But there’s a new Taiwanese series that stands out from the pack simply by being, well… simple! It’s called Boys Like Boys, and it’s breaking new ground in international television.
With no manufactured drama, no ultimatums, and no adult film star hosts, Boys Like Boys eschews gimmicks in favor of genuine human and emotion in connection—it might be the closest reality television gets to actual being real.
Its refreshingly straightforward premise brings eight young, gay Taiwanese men together under one roof, hewing closer to the Real World format, meaning they’re not trapped in the production home and are free to go out into the world for dates and such.
(This trailer will give you an idea of the laidback vibe, though for whatever reason it’s edited in such a way that you never see the housemates full faces. Just a head’s up that this is not the case for the series itself, or even other clips of the show—you definitely see everything!)
Over the course of just one week, the group is encouraged to chat and connect and see if maybe—just maybe—there’s a spark between any of them. And that’s truly it! They don’t have to find a compatible partner before the show’s over, no one’s forcing them into awkward dates or encounters, and no one’s eliminated.
Though they’re all pretty young (and very cute), the cast is a mix of personalities and backgrounds, so even when romance isn’t on the table, it’s enlightening just to hear them speak so candidly about their life experiences and the challenges they face as queer people.
The popularity of these stories in Thai television has exploded in recent years, becoming a proper phenomenon that draws in viewers from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and beyond.
But don’t worry: There’s plenty of romance, too—and it all plays out so naturally, so unforced, that it’s hard not to feel the butterflies yourself.
Boys Like Boys is a GagaOOLala original—the Asian LGBTQ+ streaming service that specializes in the increasingly popular “boy love” genre. And the streamer definitely knows what its audience wants, which is to say: Sweet and sensual stories that show just enough skin to get the blood pumping, while remaining pretty chaste.
Take, for example, the episode where the group gets “wet and handsy” at the community pool. As they change into their swimwear, there are plenty of comments about who fills out their suits, but it’s not like they dive in and immediately start making out—they just horse around a bit while they play pool volleyball!
Or, take this scene where two of the guests get cozy in a camping tent after a barbecue. Shirts come off, and the two make out a bit while pleasant elevator music plays, and that’s about as far as they take it. It’s the softest of softcore (not that we’re complaining!).
After Boys Like Boys premiered on GagaOOLala last fall, it quickly became the number one gay dating show in Taiwan (itself the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage), and was praised for its authenticity and the fact that it genuinely feels invested in romance—and not just creating dramatic television.
Eventually, Warner Bros. Television picked up the series for international distribution, and will soon air the series on their TLC channel in Taiwan, which makes Boys Like Boys “the first local LGBTQ+ dating reality show to air on linear TV in the territory,” per Variety.
There’s no word yet whether or not Boys Like Boys will be made available on Warner Bros. streaming service Max or any other U.S.-based network, but the ten-episode series is available to stream in full for GagaOOLala subscribers.
And we all know there are plenty of boys who like boys out there, so don’t be surprised if more seasons of the hit Taiwanese series are on the way soon!
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