It seems like ppl don't understand that this is not really a list of the most popular bls but a list of bls that were somehow groundbreaking and took the bl genre to the next level. Like there are a few bls here that I didn't like at all but I still recognise their significance. And there are certainly a few very popular ones that didn't make the list bcs they didn't make that much of a difference for the genre. Also, the fact that this or that bl was your first doesn't mean it was groundbreaking for the whole industry either.
@@amydonnelly8255 Did it take the genre to the next level tho? I suppose in the end to make the list a show would need to be both: groundbreaking AND popular bcs only then it can make a difference for the whole industry. For example KinnPorsche wasn't the first mafia bl out there but it was the first to become so popular that it encouraged other production houses to explore more mature and gritty bl plots.
@@missanna7510 I guess then its a matter of thought in some ways......as I would say that Not me is certainly worthy of a place on the list more than LBC........LBC was popular but not groundbraking......Not Me, was very groundbreaking, almost a genre on it's own with the pollical themes it covered, but has become more popular over time. As you say, if the list needs to be both groundbreaking and popular (or at least bring themes and plots to the mass audience) then it's a matter of opinion..........but most things are. A difference of opinion is not unheard of in these things.
I cant belive u included "i told the sunset abt u " in the honorable mentions .It was a masterpiece of a drama.The story , cinematography and acting were top notch .I dont usually watch thai BLs but this was just the most beautiful piece of art. It deserves a league of its own .
Agreed, it was also the first drama to feature full length behind the scenes videos. In addition I believe it has won more awards than any other Thai BL drama.
Semantic error: i haven't watched it. But it was a huge talk in western fandom. I get to know east asia made bl too . For me it's1) Untamed: it was the first series that make me watch a subtitled drama. I started looking for other bl drama and land on Thai dramas. 2) Tharntype: it made me watch hot Thai drama. It was a change after untamed 3) Kinnporsche: it make me follow actors and create a fan account that make me easy to follow other drama s 4) Not Me: it make me enter gmmtv worm whole through OFFGun 4) Cutie pie: deepen the worm hole
Honestly ppl be sleeping on the Taiwanese bl industry while they be killin it since forever with HIStory series and sm more. They relli be serving with We Best Love and now Unknown, Kieski Dear To Me and sm more amazing and cool experimental bls tbh. Every single year they always ate with so much cool concepts with the bls. Everyone should relli stop sleeping on Taiwanese industry😭🙏
Coudnt agree more , soo true taiwanese bls are sooo good tbh haven't found a bad one all of them clearly are masterpieces, all the history dramas and we best love and unknown now literally watched every taiwanese bl and its all soo good
'Dark blue and the moonlight' was the only taiwanese bl i found very bad acting wise, plot wise, chemistry eveything( just my personal opinion) but when i explored further taiwanese bls are for sure very good .
@@minnusara8030agree love taiwan bl series so much history series / my tooth your love / we best love / kiseki dear to me /be loved in the hause I do / eagerly waiting pray in love
Why is it that Gameboys never makes these lists? The romance, comedy, and drama had me hooked right from the first episode! They made a second season and a full length movie! Especially being done through the Covid Pandemic which we all can relate to. I love the chemistry between them and the rest of the cast.
I would include Tales of 1000 Stars as it set a new standard for quality storytelling at the time and also broke the mold of the university story line as well. After the impact of Tales many more well written and produced series came into the fray.
For me 'Bad Buddy' was the first BL I watched. The ones that got me hooked were 'Until We Meet Again', 'Semantic Error' and 'A Tale Of 1000 Stars'. And the one that got me deepest and unable to get over was 'The Untamed' which is still my personal favorite.
i think the only one missing is the untamed but since they made it into bromance I could understand why you didn't add it. everything else is here, you nailed this list!!! all of these truly took the bl industry to the next level
- We Best Love - If It's With You - I Cannot Reach You - The Eighth Sense - WHY R U? - Old Fashioned Cupcake - Minato's Laundrymat - Our Dining Table - Tokyo In April Is... - My Love Mix-Up - Ossan's Love - Cherry Blossoms After Winter - A Shoulder To Cry On - Kissable Lips - His (Movie Ver. 😢😢😢) - The Day I Loved You - Boy's Lockdown - Gameboys - Not Me - My Only 12% - Love For Love's Sake - PitBabe - Dear Doctor, I'm Coming For Your Soul (Sorry the list is so long 😂)
@@DayBuzI restarted the series and I'm on episode 5 ❤ I really liked it.. the story itself is amazing 🌹... dear doctor, I'm coming for soul Is👍👍👍 ‼️ EXCELLENT SERIES ‼️
@user-ib1kt4zg2u I did! I love the one song on the soundtrack! I thought that the relationship between the two leads was really interesting. I literally started sobbing towards the end (you know which part I mean 😭😭😭). I thought the part where Sanya was in front of the hospital towards the end was quite interesting because it was somewhat of an open ending.
UWMA was my first bl. I started watching bls in 2020,because I was so bored of the boring movies on TV. At that time I was ARMY and I asked them if they know what bl is and a lot said yes and recommended UWMA to me. I was immediately hooked. You named my favorites here. Although the Japanese version of Cherry Magic wasn't as good to me.
UWMA was my first BL, and it introduced me to the whole genre and there was no stopping for me after this!!! I was waiting to see it on the list and I couldn’t agree more with your review!!
There are BL Series that were not so popular in their year, but became popular in the following year such as Triage (2022) became much more popular, known in the year 2023 and this has happened before with The Miracle of Teddy Bear and with To Sir, With Love
I never discovered bls until 2021, and it took a while to find them. My first bl was Fish Upon The Sky and it's just snowballed into hundreds of bls from anywhere I could find the. Light On Me, and Don't Say No were some off my favorites on top of the ones already mentioned but as good as History 3: Make Our Days Count was it was incredibly hard to get over and to be able to rewatch it.
Top 10 BLs that I think contributed to the global success of BLs, some of which I wasn't a fan of. Gonna try to be as objective as possible here. For context, I got into BL in 2018, the year Love By Chance was released: 1. 2gether: It's impact was undeniable. After that show, BLs were being pumped out like hotcakes and it hasn't slowed down since. I would say this show has had the biggest impact on the industry and I hated this show once I realized the couple had no chemistry and were more like roommates than romantic partners. Everything else after this is in no particular order of impact, except for Semantic Error. 2. Semantic Error: This show single-handedly catapulted Korean BLs into the mainstream. After this show's success, every production company started pumping em out and it hasn't stopped since. Undeniable impact. Love this show! Hype well deserved. 3. Cherry Magic: This show did for Japan what Semantic Error did for Korea. Love it, despite the lack of a kiss. 4. Sotus: A beloved OG BL, one of the "godfather" shows of the industry; need I say more? I love this show for what it is, despite finding some elements annoyingly cliche at this point in the game, "I'm only gay for you" UGH! lol 5. TharnType: I hate the toxicity of this show, but its popularity is undeniable. I watched it because it was binge-worthy despite its toxic nature. 6. KinnPorsche: I still have never watched it but heard ALL ABOUT IT. 7. Bad Buddy: Same as KinnPorsche, but I watched this show after all the hype and loved it, mostly. Great acting. 8. 2Moons: Not the best acting, but it's a comfort show for many of us OG BL stans before we had a lot of BLs to watch, and it's as iconic as Sotus and belongs in the "godfather" category. 9. Love By Chance: Though I think it sort of faded in popularity, it was, at the time, one of the most popular BLs ever. 2018 was a rough year for BLs. Most BLs released that year were not good AT ALL, so LBC was a bright light in a dark tunnel. It deserves its flowers. This show was not perfect, but its a comfort show for me. 10. Addicted, I hate the toxic nature of this show, but its impact was undeniable. An OG "godfather" show, but for China, despite the controversial themes. I really didn't like this show. smh. 11. Honourable Mentions: A Tale of a Thousand Stars/Gameboys: A Tale of a Thousand Stars was famous for its unique setting, beautiful visuals, great chemistry, and wonderful acting. I think this series helped to shake up the monotony of BLs and gave us a different vibe from the typical university/school settings we were all so accustomed to. I think the only gripe people had with this show was that there was only one kiss. But its production value is always touted as one of the best in the industry. Gameboys brought a unique perspective like ATOATS, plus great acting. I haven't watched it, but I know of its impact. It's the Cherry Magic/2Gether/Semantic Error of the Philippines. Was a highly regarded BL, globally. 12. Bonus - My Favorite BL of ALL Time: History 3: Make Our Days Count: The acting and chemistry is the best I've ever seen in a BL, ever. Some aspects of the show are a little problematic, but I could overlook them. I pretend the ending doesn't exist since the main couple made a cameo in a different BL, so that's the true ending for me.
Until We Meet Again Appreciation YES Thankyou. It is such a good drama and the story is so incredibly captivating and interesting. It is truly ground breaking to me and I will never stop hyping it up.
I think Gameboys was precedent-setting becaue it was one of the first Filipino BLs, and the fact that it was filmed mostly at the two lead characters' homes during pandemic lockdown.
UWMA was my first bl. I was looking at reaction videos, and I found one guy who had a bunch of asian dramas. Later, I found out most were bl and UWMA was the first I chose to see. Still one of my top bls. Amazing story and acting performances
I cant quibble with any of the shows you highlighted. Thank you for giving Until We Meet Again some love. I think one show that should be on the list is Love Sick. I am curious to see if the remake will be any good.
What hooked me on bl series was untamed /all history series / after manner of death / until we meet again / after that series i became bl series addict and started watching all bl series that i could faund
Until we meet again was the series that introduced me to BL, tbh I don’t even know how I came across it but I saw it and started watching in and love it. 😭
Perfect Perfect casting! From the youngest to the oldest. Deans Grandmother / In's sister is so cute! And I wish Sammy would have a series where we see more of her!
This list demonstrates exactly how pivotal 2020 was in transforming BL from a niche genre with a slender audience into a niche genre with a much larger, very global audience. Four of ten series in this list originally aired in whole or in part in 2020. The pandemic indisputably, if inadvertently, factors into the growth. The beneficiary of the global lockdown that commenced in March 2020 lands at #1 on this list. 2Gether just happened to be on-air when millions of people began asking their friends, "what are you doing to entertain yourself these days?" It deserves #1, not because it is great, but because it was the show that answered that question. Word began to spread. There is no better example of "made BL popular" on a grand scale. But note, the genre was already trending upwards before the lockdown. The list also includes Tharn Type and Until We Meet Again. These two aired shortly before 2Gether, concurrent with the first news stories about the Covid virus. If the lockdown had begun six weeks earlier, the rocket fuel effect the pandemic had on 2Gether would have propelled their profiles into the stratosphere instead. BL's popularity was already increasing thanks to shows like TT and UWMA--the pandemic merely acted as an accelerant. The list also includes Cherry Magic, a later 2020 series from Japan. Airing concurrently with CM that autumn were I Told Sunset About You (Thailand) and Gaya sa Pelikula (Philippines). All three raised the bar for BL in terms of quality, and the fact they hailed from different countries demonstrated the newfound globalization of the genre. Each brought new BL viewers I to the mix. I don't know how you single out one of these three concurrent series when many of us were consuming more than one simultaneously. I'd have fudged the list here, and treated all three as a single entry in terms of impact. That's nearly half the list right there that aired in whole or in part in 2020.
I totally agree with the list but I want to add “secret crush on you” some might not agree but I think it made way to more naughty and playful bl and also gave recognition to characters that would usually be in a bl just for comedic relief. It gave actual plot to a trans character and to character that are looked as as more feminine ❤
Thank you for appreciating SCOY. It's a heartwarming show about friendship and acceptance, which showed that true representation in bl is indeed possible. Not everyone can get past the second hand embarassement from the initial episodes, which is a shame, bcs if they did, I think they would be truly inspired by this show.
To me it would be The Sign. No other BL has incorporated fantasy/mythological elements and used so much high-quality CGI before. It's also a mix of so many genres: there's action, mystery and obviously romance. Unfortunately, it seems to be pretty underrated so far.
"Love sick" the serie was the first Thai BL who had open the door for all the other ones . Without it the Thai Bl industry will not be what it is today
I agree with this list 100% i think many people started BL based on one or more of these shows so they really are the ones that brought bl to the world
You missed the most important BL of them all, Lovesick. That was the first commercially successful BL series. It paved the way for all the other BLs that came after it. Lovesick proved that BL content can be mainstream and have an audience.
If we're talking non bl people getting drawn into the genre, I'd honestly exclude SOTUS, Tharntype and Love by chance. I've been watching BL's since 2016 and been here for almost all of them. I can tell you that most BL shows before Bad Buddy weren't mainstream audience hits. It's also totally criminal to exclude Not Me. Just as Bad buddy was ending, all those non bl fans who were brought in by it, were even more pulled into the Asian bl wormhole after watching Not Me which came out around that time. But speaking in terms of numbers and reach, honestly, I'd say none of the shows before Bad Buddy. I wasn't even a fan of it as much but that show was everywhere, making mainstream watchers more and more curious about Thai BL.
Actually I think Sotus should be incuded cause in the 2016 there were no proper dramas with the main leads being gay. At that time thinking about LGBT+ was almost non existent. But however, after Sotus came out ppl all over the world found out about BL. That time the internet was not that advanced. Furthermore, if you say that non bl fans only came in after bad buddy then I don't think Bad buddy would have existed. I mean how could Sotus have saved GMMTV from bankruptcy if it only attracted BL fans and not non BL fans. Aside from Sotus, you should also give credit to 2gether, it might not be a the best BL but it was the reason that BLs became so famous during the pandemic. Only because of their and other old BL dramas fame could Bad Buddy even come out.
"Love by Chance" was also one of my favourites back then. But it is also an example for a series, that, when you watch some time later, it isn't that exiting anymore. Instead you see all the flaws. Especially how badly written these characters are. You have someone, who definitely needs a therapy. You have a full blown idiot. You have an extremly annoying little child. You have someone, who is pretty useless as a man. You have someone, who's jealousy is at the level of a mentall issue. You have a stalker, who should spent a few years in prison.
my first chinese bl is addicted and i become addicted to bl due to this, love by chance played a main role to get me into bl, as it is my bl ever, sotus locked me into bl, cherry magic is my first japanese bl the cutest one ever and after that i could never stop its been 6 years now
Agreed like the production and the storyline are just superior than most of the BLs here although it couldn’t be that popular because of issues with seeing it.
In no particular order: Love Sick, SOTUS, Love By Chance, 2gether, I Told Sunset About You, Bad Buddy, Gameboys, Gaya Sa Pelikula (Like In The Movies), DNA Says Love You, En of Love: Love Mechanics, Happenstance, HIStory Franchise, Make It Right, Utsukushii Kare, My School President, Not Me, Papa & Daddy, Addicted / Stay with Me, Takara-kun to Amagi-kun, TharnType, The Day I Loved You, The Eighth Sense, The Untamed, Until We Meet Again, I Feel You Linger In The Air, Tale Of 1000 Stars, Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart, Heartstoppers, Young Royals, Eternal Yesterday, Last Twilight. A much more complete and global list of series that made a meaningful impact on the BL industry and/or increased its popularity and not just among existing BL fans.
I like all the shows on the list. Years ago my 1st ever BL that I watched was love by chance and my 2nd was Addicted Heroine I’m happy to see them on the list even though they both made me cry.
My personal fav 1. 2gether the series ( my 1st bl drama) 2. Kinnporsche ( mature, mafia) 3. Lovely Writer (innocent, cute + hot) 4.Not Me series ( twins,politics, friendship,enemies to lovers) 5. Twilight ( my personal fav, high school, enemies to lovers) 6. Only friends ( messed up relationship, My fav actor Mark as the lead❤) 7. My school President ( funny, cute, lots of songs, high school and Mark is acting❤) 8.The Sign ( Crime, the lead’s relationship is another level, fantasy, mature)
even my first bl was love by chance.. ahh I love them perth, saint soo much.. but I'm also happy that perth was casted with chimon now.. their chemistry was great.. just love all around.❤❤
SOTUS is and will always be my top favorite..❣️ I'm sooooooooooooooooooo happy after waiting sooooooooooooooooooo long they are doing my ex morning..😌😌😌
Love Sick fue mi primera serie BL, puede que no tenga la popularidad de otras series, pero fue la que puso la priedra para lo que es ahora el género BL, y muchos aún estamos aquí gracias a ella ☺
The only good thing I got out of 2Gether was a love for the band SCRUBB. I agree with the rest of your list, but I also think that Love Sick, Together With You, and Gameboys were exceptionally ground-breaking. I would also include We Best Love and the entire HIStory franchise. I have a lot of other BLs that I would consider my favourites, or even some of the best BLs ever made, but they would not necessarily be dramas that "made BL popular". I have never watched "The Untamed", but after reading this and many other comment sections, I think it's time I took the plunge! 😊
I dropped it after episode 4. Not my cup of tea for sure, never understood the phenomenon and when I heard about the high five moment, I couldn't see it any other way but as an insult to the audience. I mean, I get that those boys are pals and buddies and whatnot but if you're an actor then you should be able to do a kiss scene with the person who's playing your love interest, period. If you can't, don't accept the role. But I guess the perks of accelerating your career by doing bl are too much of a temptation. Still, I do recognise how it was and continues to be incredibly popular so I'm not going to question it being No 1 on the list.
For reference - Ohm and Nanon are staring together in a non-BL entitled "My Precious" currently on You Tube (GMM). PS. I still detest KInnPorch. People still question some of the content in Tharn Type but what about the hotel scene when Kinn rapes a semiconscious Porsche or the electric shock treatment of Pete by Vegas. WHY is that never mentioned when discussing KInnPorsche?
THE B.L. that got myself and many others interested in B.L. was Until We Meet Again. Best love story ever. We were absolutely blown away with the story and the casting was absolute perfection... as well as having multi generational characters throughout... something lacking in many series. Sotus was also great and I'm so looking forward to Singto and Krist again. Not at all a fan of 2gether... IMO it was only a thing because of Covid. A series that IMO is WAY under rated is To Sir With Love!
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It seems like ppl don't understand that this is not really a list of the most popular bls but a list of bls that were somehow groundbreaking and took the bl genre to the next level. Like there are a few bls here that I didn't like at all but I still recognise their significance. And there are certainly a few very popular ones that didn't make the list bcs they didn't make that much of a difference for the genre. Also, the fact that this or that bl was your first doesn't mean it was groundbreaking for the whole industry either.
Thank you.. 😌
💯
That's why i'm confused as to why 'Not Me' isn't on the list.........that show was very ground breaking in its plot.
@@amydonnelly8255 Did it take the genre to the next level tho? I suppose in the end to make the list a show would need to be both: groundbreaking AND popular bcs only then it can make a difference for the whole industry. For example KinnPorsche wasn't the first mafia bl out there but it was the first to become so popular that it encouraged other production houses to explore more mature and gritty bl plots.
@@missanna7510 I guess then its a matter of thought in some ways......as I would say that Not me is certainly worthy of a place on the list more than LBC........LBC was popular but not groundbraking......Not Me, was very groundbreaking, almost a genre on it's own with the pollical themes it covered, but has become more popular over time. As you say, if the list needs to be both groundbreaking and popular (or at least bring themes and plots to the mass audience) then it's a matter of opinion..........but most things are. A difference of opinion is not unheard of in these things.
I cant belive u included "i told the sunset abt u " in the honorable mentions .It was a masterpiece of a drama.The story , cinematography and acting were top notch .I dont usually watch thai BLs but this was just the most beautiful piece of art.
It deserves a league of its own .
Agreed, it was also the first drama to feature full length behind the scenes videos. In addition I believe it has won more awards than any other Thai BL drama.
i agree with you the first real and masterpiece one,honnestly it should be the number one
i'm shook this is just an honorable mention!!!
I think the popularity of 'Kinmporshe' took the bl industry into the stratosphere. 👍😊❤️
Made it more mainstream. 🙂
agreed
Yes it is! Totally agree with you ☺️❤️
Respectfully it most definitely did!
I agree with you.
Was it inspired to History: Trapped?
The Untamed. I know a lot if people don't appreciate it as a BL, but it is, and it was my first.😊
I agree with you.
Everything about BL in my life, it started with the Untamed, then I can't find a way to log out of this realm 😁😁😁
Love TU..❤❤❤❤
Oh! I agree… it wasn’t bl but somehow it was! It actually got me into the whole concept of BL!!
Semantic error: i haven't watched it. But it was a huge talk in western fandom. I get to know east asia made bl too .
For me it's1) Untamed: it was the first series that make me watch a subtitled drama. I started looking for other bl drama and land on Thai dramas.
2) Tharntype: it made me watch hot Thai drama. It was a change after untamed
3) Kinnporsche: it make me follow actors and create a fan account that make me easy to follow other drama s
4) Not Me: it make me enter gmmtv worm whole through OFFGun
4) Cutie pie: deepen the worm hole
Honestly ppl be sleeping on the Taiwanese bl industry while they be killin it since forever with HIStory series and sm more. They relli be serving with We Best Love and now Unknown, Kieski Dear To Me and sm more amazing and cool experimental bls tbh. Every single year they always ate with so much cool concepts with the bls. Everyone should relli stop sleeping on Taiwanese industry😭🙏
Coudnt agree more , soo true taiwanese bls are sooo good tbh haven't found a bad one all of them clearly are masterpieces, all the history dramas and we best love and unknown now literally watched every taiwanese bl and its all soo good
'Dark blue and the moonlight' was the only taiwanese bl i found very bad acting wise, plot wise, chemistry eveything( just my personal opinion) but when i explored further taiwanese bls are for sure very good .
@@minnusara8030agree love taiwan bl series so much history series / my tooth your love / we best love / kiseki dear to me /be loved in the hause I do / eagerly waiting pray in love
Why is it that Gameboys never makes these lists? The romance, comedy, and drama had me hooked right from the first episode! They made a second season and a full length movie! Especially being done through the Covid Pandemic which we all can relate to. I love the chemistry between them and the rest of the cast.
Yes, but the story was not anything special... In my pov
Addicted was the one who burst in storm....
100%
I hope you have readed its novel. I literally loved it.
I would include Tales of 1000 Stars as it set a new standard for quality storytelling at the time and also broke the mold of the university story line as well. After the impact of Tales many more well written and produced series came into the fray.
For me 'Bad Buddy' was the first BL I watched. The ones that got me hooked were 'Until We Meet Again', 'Semantic Error' and 'A Tale Of 1000 Stars'. And the one that got me deepest and unable to get over was 'The Untamed' which is still my personal favorite.
If anyone can watch ‘until we meet again’ and not either laugh or cry then you have no soul😂😂😂
@@Jeankonijn Yes. Also Fluke has such captivating eyes. So pretty.
You wrote all my fav bl drama👍
Manner of Death was a refreshing new plot type for me back then. History 3: Trapped also felt unique and special.
i think the only one missing is the untamed but since they made it into bromance I could understand why you didn't add it. everything else is here, you nailed this list!!! all of these truly took the bl industry to the next level
Definitly Unknown. This series is so incredibly good, the chemistry between the actors is on point. I doubt any other series will come along in 2024.
That drama is boring
Really? I didn’t really like it. Unfortunately as of 2024 there hasn’t been good dramas yet 😭
Y'all are boring. It's the best bl series ever
@@staytea6833 watch My stand in bl ... It's good and indeed 2024 best bl till now is unknown and my stand in till now ...
@@shinemuziyait's drama including every pain ... Feeling development .. great acting great story line .. how come it is boring???
- We Best Love
- If It's With You
- I Cannot Reach You
- The Eighth Sense
- WHY R U?
- Old Fashioned Cupcake
- Minato's Laundrymat
- Our Dining Table
- Tokyo In April Is...
- My Love Mix-Up
- Ossan's Love
- Cherry Blossoms After Winter
- A Shoulder To Cry On
- Kissable Lips
- His (Movie Ver. 😢😢😢)
- The Day I Loved You
- Boy's Lockdown
- Gameboys
- Not Me
- My Only 12%
- Love For Love's Sake
- PitBabe
- Dear Doctor, I'm Coming For Your Soul
(Sorry the list is so long 😂)
You watched dear doctor I am coming for soul its so rare for someone to recognize it but I loved it😊
@@DayBuzI restarted the series and I'm on episode 5 ❤ I really liked it.. the story itself is amazing 🌹... dear doctor, I'm coming for soul
Is👍👍👍 ‼️ EXCELLENT SERIES ‼️
@user-ib1kt4zg2u I did! I love the one song on the soundtrack! I thought that the relationship between the two leads was really interesting. I literally started sobbing towards the end (you know which part I mean 😭😭😭). I thought the part where Sanya was in front of the hospital towards the end was quite interesting because it was somewhat of an open ending.
I too love I Cannot Reach You
I agree with your list, especially with Pit Babe as they broke the stereotype of masculine top and cute bottom with Charlie/Babe
UWMA was my first bl. I started watching bls in 2020,because I was so bored of the boring movies on TV. At that time I was ARMY and I asked them if they know what bl is and a lot said yes and recommended UWMA to me. I was immediately hooked. You named my favorites here. Although the Japanese version of Cherry Magic wasn't as good to me.
UWMA was also my first bl and still one of my favorites
Thank you for mentioning make our days count!! That series and bad baddy are my favorite bls ever! 😭❤
The History series is amazing!!!❤❤❤
UWMA was my first BL, and it introduced me to the whole genre and there was no stopping for me after this!!! I was waiting to see it on the list and I couldn’t agree more with your review!!
I think love sick the series was also the series which introduced bl to many.
Yyeessss. I wachted love sick, not knowing what bl even was!! After that, i went deep into the rabbit hole
@@jodianthobourne4995 sameee
There are BL Series that were not so popular in their year, but became popular in the following year
such as Triage (2022) became much more popular, known in the year 2023
and this has happened before with The Miracle of Teddy Bear and with To Sir, With Love
the Untamed, Addicted, advance bravely slapped me out of reality😂😂
I never discovered bls until 2021, and it took a while to find them. My first bl was Fish Upon The Sky and it's just snowballed into hundreds of bls from anywhere I could find the. Light On Me, and Don't Say No were some off my favorites on top of the ones already mentioned but as good as History 3: Make Our Days Count was it was incredibly hard to get over and to be able to rewatch it.
These are brilliant, all of these have been recommended to me at some point!
definitely need to add untamed you could not escape their fans lol but they got me loved it so much
for me it was Love in the air. BossNoeul's & FortPeat's chemistry was AMAZING
Soon will start airing love sea cant wait
Top 10 BLs that I think contributed to the global success of BLs, some of which I wasn't a fan of. Gonna try to be as objective as possible here. For context, I got into BL in 2018, the year Love By Chance was released:
1. 2gether: It's impact was undeniable. After that show, BLs were being pumped out like hotcakes and it hasn't slowed down since. I would say this show has had the biggest impact on the industry and I hated this show once I realized the couple had no chemistry and were more like roommates than romantic partners. Everything else after this is in no particular order of impact, except for Semantic Error.
2. Semantic Error: This show single-handedly catapulted Korean BLs into the mainstream. After this show's success, every production company started pumping em out and it hasn't stopped since. Undeniable impact. Love this show! Hype well deserved.
3. Cherry Magic: This show did for Japan what Semantic Error did for Korea. Love it, despite the lack of a kiss.
4. Sotus: A beloved OG BL, one of the "godfather" shows of the industry; need I say more? I love this show for what it is, despite finding some elements annoyingly cliche at this point in the game, "I'm only gay for you" UGH! lol
5. TharnType: I hate the toxicity of this show, but its popularity is undeniable. I watched it because it was binge-worthy despite its toxic nature.
6. KinnPorsche: I still have never watched it but heard ALL ABOUT IT.
7. Bad Buddy: Same as KinnPorsche, but I watched this show after all the hype and loved it, mostly. Great acting.
8. 2Moons: Not the best acting, but it's a comfort show for many of us OG BL stans before we had a lot of BLs to watch, and it's as iconic as Sotus and belongs in the "godfather" category.
9. Love By Chance: Though I think it sort of faded in popularity, it was, at the time, one of the most popular BLs ever. 2018 was a rough year for BLs. Most BLs released that year were not good AT ALL, so LBC was a bright light in a dark tunnel. It deserves its flowers. This show was not perfect, but its a comfort show for me.
10. Addicted, I hate the toxic nature of this show, but its impact was undeniable. An OG "godfather" show, but for China, despite the controversial themes. I really didn't like this show. smh.
11. Honourable Mentions: A Tale of a Thousand Stars/Gameboys:
A Tale of a Thousand Stars was famous for its unique setting, beautiful visuals, great chemistry, and wonderful acting. I think this series helped to shake up the monotony of BLs and gave us a different vibe from the typical university/school settings we were all so accustomed to. I think the only gripe people had with this show was that there was only one kiss. But its production value is always touted as one of the best in the industry.
Gameboys brought a unique perspective like ATOATS, plus great acting. I haven't watched it, but I know of its impact. It's the Cherry Magic/2Gether/Semantic Error of the Philippines. Was a highly regarded BL, globally.
12. Bonus - My Favorite BL of ALL Time: History 3: Make Our Days Count: The acting and chemistry is the best I've ever seen in a BL, ever. Some aspects of the show are a little problematic, but I could overlook them. I pretend the ending doesn't exist since the main couple made a cameo in a different BL, so that's the true ending for me.
Until We Meet Again Appreciation YES Thankyou. It is such a good drama and the story is so incredibly captivating and interesting. It is truly ground breaking to me and I will never stop hyping it up.
I think Gameboys was precedent-setting becaue it was one of the first Filipino BLs, and the fact that it was filmed mostly at the two lead characters' homes during pandemic lockdown.
UWMA was my first bl. I was looking at reaction videos, and I found one guy who had a bunch of asian dramas. Later, I found out most were bl and UWMA was the first I chose to see. Still one of my top bls. Amazing story and acting performances
I think I Told Sunset About You and Dark Blue Kiss should be added to the list.
I think you forgot the best out there The untamed
I cant quibble with any of the shows you highlighted. Thank you for giving Until We Meet Again some love. I think one show that should be on the list is Love Sick. I am curious to see if the remake will be any good.
What hooked me on bl series was untamed /all history series / after manner of death / until we meet again / after that series i became bl series addict and started watching all bl series that i could faund
okay... I watched all, except addicted, cause I don't want to watch only half of the series
Until we meet again was the series that introduced me to BL, tbh I don’t even know how I came across it but I saw it and started watching in and love it. 😭
Theory of love is one the best series❤
I agree that the stellar acting of Until we Meet Again is exceptional. I LOVE all the couples in this series.
Perfect Perfect casting! From the youngest to the oldest. Deans Grandmother / In's sister is so cute! And I wish Sammy would have a series where we see more of her!
tale of a thousand stars 💖....is my 2nd and ultimate favourite after kinnporshe☺
Also the our sky series was great bc it flips the story and makes you think😊😊😊
This list demonstrates exactly how pivotal 2020 was in transforming BL from a niche genre with a slender audience into a niche genre with a much larger, very global audience. Four of ten series in this list originally aired in whole or in part in 2020. The pandemic indisputably, if inadvertently, factors into the growth. The beneficiary of the global lockdown that commenced in March 2020 lands at #1 on this list. 2Gether just happened to be on-air when millions of people began asking their friends, "what are you doing to entertain yourself these days?" It deserves #1, not because it is great, but because it was the show that answered that question. Word began to spread. There is no better example of "made BL popular" on a grand scale. But note, the genre was already trending upwards before the lockdown. The list also includes Tharn Type and Until We Meet Again. These two aired shortly before 2Gether, concurrent with the first news stories about the Covid virus. If the lockdown had begun six weeks earlier, the rocket fuel effect the pandemic had on 2Gether would have propelled their profiles into the stratosphere instead. BL's popularity was already increasing thanks to shows like TT and UWMA--the pandemic merely acted as an accelerant. The list also includes Cherry Magic, a later 2020 series from Japan. Airing concurrently with CM that autumn were I Told Sunset About You (Thailand) and Gaya sa Pelikula (Philippines). All three raised the bar for BL in terms of quality, and the fact they hailed from different countries demonstrated the newfound globalization of the genre. Each brought new BL viewers I to the mix. I don't know how you single out one of these three concurrent series when many of us were consuming more than one simultaneously. I'd have fudged the list here, and treated all three as a single entry in terms of impact. That's nearly half the list right there that aired in whole or in part in 2020.
I think 2Moons was also extremely popular. That's time,very hype. The veiw in the TH-cam was a million in one day in each episodes.
OG BL fans have watched them all😌❤️
exactly and many more
I totally agree with the list but I want to add “secret crush on you” some might not agree but I think it made way to more naughty and playful bl and also gave recognition to characters that would usually be in a bl just for comedic relief. It gave actual plot to a trans character and to character that are looked as as more feminine ❤
Thank you for appreciating SCOY. It's a heartwarming show about friendship and acceptance, which showed that true representation in bl is indeed possible. Not everyone can get past the second hand embarassement from the initial episodes, which is a shame, bcs if they did, I think they would be truly inspired by this show.
Secret Crush on You is one of my favorites. Saint definitely knows how to make a bl
I LOVE❤❤❤SCOY!! Saint is awesome since he founded Idol factory which gave us the sign and upcoming GL stories👌👌👌
The Untamed💚💚💚 and for thai its the eclipse🧡🧡 🧡
Which BL released in 2024 would you add in this list?
Unknown...
To me it would be The Sign. No other BL has incorporated fantasy/mythological elements and used so much high-quality CGI before. It's also a mix of so many genres: there's action, mystery and obviously romance. Unfortunately, it seems to be pretty underrated so far.
Deep night ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤
THE SIGN
"Love sick" the serie was the first Thai BL who had open the door for all the other ones . Without it the Thai Bl industry will not be what it is today
Yeah, I think it's a shame it didn't get at least a honourable mention.
Love By Chance is My Favourite series and it always be ❤ Also ost's in this series are great too🌸
Sometimes I rewatch the series too just for the ost.😂😅
Although you did give it a mention at the end I think I Told Sunset About You should have been in your top ten.
You forgot "HIstory" from Taiwan
I remember having a breakdown when they canceled Addicted😂
Semantic error and Bed friend hooked me.
2gether my first and introduced me to BL. Sotus is my all time fave.
I agree with this list 100% i think many people started BL based on one or more of these shows so they really are the ones that brought bl to the world
You missed the most important BL of them all, Lovesick. That was the first commercially successful BL series. It paved the way for all the other BLs that came after it. Lovesick proved that BL content can be mainstream and have an audience.
If we're talking non bl people getting drawn into the genre, I'd honestly exclude SOTUS, Tharntype and Love by chance. I've been watching BL's since 2016 and been here for almost all of them. I can tell you that most BL shows before Bad Buddy weren't mainstream audience hits. It's also totally criminal to exclude Not Me. Just as Bad buddy was ending, all those non bl fans who were brought in by it, were even more pulled into the Asian bl wormhole after watching Not Me which came out around that time. But speaking in terms of numbers and reach, honestly, I'd say none of the shows before Bad Buddy. I wasn't even a fan of it as much but that show was everywhere, making mainstream watchers more and more curious about Thai BL.
Actually I think Sotus should be incuded cause in the 2016 there were no proper dramas with the main leads being gay. At that time thinking about LGBT+ was almost non existent. But however, after Sotus came out ppl all over the world found out about BL. That time the internet was not that advanced. Furthermore, if you say that non bl fans only came in after bad buddy then I don't think Bad buddy would have existed. I mean how could Sotus have saved GMMTV from bankruptcy if it only attracted BL fans and not non BL fans. Aside from Sotus, you should also give credit to 2gether, it might not be a the best BL but it was the reason that BLs became so famous during the pandemic. Only because of their and other old BL dramas fame could Bad Buddy even come out.
"Love by Chance" was also one of my favourites back then. But it is also an example for a series, that, when you watch some time later, it isn't that exiting anymore. Instead you see all the flaws. Especially how badly written these characters are. You have someone, who definitely needs a therapy. You have a full blown idiot. You have an extremly annoying little child. You have someone, who is pretty useless as a man. You have someone, who's jealousy is at the level of a mentall issue. You have a stalker, who should spent a few years in prison.
my first chinese bl is addicted and i become addicted to bl due to this, love by chance played a main role to get me into bl, as it is my bl ever, sotus locked me into bl, cherry magic is my first japanese bl the cutest one ever and after that i could never stop its been 6 years now
Semantic Error is my favorite kbl series. I love them so much! I agree that their chemistry is over the top. I hope to see them again together. ❤
I think you should also add the untamed, history 3 trapped, we best love
ITSAY is a must here..
Agreed like the production and the storyline are just superior than most of the BLs here although it couldn’t be that popular because of issues with seeing it.
Without a doubt “grey rainbow “ was terrific.
In no particular order:
Love Sick, SOTUS, Love By Chance, 2gether, I Told Sunset About You, Bad Buddy, Gameboys, Gaya Sa Pelikula (Like In The Movies), DNA Says Love You, En of Love: Love Mechanics, Happenstance, HIStory Franchise, Make It Right, Utsukushii Kare, My School President, Not Me, Papa & Daddy, Addicted / Stay with Me, Takara-kun to Amagi-kun, TharnType, The Day I Loved You, The Eighth Sense, The Untamed, Until We Meet Again, I Feel You Linger In The Air, Tale Of 1000 Stars, Wish You: Your Melody From My Heart, Heartstoppers, Young Royals, Eternal Yesterday, Last Twilight.
A much more complete and global list of series that made a meaningful impact on the BL industry and/or increased its popularity and not just among existing BL fans.
Where is Together With Me The Series?
I like all the shows on the list. Years ago my 1st ever BL that I watched was love by chance and my 2nd was Addicted Heroine I’m happy to see them on the list even though they both made me cry.
been watching since sotus
My personal fav
1. 2gether the series ( my 1st bl drama)
2. Kinnporsche ( mature, mafia)
3. Lovely Writer (innocent, cute + hot)
4.Not Me series ( twins,politics, friendship,enemies to lovers)
5. Twilight ( my personal fav, high school, enemies to lovers)
6. Only friends ( messed up relationship, My fav actor Mark as the lead❤)
7. My school President ( funny, cute, lots of songs, high school and Mark is acting❤)
8.The Sign ( Crime, the lead’s relationship is another level, fantasy, mature)
thank you for choosing The Sign,,,,I love this series too
omg i cant even remember what one got me started but i have seen them all lol
My first BL was 'don' t say no' It took me into the bl world😉😊
who is that in 0:17??????
Together With Me should be added!
TinCaaaaan. Still my fav side couple❤. I would add Unknown,hands down.The sign,We best love
I think I Told Sunset About You, Gaya Sa Pelikula and The Eight Sense change the bl industry in their own unique and profound way
Sotus,love sick,dark blue kiss,Itsay,until we meet again, 2gether the series, kinnporsce, semantic error ,love by chance, why r u.
Agree with most of the list … although my favorite isn’t in here .. love in the air. Think their chemistry was off the charts
I am watching TharnType on TH-cam season 1
For me anyhow, it all started with Gameboys.
Algunos de los últimos, los subiría...pero ESTA MUY BIEN UN ABRAZO DESDE Argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷
I liked some of the Star and Sky series and the Eclipse drama, although the latter was sometimes confusing - a challenge to follow.
even my first bl was love by chance.. ahh I love them perth, saint soo much.. but I'm also happy that perth was casted with chimon now.. their chemistry was great.. just love all around.❤❤
Love Sick. It kicked off the BL era.
Love in the Air
SOTUS is and will always be my top favorite..❣️ I'm sooooooooooooooooooo happy after waiting sooooooooooooooooooo long they are doing my ex morning..😌😌😌
Where is Your Name Engraved Herein?
I am so happy that you mentioned SOTUS and I can't wait for their new drama "Ex - Morning"
Yeah I LOVE "Stay with Me"
Love in the air no doubt
Wil, add "Blue Ming" and "HIStory 3: Trapped" and this list will be perfect.
Gameboys paved the way for phillipino bl
SEMANTIC ERROR IS MY ROMAN EMPIRE ❤
Love Sick fue mi primera serie BL, puede que no tenga la popularidad de otras series, pero fue la que puso la priedra para lo que es ahora el género BL, y muchos aún estamos aquí gracias a ella ☺
You are an engineering student? Oh wow amazing ❤ are you Thai? ❤
To My Star, a Korean BL
Honorable mention for Between Us
The only good thing I got out of 2Gether was a love for the band SCRUBB. I agree with the rest of your list, but I also think that Love Sick, Together With You, and Gameboys were exceptionally ground-breaking. I would also include We Best Love and the entire HIStory franchise.
I have a lot of other BLs that I would consider my favourites, or even some of the best BLs ever made, but they would not necessarily be dramas that "made BL popular".
I have never watched "The Untamed", but after reading this and many other comment sections, I think it's time I took the plunge! 😊
Addicted, for me, is the best till now
Sotus 💜Untamed 💜 kinnporsche 💜2gether💜tharntype are the most popular
And they all are best BLs ever for me❤️❤️...
I am probably in the minority, but for the life of me, I cannot watch together the series. I tried like many times and I just can’t finish it.
I dropped it after episode 4. Not my cup of tea for sure, never understood the phenomenon and when I heard about the high five moment, I couldn't see it any other way but as an insult to the audience. I mean, I get that those boys are pals and buddies and whatnot but if you're an actor then you should be able to do a kiss scene with the person who's playing your love interest, period. If you can't, don't accept the role. But I guess the perks of accelerating your career by doing bl are too much of a temptation. Still, I do recognise how it was and continues to be incredibly popular so I'm not going to question it being No 1 on the list.
Semantic error , the eight sense and to my star are my all time favorites y my love Korean bl
For reference - Ohm and Nanon are staring together in a non-BL entitled "My Precious" currently on You Tube (GMM). PS. I still detest KInnPorch. People still question some of the content in Tharn Type but what about the hotel scene when Kinn rapes a semiconscious Porsche or the electric shock treatment of Pete by Vegas. WHY is that never mentioned when discussing KInnPorsche?
Kinnporshe has to be the top BL for me, but how is 'Not Me' not on that list, that show is fantastic.
THE B.L. that got myself and many others interested in B.L. was Until We Meet Again. Best love story ever. We were absolutely blown away with the story and the casting was absolute perfection... as well as having multi generational characters throughout... something lacking in many series. Sotus was also great and I'm so looking forward to Singto and Krist again. Not at all a fan of 2gether... IMO it was only a thing because of Covid. A series that IMO is WAY under rated is To Sir With Love!