story, I was intrigued by Tin & Can, and I skipped the Kengkla/Techno storyline (because ew @ its treatment of stalking & consent). I am personally not a fan of the editing style, sound design, and use of soundtracks in this series or other series directed by New.

A cute, but also angsty and (rather cheesily) melodramatic depiction of friendship. It was nice that two of the characters, of different genders, had their own interesting stories and supportive interactions.

I loved the main couple (and the actors have stunning visuals) and the best friend, but I was not into the villains of the show. The series became a soap opera, but I personally prefer fluff and drama from real-world issues rather than a conspiracy of evil exes.

An early (even historic) Taiwanese gay drama with lots of angst and melodrama.