Sadly, this series falls into the same trap most GMM shows do. I really wanted it to be good because the premise genuinely had potential. And honestly, it starts out strong: playful, funny, with a fun little love-scam angle running through it. But around episode four or five, it slips back into the same worn-out formula every other show like this uses, leaving very little that sticks with you. There are twelve episodes, each roughly fifty five to sixty minutes long, so it demands a serious time commitment, yet it never offers enough charm to make all that feel worthwhile. The story centers on cousins Pai and North, both heirs to a rich, influential family. Pai is doing well in business, while North keeps wasting family money on ventures that fail. We first meet Tim, whose random encounter with Pai gradually turns into a slow-burn romance. But it is revealed pretty quickly that Tim had been after Pai from the beginning, intending to make him fall in love so he could secure a comfortable life with a wealthy man, while secretly also dating several rich women on the side. At roughly the same time, North meets U during a hiking trip and immediately falls for him. This comes right after North's breakup, and in a moment of impulsiveness, he proposes to U right there, even offering him money to agree. Since U is broke, he accepts the money and marries North, only learning afterward just how wealthy North's family really is. Eventually, U and Tim uncover one another's scams and…

This coming-of-age movie follows two teenage guys who seem completely opposite on paper, even though they’re both carrying baggage from their past. We get to watch them deal with it and fall for each other along the way. It starts off feeling like a teen rom-com, then becomes something much more personal by the end. Not gonna lie, I have no idea why they chose the English title they did, because the original title translates as Fifteen Days, and that fits so much better. Apparently it’s based on a book, and honestly, what makes it work is how straightforward it remains throughout. It has this warm, sunny vibe, and it’s not only about two boys falling in love. It’s really about learning to quit hiding after spending years trying not to be seen. Felipe is sixteen and has been insecure about his weight for years because other kids gave him hell about it growing up. He’s openly gay and lives with his mom, who’s a major presence in his life. When summer comes around, he’d honestly rather sit inside binge-watching things and reading manga than head outdoors to swim. Then Caio, his neighbor and the guy Felipe’s had a crush on since childhood, winds up staying at their house for two weeks while his parents are gone. Like that isn’t awkward enough already, Felipe realizes that he and Caio haven’t even talked in years. They drifted apart, and Felipe has convinced himself that Caio is one of those straight jock guys who could never be interested in someone like him.…

How can there be such a dearth of stories that these vertical filmmakers keep recycling the same 5-6 story permutations and combinations, just mixing and matching them? It’s like some old fantasies are being brought to life in these formats. I’m really starting to lose it completely. Then you read all these random, glowing, made-up reviews online and wonder whether people are even watching the same thing I am.Liam and Noah are stepbrothers, though not many people know it. Noah’s girlfriend actually likes Liam and tries to seduce him. Meanwhile, Liam has secretly been crushing on his stepbrother Noah. Since Liam can’t have Noah, he suggests that maybe the girl should ask Noah for a threesome. That’s when a drunk Noah shows up, against his better judgment, and the two finally kiss. Noah is now confused too—whether he is gay and how he can be attracted to his stepbrother. The story moves slowly, with the two men gradually realizing each other’s good points and falling in love. Of course, the evil girlfriend tries to ruin everything by exposing their secret and threatening to get them out of the hockey team, but her plans fall flat. In the end, they get love and acceptance from everyone.This BL was good for the emotional pull of showing Liam always wanting Noah while Noah remains unsure about his feelings. There isn’t as much drama and evilness as you see in some of the other vertical gay shows. The two boys were quite good-looking, and Noah’s nerdy look was pretty hot. But Liam is the…

Originally premiering on HBO Max, this is honestly one of the most distinctive queer stories out there, centered on those particular points in life when you have no choice but to grow up quickly, when discipline, tenderness, and genuine sacrifice become non negotiable. It’s a deeply moving portrayal of accidental gay parenthood, following a hard partying twenty something gay model whose entire world shifts when he’s forced to raise his niece. There are eight episodes altogether, and I’d genuinely recommend taking your time with this one and letting it sink in rather than speeding through it. The series opens with a gay orgy and introduces Filip, a model caught up in drugs, parties, sex, and pretty much refusing to take anything seriously, including his work. He has the looks and the sharp jawline, and he assumes that means he can get away with anything—until his sister gives him an ultimatum and tells him to move out, because he’s essentially been living off her while she raises her one year old by herself. Things then take a devastating turn when she dies in an accident, leaving Filip suddenly responsible for his niece, Tosia. Since he grew up in the foster system himself, he chooses to pursue legal guardianship, but it means facing a mountain of problems: lawyers, social workers, and the foster system, all while knowing Poland is not going to easily give a child to a single gay man. This is where his chosen family becomes especially important. There’s Kiki, his sister’s friend and a single mom who is separated…

Love in Protocol (Korean Mini-Series) - 20264 episodes averaging 10 minutes each. The main character is a researcher conducting a clinical study on human behaviour. He asks deeply personal questions and gets his test subject to open up about himself. These two men have met before. Years earlier, they formed a close bond during their private tutoring sessions. Nothing romantic happened then, but those unresolved feelings have come back. A boring romance with barely any emotion at all, and overall it really has nothing new to offer. Setting a romance within a psychological experiment sounded intriguing, but it ends up being one big yawn. The kissing scene at the end was decent, but the story gives neither actor any chance to show their potential. Awakening the Steppe (Chinese Mini-Series) - 2026Amur, a carefree vet and guesthouse owner living in the grasslands, comes across an injured Singaporean traveler, Lei Ze Xin. Lei Ze Xin is there to fulfill his dad's wish, and Amur saves his life, making it seem like a light, sweet romance might bloom from this unexpected meeting. But actually, he is there to thank Amur because his dog saved his life. While the landscapes are really stunning, their love story appears out of nowhere and is totally unbelievable. The characters are already declaring their love and talking about spending the rest of their lives together, even making plans to open a pet clinic together. The show feels rushed and unrealistic. Apart from the beautiful scenery, there isn’t much that truly stands out or stays with you after finishing…

This Indian series is marketed as the story of a gay man falling for his straight best friend, but honestly, underneath that, it’s really about friendship—and what happens when friendship becomes complicated, messy, and emotionally charged. You can watch it on Last Leaf Pictures’ YouTube channel; it has seven episodes, each around 30 minutes long. I had mixed feelings the whole way through, and a lot of that came from how I felt about one of the leads, but I’ll get to that shortly.At the heart of it are Anshul and Kavith. They meet for the first time on a train bound for Delhi, with neither of them particularly ready to return to their hometowns. They get off halfway through the trip, change their minds, and head back to Mumbai for one more chance at the lives they want there. Anshul is an aspiring actor whose young son lives in Delhi with his grandmother. Kavith is gay and newly out of yet another relationship—his 17th, by his own count over the years. They form an unusual friendship, and because they are both financially struggling, they become roommates. Eventually, they grow truly close, supporting one another emotionally and financially in a way that begins to resemble family. Anshul is warm, fair, and open with everyone around him. Kavith completely adores him: he pampers him, fusses over his son, and gazes at Anshul with a starry-eyed devotion that Anshul clearly enjoys receiving. But Kavith is intensely needy where love is concerned. For him, it is never about anything physical; it is all…

This Thai mini series is bad and packed with red flags that make you question so many of the protagonists' motives, and yet somehow, you still wanna keep watching until the end. It is only 10 episodes, 10 minutes each, but it should come with multiple trigger warnings. I thought we had moved past the rape era in the BL world being justified in the name of love a few years back, but apparently not!Pakin kidnaps Venus, the heir to a luxury hotel, and keeps him captive in the unforgiving wilderness. He holds Venus responsible for making his younger brother fall in love with him, then breaking his heart, which led to his brother committing suicide. Venus pleads and begs, insisting it must have been his twin brother Saturn who did this, but Pakin refuses to hear any of it. He rapes Venus, forces him to do household chores, and subjects him to other atrocities. Meanwhile, the hotel heiress grandmother worries about where the town grandsons have disappeared to and asks her trusted advisor to find them. Her evil niece, meanwhile, has been eyeing the entire property and is unhappy that grandma plans to put everything in the twins' name. It turns out she was behind Venus being kidnapped all along. Once she learns about Pakin's younger brother's suicide, she makes Saturn leave the country out of fear for his life and tells Pakin that Venus is Saturn. Anyway, some kind of bond slowly begins to form between Pakin and Venus, and once the truth comes out, everything falls into…

This is a difficult one to pin down, and honestly, that's both its greatest ambition and its biggest flaw. It's a wildly eccentric psychosexual comedy attempting to invent an entirely new genre, and I truly can't think of anything else quite like it. But wanting to be audacious and successfully being audacious are two very different things, and for me, it simply didn't work. And just so expectations are clear, this isn't strictly a gay film. One of the two main characters is gay, and sexuality is definitely part of the discussion, but that's pretty much where the queer aspect ends.Joey and Craig are roommates, and their relationship is warm, though somewhat uneven. He covers the rent while she doesn't, so he can get away with things like making Joey sit in her darkened room when his Grindr date arrives because he's told the guy he lives by himself. The movie begins with Joey talking to her therapist and recounting this long, rambling tale about meeting someone named Brian, sleeping with him, and discovering that he's an alien. The monologue drags on forever, running through her entire messy past with Brian before finally explaining how Craig entered the story. When Brian turns up in their lives again and their apartment becomes more or less uninhabitable, they wind up spending a weekend at his house. Brian possesses this alien power where a simple touch can soothe and subdue anyone he encounters, and naturally, both Joey and Craig are pulled toward him in ways they can't fully control. Joey has tentacle sex…

It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that in 2026, we are still being served BL series of this low quality. This mini series consists of roughly 7 to 8 episodes with a total runtime of approximately one hour, and it is so tedious that I am at a loss for words. Between the awkward acting and a story that couldn't be more basic, there is almost nothing worth saving here. Even when the makers attempt to inject drama, the effort falls completely flat.After spotting a man sitting by himself at a gay bar, 23 year old university student Ho Won feels an immediate attraction. The man, Min U, is 33 years old and dismisses Ho Won right away, claiming he is too young. Ho Won decides to lie about his age; having made a bet with the bartender that he could get the man home before the night ends, he changes his approach. This tactic works, and the two eventually sleep together at Min U's place. Although they are complete opposites, a certain pull brings them together for a few dates. However, once Min U discovers the bet, things shift. He offers Ho Won a chance to explain, but Ho Won shuts down, admitting to the lie without mentioning his feelings, largely due to intense guilt. Three months later, Min U arrives at Ho Won's university as a new professor, at which point he learns Ho Won's actual age. This time, Ho Won is able to open up and explain the situation properly, leading to a…

Set in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Night Stage arrives with a powerful impact. I was hooked early on, convinced the film was heading toward something special; however, the final twenty minutes veer into thriller tropes, resulting in an ending that feels unsatisfyingly unresolved. Drawing heavy inspiration from 80s erotic thrillers, the story features two gay men who repeatedly engage in high-stakes, public sexual encounters that threaten to ruin their lives at any second.The story follows roommates and theatre actors Mathias and Fabio, whose relationship is defined by a sharp competitive streak. Mathias, who is openly and comfortably gay, meets Rafael via an app. Although Rafael initially insists he only meets people once, that boundary quickly dissolves as the two continue to meet for sex in locations where they risk being caught at any moment. Complications arise when it is revealed that Rafael is running for mayor, while Mathias is competing against Fabio for a web series role that promises real fame. After Rafael pulls some strings, Mathias secures the part. Both men are now on the verge of becoming public figures, facing immense pressure to maintain a straight, respectable image, yet neither can stop their behavior. Their encounters move to increasingly exposed locations, including terraces, cruising parks, a parking garage, and Rafael's office. Driven by jealousy over the lost role, Fabio films the pair having sex in public near a family, then uses the footage to blackmail Rafael via his security guard. Having seen his repeated warnings ignored by both men, the security guard snaps, killing Fabio before turning his aggression…

It is a genuinely fun return, with the entire gang back for season 2. Having watched both seasons back-to-back, I found this one felt slightly flat compared to season 1, though that might just be because I went straight from one to the other. It isn't bad by any means; it is simply difficult to live up to the predecessor. Everyone is back and remains hilarious, including Mam, Dickie, Stewart, Lucinda, Sal, and Neil. The series picks up exactly where it left off with the same madness and the same crowd, consisting of six episodes that are thirty minutes each.Dickie is back on the hunt now that he is single again, while Mam faces some seriously uncomfortable history that has come back to haunt her. Sal finds herself caught in a messy situation involving Danni and Mel, and Mel has begun dating a new, truly insufferable TikTok type. Lucinda's relationship with Neil hits a snag upon the discovery that his ex-girlfriend's name is tattooed on his back, whereas Stewart is out enjoying life. Dickie handles his singlehood by making everything about himself and convincing himself that every stranger he encounters is a rival. While Mam continues to be the glue keeping everyone from falling apart, her own mess begins when her estranged wife appears. Stewart remains absolutely brilliant, using his deadpan humor to navigate all these new developments. The setups for the episodes this season are quite specific. In the first two, the gang somehow loses a white rabbit inside a carpet warehouse—complete with fun Alice in Wonderland touches—and Stewart's…

Up to this point, my experience with vertical BL dramas has been a struggle, defined by humiliating tropes and toxic dynamics. This production feels like a breath of fresh air by comparison, even if the central premise feels somewhat overused. With the LGBTQ+ market being large enough to warrant a full-scale push, every production company seems to be aggressively entering the vertical drama space.Though they were childhood friends, Kit and River now inhabit entirely different social spheres. Kit, the son of River's family's helper, is an openly gay, creative student who exists on the fringes of the high school social hierarchy. River, meanwhile, is the confident, popular athlete. When River faces the prospect of failing his guitar class—a failure he cannot afford—he approaches Kit for tutoring, offering to protect him from bullies in return. As they spend more time together, River begins flirting, making it increasingly obvious that he has genuine feelings for Kit. Unsure of how to react, Kit treats it as a possible phase and plays along without fully committing. After River eventually confesses his feelings, the two start a relationship. However, when River's girlfriend discovers the truth, she threatens to out him, causing River to distance himself from Kit entirely. Even after Kit confronts him directly, River remains unresponsive. Ultimately, River realizes he cannot stay away; in a very sweet finale, he sings a song for Kit and confesses his feelings in front of everyone.By centering the emotional bond between Kit and River rather than relying on suffering as a primary plot device, the show already distinguishes…