GAGAOOLALA!! Are you an LGBT/BL content fan? Well according to my stats, if you’re on this site, you absolutely are. One of my most often asked via comment or email question is where do you watch these shows? My first answer is, well, I don’t. Not all of them at least. When I started the LGBT pages, it was more of a helpful exercise. A few years ago, as I was hunting down options to watch there just wasn’t a lot of resources. I’d think I’d find a new one, realized I’d seen it, sigh and move on. People would ask me for good shows to watch after I talked about them on the podcast. (As it took a while to come out as a BL lover here on the site.) I started the list, which then grew into their own pages, in an attempt to put into one place an index of movie/show possibilities and, if I had seen it, I put a comment as to whether I thought it was worth a look.
And they took off from there.
But there was that question again, and again, and again. Where can you watch these? Well, luckily, now with the rising popularity of the genre, it’s getting easier. Several production companies got really smart and are subbing and releasing their own copies on LineTV or Youtube. Viki and Netflix have even picked up a few! There are the ahem, not quite legal sites out there, that I don’t even like to name as I don’t want to take the chance my site will get linked with them in any way. Now though, now there is a new kid on the streaming block, GagaOoLala, or as I delightfully describe it to people as… super gay Viki.
GagaOOLala created in 2016 (guess it’s not so new) is a LGBT specific streaming service based out of Taiwan. Here’s what they say on their about us page:
Bringing LGBTQ stories from around the world to you, wherever you are, whenever you want. “Gagaoolala – Find YourStory” is the one and only LGBTQ focused online streaming service in Southeast Asia. Provided by Portico Media, founder of the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF) and Queermosa Awards, GagaOOLala is Portico Media’s latest effort to share LGBTQ stories from around the world with a wider audience.
They have a rotating library of films and shows from Asia and beyond. They do have a free streaming portion of the site, however, when I was looking at it, it wasn’t a huge selection so I went directly to the paid version. I’m currently trying out their monthly subscription (around $6 a month) and spend the first night familiarizing myself with the site and cramming as many shows into my face as I could. (Since a lot of these ARE bite-sized, I managed a lot.)
A few things I’ve learned:
- Unfortunately no Roku app.
- All videos have English subs
- Videos and subs work better on Chrome than Explorer.
- These videos are not censored. (She says as she has goggle-eyed flashbacks of The Shortest Distance)
- There appears to be a mix of old and new content.
- They do offer a my-list function, so you can add things to a sort of a watch later queue.
- Their indexing could use some help. It’s a bit like Netflix where you click on an area and it shows a portion of that they have that fits that category. I haven’t yet been able to locate an actual library list. This would be helpful as at first, I got disappointed with their inventory, but by watching videos and checking out related links at the bottom, I think there is a lot on their website they’re not showing.
- As I’m super cheap and after the first haze of “Look at all this stuff I can watch” horrified myself a little bit, signing up for a streaming service. I’ve decided to give it 2 months. See how much I use it, see how often their inventory changes. I figure if I cancel and then decide to re-up if they get something I really want to watch, $6 is less than what I’d pay for a movie, right?
Anyway, as I said, my first weekend I shoved things into my face. I was able to catch some shows I’d been wanting to see that had already made the LGBT lists but I hadn’t been able to get my hands on, and some I hadn’t heard of before! NOM NOM BL!
Catching Up –
My Pistachio – Muyeong, who has a crush on his senior Hanbit, is too nervous to confess his feelings. In the play directed by Hanbit, Muyoung applied as an actor, but Hanbit doesn’t even pay attention, saying, “The lead actor is already chosen.” Can Muyeong really confess his feelings to Hanbit?
Stephanie’s Previous Note: The poster on this makes it look adorable, and it’s Korean, which Korean LGBT? Few and far between.
Stephanie’s Post Watching Note: I was right, it is adorable! Its the possible start of a really cute relationship, or at least I hope it is. Love the ending!
Secret Spectacles – Jin Gyu, who has a crush on his schoolmate, will have glasses with a vision function one day. And he tries to test the secrets of glasses that I want to know alone. Can Jin Gyu’s unrequited love continue?
Stephanie’s Note: It’s cute. Way too short, I could watch this pairing for at least a minidrama worth of plot.
New Additions to the LGBT List! (Watched)
My Personal Trainer (2019)
YouTuber Jin Ho starts going to the gym to collect subscribers. But somehow he’s more interested in good-looking trainer Seok Hoon than he is in shape. Looking at Seok Hoon, who is exceptionally friendly, Jin Ho is sure that Seok Hoon is also in love with him. Then, Seok Hoon and Jin Ho met in the shower. “Are you free today, sir?”
Movie Short/Gay/Main Storyline/Open Ending
Stephanie’s Take: This is actually the one which got me to not think twice about signing up for GagaOoLala. I had seen clips of it on Instagram and really wanted to see it. I hate to say that the smut you see on Instagram is a fake out but with how the show ends, I cross my fingers that its only a matter of time that these two kids get together for real.
Weird Housemates (2017)
Bok Hui and Mal Ro are not your average housemates. Bok Hui has a crush on Mal Ro. The problem is that Bok Hui is a ghost and Mal Ro is not. Besides, Mal Ro is not attracted to Bok Hui. In order to get rid of Bok Hui, Mal Ro tries to introduce her to a bachelor ghost Sang Won. To Mal Ro’s surprise, Sang Won falls for Mal Ro, too!
Movie Short/Gay/Main Storyline/Happy Ending
Stephanie’s Note: This is a short-short movie and most of it makes you go, um, okay, but I came out of it with a smile.
One Last Order (2019)
He goes to the same cafe to study every day. One day he starts receiving anonymous letters. In the anonymous letter, a poem is written. Each day a different poem is made. Who is writing the letter?
Movie Short/Gay/Main Storyline/Happy Ending
Stephanie’s Note: Not so much as the whole thing is gay it just turns out that way. Its a cute little movie and you want to shout at the guy for not being so dumb about who his secret admirer was. Major credit for him just going with it at the end. Major ding? SUB THE NOTE HE WRITES AT THE END. I really need to know what it says.
The Shortest Distance (2019)
Haruto spends a lonely high school. The new teacher, Aoyama, cares about him and starts an exchange diary. Haruto gradually opens up, but one day, when he was resting because of a cold, he was kissed by Aoyama who came to visit him. Agitated by the sudden incident, Haruto violently refused and Aoyama was chased away from teaching. Three years later: Haruto, who graduated from high school and became a host, has debts and sells his body. But suddenly he mets Aoyama again. The film has two versions: 《blanc》(rated 15+) and 《noir》 (rated 18+).
Movie/Gay/Main Storyline/ Questionable Ending
Stephanie’s Note: There are two versions of this movie, Blanc which has more a romantic happy ending and noir where the ending twists and you go WTF? Both versions are exactly the same with the exception of the last 15 minutes. Its hilarious how they are rated differently when both versions are STRAIGHT UP PORN. I could not look away, gobsmacked the whole way through. While the teacher portion of it makes this whole thing gross even in the happy ending, the Noir version takes that and makes it even worse. I still am trying to figure out who is in that last picture and its driving me crazy.
Yes I Do (2013)
Kim is a new lawyer who gets a difficult case of helping a lesbian couple to adopt a child without any support. He knows that this going to be a long and tough process, but he is still willing to take it. Kim meets Allen who is just like a brother of his clients Queen and Mang. He also gets acquainted with Shi-Li, who comes from a family that has two lesbian mothers. Kim realizes that there are many heart-breaking stories behind the smiles of gay and lesbian people and gets involved with many people’s life unexpectedly.
Movie/Gay/Lesbian/Main Storyline/Happy Ending
Stephanie’s Note: This movie has a lot of heart and seems more realistic than others, people dealing with prejudice and the struggle to be gay, accepted, to have the same rights as others. Also, this can’t be the real name of the movie because I can’t find any information on it other than on GagaOOLala.
March Winter (2018)
Minwoo is working at the bar and has been interested in the woman who lives on the 3rd floor, watching her walking along the alley at dawn every day. One dawn, Minwoo happens to have a conversation with her about the seasons, he comes to have a curiosity about her, and a good feeling toward her begins to grow. But the very next day, Minwoo is told by the bookstore owner about the rumor that she is a transgender…
Movie Short/Gay? Trans?/Main Storyline/Open Ending
Stephanie’s Note: The question marks above are apt as is it gay? Is it trans? Its not really clear. And if it is trans and not gay essentially Minwoo comes off as a dick…. and the woman in the alley is a little creepy. And for such a short video, the production spends an awful lot of time focused on Minwoo singing.
Shiba San and Meow Chan (2018)
Shiba San and Meow Chan, a hit children’s show in which the two brothers act a dog and a cat respectively, has been sweeping through kids and thus bringing fame to the two. Though radiant on stage, they both have something on their minds. Shiba San has been secretly in love with a married man while Meow Chan misses his remarried mother and gets confused when she left him. The journey, later on, will lead the two strays to confront their emptiness inside.
Stephanie’s Note: I def did not read the full synopsis on this before I started watching it! The story skips around the timeline, giving equal billing to each characters story. While it has a hopeful ending with their relationship, the whole thing makes me sad.
New Additions To the LGBT List (To Be Watched!)
These are dramas I hadn’t heard of that I put on my future watch list. Future watch meaning probably sometime this afternoon 😀
Handsome Stewardess (2019)
Three girls from Singapore came to a bar along the beach in Taiwan. They’ve just finished the contest held in Taiwan, and today would be their last night heading back to Singapore. Holly, the tomboy bartender, made a mix drink called ‘Love in the Cloud’ and gifted it to Meng Lian, the Singapore national karate player. All of the sudden, two customers had a fight in the bar. Meng Lian successfully stopped the fight before it get worse, and Holly had a love at first sight. They fell in love eventually.
To save cost for flights meanwhile meeting each other more frequently, Holly decided to become a Singapore stewardess. Holly was indeed smart, good in languages, high in IQ, and also having a perfect height for being one. However, she resisted herself from putting on make-up, pencil skirt and high heels for the interview. Luckily, their steward friend, Jerry from Hong Kong, was willing to participate in her transformation.
Series/Lesbian/Main Storyline
Free Bird (2017)
Yoo Sung, who has a crush on Tae Woo, is an aspiring webtoon writer. Yoo Sung tells Tae-woo the story of the romance genre with his own heart
Short Movie/Gay/Main Storyline
The Drum Tower (2018)
Yoo Sung, who has a crush on Tae Woo, is an aspiring webtoon writer. Yoo Sung tells Tae-woo the story of the romance genre with his own heart
Short Movie/Trans/Main Storyline
Anyway, I’m pretty excited for this service! I’m so excited how quickly LGBT/BL content has become more popular and accepted. With more shows and movies coming all the time, I can’t wait to see where it all takes us!
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