#bl adaptations

I should say up front I am NOT a purest. I actually like seeing different country's takes on IP. It says a lot about the culture in question and how they perceive themselves and queerness. I don't have "babies" so Thailand can fuck around with whoever they want to IMHO.

However, I do think Ossan's Love is a poor choice. And much as I love the original I think My Love Mix Up is a fine choice and Gem4 will do a great job.

But still, let's play a game.

The JBLs that GMMTV should adapt

You ready to be offended?

Seven Days - oh yes, I said it. ME! This BL is actually perfect (I WILL FIGHT YOU), but I think it would be fun to see what GMMTV could do with such an elegant piece of clean storytelling. It's right in their wheelhouse. I want an 8 ep run: One ep for each day plus one for them as a couple.

Minato's Laundromat - give us the age gap we deserve, Thailand.

Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss - I think Thailand could do a much better job with this one, frankly.

Eternal Yesterday - and give it a happy ending, damn it

Candy and Kiss - I'd love to see Thailand adapt this underappreciated little manga.

Takumi-kun - YES, I said it... bite me.

Wait For Me at Udagawachou - this is a long pull (and QL not BL) so I think only the 180 Degree people could handle it, but I'd love to see Thailand try.

Hand if off to Taiwan instead

My Personal Weatherman

My Beautiful Man

Tokyo in April

Silhouette of Your Voice

Same Difference - fucking please adapt Docchi Mo Docchi Taiwan, I will love you FOREVER. This is a GREAT IP that was criminally mishandled by Japan.

Hand if off to Korea Instead

Given

Kabe Koji

I Want to See Only You

Senpai, This Can’t be Love!

Jack o'Frost

Fujimi Orchestra

Ones I Think No One Else Can Handle

Our Dining Table

Takara & Amagi

Old Fashion Cupcake

Life: Love on the Line

His

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese

I'm gonna remind you all the Thailand has already adapted Love Stage!! and they did a better job than Japan, IMHO.

Now right off the bat I would like the entire Joel Kim Booster Jane Austen Adaptation Collection tomorrow, please and thank you!

But I have also wanted the BL world to get into Austen adaptations for a long minute.

I do know perfection is hard to beat... except maybe for the hair!

Have a lovely day/night, whatever suits you best.

I love you for this question. I mean I try not to have favorites. But god damn do I love Seven Days.

But also, I'm always intrigued about adaptations of the same IP in different countries (I watched ALL the Boys Over Flowers and I don't LIKE Boys Over Flowers!)

I've never been a purest about my media. I mean 7D will always be there, in my heart, reigning eternal.

Shall we speculate?

Can I hand it off to whoever I want and have it done over in that country's BL style? Because you know who I REALLY want:

Taiwan

Okay yeah I know the pair is busted. BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE? GAH.

So how about something a bit more believable?

I mean Korea could do it, easy peesy.

No pair pick, they always go fresh faces, but if they stuck to the original manga like glue they could totally handle this one in their pretty pretty way.

It would be... sanitized, but still an enjoyable experience IMHO. Korea rarely adapts Japan's IP tho.

Okay so that leaves Thailand.

You know I had that question about G4 and did briefly entertain the idea of them doing these roles. I have no doubt about their capacity, it's more GMMTV I doubt with this property.

Maybe?

I think this one calls for something a bit more... sophisticated?

How about:

I mean Daou could handle Seryo but can Offroad be Yuzuru?

Frankly that character is the hard one for Thailand. He is a VERY much a Japanese character, defined by his conflict with the expectations of Japanese culture. He has to be acted with a ton of refinement, cute and sunshine but ALSO tsundere. That's a complex roll for a younger actor, and Offroad isn't very subtle (neither is Thailand's acting and directing style) so I'm not sure.

Thailand seems to op for adapting Japan's comedies for a reason. It suits them more. 7D is NOT a comedy.

I mean a decade ago, maybe OffGun could have done it. Or OhmFluke. Or event BounPrem. But now? I don't know about the fresh crop of pairs. Aside from G4 and DaouOffroad they are either mature and high heat or... WAIT.

Oooo.

Maybe:

TutorYim?

Hummmmmmm intersting.

So now that Cherry Magic is over, and I think we can agree that it was great, how are you feeling about the next Japanese adaptations? Both Kieta Hatsukoi and Ossan's Love.

I must admit that I'm slightly more optimistic than I was before, but still cautiously.

Rose💜

oh boy do I have thoughts on this one.

I'm optimistic about both (at completely different levels) but pessimistic about distribution.

Look.

I haven't had to go gray to access any BL of note in years. And I'm a little annoyed that Cherry Magic Thailand forced me to break my law abiding streak. (To be fair, I was already there for Build Up. But, my annoyance stands.)

If we are very lucky, GMMTV is taking down some of their heavy hitters from YouTube rn because they've struck a distribution deal with Vicki. And that deal might also include first rights global release for those Japanese adaptations. Because Vicki is a Japanese based company, I'm hoping they can swing global distribution for GMMTV that handles Japan's wicked IP laws.

Also Viki currently handles global distribution for the original live actions of Ossen and MLM, so... Maybe on the Japanese end they can fold these Thai versions into the contracts for those IPs (which would be with the original creators and already negotiated). Japan is much more comfortable with that kind of thing, than entirely new contracts.

That said, I think if GMMTV really wants to capitalize on this new JBL remake relationship, they should go to the well on yaoi and pick up some older manga that have never been adapted. Rather than trying to remake what's already be been turned into live action by Japan. They would probably have fewer legal struggles that way.

But nobody listens to me in this matter.

So far as the Thai remakes themselves are concerned?

I was already very optimistic about My Love Mixup.

I enjoyed the original, but I think this is exactly the kind of content that Thailand does better in a longer form with added chemistry then Japan. (Bite me, they do.)

And I think Gemini & Forth are ideally cast.

As for Ossen's Love, I loathe that franchise. I really do.

I'm also not a huge EarthMix stan (witness my abject hatred of that body swap road trip nonsense they did, what was it called, oh yeah, Cupid's Last Wish). So this is not necessarily a win on casting for me, either. (Can Earth even DO comedy?)

But I was so impressed by Cherry Magic Th (and so doubtful about that casting too, initially), that I will actually watch Thailand's version of Ossen.

At least to start.

I'll have my judgy hat on the entire time, tho.

Also, with the distribution issues of Cherry Magic, will GMMTV still green light this production at all? I mean it's massive suck cost for them, if they also spend their biggest cash cow pair on something that can't get international distribution. Unless I'm right about that Viki deal... Or unless EarthMix is worth the money even if they only get Thailand. (They are HUGE there, so maybe the number work out.)

Top 10 BL Narratives 

BLs With The Best Stories  

Until We Meet Again (Thailand) - will probably always top this list. It’s a perfectly executed story, fantastic well seeded plot twists, and the only BL I would love to see adapted by other countries or read professionally translated. Adapted from a y-novel. 

Seven Days (Japan) - this is a pitch perfect elegant little YA romance that stays completely true to its yaoi roots but neatly avoids all the flaws of the genre. The story is deceptively simple but allows for angst and miscommunication to develop with VERY good reason, and is almost worth studying because of that. As a romance story it is elegant. Adapted from a yaoi manga.

Color Rush (Korea) - you all know how much I love this show, I lost my mind over the allegory and the perfection of the story to the point of forgiving it certain other sins in stiffness and low heat. The world-building is too simple for it to play well to a SF/F genre only audience but it’s absolutely groundbreaking for BL. Adapted from a manhwa. (Color Rush 2 continues the story and while I don’t like it as a BL, and the plot is somewhat typical, it’s still better than most.) 

Old Fashion Cupcake (Japan) - this is a deceptively simple office romance that actually has a lot to say about life, love, maturity, and pancakes. It’s charming but also deeply moving and loving in its exploration of what it means to give up, and how connection can bring with it second chances. It’s also beautifully filmed and acted. Adapted from a manga.

1000 Stars (Thailand) - all BL is romantic, but not all BL is a modern romance in the literary sense of the term, but 1k* is just that, an absolutely glorious slow burn romance that nods at BL but isn’t behooven to it. It’s just a really well executed linear story. Adapted from a novel. 

Cherry Magic (Japan) - a great fluffy concept that is given gravity by some stellar performances. It’s a self worth narrative arc but played with believable charm. Adapted from a manga. 

He's Coming to Me (Thailand) - such a clever take on both paranormal romance and the cohabitation trope, what I love about this is how closely the story and the supernatural conceits are married to each other. Basically boy and ghost move in together, fall in love while they investigate murder. Adapted from a novel. 

HIStory 3: Trapped (Taiwan) - Taiwan often struggles with story because their BLs aren’t long enough to really get stuck in (and they don’t adapt). Trapped is different. It has a baby murder investigation that promotes conflict between the leads, so the romantic tension is between plot and character, it’s so smart. The main couple has an amorphous ending, tho. Original screenplay (I think).

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korea) - this has a 12th Night meet Cinderfella feel to it, plus some great story tricks like a plot that requires a historical setting (I love it when narrative elements are codependent). Original screenplay (I think). 

Triage (Thailand) - a “correct the past” Groundhog Day story, that has narrative baggage I normally do not like but is so clever about time loops, I have to forgive it my hang-ups. About a doctor who must save a boy to fix reality, but not in the usual way. 

(List is in ranked order of my personal preference.)

Honorable Mention 

I have to mention Light On Me. The way it handled love triangles alone is narrative genius but over all it’s also had a particularly good script. The story, however, is pretty standard it was just very very well done. Same with Semantic Error. 

I waffled about including Utsukushii Kare on this list too. But it’s too complicated in the end for me to pull jsut it’s narrative out as its primary plaudit. So in the end I have to just say, read this and decide for yourself. 

Neither of these are strictly BL, but... 

3 Will Be Free (Thailand) - such clever storytelling that builds tension with both plot and the balance of suspense and flashbacks and the developing love between both sets of characters (both the 3 being chased and the 2 doing the chasing). Original screenplay (I think).

Great Men Academy (Thailand) - body-swap means this isn’t technically BL but like 3 Will Be Free I have to talk about it because it just such a great story. For body-swap it’s particularly clever. Original screenplay (I think).

A quick word on the nature of story & narrative. 

Story Encompasses 

Story is not the same thing as plot, lots of people make this mistake. Plot is one element of story. Here’s a simple way of looking at narrative:

Who is in it - the characters, their interactions & development how does that drive the story

What happens - plot, how the characters move through space & time, what actions they take, who they encounter 

When does it occur - and in film this tends to mean time frame (over the course of a week, a year?) but also how the narrative handles foreshadow & backstory 

Where is it located - setting in time & space, includes associated culture and culture conflict, is setting intimately tied to the narrative, if location were removed, could the story still occur?

Why we care - core concept, theme & messaging 

How it unfolds - motivation, tension, conflict, & consistency (AKA pace)

All BL, at its heart, is about two characters falling in love and/or fighting to maintain that love. One of the reasons to study cinematic narrative is to understand how tropes (situations) and archetypes (characterizations) can be used to formulate story under a romantic framework. 

For me, good storytelling allows me to cleanly comprehend all 6 elements above, as well as the general point of view (lens & scope). I also like it when elements are married to (or dependent on) each other (for example, a plot point that could only occur in a historical setting). I like it when visuals (directing style, wardrobe, etc) as well as tropes and archetypes are used to serve the story (Korea does this) and not be the story (Thai BL pulps do this). 

Some of my favorite BLs of all time are not on the above list. E.g To My Star and We Best Love because while I adore them for many reasons story structure is definitely not one of them. This is where visual pop culture can win over literary conceits - in cinema a weak story can be elevated by killer acting, directing, chemistry, visual elements, production etc... (Of course a strong author voice can carry a written work too. Terry Pratchett, for example, is weak on story but hella strong on voice.) 

The purpose of BL is entertainment, I happen to be entertained by strong story, so I will often rate BLs higher because of it. 

Asian Film Industries & Story Content Mechanics 

Original screenplays are more common in BL over all, but my list actually leans towards adaptations. That’s because i think Thailand, the biggest BL producer, tends to do better with adaptations, so far as story is concerned. 

Thailand has more y-novels than mangas, which is what they tend to adapt from. 

Japan has more yaoi mangas than gay novels, so that’s what they turn into BL (AKA live action yaoi). Yaoi, historically, it pretty weak on story structure. 

Korea does not have a robust original written content machine (read: v. small publishing industry that’s not queer friendly). Korea doesn’t want to spend money to acquire/option adaptation rights from Japan (for good reasons, mostly cultural, political, economic, and historical). Their stuff is equally divided between original screenplays or adapted manwhas. Their adaptations are weaker on story structure because of conflicting lengths - manwhas are long (and often unfinished at time of adaptation) but Korean BLs are short. 

Taiwan has Korea’s problem of a small publishing industry, but without Korea’s money to spend on production, so they also can’t really afford to buy rights to adapt. What they have is killer talent, chemistry, and plucky enthusiasm, so boy do I wish they could get better stories. 

Not Talked About 

Vietnamese and Pinoy BL are both very young industries still finding their legs, much of their stuff is pretty experimental narratively (read... it waffles). Which is the main reason I don’t follow those two as closely as I do other BL producing countries. I think that it’s just a matter of them coming to terms with the 6 narrative elements in a way that translates more tight and clear on the screen. It’s gonna take some time. 

(List is compiled end of Sept 2022. New BLs may change matters.) 

2023 Update... Some thoughts on Pacing 

Now in the above post I wasn't thinking specifically about pace. So I’m gonna add soem stuff from a recent ask I got. 

Thai stuff is always gonna be slower paced than Korean stuff. Also something like 4, or 6 act structure will often FEEL slow to western viewers.

I think the pace of a show is partly a judgement call on behalf of the viewer but also heavily cultural, so let me try to explain.

Structure, Pace, Plot

Structure, or the writing of a narrative script, can be divided into plot vs pace as follows:

Plot: movement of characters through time (scene by scene) and space (setting) and the people they meet along the way (dialogue).

Pace: how the plot is executed in terms of which scenes follow which, presence or absence of flashbacks, cuts, voice over work, but also literal words on the page - staging instructions, dialogue sentence structures, monologuing and so forth.

Plot = what is written in the script

Pace = how it's written in that script

This is going to get further complicated once an entire film crew gets ahold of that script.

Plot is characters moving through time, space, and interactions in the show AKA WHAT the characters are doing.

Pace is how that script and story now in the hands of the performers is relayed to the viewers using camera angles, dialogue delivery, staging AKA HOW those characters are filmed.

Plot is the responsibility of the actors and script writers

Pace is the responsibility of the directorial and editing teams.

Thus a part of the world that has good talent but poor production values, like Thailand, Philippines, or Vietnam, will always be weaker on pacing. But they can churn out something raw and brilliant IF they have a good script.

On the other hand, a place that has great everything but just really likes to mess with story structure and style, like Japan, might ALSO have weak pacing because that isn't their focus or interest.

In the first case they lack the editing talent, money, and technology. In the second they lack the will, and just like the play with structure A LOT. 

But this means each country that produces BL ends up needing to be judged on its own merits and choices (or lack of choice) IMHO.  

So, I stand by my list above. I think of it as representing all round story execution to the capacity of the country of origin. They are still the best story, although by western standards that story structure may feel a little off - depending on how you feel about that country's style of BL.

I might add a few to the above list (from late 2022-2023)

Semantic Error - of course. This show is perfect, after all. 

The Eighth Sense - Korea went gritty and tense, outside their comfort zone, and executed it sublimely well

Love Tractor - Korea frmly and entirely in their comfort zone but the pace never lets up

Jun & Jun - a master class in pure sappy fluffy romance but still knuckle biting tension, I was upset at the end of every episode that i couldn't watch the next one INSTANTLY, in TV that = pitch perfect pacing

Tokyo in April is... - this is paced beautifully for Japan, very tense but with Japan's signature artsy atmosphere, it's not it's fault I didn't like the story

Laws of Attraction - this is a plot-based pacing story, like UWMA, and these tend to be the ones Thailand paces best using plot to amp up tension, unfortunately that best can still feel a little weak on actual story strcture and basic plotting, e.g. they can go off the rails easily like Manner of Death or KinnPorsche, but at least this kind of Thai show keep us intrigued for the next episode.

I'm gonna mention Bed Friend here at the end, as a lesson in pacing. 

If this show had stuck to its guns and stayed 8 episodes, rather than stretching to fill 10 at the last minute, it would have been a near perfect high heat show out of Thailand. But it didn't have the confidence, and it likely wanted the money from those two added episodes. It's a real shame.

I gotta say I think this is the fans’ fault.

People always want more of a good thing, or more of the same thing, it's why we get shitty 2nd seasons. Sometimes what we need for truly better cinema is LESS of the good thing - better editing, tighter scripts - because that way the pace will be superior. Especially in genres that aren’t action forward (those fuckers can just explode shit, have people running around and punching. I don’t know, some viewers like that.) 

Of course Thailand (i’m looking at you mame) thinks adding in lost of sex does the same thing... action is action, after all. It’s not. Action is plot, not pace. 

But that’s a whole other rant.