Yes, it’s a full two weeks into 2026, but better late than never I suppose. The running excuse is that I have been wildly busy, which has left me with less time to watch TV and as an extension fewer things to write about here.

I do have a lot I want to say on recent Discourse, but that’ll have to wait for my next regular newsletter, because this is my 2025 wrap up.

According to MDL, I watched 48 shows for a total of 15 days, 3 hours, and 33 minutes of television. According to the graphic I keep of all the shows I watched in 2025, I watched 45 shows, though 2 of those are technically DNFs. In general, this was a weaker year for me than 2024; while there were a couple of Shows of All Time, there were fewer simple A-tier shows, and a lot of shows I would call mid to bad. But enough of that, let’s talk about them:

Worst Shows of the Year

Bad Guy My Boss: I kept watching this show for reasons beyond my comprehension, because I did not enjoy it even a little and found the couple very uninspiring. And it looked ugly! What is that washed-out color palette in 2025? Have we not evolved past this?

My Golden Blood: I’ve talked pretty extensively about this show’s faults, so there’s no reason to talk more about it. I know it was liked well enough by others but it was truly such bad storytelling on multiple levels that I can’t be won over by anything else in it.

My Stubborn: This had the slight up of the main couple having very good chemistry together, but this was simply not well put together, and had a lot that should have been cut.

Favorite Performances

Est Supha in Me and Thee: Est was great in ThamePo, but he’s an absolute scene-stealer in Me and Thee, which is hard in a show that has this many strong performances. But he’s so understatedly funny, with great comedic timing, and it adds so much to the show to have him there.

Java Bhobdhama in Head 2 Head: From virtually day one of this show, I was loving Java’s performance as Van. It’s a hard type of role to play convincingly, and he really nails the complicated mix of confidence and uncertainty. I think the scene that impressed me most was technically in 2026, but it still counts.

Favorite B Couples

Kim and Mon in Boys in Love: They’re just barely a b couple given how much screentime they have, but they still count; part of why I love them is Aston, who I find so cute, but their chemistry and the simple high school romance stakes of their story while also being sweet and touching did a lot to balance out the higher drama of Kit and Shane.

Farm and Van in Head 2 Head: I’ve been saying since I first started the show that these two and their weird-ass shit are wildly compelling to me, and that’s only been more true as the show has gone on. I’m not totally caught up, I still have the finale to watch, but the complicated mess of their relationship is so meaty and good.

Biggest Surprises

Secret Relationships: I truly don’t know if this show was “good” per se, but it does adequately capture the insanity of most Korean BL manhwa, and everyone looks great. It was a lot of fun if you like soapy melodrama!

When It Rains It Pours: JBLs can be kind of hit or miss for me because a lot of them retread the same ideas, but this one had some interesting themes about sex and relationships that made it less of the same.

Mu-Te-Luv: Hi Bye My Luck: This was a very well-executed four episode story, with charming performances from all the actors but especially SeaKeen, who had a banger of a year between this and Head 2 Head. I thought it would probably be good, but I didn’t expect the genuinely nice storyline around academic expectations and finding your own path.

Shows That Weren’t For Me

Revenged Love: This was so wildly popular and I just got bored about halfway through. I thought the pacing was pretty bad and the story was only so-so, but I do understand why the ships hit for people. It just didn’t click for me!

The Next Prince: I’m hesitant to say this was one of the worst shows of the year, but it does go wildly off the rails once the characters hook up and isn’t able to stick to its own plot in a way that matters. The production quality is great; like, it looks amazing and the actors at the very least have great chemistry, but I wasn’t able to finish it and don’t think I ever will.

The Heart Killers: Similarly, the way the plot shifted in the second half was much less effective for me; I know some people really dug it still, but the pacing was especially bad in the last episode, and I thought it was way anticlimactic after how tense and at times uncomfortable the first half was.

Shows I’d Recommend to People New to QL

Khemjira: There’s a slight caveat here that people unfamiliar with Asian supernatural/horror tropes might be confused by it, but this show is a great genre show in addition to a solid BL, and maintains the energy of that throughout.

ThamePo: I had this on my list last year and I stand by it; it’s a really easy pitch for anyone into idol rpf, and it’s beautiful to look at and well-executed.

School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To: Classic cute high school story with the ugly duckling type narrative that is very accessible and understandable to anyone who’s watched a single high school romcom.

Personal Favorites

1. ThamePo: I’ve talked ad nauseum about how much I enjoyed this show and how good I think it is, but I’ll say it again: it’s really good! I’ve watched it three times now, I think, and I’m still thinking about the characters (okay, mostly Jun) a year out, so clearly it has stuck with me.

2. Khemjira: This is honestly tied with ThamePo in terms of how good I think it is, it’s just that they’re very different shows. But every time I finished a new episode, I was furious that I couldn’t immediately watch the next one, and I was so mad when I couldn’t watch for three weeks because I was traveling. It was so entertaining, and so well-executed.

3. Boys in Love: We Are might have competition here in terms of comfort shows; the sweetness of this show was such a balm every Sunday, and I loved it. It’s so vibrant and lively, and it made me really eager to see what all these kids get up to next in their careers.

I should maybe also include Me and Thee and the new part of Fourever You, which I’m enjoying very much, but I’ll wait to talk about those next year. Like I said, this was a weaker year in terms of shows that hit my brain just right, but it did bring me three faves. There’s a ton coming out in 2026 that I’ve been looking forward to, so may the year be bright.

urs,

hk