BL's I've Watched From 2023 [Notes Included]

MDL Notes:
Holy. Heavenly. Cuteness! Cutest human to have ever existed + semi-"evil" teasing lawyer. I fucking loved this. I nearly gave this a 10. I slept on this drama so hardcore. I cannot express how much I enjoyed this

MDL Notes:
The main leads just talking to each other felt so kinetic the entire show. They **felt** like they were bonded through time, and that just blew me away. The whole show just felt electric.
TW: N/C / SA
Time travel meets reincarnation
Happy ending but open-ended.
GORGEOUS chemistry.
Between a 9 and a 9.5.

MDL Notes:
What I can only describe to someone as a wholesome / sometimes angsty sed-ed show. The initial cringe wears off and becomes just a solid watch. So happy I wound up watching.
For this sake of this list I will also include my notes regarding the BL couple...
They've included conversations about outercourse and potential discomfort with top and bottom archetypes etc that are just not discussed often enough within queer or het media. I appreciated that so very much.

MDL Notes:
Chaos. Angst. Drama. Cheating. Abuse. Hoes. Self-Harm. But all in all one of the series of the year. Solid solid SOOOOLID cast. Kings and Queens every one of them. Could not be happier with the casting.

MDL Notes:
Trust me, get through episode 1 and it is the FLUFFIEST show I've seen in AGES. HOLY FLUFF. Like watch this. I cannot recommend this enough!

MDL Notes:
Super super SUUUUPER soft. Precious lil bois. Heartfelt and sweet overall. The vision at the end was a WHOLE to-do on Tumblr / etc but I still enjoyed it overall. So so cute. Love me some JimmySea.

MDL Notes:
I genuinely loved everything about this.
One big *personal* complaint. The episode 10 Ace erasure (which may or may not seem like such depending on how you define it)  just f*ed me up a bit. I felt uncomfortable with Max's character there... Unfortunate... Definite trigger warning for me. Otherwise, I did love these characters. Also appreciate that Pear was not made the "villain" of the series. Not all romance shows need a "villain". They can just be messy of their own accord...
I don't like that they kinda gave Not a redemption by the end though... It was just a small bit of him doing well with his book but like f* that character.

MDL Notes:
Fluffy fluffy fluff. Cute and sweet. Post credits scenes are a must for backstory kinda.

MDL Notes:
Cutest little fluffy fluffy fluff. I accidentally deleted all of my notes for this one and I'm kinda grouchy about that but I know I adore them. Leewon and Jioh are my babies. ❤️

MDL Notes:
Honestly, the acting was solid, the plot was solid (for me). Very open conversations post-conflict. And high key just wholesome. 10/10 best gay chicken show. Only got a 9.5/10 due to the potential that it's kinda not for everyone... Some of the plot is painful and grating. But made me feel feelings... 10/10 would cry again as well.

MDL Notes:
Office drama and a sweet and fluffy romance between. Sign me up. ForceBook have wrecked me so much. Holy crap. Kinda want to give this a 9.5 if I'mma be honest...

MDL Notes:
Solid little mystery. Took me till the 2nd episode to get into it, but I truly enjoyed the show. The last 4 episodes were super cute even when it was dark. Trigger warning for some, it includes some emotional abuse / a bit of noncon (nothing too crazy but a kiss while asleep) and some other ish. But other than that I liked the couples by the end. Communication and trust were so sweet. Also, damn the 3rd couple were so *sweetly* intimate in the second to last episode. Just so precious. Soft touches and kind words. Solid.

MDL Notes:
The Johnny plot became very stale very quickly but I did love the SMLs plot. It was precious/sweet and soft. I just wish the same could be said for the FMLs... Regardless enjoyed it for what it was and the chemistry was a plus.

MDL Notes:
Literally just got to see Mill and Nine be precious beans.
What's not to love?
That and KB's character was very slappable. xD Which is funny to me considering his actual demeanour. 

MDL Notes:
Sweet bullies to friends to lovers.
I liked the angst when it was there and the characters were well thought out.
I think the first time-skip was more fitting than the second.
I was fine with time passing the first time as I agreed they both needed space.
But to not see the development from them meeting up again finally is disappointing.
Honestly glad they cleared up the family situation / archery ish. Disappointed they didn't clear up the asshat friend though.
I dunno. I'd probably give it an 8.5. Easy binge. Would have been probably an 8 or 7.5 week-to-week though. I would have been more aggravated with some things likely on a week-to-week basis. But the pacing was fine for the most part.

MDL Notes:
Super duper fluffy fluff. Dorky teasing and sweet friendship. Definitely a must for any Friends to Lovers fans. Villian is villian-ing. As expected. Pfft. Just overall very sweet even when it's sad and angsty. Large use of "misunderstandings" for like a full episode but once they communicate it's all cute and fluff. Saccharine sweet.

MDL Notes:
Fluff. Pure unadulterated fluff. I think I prefer the original a bit but it didn't keep me from enjoying this wholeheartedly. Precious ending episode (minus some family drama that wrapped up a bit too quickly. I kinda wish it just wasn't there to begin with). Happy couples all around and precious friend group shenanigans. It felt a bit bogged down sometimes so I couldn't give it a 10 and I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to give it a 9.5 either but it's between a 9.5 and a 9 for me for sure. Solid watch.

MDL Notes:
Super soft, with some killer looks and chemistry but a bit dry I'd say. Simeon's side story I almost liked more by the last episode. I think the side couple is adorable even if it's not *stated* that they wind up a couple.
Cute height difference and soft romance by the end. Lots of teasing etc. Just disappointed it was a bit slow sometimes.
Also by the end, one of my favourite characters just wound up being Yeoreum's. She's just so flippin cute. Well done queen.

MDL Notes:
Okay. I understand to some extent why House of Stars might have a lower rating but I don't personally think it deserved that...
I dunno. It wasn't what was advertised I guess so people are disappointed?
I went in essentially blind since I didn't remember the plot of the trailer and I liked it.

A Who-dunnit murder mystery / "love triangles" / evil family / stalking / sex / betrayal / angst...  
It's very up my alley I guess. I was expecting mess and I got mess.

It's not just a bl by any means so maybe it hit the wrong audience... That and 2/3rds of the cast were debut actors... So it was rough sometimes, but I legitimately enjoyed the ride once I got to know all of the characters.
Highly suggest if people like angsty mysteries.

MDL Notes:
It was cute but so stupid
I don't even know how to rate this
When it was cute I was in love with this
But so much of it was just bad writing (?)
Can I get a petition to get these two actors a better script?
Because I REALLY did like at least Jeng's actor... And Pat's when he wasn't like pulling the constipated face when he was grumpy

MDL Notes:
It was honestly pretty saccharine-sweet. Even the drama was undramatic. Kinda liked it better than the webtoon in some places but it fell flat in others. Far more PG than the original but that's to be expected. That and I honestly didn't mind it just being fluffy and sweet.

MDL Notes:
Very fluffy. Gemini and Fourth just made this series. I loved the SoundWin side shenanigans and the eventual parent support but man Freakin TinnGun are bae. I do find some bits a little *too* fluffy almost. Like in a cringe way. But all in all just enjoyable in the end.

MDL Notes:
Welp. That was fluffy and sweet. Sad I didn't get a cute little Sangwoo moment but I appreciate that he's just a supportive pining bestie.
I'm totally on board for pining besties who know when to just pine silently and try to push away feelings for their friends.
I thought it was cute. Not my favourite or anything, but very fluffy.

MDL Notes:
I appreciated how much time you spent with the side characters. Honestly made it more enjoyable.
Solid show. I never would have watched this week to week. I'm SO glad I didn't due to the commentary on Tumblr because yikes.
But as a binge, it's quite lovely.
I feel like the side characters made this show honestly. Vs just using them as a vehicle for the plot to move, it felt like they were more important.
For that alone, I'd give it a higher score

Very angsty though, and for that I'll give it an 8.5. It's *DEFINITELY* not for everyone. But that last party scene made everything feel so comfy.

Yoonwon and Aeri are my spirit animals and I adore them.

MDL Notes:
I'm not generally a fan of misunderstandings or Kuudere / Yandere (finale episode) types, but honestly kinda fuckin loved this high key. I dunno. It was just kinda a vibe. Definitely not for everyone especially considering how it's very captured by the crush esque. But I dunno. It was just my vibe surprisingly.

MDL Notes:
Pretty fluffy little romp. Don't go to this seeking a deep plot or anything groundbreaking. Just kinda sweet and precious. Also supporting cast Roshin~~ Yes little king~!!!

MDL Notes:
This show went from a 9 or 9.5 to a 7.5 as time went on. The shift to focus on the second couple just felt super disappointing... I dunno. Don't get me wrong, I liked couple 2 but I didn't get a super satisfying ending to couple 1. It felt rushed... Unfortunate. I'll give it an 8 as a sorta midpoint... Just disappointing. MC chemistry was AMAZING in the beginning though. SO MANY EAR TOUCHES. ~~~

MDL Notes:
Cutesy little drama with a silly little plot. I truly enjoyed it for what it is. If you have a couple hours to burn and want something soft and kinda silly, I'd suggest. If you aren't a fan of open endings though, I would not dive in. They have a little post credits on the finale that *kinda* adds to the plot but it does feel like it's riding on maybe a second season.

MDL Notes:
I went from really feeling for Uea to just overall being frustrated with him to the point of almost just rating this lower on him alone... Mild forced trigger warning due to Krit. Spicy but also dunno if that makes up for the annoyance. I went from loving this to being sub-par in the end.

MDL Notes:
Honestly a fun little romp. High key just a lot of drama though. The MCs were something. Loved Pond. Dunno about Phuwin... Also, Perth was bae.

MDL Notes:
The first 2 or 3 episodes I was not on board with the over-acting / anime-like characterizations. But honestly, when the fluff was there, it was chef's kiss. Especially that last episode. It took what would have maybe been an 8 to a 9 easily. Fluffy fluffy fluff. Kabu was my #1 boi nearly the whole time. I love a silent protag. But if you like fluffy innocence, you'll like Onoe 100%.

MDL Notes:
Honestly super precious after all the back and forth. Sky was such a sweetie pie pumpkin. Just confused about his sexuality when he was younger and didn't want to lose his friendship. I dunno. I kinda genuinely adored this drama. The uncut is uhhhhhh something. Very softcore porn-esque sometimes. Pfft. But like w/e. Pfft. It was messy and not super well choreographed which made it feel a little more real and sweet at least. (Ears!!!!) Would have been fine without it but w/e. Venus was kinda a lil shit for half of the story but also understandable considering he was heartbroken. I dunno.

I'm giving this a 8.5 because I feel like I should just give it maybe a 7.5 but I found it to be a 9.5. So w/e.

MDL Notes:
I feel like the side couple stole the show for me. Honestly all of the side couples. I found Chimon's on-screen chemistry still a little bit off which is a shame considering it's not the first time Perth and Chimon have been on-screen partners. Either way, it was a generally enjoyable watch. Not my favourite but also relatively solid. Some cute enemies-to-lovers tropes all up in this.

MDL Notes:
It just felt like a rush to the finish line after they finally stopped with the odd 4 episode anxiety drama. They had fine chemistry together so I dunno
Just a rough script.
At least it ended pretty cute. Not great but not the worst thing I've seen. Probably better as a binge vs a week-to-week

MDL Notes:
I think there were a lot of things it was lacking for me personally....?
Pacing / initial chemistry are some of the things I sort of didn't find personally that charming...
But I cannot deny, they were very very cute at the end. So precious

MDL Notes:
I feel like this was just "okay"
They kept throwing random drama in near the last 4 episodes and tried to halfheartedly fix it all...
Just felt meh, which is a shame, because I did quite enjoy the first 7 or 8 episodes.

MDL Notes:
Soul-crushing and painful. Open-ended. Bit odd. But enjoyed it for what it was. Just kinda felt like garbage at the end despite the bittersweet smiles etc. Just ouch. My feels. I wasn't ready...

MDL Notes:
Fluffy lil romp. A lil angsty with misunderstandings from childhood and all but cute for a miniseries. Super short. Not my favourite k-bl to come out in 2023 but worth the essentially hour-ish watch if you like slightly angsty friends to lovers.

MDL Notes:
Cringe cute if you like that kinda thing. It went from being pretty solidly cute to like "ehhhhh". So hard to rate. I preferred and would suggest the webtoon personally but that's *also* not for everyone.
Not a fan of Guy pushing Tew to stop and Tew just straight up continuing over and over. The back and forth was pain. That and by the end, I preferred the idea of Guy with Wahl. WHICH I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED considering I dislike him in the webtoon. But I digress... Interesting but not good imo.

MDL Notes:
Silly little romp. Campy, silly nonsense. It's a fanboy actor x dejected sad actor. Misunderstandings early on but in the 'this is a silly little j-drama' kind of way. Easy < 3-hour binge. Can be a bit cringe but no more so than any other campy mini j-bl.

MDL Notes:
Just a silly nonsense romp. I got a few chuckles. Hella trigger warnings though. Self-harm / N/C / etc. But Dino was precious. Legit Pepper is a precious bean. Happy to see him in this role. Although it was kinda fuckin hilarious to see his character DEVOURING Rak.

Also, I'm 99% sure Dino has a praise kink. xD

MDL Notes:
Super soft and fluffy. Not personally my sort of thing. I'm not super into tsundere types but if you enjoy that, I highly suggest it. It just felt a bit backpedal-ish from season 1 sometimes.
The second couple hit differently in the second to last episode. Very cute.
Not a fan of the memory loss but the last episode kinda made up for it. overall a fun romp. Just not necessarily my cuppa.

MDL Notes:
Went from maybe like an 8.5 to a slow misunderstanding silly drama 7. Which is kinda a shame But I still enjoyed it for what it was. Just not totally my cuppa. Regardless, cute when it was cute.

MDL Notes:
Short little 8-episode Thai mini-drama. One-sided pining with a little tiny enemies-to-lovers plot. Fanboy x Sulky cat dynamic. They were cute when they finally got together but it was a lot of silly nonsense. Canonically bi characters I suppose, as an aside. Enjoyed the first 3 or 4 episodes and the last 2, but I did 1.25x speed through post-episode 4.

MDL Notes:
Super duper fluffy lil show. It's *slow* but if you don't mind the pacing, it's just packed with daw. A spontaneous cameo from the You Are Mine boys as well was kinda cute. Overall fluff but was a TERRIBLE week to week. Might make a better binge for sure.

MDL Notes:
The age gap (character-wise) is kinda crazy. But I will give this series credit for never having the characters do anything until both of the MLs are uni graduates. And even then it was just a post-credits kiss essentially. Which cheers for that and thank ALL that is good.

Otherwise, honestly, I wasn't here for episodes 1-6 but 7-12 are precious... Like genuinely enjoyable...
So a 7 rating feels like a good spot. I would say if you want a nonsense cute little romp, go for it. Just give it till episode 7. Noey is fun and Thi finally levels out as a character by the end. Which thank goodness.

MDL Notes:
Not good but wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen. First is a saint for even giving anyone the time of day after all that shit. Pfft. Don't care for any of the side couples by the end. It felt super rushed since we spent 2 episodes *not* addressing the twin shit and decided to rush EVERYONE's story in the last episode. I liked First's actor though. Would love to see more from him.

MDL Notes:
I felt like this series tried to be 2 different series at once. To be more specific, many plot points were running at once and some dropped off without a proper send-off (the friends that were hurt in the finale / Chart being alive I guess? / The Act 1 Liuetanant that disappeared?) . The finale was an actual mess in my opinion. (Rant in Personal Notes) Overall I don't find it entirely enjoyable, and the pacing felt all over the place. Not my cuppa, but I know having the Thai mythos is interesting.

MDL Notes:
Felt like a proper angsty hoe drama. Very up my alley. Some of the brother/sister plot felt a bit ehhhh. And that ending though... I stg... I would have been fine with it just being open-ended but they had to add that one frame with the kid... Like, come on now. Anyway, I liked it. I think I like Ritsu more than the comments do. Pfft.

MDL Notes:
Honestly, if you can get past the first 5 episodes, it has some very sweet moments. But of course, the only couple I wound up liking is the most toxic pairing of the lot. I would *NOT* suggest this show, but at the same time, it was a fun trash watch at some point.

Notes for the Uncut specifically:
Essentially the same but with some extra little bits within. The finale showed all the couples happy vs just 2. So that's I guess better(?) I dunno. Still just a rough show.

MDL Notes:
ZUHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But also THIS STORY HURT ME INSIDE.
I wish they were given solid plot.
I have many words though.... I loved it but hated it with a fiery passion as well. Such a shame.

MDL Notes:
Such a rushed ending. It really took this from a 7 to a 6... At least my favourite character wound up alive in the end vs the book I guess? Fun lil omegaverse romp.

MDL Notes:
Sooooooo... It was super cute at certain points, especially the teasing from Song once he finds out the affection is mutual. But Ohm is a terrible person / the plot felt disjointed at times and they *SPEEDRAN* into the finale like it was no one's business. Random high heat moment in the finale as well as some cute little affectionate scenes.

Hard to rate this with how terrible the subs were. Waited many months for maybe better subs but wound up just using a VPN and watching on WeTV.

MDL Notes:
Although the first 2 episodes were a slog, it was fun overall. I just think it was a bit *too* sweet for me? I dunno. In the end, Dynamite and Fire saved this for me. And so solid for a debut role on Aungpao's end. Just kinda not *my* cuppa but I'm *sure* it's someone else's. Would suggest if you like some fluffy OffGun or silly side characters.

MDL Notes:
What. On. Earth. Was. That. Ending...... THIS POOR FLIPPIN DUDE.
Okay PWP aside, I was enjoying the story to some extent. Like, if you take away all of the sex, I was just vibing on the mystery. But to leave it COMPLETELY OPEN-ENDED THERE (yes, we get a post credit but the To Be Continued... Come tf on)?!?! And I'm fully assuming there's not gonna be a 2nd season based on how poorly this was received. I'm genuinely upset... Such a shame as well since I was keen to find out what happened in the end.
Overall a stupid/fun romp with a bunch of flawed characters. Enjoyable to some extent but that ending kinda ruined it for me... Unfortunate.

MDL Notes:
I loved the angst when it was there and the past fluff was very fluffy. I think the very end where there was open communication was appreciated. But their getting back together might be something some viewers might not love. I enjoy flawed characters. Feels more real. Also some very pretty shots.

MDL Notes:
I have so little to say about this show... It was just kinda meh I suppose. I feel like it runs at like a 5.5 or 6 for me. If that. It was just not enjoyable. It was fine and pretty. I liked a lot of the filmography. But the plot was just kinda lackluster for me. Week to week this was just not it.Perhaps a better binge.

MDL Notes:
God it was gorgeous but UGHHH. Hira annoys the ever-loving shit out of me. Quite literally cannot stand him this season... Kiyoi was honestly more patient than I would have been in this situation... But whatever I guess. The whole pebble conversation every 2 seconds just frustrated me. BLEH. Not a good binge... Would have been better week to week maybe with things in between...

MDL Notes:
The whole last episode felt like they tried to speedrun the evil family plot which was so heavily embedded into the story so I wasn't a huge fan of that. If I didn't feel like the whole 'evil family' plot just got brushed over (when it was set up to be this whole story's drama) I'd probably give it a higher score. But we focused so much time on these other characters that just didn't have any impact really by the end anyway.

I feel like the drama as a whole suffered from poor pacing. It was fine as a binge but nothing I would actively suggest by any means.

MDL Notes:
I honestly don't know what everyone expected from a drama with time travel where one character travels back. At least they didn't have the older actor play the part for the kiss.  
Anyway, that was a hot mess and I was just happy to see Cooper.

That is a like 20-something year age gap though. Which yikes. Pffft. I get why everyone was like "oh no no". Pfft.

MDL Notes:
The show felt very empty. The couples were cute and all but by the end, I was just left with this feeling of "It could have been better". Shame.

MDL Notes:
It was just meh. Like a cute concept with some kind of cute moments sprinkled throughout, but just meh. The ending was dreadful as well. Like I'm sorry. But yikes on that payoff. But a happy ending I guess (?). Who even knows. Just kinda meh overall.

MDL Notes:
HiFi Unicorn ending song~!!!
This was a fluffy little *something* I suppose. Childhood friends to lovers little romp. Not something I'd likely rewatch but it was fluffy. Not my cuppa but a short binge for those who like that kind of thing.

MDL Notes:
By the end, I was only rooting for TienLomfon... And they even fucked that one up... Disappointing. I liked the first few episodes and it just fell off. Shame. Cute 4th *I guess* sapphic couple. They were adorable.

MDL Notes:
Just a hot mess but enjoyable enough for me to watch and not *totally* dislike it. I think I far preferred Dew's world most of the time but by the end, I just wound up being sub-par on both. I feel like the ending solved nothing (and that's where the 2 ending nonsense comes from....). But ya know it's fine. Would probably be better if it wasn't watched week to week although the theorizing was fun.

MDL Notes:
I just felt kinda... Bored? I guess... It's not to say it's not cute and all. But I was kinda ehhhh. VERY slice of life fluff essentially but not for me. Meet cute friends to lovers kinda drama. If that's your cuppa, then go for it. Just wasn't entirely for me. Not bad but not for me.

MDL Notes:
I'm *SO* sorry to any that like this. But the camp is FAR too strong. I *BARELY* finished this one... Jade is a clown character, and if that's your schtick, then I invite you to watch. I was only invested in / interested to see the end of Gus and Tong's storyline. As soon as that finished, I kinda checked out. Happy ending for all but just too "silly" for me.

MDL Notes:
Pain to watch. I feel like couple B was the only thing keeping this afloat. But what can you do? Just felt like a giant ad. Shame since I kind of liked the first series. Oh well. The dog story and the whole story with couple C and D were just ugh...
What a slog to get through.

MDL Notes:
Watching on 1.5x speed so take this all with a grain of salt. I feel like it would have been too slow-paced for all of the cringe packed into this at normal speed...
Finished the show and HO BOY was that a waste of my time... 1.5x the entire show and even then skipped bits that just felt so unnecessary. On-again off-again drama for the whole show. Just awful... NOT for me.

MDL Notes:
Love the pairing, hate the drama. Not worth the watch in any way. Waste of time.

MDL Notes:
This truly felt uncomfortable to watch. I think the age of the actors/actresses and the plot don't mesh well. There was a review that summed up my feelings quite well that began with:

"Have you ever watched a show that made you feel like you are a dirty pedophile? If not, and if you are looking for one, then this one is for you."

I felt uncomfortable watching this... Also, the drama is open-ended...

The idea of there being a more mature version on the paid-for side with all of this cast... It was just a big no from me.
Sure if you can overlook it, and just watch for the occasional cute scenes but honestly even then watch it at 1.5x speed. There's enough dead space in dialogue by episode 3 anyway.