TOP 15 Asian BL Dramas

The BL genre as we all know is getting pretty popular among the masses. Some people may admit it, while some may watch it in secret. But anyway they are contributing to the view count so it doesn't really matter. Just a disclaimer:- Everything that I write here is just my opinion and can vary from person to person. Feel free to drop in any suggestions about the same in the comment section. So, as decided, today I'm going to be sharing my list of TOP 15 Asian BL Dramas released to date. I'll also be sharing the poster so that you know what you're getting yourself into.

By the way, the synopsis for each series will just be copy-pasted from My Drama List or Dramacool [mostly the latter], since I don't know how to write one properly, trust me. If I start writing about the story then we'll be here for weeks. 

15. You Make Me Dance



Song Shi On is a university student who is majoring in contemporary dance. After a major row, he has been thrown out of the family home and is left with an emotional wound. He decides to pursue his ambition and ends up sharing a rooftop apartment with Jin Hong Seok. This cold but attentive man works as a debt collector for the lending firm Chachacha Capital and has abandoned his dream of becoming a pianist. As the duo forms a close bond, the affection of CEO Cha Soo Ryeon and the jealousy of senior student Jung Hun threaten to derail their fledgling love story.

I was not quite sure whether I should put it on the list or replace it with Mr. Heart. But since I'm a dancer, I got a little biased during the decision and went for this instead. Plus, running is really not my forte.

Year of release: 2021
Country: South Korea


14. Water Boyy The Series


At Ocean High School in Hua Hin District, Nam is a swimmer who does well despite a lack of training. He is popular on campus and has many girlfriends, inspiring envy among his peers, and also has a love of pornography which he needs to watch to sleep. However, his relationship with his father, swimming coach Neung, is strained. Nine does Nam’s homework and tutors him so Nam can teach him how to swim. Another swimmer, Muek, becomes Nam’s roommate. After Muek moves in, Nam is less interested in watching pornography. However, Muek has a girlfriend, Nune, an actress, who shows up for the Super League Swimming Competition at Changmai. This turns out to be a competition for love.

Year of release: 2017
Country: Thailand



13. HIStory 3: Trapped


The cooperation between the police and the people creates a harmonious new society. Police who are filled with justice are turned into personal protection for gangsters. But one police officer becomes trapped in the underworld, as he develops feelings for a gang leader. A police officer and a gang leader were killed in a gunshot attack. What's the secret behind this case? The only survivor, Tang Yi, is now the gang leader. He's striving to find the murderer by setting a trap. But the police officer, Meng Shao Fei, gradually falls into the "love trap" set by Tang Yi.

This is probably one of the best enemies to lovers transition dramas and you can rewatch it about 6-7 times [just being practical] before you finally decide to move on. It has action, romance, second-hand embarrassment, and comedy, All in the correct ratio.


Year of release: 2019
Country: Taiwan




12. HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count


At first glance, high schoolers Xiang Hao Ting and Yu Xi Gu appear to be polar opposites: While Xiang Hao Ting is an outgoing, hot-headed extrovert and some-time bully, Yu Xi Gu prefers to keep a low profile and focus on his schoolwork. They seem bound for totally different futures – the bookish Yu Xi Gu looks destined for academic success, while life is just a long popularity contest for Xiang Hao Ting. But a quirk of fate – and a crucial intervention by a female schoolmate – results in the two young men’s paths crossing. But there is more to both young men than first meets the eye. Xiang Hao Ting was not always this way. He started out as a perfect student until he discovered the joys of going off the rails. And Yu Xi Gu has a reason for being so aloof and studious: His parents died in a traffic accident while he was younger, and he is being fostered by his aunt. As such, he works hard to get good grades to win a scholarship and ease the financial burden on his relatives.

Year of release: 2019
Country: Taiwan


Note: I'm mentioning the above HIStory 3 stories separately as they both follow different storylines and are not continuation for each other. But the same will not be done for other series that follows. I'll be rating them according to how I feel how the overall story turned out to be.

11. Love By Chance & A Chance To Love



Pete is a handsome and rich university student who is incredibly timid. His shyness stems from his trying to hide that he is gay. One day, Pete gets hit by a boy on a bike. The kind-hearted boy, named Ae, apologizes and helps him up.

In the past, those whom Pete trusted often used him for his wealth. Ae now steps in so Pete won’t be taken advantage of by his frenemies. Over time, Ae looks out for Pete and protects him from the world. Somewhere between their intense closeness and shared soft touches, Ae develops feelings for Pete that go beyond friendship.

Pete doesn't want Ae to know the pain of being ridiculed for dating a man, so he ignores his own feelings for Ae. But Pete falls deeper and deeper in love with the kind-hearted boy on the bike, who once hit him purely by chance.

Year of release:2018
Country: Thailand



This is the continuation of Love By Chance with TinCan as the main couple. Can is learning about what love is and the obstacles that come with it. Kengkla tries to reconcile with No.

But just a spoiler- the story of #TinCan starts from the beginning, though the story of Ae and Pete will have already progressed.

Year of release: 2020
Country: Thailand

Link to season 1: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/love-by-chance

Link to season 2: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/love-by-chance-2-2020

10. Lovely Writer


Gene, a writer by profession, is one day given a request by his publisher to try his hand at a new type of genre, which is Boys Love. Accepting this new challenge, Gene writes and publishes a Y novel that is well received and becomes incredibly successful. So successful that it even gets made into a BL drama.

This is the story of how Gene, a popular writer, gets deceived by the 20-year-old guy, Nubsib, who comes to audition for the lead role—pretending to be polite and good-natured when he is a wolf in reality through and through.

With just the finale left to be released, this drama made it to my list because it shows the importance of consent. It is fluffy but at the same time shows how on-screen shipped couples face problems if their fans find out about their personal love-life and partners who are not the people they're shipped with.

Year of release: 2021
Country: Thailand

You can watch it here on Dramacool: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/lovely-writer


9. Manner Of Death


Dr. Bunnakit is a medical examiner based at a provincial hospital. One day, after carrying out an autopsy on the body of a woman who had seemingly hanged herself, Dr. Bunnakit rules out suicide, as his findings point to homicide. His conclusion suddenly makes him the target of someone very powerful.

When an anonymous man breaks into his house and threatens him to change his report to suicide, Dr. Bunnakit doesn't take this threat seriously. But that all changes when one of his friends, a prosecutor, suddenly disappears. Dr. Bunnakit quietly conducts his own investigation to get at the truth. All clues lead to one suspect, a man named Tan, who denies any involvement. Tan convinces Dr. Bunnakit to team up together to find the real murderer

Now, this series is worth talking about. It has one of our favorite couples Tan&Bun. This murder mystery romance is so twisted that you'll be sane until episode 5-6 max. After that, you'll just sit back and stop interpreting what's going on and what's about to happen. So many new secrets, so much romance oozing out and so many twists and turns that you'll go crazy.

Year of release: 2020
Country: Thailand

You can watch it here on Dramacool: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/manner-of-death

8. Where Your Eyes Linger


This series tells the story of Tae Joo, the 18-year-old only successor to the TB Group. He is blessed with a wealthy family, good looks, and no troubles to worry for often described as a handsome guy in the spotlight. His 18-year-old bodyguard, Goo Koo, has been trained in all different types of martial arts and is physically trained to have a strong body. He is also very thoughtful, and Tae Joo is his only friend, while Goo Koo is the only person Tae Joo feels as though he can trust, and feels relieved around him.

Now, Korea might be new to the business, but it surely is creating an impact on the yaoi fans. Some of the most-watched Korean BL dramas are You Make me Dance, Where your Eyes Linger, Wish You, Color Rush, and Mr. Heart. Though only two of them made it to my list, I really enjoyed all of them to my heart's content and if you want to watch them then I'll provide you with the links for the same.

Year of release: 2020
Country: South Korea







7. We Best Love: No.1 For You & Fighting Mr. 2nd


It is not a simple thing to like someone, because... many times, we dare not say anything! "If first place is the only way to make you see me, then I will never lose to you before you fall in love with me." Zhou Shu Yi stared at the class report card in his hand and saw Gao Shi De’s name above him again. He didn’t understand. He had always ranked first since the fifth grade but now he is no longer on top. For this reason, he was excited to go to college and parted ways. He hoped to never see Gao Shi De again. He was happily enjoying college life and joined his beloved swimming club again. He was revered by everyone until Gao Shi De suddenly appeared in his life before graduation. This made him wonder why Gao Shi De always followed him wherever he went. But little did he know that Gao Shi De had eyes for him and would never let him go.

Year of release: 2020
Country: Taiwan


The sequel to "No. 1 For You" takes place five years after Zhou Shu Yi and Gao Shi De graduated college. Their story will unfold as they juggle work responsibilities and personal life at the same time.

Man, if it weren't for the classics, this could've gone higher on my list. The same is the case for Lovely Writer and Manner of Death. Because if you are new to this genre, there are some classics that you need to watch. And I'm listing my favorites out of them.

Year of release: 2021
Country: Taiwan



6. HIStory 2: Right Or Wrong


The story is about a single father who doesn't know how to take care of his daughter properly and a college student who got together after some odd circumstances arise.
Shi Yi Jie, a divorced, single man, is an associate professor of The Department of Anthropology. He has an 8-year-old daughter named Yo-Yo. He single-handedly raises his daughter. After encountering Fei Sheng Zhe by accident, the two of them start developing feelings for each other. But will he accept his feelings for Fei Sheng or will he lock them away for the sake of his young daughter?

I really had to edit the synopsis on this one, it was a complete mess. This series is really good and certified to make your hearts melt with its emotions. Though it missed its mark on the top 5 because of the next drama, it still is in a really high position compared to other Taiwanese BLs on this list. Basically, it got extra points compared to them because of the storyline and concept.

Year of release: 2018
Country: Taiwan


So now we'll be entering the Top 5 and it will mostly hyped-for series. And you might know most or all of them already. Before we start that, there are two special series which I really like, but I can't really seem to figure out where to put them, so I decided to put a 'specials' section at the end for them.


5. TharnType & TharnType: 7 Years Of Love


Type Thiwat is a handsome freshman with a passion for football and spicy food. Although he’s a friendly boy, he hates gay people because, in his childhood, he was molested by a man. His life turns upside down when the new academic year of college brings along a charismatic roommate, Tharn Kirigun. Tharn is a gorgeous, compassionate music major, who is also openly gay. When Type learns this, he is determined to make Tharn leave the dorm, as he won't live with a gay person. Tharn is equally determined not to give into Type's homophobic tantrums. With a gay guy and a homophobic guy that have to share a small space together for the rest of the year — what can possibly be the outcome of their story? Hatred? Or maybe love?

This series... I have no words on how to describe it. It's everything a yaoist could ask for. It'll make you laugh one moment and cry on another. It'll make you choke on your spit and pant at the same time. This is one of the must-watch series. If you're a baby yaoi fan (new fans) then I recommend some softer series before you dive yourself into this one. *wink wink*

Year of release: 2019
Country: Thailand


Type and Tharn have been together for seven years and both are enjoying their most harmonious life. They do still bicker and meet up with university friends. Now both working adults, Type and Tharn face difficult issues, as they learn that life isn't always just flowers and candies. Can they overcome their challenges or will they be defeated by them?

A continuation to their story from season one, the difference you ask? More steamy, more drama, more scenes to churn up your insides. Ughh, if this is not enough to kill you, they also have a spinoff for season 1 and a wedding day special for season 2. I can't believe I still don't have diabetes after all this.

Year of release:2020
Country: Thailand




4. Until We Meet Again The Series


Thirty years ago, Korn and Intouch were university students in Bangkok. Intouch entered Korn's life despite knowing that he was the son of one of the most influential people in Bangkok, the mafia. At first, Korn kept pushing Intouch away, but in the end, he couldn't resist the boy who was so full of life where he was the exact opposite and decided to let him into his heart.

However, in a time where homosexuality was unacceptable and having parents that were against their relationship and each other, Korn and In's love was bound to be doomed. Midst the chaos, while Intouch kept on fighting for their future, Korn could not deal with all the suffering his lover was facing and decided to give up. That day, two sounds of a gunshot rang through the air.

Their story ended with tragedy, but something had already tied itself between them, bounding them together even after they were dead.

Years later, a freshly returned to Thailand, Parm (19) who is a freshman at T- University has grown up always feeling like he is waiting for someone. Being riddled with sad dreams that always left him waking up with a wet face, fear of loud noises, and a birthmark on his temple, the boy has always felt like there is someone he is missing. Dean (21), the third-year swimming club's president at T- University has also spent his life searching for someone whose faces he can not remember. The red thread of fate that had tied them together in their past life once again pulls the two boys back to each other, tieing them to each other and a past that might not be worth remembering, but unforgettable love. Because the red thread that binds the two hearts together will always lead one back to the other. Even though it might tangle or stretch, but it will never break.

Adapted from the novel "The Red Thread" by LazySheep.

It's a rib ticking-tear jerker. You have to keep two pillows to scream into, a tissue box, and a nail-cutter (just in case you start gnawing your skin off) There is also a movie with the same name so don't get confused while searching for it. I will definitely be providing the link for this, so don't worry.

Year of release: 2019
Country: Thailand

You can watch it here on Dramacool: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/until-we-meet-again-the-series


3. Addicted [aka Heroin]


Ever since he was young, Bai Luo Yin has been living with his careless father, Bai Han Qi, and his grandmother. When he turned 16 years old, his biological mother Jiang Yuan is re-marrying, and her partner is the party’s high-ranking official Gu Wei Ting. Because of his mother’s death, Gu Wei Ting’s son, Gu Hai, has been harboring a deep grudge towards his father. Due to the random hand of fate, the 2 brothers with wildly conflicting emotional backgrounds have been placed in the same class. With time, they slowly developed a different kind of feeling. Bai Luo Yin’s classmates, You Qi and Fa Xiao Yang Meng have been instrumental in the relationship.

Based on a BL novel by Chai Jidan.

Year of release: 2016
Country: Mainland China 

You can watch it here on Dramacool: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/addicted-aka-heroin

Feels like most of the best of the best are always based on novels. I wonder if my novel would turn out this great... Anyway, let's get to the main topic. This bay boy here is a drama from mainland China. Yeah really hard to believe. The show garnered about 10 million views the day after its initial online release, making it the second most-watched show on iQiyi However, just three episodes before the season finale, all episodes of the drama were removed from all Chinese video streaming websites by the order of SAPPRFT, and are no longer accessible to Chinese viewers. A few days later, these last three episodes of the first season were uploaded to the official YouTube channel of Huace Film & TV, accessible to viewers outside of mainland China. On April 17, 2016, it was revealed that its planned second season was permanently shelved, and China has banned the two actors from appearing on screen together. The last time they were seen together in public was during a fan meeting in Thailand. In a brief moment when they did come together, they were quickly pulled apart by security guards.

On June 21, 2019, the author of the original novel posted pictures on Weibo and responded to user's questions by saying that filming for season two has started in Taiwan. It is rumored that the cast has been changed.

After this, the government banned any BL series that was supposed to air from the mainland. Famous BL series like The Untamed, Winter Begonia, Word of Honor, etc were stripped off their BL elements and were attempted to make great stories about friendship. Like that would ever work, because from what I saw, the chemistry and love were dripping off the characters and everyone could make out that there was definitely something going on between the two male leads. Bless the writers and director for that.

Since these don't actually come under BL but are based on BL novels and are a must-watch I'm more than happy to provide you with the link.

The Untamedhttps://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/the-untamed

Winter Begoniahttps://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/winter-begonia

Word of Honorhttps://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/a-tale-of-the-wanderers


2. 1000 Stars [aka A Tale Of Thousand Stars]


A volunteer teacher dies in a tragic accident, in which her heart is transplanted to Tian. Through a series of diary entries Tian learns about her life; her secrets and interests. Including her promise to Chief Forest officer Phupha, about counting a thousand stars with him. Tian then decides to follow in her footsteps and complete her dream. With Tian a new volunteer teacher, he attempts to befriend Phupha. Yet, Phupha gives off a cold exterior. Slowly the two grow close, but Tian's heart beats fast around the forest officer. As he starts to fall for him, much like its previous owner did. But with the area being dangerous, can they keep their thousand-star promise?

I recently finished watching it and I right away knew that it had to be on my list. But was confused between the next drama and this one, as to who would get the first place on my list. Finally, it settled down on no.2 and the no.1 reclaimed its title. To your amusement, this is also a drama adapted from a novel. You can say, book adaptations are a hit nowadays (most of the time). And dude does this guy know how to flirt and mess around at the same time. This series was supposed to air in 2020 but was delayed due to the spread of COVID 19. It finally started airing after a delay of 427 days in January 2021.
But I'm a person who always binge-watches, so I had to wait for the series to complete airing, and then I finished it in 2 days(with enough sleep). God, am I not amazing, hehe.

Year of release: 2021
Country: Thailand

You can watch it here on Dramacool: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/1000-stars


1. 2gether & Still 2gether


Tine is a very handsome student and cheerleader in college, while Sarawat is one of the campus’s most popular guys and is also in the soccer and music club. When Tine is chased by Green, who he does not reciprocate feelings for — he ends up begging Sarawat to fake date with him to chase Green away.

Somehow, just like the tale as old as time goes — pretend somehow starts to turn into reality. However, before a "happily ever after" there is the process of falling in love, and the slow realization that somehow they aren't pretending anymore. Somehow, they do not want to.

Make way for the BL kings. During the time when skinship was prominent, these guys barged in with a solid entrance and gave us a masterpiece with just two kiss scenes and a lot of heart-throbs which I haven't been able to put away since. This show is something that has retained its place on my list since I've started watching BLs. It has everything you could ask and so many iconic lines that you'll be remembering for a really long time.

Year of release:2020
Country: Thailand


Is there any need to wait ten years to see if the love between Sarawat and Tine lasts? In these special episodes, we will see the progression of their relationship. We'll learn more of how Sarawat pursued Tine, from feigned to direct, up until Sarawat could be with the one he had pined after for years, while Tine was just discovering this connection. We'll look into their future lives after they've both begun their first long-term relationship. Finally, we will see the lives of the other couples as they continue to love and care for each other. Man and Type, Phukong and Mil, Green and Dim; how will their relationships grow after all this time?

As if it was not enough for me to take insulin shots for the first season... they had to hit us with a second season. But in this season, we not only get to see SarawatXTine but also the development in the relationship of Tine's brother, thus some more screentime for #ManType.

Year of release: 2020
Country: Thailand

Link for season 1: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/2gether-the-series

Link for season 2: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/still-2gether


And now for the desserts, as I said, there were two dramas that I really wanted to add to the list but I couldn't figure out where to put them so I thought of putting them under the "SPECIALS" section:-

A. Cherry Magic [aka 30sai Made Dotei Dato Mahotsukai Ni Narerurashii]


While still a virgin at the age of 30, Kiyoshi Adachi gains magical power. His magical power allows him to read other people's minds by touching them. At first, he is overwhelmed by his power. His new magical ability is not helpful to him at all. Things change when he accidentally touches Yuichi Kurosawa and reads his mind. Yuichi Kurosawa has romantic feelings for Kiyoshi Adachi. ~~ Adapted from the manga series "30sai made Dotei dato Mahotsukai ni Narerurashii" by You Toyota.

Now trust me when I say this is worth watching. It's the perfect thing to make you crave a boyfriend on Valentine's day. Kurosawa's character is so sweet and so perfect that it would give your partner an inferiority complex.



B. The Effect


Shin, a shy and reserved 1st-year university student, admires from afar his senior Keng. Keng is tall, handsome, smart, and owns the heart of many girls on campus. But what others don't see is the pressure to be perfect from his family that weighs on Keng's shoulders. Due to Shin's clumsiness, he becomes acquainted with the handsome senior. As Keng takes a liking to his junior, jealousy from peers makes the cyber world a breeding ground for hate and nasty rumors. The sourness of mental instability crowds Keng's mind, while Shin wants nothing more than to not be noticed. Shin falls a victim to strangers online. For nobody but Shin can overcome the trauma that will be placed upon him. All he needs is for the strangers to listen. Because only then can they understand "the effect" that they have on others.

This is a series that really triggered my gag reflexes but is one of the must-watch in the history of Thai BLs, It is not fluffy, but realistic and spot-on. It highlights two major problems in our society, and you'll find them soon. With just three episodes, this is an award-winning worth drama that hasn't got many views and reviews yet. Sort of like the underdog of BLs. This is so underrated that I feel bad for James (as Shin), who has done such a fantastic job in this series.

You can watch it here on Dramacool: https://www1.dramacool.vc/drama-detail/the-effect

That's it, folks, what else are you waiting for?


So now you must be thinking, why is there not a mention of "I Told The Sunset About You" or "Great Men Academy" or "Theory Of Love" and other series like those. You see, it's not like I didn't like those, it's just that I had to be with every country on this basis, plus I haven't watched "I Told The Sunset About You" yet. As I said, I marked them according to their performance compared to other countries and their own past performances.

But if you want I could do another list for you guys. Please let me know in the comment section.

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