Pop-Up Queers

There's a supporting character who admits to having had a crush on a woman when she was younger. The main story also deals with like the whole, "omg am I gay?" thing. Another drama where bisexuals don't exist. Although they have some "it's okay to be gay" dialogue and characters that don't mind, there's also some homophobia in it as well.  honestly this work has some pretty queer vibes, even if we are supposed to assume the story is straight. 

4 stories, one of them mlm

spoilers below~~~~~

5 (?) stories, one gay. Well like two kinda gay, but more like one gay. 

gayy??? bi???? a lil self rapey ngl ?? also if ur into swinging that happens. 

wlw character and alternative relationship styles. I think they were trying to go for ethical nonmonogamy. One character might be homoromantic bisexual? idk it was messy

MLM

Notes: Bisexual character. Might be homoromantic? Not sure. 

badass transgender supporting character (mtf). addresses transphobia

side and guest characters that are mlm/wlw, and a bisexual. 

I would also argue that Yuruko is biromantic but that's just me. 

Trans mtf supporting character who actually gets decent screentime. I dropped the show because it was too predictable for me though. If you are newer to dramas, you might not find it as predictable though. In that case, I encourage you to check it. includes transphobia

mlm, trans

the story format is kind of like a collection of short stories. some of the characters reoccur, but each episode has its own main character and plot. 

some of the characters return :') from Shinya Shokudo

cw: death, homelessness, harassment? or maybe stalking? idk

supporting characters mlm

CW: covid-19

mlm relationship on screen (supporting characters w/ age gap), and wlw relationship (half of it is off screen). The main characters also mention their child could be trans and are super chill about it. T_T 

mlm supporting character

mlm supporting character

One of the supporting characters is agender and mtf coded. I'm not exactly sure how this works magically, but she has some trans-like experiences. It's very cute how happy she is to be a woman now. :)))

cw: dead naming, transphobia

There is an intersex character. I know not everyone who is intersex identifies as queer, but some do, so I'm including this here.

wlw supporting character

cw: minor/adult relationship

character who has a mlm dynamic aUGHGHGHGHGH but the homoPHOBIA omg T_T

cw: suicide

Lesbian supporting character.

Asexual minor character (maybe more specifically demisexual??) but the situation is treated like a "fix-it" asexual things so :/

gay minor character

mlm minor character

mlm minor character :3 i saw him i was like wait thats gay.... and then it WAS gay. hehe love me some surprise gays every once in a while

It's kind of a SPOILER but one of the characters is basically trans. You don't find out until the end of the movie though.

a lesbian character

gay minor characters. very queerbaity but also somehow enjoyable??? some homophobia and some "its okay to be gay" narratives. i honestly don't know where this drama goes on my moral compass, but it's truely a guilty pleasure of mine. The main actors are just too charming and funny.

gay minor characters. includes homophobia

There is a minor character whose attraction to people is the same regardless of gender. I think he could be interpreted as either pansexual or a sex-favorable asexual person.

cw: sex work, non-consensual stuff, uhh oedipus complex? idk how to describe it

In episode 6 Consort Gao spreads a rumor that the Empress and Noble Consort Chun are gay together so like (they're not). Apparently there was some super lesbian romance peking opera story called Fragrant Companion  by Li Yu. A scene of it is performed in the show, and the emperor's eunuch explains the story a bit. There were once two women who wanted to be together because they were in love, and so they both decided to marry the same man to live with each other.

in episode 29 there is a mlm antagonist who hits on a handsome servant. He later tries to rape him. 

There's a queer coded minor character who flirts with another character. mlm

cross dressing lead actress who makes a supporting lead think he might be gay (because apparently bisexuals dont exist hahaha). its been a while since i watched it but it might have been kinda homophobic? same with any dramas related to hana kimi

(Japanese Hana Kimi. This is the only Japanese version of the drama that exists. No there isn't a remake. Just pretend it never happened.)

(Korean version of Hana Kimi)

one of the side characters has a few *distressed in bisexual* moments. I'm not sure if it's just queerbaiting or what, but he has a few lines where he seems moved by a guy in a romantic way. It didn't seem like he was joking? idk I could be wrong.

There's gender bending, so there's like the usual stuff associated with that. BUT ALSO in episode 11 they go to an ancient version of a gay bar! Totally didn't expect it, but was kind of happy to see. But I don't think the gay characters are treated nicely :(

mlm guest character

in the first episode, the ML assumes the FL and her best friend are lovers in the beginning of the story. Also, it focuses on a word that is "fanning out" or something like that which is basically "coming out" but as a fangirl. I found it interesting that they mixed these two themes early in the story, but it was probably done so more in a playful way than as an allegory. Ryan Gold is out here living his one true Ally life though and really goes out of his way to say gay rights ^_^

Also there is a very minor character who is mlm. 

cw: internalized homophobia

trans guest character. includes transphobia

wlw guest character. includes homophobia

SPOILER

havent watched this but apparently it's only for one episode, the gay guy is already dead, and the parents are homophobic almost the entire time.

The first story is homoerotic. That peach... damn gurl.

A queer minor antagonist!

cw: violence. violence everywhere. 

implied mlm minor character

Mentions queer Chinese history, specifically the famous emporor who loved his eunuch.

sometimes people of the same gender kiss each other

wlw very briefly on screen

one of the perpetrators specifically targets wlw through a lesbian dating app

cw: cyber crime, sex slavery, abuse, stalking, criminal activity, suicide, manipulation, drug and weapons trafficking, blackmail, sexual violence against minors, entrapment, illegal pornography, non-consenting pornography, underage pornography, abuse, and I'm sure the list goes on.

queer-coded villain. She was very... how to say.... she felt like a euphemism for... i mean her tongue.... and the white blood... im just saying

the bartender is queer coded

In episode 5, Jinnai Kazuhisa says something like "is liking people fun?" which made me wonder if he's being coded as aromantic. 

Also, and this is definitely me reading into this, but the ending credits starts off with Nanba and a boy and girl symbol on either side of his head. It made me wonder if maybe the double life is a metaphor for being trans and feeling like you have to hide who you are from your family while also living an out life around others. Just a fun way i like to interpret it.

this isn't really queer, it's just queerbaity. got some sensual wlw scenes, but the women aren't actually interested in each other.

There's like one queerbaity wlw scene as is to be expected when a fox demon is present in a c-story lmao

A minor character (a bartender, as I suppose the trope must be) is a gay man. He talks about having trouble finding a boyfriend. 

There's also some gender feels from the supreme ruler of gender feels, Yutaro. I think Yutaro must get typecast in this way, right? This time, Yutaro's character isn't transgender, but likes "girly" things. This character is also aroace coded

queer coded minor character (dance teacher) and in the first episode they explain that many boys are into the ML (but he is straight)

There's a brief scene where the protag bumps into a trio of drag queens

One character... I think is  trans(?) and is accepted by the FL and Yuki's best friend. Also there is a gay couple too! Very flamboyant

cw: implied taking advantage of someone who is drunk, kidnapping, stalking, breaching verbalized boundaries continuously, minor/adult subplots

wlw guest characters. 

i didnt actually see this (i only watched random episodes when a friend had it on and just happened to miss the gay ones!) 

cw: homophobia, lavender wedding (attempted), prejudice against autism, more???

they sprinkled in a little gay and some homoerotic tension. but i mean its just sprinkles, more like sensual visuals that are very short. 

cw: sex work, non consenual like everything, manipulation, rape, sexual harassment, suicide, murder, implied sex with minors (or at least school-aged girls), blood, idk probably more

the homophoooooobia~ im pretty sure i just happened to see the one gay scene in the entire show.

purely on this list for the subtext and homoeroticism. If i remember correctly its between the ML and his guard

listen listen listen ok so there is no explicitly queer things that happen in this show, but I read Matsushita Kazuya as queer. I really thought there was gonna be a subplot of Matsushita being the FL's rival or confessing his feelings for Matsuhita. It's like subtext. He seemed to be jealous, but not really for the FL. (well there is one scene where he says "Careful or someone will steal her away" so I guess that might counter my point but... it didn't really feel like he said it because he liked her though. He didn't have longing gazes for her like the other men in the show. Hmm...) He said something odd in the beginning and kept wanting to be like the FL because the things she did were things the ML liked about her. Which made me think, oh is this that trope where the love triangle person tries to be more like the love interst in an attempt to be better than her and become a proper rival? It's like his curiosity about her was directly related to her relationship with the ML. But maybe that's just normal because she's the wife of his childhood friend... hmm well regardless this goes on the list for making me have expectations about his sexuality.

mlm

the FL lives with her ex husband who he married to be his beard (he is a gay man). They long since divorced , but enjoy each other's company as friends and housemates. 

cw: workplace homophobia, manipulative families, assault, stalking, attempted murder, family homophobia

mlm wlw

characters are introduced in the first episode and it's fairly upfront that they are gay so that's cool. very sweet mlm couple. If you're looking for alternative family structures, that also appears here. There's also a wlw storyline, but its about past bullying instead of a romantic line.

cw: neglect, assault

I'm guessing Ryohei's parent is supposed to be trans. Also Koki mentions that he didn't seem to really have any interest in women at all even though he's already 30 and was hoping someone would accept him as he is. I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that, but I feel like usually in dramaland that's either code for being gay or they might be trying to imply he's aroace.

He was gay!

cw: if she is actually a trans woman then Ryohei misgenders her by calling her "dad", workplace sexual harassment, drunken harassment, suggestion for conversion therapy, animal death (dog), outing

The boss is pretty queer coded. In one episode he talks about wanting to meet some hot guys or something like that. It's all very casual rep. The last episode is also inclusive to asexual people, and might have an ace character

Yeon Geun falls for the ML thinking he's a woman, and when it's revealed that he's a man, Yeon Geun still likes him. However, this is treated as a punchline in an anti-gay way.

Through the use of a couple romantic tropes, we get a sense that the princess dowager's second guard and the emperor are meant to be interpreted as shippable. Whether it counts as censorship-related subtext or queerbaiting (or both?), I'll leave that up to you.

one of the supporting characters mentions his boyfriend. It's also implied he used to have a crush on the SML. 

cw: i dont remember, maybe poor working conditions?

mlm

theres a journalist who is gay. 

also something's up with the priest i feel like. not just because he's kind of fox-like and has a soft voice, but the villagers might have implied something when he went off with the cop. but that's a head canon.

cw: so much where to even begin, gore, murder, cannibalism, abuse of power, stalking, spying, wire tapping, pedophelia, sexual assault (mentioned, not shown), animal death, domestic abuse

This isn't queer in the LGBT sense but more in a queer theory sense. If you don't know about queer theory, part of it is about the intentional blurring of a binary understanding of humanity. The way that the show tries to encourage diversity in self expression, allowing people to break gender binaries for expected outfits or gender roles, is queer in that sense. But since it's not LGBT this is going on the pop up queers list instead. I make the rules here >:D

also @tristram pointed out that apparerntly Yuutan was gay? idk if I missed that or just forgot to make a note of it, but writing it here.

wlw mlm

So her councilor is mad gay for her. Even her father (who is sleeping with the counselor) admits this. Lady has got it BAD. They made it sound like she got to her high position by sleeping with the shogun's dad, and she was so jealous that she destoyed the Shogun's relationships with other people. Lady was toxic is as hell. 

The mlm romance is short lived between two men in the ooku. The shogun realizes they like each other and commands they have sex with each other before having sex with her. They refuse, and one of them is so adamant against it that he tries to kill himself. Apparently the shogun had done this with other men as well. 

cw: death, terminal illness, non-consensual, attempted murder, manipulative toxic relationship

A minor character (Qing Yu) is a giggilo with male customers (episode 8-11)

Queerbait title

This felt like 101 ways to set up content for fanfics XD And honestly I'm not mad. It's got a nice fluff atmosphere without any real romance. I think episode 7 is probably the most obvious queerbait thanks to the help of two high school girls. But again, I really like this show. Idk I've been reading some essays on queerness in movies and rethinking the concept of queerbaiting as a result. I used to be all "queerbaiting is evil" and it has been used in bad faith before, but in this show Im enjoying myself

This was super random but one of the antagonists, Kurosaki Shunichi, is described as "gay" in the first episode. This felt like it came out of nowhere. I'm guessing it was either being used as an insult or a way of making him more villainous. Cuz the gays are so very evil lol

wlw

so this is about the main actress, but the only reason why i put it on pop-up is because I know things like girl crushes don't necessarily mean a person is actually queer. These kinds of terms "she makes my heart sway" in dramaland is sometimes just used as a way to display admiration for a person, so this one is going onto the pop-up list. I mean obviously I choose to interpret her as bi though as that's a very gay thing to say lmao idk maybe she'll migrate to my macro list though. We'll see if theres anymore subtext that gets dropped.

FULL STOP some of this is so gay-coded and i have no idea if its on purpose or not lmao. As soon as that general came in i was like "oh okay then" If you've read the book, don't be shy! Tell me the extent of the bi vibes because I am so so curious

trans coded asylum patient

this unnamed character appears in the first episode for a few seconds at the mental asylum

wlw

Ahem... the princess. (One-sided)

cw: rape (implied), murder, neglect, abuse

implied trans(?) or feminine-esque rep

It seems like one of the villians in the story is implied to be trans or something similar. Bu Hua is the character. The introduction to Bu Hua starts with the camera facing Bu Hua from behind. Bu Hua has a feminine voice and feminine attire with like a teasing seductress kinda vibe. The guy hiring Bu Hua says something like "oh tell him to come to my bed" (the subbers used he/him pronouns even though, assuming this story is within a cis-hetero-narrative, more likely the subs should have implied he was expecting Bu Hua to be a cis woman and she/her would have been a better fit here). The guy's peer is like "oh you don't want to invite Bu Hua to your bed" and whispers in his ear something about Bu Hua (presumably related to Bu Hua's gender).  At this point, the camera looks at Bu Hua's face (portrayed by a male actor) and the guy's peer is like. The guy later goes up to talk to Bu Hua and refers to Bu Hua as a "brother," to which Bu Hua is like , "uhhh wtf why you calling me your brother?????" which I interpreted as further implying that Bu Hua is likely a trans woman, but most decidedly not a cis man. 

Bu Hua seems to also have a pretty close and caring relationship with Sheau Whi, a close companion of Bu Hua who seems to flirt with Bu Hua in a one-sided pursuit. Bu Hua is also seen caring for Sheau Whi as well though. 

cw: rape (implied, offscreen), murder, violent castration, suicide, entrapment, prison-setting bullying

I'm rewatching this and finding it interesting how different characters interpret the possibility of Si Ying and Mo Yuan actually running off and being gay together. Yehua and much of the heanvenly realm seems to find this ridiculous and taboo to talk about. Meanwhile the birdclan's princess doesn't seem to judge this. She also realizes her brother is in love with Si Ying (who she thinks is a man) and doesn't judge him in his love for Si Ying either, even though he knew that she liked Si Ying first! lol So this one goes out to my favorite demon princess <3 

Notes for pop up queers list:

Her fiance is bisexual. Explicitly in the book, and through dialogue in the show, but not on-screen.
Ms. Jin arrives androgenous and vague about her gender, but eventually refers to herself as a woman. She flirts with Shen Li and its implied she has no interest in men. Also Ms. Jin is a demon who seals all of her evil desires down a well, and I just really appreciate that she doesnt consider her sexuality to be one of those things :,)