Apotheosis: the apex or pinnacle of something

The following are BL series I think should be on everyone’s list to absolutely see. They are not necessarily always the top-rated or most highly rated series or maybe even the best acted. But in some way, they have changed the direction of the concept of BL or had a significant impact on where these series are going. They have stood the test of time or in some way had a classic or masterpiece feel about them that just makes them so special that they stand out. They have solicited in me a sense of awe, wonderment, or an emotional response that go beyond what is felt in the moment. They left me with a lasting impression. Since these are highly subjective, no one needs to agree with this list. It is meant to be a starting point. 

The bottom line is that this list will not decrease but only increase as new ‘classic’ series or movies emerge. 

Yours to enjoy! 

Recommended from the year 2020:

1. Addicted (Heroin) - China        This is one of the earliest BL series made and is from China. Quite honestly it is a masterpiece of rawness, and grittiness, and what real life is all about.  One of only less than a handful from Mainland China, it feels a bit incomplete because the Chinese government shut it down and forbad further episodes and forbit both main actors from working together again. Enough said. 
2.  Sotus - Thailand       The ‘granddaddy’ of BL series. It is one of the earliest series that profoundly affected the tone, texture. And direction of other BL series especially in Thailand. It does not have a feeling of being so contrived or formulaic. Its message is one of questioning old ways while maintaining its own sense of character development leading to relationships despite discord.
3. My Brother's Husband - Japan      An incredibly profound study of Japanese cultural taboos about gay relationship but how simple acts of kindness, connections, and the innocence of youth can turn minds and attitudes.  
4. Tien Bromance - Vietnam    One of the most unusual BL series ever made. It is dark, macabre, and filled with torturous circumstances. The glue that keeps it together is the love two guys have for one other and their unequivocal commitment to each other. This Vietnamese series breaks the mold of what a BL series should be like and goes its own way.  
5. Stigma - Philippines      This is NOT a BL series in the classic sense. But it does have gay characters that tell a remarkable story of four friends in a platonic and intense connection with each other that rivals the standard formula of BL series. Ironically, they display the purest form of love between men that I have ever seen.  
6.  If I Love a Boy - Thailand     This is an astounding series involving very young boys who are going through puberty and suffer from ‘puppy love.” It is honestly portrayed and is ground-breaking in seeing young boys sensing their own feelings of sexuality. A remarkable series that could never be made in the USA because we will not or more importantly do not want to see it.
7. Life: Love on the Line - Japan      A story of almost love lost. A brilliant story of how societal norms control the heart and love from the mind. It is tragic but not completely so but profoundly painful to experience. Every gay person who has ever been in love has at one time or another gone through this.
8. Evening Shadows - India      It displays with profound realism the external and internal conflicts of a gay relationship within conservative family members. But love and acceptance will win despite all the obstacles. It deals sadly with individuals who must live painful lives in the cloak of acceptance and the despicable acts that they will resort to in order to feel any sense of normalcy. 
9. Mood Indigo - Japan      A raw gritty series that portrays a darker side to BL. It is full of angst but intense and profound lust. It is not a picture of love but its fantasy of hedonistic desires. Also, something that will never be.
10. HIStory 2 - Taiwan       One of the stories involves a relationship between a younger guy and on older man who was married and has a daughter. It portrays the struggles and conflicts of having such a relationship especially when society already is negative about gay relationships in general. 

My additions from the year 2021:

1. You Make Me Dance - Korea    A captivating and soft meandering love story between two very unorthodox individuals.  This is a brilliantly acted series of an unconventional love connection.
2. One Love -The Series - Laos     I believe this is the first BL from Laos and so deserves some level of distinction. No, this little series is not earth-shattering, but it is so entertaining and makes you feel good about life in general.  
3. Color Rush - Korea    This is a remarkable series. It is a magical story of intense love that must be seen to be appreciate how deep the love is. The performances are mesmerizing. In a real sense, they are soulmates linked forever.
4. Innocent - Taiwan  This is a phenomenal story about a love for an individual who has a Disassociated Identity Disorder with brilliant acting. This is some of the finest acting in any BL series.
5. Tick Tick Again - Myanmar This is an astonishing, stunning, breathtakingly moving series of love transcending eons. Its twist in love to the outcome is a destiny not expected or imagined yet seems like poetic justice. The nuances and subtleties of this love story within the confines of a repressed government is astonishing. It must be recognized for what it is - groundbreaking!
6. He,He and He S1 & 2 - Hong Kong This is a funny down-to-earth series that is under the radar and should not be. It is simply hysterical with some of the funniest characters I have seen. Yet, tells stories of human nature that are so relatable and authentic. If you want to genuinely laugh with the characters and not at them, then watch these series. Entertaining just does not quite describe them.
7. Love Victor S1 & 2 - United States  I know that the United States is certainly not in the forefront of BLs, but these series are worthy of some distinction. They are funny but still raw and gritty and painfully realistic. They are not afraid to show intense relationships that we know are sexual, not just a lot of innuendo. 
8. Funny Boy - Sri Lanka A profoundly moving story about a boy growing up gay in a country where homosexuality is forbidden. A gritty story during the height of a bloody ethnic war in that country. The pain of being different is palpable. An awesome movie.
9.  Goodbye Mother - Vietnam A movie about coming out to his family with the irony that the oldest person in the family uses her wisdom and powers of manipulation to show acceptance and approval. This is a masterpiece of storytelling about the tribulations of being different in a society that is not so accepting of behaviors outside the boundaries of defined normalcies. 
10. The Immeasurable - Taiwan This is not a romantic BL but a story of love with the driving force being see -desire - take - do. Its center is a strong lustful, sexual relationship. 
11. Present Perfect & Still Present Perfect - Thailand This is a story of love that was, but ended as a should have been, and eventually blossoms into what has to be. What must be. It is a love story that by fate just had to be. A profoundly moving story. 
12. He She It - Thailand This is a work of genius and a breathtakingly poignant story of deep love that transcends corporal meaning. It is sad. A very short series that frankly says more with less. It is a cinematic masterpiece. 
13. The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name - Hong Kong A deep love between two friends that only grows stronger over time and almost does not see the light. It is the best example of what love is between two men. Their love is under the radar as they are simply ordinary guys with an extraordinary love for each other.
14. You Never Eat Alone - Thailand   This is not a BL in the classic sense of the concept, but it is a story of deep friendships that turn to bromance that turns to true love. It is a beautiful story of how to help someone with a mental health illness. This is love in the truest sense of the word. Warning: The production level of this series is just awful, and translations are even worse. But it is still an excellent portrait of real love that may or may not ever be realized. Stick with it. It is incredibly deep with emotions.
15. Kieta Hatsukoi - Japan This is a funny and humorous look at love founded on a misunderstanding but becomes a story of love that should not have happened but did. There is also a refreshingly equal straight love story that is just as funny and also beautifully developed.

My additions from the year 2022. Note that all of these recommendations had a BLISS Rating of A +++:

1.  55:15 Never Too Late – Thailand    a brilliant story of wishful thinking of going back to being 15 again. While you physically do, the rest of you remains 55. It becomes a story of comparisons. Bittersweet indeed. This series takes ordinary people and turns them back into another version of themselves as ordinary people.
2. A Love Song for My Beloved – Vietnam   a romance story told along life’s journey to living. It shows different branches of choices people make in their lives and the outcomes to those choices. Sometimes, they are life-ending while others enhance the creation of beauty between individuals. 
3.  Beef Cupcake & Him – Vietnam   this series shows how you can take an ordinary story and make it extraordinary. Its execution is a real work of art. This is a beautifully quiet saga of love that seems to develop so naturally and sincerely that you hardly notice it evolving. 
4.  Old Fashioned Cupcake – Japan  is a simple basic narrative of love.  And proves that even in a repressed society filled with rules, protocols, and defined traditions, love can still find a way to flourish. Softly, gently, this love story is told through the eyes of two men just on the precipice of redefining their status in life to becoming ‘middle-age’. 
5.  A Man Who Defies the World of BL – Japan  a story that pokes fun at itself and the whole world of BL. A parody if you will. What it does so aptly, in tongue-in-cheek fashion, is narrate the romance of what ‘BL’ is.
6. DNA Says Love You – Taiwan  this is honestly a beautiful series to absorb because it takes you from the expected to the unexpected. More importantly, you feel these characters. This is ground-breaking in the sense that it tackles a fairly common condition with dignity and gives it a plausible ending.
7.  Clik, Clak, Clok – Philippines a series that does not make sense, yet its love does. This love is as deep and as infinite as the universe. It is cutting edge and a bit Avant Garde. 
8. Love Mechanics – Thailand  the harder the obstacles in their paths of two young men deeply in love, the more resolute their being together seemed inevitable with the chemistry between the two of them astonishing.
9. Want To See You – Vietnam one was willing to give up his love to maintain his integrity and word-of-honor. A sacrifice perhaps many of us would not be willing to make. With the seal of promise now broken, can they be together?
10.  Rak Dio – Thailand  is an oddly beautiful production. It felt like a throwback to earlier ‘sitcoms’ with colorful sets and a homey atmosphere. The story also created characters that stood out for their uniqueness and preciseness in their roles. 
11.  Here I Come – Russia  is a simple story told behind a veil of secrecy, yet as open as the air we breathe. It is a message of hope and defiance that no matter what, love will endure. Irrespective of the form it takes or the cost to obtain. And a ground-breaking BL series from of all places Russia and filmed entirely in Russia. 
12. My Policeman – England  a story of falling in love with a man and a woman and not having the freedom to choose. It dispels the notion that somehow the good old days were a “Golden Age”. This is a time when being gay was a crime and it was not that long ago.