BL series i've watched
all the bl series/movies i've watched. my reviews are in the notes.
*letting the random # generator choose what bl series/movie i should watch next because the amount of contents i've seen was overwhelming. picking from my BL Watchlist*
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1. A Breeze of Love
Korean Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
"at first, i wondered why i could fall asleep when i was with you. then, i gradually started falling for you. when i woke up from a good sleep, i was glad it was you who i saw"
i, for one, really hate miscommunication/misunderstanding trope and this show was heavily centered with it that's why i was wary of starting it but thankfully, i did and it was an enjoyable watch. the main leads chemistry was undeniable on and off screen and even though it has short episodes, i was still invested with the characters and actually made me still root for their happy ending. shoutout to the other friend though, if it wasn't for him, dong wook would eventually lose dohyun. i also saw they hinted that he would get his own love interest but i don't know if they would actually go through with a spin off. if they did, i'll be tuning in.
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2. Bon Appetit
Korean Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
"i enjoy cooking for you. i cook for you because you like my food. it makes me happy too"
surprisingly, for the most parts, i liked it because the cooking scenes reminded me of little forest and recipe for farewell and because preparing meal with your loved ones is one of my love language. aside from that, everything was just okay. not the best, not the worst either. just okay. although, the conflict at the end was a bit dramatic.
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3. Jun and Jun
Korean Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
i really wanted to like this one but the story lacked depth and focuses and introduces unnecessary things, flashbacks were also questionably put between scenes that literally has nothing to do with it, a lot of characters weren't developed well and some things weren't explained at all. the visuals were good though and their chemistry on and off screen was evident but as i've mentioned earlier they focused on an entirely useless things and failed to show how their story develop which made me nearly dropped the show. this honestly had a potential to be good if only it were executed well. i hope to see them in another project because we can't waste that natural chemistry they have.
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4. Senpai, Danjite Koide wa!
Japanese Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
unfortunately, this was boring. there were things i liked but mostly i hated it. im familiar with slow burn and mutual pining but something about this one just pissed me off which made me skip a lot. honestly, it could've been better for the premise it has but sadly, the execution was bad.
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5. The Eighth Sense
Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
"if you take two steps away from me, i'll take three steps toward you. if you take one, two steps forward, i'll be here waiting."
to say that i have love every single second of this show is an understatement. i wasn’t prepared by the absurd amount of feels this show gave me, i can't even process enough to actually write a review right now.
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6. To My Star
Korean Drama - 2021, 9 episodes
"however hard i think, i can't manage. when i think i'll be without you, my heart breaks. i really don't want to end it like this. jiwoo, if it's too much, i'll come to you"
i didn't feel the chemistry at first because they seem like a soon-to-be-bffs rather than lovers but as the episodes progress, the more their relationship developed and the more you can see how they starting to deeply care about each other especially with jiwoo, even when he was still cold and aloof with seojoon, it was evident at first that he tried to protect seojoon's location from yoonseul, a reporter and a friend of his and when he yelled at his business partner who was also his friend when he wasn't careful with organizing the glasses because he knew that seojoon was afraid at the sound of glass breaking. i like how they showed that jiwoo cared about seojoon long before he realizes that seojoon's winning him over. and this was still evident when the conflict at the end happened and he still tried to protect seojoon from what's going on.
on the other hand, seojoon was easy to like, he might seem off-putting to others but to me, he was very charming. i noticed that my attention tends to gravitate towards him whenever he appears on screen because he just exudes energy that was essential in setting the tone and mood throughout the whole show. if it weren't for him, i believe this would be just another series that has a familiar love story but unfortunately was boring.
overall, to my star didn't necessarily bring anything new nor mind blowing plot twist with the premise it has but it’s just perfect for what it is.
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7. To My Star 2
Korean Drama - 2022, 10 episodes
"i wanted to find my own universe. in my once dark heart, i now have one little star shining so bright. i have found my universe with all our stories."
i wasn’t prepared how raw and painful this was going to be. it was completely different from how sweet and wholesome the first season was.
first off, seojoon. i was genuinely hurting for this man. i wanted to go inside the screen just to hug him and tell him he didn't do anything wrong to deserve the kind of treatment from the person he thought he'd spend his life with. i was like his best friend throughout the show because i wanted to hit him just to make sense out of him. face palming myself when he kept coming back just to get the worst treatment back. it was genuinely heartbreaking to see someone who has so much love to give even when he didn't grew up nor surrounded with it willingly endure all that.
second, jiwoo, it wasn't exactly easy to understand this man but i do only to an extent on what he felt during the relationship, his feelings at that time were valid. he had his own problems and fears and those fears tend to come out in the worst way possible which lead us to make the worst decisions but what i don't understand was how he treated seojoon after. i've come to know him in S1 as someone who might seem reserved but is actually a very warm person and to see him treat seojoon like that, the one person he always protected even in the smallest things, was maddening. what was even worst was he was doing it intentionally, he did everything to make seojoon hurt, to push him away. not knowing that was actually his worst fear, seojoon finally giving up on him (cont...)
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8. 30Sai made Doteida to Mahotsukai ni Narerurashi
Japanese Drama - 2020, 12 episodes
the perfect workplace romance series for me to watch after watching two depressing series in a row. this was such a heartfelt and healthy bl romcom. although there is a fantasy element to the plot, the show's creators did a good job of keeping it from being too cringey and actually made it more interesting. the two main leads have an amazing chemistry, i was actually surprised that the actor who played kurosawa was karube in alice in borderland, he played both characters well. from the viewer's perspective, you can clearly see the difference between the main leads. adachi, who puts in a lot of effort at work but remains quiet and unnoticed, and kurosawa, who is the office star and appears to be outgoing and vibrant. it was genuinely heartwarming to watch adachi gradually come around to kurosawa instead of being repulsed when he learns that Kurosawa has a thing for him, he still makes every effort to treat him with respect and prevents himself from hurting him. i also love how the filmography showed how adachi's life changed after hearing kurosawa's thoughts about him and eventually found his confidence and grew as a person and how kurosawa never forced his feelings to adachi and never rushed adachi when he learned his feelings were reciprocated. although, as much as i love the main couple, i wasn't sold on the second one. i had to skipped their scenes because their chemistry or overall story felt forced and i didn't care for it. what i do care about was fujisaki, i relate to her character a lot and honestly one of the best character here besides the mains. overall, i really did enjoy this especially the valentine's day special episode but i don't know if i'll watch the movie sequel right after finishing the show, maybe in the future.
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9. Unintentional Love Story
Korean Drama - 2023, 10 episodes
"i hope you will use me as much as you can. im prepared to be used by you."
"but, im not going to use you. im going to love you instead. i just want to love you"
i didn't know i'd love this as much as i did. i went in without looking at the synopsis or any reviews about it and im glad i did it that way because the amount of negative reviews i saw after finishing it would genuinely put me off and would missed the absolute gem this was actually is. i understand how some might view this as boring and predictable and i do agree but something about it being that— slow paced and straightforward just makes it perfect for what it is.
i love how the filmography showed how the relationship developed. it wasn't anything instant or love at first sight, the way they gradually fell in love was a beautiful sight. although, i must admit, wonyoung having an ulterior motive at first and intentionally approaching taejoon kind of put me off because i really don't like deceitfulness but the genuinity of his feelings towards taejoon eventually won me over.
i also love how all of the characters were likeable and has chemistry with each other especially the second couple, i admit i was expecting some closure on their relationship but was disappointed because their relationship wasn't developed (hopefully they get their own show) and another thing i love was the location of their shops because everything was next to each other, it made me want to open a business in a location like that. even the way they matched the lyrics to the scenes and how comfortable their hugs was were all perfect.
this show gave me the same feelings run on gave me and that's why no matter how predictable and boring it was, i loved every single second of this show. -
10. Behind Cut
Korean Drama - 2021, 8 episodes
i was wary at starting this because i saw how low the reviews were but i decided to go through h with it because i like the premise. unfortunately, most of the negative reviews were right, it was rushed to the point you can't even get invested nor root for any of the characters. there were things that weren't even explain and they just skimp over everything, i mean i can't blame them because what can you really do with only having fifteen minutes for each episodes. i even tried to watch the movie version just to see if it was done differently but everything was just the same. nothing was exciting, no memorable moments but there was a line that hit me because i relate with it a lot "i live my life harder than anybody but i got this feeling that im the only one who's lost. everybody else is naturally going somewhere but i seem to be stopped by a traffic light that's never going to turn green" i think that's the only thing i liked from this show.
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11. Semantic Error
Korean Drama - 2022, 8 episodes
"You're like an error. Bad personality and no sense of time. You're also capricious and irrational. I don't know why I'm like this. I keep telling myself to send you away. I know it's pointless to say this to you, I know that. But I like you. I like you, hyung. I really do."
to be honest, i had high expectations on this one given how well regarded it was and can i just say the hype was real. this was genuinely such a treat to watch. just from the first episode i knew i would have an amazing time watching this. it's like something you couldn't help but love despite all of its issues because honestly, for the most part of the series, the script felt overly fluffy and unrealistic, the acting was a bit monotone, and the plot could've been a lot better but like as i've mentioned earlier, i truly came to enjoy the show with every episode that went by. this is something i would be delighted to rewatch.
PS shout out to Choi Yu-na, if you're reading this i am free on thursday night and would like to hang out. please respond to this and then hang out with me on thursday night when im free
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12. Follow The Wind
Korean Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
it was a delight to watch the first two episodes, with the characters' chemistry, their visuals, the cinematography, and the song choices. there was no denying i would enjoy the show but as the story progress and when the conflict started, i began to get bothered by the characters' behaviors, i was constantly rolling my eyes every back and forth because i just wasn't having it but they got me back with the boxing scene and then after the whole fiasco, it got on the miscommunication trope and rode it with the back and forth between the two main leads until the last minute and at that time, i was ready to dropped the show but they were just so cute i don't know how to let it go without knowing if they actually got together (they did! fucking finally)
overall, i can definitely say that this is one the feel-good series with a sweet, endearing love story but unfortunately has a week plot but if you don't mind that and want to just watch the journey of two unlikely friends that are so chummy they almost behave like a married couple then likely this is for you.
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13. One Room Angel
Japanese Drama - 2023, 6 episodes
#58
"the desire i had...the desire for death, saying i wouldn't mind if i died. a convenient imaginary friend who always provided me with the words i needed and someone who shared my emotions. is it because i glimpsed of death, i created an angel? or was it that, the angel remained in the mortal world due to lingering attachments? either way, neither of us had the luxury to enjoy life, did we?"
if you're looking for a love story with a thoughtful plot, one room angel isn't for you. while it has a compelling plot with a creative premise, the series has little to no romance even though it markets itself under the bl genre. moreover, there's a lot of hindrance in shipping the leads as a couple. one of that is both don't have any desire nor sexual attraction towards each other rather they become emotionally close. another one is there's also a concerning age gap between them and another is they belong to different species, all the more reason why the leads' relationship isn't meant to be passionate but more of forming a special bond with each other and that's one of the things that made me stay and love the series aside from the snarky remarks and amusing banter they have all throughout the show.
(spoiler alert) i, especially, love the last episode no matter how bittersweet it was because we get to see takashi, who was first introduced as a guardian angel with no recollection of his past memories, turns out to have a devastating life before ending it and as he spends his afterlife with kouki, those negative experiences was replaced by positive memories that he will carry with him forever along with kouki, who began the series with no will to live and was content to rot in his one-room flat alone but ended it with leaving that same room as he welcomes a world of possibilities as he carry a feather that symbolizes a person who once gave him hope that life isn't so bad at all. (spoiler alert)
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14. Kimi ni wa Todokanai
Japanese Drama - 2023, 8 episodes
#41
"i wonder, how is it that others get the value for expressing their feelings? this deep feeling which i cannot reveal...will it disappear one day?"
just from the title and synopsis alone, it was obvious that the main plot revolves around miscommunication which made me wary (as always) of starting it because i've only just started watching bl series recently and majority of them has miscommunication trope, that is actually became the main factor on why i can't give higher ratings on them because the trope hinders me from actually enjoying the drama as im always bothered by it and it didn't change here a bit. well, at first, i was genuinely okay with it because it was understandable to have that kind of misunderstandings especially of how deep their bond was and the two were afraid to ruined it, especially yamato, as he's the one who fell first. so, i was okay with the push and pull they had going on but as the story progress, as the absurd amount of interruptions and miscommunication take place. it was frustrating to watch the two unintentionally hurt each other because they can't be honest with their feelings which made me even think of dropping the show but because i was genuinely rooting for their happiness and i want them together at the end, i stayed. for that actually, i thank mikoto and hisaka for becoming the communication bridge between the two and for how supportive they were. it was a confusing, frustrating and painful journey for the both of them (and me) but fortunately they both reached each other's heart at the end.
overall, the plot isn't anything new. it's the typical rocky childhood best friends to lovers that we've already seen many times before but what makes this special was it has no toxic characters, no potential female love interest turned into villain, healthy relationship with family relatives, supportive friends and it's just all about the despair and desire of first love.
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15. Kieta Hatsukoi
Japanese Drama - 2021, 10 episodes
#112
i didn't know i would loved this as much as i did, neither did i expect to give it a high rating but i believe the show deserves it for great it was. at first, i thought im going to be disappointed again as the synopsis gives off another misunderstanding trope but it turns out its the type of misunderstanding i am willing to accept.
i must admit that aoki's acting sometimes was way over the top but i eventually found it adorable in the later episodes while ida's was a bit monotone but it's understandable as his character was introduced as someone who is reserved. on the other hand, i love hashimoto and aida, for how supportive they were with the two and they were cute as hell too. i also love how ida's friends was the same because i was worried that he didn't have someone to talk to whenever he needed something to make sense. even their teacher was supportive without really being meddlesome about them. one thing that really left an impression to me was episode 6, as they handled the topic/conflict really well without going extreme with it but also not skimping over with it. now that i think about it, everyone was really supportive about the two, though in reality what aoki thought would happened if people knew about them would definitely happen. that's why i believe this series is way beyond what its about because it shows how this should be the world we live in where young people shouldn't think of what's acceptable or not nor what's normal or not when it comes to choosing who they love and where adults doesn't question things they don't fully understand but actually make an effort to understand it even when they really don't get it.
overall, this was very heartwarming and sweet. main leads' visuals were giving even their chemistry, all the characters were likeable, the cinematography as well as the song choices were great. i had an amazing time watching this and would definitely be delighted to rewatch.
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16. Les Garçons, Soyez Courageux !
Korean Drama - 2024, 8 episodes
"i've seen this gaze a lot somewhere. it's the way you look at someone you like. i like him."
this was a light hearted and fun watch though i personally think there's nothing really special about it. the chemistry between the mains and the visual (especially jinwoo he's so pretty) was there, their acting was just perfect for the way it is. i especially love the scene where giseob finally realized his feelings towards jinwoo however i would've loved it more if he was the first to confess. on the other hand, i have to admit compared to them, the second couple's plotline was far more engaging because of their social differences and balgeum's insecurities. could've been better if they hinted a second season just for them instead of wrapping it up like that making it feel rushed and uncomplete. another memorable character was kang hye jin, not because she's exactly my type but a side story of her would be interesting.