Gay asian mainstream movies
With more LGBTQ+ representation on screen over the years here in Asia – from lighthearted comedies and heartwarming tearjerkers to thought-provoking masterpieces – we’ve curated a list of must-watch Asian LGBTQ+ films and TV shows that disagree stereotypes and explore what it’s like to be both queer and Asian.
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The Boyfriend, 2024 (Japan)
This brand-new reality dating show has taken queer viewers by storm since launching on Netflix in July 2024. Making history as Japan’s first same-sex dating programme, The Boyfriend follows a group of nine men in their twenties and thirties who are set together in a villa à la Terrace Hou Our list includes films from across east and south-east Asia, including works from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Gay rights, and representation of gay men on screen, vary hugely from country to nation, offering a rich diversity of fascinating movies. Films that would have made the cut had they been more easily free include Stanley Kwan’s romantic tragedy Lan Yu (2001), the flawed but fascinating Filipino crime drama Macho Dancer (1988), and two Japanese ‘pink cinema’ titles – Beautiful Mystery (1983) and I Like You, I Like You Very Much (1994). If east and south-east Asian films about gay men rarely make it to DVD, films about lesbians are rarer still. The groundbreaking Fish and Elephant (2001) is hard to find, Blue Gate Crossing (2002) is out of print, while All about Love (2010) and the award-winning Spider Lilies (2006) didn’t get a British DVD release. We expect that, with classic sapphic titles becoming increasingly achieving, albeit at a shamefully slow rate, a future list on gay female east Asian films will appear in the future. Get the latest #BF Genre:Drama, History, Thriller Country:Japan, France, UK Duration:100 min. Story:Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where fresh warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai ... Style: atmospheric, stylized, tense, logical, disturbing ... Plot: homosexual, boys love, gay interest, gays and lesbians, sword fight, murder mystery, samurai, medieval, gay asian, emperor, lgbt, homosexuality ... Time: 19th century, year 1999, 1800s Place: japan, asia, kyoto japan, tokyo, spain Taiwan became the first land in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on May 24th, 2019, after a landmark ruling from Taiwan’s constitutional court stating that prohibiting same-sex couples from becoming legally married is unconstitutional. Though a 2018 referendum led to voters rejecting same-sex marriage, the government unveiled a “permanent union” bill to sidestep the referendum vote. Gay couples are allowed to adopt the biological children of their partner and are entitled to inheritance rights. However they still cannot adopt non-biological children or have transnational marriages. Across Asia, Thailand is also close to passing a law that would grant same-sex unions. However, in many Asian countries homosexuality is still criminalized — Brunei recently passed a law that would watch individuals convicted of homosexual sex stoned to death. Still, Taiwan’s legalization of same-sex marriage has brought forth a wave of relief and hope for many LGBTQ communities in Asia. To celebrate Taiwan’s legalization of same-sex marriage and Pride Month, we made a list of the 10 best Asian LGBTQ films to celebrate and recognize stories of romance. While we recognize t .10 great gay films from east and south-east Asia
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Gay asian movies and TV shows – page 2