Find your tribe in a Sea of Creativity
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Top ten bl couples- 2022 version.
(This may change as new dramas come out). In no particular order. These are just the ones that I enjoyed the most for various reasons. Posting this just because I have watched so many shows that I have lost count, but yet these are my absolute faves.
1. Adachi and Kurosawa. (Cherry Magic). Such a lovely story about respect and overcoming anxiety. They have such a sweet relationship and their story was really well paced. I want to see more of them.
2. Yoohan and Yeonwoo. (Color Rush). I loved their story and was so upset about season 2. They had such great chemistry and were literal soulmates.
3. Sarawat and Tine. (2gether). This was such a dorky but sweet romance story and season 2 only made it cuter. They had such great chemistry and I loved their interactions.
4. Mark and Ouwen. (Love is science). Even though they were a side couple I loved their story and the found family they created. They also had great chemistry and character development.
5. Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu. (Word of honor). Two messed up and traumatised people band together and accidentally created a family while causing chaos. Loved their dynamics.
6. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. (The untamed). I have always loved these two from MDZS. They are such opposites but fit so perfectly.
7. Togawa and Nozue. (Old fashion Cupcake). I loved their banter and their relationship development. Their age gap was perfectly incorporated into the show. I wish the series was longer so we could see more but the few episodes were also amazingly well paced.
8. Arthit and Kongpob. (Sotus). They were one of my first dramas and I have had a soft spot for them ever since. Grumpy cat and smitten puppy is a perfect dynamic and I love it.
9. Jack and Zhao Zi. (History3: Trapped). Sunshine and sunshine protector with such a great storyline. Mercenary and a policeman with a surprising little amount of drama considering their backgrounds. They’re just so sweet and I love them so much.
10. Jang Jaeyoung and Chu Sangwoo. (Semantic Error). They had such great enemies to lovers plot and the height difference was adorable. They had me hooked by the first episode and their interactions are everything.
If you haven’t seen any of these shows then I high key recommend.
sarawat x tine + tumblr text posts
Still2gether Ep3 + text posts
Ep5 Ep4 Ep2 Ep1 Pt6 Pt7 Pt8 Pt9 Pt10 P11 P12
The Prayer Once upon a time, there was a boy who prayed to the stars. Now, this was not unusual, for many little boys make many different prayers. But the heavens were moved by whom this boy was praying for.
Where others prayed for their own joy, the lad was praying about another boy.
Dear heavens above the boy prayed I think I’m in love I know not what to do
Now, the angels were curious. Come boy, they said, tell us more.
The boy was startled; he didn’t think they’d hear. Bravely, he spoke his mind, and continued his prayer.
Read more A big, big thank you to @a-flickering-soul for reviewing this and @harpooningadeadpig for encouraging me to post this and helping me with beta-reading! Merci beaucoup, tu es merveilleux <3
(insp.)
IF SOULMATES DO EXIST, THEY ARE NOT FOUND. THEY ARE MADE.
can we talk about the casual intimacy of this episode? we don’t need to see kisses or bed scenes to know that sarawat and tine are two people who love and care deeply for each other. the cuddles, the grins, the excitement about moving in together, figuring out each other quirks and learning how to live with each other, opening cans of soda for each other, learning each other’s favourite dishes and ladling them out on the other’s plate, the quick cheek kisses, brushing their teeth together, sleeping in the same bed, the blushes, the fact that sarawat never pressures tine to tell his brother even when type prompts him to tell the truth multiple times…
it shows, without doubt, that sarawat and tine are two people in their first serious relationship. that they enjoy each other’s company, that they want it to work and so they make it work. the domesticity of this episode illustrates their relationship perfectly. two toothbrushes in a cup by the sink. their posters all over the walls. the bracelets. one bed. a life shared.
honestly, hats off to bright and win and the production team for portraying sarawat and tine as two real people who love each other dearly, for keeping their private moments private, and for showing them as two very different people who want to make their relationship work. this episode showcased how real the both of them are, and it was absolutely heartwarming to see.
Sarawat’s ‘wtf is happening’ face
In you I trust
Summary: Tine didn’t know what to do, how to feel. What he hadn’t realised was that the damage was already done. Years of dating people who didn't want him, getting rejected over and over again just because he seemed disposable had taken its toll. While he seemed bright and confident most of the time when it came to putting himself out there, his self esteem was in shambles. He did love himself and had a pretty good self-image but his ideals on how others should treat him were now a bit shaky. Did he deserve Sarawat? And what must he do to make himself worth it? What must he do to ensure he doesn’t disappoint, to make sure Sarawat doesn't leave him after the first week? (Basically includes all the communication we never got in the series. The one conversation that could have made it better.)
Fic starts here:
Tine looked into his eyes and stared as if he was searching for something. Much like a police officer peering into the eyes of a suspect desperately searching for answers. "Why?"
"Huh?", Sarawat said bemused.
"Why do you want to be with me? What am I offering you that's so special? I certainly don't think I have done anything of note that could have attracted your attention. So other than being a good friend to you, what exactly have I done?", he asked his tone rising.
Taken by surprise Sarawat curses himself for not realising sooner that something had been upsetting his boyfriend. "Please tell me where this is coming from", he pleaded, "I want to know just where the heck all this self doubt is coming from".
His voice strained with trying to keep the tears in, Tine lets it all out. He needs Sarawat to, if not empathize, just listen and answer.
"I got a lot of people just wanting to be with me cause I looked good with them. Like I was an accessory. And the few who I thought liked me, well, turns out I was quite dispensable to them. So far I have never been a keeper. So why are you different? How can I possibly expect everything to be fine when I’m scared that you will up and run any moment?"
Sarawat who had been staring at the floor contemplatively edged closer towards Tine on the bed. “Okay", he said, taking it all in. "Now it's your turn to hear me out. I like you for a lot of reasons, yes being appealing to the eye was one of them, but of course it wasn't the main reason. You think me, a guy who hasn't ever been in a relationship before, not even a hookup, would want to enter a long term relationship with someone based on trivial bullshit? From the moment I met you I had a feeling that we would click not just as boyfriends but as friends. I knew you would get me despite how weird I am. You have this aura that just makes me feel safe. I don’t know, maybe being an introvert helped me observe the way people behave. Because when I met you it was like I knew you, no, I felt you, the way you are as a person and it made me think 'This is someone I want to be with'. Not because you did something outstanding that attracted me, not because you're a catch and definitely not because you complete me. It’s just… you are free to be yourself around me and I can finally be comfortable in my own skin around you. Don't you think that's reason enough for me not to leave you?
Tine crumpled into Sarawat at that point. Sarawat felt dampness through the front of his T-shirt. “I’m sorry I didn't realise you were feeling insecure sooner" he said to the head sobbing on his chest. "I should have known. I promise to always be here, okay? Anytime you need reminding of why you are special to me I’ll be here.”
Sarawat didn't know when his own cheeks got wet and then they were just two boys in a room holding each other as they wept. "Oi!", Sarawat said lifting Tine off him. "Come on let's stop with this melancholic atmosphere."
Wiping away his tears and then Sarawat's, Tine let out a contented sigh. "Thank you Wat. I needed this. I'll be here for you too, whenever you need reminding that you mean so much to me even if I don't make it evident at times. I'm still learning", he said while holding Sarawat's face, brushing away stray tears. He inched closer, just till he could feel Sarawat's lips brushing his, and then planted a soft kiss.
Sarawat broke away, grinning, "You're definitely learning well". "Salaleo! ", Tine exclaimed a similar grin creeping onto his face.
Tomorrow is another friday, another episode, another shot of pure ecstasy. I have withdrawal symptoms the rest of the week.
is there anything troubling you? anything you want to share? i’m here for you.