There's always that one work that pretty much changed the direction of your life and this one was it. I've always been into BL but PBtC has pretty much made it into part of my identity. All the characters here seem genuinely like people, like Munamu-nim based her work off the actual historical recounting of a homosexual couple in the 19th CE. Just a heads upsu experiences rape/slavery. And there is dubious consent between su and gong...just not in the way you think.
If you had not read this, then you...do not understand...how much these two...fkkn belong together. Soop2rang-nim came in with all the cliche tropes possible and fkkn remade those tropes into breathtaking storylines. She took the stereotypical gong and su, thought of how to make them un-stereotypical, and made it slap so hard that it woke the rock of fate from its sleep. And there's no rape! Proving you can make SSS-tier level drama and tragedy without it!
This is the only one on this list without romance. Hints of it between het-representing aliens but it's more comedic. Anyways, this is a masterpiece by Gomyang. It gives a new perspective on how alien and human relationships would work. It also helps remind me to hold onto my faith in humanity, namely human relationships. Tbh, if there was LGBT rep in this story, I would've made it no 1. Either way, I would die for Mori. Thank frick this has a happy ending.
Brilliant plot, execution, and relationship dynamics...and great psychology when faced in an infinitely looping nightmare. Also, it was stated that su was made with the ideal archetype in mind and I gotta say, Moan-nim has great tastes. When I say su carried his whole team to the end, I legit mean they're fkkn useless without him. That is why gong adores him above all. It's hilarious that it's also stated gong has high-ass standards. So high that only an NPC like su checks it.
This one made me realize my tastes are changing and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. *wheeze* Kuku-san shows the best side of sci-fi with a soldier cyborg who who lost his way in life, thus traveling to another planet to find what he lost. There, who finds him is uke, who has the same tastes as I do. Especially with seme's gentle, devoted nature that simply wants to protect what he cherishes. All the easier to cherish each other. I loved this read so much.
This work of Enzou-san holds a special place in my heart. The way seme and uke bridge the cultural gaps warms my heart past the brim. There are problematic parts to thishowthe "aboriginals" have to be portrayed beautiful or the 'manly' vs 'womanly' personality differentiationbut considering that there is no rape or portrayal of how seme's background makes him 'dumb', this gets an absolute super win in my book. And yay for dark skin!
This was. Was fkkn. Gorgeous. Seriously, if "yearning" could be an artform, Moyori-san accomplished in creating it. Seme is some kind of mercenary, pressured by his father to continue killing. Uke, being blind, is shunned by his parents out of shame. They met as children then later reunite by some twist of fate. Seme brings light to uke's darkness and brings him back out into the world. Uke brings warmth to seme's cold, cruel world and breathes life into seme's heart.
Yey, this series finally reached the end! This story is the epitome of great execution. The way Seram-ssi handled the reveals and twists were absolutely masterful. The way the characters interacted with the plot blew my gddmn mind. Chp 45 fkkn ended the shit outta me. The fact that these two somehow found the space to still love each other despite this...neverending nightmare...it provided the emotional impact to this already thought-provoking story.
This guideverse isn't that action packed or plot heavy, nor does it explore the dungeons themselves. But Ham and Seonju -nims portrayed gong and su beautifully. It explores the tragic intensity of grief and the sacrifices these two would make for each other so that they find a future together. Love is a risky thing but is also necessary to keep going. These two encapsulate that. Just a warning that seme is pushy with sex tho & kinda manipulative. And uke is...a lil dumb.
This story is unfinished but it really doesn't matter, I have faith in its ending. The plot is fkkn' exquisite, the art elevates the story, the characters are so well-written, the relationship dynamics give me feels damn it, and it's to a point that rather than only "yaoi", I'd call this an LGBT themed story. Without the attitude of "no, this isn't BL ew", as Ichika-san embraces its identity in the way she has uke + seme embrace their own identities.
A Painter Behind the Curtain