I started watching with no context, which was fine! But if you want context, here it is. These shows come out of the yaoi manga genre in Japan. Most shows are adapted from popular webcomics with existing audiences. They are gaining popularity across Asia and internationally. Thailand, in particular, is becoming known for producing BL series. It’s also clear that this genre and industry are rapidly evolving.

Quick Links

Resources for BLs

• **World of BL:** Comprehensive list of past, current, and anticipated Asian BLs, including direct links to the platforms that air them. (It looks sketchy, but I promise it’s a completely safe site.)
• BL Watcher: Find thorough reviews of BLs here, though some popular and controversial BLs are not reviewed. While I always agree with their A ratings, they prefer cozier and sweeter stories than I do. I’m less interested in university stories and more forgiving of weak plots when the chemistry is good.
• BLtai: Zooms out to all BL, GL, and queer content, including shows and web-comics. It expands beyond Asian content to other continents. More of a news and updates site than BL Watcher.
• BL Content Warnings: Fan-made list of content warnings for BLs. Some BLs, particularly older ones, include dubious consent or pursuing romantic interests after multiple rejections. I do try to make a note about trigger warnings when I review, but this has even more.

Thai BLs

Thailand produces a lot of the BL series you’ll find on the lists above. The industry is young but thriving. Thai BL actors are part of mainstream celebrity culture in Thailand. Many earlier shows focus on university students and first love stories. That’s starting to change, but you’ll definitely run into a lot of student stories. Some shows will show characters dealing with homophobia, and others operate as if Thailand has already legalized gay marriage. Thai BLs also have a wider range of physical intimacy, from relatively chaste to full-on R-rated.

Thai Culture

I started watching Thai BLs with zero context. Here are some things I was curious about:

• A beginner’s guide to Thai BL: Big picture overview of tropes, honorifics, etc.
• Thai Honorifics, Names, and Nicknames: Video made by an Australian-Thai BL actor.
• Monkhood in Thailand: Monkhood is a little different than the Catholic version, which you might be more familiar with if you’re a Westerner.
• Trans Culture: Thailand has a gender history outside the Western binary. Not a complete article, but a start.
• State of Gay Marriage in Thailand

My Favorite Thai BLs

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Korean BLs

Korean BLs tend to be more chaste. It’s rare to find gay characters in mainstream K-dramas, so this genre occupies a unique space. Like Thai shows, these shows are typically adaptations of popular webcomics. I started watching BLs after watching a lot of K-Dramas, so I don’t have similar notes on cultural differences. They are usually shorter story arcs, as well. Most Korean BLs only have 8 episodes, with each one running for less than 30 minutes.