10 Great Thai BLs That Are Not GMMTV
I'm choosing from those that are GMMTV-style (so prestige stuff like ITSAY are not right for this list). Inspired by an ask that @heretherebedork got, bet you can guess what comes at the top...
UWMA is, without question, a work of narrative genius with a powerful and cohesive romantic backbone and stellar performances. Basically a non BL trope reliant fated mates romance that just happens to have the right setting and age of protagonists to fit the genre. The way the two romances, past and future, weave and interconnect is surprisingly satisfying. There is even a glorious much beloved side pair.
It is (to date) the only Thai BL (of hundreds) that Iâve rated 10/10 predominately on the basis of its story structure. That said it is also very well cast (and it is a BIG cast), with solid production values, beautiful food, powerful themes, and enduring memorable couples.
Thai BL grew up with this pulp (the first ever to make my end of year top 10). Itâs a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine (AKA a cinnamon roll couple) plus mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an âother side of the tracksâ slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics.
With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesnât impede, the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you canât go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple.
Triggers for violence, beatings, death and torture depicted on screen.
This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. Charn may be my favorite lead character in all BL. EVER. He is utterly unhinged in the best possible way.
However, this show is not entirely BL, more on the fringe like Manner of Death. Add that to several "singing incidents" and pairs being a little weak in the chemistry arena, and this lands safely in 9/10 territory. Itâs tons of fun tho: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.Â
2025 Red Management (iQIYI)
A true BL lakorn about an established actor murdered on his big night who wakes up in his own pre-fame past and falls into the arms of the man who may have been there all along.
A strong lead pair, on point with both acting and chemistry, beautifully shot with a tight script, stunning tender sex scenes, no consent issues, a good dose of cheesy obsessed seme, and some scenery-chewing evil makes this one of our best modern Thai BLs. This was an easy 9/10. You should watch it. Any BL fan should watch it. It's great.
Also, it's gotta be said, the lighting in this show was off the hook.
Thailand criticizes itself and the BL industry while simultaneously giving us classic seme/uke with great chemistry in a one-two punch of âwe love it, but are we supposed to? and must we think this hard, yet enjoy it SO MUCH?â This show wonât appeal or make sense to those who donât already have at least some Thai BL watching experience.
What Lovely Writer does, at heart, is reexame Thai BL has done to queerness, but in a very gentle way that has more to do with Thai BL growing up than any actual queer authenticity. Itâs not parody or pastiche, but it is self reflective and trying to correct for some chronic mistakes.
Whether it is ultimately successful in this matter is going to depend on the watcherâs relationship to BL and queer identity. But thatâs what makes this show beautiful, interesting, and thought provoking. And I, for one, applaud the effort even if I didnât personally connect to the characters.
I Feel You Linger in the Air
IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). It's about a gay man from our time who falls into the past, becomes a servant to a noble house, and falls in love with the heir. It turns out this has all happened several times before.
Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but not as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy soulmates BL⌠from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy.
The main couple (both as a pair and as individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasnât that sad but it wasnât good either.
This show could easily have earned a 10/10 from me except that it fumbled the⌠erm⌠balls in the final quarter. Argh. Whatever. My full feels detailed here.
2023 Dee Hup (Gaga & Viki)
This was Thailandâs answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This office romance between a stern boss and sweet subordinate felt more authentic to cubical work than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. That authenticity added tension to the narrative and its characters development (how novel).
I also really enjoyed the charming side characters and the brothers' relationship to each other (although I could have done without that brother's side BL).
2024 Idol Factory (YouTube & iQIYI)
This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, PNR, fated mates, police procedural, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and slasher. Itâs the king of genre mash-up chaos. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it.
Was it a crazy unhinged mess +1 roll for damage? Yes. Yes it was.
Did it manage to hold all those tangled threads together? No it did not.
Was it also a charming, sexy, engaging, non-stop piece of entertainment? Sure thing.
I think this show is basically my KinnPorsche, and frankly Iâve been chasing that dragon naga since KP aired.
Is it perfect? No. But it was balls to the wall FUN. Emphasis on balls.
The story of a boy laboring under a curse, haunted by ghosts and demons, whoâs family, friends, and (eventual) lover all try to help him via spiritual and physical means. While very much a horror BL (not my genre), Iâm very glad that I gave this a chance.
This is a diaphanous magical BL of the kind that only really comes along once a year these days - with more lingering notes of I Feel You Linger in the Air than any actual gay horror I could name. Itâs not going in my personal rewatch rotation, but I admire its (and its actor's) otherworldly beauty, stylish NC scenes, cultural relevancy, and elegant execution and impact.
This is a very pretty drama about a young man who fell in love with a nice girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, sheâs reborn into the body of a man. Or is she?
I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz. I like this pair (itâs not DaouOffroadâs fault I didnât enjoy their first series.) Daouâs wushu is snazzy and we got a unique meet cute. (Erm⌠Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?)
Ultimately, this is I Feel You Linger in the Air + First Love Again, rather than (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner.
The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen. Itâs a good story and a great BL and I canât find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lakorns. Also Iâm going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as âgood for a BL.â It was, to put it succinctly, a VERY ENJOYABLE show.Â
I dithered but ultimately cut:
La Pluie 2023 Acttraction Ent (Viki) Review here
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