Behold dear mutuals, and non-mutuals. This is my little late Christmas present for you all. It’s been around 1.5 years I have entered the world of BLs and never once looked back. This is a little map of recommendations of sorts for people new to this media. It’s completely based off vibes rather than specific plots and tropes, I did not feel like revealing too much information about the shows. It mostly links the vibes of one of the western shows you may have followed and gives you an inventory of many BLs that you may enjoy. I could bet money on the fact you may end up loving most of these shows MORE than the original reference, but we shall see.
This is not to say I am comparing the two in a sense that BLs need to connect and relate to western media to be consumed, but I have found a profound lack of people trying to give this side a chance (most being my beloved spn family) and thought to create something that may help bridge the gap.
Of course, the seasoned BL watchers are also welcome to check out the recs and yap with me. And give me more recs!!
Better quality and editable versions below:
PDF LINK:
Adobe Acrobat
GOODNOTES LINK:
Goodnotes app
DISCLAIMER: the shows I have highlighted here just show a few interesting examples of that “vibe”, I don’t necessarily claim they are the best ones or that I personally love and recommend all of them (the ones I love the best are ofc marked with a heart hehe). Point is, don’t come and fight me on what goes where, this is a lighthearted passion project and doesn’t need serious tight boundary definitions.
I am attaching a free pdf as well as Goodnotes links, so you can edit and share this map as much as you want as long as you mention and give me credit for the origins. Let’s please have fun with this, MAKE LOVE NOT WAR :)
This was kind of inspired by the very famous “them gay shows” chart by the dearest @uweiy . I hope you like it senpai <3
Anywhoo, I LOVED making this. And I would like to yap a bit more about my favourites here hehehe. The rest of them, do your own research.
(very looooooooong post coming down don't get jumpscared)
A) Stuff that helped me /heal/ from spn trauma
Untamed: My beloved first long-ass Chinese drama that I will never shut up about. Sit through the first few episodes and let Wei Wuxian’s charm drive you through the rest. It is one hell of a beauty, and despite Chinese censorship it shines. Really tells you a LOT about when the intent is honest you WILL see the results. It wont take you ten minutes to figure out wwx is dean-coded and it will only be the beginning - just this once there will be peace when you’re done. TRUST ME ON THIS, this show will change your life. The story is adapted from a novel “MDZS (Mo Dao Zu Shi)” and you can read it, watch a animated series on it, and also listen (and read the translation) to the audio drama. This gift keeps giving. Oh andwwxhasaselflubricatingholeinthenovelbye.
Heaven Official’s Blessings: MY SHAYLAAAA . Better known as TGCF, this is better as a book since the animation (donghua) is not complete. All I will say is that Xie Lian (the white dude) is both 1000x happier than Castiel and 1000x more miserable - imagine a homeless S9 cas being made to walk the earth for 800 years that is tgcf for you. The sum total remains quite fluffy and wholesome, but the book comes with its own horrors. It is all worth it in the end, because you will see your cas coded character smile and live and love. You also get the biggest simp in history of simps in return, aka Hua Cheng. Once you know them both, you will fight for them with your lives.
B) The Heartstopper-eq Charm
One of my favourite things in the world to watch is HS and not a single person ever came close to the sincerity and love of telling queer stories the way Alice Oseman does. And then I found thee Aof Nopparnach (nicknamed Paof). In this genre, my favourite work of his is
Bad Buddy: The ultimate enemies to lovers, dubbed as a modern day Romeo-Juliet styles drama set in university background (nobody dies here). The performances are stellar, and still talked about to this date. The show carries a lot of heart - you’ll laugh and cry and smile like crazy. Also, being a Thai BL, you won’t be looking at a closet crisis at all.
C) The Quarter-Life Crisis Drug
For anyone stuck in a rut, feeling like a loser, having a work crisis every second day, or for someone unemployed and sulking in my bedroom like me right now, GO WATCH EACH OF THESE. LITERALLY. They will happily give you life. Insert Nick Nelson “I am recharging” GIF.
Cherry Magic: greenest of green flag star employee of the year has a CRUSH on the loser (don’t we all want to be Adachi). Adachi, bless the 30-yr virgin has gained mind reading powers and so he finds out aforementioned information. Watch chaos ensue, get second hand embarrassment and leave realising how much love has the power to make you believe in your worth. Oh and there’s three versions to watch: anime, JP drama, Thai drama.
Yuri On Ice: pretty much the ice skating version of cherry magic. One of the best things to grace the anime scene. I wont say too much about this, but once more it is super wholesome and you’ll feel happy and alive.
His (2020): Enjoy Japan’s aesthetics along with a dose of an adorable kid, a near single dad and his reconciliation with his age old ex from high school. Bound to make you cry a little at least.
ATOTS (A Tale of a Thousand Stars) and Moonlight Chicken: Paof strikes again with two very heartfelt stories with middle-aged characters carrying mundane daily-life struggles. Watch them make space in their heart for love.
D) AO3 Live Action
Semantic Error: The ultimate enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, computer nerds, first kisses and everything you could find in a cozy little fic.
To My Star: the serenity of this grumppppy x puppppy will make you very happy.
E) CMBYN but not creepy
Remember how it felt to watch the beauty that is CMBYN and its cinematography. And then you looked at the age of Elio and Oliver and everything was ruined. This branch has some of thee most aesthetically pleasing BLs and a very emotional plot.
I told sunset about you (ITSAY): A coming of age romance and identity crisis in the backdrop of scenes that feel like paintings. It’ll remind you strongly of cmbyn aesthetics.
Secrets happened on the litchi island: closer in story to cmbyn, but the age gap makes more sense and the relationship progresses over a long time.
Your Name Engraved Herein: prepare tissues and prepare to cry buckets while watching this. It reminds me of 91whiskey a lot.
F) (for Fuck hehehe) The Explicits
Do not go here expecting green flags and sunshine. This is red all over everywhere.
Kinnporsche: This show left a legendary mark on not just Thai media but also worldwide. This was interestingly the entry point for a lot of people. I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners unless you’re an A grade freak. If this was a fic it would have every explicit rating ever (including ofc BDSM dynamics). There are three couples, (I know, wow, is this even real, yeah this is Thai BL world). Enjoy this under a blanket at night. Oh, and there will be a lot of ass.
Shine: the second show from the pair some people consider the BL daddies, this one takes you to the 1960s Thailand where gay = bad so we get not one but two forbidden romances against the backdrop of military resistance. Very “Fellow Travellers” coded.
Revenged Love: Another milestone as this was one of the pioneer uncensored explicitly queer drama from China, and rightfully made the waves all over the world. The show doesn’t belong to a single genre really, and it is a journey to watch it morph from one to another. There will be a multiple of snakes and schemes. And you’ll want to ship all leads into a polycule - know that everyone wants to, and the show comes very close to that.
G) Controversial.
If you have only ever heard of incest in fetishised contexts, these few shows may surprise you. They are all about step-brothers meeting at a later point in life (brothers by circumstance - like parent remarriage or rescue, not birth). They are some of the most emotionally rich shows I have ever watched, especially Unknown. Give them a try, you may be pleasantly surprised. There’s a lot of heart in this one.
The Only One: If you yearned for a realistic portrayal of school life, this show will hit right into your Asian heart. One of the very few, earnest portrayal of school life and teenage problems made worse by moving in with your parents new partner, and finding home in your step-brother for the first time in life. It’s delicious angst about choosing the comfort of your first abode vs addressing the brewing feelings between you. Um, also - only one season is out and we don’t know if there will be another (there might not). STILL, give it a watch. (I swear i am not sadistic here)
H) Fantasy
Something along the lines of supernatural and shadowhunters, some very majestic mythical worlds with gays.
Khemjira: Another top one of 2025, this show is all about the love at the end of the day. There’s ghosts and reincarnation and a very hot tsundere Shaman (go check him out right now, I urge you) but the real trope here is found family <3 Another show that will heal your spn heart, ask my buddy @butterflywithwritersblock about it hehe. To be noted, this show was SO GOOD that many people had the audacity to hate on it for being a boys love drama.
I) Fuck the System
If you are up for some excellent social commentary on real-life issues, current or of the past, go for this.
J) Representation beyond Queerness
Cross-sectional stories about disability, queerness, gender and society handled with utmost care and reverence. Some of the most emotional BLs out there.
Last Twilight: Paof strikes yet again. Can you tell I am obsessed with this guy. This one is about a man slowly losing his sight meets a man who desperately needs a job and takes up caretaking for him. It’s the softest piece of BL you’ll find.
See Your Love: brat mafia nepo baby meets deaf caretaker who doesn’t take shit from him, but makes him feel seen for the first time in life. They both become each others safe space. Bonus A+ supportive parents that make you cry. 10/10 no notes. My wifey @kwannie-lix would approve.
DNA Says Love You: SUPER UNDERRATED BL. Cannot reveal too much but PLEASE give it a try. It’s a unique story in the land of gay romance and you’ll smell what I mean by a few episodes in.
K) Self explanatory. Not my juice. Angst lovers go attack.
L) Humour
ME AND THEE: the best thing that happened to me this year and possibly the most wholesome show in existence. ITS MY CURRENT HYPERFIXATION. Watch. Excellent buildup, chemistry, humour, beautiful performances. It’s your y/n meets CEO fantasy BUT not the way you may imagine. It’s arguably one of the healthiest relations within this sphere. COMMUNICATION, BOUNDARIES AND CONSENT. There’s also a novel for you to read if you like the show.
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I am forever thankful to P'Aof cause he makes queer stories for queer people. And it's obvious in the way that there are a thousand problems in the world but his characters are so gentle, so kind to each other. The world will burn but we will stay for each other. There are a thousand problems but the queerness is not one of them.
just watched the soonvijarn reaction video of bad buddy episode 4 for the first time and my words...... i was NOT expecting p'aof to start fricking tearing up because of that insanely great scene at the end (nanon you absolute absolute legend i don't think i could ever get over his performance here).
i mean of course i and you and everybody teared up when we watched it but i just did NOT expect the frigging director who had shot the scene (and who had probably seen the edits and the cuts multiple times) to do that.
throughout that part i wasn't looking at anybody else on that screen not even patpran cos here was the guy who brought them together on the screen who was behind the scenes who made this all possible viewing his show from the point of view of a passive audience member and feeling moved for his own characters and perhaps seeing his own queer self there too (idk if he has spoken about why he teared up or we know more about this from somewhere else) but with no other context this legit made me (as a queer person who writes queer stories) tear up and i had to pause and take a second to appreciate just how much this show is doing for queer people even outside the show.
it's all just a lot for my tiny fragile heart. i love bad buddy so much yall its made such a special place in my mind i could cry.
ahhh look at his eyes all welling up with tears arghhh I CANNOT
in hindsight though it was funny cos here i was tearing up over p'aof tearing up over pran tearing up over pat. it was inception but with tears, it was a tearception. alright thats it goodbye i will see myself out.
Fade to Black: Ranking All 12 BBS Episode Endings (for Science)
I’ve always been impressed with how P’Aof chooses to end each episode. He saves his bigger moments for the final scenes that usually wallops us with emotional impact leaving us to go down clown theory rabbit holes for a week before surprising us all over again. Some might say it’s his signature move.
I’ve decided these endings need to be ranked for science purposes and because I’m a glutton for torturing myself. This became a much harder challenge than I initially thought (seriously, try it and understand my pain). But after much reshuffling, I’ve made my final choices and am sticking with them (keep the edit button away from me). To make this fair, and all things remaining the same, I am only including endings that are shown before P’Aof’s director credit title. This means all the bonus scenes don’t count (yes, the seaweed finger-licking scene and Pran, it’s not a porno! don’t make the cut). It breaks my heart, but it’s only fair that we judge P’Aof’s endings in the way he meant for us to see them and that’s before the fade to black.
12th // EP2 - The dumbass friends destroy the bus stop.
I think there’s a fandom consensus that this is the weakest episode ending of the series. Although narratively some might argue that this scene was necessary to move the story forward, it still felt jarring and out of place all the same. This is because the scene prior to this is Pran checking out a new potential dorm room to move into and Pat stalking showing up to stop him. After some bantering (flirting) it ends with them engaging in some very heated wrestling on the bed (the first of many). To P’Aof’s credit, the brawl did fall in line with what we already knew about the two opposing friend groups (that they’re moronic dumbasses: Korn and Wai or mindless followers: everyone else). I have never been a fan of shaky camera action so I’m glad that this episode’s ending happened early on and we got it out of the way.
11th // EP9 - The Pran and Ming stare down.
I’m not sure if it’s because we as a fandom became more adept at guessing P’Aof’s next moves by this point, but this episode’s ending was the worst kept secret ever. We knew it was coming, all signs were leading to a parental run-in so the shock factor was lost (at least on me) and with it some of it’s impact. I will say that this is the first time Pran was face to face with Pat’s dad without Pat also being there so it was interesting to see how Pran would handle it. Everyone’s acting in this scene was top-notch from Pran’s lingering huge smile to him being shocked and flustered, Pa’s uh-oh face, mom’s look of dread and Ming’s complete confusion with a tinge of something more sinister underneath. All four played their roles (and faces) perfectly. It’s just lower on my list for emotional impact.
10th // EP1 - The hopeful beginning.
The pilot episode’s ending sealed it for me. This series was going to be capital-S Special. There was so much build up here. The editing choices were interesting too. At the very end of the episode we have PatPran walking towards their rooms, one right after the other. And we learn that they’re neighbors and immediately the fandom as a collective goes: Oooh this is gonna be fun. But it’s also the scene leading up to this reveal that speaks volumes. Pran consciously makes the decision to wear the watch that Pat returned to him as kids. He does so while smiling to himself and this is our first glimpse into Pran’s feelings for Pat. We know now that this watch will never leave his wrist again and this knowledge on rewatches just zings straight to my heart. Well played, BBS.
9th // EP6 - The whoever falls first loses.
Are you surprised this isn’t higher on the rankings? Honestly, me too. This was a tough decision but all the remaining episodes were so incredible that it forced me to push this one lower on the list. We know everything that is going on here, we know their individual reasons for making this bet. Pat is letting Pran call the shots by being patient and keeping their relationship familiar and status quo for him. So yeah let’s go ahead and bet on who can get the other to yield first. It’s their thing. We all know that Pat’s already all in at this point but he wants to give Pran the time and space to get there as well. Also, I’m a sucker for scenes that take the characters outside of their normal environments so this whole mood with the boat and the lights in the background is an aesthetic feast.
8th // EP3 - The I just like seeing your face...when you lose.
I go back and rewatch this scene a lot. Our boys are so soft here, especially Pran. The beginning of this scene shows Pran pacing in front of Pat’s door working up the nerve to say a simple thank you, but more so because he wants to spend time with Pat (after an entire episode of time spent together, the boy can’t get enough. We get it Pran, we’re the same), we know this from his have you eaten yet? And immediately after turning down Pran’s unspoken offer to eat together, Pat is the one to extend their conversation by returning his guitar. For those keeping count, this is the second item Pat is returning to him and we already know about the significance of the watch. The guitar becomes even more so. This scene cements the lengths that Pat would go to get Pran to look at him LIKE THAT (we all know the look so no screenshot necessary) only Pat being the idiot he is doesn’t recognize his feelings yet making this moment that much more remarkable on rewatch. And to up the ante even further after Pat goes back to his room, we have a thoughtful-looking Pran take several beats and looks down at his watch, hugs the guitar, returns to his room only to open it again and flip the door tag from sad to happy. Pat did all that, he made Pran happy and the entire fandom melts.
7th // EP8 - The curtain drop.
This scene and this episode, oh boy. This was the ending that had me literally up on my feet and gasping, going OH SHIT! He didn’t! But in fact, P’Aof did. For shock and emotional impact this was the one that grabbed me by the throat. I felt like I was Pat when Pran flew in out of nowhere with the kick straight to the chest. I love that we see Pat looking at Pran first and the concern for him is plain and clear on his face. Pran is Pat’s priority. Then the camera pans to everyone’s reactions from least effected (play crew) to Pran’s friends to Korn (he actually looks concerned for them here on rewatch, oh Korn you soft puppy) to the most effected of all, Wai (the Weasel... or as I like to call him the Waisel). The building music, camera angles, the reactions and then PatPran’s faces as they look at each other and then up at Wai in the control booth... it is all so, so well done. This episode ending had me dying to get through the week to find out what happens next.
6th // EP4 - The would you like me (if you were her?)
I desperately wanted to rank this one so much higher because Nanon served and ATE this scene. No, correction- he served, ate it, drove it home and then took it to school the next day. Nanon is a top-tier level actor and this scene right here cements that in the annals. This is the first episode where he made me cry. The first emotional punch of the series and man was it a tough one to watch. In this beautiful aching scene we see that Pran, even in the midst of going through his feelings still grabs at the chance to watch Pat sleep with a small smile on his face. And that by itself is everything we need to know about Pran. He knows he can’t have Pat, he knows it. So he’ll take all the small moments that he can have and quietly tuck them away, safeguarding them from others, especially Pat. The music, the flashback montage, the mood lighting but especially the acting -- are all so incredibly well done. I consistently come back to this scene everytime I want to die a little. This is the scene that I’ll tell first time BBS watchers who are on the fence about the show (do these people even exist? hello?) to just try and get to the end of EP4 and see if you aren’t invested. I dare you. And in the rare case that this scene doesn’t move you? Sorry to break the news, but you’re a robot. You should go get that checked out.
5th // EP7 - The I always let my lover win.
Finally, at last our boys give into their feelings and become boyfriends. Pat wins by losing and we’re all winners for it. This episode’s ending is interesting in that it departs in style from all the episodes before it, there isn’t a linear story here. We find out that Pat yielded to Pran long before we saw him show up to rescue him with the play. It was a little confusing at first, but on subsequent watches, it works. I love that Pat confesses that he’s lost while staying within the confines of the play’s dialogue. This double meaning is intriguing because no one else understands it except for them, it’s like they’re having a secret conversation out in the open. It’s fascinating how P’Aof chose to end the bet this way. We all learn Pat was always willing to lose, that to be together or not has always been Pran’s decision, but it’s that HUGE SMILE Pran gives Pat when he sees him after turning around- THAT is Pat’s payoff for losing, that’s his big WIN. To get Pran to look at him like that. Then we move to Pran finally feeding Pat his specially-cooked curry and the intimacy in this scene is so sweet and endearing that we almost feel like we’re intruding on their private moment. Then of course it all gets ruined by Pa needing to pee, pfft.
4th // EP11 - The let's go home. Good luck, buddy.
The break up may have been fake but the tears were real. Why did Pat cry in front of their houses if he knew the break up wasn’t real? Eighty percent of this is audience fake out but narratively speaking, it’s because he wasn’t sure if going back to being fake enemies would mean they’d make it. Pat is a very open person, we’ve established that he doesn’t like being Pran’s dark secret. The doubts he has shows here but he accepts any part of Pran that he can have, out in the open or not, and this decision to go back into hiding makes everything that much harder for Pat. I think it’s not until years later when they’re no longer outwardly trying to fool everyone that Pat begins to breathe a little easier, knowing for certain that Pran isn’t going anywhere and will continue to fight alongside him. Everything about this ending, the what if our families didn’t hate each other montage, the duologue as they show us their ideal world, Pran singing our song really points to the belief that it’s over for them. And it’s a crushing blow to us as the audience. I thought of ranking this lower because most of it is audience manipulation but it’s such a great con and achieved what it set out to do so it deserves it’s spot here.
3rd // EP5 - The I was depressingly lonely (without you).
The first emotional ending where we see both of them experiencing it at the same time. This scene had the best music score so far in the series. We commend the acting and directing on this show (as we should) but the music selection is on another level, especially here. They went with a song that has slow guitar chords as Pat confesses how much he missed Pran when he wasn’t around, asks him that all important question what are we if not enemies and not friends? to gradually move into soaring drum beats as they kiss. Perfection. We see Pat timidly pull back to guage Pran’s reaction but knowing what we know of Pran (who will grab at anything Pat-related when he can, to store for safe keeping later), he pulls Pat in for that deeper kiss, all his repressed feelings going into it. This was the moment we (and Pat) got to see all of Pran laid bare. And it’s magnificent. This episode’s closing seconds is interesting in that we get two different reactions to the kiss. Pat’s is relief that he finally has a name to call these feelings threatening to burst out of him and Pran’s is defeat and turmoil. And both are oh so relatable.
2nd // EP10 - The I can't take it anymore. Let's get away from here.
This episode’s ending was a cinematic experience. I’ve cried in this series before, but this was the first that had me UGLY crying. It was unexpected two episodes removed from the finale. I’ve written about my reaction to this scene before so I’ll just reiterate what I said here. The beauty is in the breakdown. Pran’s breakdown here gutted me. All these years of repression just poured out of him and you can just feel how tired he is of holding it in. He finally has someone who he can lean on to help him shoulder all this burden. And damn if it doesn’t feel both soul-crushing and satisfying when he lets it out. BUT...it’s Pat’s quiet strength here that stays with me after we fade to black. And Ohm absolutely slays here. Pran’s sobs can be heard around the world but Pat holding back his own devastation to care for Pran is just....everything. Because we KNOW it’s not in Pat’s nature to hold back and conceal anything. When he wants Pran to know something, he communicates it immediately. But him letting his tears silently fall while he comforts Pran is just truly heartbreaking. It’s him saying let me set aside my own breakdown for yours. Let me do this for you. And in this sense it speaks to EVERYTHING we know about Pat. Of who he is to his core. Sacrificing himself for others. Putting Pran’s needs above his own. And that is just so beautiful and noble and it fucking hurts.
1st // EP12 - The perfect ending.
The ending that takes us back to the beginning. Bookends. An ending that is so full and complete that it’s deserving of two screen shots. We’re left with the firm belief that PatPran will make it, that whatever this world has in store for them, they’ll face it together. That unspoken family approval and long distance relationships have no shot at tearing them apart. They are in it for the long haul. To close it out in the final seconds with their younger selves is P’Aof’s parting gift to us as it depicts how it’s always been between our boys, that despite all the family rivalry, despite being taught to hate and not care for one another, these two found their way to each other anyway. And this knowledge is so inspiring in its messaging: that you carve your path in life. And the life that you choose is the best life simply because it’s of your own making and no one can ever take that from you.
):):):):):):):)
Thank you very much for reading and following me down this incredible journey of recapping BBS’ episode endings. My next challenge to myself is the daunting task of full episode rankings so stay tuned for that.
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Just me summoning unholy forces so P’Aof will throw us bisexual BL fans just one tiny decent lesbian ship. As a treat. And it HAS to be him. If we must be pigeonholed into tropes, his are the cutest and least annoying.
We are all clowns in Aof's circus (or my thoughts on BBS EP12)
We all got played. And I ain't even mad about it. I have never been so happy to be so incredibly wrong with my clown predictions. P'Aof came through and stuck the landing (and struck a pose while doing it). I never should have doubted. EP12 was perfection. Let me count all the ways this was the BEST episode of the series.
It was 24-minutes into the episode before PatPran said a single word to each other F2F. Everything leading up to this was nonverbal and it was AMAZINGLY well-acted. OhmNanon and P'Aof trolled us so hard guys. Nanon especially with his "we filmed multiple endings," you can go and relocate to your new home under the bridge, sir. Go ahead and collect your graduate degree in trolling, too.
Those first words? Uttered by Pran: I'm delivering food made more effective because we now know that I'm hungry is their euphemism for "I'm horny and want sex, gimme all the sex now." Guys, Pran is the food, he's delivering himself. I'm weeping. And Pat just grabs him and pulls him inside. Incredible. This makes me see Pran's I've always wanted to cook a favorite dish for someone I like as layered meaning. Guys, Pran is that favorite dish. T_T
There were time skips and flashbacks within flashbacks and it WORKED. It all worked. I loved that we got to see them still going strong after all these years. They survived the test of time and we now know they can get through anything. The editing and pacing here was excellent. We got to see the immediate aftermath of EP11 but in such an unexpected way with their evil and mischievous grins as their families consoled them. They totally worked their parents and were gloating about it. Those bastards.
Pran displaying some signs of possessiveness is something I never thought we'd get. His (at the party) I saw everyone you secretly smiled at, made me grin because not only is he comfortable enough to show Pat this side of him but he's no longer repressing his feelings. How far you've come, Pran.
Of course they came up with a plan to secretly stay together. We saw them manipulate their friends with the bus stop rebuild. The breadcrumbs for this path were always there. I'm ecstatic that they found a way to make it work without compromising themselves or each other. I know some would argue that this is stunted growth and they're exactly in the same place as they were at the start but I'll disagree. When you see no other way but can't stand to be separated, you find creative ways to make everyone happy. They adapted to their surroundings rather than let their surroundings change them. And I loved that they arrived at this solution together with some wise words from Uncle Tong. I also loved that they came back to visit him and Junior at graduation. Aww. My big takeaway: we aren’t allowed to freely love each other? Fuck that noise, we’ll do it anyway. You got a problem with it? That’s a you-problem. Hell yeah, PatPran.
All the high school flashbacks showed me that Pat was constantly seeking out Pran's attention. He had it so bad and didn't even know it. The ultimate pig-tail tugger. But also- adult Pat? Devastating.
All the pinky holding. So intimate. This is now the new fist bump.
Pat's dad is a grizzly bear with a soft heart and belly. We can see that he's fighting a losing battle with himself. He can't outwardly show that he's softening, there's face saving to be had, but that sniff and sip of the Pran's liquor gift and the shuffling of feet to put the mail in the correct mailbox...sir, we see you. P’Aof is so good at these small moments that speak volumes.
The scene stealer this episode goes to Pran's mom. Leaving his guitar on his bed. Her smile and quiet acceptance as she overhears their laughter from the livingroom. Ma'am... I slow clap for you. Dad grinning and adorably nudging her and putting his head on her shoulder was too cute. This scene was my favorite non-PatPran from the episode.
Of course the parents know. PatPran aren't as cool and slick as they think they are. But not outing them with a big confrontation and taking on a see no evil, hear no evil attitude is how they show their love. It’s the quiet acceptance that stabs at my heart because it’s just so realistic. PatPran are two idiots blinded by love if they don't think their parents have caught on.
The call back to the string-can telephone was just so well done. To have a flashback to young PatPran doing the same was icing and showed us it was always like this with them.
The entire bonus scene after P'Aof's credit title was just RAWR. I should have known these two were into rough sex, but seeing it on screen made me squeal. And we did not just have the final words of the series be Pran, it's not a porno! I laughed so hard. Why do I feel like this entire long take was mostly improvisation? How many takes did they have to do because of uncontrollable laughter? Isn’t Ohm super ticklish too? I want to see the bloopers footage so bad.
I thought I would be sad that BBS is over, but this episode delivered such a satisfying conclusion to their story that I'm too happy to be feeling anything else. Not everything was neatly wrapped up- they still have to work hard at a long distance relationship, their parents approval is still unspoken, but that's life and the way that P'Aof left a roadmap, it's not difficult to imagine that PatPran will continue to fight alongside each other with bright eyes and pinkies attached.
