Summer’s almost over, and the ideal season for nesting on the couch and watching tv is approaching—so what better time is there to gather some queer series recommendations? Whether you’re interested in speculative stories about things like time-loops, alternate universes, and inconveniently acquired mind-reading powers; supernatural romances featuring cursed immortals, vampires, and ghosts; or frightfully upsetting gothic-horror tales… there’s something here for you!
It’s been a couple years since my last foray into writing about the vibrant, sexy, fun queer sf series being produced in the Thai BL/GL/QL media space, and so many great shows have come out since then. Even more exciting to me, we’re getting so much more variety in genre these days! I won’t repeat my whole original pitch, but it continues to be awesome that there are literally too many series coming out for me to even watch them all. Narrowing a list down to just ten was almost impossible, and that’s the best kind of challenge.
So, here are ten more Boys’ Love shows to watch this fall:
4Minutes — directed by Ning Bhanbhassa Dhubthien (2024)
4Minutes is another powerhouse series from the production team behind Kinnporsche: La Forte. An sf thriller written by Thai novelist/doctor Sammon and starring Bible Wichapas Sumettikul and Jespipat Tilapornputt, the series follows Great—the spoiled youngest son of a trading conglomerate family—as he begins having strange attacks “going backwards in time” four minutes during moments of extreme stress. He seems to be getting a chance to reconsider his worst impulses and choices as his life unspools around him, especially those involving Tyme, a surgeon he’s gotten romantically entangled with… but what’s actually happening, and what timeline is the real one, becomes increasingly muddled as the criminal violence that secretly funds his family’s wealth comes to light.
As a huge fan of Bible thanks to his role as Vegas in Kinnporsche, this series was so satisfying for me—especially after the turn part way through, when the thriller/mystery elements and the alternate timeline(s) start hardcore ramping up. Seasoned actor Jespipat Tilapornputt brings an intensely compelling energy into the mix as Tyme, and the supporting cast are all phenomenal too. As expected from a Be On Cloud production, 4 Minutes has a lot to say about privilege, class, violence, and desire… plus it’s got some of the most narratively powerful, blazingly hot gay sex scenes I’ve encountered in a long while. (Streaming on GagaOOLala)
The Boy Next World — directed by James Thanpisit Jiradechakul (2025)
The Boy Next World is also an alternate universe(s) story, but of a totally different flavor: a college romance with a speculative twist from the team that brought us Love in the Air. When Phukan (played by Noeul Nuttarat Tangwai) answers his door one stormy night, he discovers a sopping-wet guy with a bandaged head wound standing outside—and that guy, Cirrus (played by Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya), claims to be his boyfriend from another universe. Cir seems to know everything about Phu, from his favorite lunch on campus to the fact that he wears color-coded lucky underwear, so it must be true. The problem is, there’s more to the story than Cir’s letting on at first, and whether he’s really Phu’s au!boyfriend or not remains to be seen.
I had so much fun with this one! Partly that’s because Boss and Noeul always have some of the most buckwild chemistry I’ve ever witnessed on-screen… but partly it’s because the team invested so much effort into the production quality here without losing the horny-tender heart at the core of most MeMindY series: “what if you’re lovable and desirable after having experienced violation and trauma, and what if the ways it’s changed you aren’t shameful?” (as filtered through a delightfully melodramatic and self-aware genre romance lens). (Streaming on iQiyi (Uncut))
Be My Favorite — directed by Waa Waasuthep Ketpetch (2023)
And how about a different kind of time-travel story? Be My Favorite opens with Kawi (Krist Perawat Sangpotirat) mourning how bad his life has turned out now that he’s almost thirty with no partner, no close friends, and heavy debt from paying for his father’s medical bills before his death. Worse still, his college crush Pearmai (Aye Sarunchana Apisamaimongkol) is marrying his old friend Pisaeng (Fluke Gawin Caskey). He thinks this all goes back to a broken music-box gift from freshman year… and when a strange uncle shows up to offer him another chance, he accepts, ending up able to time-travel back to the past using that music box. He can change things then hop back into the new future he’s created—except somehow, every choice he makes seems to be leading him closer to Pisaeng instead. Also, some of those futures suck. Kawi’s real project is ultimately one of self-reflection and growth, coming to terms with his sexuality, and repairing his relationships.
If you were watching BL in 2023 like I was, you might already know that Be My Favorite was the sleeper hit of the year. Kawi’s self-absorbed behavior at first is purposefully off putting—but as the story goes on, the show does so much moving work with things like the challenges of realizing your sexuality, coming out, and managing familial disappointment; the shifting dynamics of friends who fall for one another but not reciprocally in the Pearmai, Pisaeng, and Kawi triangle; and much more. Also, Krist and Gawin play so well both together and separately—an unexpected delight!
Cherry Magic — directed by X Nuttapong Mongkolsawas (2024)
An adaptation of the much-beloved manga Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! starring New Thitipoom Techapaikhun and Tay Tawan Vihokratana, this series is one of several Thai adaptations of Japanese series that’ve come out recently—and one of the best! As you might’ve guessed from the title, Achi wakes up on his thirtieth birthday still a virgin, never promoted at work, feeling pretty down on himself… and suddenly able to read people’s minds if he touches them. What this reveals, immediately and bewilderingly, is that the super-hot and super-competent office prince Karan has a massive crush on him. He’d have never guessed, but now he’s got to figure out how he feels about it (like, is he even into men?) while blossoming into a later-life romance and period of self-discovery.
As a gay dude in my thirties with a yearning hope that love is possible, Cherry Magic knocked me on my (emotional) ass in the best possible way. I love that we’re getting more shows with leads in their thirties that treat adult romance and all its special foibles seriously. With this one in particular, I also adored that Karan and Achi are both protagonists with brain-problems who are working to be together with dedicated purpose. Lastly, the series was produced and airing during the period right before the legalization of gay marriage in Thailand, so all the marriage stuff herein got me weepy. (Streaming on Viu—requires VPN set to Thailand)
My Golden Blood — directed by Ark Saroj Kunatanad (2025)
My Golden Blood is a contemporary vampire-romance directed by Ark Saroj, a man who wrote his graduate thesis on gothics and who I otherwise follow for his sublimely sensual gay photography. Our protagonist is 20-year-old Tong (Fluke Gawin Caskey), an orphan who’s lived his whole life believing he’s a hemophiliac. He’s finally weaseled his way into being allowed to go to college with his childhood best friend, but while working as a waiter for a high-end socialite party he accidentally cuts his hand… thereby learning all at once that vampires are real, and worse, that he’s got special blood they’re all desperate to drink. Stoic, sexy vampire Mark (Joss Way-ar Sangngern) rescues him and reveals that he’s the one who’s really been watching over Tong his whole life—but of course he also lusts for Tong’s blood, and he’s all caught up in a vampiric political struggle too. Whatever will happen next, oh my.
This show is often lovingly referred to in fan spaces “horny gay Twilight,” and while ultimately it does have some pacing/narrative issues, the camp sensibilities and full-force sexy gay aesthetic vision made it a worthwhile watch for me. My Golden Blood knows exactly what it is and commits to the bit with an earnest yet tongue-in-cheek panache—what more can I ask for? Perfect for a spooky season vampire romance. (And features some truly big, buff men. Rarely has the camera’s eye catered so thoroughly to my tastes, is all I’m gonna say about that.) (Streaming on GagaOOLala)
Century of Love — directed by Mi Thanawat Panyarin and Wo Worawit Khuttiyayothin (2024)
Century of Love is the newest series starring actors Daou Pittaya Saechua and Offroad Kantapon Jindataweephol, following after Love in Translation. A contemporary romantic melodrama driven by magic, reincarnation, and destiny, Century of Love is rooted in Thai-Chinese culture and draws on both narrative traditions. Almost one hundred years before the series begins, San (Daou) was in love with a noblewoman who’d been promised in marriage to another man; this ultimately ends in tragedy, as the other man accidentally shoots her while trying to kill San. With the help of his goddess and a magical stone, San makes a desperate plea to live on until she’s reincarnated—but if a hundred years passes first and he doesn’t find her again, he will die in agony. In the present, he’s still living with the same multigenerational family of shrine-keepers who are attempting to help him find her when he runs into Vee (Offroad)… and all signs point to this mouthy guy being his lover’s reincarnation. But surely that can’t be right?
I’m weak for intense melodramas that fully embrace sentiment, so of course I enjoyed Century of Love. On the one hand, the humor inherent in San’s hundred-year-old-grandpa mentality lends itself well to exploring the problem of a lover’s reincarnation being differently gendered; on the other, the way the curse throws him into fits of torturous agony (which can only be lessened by nearness with Vee!) really lends itself to some quality hurt/comfort. A solid watch, for sure. (Streaming on GagaOOLala)
He’s Coming to Me — directed by Aof Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon (2019)
This one’s a throwback, but now that it’s got English subtitles on YouTube I finally watched it—and I’m so glad I did! Directed by the talented Aof Noppharnach (Moonlight Chicken, A Tale of a Thousand Stars) and starring Singto Prachaya Ruangroj as Mes and Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee as Thun, He’s Coming to Me clocks in at a compact eight episodes… but they pack a punch. Mes is a ghost who died on his birthday in the late ‘90s, and no one ever comes to sweep his tomb—no family, no friends—except for a charming young boy, Thun, who’s able to see him when no one else can. However, Thun stops coming for Qingming eventually, and the years keep rolling on. One day he reappears, though, now a college student—and he’s found a way (using electronic incense) to take Mes away from the cemetery to try and solve the mystery of his untimely death. What neither of them is expecting is to fall in love.
He’s Coming to Me got me in my feelings intensely, more than I expected, and I was genuinely impressed with the much-younger Ohm and Singto’s performances. In particular, the way this series explores Thun’s queer coming-of-age journey made me cry buckets: he’s boyish and sporty and has no idea what to do with himself when he realizes he’s attracted to men, but his conversations with his friends and his mom when he finally comes out to them are both beautiful. The mystery is also bittersweet and evocative in its resolution. I did so much cathartic weeping! (Streaming on YouTube)
Shadow — directed by Ark Saroj Kunatanad (2023)
Speaking of the ‘90s, this queer horror series takes place at a Catholic boy’s school during the year 1999. Our protagonist Dan (Singto Prachaya Ruangroj) arrives at the school already-haunted by something, semi-adopted by one of the priests who teaches there, and encounters a terrible mystery involving a prior missing student. He develops a cautious intimacy with Nai (Fluke Natouch Siripongthon), an effeminate boy who is relentlessly harassed for his visible queerness—and as a result makes enemies of homophobic students and teachers himself. However, his truest desire might be for the bleak and frightening spirit haunting him, a ghost which slowly drives him to uncover the history of state violence against student protesters being covered up by the school. This one’s heavy, thematically and narratively, but it also had me on the edge of my seat every week. Homophobia, censorship, teacher-student relationships, and depression/internal conflict with one’s own death-drive are all present themes.
In terms of genre, both Shadow and the next recommendation (Dead Friend Forever) are definitely better approached as queer horror instead of BL—because they’re produced in the same industry spaces and made by the same artists, but the primary narrative orientation for these two isn’t romance. The vibes are, ah, awful! Which I naturally adore, but I also think it’s important to highlight in recommending them alongside predominantly romance/BL series. Shadow also took a turn in the absolute last stretch that didn’t settle well with me, but everything that came before it was phenomenal. But ultimately, I’d rather see a creator swing for the fences and miss than not try—so I’m still recommending it. (Streaming on GagaOOLala)
Dead Friend Forever — directed by Ma-Deaw Chookiat Sakveerakul and Chantana Tiprachart (2023)
Dead Friend Forever is another gay horror series—one that begins as a viciously clever slasher then turns into a grim “Who Killer Laura Palmer?”-style exploration of complicity, exploitation, and what the audience really wants from stories about sexual trauma and violence. Produced by the team at Be On Cloud and starring a largely all-new cast of young actors with returning Kinnporsche stars Barcode Tinnasit Isarapongporn (as Non) and Ta Nannakun Pakapatpornpob (as Phee), Dead Friend Forever opens with an end-of-year party at an isolated jungle villa owned by rich-boy Por’s father. It becomes immediately obvious the vibes are rancid in this friend group when the three newer additions unearth a clip from a short film the other guys made a few years prior… with one friend who’s now missing, Non. Within short order, supernatural frights start up and a masked killer, dressed like the one in their amateur slasher film, starts hunting them down. What really happened to Non, and has his ghost come back for revenge?
For horror fans, this one’s a home-run. Inspired by films like Scream and the messy gender/sexual politics of teen slashers, the series also tackles class exploitation, violence, and sexual trauma in the digital age. There’s a harrowing scene where a video of a character having coerced sex with a teacher is leaked as revenge for his romantic rejection of another boy, and the audience has to see all the comments his classmates and strangers make about it online. Watching the series as it aired, these comments were echoed unironically by some audience members, which made the show’s argument about complicity and social violence… extra-pointed. Even the righteous “oh, wow, I hope all these guys die actually” feeling I had after seeing what they did to Non ends up turning in on itself by the end. So, if you want to feel really bad (positive)—watch Dead Friend Forever. (Streaming on iQiyi (Uncut))
The Heart Killers — directed by Jojo Tichakorn Phukhaotong (2025)
The last show on the list is one of my favorites from 2025, which I’d been looking forward to since it was announced: Jojo Tichakorn’s The Heart Killers, a sexy queer riff on The Taming of the Shrew starring First Kanaphan Puitrakul, Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan, Joong Archen Aydin, and Dunk Natachai Boonpraser. Bison and Fadel, played by Khaotung and Joong, are adoptive brother assassins hunting down “bad” guys at the orders of their Ms. Mom; Kant, played by First, is an ex-car-thief tattoo artist who hooks up with Bison… and then gets manipulated by the cops into dating him to gather information and get him arrested. To defray the extremely negative attention of older brother Fadel, played by Joong, he gets his weird best friend Style to relentlessly hit on the ice-cold assassin as a distraction tactic. Things proceed to go awry in a variety of spectacular ways.
The aesthetic sensibilities, campy over-the-top narrative, and avowedly horny queerness of The Heart Killers make for a wildly entertaining watch. It’s got the energy of a gay John Wick splashed over with an adoring ‘90s palette and a great soundtrack. And, frankly, getting to see Khaotung play a sadist bottom with a chaotic violent streak has added a hundred years to my life. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot, the drama is at turns serious and hilarious, and the actors are all having an amazing time—which really shows in the quality of their performances. If you want to have some fun, The Heart Killers is where you should go next. (Streaming on iQiyi (Uncut))
Plenty more stellar shows have come out over the past few years that aren’t featured here, but still deserve highlighting—including several great GL and QL shows featuring queer women that simply aren’t sff, like Wedding Plan, Us, and the currently-airing Whale Store XOXO. I also want to shout out another favorite, Peaceful Property On Sale, which was a kindhearted horror-comedy about found family that’s… definitely queer, both because several ghost-of-the-week episodes are centered on queer narratives and because the relationship between the protagonists (played by BL powerhouses Tay and New) feels quite early-stages-potentiality, but it isn’t a romance show.
And lastly, I have to say: while the situation for queer and-or trans people has continued worsening in the U.S. day by day, I’ve been drawing strength and inspiration from these shows more than ever. Seeing the myriad ways queer love/desire and (usually) hope for the future are brought to life onscreen—and are championed by the artists themselves—is a sometimes-horny, sometimes-weepy, sometimes-funny, sometimes-heartwarming balm for my weary spirit. I hope they can offer you a boost, too.
(P.S. if I missed a series you love on this list or the previous one… drop the rec!)
