#oppan

"Meet you at the rooftop"

I'm sorry it took me so long to sub this! Thank you for your patience.

This special episode is a sequel to the TV show that re-introduces the characters and sets things in motion ahead of the movie that is currently screening in Japanese cinemas.

Carlos the dog is now the narrator. Who broke the tanuki and what is that smell?

I hope you enjoy! You can download the previous episodes here.

I may not be able to sub new shows as often as I no longer have quick access to downloading raws, but I'll try to sub the movie once it's out physically.

The year is wrapping up and I have forced myself to narrow down to a list of 15 (I tried 10 but the choices were too hard!) of my favorite 2024 dramas across genres and countries of origin. This is not every drama I liked this year (that list would be incredibly long), but these are the ones that inspired the most brain rot and really stuck with me.

At 25:00 in Akasaka (Japan, Gaga)

The mood and tone of this drama was just perfect, and I loved the way it explored the blurred lines and confusion that can result when the real and fake aspects of a professional relationship get all mixed up. Hayama was a great character and I loved his arc, in particular.

Cherry Magic (Thailand, Viu)

I still can't believe how much I loved this adaptation. A fantastic example of taking a work from another culture and translating it to a new context while not only retaining the core narrative, but even enhancing it. This show gave us what the Japanese version didn't--the resolution to the physical intimacy arc at the core of the premise--and retained all the charm of the original while adding new humor. And delivered one of the best romances of the year while it was at it!

Don't Care for an Old Man's Underwear (Japan, fansub)

Oppan, my beloved. Easily the best family drama of the year, loaded with excellent messages while (mostly) avoiding feeling like an after-school special. Makoto's journey to update his thinking with Daichi's help, and the mutual friendship that developed between them, is one of my favorite relationships of the year. I loved every character's story; there is something for everyone to connect with in this show.

Fangs of Fortune (China, iQIYI)

This drama was just so much FUN. A gorgeous feast for the eyes, a wealth of fascinating characters and relationship dynamics, and a fast-moving plot that you don't need to try too hard to understand. It was a great binge and Li Lun was easily my favorite villain of the year.

Gyeongseong Creature (South Korea, Netflix)

A gorgeous period piece set during one of the darkest chapters of Korean history, this one took me by surprise (I am usually not a horror girlie). The writing for this show had surprising depth and I loved its themes around family and loyalty and survival under fascism.

Knock Knock Boys (Thailand, Gaga)

My boys! I loved this show about a group of four queer men living together in a shared house, getting into mischief and supporting each other through school and work and relationship struggles. The show is funny and breezy but also manages to tackle some serious issues with grace while delivering two strong romances and my favorite coming out narrative of the year.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (South Korea, iQIYI)

Winner for best QL of the year, and a romance that will be sticking with me for a long time. Dohoe is one of the most honest and unflinching depictions of a an adult psyche shaped by childhood abuse that I have ever seen on my screen. It was healing to see him treated with such compassion and to see him and Juyoung find their way to a happy life together. An absolute must watch for all you angst with a happy ending fans.

Love for Love’s Sake (South Korea, iQIYI)

It's so hard to get a high concept premise like this right, but this drama did an amazing job with it. It's one of those shows where you can go back over everything that happened in retrospect and it all adds up, and I loved that the ending lent itself to so many different interpretations. One of the best watch experiences of the year.

Love in the Big City (South Korea, Viki)

Go Young, my beloved. This drama adaptation of the internationally successful novel exceeded my wildest expectations, and I am still a little stunned that we got the privilege of seeing it. It is, bar none, the most authentically queer show on this list, and a beautiful depiction of all the significant relationships in one young man's life. I will be rewatching it many times and keeping it close to my heart.

Love is Like a Poison (Japan, fansub)

A masterful blend of comedy, action, and romance, this drama about a lawyer with delusions of grandeur and the scam artist who decides to become his partner was a constant delight and gave us my favorite battle couple of the year.

Marahuyo Project (Philippines, YouTube)

I can't tell you the joy and relief I felt to get another high quality queer drama from the Philippines this year. And this one had such a great cast of characters, anchored by one of my favorite protagonists of the year in King. It's funny, it's romantic, it's touching, and as always for a JP Haboc production, it has an amazing soundtrack.

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat (Japan, fansub)

My girls! I'm still amazed by how much this drama gave us in its second season by expanding the world of the show beyond our two main characters to include so many other women whose stories were just as fascinating. This is the season where Nomoto and Kasuga really came into themselves and started building the life they want to have together, and it was a real joy to watch.

Tender Light (China, YouKu)

The way this show had me in a chokehold while it was airing! Visually stunning, incredibly well-constructed, and featuring one of the best performances of the year from Zhang Xin Cheng, it's an exhilarating mystery and a very touching story of the unusual bond between a student and the older woman who fascinates and terrifies him.

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon (South Korea, Viki)

You know a drama is good when it has you deeply invested in a random topic you never thought you were interested in. In this case, that's the intense debate on pedagogical methods between the public schools and hagwons in Korea. Alongside delivering a great romance, this drama was passionate about teaching and it sucked me right in to the Korean literature lessons at the heart of the story.

Unknown (Taiwan)

No other drama inspired more brain rot in me this year than this story of a family rocked by changing feelings as the chosen siblings grow up. The loyalty and love and complex desire between Wei Qian and Wei Yuan is the heart of this story, and the drama did an incredible job of taking us along for the journey as things shifted and changed between them. I still think about them all the time.

Bonus: Favorite Classic Dramas Watched for the First Time in 2024

I am always catching up on an endless backlog of dramas alongside my live watches. Here are the best gems I finally watched this year.

Lost (South Korea, Viki)

I loved this deeply melancholy drama about two lost souls who connect unexpectedly. I finally pulled it up from my to be watched list because it shares director Hur Jin Ho with Love in the Big City (he did part 2 with Go Young's mom) and it sure feels like it! The characters are deep and complicated, the relationships are complex and carefully built, and it is hands down the best encapsulation of a failed marriage between two good people who truly loved each other that I have ever seen. It's heavy and not for everyone--mining the depths of human despair is kind of its thing--but if you like this sort of story it's world class.

Mouse (South Korea, Viki)

I was recently in the market for a good mystery thriller, so I finally watched this apparently very divisive 2021 drama--and if there's a divide I am firmly on the HELL YEAH side of the line. This drama had an interesting concept (that I will not describe bc holy shit spoilers, you should go in knowing nothing) that it unwound with remarkable patience and precision over 20 episodes. Its themes were strong and consistent, the lead characters were super compelling, the plotting and pacing and editing were unbelievably tight, the performances were incredible, and it made a lot of provocative points and ended well, feeling coherent and complete. It sustained my full interest and attention without any stumbles for ~25 incredible hours.

Mr. Sunshine (South Korea, Netflix)

Another one that's been on my watch list forever and finally got its moment when I was in the mood for a historical where ladies got to wield weapons alongside the men. And unsurprisingly, I loved it. Writer Kim Eun Sook is known for her big, glossy, epic dramas, and her style made a good pairing with a story about a rebel faction during the Japanese occupation of Korea. I really loved all the main characters in this show, and was moved by the complicated exploration of their loyalty (or lack thereof) to their homeland. This drama also has a very strong class analysis baked into its themes, which I very much appreciated. It was a traumatic watch, but in a way that felt right given the setting and the choices characters made.

The Miracle of Teddy Bear (Thailand, YouTube)

I watched this one on a mission and it was worth every moment. Nut is one of my favorite protagonists in any queer drama, and I thought the show made great use of its fantasy concept to explore some very real human experiences with depth and compassion. This show feels like an especially important counterpoint to the Thal BL bubble, and I recommend it highly for anyone who enjoys those dramas.

When I Fly Towards You (China, Netflix)

Looks like I haven't updated the list of boys who experienced The Knowing since The Warp Effect.

Last I remember, @/respectthepetty called out Zo in Hidden Agenda as one who experienced The Knowing, and I do have to agree. He was outed and made to suffer for it.

My boy Dynamite clearly experienced it, and Fire did, too. Still a fan of Cooking Crush.

I think Nomoto Yuki experiences a really compelling version of The Knowing complicated by the expectations of being a woman. Everyone should watch She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat.

Xiao Yuan is a compelling example because of the complicated family dynamics. Despite specific qualms, I did really enjoy Unknown.

Tanaka Kazuhito from Living With Him (aka Kare no Iru Seikatsu) is probably my favorite Japanese BL example of the year, because he's conscious about it and resolved about how he will manage it.

My actual favorites of the year come from Don't Care For An Old Man's Underwear! (aka Ossan no Pants ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka!)It's almost unfair to the BL shows on this list, because this show is a different kind of drama. However, I will love Daichi for the rest of my life. I hope he and Madoka work through their issues and learn to communicate better.

My favorite Thai example of the year comes from Knock Knock, Boys! Peak's entire character arc is based on The Knowing.

The best Korean example this year comes from reigning champion Hwang Da Seul's Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo. Both of these boys are a mess because of it.

Mainland China is back in action and delivering with Blue Canvas of Youthful Days. Qi Lu definitely knows, and this one is not doing bromance.

But honestly, if you really need The Knowing, you should watch Love in the Big City. It's the most intensely personal and semi-autobiographical project of the year.

Okay so I was tagged in this game quite awhile ago and just never managed to get around to responding to it. But I am doing so now.

I was tagged by @romchat to share some hopeful little queer shows. I really liked what she had to say about how she defines hope in her original post about this.

No One Cares for an Old Man's Underwear (Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka!)

The reason I consider Oppan not only a feel good story, but one filled with hope is because the main focus is on a man whose conservative ways of thinking consistently fails him and his family. His beliefs and behaviors clearly hurt is family but his love for his family helps him persevere to challenge his own biases and update his view of the world. Not only did Makoto's progression fill me with hope that other people like him could grow, the show itself instilled hope in a number of different ways, my favorite being that on multiple occasions as Makoto is undergoing his updates, he makes a wrong move, he says the wrong thing, and he does not let that stop him from continuing to grow. I felt so much hope for the world and for this man whenever I watched him continue to fight to get better.

The Miracle of Teddy Bear

I know The Miracle of Teddy Bear is perhaps an odd choice when it comes to hopeful media considering the show contains depictions of: child abuse, severe homophobia, attempted murder, successful murder, death, Alzheimer's, and centers around a queer character that is just so incredibly (justifiably) angry about so much in his life. I'm sure it seems especially strange considering that SPOILERS Tofu dies at the end. BUT I do think it is a fundamentally hopeful show, because Nut gains support he desperately needs as he navigates grief and he and his first love are able to reunite at the end. Nut has been through so much, and he is often a difficult person to love, and I think there is so much hope to be had from a story where an abused, angry, grieving boy finds unwavering love and support at the time he needs it most.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo

gif by @nonglukest

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BRILLIANT TO SAY ABOUT THIS SHOW. I JUST FIND THE HAPPY ENDING TO BE INHERENTLY HOPEFUL BECAUSE THESE TWO LOST, HURT, AND ABANDONED BOYS WERE ABLE TO FIND THEIR WAYS BACK TO EACH OTHER!!!

Bonus:

Sense8

I'm adding a bonus queer Western show on here, because I will never ever be over the wonders of Sense8, the way these people from all over the world become connected to one another, the way they are physically and emotionally able to help each other through the challenges in their life. To see how hard Amanita fights to get Nome out of the hospital when she's institutionalized, the way Riley is able to start moving past her grief from the loss of her partner and child, the way Wolfgang helps Lito beat Dani's abusive homophobic ex to a pulp in order to protect his own. I am so mad Netflix cancelled this show.

This list is gonna contain qls (and a few kdramas) I’ve watched this year, rather than the qls that were released this year.

Best Hosaka: Namgoong Shiwoon, Light On Me

ICYMI, I am obsessed with Hosaka from I Cannot Reach You, for his complete disdain for miscommunication, his incredible radar for bullshittery, and his otherworldly ability to not-so-gentle-parent bl boys into talking to each other. Every BL should have a Hoska. A Hosaka is a crucial part of a healthy BL ecosystem imo. So this year’s Best Hosaka Award goes to.. Namgoong Shiwoon!

Namgoong is kind yet firm in his opinions (and boyyy does he have them in a bushel and a peck), goofy in physicality yet measured with his words, and an all-around stellar friend. He would figure out the exact ways you’re ruining your life before you’ve even had a chance to emerge from the mental rubble, and will meet you with a detailed presentation on how to fix everything. Get a Namgoong for your life and listen to them for the best results!

Favorite Signature Move, Kiyoi tackling Hira, Utsukushii Kare 2 and Utsukushii Kare: Eternal

Kiyoi losing his patience with Hira and tackling him to the ground so he can get in his face and scream to get information out of him was simultaneously hilarious and sad.

Most Ineffective Defense: Sangwoo and His Lil Desk Divider, Semantic Error

I am still laughing at how Sangwoo believed with his entire precious heart that putting up a foot tall, easily removable physical barrier is gonna deter my man Jaeyoung, menace extraordinaire and dedicated Sangwoo-annoyer. Boy, did you even wanna try?

Saddest Sex Scene: At 25:00, In Akasaka

I was already heartbroken when Hayama and Shirasaki tried, failed, and emotionally devastated each other by attempting to “rehearse” for their intimate scene the previous night, but the filming of the actual scene took the pieces of my shattered heart, stomped on it, and then set it on fire. The aborted pinkie touch should be made illegal due to the amount of pain it inflicts on the masses.

Favorite Wholly Unrealistic Teenage Boy, Hasegawa, Oppan

I love this boy with all my heart and soul. What a mature little teenage noodle. The writers must’ve conceived his character by pouring all the good stuff they want to see in a baseball-jock teenage boy into a beaker, and out he emerged, Powerpuff Girls style.

Best Use of Strong-Independent-Women Money: Lee Mi Na’s Collection, Hit The Spot

I adore this woman for many things. Her friendship with Hee Jae. Her standards for men.

But most of all, I adore her for the things she spends her money on.

What an icon.

Best Righteous Anger: Ryunosuke, Tokyo In April Is…

I am always a big fan of characters who are mad for the right reasons and are not afraid to show it. Ryunosuke watched his friend carry this unbearable guilt around for years, and was rightfully mad at Kazuma who he assumed knew what had happened to Ren. And when he realized that Kazuma did not know, Ryunosuke sets his anger aside and tells Kazuma. I am part of the Ren Protection Squad and Ryunosuke is our leader.

The Cameo That Inspired The Loudest Scream: Madea Kentaro in Utsukushii Kare: Eternal

My earnest, precious son Yamato from I Cannot Reach You showing up in the middle of Hira and Kiyoi’s patented messiness? The scream I scrumpt, y’all.

Bestest Best Friend: Joon Pyo, The Eighth Sense

Joon Pyo! He got the fuck out of his own room for the night so his childhood best friend can get some. Ji Hyun better protect and cherish him at all costs.

Most Precious Gift To The World: Fujita-san and Kasuga’s conversation, Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna Season 2

Asian daughters fighting the intergenerational trauma demon everyday just.. get to have this? To watch whenever we want and draw strength from it? And feel the shoulders of the other daughters (and mothers) also fighting their fight, standing right beside us, fighting, and living, and thriving? What a blessing.

Wisest Wisdom: Pie’s Post-Breakup Advice, The Trainee

Heartbreak is temporary. French Fries are eternal.

The Swooniest Gwenchana: Ji Hyun, Happiness

Did I make up a whole category just because I needed to put his face on this post? Yes.

This year has been, amongst many things, undeniably fun. Tag me in your superlatives lists, and I will see y’all in the next one!

Thinking back, I actually don't think I watched a lot of ql in 2024, and a lot of the shows I was watching are indefinitely on hold due to lack of time. I had no idea how to go about making this but well, I tried.

Most Comforting Show: Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (She Loves To Cook and She Loves To Eat)

I binged both seasons over the course of a few weeks and I absolutely adored this show. It's so so lovely and it feels a bit like a warm blanket draped around you on a cold winter morning. It's wonderful

Most Catharsis Providing Show: Ossan no Pantsu ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka (No One Cares for an Old Man’s Underwear)

I know, what? But this entire show was actually so cathartic for me, with so many people in the show learning acceptance and understanding, but also the show ending with the message that 'not everyone will come around, and that's okay', and the marriage at the end, oh my god. And catharsis is the only word I can think of for the feeling I got from this show besides vindication, so that's what we're going with.

Hottest Main Character I'm Now Into: Jane from The Trainee

Number of people who are surprised: 0. Competence is hella hot

Saddest That I haven't Been Able To Finish It Yet: Love In The Big City

Literally the first one I'm gonna finish off the on pause list (hopefully soon??) 😭

Best Beatdown: Mahasamut beating up the shitty father, obviously (Love Sea)

I suck at finding gifs so please accept this instead. Anyways, Mahasamut beating the guy up has got to be one of the best moments of the show, 10/10, more bl mcs should beat up shitty parents/exes, this is the second time Fort has beat up someone on screen and it's in his second bl which is very funny and also excellent.

Best Mutual Angsty Yearning From An Already Together Couple: Thanwa and Peak (Knock Knock, Boys!)

Once again, I suck at finding gifs but know that the moment I'm thinking of is when they're both in front of the hotel. These two absolutely stole the whole show for me, and the angst in the final few episodes about their relationship was delicious.

The Show Which's Existence Confounds And Delights Me Most: Romil and Jugal

This one wasn't made in 2024 (it was made in 2017, which only adds to the confusion and delight) but I watched it in 2024 and no one on BL tumblr besides me has watched it yet anyways so I say it counts. I have no idea how this show was ever created, and more importantly, how it managed to be good. It's an Indian BL from 2017 produced by a woman known almost entirely for decently popular tv serials (aka soap operas), I do not know how it came into existence but I am infinitely grateful for it's existence. (And it's available for online!! with subtitles!! for free!! as long as you have your region set to india that is... still a win in my books!)

That's all I have, this was so fun! Do tag me if you end up making one, I'd love to see other people's lists