BL Short movies and mini dramas - Japan

Short.

Short.

Drama that is borderline too long for this list... (8 x 30 minutes.) 

I haven't watched all episodes in subbed version--(only eps 1-4 were available fansubbed when I watched the drama. I'm planning to rewatch it ASAP...) and even though I do speak some Japanese, I can't claim to understand more than part of the dialogue, when I watched eps 5-8 unsubbed. 

Even so--this drama is AWESOME. It's something unique, showing the confusion and coming of age of a gay teen in a society that does not accept homosexuality--from a totally different angle than anything we've seen before. 

The framework with Queen's music and all kinds of little poetic and philosophical adds (I loved the play between the leads when imagining love stories about the things around them...) gives a unique touch and the narrative voice/storytelling from the MC is done in a great and imaginative way. 

Some people have totally misunderstood the whole thing about "gay dude in a relationship with a fujoshi". Watch the damn thing before you draw conclusions. Wanna bet on how many gay kids have tried straight dating before they figure out what will work and what never will? And their relationship is beautiful--no matter if it's romantic or friends, because their connection is real. The point here is not to promote reprogramming gays, but to show how confusing it can be to accept oneself--and how pressure from society and family can make us try to fool ourselves and do things we don't truly wish to do.

This is definitely (based mainly on the episodes I have been able to watch with English subs) the best Gay themed story to come from Japan, to date. 

Mini-drama. (5 x 25 minutes.) 

This was a breath of fresh air in the assortment of sweet teen BL. A simple little thing--light, (very) innocent and endearing. 

Japanese BL used to be so syrupy and manga-plastic-fake that I couldn't stand it (but one took what one could get, back in the days when Japan was the only go-to for a fix of boys-on-boys.) But nowadays, their style has started to change a lot.

My preference in BL/Gay themed things--even if I like everything from super-artsy stuff to braindead junk--are the stories of the more mellow and realistic kind, the everyday love stories of normal guys--because I find reality beautiful enough to be worth telling about. If it's too glossy, too shiny, too unrealistic--it doesn't get to me. But when the setting, and the people, are real--I can relate on a deeper level. 

This is a gentle little coming-of-age love story, set by the coast--in the Kamakura area, the surfing Mecca of Japan. The setting with surfing and the ocean, was something I've longed to see. There are quite a few surfer-BL mangas and I love surfing and especially I love the ocean. (One of my all-time-fav BL movies is a surfer one--the US indie flick "Shelter" from 2007. A simple, low budget little thing, but it's lovely.) We can all agree on that the sea always has had a special place in love stories. It's romantic, period. Here, it also gives a feel of youth and freedom. 

The production is simple, but sufficient and enhances the realism. The acting is very good from basically everyone but Kura Yuuki (Nagisa) has something special. (And the kid is ridiculously beautiful.)

The story is a bit oddly paced so it becomes too rushed in the conclusion--and the focus isn't really where it should have been, a lot of the time. Which is the only reason I don't rate this higher. 

A movie sequel was released 2020. 

Mini-drama. (4 x 29 minutes.)

Upcoming sequel to mini-drama "Kare ga Boku ni Koishita Wake". 

Dunno' if it'll be a special, mini-drama, or what. MDL lists runtime as 30 minutes.

Mini-drama. (4 x 25 minutes.) 

I literally went "OHMYGAWD!" when I saw that this is coming as a drama. YES! YES! YES!
Based on an absolutely lovely one-shot manga--and this mini-drama turned out quite lovely, too. A bit of a different flavour compared to the earlier years of Japanese BL--fully in line with the freshness and "closer to reality makes it more beautiful, not less so", that they've delivered during the past couple of years. 

Sweet, quite simplistic and lacking all that over-the-top melodrama/exaggeration in acting and direction, that used to wreck far too many Japanese productions. An EXCELLENT choice of manga to adapt to a Live Action--and an excellent result, as well. It managed to catch the air and feel of the original work, bringing it to life with dedicated and believable acting and script.

Yay!

(Btw; If you read comics and decide to read/have read the one this is based on--do not miss out on the larger work which this one has more or less copied. "Complex", by Manda Ringo. Get through the first, messy part--and you will be rewarded with a knock-out of a BL...)

Director's Cut movie version is available as well.

If you've seen the Taiwanese BL "HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count";
DO NOTICE the extremely gratifying cameo in the end--our (at least my) beloved boys make a quick appearance! :D (I literally shouted and jumped up and down). Without spoiling too much--it was somehow a little bit of comfort to see them in an "alternative universe" as opposed to the actual drama...

Based on Marukido Maki's manga "Indigo no Kibun" which in both comic and drama form is a sequel to "Pornographer", but chronologically a prequel. 

Warning for VERY explicit content. (Or a plus point--depending on your level of tolerance for R-rated content...)

A short-film sequel + a movie sequel, for the "Pornographer" drama, are released 2021.

Mini-drama. Full-lenght episodes (50 minutes each), but only three of them.

Supposedly very, very good. Haven't gotten as far as to watch it, yet. 

TV-special. There are also two dramas + a movie and a special connected to those.

The "Ossan" productions are kind of bizarre--you have the same story repeated over and over. This special and the first season of the drama, sure--it was a remake. But then there comes another season of the drama. With the exact same cast and storyline--but a different setting... :P

It's a pretty enjoyable story, though :)

First (and my fav)  of the two drama versions of the bunch of "Ossan"-dramatizations. (See notes for the TV special.)

Full-lenght episodes, but only seven of them. (7 x 40 minutes.)

There is also the first "Ossan"--the TV special listed above, plus drama version #2, plus a movie sequel to drama version 1, plus a special for drama version 2... It's not as messy as it sounds... lol... 

Mini-drama. (6 x 22 minutes.)

This is pretty close to flawless, IMO.
I can't quite give a 10 because I wanted a bittersweet conclusion rather on the bitter side than the sweeter. And for perfection, it would have needed just a tad bit more time in order to fully flesh out this hypnotic little tale. But for the short runtime and episode count--this is nothing short of remarkable. 

A true piece of art in both visuals, acting, directing and overall production. The story is so hypnotic that I couldn't tear my eyes off the screen. Told in a clever and impactful way, it blurs the lines between reality, fiction and fantasies.
A drama I will rewatch many times--for the experience, rather than reasons like loving the couple or story or whatever.
I found myself breathing so quietly that it was inaudible, subconsciously trying to not disturb the atmosphere. Let's not even mention during the erotic scenes--your breath will hitch all together... Though, the whole thing is erotic from beginning to end, but during the actual action scenes, then. Graphic, but tasteful. 

It's not for everyone. Someone prude would probably die from a seizure. (I'm everything but prude--but that level of dirty talk made even me blush a couple of times...)
Someone too young is not mature enough to fully understand the complex feelings and urges handled. Someone who wants entertainment should look elsewhere. Because this is a qualitative cinematic experience, not something to watch in order to pass time

It's immensely fascinating, gorgeously executed, the acting is phenomenal. It's a gem.

A short-film sequel was released 2021, as well as a movie sequel.

Also watch "Mood Indigo" ("Indigo no Kibun"), a prequel (but released after this) probing into the past of the characters.

Short-film sequel to drama "Pornographer".

Short.

Mini-drama.

Very long short-film. (55 minutes.)

Short.