Friend Forever (2020)

 Friend Forever had something missing, but I'm not sure to be able to pinpoint what. The main leads were cute enough, I really like how their love evolved from friends to lovers in a continuous way, just like an evolution. Oil is really cute, and when reaching puberty he is a strong temptation for Tan, but I liked that Tan didn't profit from their closeness. He let Tan grew into the man who can freely decide with whom he wants to have a relationship. There are hints of sexiness, but the series is mostly innocent. HEA. Heat Level: 3/6.

Heat Level:

1/6: glances, caress, hugs, no kisses

2/6: kisses, closed mouth or camera angles

3/6: full kisses, clothes on

4/6: full kisses, some clothes off, hands above the waist, pants stay on

5/6: most clothes off, they have sex, but it’s masked, no sexy sounds

6/6: full nudity mostly hidden by camera angles, they have sex, sexy sounds

One in a Hundred (2020)

 One in a Hundred is more a sitcom than a drama, but being one of the few products coming out from China that is not depressingly sad, I decided to see it. Nan Bo Wan and Bai Li Qian Chuan are roommates, and Bai Li Qian Chuan, an aspiring idol, is making livestream from his room when Nan Bo Wan inadvertently appears on the screen. They are mistaken as a gay couple from the fans and this pushes Bai Li Qian Chuan's popularity to the top, so that he decides to continue with the farce. When Nan Bo Wan realizes how much money are in the business, he decides to become Bai Li Qian Chuan's manager. There is a lot of teasing between the two men, but of course (this is China), nothing happens. Sincerely sometime I didn't like the crass humor, especially when related to LGBTQ topics, but that is, we have to consider from where this product comes. You can see it on GagaOOLala. Heat Level: 1/6.

Heat Level:

1/6: glances, caress, hugs, no kisses

2/6: kisses, closed mouth or camera angles

3/6: full kisses, clothes on

4/6: full kisses, some clothes off, hands above the waist, pants stay on

5/6: most clothes off, they have sex, but it’s masked, no sexy sounds

6/6: full nudity mostly hidden by camera angles, they have sex, sexy sounds

Roommate and Soulmate (2020)

 Roommate had a good start, but somehow they decided to condense everything in 4 episodes and this lead to everything being rushed and the story couldn't develop well. They added two episode with Soulmate, and that is made the series a little better, but still, it seemed like the production didn't want to linger on the relationship between James and Sky, and their romantic moments were more like a putting together of cut scenes rather than a screen played event. HEA. Heat Level: 3/6.

Heat Level:

1/6: glances, caress, hugs, no kisses

2/6: kisses, closed mouth or camera angles

3/6: full kisses, clothes on

4/6: full kisses, some clothes off, hands above the waist, pants stay on

5/6: most clothes off, they have sex, but it’s masked, no sexy sounds

6/6: full nudity mostly hidden by camera angles, they have sex, sexy sounds

Future Lovers by Saika Kunieda

Kento is mild-mannered, straightforward and quite honestly, a bit boring. At 26 he's landed his first full-time position teaching at high school and does everything he can to make his grandparents, who took him in to raise after his parents' tragic death, proud of him. Unfortunately Kento is gay... and they ~don't~ approve.

Enter Akira, a ticking-time bomb with a perpetual evil smirk, a ridiculously flamboyant wardrobe and a tendency to hit on anything that moves. Akira's everything Kento isn't... including drop-dead gorgeous and mind-bendingly annoying. It's almost a miracle that the two of them have been dating for over a year!!

But after all that time, Akira's still keeping some secrets... secrets that aren't going to reflect well on Kento's choice in a partner. Would Kento's grandparents ever survive the shock of their son dating the child of a sex-worker and an alien? Or will they, as Akira puts it, "cough up their pacemakers"?! Does Kento care more about his family's opinion of him, or his high-maintenance lover's deep-seated social inferiority complex?

An extremely sweet (and funny) story of two people who couldn't be more different, or more perfect for each other.

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/3uTmxHf)

Depth Of Field by Enjou

Hey, Kon-chan. Why don’t we have sex?

One day, in his secret after-school spot on the roof, Hayakawa met Konno. Some called Konno “hard toapproach,” “scary,” or “intimidating,” but whenever he had his camera pointed at his latest subject, it was clear he was enjoying himself.

Respect, envy, jealousy, an inferiority complex... Hayakawa’s complicated feelings toward Konno, who has everything he ever wanted, continue to intensify...

A story of emotionally immature love, high school, routines heaped together, and conflicting focal points, from up-and-coming author Enjo.

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/3Tjo2Il)

Yellow by Makoto Tateno

Taki and Goh share just about everything – their apartment in the city, their job as elite drug "snatchers" and even dinner duty. But hot Goh wants to go much deeper undercover with his gorgeous partner. Too bad Taki doesn’t swing that way... or does he? If yellow is the warning color, will this team finally end up in-the-red (and in bed)?

Boys will be boys, and the hot guys of Yellow are no exception. An illicit thrill-ride from cover to cover, this hip drama turns up the heat on every page and guarantees to get your heart fired-up!

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/3P2KPW3)

A Gentleman's Kiss by Shinri Fuwa

Yakuza heir Homura Yasobe has a secret lover, the young businessman Touji Karasuma. A resourceful man who will do whatever it takes to succeed, Touji is, in fact, the noble son of the rival company competing with Homura. If anyone were to find out, it would mean war between the groups! But can the two keep their rendezvous secret?

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/3TkEb0c)

Rin! by Yukine Honami

Katsura, a second year in his high school's archery club, has a hard time controlling his nerves. His "secret weapon" is his brother's best friend and childhood buddy, Sou! One hug from Sou, and Katsura's nerves are soothed to a peaceful calm. But he can't keep Sou around him forever. As he wonders how he'll survive without Sou's hugs, his friend Kouichi suddenly asks if he can be the one to save him, and kisses him!

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/435rklK)

Bond(z) by Touko Kawai

It isn't unheard of to sleep with your friends after having too much to drink. However, when that friend happens to be a guy as well and you both happen to have girlfriends, things can get a little messy. In a moment of drunken youth gone wild, Tomo and Keita crossed the boundaries of being close friends to being lovers. Neither expected such a fiery obsession to ignite after a single night of passion or the pleasure to escalate after each subsequent encounter. Keeping the relationship hidden from their girlfriends, the two embark on a journey to find the limits of human passion.

My Rate: 8 (amzn.to/3P43Zed)