Never Has A Quote Been More Relevant Or Accurate

Favourite Trope: meeting before canon plot starts.

BL dramas where the characters either met as children or before the show plot started. (Will include spoilers for each show).

- Time of Fever.

This drama was beautiful. It portrayed two childhood friends who were separated for two years to then reunite in their late teens.

The show explores how they struggle to adjust to the new people they have become while trying to pick up where their friendship has left off. The introduction of new feelings and the personal struggles each character goes through in relation to this was explored beautifully. There was a real sense of long pining and teen awkwardness that both the actors and the cinematography displayed with effect.

It was a beautiful show that had me clutching at my plushies at frustration over the chemistry between the main characters. You get a real sense of depth in their relationship. There are many layers and history between them that just gives the show a more poignant feel.

Available on KissKH.

- Minato’s Laundromat.

I have mentioned this drama before and I will probably do so again. This is one of my favourite comfort dramas. While a bit cliche and unrealistic and clearly based off a manga, it is still a fun and capturing watch.

This show tells the story of a jaded man in his late twenties and the peace he has found running a laundromat and the young man who is pursuing him. Their dynamic is flirty, teasing and fun. The characters going through their own growth and learning about each other before they get together.

The added reveal that the main character saved the male lead from drowning as a child adds depth to the male lead’s stubborn pursuit of the main character. What was a memorable but ultimately past moment for the main character was a life changing experience for the male lead. Their first meeting before the show really adds backstory for the show plot and adds another layer to their dynamic.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- 4 Minutes.

This show was a whirlwind of second guessing plots. With plots layered on top of one and another the reveal that the main couple met as children, an event forgotten by both of them, served to be more of an Easter egg for the viewers rather than adding much to their story.

A Easter Egg that I and other viewers ate up. It was fun to watch their interactions as children and see them unknowingly play out similar interactions as adults. Since the majority of this drama plot involved the viewers having knowledge that the characters did not have themselves, the viewers having a omnipotent view of all the interacting events, this reveal into a bit of their childhood was a spoon of sugar to sweeten us for further angst.

Still, the scene was adorable to see and it only added another layer of ‘What if’ to the plot line.

Available on KissKH.

- We Best Love.

Instead of childhood friends to lovers, this is childhood enemies to lovers. Well, one sided enemies to lovers. That just means that their chemistry was that just bit more fiery than other dramas. And I love a good enemies to lovers dynamic. Especially one with lots of history as this one had.

Even in season 2, when they have gone from e-bikes to lovers to bitter exes back to lovers again, their chemistry has a passion to it that many dramas miss. The main couple love each other so much that it angers them. They simply cannot get over each other and even when fighting and manhandling, they are gentle and sweet. As a viewer you can really feel the history between them despite them not getting to know each other on a deeper level until university. The fact that they don’t truly learn about the other properly until they’re adults means that their relationship can develop further than it would have ever done as children. It was great fun to watch.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Mr Heart.

If you want one sided unrequited love between a silent admirer and someone who doesn’t know he exists, then Mr heart is for you. Adorable and sweet. The drama starts with Jinwon being properly introduced to Sangha and as it develops the viewer gets to see their backstory from both their points of view as the characters get tangled in their marathon careers and their backgrounds.

Well made with a sweet atmosphere despite the angsty parts, it is a wholesome drama with a lovely ending.

Available one Viki and KissKH.

- I became the main role in a BL drama.

This is a short Japanese bl, only 4 episodes. Yet it had such a funny and wholesome story. The character development between the MC and the ML is so sweet and perfectly explored despite the short run time. The side characters were fun and all of it was well acted.

The reveal that they met briefly when they were teenagers is the perfect backstory for the ML’s love and devotion to the MC. He accepted him for his differences and it left a lasting impression.

This show had me laughing.

Available on Bilibili and KissKH.

- Word of Honor.

While China made this a bromance, it’s still high quality gay (with all that flirting and long pining stares, how could it not be?). I love the slow burn and the mysteries that move the plot along.

Especially the mystery behind Wen Kexing’s past. That had me hooked for the majority of the show. The revelation that he and Zhou Zishu had met as children, that their lives were always meant to be tangled together was both lovely and bittersweet for me. Their lives both full of tragedy and trauma yet they still found each other. I did cry watching this show, more than once. Yet I still love it.

Available on Netflix and Viki.

- Kiseki: Dear to me.

While the main couple meet for the first time during the canon plot. The side couple are childhood friends to lover trope, but not without angst and separation and lots of drama.

In any other setting, with any other characters their dynamic would be toxic. It’s codependent and even with the separation, they are too obsessed and wrapped up in each other. They carry a history which is clear in all of their interactions and chemistry. Even though we don’t get to see know how they met, we know that their history is tangled and caught up emotions.

It’s safe to say that the second couple stole the show for me. I wish we got more of their backstory.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Old Fashion Cupcake.

Another excellent 4 episode drama from Japan. This show is the love story between a 39 year old office worker and his 29 year old coworker. Since the characters are adults there is a softness that is sometimes lacking in other dramas. They are independent and do not need each other. That makes the moments of vulnerability and affection between them that much sweeter.

Their shared history and the flashback of Nozue interviewing and hiring Togawa just add more history to their bond. I love their romance and their bond. One of my favourite comfort shows.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

This took far longer than I expected. Hope you like the recommendations.

Feel free to comment any trope recommendations you want next.

No!

Tang Yi and Shao Fei soulmate au

A short Drabble based of my other two part soulmate AU for Jack and ZhaoZi.

Tang Yi never gave much thought to his soulmate words. There was always something more pressing in his life, such as looking after Hong Ye, managing the business, of working on his cooking. After Mr Tang gave him a home he simply didn’t bother with the idea of a soulmate. He had all the happiness that he needed.

But then Mr Tang died and he found himself stuck in a hospital bed recovering from a nearly fatal bullet wound to the chest. At first he was so consumed with his grieving emotions and thoughts of revenge that he hadn’t really noticed the man come through the door. The doctor at his bedside had glanced up at the visitor before leaving the room, his departure making Tang Yi adress the man. He was young, probably around his age, with short cut black hair and a expressive face. His eyes were red rimmed and it was clear he had been crying. For a moment Tang Yi wondered why the man had been crying before he recalled the other body. The female officer had also been murdered with Mr Tang. She must have been close to this young officer.

“Do you know who shot you?”

The question caught Tang Yi by surprise and he felt the scribble on his forearm heat up. Refusing to think about the consequences of the reaction of his words, he schooled his face into a calm expression.

“No” he stated clearly. He watched as the officer’s eyes widened as his hand flew to the back of his neck. But before he could speak the hospital doors flew open and a small guy poked his head through.

“Shao Fei”, he called as the officer turned around. “The boss wants you to head back to the station. Says they need help going through Tang’s files”.

Shao Fei groaned and turned back to glare at Tang Yi. “I know that you know who shot you, no matter what you say”, he said stubbornly. Tang Yi was just noticing how big Shao Fei’ ears were. (He’s on a lot of medication. Sue him) “I promise you that I will figure out the truth and bring the people responsible to justice”, Shao Fei continued. Tang Yi tilted his head in challenge, meeting Shao Fei’s gaze. “Let’s hope you get there first then”, he muttered just loud enough for the other to hear. The pissed off expression Shao Fei gave him almost made him snort. The guy just looked too ridiculous with his monkey ears. As Shao Fei left the room, Tang Yi was left considering their encounter and hoping that he would not have to deal with such a loud impulsive officer again.

Unfortunately, Shao Fei didn’t get the same idea.

For four years the officer pursued him. The guy seemed to pop up everywhere and it was getting on Tang Yi’s nerve. He was too busy trying to turn the company legal to pay attention to the stubborn policeman. Every occurrence consisted of Shao Fei asking questions and Tang Yi responding with cool dismissals and negative answers. He half wondered, whenever he gave Shao Fei a thought, why the officer even bothered? He would even turn up when off work! He had to admire his persistence.

As time drew on, Tang Yi started finding benefits to Shao Fei’s chase. Leaving anonymous tips at the station about a secret meeting between him and various other gang leaders was a easy way to get his enemies arrested. Besides, Jack’s descriptions of Shao Fei’s face every time he realised that Tang Yi was not there were too good to be true.

The officer was the best to tease. His face was so expressive that Tang Yi just couldn’t help annoying him just for the reaction. Cuffing him to the elevator with his own handcuffs was by far the funniest. Shao Fei had looked so frustrated and angry that Tang Yi has to fight back a grin. But despite this teasing and the continued persistence Shao Fei, neither men discussed the subject of soulmates.

That is until they were kidnapped and hiding on some mountain side.

It was Shao Fei who broached it first. He was quietly watching the fire Tang Yi had made when he spoke. “Did your words ever react?” He asked. The question surprised Tang Ti who paused his action of poking the flames and turned to face the other. Shao Fei looked tired and his face had a slight vulnerability that Tang Yi had never seen before. He was not meeting his gaze, eyes fixed on the fire in front of him and Tang Yi could see the blood on his sleeve where his tie was wrapped around the wound.

“It’s just”, Shao Fei continued after a minute of Tang Yi not responding. “When mine heated up, it caught me by surprise. Its on the back of my neck so I never really paid attention to it. It was a complete refusal anyway”. Shao Fei shifted, voice becoming sad. His shirt collar moved and Tang Yi could just about see the neat word ‘No’ inscribed at the base of his neck. Tang Yi didn’t say anything. After a few minutes Shao Fei headed inside the shelter, leaving Tang Yi with his thoughts.

The first time Tang Yi felt the urge to kiss Shao Fei was when he was looking for his lighter. He was so afraid that he had lost it somewhere on that mountain that when Shao Fei turned up with the lighter in hand, Tang Yi was shocked by the sudden urge to kiss the other senseless arising in his chest. As he always did, he ignored the feeling and thanked the other.

However, the more his ignored his feelings, the more they seemed to rise. It was particularly bad when the puppy like officer invited himself to stay over under the excuse of ‘protecting’ Tang Yi. Especially since the self sacrificing idiot kept on getting himself injured for him. Although, his flustered expression when Tang Yi gave him a back massage was hilarious.

But then Shao Fei got shot protecting Hong Ye and Tang Yi was consumed by a sudden fear of losing the annoying policeman. He hadn’t even realised that he had began to care for him until the threat of losing him was too much. Every time he returned to the hospital, he was struck by feelings of care and admiration for the man in the bed. At first he ignored the feelings until Shao Fei would look up and greet him with a smile that Tang Yi couldn’t help but return.

So when Shao Fei asked him to walk with him up to the hospital roof, Tang Yi happily agreed. Watching Shao Fei overlook the city and drink in the fresh air left a warm smile on his face. When Shao Fei turned around and pulled him into a kiss, Tang Yi responded before he could even think things through, kissing back with so much hunger that it caught Shao Fei by surprise.

As they finally pulled away, Shao Fei rested his forehead against Tang Yi’s. “I have been pursuing you for four years Tang Yi”, he grinned. “Can I assume that this is an answer to my confession?” Tang Yi smiled at Shao Fei’s proud puppy like expression. “Yes”, he answered. “I accept your confession”. Shao Fei laughed triumphantly before pulling him in for another kiss.

Could someone draw Neil Josten in this T-shirt please? Or Andrew? Or any of the Foxes?

Because this is so him and I bet Allison or Andrew brought this top for him for fun.

“You clones will never be fodder, not on my watch.  the Jedi, clones, senators, our allies–all of us, we’re in this together.  And I will fight for each one of us in equal measure, now and until the very last day of this war.” I’m kind of legitimately crying a little in my heart, because Obi-Wan Kenobi cared so deeply about everyone, that no one was fodder to him.  That this is why he was so warmly regarded by everyone around him–why his Jedi brothers and sisters loved him, why his clones were so loyal to him, why Cody feels free to speak up around him and trusts him and believes in him in this very issue, why Padme trusts him. Because Obi-Wan Kenobi does his level best to navigate what could be yet another trap being laid for them, could just be a powder keg that would blow up in their faces, all while being resolute that, though this is war and death happens, they’re still all in this together and of course he will fight for them. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Jedi through and through, he was never going to just let the clones fight for themselves without pitching in to help.  Not when he’s still in a position to be able to offer help. Also, can we talk about this majestic bastard? “I WANT MORE CLONES TO HUNT FOR SPORT!  I WANT THEM NOW!!” “Oh, we heard you.”

”And the answer is no.” I’M SCREAMING, LOOK AT HIM WHAT A DRAMATIC, EXTRA BASTARD HE’S THE BEST

Watercolour A5 painting of Neil Josten and his feature in Exy Pro magazine.

There’s some mistakes but I think I managed to smooth them over.

Made for a friend’s birthday.

Hope all you Andreil lovers enjoy.

wow! if I had a nickel for every time I read about a character who was oblivious to feelings of their eventual love interest, but went head over heels in love with them as soon as they learned about those feelings, basically going from “he can’t stand me but i admire his skills” to “we are basically married” I'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. right?

Listening to Nirvana and it reminds me of Batman (thanks Patterson) and I just got a thought. Is I just me or would Tim drake have the best Kurt Cobain voice?

Like Tim can’t sing at all until nirvana comes on and it just fits his voice. Jason would both love and hate it. Dick would pray for Tim to stop quoting random lyrics at him (it sounds like gibberish until they recognise the song). Damien doesn’t get it. And Bruce is a proud dad.

Korean dramas I love.

Light on me. On Viki and it is the best love triangle drama. Boy wants to have friends and falls in with the school council and their problems. Adorable and you can’t hate any of the protagonists.

Devil judge. Dystopian universe where a judge takes down powerful people through the media. I ship the male leads because they have great chemistry but it’s not canon. Great drama and amazing acting, rather dark themes.

Colour rush. A soulmate bond between two boys and how it develops. A boy lives in a black and white world and meets the boy who brings his colour. Dark themes of suicide and murder but happy ending.

Strong girl bong soon. Girl has super strength and her journey as a hero and finding romance. Amazing male leads. Has funny parts but explores ideas of femininity. On Viki and Netflix.

Sweet home. A apartment complex fights monsters as they deal with the end of the world. Horror filled, gory and has amazing action. The characters are well written and the drama is brilliantly filmed. High key recommend. On Netflix.

Strangers from hell. Slow thriller with gay undertones. Subtle creeping horror with murder and amazing acting. The build up is good. On Netflix.

The uncanny counter. Puppy dog protagonist and found family vibes. Boy searches for the person who killed his parents whilst banishing evil spirits. Supernatural. Really well done, the mc is so adorable. On Netflix.

Mr heart. Adorable tale of what love is and what it can mean to a person. Gay drama, there is a movie version too. Could be filmed better, but they had a small budget. On Viki.

The tasty Florida. Another short gay drama. Adorable and fluffy about a restaurant and romance between a chef and a new boy to the city. On Viki.

My sweet dear. Enemies to lovers. Rivalry between two chefs for a restaurant position. Short bl drama. The actors are beautiful. On Viki.

True beauty. Girl tries to find her idea of beauty through makeup and environment. Explores how girls can view their self worth. On Viki.

My top ten bl dramas (with kissing scenes but no sex scenes)

Not in any particular order.

Sometimes I want a romance but I don’t need the sex scenes. Sometimes I just like the kissing and the plot. So here are my top ten.

- 2G ether. Season 1&2.

A adorable fake dating story with entertaining side couples and a well written plot. It is an easy watch with a comedic story line. Any problems in season 1 and any questions left unanswered are covered in season 2. The main couple have great chemistry and the side couples seem to match it well.

It is one of my favourites because it is such a chill drama to watch and rewatch. It is one I tend to go for when I’m tired or needing serotonin.

Available with English subtitles on YouTube.

- Minato Shouji coin laundry. Season 1.

A romantic comedy with a strangers to lovers trope. The plot revolves around a 17 yr old in love with a 27 yr old man. That put me off at first but the age gap is really well covered. The whole plot revolves around the age gap and how it affects them. It is both light hearted while dealing with the honest dynamic of their relationship. Both characters go through a wholesome journey of development, with Shin growing more mature and Akira learning to let himself be loved.

There is hints of a side couple but those characters go through development rather than have their relationship end romantically, which I really enjoyed.

The dialogue is very well written and the actors have really good chemistry together. Despite the age gap, it became one of my favourites in a very short amount of time. It is all so well done and they handled the dynamic wonderfully.

Though I did not like season 2 cause the writing was terrible. Still acted well but bad plot writing.

Available on Bilibili or dramacool.

- We Best Love, N1 for you & Fighting Mr second.

Ignoring the two different titles, this is season 1 and 2 of the same drama.

It is a enemies to lover dynamic in season 1 with a enemies to lovers dynamic once again in season 2.

While the plot is overly dramatic at times and cliche, it is very well acted and the actors really work with their lines and make the cliche parts fit so well. They have amazing chemistry (especially in season 2) and I love their dynamics. The side couples don’t get much screen time but they fit very well with the plot and the dynamics of the main characters.

When it comes to pure chemistry, this couple is one of my all time favourites. They speak so much with their actions. It’s a drama that will entertain throughout. I didn’t get bored at all.

Available on Bilibili and Dramacool.

- Semantic Error.

Another Enemies to lovers trope between two opposing characters. Opposites attract between a digital media student and a computing student. The plot is well paced and the actors spark off each other very well. The character development is explored well and the filming style adds such a tension and uniqueness to the scenes. One of the reasons why it is a favourite is how the filming style works with the characters and highlights their personalities. Everything just flows.

There are no side couples in this drama however the side characters are well portrayed and fully dimensional. I enjoyed how each character’s dynamics worked with those around them.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

- Sotus The series.

A real slow burn between a new student and his head hazer. Although the hazing put me off at first the show went to explain all viewpoints really well. It explained why the Hazers continued the tradition of hazing as well as the students who were experiencing it. The relationship is a real slow burn but it’s done so well and scenes had me laughing and crying.

It includes other lgbt side characters and a straight side couple who are cute and go through their own personal growth.

An old bl (2016) but a good one. It was one of my first ones and I will never get over it.

Available on KissKH, Bilibili and YouTube.

- Takara’s Treasure.

A more recently released drama, this show was so wholesome and cute. It dealt with a character’s journey as he joins a university in Tokyo after living in a small town his whole life. His slow burn relationship with his senior is very cute and green flag.

I sort of wish that there were more kiss scenes but I did enjoy the ones we go.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Love for Love’s sake.

Another more recent drama. This one had me sobbing and giggling. For what seemed to be an intriguing plot about a boy seemingly playing out a video game where the goal is to make another boy happy turned into a really deep portrayal of depression and the loneliness of being lgbt. The romance and the relationships as they develop in this drama was all well paced and wholesome. The main character is iconic and he fights for what he wants which is great to watch. The drama itself was very well filmed. The cinematography didn’t distract too much from the plot but also made itself known and memorable. The pace was good though it could have done with maybe another episode towards the end, but with the time they had the pacing was pretty good.

This drama leads itself towards theory and not all the questions are answered but that is a good thing as an ending is provided but there is still enough to make one curious.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Why R U? (Korean version).

While I enjoyed the original Thai version, the Korean version out paced it for me. While the Thai one had many side couples and confusing plot lines the Korean one keeps it just to two main couples. It deletes the cheating element of the second couple and made it more wholesome rather than dramatic. The first couple actually starts as enemies to lovers and their dynamic is very funny. They fight all the time and swear at each other before slowly starting to admire and appreciate each other before falling for each other. The show was well paced and very lighthearted. The cinematography wasn’t bad but could have been more fun.

Though it’s from the same books as the Thai one, it feel almost like a completely different drama. This one had me laughing much more.

Available on KissKH and Bilibili.

- Stay With Me.

This is a Chinese drama based off a pervious BL drama called Addicted Heroin. Compared to the previous adaptation, the toxicity is taken out. Stay with me is mostly found family vibes between two step brothers, who don’t know that they’re stepbrothers for a long time, and how their relationship develops from friends to family. Whether this be family in a romantic sense between them or not, the show leaves that up to the viewer.

For a Chinese bl we do get kisses on the cheeks! Although I would like them to kiss properly. The show focuses on them growing as people and not just their relationship, which I enjoyed.

However, the show does end on a sob inducing cliffhanger and there has been no news about a season 2 yet. So watch at your peril. The show itself was well paced and very well acted.

Available on Viki and KissKH.

- Unintentional Love story.

This drama is of a young man who was wrongly fired from his job finding a reclusive ceramicist. He is told that if he can get the famous artist to sign with his old company, then he will get his job back. What follows is a slow burn romance with misunderstandings and great character development. Since the characters are all adults in their late twenties to early thirties, the show has a different feel compared to a lot of other shows where the characters are teenagers or young adults. These characters are running businesses and having to deal with issues such as money problems and loans. It’s nice to see such realistic things playing a big part in a character’s motivation. Yet they still have moments fuelled by their feelings and impulses. But they grow and learn and that’s what makes this drama really wholesome and lovely to watch.

The side couple in this is left unresolved but with a hopeful note. However there is a history between them that is not fully explained. There has been a movie based on their backstory that has come out recently, yet I do not know if it resolves their relationship in the show.

One of the things I love in this show is the costumes. As the sunshine character takes on more depth and grows as a person, his clothing colour palette gets darker. While for the grumpy character who learns to open himself up again, his palette gets lighter and by the end of the show their outfits have swapped colours. That is a detail which I loved when watching.

Available on Viki or Bilibili.

Here you go. These are my top ten dramas with no sex scenes. While some of them may have making out scenes that fade to black, they are not explicit and the drama plots focus more on the storylines or the character growth.

So for anyone who doesn’t like watching sex scenes, I recommend the dramas above.

Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to ask about anymore in the comments.

Rewatching SHL episode 3 and Wen Kexing really out here auditioning for Jianghu’s Top Stalker.

Swinging between moods like a cat in a ball pit.

10/10 for commitment king. 0/10 for mental health.