We are here with the latest edition of our Sunday Feature, where #TeamBLXpress will be sharing their “Current Watchlist/Anticipated Shows”. Our authors have listed their current favorites as well as the upcoming shows they are excited about. It wasn’t an easy task with the heavy load that we were tackling; but we wanted to reach out to our readers and exchange watchlists. Join us on this ride and do comment on this post!
Sarinpai’s Choices
Currently Watching Dramas
The Eclipse
One of the most talked about releases at present, there’s a lot worth talking about in The Eclipse. Whether it is the convincing portrayals by the main and supporting cast, or the intriguing plot that goes beyond Akk and Aye’s relationship to a bigger mystery involving their school, to even bigger questions that the show asks about the exercise and violations of fundamental rights, there is something for everyone here. Start watching (or stay tuned, if like me, you couldn’t wait for it to finish and started watching from the very beginning), because this is bound to become one of the best releases of the year.
Where to watch: YouTube
Takara-kun & Amagi-kun
I had a very vague memory of reading the manga this was based on years ago, so I got into it with a clear slate and no expectations. From the first episode, Takara and Amagi had me deeply hooked and rooting for their relationship. I am only a few episodes in, so I can’t say for the rest of the series, but the initial episodes bring back the memories of a first love with the same rush and the same butterflies that Takara and Amagi depict on screen.
Where to watch: Rakuten Viki
Secret Crush on You
I had this on my (ever-increasing) to-watch pile since it first came out. If you had asked me then, I would have probably cited Saint Suppapong and the hints of a GL couple (speaking of which, I am also more than excited for GAP Yuri series that features Becky Armstrong and Freen Sarocha from Secret Crush on You!). If you had asked me why I didn’t watch it then, I would have probably said it didn’t seem like my cup of tea. If you ask my why I am watching it now, months after it aired, I don’t have an answer beyond having seen many posts on how people couldn’t stop binge-watching this despite what they perceived to be a cheesy plot. What I can say about it now though is that, no matter how cheesy the plot gets (which has its own charm in fact), the characters are heart-warming and draw you to them, and make it worth a watch.
Where to watch: YouTube
Old Fashion Cupcake
I’m not sure if this qualifies as a part of my current watch list, given that I just finished it a day before writing it, but semantics. This Japanese BL has all the makings of a short, feel good, binge-able series, and it delivers on all counts. You also get to experience a rare plot point in BL- where the characters are older and relatively more mature and their age gap and the impeding apprehension of turning older and feeling like they have missed out on life are what drive the plot forward. Also worth mention is the laid-back style that is characteristic of recent Japanese BL series, where watching the series is a welcome change from fast-paced and animated plots that are more common.
Where to watch: Rakuten Viki
Dramas I’m Highly Anticipating
Between Us
This is undoubtedly one of the most highly-anticipated series of the year (has been for a couple of years now if I’ll be honest). Boun and Prem as Win and Team had already become a beloved couple due to their chemistry on and off the screen, after the release of Until We Meet Again in 2019. What we got there were mere glimpses of a much bigger story between the two characters, and that is what Between Us promises. I don’t think I’ll be the only one to have this on my to-watch list, and for good reason. Whether or not it will deliver fully on the hype remains to be seen, but until then, I’ll be sure to binge-watch their titbits from UWMA and gush over their cuteness again.
Where to watch: iQiyi
Choco Milk Shake
I’ll be very honest, I don’t know much about this series beyond the trailer and the short blurb on MyDramaList, and I can’t fully state why I am more hyped for this than any of the other upcoming BL’s. Maybe it’s the first line of the blurb? Admittedly, “A cat and dog crossed a rainbow bridge, but came back as humans?!” does more than catch the eye. I don’t have much to say about it, but do give the trailer a try, maybe the adorable dog-like and cat-like main characters will intrigue you as they did me.
Where to watch: Strongberry’s YouTube Channel
SlimFastZombie’s Choices
Dramas I’m Highly Anticipating
Big Dragon The Series
Directed by Puwadon Naosopa, “Big Dragon The Series” is a Thai BL romance drama, based on a novel featuring the enemies to lovers trope. The main lead Yai, sleeps with Mangkorn once by mistake; Yai immediately regrets it while Mangkorn won’t let the other forget. The two argue and bicker like children when not pressing each other against walls. The chemistry is as hot as lava as the two’s private lives interlace. One person has a girlfriend while the other suffers from homophobic familial relations, adding weight to their already tenuous “friendship”. As both men’s feelings morph into love, I’m excited to see if it’s going to be “Happily Ever After” or “Eternal Heartbreak”.
Heart by Heart The Series
An ensemble series featuring many actors and, I do mean MANY romances sounds like a win-win situation to me; and that’s “Heart by Heart The Series”. From the two trailers I count about 6 to 7 different romances happening in the same show, venturing around main leads Nobi and Foon. Two boys who promise to be together forever, but tragedy strikes; but the two hearts aren’t apart for long because fate works in funny ways. The trailer isn’t that good as far as editing goes, so it’s unclear what path their story takes. But all the other couples seem to have a happy ending and a bit of angst is viable from the jovial mood of the trailer. The script has me intrigued and the friendships I see running through the extra long trailer are interesting. So I’m happily waiting for it as I have for 8 months and counting.
Ghost Host Ghost House
A supernatural gay romance takes shape in “Ghost Host Ghost House” where a man who faces past trauma by investigating ghosts moves into a haunted house. Soon he befriends the ghosts which help him deal with his own past, but it gets confusing for him as he begins to care about the already gone people surrounding him. Some he even comes to love. Seeing their pasts and possible futures meeting the realistic perspective seems intriguing; because they can only go so much farther beyond the fact they are dead and the main lead needs to understand them, even if he’s frightened and unsure of how much what he is experiencing is real. I’m very excited to see where this goes and hope it has a satisfying conclusion.
We will be back next week with the third edition of this feature. So till then, keep watching this space as we bring you more updates from the Asian BL World!
The BL Xpress 