2023 has been a banner year of for BL Dramas. With so many great dramas to choose from (and there are a LOT) I figured I would make a short list of my favorites so far.

A Boss and a Babe

This GMMTV office comedy starring Forth and Book was cute and comical and most importantly fun! Cher (Book Kasidet), who also goes by the nick-name Laem and his real name Saran, develops romantic feelings for his boss Gun (Foce Jiratchapong). The series also stars one of my favorite GMMTV actors Mike Chinnarat (2gether, Theory of Love).

Unintentional Love Story

Ji Won Young (Gongchan, of the idol group B1A4) is fired from his company after a scandal he had nothing to do with. Desperate and in debt, Won Young needs the job to survive, so he tries to curry favor by tracking down the chairman’s favorite artist. He finds the missing man running a pottery shop in a remote town, but it’s clear that Yoon Tae Joon (Cha Seo Won) has no desire to be found. Throughout the this 10 episode series, the characters go from enemies, to friends, to lovers. Though it really is the Hallmark movie of the BL drama world.

My Beautiful Man Season 2

My Beautiful Man was an excellent study of how love blossoms between two incredibly damaged people. Hira Kazunari (Hagiwara Riku) and Kiyoi Sou (Yagi Yusei) are still damaged but trying to navigate their new relationship after moving in together. Unlike season one, Kiyoi’s strong love for Hira is front and center, he even gets jealous when some random girl flirts with him, and he’s just as worried about losing Hira as Hira is about losing him. He also gets upset when his colleagues (who don’t know they’re dating) start making fun of Hira.

Jack o’ Frost

I didn’t know what to expect with this series, but it ended up being one of my absolute favorites of this year so far. The love story of illustrator Ritsu (Honda Kyoya, Seishun Cinderella) and salesman Fumiya (Suzuki Kosuke, Takara-kun to Amagi-kun) began by chance in a coffee shop. Despite their happiness, a misunderstanding causes an irreconcilable rift between them, culminating in an argument on Ritu’s birthday, and they break up. Leaving their apartment to clear his head, Ritsu is involved in a head-on collision that causes him to lose his memories of Fumiya and their last few years together.

Moonlight Chicken

Earth Pirapat and Mix Sahaphap are two of my favorites at GMMTV (and in general). The real-life love they share for one another (bit romantic or platonic) is just beautiful. Earth stars as Jim, the owner of a Hainanese chicken rice diner. Between running the restaurant, raising his nephew Li Ming (Fourth Nattawat), and helping his friend/employee Leng (Mark Pakin) he’s not exactly swimming in cash. Mix plays Wen, who comes to the diner drunk and looking for love. The series also stars Gemini Norawit as Heart, a young deaf man, who finds exactly what he’s looking for when Li Ming stumbles into his life. It’s a steamy and beautifully done series.

The End of the World With You

To-date this is my most favorite series of 2023. It’s supernatural, it’s sexy, and it’s a damn good series.

Seto Toshiki, (Senpai This Can’t Be love) stars as the loveable Masumi a man pushing thirty when it’s announced that a meteor is going to hit the world, destroying all life in 10 days. While everything is going to hell in a handbasket, he goes to find respite at a library. Instead, he bumps into his ex Kusakabe Ritsu (Nakata Keisuke, Cecile Boys) a handsome bisexual whom he fell in love with while still in college. Ritsu was the last person he wanted to see, especially just before the world is about to end.

While there are many more, these are the best completed series (in my opinion) so far.

More BL dramas soon so…

Stay Tuned!

This article is adapted from Life in Cartoon Motion which aims at providing articles, reviews, and even interviews!