A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows
The guide includes show’s basic summary; main genres/tropes/themes and the official streaming link! You can find some content warnings in the notes of this post. Shows are listed by countries, numbered by the order I recommend watching in, not by rating. The list will get updated regularly (last update 22/08/22).
Thailand 🇹🇭
1. KinnPorsche
mafia boss/bodyguard; action; dark-ish
Kinn, a son of a prominent mafia head, is ambushed by an enemy and meets Porsche, a bartender who comes to his rescue for a price, thus beginning their reluctant relationship as boss and bodyguard, which soon turns into something more.
2. You’re My Sky
sports; university setting; coming of age
Thorn, a young basketball player follows his senior Fah to university as a result of the promise they’d made — to become national basketball champions. However, to his dismay, he finds that Tupfah has already given up on basketball. — Aai has to work in pairs throughout the semester with San, 1 year footballer; in order to receive a scholarship to study in Japan, Ai must be willing to do everything to get an A grade. — Track running requires the compatibility of the team members to be very high. Vee, who became the new racquet 4, has to speed up training to fit in with the team as quickly as possible, especially with Dome, spending extra time together to train. Is love actually a major obstacle on the path of being an athlete?
3. Cutie Pie
arranged marriage; secret identity
The sons of two companies, Lian and Kuea, have been engaged to each other since childhood. One decides he doesn’t want the arranged marriage anymore while the other decides to win him over.
4. Until We Meet Again (+ Between Us)
soulmates; forbidden love; reincarnation; university setting
Two boys who couldn’t be together in one life find each other again in another.
5. I Told Sunset About You (+ Last Twilight in Phuket, I Promised You the Moon)
coming of age; childhood friends to lovers; high school setting
Two childhood best friends-turned-rivals meet again, awakening an old rivalry and old feelings. They now have to navigate their lives together and the growing attraction toward each other.
No official international streaming available at the moment to my knowledge, you can watch on Dramacool.
6. Something In My Room
ghost/human; horror-ish; mystery
Looking to start a new life in a new house with his mother, Phat feels something uncanny in his room, which turns out to be the ghost of Phob. Phob wants Phat’s help in solving the mystery of his death before everything is too late.
7. Manner of Death
crime; mystery; dark
Bunn, a forensic pathologist is threatened to identify a manner of one victim’s death as suicide— something that is not true according to the autopsy performed. The prime suspect seems to be a man named Tan who denies all involvement. They team up together to find the real murderer.
8. Triage
time loop; hospital setting; crime; mystery; dark
As a resident in the emergency room, one should be indifferent when not saving a patient’s life. But Tin got the chance to reverse a random patient’s death for the second, third, and countless times. To help Tol and save his life.
9. Secret Crush On You
“nerd”/popular guy; queer friend group; university setting
Discover the secret of a nerdy young man, Toh, who fell in love with a popular third-year senior. Because his dream is so far from reach, observing is the only thing he could do. But what happens when one auspicious day the world devises an opportunity for Toh to make himself known to his crush Nuea?
10. Love Mechanics
cheating; university setting
A love story that starts one night in a club — between Mark, who is drunk and carrying the painful burden of his one-sided love, and the boy who he bumps into and mistakes as the object of his affection. They spend a night together and gradually Mark falls for Vee although he knows Vee has a beloved girlfriend. Will the love between them make it? WeTV
11. Don’t Say No
best friends to lovers; relationship exploration; university setting
Leo and Fiat, two childhood best-friends who love each other, begin to date; but they are both insecure and end up having a turbulent relationship with many obstacles.
12. Unforgotten Night
trash watch; mafia
Heartbroken Kim is in need of someone to embrace his body for just one night and sleeps with a stranger he meets at a bar. Kamol, a mafia boss, is a man with special B-D-S-M needs in bed who actively switches partners as no one is able to satisfy his desires in its entirety. Kim makes Kamol realize that he’s finally found the one who’s able to perfectly fit his needs.
YouTube & extended bed scenes on GagaOOLala
GMMTV Thailand 🇹🇭
1. Bad Buddy (+ Zero Photography)
enemies to lovers; forbidden romance; university setting
Fueled by their parents animosity, Pat and Pran have competed with each other in nearly everything in life. In public, they are rivals, but behind closed doors the pair are open to being friends… maybe more.
2. Not Me
revolution; freedom fighters; secret twins
When his twin Black is viciously attacked and subsequently left hospitalised in unconsciousness, White is unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence. He learns Black was a part of a gang of anti-capitalist freedom fighters, and it was one of them who betrayed him. White disguises himself as Black to discover who betrayed him and put him in a coma.
3. Enchanté
childhood friends to lovers; university setting
After living in France, Theo comes back to Thailand and he meets his childhood friend, Akk. Theo finds a book with a message welcoming him and signed as Enchanté, he becomes curious about who this guy is. Will Theo successfully guess who is the Enchanté in the university?
4. Theory of Love
unrequited love; best friends to lovers
Third year film student Third has been harboring feelings for his friend Khai. After three years of painful unrequited love, Third decides to stop, no matter how difficult it may be. But when Third decides to stop, Khai decides to start.
5. He’s Coming to Me
ghost/human, mystery
After his death, Met is a ghost that is consumed by loneliness. That is until he meets a strange boy that can see him. The two bond in a state of happiness and joy as they develop into friends. But what happens when Met falls for the boy who is alive?
6. 3 Will Be Free
polyamorous triad; on the run; mafia
After an unexpected event that involves sex work and mafia gangs, three individuals find themselves on-the-run together as they attempt to escape death.
7. A Tale of Thousand Stars (1000Stars)
a second chance in life; village setting
After a volunteer teacher dies in a tragic accident, her heart is transplanted into Tian. He learns about his donor’s life through her diary and decides to follow in her footsteps. Now a new village volunteer teacher himself, Tian meets Phupha and as the two slowly grow closer, Tian notices his new heart beats quickly whenever he’s near the man. Much like the heart’s previous owner, Tian cannot help but fall for Phupha.
8. 2gether (+ Still 2gether)
pretend relationship; university setting
When Tine is chased by Green, who he does not reciprocate feelings for — he ends up begging Sarawat, the campus’ most popular guy, to fake date with him in order to chase Green away.
9. Cupid’s Last Wish
best friends to lovers; body swap; road trip
Korn and Win are childhood best friends. Conflicts arise when Win’s father includes Korn in his will, granting him part of the family’s farm’s stocks and breaking up their friendship. Win gets into a car accident with his sister Lin, and wakes up to find his soul in her body. To return to his original body, Win sets off on a road trip to collect holy water across the country with Korn as his companion. Can this adventure get their relationship back?
10. Dark Blue Kiss (pre-story in Kiss Me Again)
established relationship; university setting
(Taking off from the Kiss Me Again series) Pete and Kao have grown closer to each other in their relationship. Kao takes on part-time tutoring for high school students. With one of the students fueling Pete’s jealousy, his relationship with Kao gets tested in several occasions. Meanwhile, the love story between Sun and Mork begins.
11. Vice Versa
parallel universes; body swap
Talay and Puen find themselves in the bodies of strangers in a parallel universe. Talay wakes up in the body of a man named Tess. Puen is a famous actor who is now in the body of Tun. Both of them have to live their lives in a new universe that is not their home. The only way to put a stop to this chaos is to discover portkeys that will take them back to where they came from. Love and friendship grow with them in the new universe.
12. The Eclipse
Akk is a head student prefect in country’s leading all-boys school. Rumour has it that there is a curse that will punish students who disobey the school rules, a curse that grows stronger as the solar eclipse nears. Akk has to keep an eye on a mysterious new student Ayan, who regularly challenges the school’s norms.
Japan 🇯🇵
1. Cherry Magic!
mind reading; office setting
By still being a vіrgin at 30, Adachi Kiyoshi gains a magical power – the ability to read other people’s minds by touching them. At first, he’s overwhelmed by his new ability, and it’s not proving to be helpful to him. But that all changes when he accidentally touches Kurosawa Yuichi, who he learns has romantic feelings for him.
2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Love Mix-Up!)
misunderstanding; high school setting
Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she’s written the name of another boy — Ida — on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!
3. Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss!
lucky guy/unlucky guy; university setting
College student Fukuhara Kouta has bad luck that causes problems everywhere he goes. One day, Shinomiya, a student with super good luck, helps him out. Now, in order to divide the luck between them, Fukuhara needs to be with Shinomiya all the time.
4. Old Fashion Cupcake!
age gap; boss/assistant; self-discovery; office setting
At 39, Nozue realizes that by letting himself be carried away by his daily life, he ended up locking himself into his routine. It is Togawa, his 29-year-old subordinate, who shakes up his habits by offering him one day to go snack on pastries in an establishment particularly popular with girls. From one snack to the next, Nozue feels rejuvenated… But is it really the effect of these delicacies or rather that of emerging feelings?
5. A Man Who Defies the World of BL
breaking the 4th wall; comedy; university setting
It suddenly dawns on Mob that he lives in a BL world! So he must turn down any hot guys who approach him.
6. Two People Who Can’t Fall in Love (Koisenu Futari)
aromantism; asexuality; self-exploration
Sakuko finds it difficult to live in a society which operates under the assumption that people will fall in love with each other. She meets supermarket employee Takahashi and ends up living with him under one roof because of their similar values towards romance.
No international streaming available, watching instructions on this Tumblr
China 🇨🇳
Chinese shows are adapted from explicitly queer novels, the shows are undeniably and obviously queer, but nevertheless the queer romance part is censured.
1. The Untamed
period drama; fantasy
An epic fantasy with a romance at its center, led by a problem child who comes back from the dead 16 years later in order to fix the broken world he left behind — and finally unite with his true love.
2. Word of Honor
period drama; fantasy
The leader of assassin organisation Zhou Zishu quits his position in pursuit of freedom with drastic measures. In his travels, he meets Wen Kexing, the leader of Ghost Valley who wants nothing but revenge. The two become entangled in various machinations within the martial arts world, and eventually become soulmates instrumental in each other’s redemption.
3. Couple of Mirrors
period drama; socialite/assassin
You Yi is a young, innocent, and kind-hearted socialite and a successful author. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the two most trusted people in her life. With no one left to turn to, she finds refuge in the friendship and support of Yan Wei, a lonely female kill-er disguised as the owner of a photo studio.
South Korea 🇰🇷
1. Semantic Error
enemies to lovers; university setting
A serious programmer and a rebellious artist clash over a school project. Their animosity keeps escalating to new extremes, defined by petty pranks and feisty arguments.
2. Light On Me
love triangle; high school setting
One day Tae Kyung, a high school loner, starts questioning his own judgment and gets advise from a teacher to join the school’s student council. He meets the Vice President of the council, Shin Woo, who is somewhat cold toward him. However, he also meets the super-attractive President of the council: Da On, who appears to take an instant shine to him. The beginnings of a romance appear to be in the cards for Da On and Tae Kyung, but Shin Woo does not seem to approve.
3. Tinted With You
period drama; time travel; hinted at polyamory
A high school student gets magically transported to the feudal period. Confused by his surroundings, he encounters a banished prince and his devoted bodyguard. The three characters live together and fall in love.
4. Blueming
coming of age; university setting
Cha Siwon, a college freshman majoring in film studies, does a lot to maintain his image because of his past life of unpopularity. He meets Hyeong Dawoon, a classmate of his with perfect looks, good grades, and everything at his fingertips. Siwon’s feelings of wariness for his classmate soon change into something else.
5. Mr. Heart
sports; university setting
Jin Won is a university freshman who has a talent for running marathons. Sang Ha maintains a smile despite his difficult environment. A romance drama about the love and friendship between a rising marathon star and a pacemaker.
6. Kissable Lips
vampire/human; university setting; bittersweet
A campus romance between Jun Ho, a vampire who is walking the path of extinction, and Min Hyun, a human with pure blood.
7. Cherry Blossoms After Winter
secret crush; high school setting
Ever since his parents passed away, Haebom has been living in Taesung’s house. And now, being a 12th grader, he enters the same class as Taesung, which makes the whole situation way more awkward. Living together 24/7, Taesung and Haebom’s relationship is bound to change.
8. Ocean Likes Me
restaurant setting
A healing food romance between Han Ba Da, a young entrepreneur who dreams of starting an udon restaurant with a beach in the background but finds serving customers difficult. Ba Da then meets Tommy, a failed musician who returns to his hometown after wandering and has a new dream. Together, both of them step towards their dreams.
9. You Make Me Dance
dancing
The story of Song Shi On who is an aspiring contemporary dancer with a broken heart because he is not receiving love from his family and of Jin HongSeok, once a keen pianist, who has given up on his dreams to pursue a lucrative but unfulfilling career of a loan shark. But spending time with Shi On changes his perspective on life, and the duo forms a close bond that eventually turns romantic.
10. WISH YOU: Your Melody In My Heart
music
A talented singer-songwriter and a keyboard player add love and harmony to each other’s lives as chase their dreams together.
11. Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding
period drama; cross-dressing
When a bride runs away on the eve of an arranged marriage, her brother steps in under the guise of a woman to wed the groom in a secret-filled union.
12. To My Star
celebrity/ordinary person
Actor Kang Seo Joon was once one of South Korea’s biggest and most popular stars, but after he’s rocked by a public scandal he goes into hiding. In his hideout, he gets acquainted with his new roommate, a young chef who leads a modest, unassuming life. Despite having wildly different personalities, the two begin on a relationship.
Taiwan 🇹🇼
1. History3: Trapped
mafia boss/policeman
The story of a police officer who becomes trapped in the underworld, as he develops feelings for a gang leader.
2. History2: Crossing the Line
sports; high school setting
When an injury sidelines a high school senior from the volleyball team, he develops feelings for a recruit.
3. Be Loved in House: I Do
workplace romance
When the new boss arrives at the company, he immediately clashes with a headstrong, hot-blooded employee over a controversial workplace policy. Although their relationship starts off combatively, the two of them develop a bond as they work and live together.
4. We Best Love: No. 1 For You, We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd
enemies to lovers; secret crush; university setting
Zhou Shu Yi has spent his entire life as second best thanks to Gao Shi De, whether it be academics, arts or sports, Gao Shi De always managed to beat Shu Yi. Many years later, Shu Yi can finally breathe a sigh of relief when he and his nemesis part ways for university. However, as fate would have it, Shu Yi finds himself defeated once again when Shi De transfers to Shu Yi’s college for his final year. Could the reason that Shi De is seemingly following Shu Yi be something other than to torment him?
5. Plus & Minus
best friends to lovers; lawyers; secret crush
Zheng Ze Shou and Fu Li Gong have been best friends for over twenty years. Now, they work as divorce attorneys in the same law firm. Despite their close brotherly bond, this friendship never escalated affectionately until now.
You can watch many shows for free on YouTube, and watch others on streaming websites by setting VPN to one of the countries in the list. In other cases I recommend paying for subscriptions to show appreciation and support of content in order to get more of it in the future, but if you can’t, watch on KissKH (better quality) or Dramacool (better variety). Enjoy! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
The cool whites and black reds hanging out and sharing stories ^^
Ok, I know the mxtx fandoms have an issue with woobifying asshole characters and pretending like their every terrible action is a “valid response,” but whatever insecurity you think justified Mu Qing being a complete shithead to Xie Lian falls apart when you consider how he used his high-status position to try to ruin Hong’er’s life.
And if Mu Qing is “allowed” to be a piece of shit to Xie Lian because of imagined slights attached to their power imbalance at the time, then Hua Cheng is 100% justified in making Mu Qing’s life a living nightmare for the rest of his immortal life, if he so chooses, due to the actual moments Mu Qing abused his power over Hong’er.
Mu Qing is damn lucky Xie Lian is his friend.
Indigo is about healing, about how sometimes we need a release of our emotions and be honest with ourselves.
It's about being human before an artist, prioritazing our feelings before what other people could say about us.
Indigo is about change and becoming better.
For my Intuitive Feelers that are sick of the bright happy aesthetics
(INFP, ENFP, INFJ, ENFJ)
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Pt. 2 ENFP (Grunge Vibes)
So I’m keeping up with @nekojitachan ‘s All For The Game AU fic “Armies” And I’m not gonna say much because what’s the fun in that when you can just read it; but it does involve: -Europe -Andrew & Neil wearing ~*Very Nice Clothes*~ -Andrew driving a ~*Very Nice Car*~ -Andrew & Neil doing~*Not So Nice Things*~. So I wanted to draw them in some formal wear. The one in pencil was first- it was a rough start so I improved it with MORE knives. Ink was done second. <3
(I need a pair of monk-strap shoes for myself or at the very least some wingtips UGH) (Ignore my lumpy car please.) My Actual Art Blog My aftg art Post-Baltimore Scene
Interviewer: So Andrew, I heard that you learned how to play exy while in juvie. What made you decide to take up the sport? Especially at that time in your life.
Andrew, taking a careful sip of water: There are only so many things to do in juvie, [interviewer nods] and I already learned how to make a shiv and suck dick.
The interviewer, Andrew’s agent, his professional team PR department and GM and coach, the producers, the camera crew, that one random assistant, Kevin’s spirit, Wymack’s Minyard Senses:
aftg heritage post
Norse Deity ~Vibes~
UPG, but since I was just asked to describe this, here you go:
- Hel: Balanced. The calmness that comes from knowing that to die well is to live fully. To appreciate the spring blossoms as they fall. The smoke after the fire burns out. The quiet smell of the rose that blooms through concrete. The comfort of a hand that never leaves.
- Freyja: Vibrant. Into whatever it is she is doing; if it’s war, she’s all in. If it’s fucking, she’s all in. If it’s crying, she’s all in. She does it all with her whole heart and body. She feels warm like an amber summer day and smells like jasmine, especially when it blooms at night.
- Freyr: Petrichor. That peaceful, contented feeling of walking through lightly dampened woods, smelling the minerals and the ferns on the air, the light starting to stream through the leaves illuminating the raindrops, hearing a stream. Smells like patchouli and rain ozone.
- Njǫrðr: Beach dad. The feeling of the breeze in your hair, on your skin, taking away the heat of the summer day. Ocean spray and salt. Sand between your toes. Laughter that is louder than seagull chatter. The feeling of a boat coming home safe on the horizon.
- Gullveig: Slow like honey. Smells like honey. The buzzing sound of bees. An amused laugh, like watching ants make an anthill. Discernment around when to gild and not gild the lily. Mysterious, resilient. A feeling like being honored. Shining the way sunlight hits henbane.
- Fenrir: Angry teenager meets kicked puppy. The rage against the machine. The feeling of the ravenous hunger of wanting something you deserve that you will never get. The fight that gives you because of it. The secret desire to give soft belly. Teeth, blood oranges, and hot tar.
- Jǫrmungandr: Ancient. Something that just feels so incredibly old, but a also a little sad and lonely. The feeling of having watched so much happen that nothing matters. Surrendering to the water flow of life, finding contentment in the small ripples. Choosing to care anyway.
- Skaði: Cold. The first bite of a true winter wind, where you breathe in and it hurts your lungs until you get used to it. The feeling of precision, of absolute focus. The cold beauty of long icicles. The danger of snow when you can’t tell how safe it will be to walk on or cross.
- Óðr: Wanderlust. Restlessness, not being able to sit still, but with an excitement, a zest, a joie de vivre. Delight in the curiosity of the sky. The feeling of watercolors on thick paper. The way mailing a postcard makes you feel. The feeling of missing something but not enough to change.
- Loki: Weird. The feeling of fireworks at a carnival while strange music plays and the earth moves beneath you. Spencer’s Gifts meets ’00s Hot Topic. Shifting, the way you can’t quite hold water. Adapting, always finding a way forward, the missing piece of a puzzle. The sound of a fly.
- Óðinn: Sly. There’s a density to him, a feeling of shadow and form. A raven’s glassy, dark eye staring at you a little too long, too knowing. A desperate cleverness. A knife in a back pocket. A hidden smile. The ambition of an underdog with nothing left to lose. Black coffee.
- Sigyn: Soft. The feeling of sitting in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea, a warm blanket nearby, bubbles on the air. Feeling like you’ll always be heard and understood. A compassion running so deep that it turns to activism. The swaying whisper of a willow tree that bends but never breaks.
- Angrboða: Steel. A tough core wrapped in the moist heat of a swamp. The feeling of roots digging deep into the dark earth and never letting go. The way hematite shines black but bleeds when you cut it. A sense of vertigo. Smells like dirt, cloves, nutmeg, and dragonsblood.
- Frigg: Regal. Queen mother. But really, the feeling of knowing more than she lets on. Forgives but never forgets. The way keeping a secret makes you feel—wise and a little superior. A skein of geese. A good hug, but not too tight. The smell of alkaline water, wool, and vanilla.
- Þórr: Power. Frat boy meets army brat, if the outcome had a good heart. Big chested laughter, the smell and taste of beer, the faint hint of sweat. A slap on the back. The sound of thunder rolling in, slow and then all at once. The sound of goats bleating, an anvil ringing, an acorn growing.
- Sif: Cosy. Fresh baked bread and a kind word and a lilt of a song on the air. Pastries ready in the morning, whenever you wake up, and feeling like the day will be good to you. The smell of dough rising. The smell of cinnamon and sugar together. The comfort of a kitchen in autumn.
- Njǫrun: Respite. The feeling of not seeing the whole picture, but knowing you’re somehow safe. Laissez-faire. A rust sunset on the lakeside, cattails waving in the breeze, making small reed music. The feeling of that moment right before sleep. The touch of a dream.
Mxtx is the only author where I actually want her to write corresponding novels in the LIs POV. I wanna know Luo Binghe's absolute bonkers thought process. I wanna know about Lan Wangji's gay teen thoughts, and the thirteen years after Wei Wuxian's death, taking care of Lan Sizhui etc. I wanna know literally anything else about Hua Cheng's past. I would pay for all three in a heartbeat.
honestly steve harrington's character growth from homophobic prom king who's friends are complete assholes and only really cares about himself with a crush on the most perfect girl at school to bisexual single mother of six who's best friend is a lesbian and crush is the metalhead d&d-obsessed school freak who's gotten held back twice and been accused of murder once is not just one of the greatest things to ever come from tv, it is also one of the most absolutely hilarious.
SPOILER WARNING
So you're telling me, they just left his body there? In the upside down forever? That no one cared or mourned but Dustin? That they let him be called a murderer and cult leader with no one fighting back against those allegations? That max can survive several broken bones and a whole standoff with vecna but Eddie dies in vain to fulfill some heroic redemption arc that wasn't necessary? He deserved better than that. Fuck you stranger Things and the way you introduce characters just to kill them off.
Dan said not to hold back on being spiteful which was a mistake because he has gravely underestimated how willing I am to rip out the larynxes of every YouTube Originals owner with my own bare hands
This frame right here tells me everything I need to know about this casting
The camp half-blood t-shirt, the fact he wore annabeth’s Yankees cap to his audition, he read all the books I 😭😭
Any kid who can quote Deadpool and be scene partners with Ryan Reynolds like he does Can totally pull off Percy Jackson cmon
I was reading about the Wild Hunt and how apparently, Odin Allfather was a typical father in that he refused to ask for directions during his annual Yule ride through the night sky, and instead of turning his fun, flying sleigh around or taking a slightly different route, he’d just plow on through the same route he always took, regardless of who or what was in his way.
And if your house or land WAS in his way, he STILL wouldn’t reroute. He’d just burn the house down instead.
Which is THE funniest thing I have read in years. And it just got funnier when I pictured the whole thing turning into a buddy road trip with Loki and Odin and Sleipnir, and voila, a wild comic appeared.
(File those two kids under unimpressed.jpg.)