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little-one-eyed-monsters · 6 days ago

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The Finale of Top Form goes TOO Meta: Jin and Akin are rivals once again

Other Parts [1] [2] [3]

Retrospective on what I think should've been done to save the ship: [4]

Before I conclude my take on this shooting star of a ship, let me go on a little tangent first.

When GMMTV launched KristSingto, as a branded pair in 2016--the first ever official same-sex ship (or koo-jin) in Thailand-- media critics and industry experts called them insane.

Now, even at that period branded pairs were not a new concept in the country, and by the time Channel 9 produced the first ever officially-labelled Thai Boys' Love series Love Sick in 2014, queer media has had a strong cinematic presence in Thailand for over two decades. Krist Perawat and Singto Prachaya were in fact NOT GMMTV's first foray into queer content-- Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom first appeared as a same-sex couple in the het-mix series Kiss (Jan 2016), followed by Off Jumpol and Gun Attaphan in het-mix series Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (March 2016). But Sotus (August 2016) would be GMMTV's first full BL-- a series focused on the love story of two men that isn't an addendum to a straight couple's love story. When GMMTV publicly declared their desire to do more projects with KristSingto as a koo-jin, followed by formally launching TayNew and OffGun as official ships with their own BLs, critics feared that GMMTV would run into a pretty major managament and marketing concern.

Because what happens when a same-sex ship falls apart?

The actors become each other's BIGGEST competition:

This would be a nightmare for GMMTV's management, because as these actors are retained in their agency, they now have to ensure that both actors in the (former) ship would get an equal amount of opportunities and representation, without upstaging each other or splitting the original fandom they had built. This is not a problem for het ships, because actors and actresses do not compete for the same roles, so couple fans can support them individually without being traitors to their bias and their fellow fans.

This is why prior to KristSingto, companies who produce BLs don't formally launch branded pairs, and the actors who play in these shows are managed by different companies who view BL series collaborations as a one-and-done deal (similar to other producers in Korea, Taiwan and Japan). GMMTV has managed to circumvent all management concerns by NOT separating the ships at all-- regardless of their solo projects, actors in the koo-jin always remain within their brand. They can do projects with different partners, but only once and never for long. All fan events and promotions shall remain within the koo-jin and even when apart, all actors in the pair must constantly remind fans that they are a strong unit. In recent years however, GMMTV has run into the problem of the actual ACTORS not wanting to be in the koo-jin anymore but retaining their contracts with the company; thus being in-agency rivals of each other. In hidsight, maybe there was some merit to the early warnings of their critics.

Irregardless, because of GMMTV's success and their brands' career longevities, other companies have adapted this pair branding practice to the point that it's become the norm of the industry. Actors in the ship must come from the same agency. Because even if they are pair branded, if they don't come from the same agency, chances are they're competing heavily against each other because their COMPANIES are fighting for media space. This is why branded pairs managed by different companies typically don't make it more than a year on average (but there are some exceptions).

Yes, the "KristSingto concept" paid off, and continues to bring in money for GMMTV, but that doesn't mean it'll work for everybody. Media, like any other aspect of society, is inherently political, and competition is rife. Some stars shine, some dim, and some...

Some implode.

Smart Chisanupong and Boom Raveewit now hold the singular notoriety of being BL's shortest-lived branded pair, at three weeks since the launch of their offical fandom.

In 2025, we count branded pair longevity on the day they launch their ACTUAL brand, in this case, the Auralis. WeTV officially closed that chapter yesterday, with a (what I assume) FINAL statement on the co-management issue of Smart, posted at around 11 pm Thai time (and edited to remove the header on the same day):

Though there isn't a mention of them shelving the Top Form project altogether, it can be presumed that production plans have been put on hold, as in the third paragraph they apologized for disappointing the series' fans and asked for understanding.

Also, see that last line, the "[...] call on ALL PARTIES ACROSS THE INDUSTRY to uphold a sense of contractual responsibility [...]"? That's a simple and straightforward call from WeTV to blacklist Grand Ivory Records and by extension, Smart.

Blacklisting in media is the practice of excluding individuals or entities, from opportunities or employment within the media industry. The calls to boycott artists in media are usually done in very hush-hush methods, but instances of direct blacklist calls are regularly done especially in Asian media. Here is an interesting article on the history of blacklisting in media, and how companies announce it:

And for a more recent example and (closer wording to how WeTV's issued their blacklist), Below is an English translation of China Association of Performing Arts (CAPA)'s call to boycott actor Zhang Zhehan, after he allegedly expressed his support for Japanese imperialism against China during WW2 (this was proven to be unfounded, and ZZH is slowly rising above the blacklist in recent years).

Zhang Zhehan starred in the hit Chinese bromance Word of Honor alongside BL veteran Gong Jun (who had one BL series prior to WoH that predates the tightening of censorship restrictions in China) Though not formally pair branded, the two were in talks to pursue a second joint project under WoH producer Youku. They were actively doing JOINT fanmeets and JOINT sponsorships for big name brands, appearing together in tv spots, and publicly mentioning and acknowledging the fandom name chosen by their cp fans (so essentially doing everything a branded pair does). This lasted for three months (May to July, 2021), before the PRC censorship boards targeted Zhang Zhehan. JunZhe was considered the shortest-lived fandom in queer-adjacent media before SmartBoom did their swan dive for Auralis.

WeTV's announcement is veiled, careful and apologetic, but the statement from TaiLai (WeTV's Thai production house and head of the Top Form project) was ANGRY and... poetic?

Man, someone really needs to get TaiLai a social media manager who speaks native English 😅 What in the dollar-tree Shakespearean knockoff is this?!

Anyway, mentions of Damoclean swords aside, TaiLai specifically mentioned in their post that they intend fo fully pursue accountability for contract breaches, meaning a lawsuit is well on its way here.

These statements were made almost a week after Grand Ivory Records' and TaiLai's last heated (and childish) exchange on X, and three days after GIR claimed to still be in negotiations with Headliner and TaiLai over Smart's co-management.

The morning before WeTV, the actual media owner of Headliner and TaiLai, issued this statement to end all further discourse, GIR ONCE AGAIN *smh* announced another upcoming solo fanmeet for Smart in China:

Proof once again that GIR is all kinds of MORONIC and OBTUSE, because WHY THE HELL would you provoke WeTV AGAIN, when you're in the midde of legal renegotiations, while knowing that doing so put you in scalding hot water that first time? How do you, a company with two talents, go against the 17th richest company in the WORLD by employing the most legally questionable management decisions on this co-partnership? What hubris has blinded you so thoroughly?

Just because they trashed you in that documentary? Don't flatter yourselves, GIR; WeTV ALSO blamed Boom AND THE ACTUAL FANDOM for the failure of Top Form's continuation in the second part of the docu. WeTV is a monster that's darker and more sinister than you will ever be.

So what all this means is 1) GIR and Smart are probably going to be slapped by lawsuits left and right from all three companies under the Tencent conglomerate, if they haven't already, 2) WeTV, a major shareholder in Asia and part of China's top three media brands, has called for the industry blacklist of GIR and Smart, and 3) the SmartBoom ship is officially dead.

And as you'll see from the two posters at the top of this post, GIR and TaiLai aren't done measuring their dicks, because they both announced SOLO fanmeets for Smart and Boom in China on the same day, 721 km away from each other:

It's WeTV using Boom to further prove to GIR their superiority and utter strength, in the territory they have a chokehold over. Monsters, all of them.

Anyway, initially I didn't want to post this retrospective at all.

I meant it when I said @finally-im-home's statement on the whole fiasco is the final message I want everyone to see about SmartBoom. Go read that HERE first if you haven't-- it's insightful and very hopeful, unlike my own doom and gloom posts.

I changed my mind and decided to post anyway when I saw Auralis fans clamoring for the actual FANDOM to sue the companies who manage Smart and Boom. I can tell you now, the chance of us winning THAT lawsuit is a long shot the distance of Earth to Pluto, because as far as I know from an industry professional's perspective, we as mere spectators have no legal capacity to raise that lawsuit. Lawsuits of this nature have never been done before, and even if we did file it... would our co-petitioners (Smart and Boom) even cooperate? Do they even WANT to sue their own companies?

Smart seemingly doesn't. In his message on IG, though he insists that he personally never wanted to break the ship up and was happy to be in it, he accepted the decision of all parties and placed blame on himself, regardless if GIR decided for him.

And Boom is making a new song under WeTV, and has already secured a solo photoshoot and fanmeet, similar to Smart and GIR.

Are they still in contact? Are they still friends? Who knows 🤷‍♀️ Are they still required to interact, or prove to the fandom that they're still friends after this fiasco? No. Will we ever know if their friendship survived all this? Hopefully, yeah, but maybe not immediately. Even GMMTV's Bright and Win had to bide their time after the dissolution of the ship, to show the public that they're still good friends.

This media circus has done enough damage to Smart and Boom's career, and their mental health. I said in my last post that Boom is the greatest casualty of this mess and I stand by that, but with a blacklist and an impending, possibly million-baht lawsuit, Smart isn't doing any better either. At this point, if they want to change the trajectory of their careers away from these moronic companies, IT HAS TO COME FROM THEM. Even if it's too much responsibility placed on a young man's shoulders, Smart needs to come forward and take measures to extract HIMSELF from GIR, as a personal choice. Otherwise, he intends to join them in this ordeal to fruition.

And if we are any kind of fan, we have to respect that.

I'm anticipating that this will be my last post on Smart and Boom, and probably for Top Form and Auralis as well.

I find it ironically fitting that their fandom name is derived from the North Star and Aurora Borealis-- two things that are not constantly visible to the naked eye, and something you need to actively search for in order to see. Starlight takes lightyears to reach Earth, and most of the glimmers we see in the night sky are just fading remnants of dead stars that burned so bright it released light bright enough to reach the farthest corners of the cosmos.

Maybe, by naming their fandom from starlight, Smart and Boom knew then that their collective shine wasn't built to last. Not because they wanted to lose the light, but because they knew the space they wanted to shine it on is too dark and all-consuming to sustain their spark.

(Hey, I can be poetic too, TaiLai, screw you)

I wish Smart and Boom all the best in their careers, now as individual artists. I wish for Smart to become the idol he wants to be because he truly deserves it, and for Boom to finally get the acting acclaim befitting of his talent, and to join the likes of Billkin, Gun, and Apo in industry recognition.

And I hope, maybe weeks, months, or years down the line, I'll scroll through social media and see a normal photo they posted themselves, of Smart and Boom on a weekday off work just casually grabbing a bite to eat at a random restaurant, maybe with friends, maybe with their significant others, maybe by themselves. Free from the cloying expectations of fandom culture and the harsh rat race of money-hungry conglomerates-- just two friends who are content to support each other from the sidelines.

P.S. WeTV and TaiLai, since you all fucked us over, the least you could do is sue GIR to the ground. Not Smart-- GIR. Burn them to the ground so Smart can finally be free from that bogus contract. Make sure you get so much money from GIR that the CEO never has the power to open any business ever again. Only then will I forgive you.

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jongbross · 1 year ago

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Hi, it’s boyfriends things with Exo😅🤍

Thanks

kim minseok:

cutest boyfriend out there

will take such good care of you 🥹

is literally a keeper

your family loves him, he just charms everyone around him

might be a bit difficult as sometimes he can't see why you're still with him

doesn't realize that you're the luckiest person for having HIM

kisses your nose a lot

holds your hand while walking on the street

listen to you vent and gives you the best advices

won't let you sleep in though, so good luck with that

kim junmyeon:

the personification of a gentleman

pulls chairs for you, open doors, makes sure you're with your seatbelt on, doesn't let you walk on the side of the sidewalk that's closer to the street, etc

has the warmest hugs

can literally hug you for hours if you let him

secretly plans to pop out the question in the near future

buys you anything you want. anything.

respects your opinions SO MUCH, it's ridiculous

has the boyfie vibe somehow, so people don't hit on him anymore

chanyeol can see how much he changed because of you, how he's much more bubbly now

"you made him worse!!" (joking)

zhang yixing:

nicest boyfriend out there

dude is just soooo chill, your friends adore him

shows you random stuff on your phone just so you can laugh about it together

hands you his jacket whenever you're cold, but scolds you for not taking one with you

calls you a lot whenever he's away

you'll have to take care of his cats, i'm sorry

does this thing where he kisses both your temples before kissing your lips when he has to say goodbye to you before traveling

passes out beside you on bed while you're talking about a nice recipe you saw on tiktok

doesn't bring up marriage if you don't

really, really hopes you do

byun baekhyun:

i hate him, but congrats to you, i guess

ugh he's just so sweet

takes you out EVERYWHERE, like picks you up at your place

always has a smile on his face when he's around you

asks you about your day and listens to carefully

holds your hand while driving

charms your mom with helping her on the kitchen, it's like a scene straight out of a movie

sings 24/7, so your house is never silent anymore (your neighbors hate you though)

has a whole way of talking that's for you and for you only

you can't trick me baekhyun, i know you must have at least one (1) flaw

kim jongdae:

sunshine boyfriend

let's you sleep in whenever you feel like it

clears some space on his wardrobe/drawers for your clothes and things

"jagi, can we cuddle?"

has so much fun playing with you, you're literally he's best friend

always places bets with you

lots of kisses on your cheek

randomly smiles to you because he knows it makes you happy to see him smile

likes to take you away for the weekend, just you and him

loyal af

park chanyeol:

the "it's okay, i got it" boyfriend

personal uber driver, takes you everywhere if you let him

really, reaaally stubborn

can't sit still, is always looking for something to do with you

"did you see they opened a new bowling place downtown?"

purposely leaves his things at your place

his house is way bigger than yours but he doesn't care

plays guitar while you cook dinner

kisses you everytime you feed him

loves when you sleep on top of him

do kyungsoo:

he's comfort embodied in a person

likes to have breakfast with you, it's like his favorite part of the day

bonds with your pet if you have one (and they love him)

saves new videos on youtube to watch it with you

is in charge of cooking, always

asks you to help him shave just because

gets excited whenever something good happens to you

is your number 01 supporter

loves when you cuddle closer to him in your sleep

shy forehead kisses whenever he can't find the words to express his feelings

kim jongin:

cutest, most caring boyfriend

respects you more than anything in this world

listens to you so carefully whenever you have something to say

is willing to fix some of his bad habits for you

needs constant reassurance that you love him, just because he loves you so much and can't stand the thought of you falling out of love

laughs so hard at your jokes, and they're not even that funny

pays for every meal but lets you pay for his coffee so you won't feel bad

helps you choose your outfits

loves when you play with his hair

wanna have a baby with you so bad

oh sehun:

gets offended whenever someone treats you badly

"why didn't you tell me?? i would've give them a piece of my mind"

smirks whenever he sees you wearing his clothes, he just loves it

calls you whenever he can't go see you

encourages you to go see your friends, especially when he can't be around

but let's be honest, he's attached to you by the hip

rolls his eyes whenever you baby him, but secretly loves it

stares at you dearly when you're talking to his hyungs or his family

lets you play with his fingers when you're bored or too shy to talk to people

dude is so in love it's actually sickening

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