Japanese BLs are fast evolving and surpassing their Thai counterpart. From being an inconsequential entity, the genre has become taciturn with thoroughly well paced storylines, daring casting and intriguing directorials. Since our timeline is flooded with Japanese BLs, we decided it was time to list the current favorites!

At 25:00 in Akasaka Season 2

The second season of “At 25:00 in Akasaka” has a nuanced storytelling and some commendable performances by the lead couple. Komagine Kiita & Niihara Taisuke return to reprise their roles as Hayama Asami & Shirasaki Yuki. After officially becoming a couple, Hayama & Shirasaki are at their career highs. They find a little space in their busy schedules to spend sweet and precious time together at Hayama’s house. But like any other queer couple, they are struggle when Hayama’s manager discovers the relationship. Also, problems arise when both audition for a play, and they are set on winning the lead role. The show portrays the tension between most couples when they are working in the same field and often end up becoming rivals. Their “Queer” status is another tangent that they need to face and adapt to!

Chosen Home

I wasn’t sure about what to expect from this show and yet it was a pleasant surprise. Starring Oikawa Mitsuhiro in the lead role, the show focuses on a slightly clumsy but warm-hearted man, Hatano Genichi. He is a closeted gay who is currently facing the trepidation of finding a life partner in old age. He unexpectedly meets Sakuta Saku (Tegoshi Yuya), a junior high school teacher 12 years his junior. They cross paths with Kusunoki Hotaru (Shiratori Tamaki), a high school student who has been abandoned by her parents. While Genichi struggles with finding a suitable partner, Saku breaks up with his boyfriend and is homeless. Hotaru seems to be in the urgent need of parents so she could decide on her future discourse. The pilot episode does a decent job of introducing these quirky characters and setting their plotline straight!

Punks Triangle

I have never been into punk culture much, but this show certainly takes the edge off. Fashion student Chiaki (Nagano Ryota) dreams of seeing his designs on the runway, worn by none other than Ai (Fujibayashi Yasunari)—the charismatic male model who changed his life. When a prestigious competition promises to make that dream come true, Chiaki is fired up to win. But his hopes are dashed when he’s paired with the clumsy and unfashionable Enaga for the project. One fateful night, after a run-in with some delinquents, Chiaki is unexpectedly saved by his idol Ai. Even more shocking, Ai seductively offers to teach him how to have fun at night. Only, Chiaki doesn’t know that his idol Ai and his seemingly naive classmate Enaga are the same person. Fujibayashi Yasunari is the highlight of this show; the way he easily switches from being the fashion King Ai to a clumsy, unfashionable Enaga is awe-inspiring. The styling for both personalities is so different, it is almost flawless. The sensual tension between Chiaki & Ai is like an icing on the cake!

School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To

The main reasons to start this drama was the lead couple- Watarai Tsukasa (Kan Hideyoshi) & Hioki Asahi (Fujimoto Kodai). You might remember seeing Hideyoshi in “Although I Love You, and You?” and Kodai recently became popular after starring in “Smells Like Green Spirit”. I was geared up to watch their romance and the main leads don’t disappoint. Hioki, a second-year-high school student, is a loner and finds himself alone when it comes to deciding on groups for the school trip. However, he is invited by a boy from the same junior high school to join a group of four handsome guys. As he tries to adjust to the reality where he is accompanying the most handsome boys in his school, one of the four, Tokai, always looks out for Hioki, and they gradually become closer. Hideyoshi & Kodai have an unassuming chemistry and the romance is spell binding!

Takumi-kun Series: Drama

If you have watched the movie series which were consequently released from 2007 to 2011, then you might be disappointed by this drama adaptation. The show lacks the acumen of the movie adaptation and the actor’s performances are equally lackluster. The show straight up jumps into main protagonists Takumi (Kato Daigo) and Gii (Shiozaki Daichi) romance without introducing the characters properly. We aren’t given the backstory of how they met and fell in love, especially since Takumi hates being touched. As for the other three supporting couples, their romance is underhanded and undeveloped. I’m not sure where the show is headed, but the storytelling is a poor execution of a movie series that was quite popular.

Your Divorce is Served!

This show wasn’t even on my watchlist because it has no international release but surprisingly some fansubbers picked it up, and now I’m entirely invested in the storyline. The legal drama follows two people bound not by law. In both their personal and professional lives, they are partners: lawyer Otokita Hajime (Maeda Goki) and detective Iseya Kai (Mizusawa Rintaro). Though they cannot be legally bound together, the two take on divorce cases for those suffering from betrayal by their partners. As they investigate cases where they help women being cheated on by their conniving husbands, we are given a healthy dose of Hajime & Kai’s domestic life. Along with Anna (Masuda Risa), Hajime’s niece, they form a complete family unit.

We will be back next week with another new feature!