What Airplane! did for disaster flicks...What Scary Movie did for scary movies, this witty Japanese confection does for the BL genre. Whether you translate the Japanese title as "Absolute BL" or as "A Man Who Defies the World of BL," this first-rate parody sends up the tricks of the trade. From enemies-to-lovers to secret crushes to falling into the arms of a drop-dead gorgeous guy who ambles past at precisely the right moment some other gorgeous guy needs to be caught, nearly every trope ever touted (or complained about) in a BL series finds its way into this project.

Indeed, the premise of the production is itself one of those tropes. If you've ever come away from a BL marveling that nearly every male character with screen time turns out to be gay, this story pokes its finger right into that wound: the protagonist one day realizes he's a side character ("mobu") in a BL world where all the men around him keep falling into love with one another--a fate he ardently wishes to avoid. He naturally reads every BL novel he can find so that he can identify and recognize stereotypical situations before they sweep him into a same-sex relationship. This mobu is terrified of becoming a main character so recognizing the tropes is paramount. For example, declining an invitation from the handsome latecomer to a karaoke gathering--"want to get out of here?"--is a must because that scenario would inevitably lead to a coupling. Later, he steps over a passed out (and winsome) man on the street because proffering aid to the stricken would, in a BL world, surely lead to romance. Amusingly, many of our mobu's efforts to sidestep a BL fate result in the side characters becoming couples instead. As with any well-constructed parody, one would probably require multiple re-watches to spot every gag stuffed into the story.

Many reviewers refer to the show as a "series," probably because the production's internal structure is divided into about 8 chapters which last about 15 minutes each. Since that essentially equals the runtime of a full-length movie, I prefer to think of Absolute BL as a one-off, unified work. Indeed, Absolute BL can easily be consumed in a single sitting. (All chapters aired together, so a serial presentation it never was.) Each of the eight vignettes sends up a different characteristic of the BL genre. The program is well acted, and the side characters who keep falling for each other embody clear genre stereotypes without ever trending into mockery. Absolute BL is an absolutely fabulous parody made by and for those who enjoy the genre. In fact, the last spoken line of dialog is squarely aimed at BL fans who constantly beg for more: "Don't miss the Season 2....[dramatic pause] if there is one."

I have to close this review by giving special commendation to the "theme song," which itself both sends-up and honors TV theme songs. This one is soooooo cheesy, it goes all the way past cringey and circles back around to charming. The cheese begins with the cast's wardrobe for the song, culled from the cheesiest fashion decade of the 20th century--yes, the 1970s. If the wardrobe was a startling--but effective--choice, having the cast members sing the song apes not only many OST music videos from actual series but also in some ways parodies the ubiquity of boy bands. Even the lyrics take a swipe at BL cliches, as two of the singers have lyrics that assert "Sometimes I fall in love with someone" and "maybe I will fall in love without noticing." Surely, (don't call me Shirley!), nothing is more absolutely BL than characters falling in love without even noticing.