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When it comes to the best BL (boys’ love) dramas, love, lust, and longing are never in short supply. I mean, who wouldn’t love to enter a new world in which the characters seem to look at each other with a telling glance, as if saying “I know what you are”? Or perhaps it’s the intimate moments, both physical and emotional, between the couples on screen that keeps us watching. Either way, the best BL dramas of 2023 have left their mark.
This year, we had everything from an apocalypse, to K-pop plagiarism, to a singing school president. Some dramas didn’t let up on the steamy, spicy love scenes (and that’s great, because purity culture is boring). Others were heavy on the character drama, and many found a reason for the story to move to the beach, that all too familiar place.
In June, I wrote about why characters in queer dramas gravitate toward the beach, with thoughts from people like Pond and Phuwin, as well as Oh Jun-taek and Im Ji-sub. Queer fantasy and queer reality continue to converge, in ways that state queerness outright, permitting MLM characters to exist fully in these narratives, the sheer quantity of which make it feel like the Western world is still 10 paces behind.
At this time of year we tend to look backwards, but it’s worth noting the adaptations that are coming next. There’s the Thai adaptation of the Cherry Magic manga, which premiered on December 9, 2023, starring the inimitable Tay and New (with the full support of manga author Toyota Yuu), and also the upcoming Thai adaptation of My Love Mix-Up!, starring Gemini and Fourth. In previous years, the Japanese originals have made our Teen Vogue Best BL list, too.
Below, in no particular order, find a list of the best BL dramas from several countries that aired their final episode in 2023 — a variety of shows that sparked online conversation, brought new and invigorating approaches to the genre, and ended up as my personal favorites.
My School President
GMMTV’s new generation stars Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak and Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul lead this note-perfect YA musical series. Student body president Tinn (played by Gemini) has a crush on Gun (played by Fourth), the leader and main vocalist of the school’s music club, Chinzhilla. But when Tinn is ordered to disband flop clubs, and with the no dating rule for band members, they share a common goal — get Chinzhilla the win at the Hot Wave music contest. My School President is stacked with a stellar cast and phenomenal musical numbers, including Ford Arun’s “อีกนิด (Come Closer)” solo that makes the heart soar. But it was Gemini and Fourth’s performances in this series that led me to label them a new “pillar” coupling in the GMMTV world during our Teen Vogue interview earlier this year. Naturally, they humbly declined, but the proof is in their undeniable electricity as a duo (not to mention their impromptu live vocals during the interview). When Gemini and Fourth share the screen, it is true alchemy. (Viki, Thailand)
Our Dating Sim
Workplace romance meets a twist of perceived unrequited love in this series. Lee Jong-hyuk plays Lee Wan, an illustrator who joins the team at RE:TRY to create a dating simulation game. To his shock, his new colleague is none other than Shin Ki-tae (Lee Seung-gyu), his friend and crush from high school. We’re transported back to their last meeting on the day of graduation, when Wan confessed his feelings with a kiss. But Ki-tae swerved the kiss, and an embarrassed Wan ran away, marking the start of a seven-year-long chasm between them, until they meet again at RE:TRY. What follows is a briskly paced and light-hearted short series that within the constraints of its budget, delivers all the hallmarks of a classic. Perfect when watched on a binge, or a palate cleanser after a heavy, gritty watch. This show had me from the moment that Shin Ki-tae ascended in the elevator, his eyes locked on Lee Wan through the glass, two old friends seeing each other. Knowing that something was beginning again. (Viki & GagaOOLala, South Korea)
My Personal Weatherman
Excuse me while I scream. There’s plenty of “plot” to be watching this show for, so let’s start at the beginning. Yoh (Mashiko Atsuki) is a struggling manga artist who lives for free with the local weatherman, Segasaki (Higuchi Kouhei), in exchange for keeping house, feeding him, and um, serving him. The series revolves around this arrangement, and much of its humor stems from their dynamic. Case in point: If Yoh tunes in to Segasaki’s weather show and he forecasts sun (because who would use their own eyes to deduce a sunny day when Segasaki is right there on screen looking so good), he gets all horned up. Long story short, they only f*ck on sunny days so they can dry their soaked bed sheet, of which they own only one. But when Yoh buys a stack of new sheets so they could personify Jungkook’s “Seven (feat. Latto),” it’s enough to leave the jaw hanging. (Viki, Japan)
Moonlight Chicken
Uncle Jim runs a chicken shop. He won’t raise the price of his product and would rather feed his customers than take extra food as leftovers. All-round good guy. And then one night, the alluring Wen stumbles into Jim’s shop, drunk, and everything changes as a one night stand propels them into a torrid entanglement. The series is led by Earth, the chiseled god, as Jim (this is how I described him when A Tale of Thousand Stars made the 2021 list, and it’s still accurate, thank you very much) and the charismatic Mix in the role of Wen. Both actors are in fine form, something we’ve come to expect from that pairing since their days at Pha Pun Dao (GMMTV, this is your mandate to give EarthMix another show!). A note as well for the side romance between Gemini’s character, Heart, who is deaf, and Fourth as Li Ming — their relationship and symbiotic impact is a true standout of the year. This show tells its story in eight episodes rather than 10 or 12, and is better for it. It takes up the space and time that it needs to, and no more, thereby delivering a profound treatise on intimacy and connection for the ages. (YouTube, Thailand)
The Day I Loved You
We all love a good bucket list. High school overachiever Nikko, played by Tommy Alejandrino, keeps his list in a journal, where he can imagine that all the great impossibilities might actually become a reality. Enter Eli, portrayed by Raynold Tan, a student from Singapore who’s assigned to Nikko’s dance group as punishment for defacing school property. Nikko is positive and bright, while Eli is disruptive and troublesome — but there’s more to both than meets the eye. Eli is craving his mother’s affection, and Nikko is quickly sobered by his experience with ALS disease. As the school prom draws near, much to the worry of Nikko’s bestie Justin (Rabin Angeles), the pair grow closer, and their cares and concerns unfurl before each other. Filmed over an intense four day shoot, The Day I Loved You is a story that reminds us to find the fragments of beauty in every moment. And when you’ve found those fragments in these 10 episodes, you can read our interview with Alejandrino and Tan here. (YouTube, Philippines)
Sing My Crush
You know when you watch a show where both leads are so clearly and stupidly in love, but can’t bring themselves to confess their feelings (or in this case, confess and take it as a joke), and you sit there tearing your hair out wishing they’d just have a proper conversation? That’s how I felt watching Sing My Crush — but I secretly loved the build-up. Baram (Jang Do-yoon) is an emerging musician with stirring, hot chocolate vocals who, after having his heart broken via a rejected love confession, strikes up a friendship with Hantae (Son Hyun-woo). Now older, the pair are inseparable, and Hantae pledges that he won’t rest until Baram debuts and becomes a star! Four hours fly by in this light, fluffy story with well-drawn performances from its leads; Jang Do-yoon brings a softness to Baram that just made me melt, and Son Hyun-woo is so vivacious as Hantae that he could shine a light on even the darkest of days. (iQIYI, South Korea)
Never Let Me Go
Arriving as a mid-December gift and bowing out in February of this year, we had the long-awaited return of Phuwin Tangsakyuen (as Nuengdiao, the teenage heir of a wealthy family), and Pond Naravit Lertratkosum (as Palm, Nuengdiao’s bodyguard who joins him at school) to our screens in Never Let Me Go. It hits the ground running when Nuengdiao’s father is murdered, and his mother Tanya leads the hotel business through the fire — you can’t help but think, she’s so mother. Watching Phuwin commit to his craft is always a privilege, as danger closes in and the stakes are raised. And then there’s Pond, who turns in a wonderful performance, as well as being labeled a “modern Adonis” by BL Watcher, which is absolutely correct. I was particularly taken by their thoughts on the intimacy between Nuengdiao and Palm in my piece about queer characters at the beach — Pond said that Palm is “sharing his happy place with Nuengdiao,” at the beach; Phuwin said it’s like “opening up a lot of doors about yourself,” by “letting them into places that most people won’t ever have access to.” They’re marvelous ambassadors of this show, which isn’t perfect by any stretch, but is still a gripping ten hours of escapism. (YouTube, Thailand)
The Eighth Sense
It all comes back to the ebb and flow of the ocean in this contemporary Korean epic. Jihyun (Oh Jun-taek) is a college student who moves from a small town and struggles to acclimatize to metropolitan Seoul. When he joins the surfing club, he bonds with his senior Jaewon (Im Ji-sub), and so begins a story set against the backdrop of the beach, which Oh Jun-taek and Im Ji-sub spoke about in my beach piece in June. What you get is an immersive experience as Jihyun and Jaewon fall in love, across a 10-episode series that looks phenomenal and boasts off-the-charts chemistry between Jun-taek and Ji-sub. They grow into people we’re fond of. We’re there through the ups and downs, as Jaewon sits in his trauma, and we’re right there with him when he finds a brighter day. For a show that’s named for interoception, it’s a masterful examination of how we understand others, and how we come to understand ourselves. This is one for the history books. (Viki, South Korea)
Only Friends
Sluts. The men in this show are absolute sluts. Finally, some representation. But let’s take it back a step, and into my dilemma — how to accurately describe Only Friends after almost blacking out when Neo’s character Boston stared directly into my soul with bedroom eyes in the title sequence. I guess it starts with the characters, who bring lust, seduction and red flags to the forefront, and who even address the camera as talking heads in front of a blue backdrop, reminiscent of Russell T. Davies’s style in the original Queer As Folk. First and Khaotung play Sand and Ray, respectively (and brilliantly, I must say; their back and forth is always delicious), while Force and Book star as Top and Mew (both raise the level of the show whenever they share the screen, a phenomenal duo. And I will not pass up the chance to mention what a perfect name “Top” is). But there was one moment in the first episode that truly got me. When Nick (played by Mark) handed Boston’s repaired phone back to him with a shirtless selfie on it, I was speechless. I’ll never forget what happened next. There’s depth, too, just in case you thought it was incapable of such a thing. A messy, fun and hot watch. (YouTube, Thailand)
The End of the World With You
The world is coming to an end. Life as we know it will cease to exist. Call your loved ones, say a prayer, rush a final good deed, because in ten days a meteorite will scorch the planet. But in the case of Masumi (Seto Toshiki), who has evaded excitement since his college days, he decides to spend the apocalypse at the library — and that’s when he runs into Ritsu (Nakata Keisuke), the man who broke his heart. This series is at its most charming in the early episodes, chronicling Masumi and Ritsu’s dalliance, then becomes a fully-fledged character drama as it builds out its cast. It’s understated and gripping; a slice of life-almost-over. The cataclysm is the best catalyst here, driving characters together, begging the question: What couldn’t you do in the end of days? Give this show its flowers, it is most deserving of them, tenfold. A must-watch! (Viki, Japan)
Be My Favorite
Krist Perawat Sangpotirat returns to BL in the role of Kawi, a school boy with a burning crush on a girl named Pearmai (Aye Sarunchana), and a dislike of Pisaeng (Gawin Caskey), a fellow student who is all looks and charm. Flash forward over a decade later, when Kawi is discontent with his life, the magical powers of a crystal ball transports him back in time, with the chance to amend his life and create the future he’s always wanted. But not everything goes to plan. It’s an intriguing enough setup, but witnessing the characters grow, individually and together, across its 12 episode run makes for a good time. Pisaeng’s evolution as he negotiates his own sense of self, facing the bold image of a rainbow flag in front of him, then choosing to be brave and live in his truth, is one of the most achingly gorgeous things to come out of a GMMTV production. See what happens when you believe in Gawin Caskey? It’s a hell of a showcase for him. And Krist is on top form, back in the genre toy box that started it all with SOTUS back in 2016. How time flies. (YouTube, Thailand)
Unintentional Love Story
Everything is going wrong for Ji Wonyoung (Gongchan). A corruption scandal at work involving his superior leaves him without employment, despite never being entangled in the mess in the first place. A bird then takes a dump on him, and he later breaks a special ceramic plate out of rage (and rightly so, offers to replace it). This pulls him into the orbit of Yoon Taejoon (Cha Seowon), a nepo baby in hiding who runs the pottery store where the plate came from. Taejoon is instantly captivating, soliloquizing about the undetermined true color of his ceramics until they emerge from the fire; it’s only in the roaring heat that we show what we’re made of. But when Wonyoung learns that Taejoon is a lucrative business asset to his ex-employer, he hatches a plan to win him over and coax him out of hiding. It’s lighthearted swoon-worthy fun, and while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it does enough to keep you invested. (South Korea)
I Feel You Linger in the Air
Okay folks, going to be a bit more conservative, a bit more elusive about this one. This is a show to be experienced with little foreknowledge. What can I tell you about it? I can tell you that it’s fantastic across elements of story, cinematography, lighting, music, etc. I can certainly say that it’s a period piece for most of its run, with a gorgeous visual treatment of the 1920s, right up there with the best of its kind. I can also divulge that what truly captures the heart and engulfs the soul is the chemistry between Nonkul Chanon Santinatornkul as Jom, and Bright Rapheephong Thapsuwan as Yai. Major props to the folks at Lovecast The BL Podcast for getting this series on my radar and therefore on this list; once I’d heard one good thing about the show, I started noticing it everywhere. I Feel You Linger in the Air is sure to be a new standard by which we compare our favorites, because a story like this doesn’t fade from thought so easily. (GagaOOLala, Thailand)
