The theme for this feature is “Hardcore Realizations”

This trope is a resident genre in most queer dramas/movies. Why you ask? Certainly, individuals aren’t born knowing their sexuality. In most Asian countries, children are raised with a rigid patriarchal mindset, which is both fanatic and toxic. Adhering to a sexuality or identity which isn’t heterosexual is considered as a sin. So mostly, it takes a lot of time and courage for an individual belonging to the LGBTQ community to accept their own sexuality, much less flaunt it in a homophobic society.

Chaser Game Season Two

The second season of this widely celebrated Japanese GL led to some hard revelations. Parental disapproval, society rebuttal and nonexistent adoption rights for the LGBTQ community- each of these important issues were addressed in the sequel. As Itsuki (Sugai Yuuka) and Fuyu (Nakamura Yurika) successfully reunite with the understanding of Fuyu’s husband and their daughter; Fuyu’s mother, who disapproves of their relationship, continues to monitor them, creating a tense atmosphere between the two. Rebelling against her mother’s wish to maintain the facade of a perfect family, Fuyu divorced her husband and moves in with Itsuki. They decide to share custody of Fuyu’s daughter, Tsuki with her ex-husband. Unfortunately, the other parent’s at Tsuki’s playschool disapprove Itsuki’s relationship with Fuyu and as such, Tsuki is singled out. Fuyu fights back against societal prejudices and slowly everyone around them begin to accept their relationship. Fuyu’s determination to stand beside Itsuki is a true inspiration for many!

She Loves to Cook & She Loves to Eat Season Two

Picking up from the last season, Yuki (Higa Manami) and Kasuga (Nishino Emi) explore the intricacies of their close friendship which seems to extend beyond that. They come to terms with their feelings for each other while Yuki faces problems at her home. We get to know more about her as Yuki becomes a somber presence in her lonely life. As they confess to each other and begin dating, Yuki seeks advise from her new friend, Yako Kaname (Tomosaka Rie). The show also explores asexual representation, as Yuki has more doubts about her sexuality. Kasugo befriends their new neighbor, Nagumo Sena (Fujiyoshi Karin) who has an aversion to eating in public and suffers from Deipnophobia. The show addresses these inherent challenges as the four of them bond together and get closer. Higa Manami & Nishino Emi have a slow burn chemistry which gets better with time.

Mr. Mitsuya’s Planned Feeding

Mr. Mitsuya’s Planned Feeding is a simple love story that stems from loneliness and lack of companionship. Tomoya Ishida (Sakai Taisei) is a newbie editor at the fashion magazine Sophia Monthly. He has struggling in this new role after giving up on his career as an upcoming national athlete. After his senior’s sudden hospitalization, he’s hastily assigned to collect a column manuscript from the famous culinary researcher Ayumu Mitsuya (Yamazaki Masayoshi). He pays him a visit and, to his surprise, finds an affable, older man who speaks in a Kyoto dialect. Being asked to wait, Tomoya is served a simple dish that entices his stomach. From their first meeting, Ishida is invariably drawn to the older gentleman, who is kind and friendly. As they bond over their shared love for variant cuisine, Ishida soon realizes that the pounding in his heart more than just admiration. While Ishida easily accepts his fondness for Mitsuya as love; Mitsuya fears societal rebuttal because of their obvious age gap. Even though he has been publicly out as gay and is a well-known celebrity, he finds it difficult to bridge the distance, when it comes to his love life. Ultimately, Ishida’s sincerity and open-minded attitude wins him over and gives him the courage to accept his feelings, without hesitation.

Century of Love

This show was all about fighting your inner demons (or homophobia). A supernatural romance, the drama stars Daou Pittaya as San, a century old immortal who has been actively searching for his lost love. San is faithfully devoted to his love and has spent his life waiting for his beloved, Wat, to reincarnate from her death a century ago. If he fails to find Wat within this century’s time window, he will inevitably succumb to a tragic death for eternity. Unexpectedly, he meets Vee (Offroad Kantapon) who turns out to be Wat’s reincarnation. San has a lot of soul-searching to do, since he is unable to accept this alternate reality where his soulmate turns out to be a mischievous yet frivolous man. For most parts, he is appalled with this discovery and it takes a lot of time for him to settle down and grow closer to Vee. You will feel disgruntled with San’s behavior but Daou-Offroad’s chemistry is topnotch, so give it a try!

The Time of Fever

Possibly the most anticipated sequel of the year, “The Time of Fever” leaves you yearning for more. Starring Won Tae Min & Do Woo in main leads, the story takes us on an effortless journey through their childhood years. Ho Tae and Dong Hui have grown up like brothers since childhood. A few years ago, Ho Tae, moved to Seoul, returned to Gangneung after his father’s funeral. Meanwhile, Dong Hui, who had come out and was kicked out of his home, began living alone in Ho Tae’s empty house. Reuniting after a long time, both starring experiencing long repressed feelings for each other. In an effort to escape his confusing feelings, Ho Tae starts dating girls recklessly, which inevitably hurts Dong Hui. Won Tae Min & Do Woo have a comfortable camaraderie which shines throughout the episodic dramas, as they embody the finer nuances of their characters.

The Only One

Another stepbrother romance? That was my reaction when I heard about the premise and even watched the trailer. Starring Liu Dong Qin & Benjamin Tsang as main leads, the story focuses on the enchanting love story between two teenagers who struggle with different familial situations. Sheng Wang is still unable to recover from her mother’s sudden death while Jiang Tian was bought up in a single mother household. When Sheng Wang’s father and Jiang Tian’s mother decide to get married, the two boys’ lives turn completely upside down. Sheng Wang and Jiang Tian must negotiate their new status as stepbrothers, enduring the ups and downs of their school and family experiences together. They start as adversaries, settle into an odd sense of familial affection which later seems to blossom into an unexpected romance. The prequel touches base with their budding love story while the sequel is expected to deal with the consequences of Sheng Wang distancing himself from Jiang Tian to quell his raising confusion.

Some realizations can be hard to perceive, some realities are harder to accept, but the aforementioned shows do give you a shred of hope, so do try them!