verbal lollygagging

Loved this post from @maybe-boys-do-love talking about the QL explosion after 2023 and the difficulties in coming up with a canon or essential shows list when there are so many more options and viewership more spread between different shows. As suggested, here is my list of shows from each year since then that I think should be treated as classics.

I only listed shows I have personally watched: there are a few well-regarded shows that would probably make these lists if I'd seen them. These are not necessarily my favorite shows from each year, and they're not even the 10 best in my opinion (although overlap with my 10 best list is very high). I considered cultural impact and how much they're in conversation with the rest of the genre, along with overall quality.

I've bolded and listed first the shows that I think deserve to be on an all-time QL essentials list... the others are standouts in their year but might not make an all-time cut.

For shows that bridged years, I mostly went with the year MDL lists, but made a couple of judgment calls if I felt the show's impact really belonged in a different year.

2024

Love for Love's Sake She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat 2 Unknown The Heart Killers At 25:00, in Akasaka Cherry Magic (TH) Jack & Joker My Stand-In See Your Love Spare Me Your Mercy

2025

Gelboys Khemjira Revenged Love Me and Thee Perfect 10 Liners Goddess Bless You From Death Burnout Syndrome Shine The Bangkok Boy Us

2026

Love You Teacher Fake Fact Lips Countdown to Yes Life in Smokey Blue My Romance Scammer Sammy's Children's Day Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars

(not up to 10 yet since we're only halfway through the year... there are several airing shows that will make the list and might push some of these off it, plus whatever comes up in the rest of the year!)

If you miss him so much, why don't you just go and see him?

So let’s commemorate now. What are the top ten QL series from 2024, 2025, and 2026 you think ought to be treated as classics now and in the future?

Edit: for those wanting to check years, here’s master lists organized by year for

kbl

thai bl

thai gl

japanese bl

japanese gl

taiwan bl

chinese bl

pinoy bl

sorry no vietnamese bl list that I could find on mdl

Clairebell (the elevation of GL)

GelBoys (gen z, the smart phone generation)

Khemjira (domundj becomes a leader)

Love in the Big City (blending ql & lgbt+)

Marahuyo Project (Pinoy BL takes a stand)

Meet You at the Blossom (navigating the censors)

PitBabe (omegaverse)

Revenged Love (the China market)

Shine (Thai political QLs)

Smells Like Green Spirit (trans stories)