#at least from gmmtv anyway

[peachandpinwheel]

can I just say. for all their camp silliness I think there's something incredibly naturalistic about the way aouboom express physical affection on screen. it makes them stand out in a genre not always known for it (at least with gmmtv, though we are making leaps and bounds in recent years). but man they seem really comfortable with just getting straight up in each other's space and it is kind of magnetic to watch.

[chinzhilla]

If you make me shy again, I'll really go home. Oh, come here. I'm not letting you go. I'm sleeping with my boyfriend tonight.

[khaoala]

Don't judge a book by its cover. An essay by Mew Pt. 2

Mew in his revenge era went shopping and thought, "you know what screams I'm gonna fuck you up, maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't? Floral/patterned shirts," and proceeded to buy a bunch of those.

BOOK KASIDET as MEW WITSARUT ( ONLY FRIENDS EPS. 7-12 )

Correction: I missed one outfit in ep. 6 and instead of remaking that set, I'll just post it below because it's actually the hottest Mew has looked, so I'm not even upset.

[stormyoceans]

did you hear the news about smartboom's breakup? very sad😔 the chemistry of this couple was just what was needed

i did hear rumors about it in the past couple of days and then this morning i sat down to read this incredibly helpful summary written by @little-one-eyed-monsters explaining everything that happened (which is: a mess, to say the least)

im honestly just baffled by the levels of incompetence and unprofessionalism being showed by all the companies involved in this and i really don’t know what to say except that im very sad about the entire situation: this should have been settled behind closed doors and without exposing the artists to the backlash that those public statements were obviously going to cause. i wasn’t following smartboom that closely yet (mostly because it takes a lot for me to get interested in artists beyond their work), so this isn’t emotionally hitting me as hard as other people, but i was definitely invested in them as an acting pairing, so much so that they basically shot to the top of my favorites list with only one series together under their belt, and it’s SUCH A PITY that we might be losing so much chemistry and talent and potential just because some money-hungry assholes wants a larger cut of the profit now, instead of investing in them for the future

i especially feel bad for boom, that poor boy has been through hell and back and has tried so hard, so many times, putting so much effort into it, and when FINALLY it seemed like things were looking up for him, this happens. smart could MAYBE recover from it in time, he’s definitely still young enough to have a chance, but boom is already 35, and as much as everyone complains about BLs with actors in their 30s being called ‘old men yaoi’, the truth is that i don’t know how much the industry is willing to broaden its horizons to include both ‘boys’ love and ‘men’ love (we have a lot of actors over the age of 30 who still play characters in their 20s, but what’s gonna happen when they won’t be able to pass for young adults anymore? but i also don’t have enough information about how the industry actually works to get into this, so i don’t want to talk out of my ass)

i do wish this could be all an elaborate PR stunt, but im not holding out too much hope for that tbh (it would also be sleazy as hell, imho). all i care about rn is both smart's and boom's wellbeing, and if we can still have them as a pair in the future all the better, but what matters the most is that they can come out of this without too many losses and knowing that there are a lot of people still supporting them!!!!!

[waitmyturtles]

I'm gonna need to buy extra pairs of flip-flops to hurl at GMMTV after today. WTF.

[miss0atae]

I finally watched the DVD in the LYKN Unleashed Concert and the fact they made it a docutainment is mostly because they didn't want to pay royalties for some songs or at least, that's what it feels like.

So you mostly listen to them explain the concept of the performance and you can see them doing it, but there is no music. This is so funny because when it comes to their own songs or other songs from gmmtv's artists you get to see the whole performance music included.

It's mostly the songs from outside of Thailand you won't be able to hear them or only tiny seconds. If you want to enjoy the performances with the sounds you needs to find it outside of the docutainment.

I'm not regretting buying it, but I wish we had them.

[spicypussywave]

they act tooo sus when asked abt next year series im convinced they've been offered scripts and even chose one is there a way to let them know about the chimonperth agenda that like. 3 tumblr users are very much interested in

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

Hot take (from a film nerd): GMMTV's BL series Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist FAILED because the company DESIGNED it that way.

And this isn't the first time GMMTV has doomed its own productions in order to fund bigger projects. This is actually a common industry tactic, formally called Cannibalizing.

Btw, video above is of Mark Pakin, lead actor of the series, sharing his thoughts about the market failure of his show and how he's dealing with the loss.

Anyway, let me explain my point above:

When large media conglomerates manage to corner a market with a particular genre/format that other companies haven't done before (or are slow in adapting), they do one of two things: 1) they saturate the market with content to eliminate competition, or 2) they experiment with their chosen genre in order to fit it into other markets and fanbases.

Both options require a large capital, but generate great profit once done successfully. For longevity however, companies opt for the second option, as product sustainability in media is dictated by the size of the fanbase.

For example, WeTV, a giant Chinese media company owned by Tencent, has a corner on the Chinese Costume Drama market (formally known as Xianxia- fantasty/supernatural, and Wuxia- martial arts dramas):

Though other Chinese companies produce similar shows, few competitors have the ability to churn out this type of content as long and as frequent as WeTV can. They produce so many shows in this genre, many of them are actually installments of previous franchises. Some of them even belong into one universe (ala Marvel or DC).

But what happens when a market is saturated? Audiences lose interest. And though it is highly ignorant of me to claim that there is no longer a market for Chinese Costume dramas (as there absolutely is a market for it), the interest cools, especially for new talents. In 2017, they tried to adapt Chinese novels only, in order to secure an automatic fanbase of past readers, but even that failed to fuel interest. They could either keep on hiring the same actors for their shows to sustain the fanbase, or...

Branch out:

The Untamed was a risk no large company in China at the time would dare to do. It's not the first danmei (xianxia boy's love) adaptation in the country, but it was the first from a conglomerate with enough money to shoot, produce, and market one properly. And spend money they did. After paying HEFTY fines to get it out of censorship limbo (it took almost a year and a half post production before the series saw any kind or airtime), paying for re-shoots to make certain scenes less homosexually-suggestive, paying dubbers and translators to dub lines that the censorship board found too risque, and even allegedly paying original author MXTX additional royalties for violating contract obligations once they changed the story, the series finally debuted to a limited WeTV VIP audience.

But the gamble paid off. The Untamed became the most watched series in China to this day, syndicated by over 13 media distributors and translated into at least 10 languages, while boasting a viewership of 10 billion around the world according to Netflix. WeTV was also able to invade other Asian markets through The Untamed, establishing tentative branches (particularly in Boys' Love productions) in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines, among others.

WeTV successfully branched out of Xianxia/Wuxia by tapping a fanbase and genre ripe for viewership. But in order to pay for the sheer cost of getting The Untamed to air, they cannibalized these very genres to earn funding.

What this means is that they DOUBLED their production of low-budget Xianxia/Wuxia dramas within a year, to encourage fans to spend money on merch and sponsors to support their artists. These shows often shared the same sets, costumes, cast and crew at no additional cost, had to stick to rigid schedules with no resources for reshoots, and spent very little time on post prod, so that fans can watch shows at once and focus more on buying merch. These shows also often compromised plot and storytelling--instead banking on clichè themes of romance and heroism just to generate enough fans to turn a profit. These cannibalized shows weren't meant to make artists or the project famous-- they're so cheap to make they practically share a budget with a dozen other shows-- instead, the extra profit goes to the projects WeTV is banking for success. Hence shows like The Untamed.

No shade at all to The Untamed. This show holds a special place in my heart. But the way WeTV handled this production, and the backlash on the cast and crew that they failed to mitigate, will always be one of the worst sins they have as a media conglomerate.

(They also better not bungle SmartBoom's marketing, since they're shaping up to make these two their Thai golden goose. Do not disappoint us twice WeTV)

So, is GMMTV doing the same thing?

Oh, ABSOLUTELY. They've been doing it FOR YEARS:

This is a list of the most-watched GMMTV BLs on Youtube as of 2024. Notice that apart from around four shows, all shows listed here are school-set BLs (and this is debateable, since the four exceptions feature characters who are also school-aged, but the story doesn't necessarily revolve around university). Though GMMTV doesn't have a corner on the BL genre (since all media companies in Thailand produce BLs), they HAVE saturated the genre of school-set BLs.

But they are trying to branch out, because they NEED TO. KinnPorsche AND Cutie Pie absolutely decimating their competition in 2022 just proved to GMMTV that they already lost their stronghold on queer media. They released Only Friends to ride the wave of sex-heavy shows, but they couldn't commit to the demand and would eventually lose out to MeMindY and Mandee. They tried fielding a new supernatural genre in My Golden Blood, but the second season of Pit Babe is turning out to be the more polished execution of an out- of-the-box concept.

But they NEED to keep trying, or else they'll lose the market completely. This is why they've recalled their three original pillars back into the fold- KristSingto, TayNew, and OffGun, who are all set to air shows within this quarter. They've shaken up their management, and are swapping out branded pairs willy-nilly in order to find the best combination of chemistry and appeal.

And lastly, they're cannibalizing their own shows in order to fund bigger, more bankable, heavy-hitters.

What's worse is that they even cannibalized one of their most bankable pairs, OffGun, in The Trainee:

whose show profits were rumored to have paid for the expensive franchising rights to Ossan's Love and My Love Mix-Up. GMM apparently did not anticipate how strict Japanese IP could be, and sustained considerable losses for their TayNew adaptation of Cherry Magic.

Rumor on X also has it that the show boycott of Chinese fans, triggered by the dissolution of the OhmNanon pair, also inflicted major market share losses for GMM. This is why they're trying to court Korean fans instead with their upcoming adaptation of Scarlet Heart Ryo.

Poor Mark. It really wasn't his fault.

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist was a tonally-off production from the beginning, even with my favorite Thai director P'Pepzi (of My Stand-In fame) at the helm. The scenes were haphazardly-cut, the pacing was either too fast or too slow at times, and the set designs and costumes were recycled, with sometimes no continuity, between takes. It's such a far cry from P'Pepzi's usually meticulous work-- as if she wasn't given enough prod time and resources to enact a vision for this show.

But the total loss for me was both Mark and Ohm, especially Mark, who I've come to recognize as a good actor. It was as if both their hearts weren't in these characters, and that they couldn't connect to these people at all. They were all very one-dimensional-- caricatures of actual people. Which is such a shame, because I did feel like they did give their all. It's just that GMMTV couldn't be bothered to improve the material or provide workshops that would help newbies like Ohm connect to his character. What a waste of their talents.

So Mark, it really isn't your fault, but a damn shame that you're blaming yourself anyway. I hope your next vehicle will prove better against the media lords' odds.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Whenever there's a line up event, one of the things that I'm starting to look forward to the most are the show's english names. They are always...interesting. Anyway, a lot of new stuff. They are certainly rivalling gmmtv in terms of content and the event itself. That was looooong and there were a LOT of announcements.

Before I go into new shows. We finally got a date for The Next Prince and it's April. Also Zomvivor has a new teaser and it will air...soon. Goddammit. Speaking of elusive air dates, Khemjira is also coming...soon. It's like they don't want me to be happy. I need all the horror. Your Sky of Us will be a special 3 episode event that will follow the characters into adulthood. I like the idea of seeing the couples after the show's hea so this should be nice. Now for everything else. I added link to the mdl pages and the trailers, so if you don't want my unsolicited opinions just click on the links below the pics.

[ MDL | Trailer ] Love Upon a Time - It's not exactly a new announcement but we finally got a pilot with the new cast and I really enjoyed it. I'm convinced that Net is one of those actors that can have chemistry with anyone so this should be good at least when it comes to the main couple. When it comes to fantasy thai bl, I never want to get my hopes too high because a lot of the time they tend to forgo internal narrative consistency for the sake of the romance, but either way, I will be watching this one.

[ MDL | Trailer ] Your Third - MaxNat romcom, why not? When it comes to the romance, I think they can pull it off, but the comedy? Not so sure. I don’t hate anything here, but I can’t say I really love anything either.

[ MDL | Trailer ] Mr.Fanboy - Well this should be interesting. I do like when bl goes a bit meta, so I'm looking forward to see what DMD has to say about this. AuAu and Save fans must be losing it to see them as leads, and I was surprised to see James. I thought he wasn't gonna be in any series for a while, but I'm not as well informed about these things. Interesting cast and concept. I will be tuning in.

[ MDL | Trailer ] You(r)Tuber - Do you see what I mean? These names kill me. Looks cute. Surprised to see Earth and First but nothing really excites me about this one. Oh wait, I'm wrong, there are pets and more importantly a cat. That makes me happy.

[ MDL | Trailer ] Duang With You - My crumbs have graduated and I'm screaming. I love everything about this, but honestly, I love TeeteePor. They are beautiful. I also love a shameless flirt that will thaw the heart of a brooder. So I'm winning either way.

[ MDL | Trailer ] Restart - This is giving Elite but with some extra bullying for good measure. It's also giving nakedness galore. DMD knows their audience. I'm guessing we will be seeing a lot of showers. I'm happy to see Tommy again. I'm not sure if this is exactly bl, but with the amount of naked boys in the pilot alone, might as well be.

[ MDL | Trailer ] Magic Lover – I guess it was only a matter of time for BL to start playing with magic. I mean, we're in our vampire season, so this was the next logical step. Anyway, ThomasKong are back. And Keng… I have to admit, very few actors illicit a strong reaction from me solely based on their looks, but Keng is one of them. That guy has an absolutely flawless face. I like that we have 3 different couples and I like fantasy and fated mates so I'm definitely on board.

[ MDL | Trailer ] HUG E-Lhee The Musical - Ok, I LOVE musicals. Seriously. And let’s be real, when it comes to musicals, especially the more comedic ones, there’s always a built-in level of cringe. Which is fine. People randomly breaking into song pretty much guarantees that. But throwing BL into the mix, along with some folks who aren’t exactly great singers? That might just be a step too far for me. No shade, just a personal preference.

Also announced was another ThomasKong show, Unknown Lover, and a DMD Sitcom, หอตัวดี, with literally all the boys.

Well, that's everything from me. Obviously most of these will come in late 2025 and 2026. And despite everything I just said, I’ll probably still end up watching the first episodes of all the shows.

[maybe-boys-do-love]

Thai BL isn't lesser. It just has different aesthetic goals. It often prioritizes what some would call a theatrical style to filmmaking over a cinematic one.

Theatrical approaches, in the US at least, are currently associated with older films and television. They're also linked to contemporary shows in what are currently thought of as more conservative genres like youth-oriented cable programming (think Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel), soap operas, and sitcoms.

However, the theatrical style in the west has been at other times very much associated with cutting-edge subversion and queer camp. In the 80s and 90s, for example, counter-cultural cinema projects leaned heavily towards more theatrical approaches in the face of blockbuster corporate sheen. The films grouped into the Queer New Cinema loved to play with this. Consider the bold colors, static shots, and unsubtle dialogue in But I'm a Cheerleader.

In the 50s and 60s, the theatricality of sitcoms was a site of transgressive feminism and gender representations like in Bewitched (see more in The Queer Fantasies of the American Family Sitcom or Camp TV: Trans Gender Queer Sitcom History, among others).

Both those eras used theatricality for a number of reasons: budgetary necessity, subsequent technological limits, but also as a counter to the different kinds of elitism associated with the cinematic style in those periods (intellectual in the 50s and 60s and corporate in the 80s and 90s).

Cinematic style didn't begin to fully emerge anyway until the 1940s and 1950s with lenses and cameras that could depict greater depth and move through the spaces the characters were inhabiting. Before that, theatrical presentation was simply the only option. So Old Hollywood is rife with theatricality, and plenty of of those films still have the power to move audiences and feel surprisingly relevant with their visual and scripted commentary. Camille, with what some consider to be a nearly all-queer cast and main production crew and one of Greta Garbo's best performances, holds up incredibly if you're willing to accept its theatrical diva-licious approach.

But plenty of the Old Hollywood films are also duds along with the other eras mentioned. Theatricality, like cinematic approaches, is not inherently more queer or superior to other forms. They're just styles. As Zadie Smith wrote, "In Britain, we are always doing this: mistaking an aesthetic choice for an ethical one." I'm guessing that tendency is pretty universal, either mistaking aesthetic choices for ethics or, even more often, quality.

Appreciating theatricality will hopefully help you understand other choices in Thai BL with less judgment, though. The comic sound effects, jarring as they might be for western audiences who've had laugh tracks and sound effects sequestered away from much of their 'prestige' media, are an artistic choice in their own right that Thai BL has refined over the years to work as leitmotifs (small repeated sound sequences) in the series that reiterate the themes.

Two great examples of sound cues came out last year even as their cinematography leaned more towards a cinematic style. The Trainee, a GMMTV show about a film production company, used computer error sounds as a comedic beat when characters' fucked up, while Kidnap had a pathetic dog whimper, which created more sympathetic characters, like injured puppies who needed love and patience to recover from their injuries.

There's an art to using these theatrical tools in productions. I was rewatching an episode of Little Bear recently and Mother Bear blew out a candle, which was indicated not by a blowing sound effect but a clarinet trill. So much more tender! These sorts of sonic tricks were used beautifully throughout silent films, opera, and symphonies in the West for years. It merely fell out of fashion outside of cartoons and some comedies.

But just because certain tastes or practices were deserted or designated for "low-brow" entertainment in one culture, doesn't mean that other cultures are somehow 'behind' or 'lesser' for their use of it. Both cultures are equally contemporary to one another. One is not more advanced just because it has a stronger economy or easier access to certain goods and technologies. Nor does the designation of 'low-brow' to some art mean that the 'low-brow' entertainment is actually less skillful or impactful. The viewer just might lack an appropriate angle to appreciate it from or there might easily be cultural biases at play, not just across different cultures but regarding social status and rules within a single culture (and bother are something we ought to be very sensitive about when dealing with queer media).

I want to look at one of my favorite aspects that comes out of Thai BLs preference towards theatricality. The performances, and even certain production elements, often burst with spontaneity, clumsiness, exuberance. It can infect an audience with joy as the shows demonstrate what we often call (from lack of clearer aesthetic terminology) "heart." Dismissively, plenty of fans refer to the 'heart' of Thai series as if its unintentional and unrelated to the elements of the series they see as inferior. Its the sweet taste that got them addicted to a guilty pleasure! The 'heart,' though, comes from the Thai creators prioritizing a view of human messiness over the technical precision preferred by a cinematic aesthetic.

Thai BL often has a similarity to live theater in this manner, as well as improvisation-based media. Again, these are not lesser forms of art. I bring up improv specifically because it's easy to believe that the lack of pre-planning and compositional directive ought to diminish it in the made-up hierarchy people have going in their heads. Yet, we have Mike Leigh, a British director of dramedies, and Christopher Guest, an American comedy director, both famed and critically celebrated for their humanist works founded in improvisation.

You won't find me arguing that all Thai BLs are successful or that one country's BLs are somehow better than another's. I just do my best to understand, explain, and make meaningful comparisons to appreciate the aesthetic goals I see shows' evoking. It's also fun to look into influences beyond my own cultural scope and love (and repost) when others' share them. What are specific East and South Asian media reference points that influence the style of the shows (lakorn, literary BL media, Thai traditional theater)? I'd be remiss not to mention, for example, that the theatrical traditions for Thai shows derive mainly from Asian traditions in cinema and theater, despite all my comparisons to Western history!

Then there's the question of local political, economic, and cultural issues and limits that the creators live alongside and must create within and/or against to some extent. I'll never know all the answers, but exploring the questions is so much more fun than disparaging shows for what they aren't and what they can't or don't aim to be.

But look, I personally have a preference for the style a lot of Thai BLs go for. It reminds me of the cartoons, musicals, DCOMs, and vintage tv I've loved watching for most of my life. I like the variant gender and sexuality representations they offer. I like the intricate economic-political commentary I see the writers working into the subtext. It's not going to resonate for everyone, not everyone will see what I see, and all that's okay. I've personally never been happier with the amount of series' that match my tastes.

[firstkanaphans]

Bet if another company did 17+ BL/GLs they would sing their praises?

but since it is GMMTV thats bad and thats taking advantages of branded pairs and not letting actors improve

meanwhile some of their stagnant pairs got new and interesting plots that will show range from them, and toom them off the uni or let them try characters that are different from who they played before giving new dynamics

but sure the new lineup is bad cuz branded pairs are evil and force actores together and don't let them act

I am all for stirring shit up with the pairs, and maybe let actors try solo roles but they honestly at this point complain just cuz it is GMMTV and they are corporate evil

as if other companies don't do the same side eye

anyway this people are so boring, watch what you want and don't bother us

as we say here non cagarci il cazzo(don't google that)

I think the thing that bothers me most about this whole "The actors are never going to get better if they're only acting with the same people" argument is that this is not a problem specific to GMMTV—or even BLs. This is literally just how the entertainment industry works. How many years did Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey work together on Grey's Anatomy? What about Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz on Bones? And yet no one has ever accused them of being bad actors because they were hired to work with the same partner over and over again. And Western actors don't even get a chance to change characters! Sometimes for decades. At least Thai artists are able to branch out and play different characters in different settings with different directors every year.

This idea that the people in charge of Thai media don't actually know what they're doing is incredibly racist. Just because they do things differently than you might be used to, doesn't mean it's wrong. And if you don't like it, you certainly aren't obligated to watch.

Would I like more mixing and matching of pairs? Sure. But that's not going to make GMMTV any money and they know this. The actors also know this, which is why they are fighting to stay together. They make more money and get more sponsorships with their partner. Perth Nakhun just released a whole YouTube video about this. If CPs are a deal breaker, Thai BL is probably not for you. And good riddance, honestly. I'm sick and tired of this argument.

[respectthepetty]

12 Anticipated Thai BLs for 2025

As usual, I'm excited for ALL the GLs (Cranium, Only You, 3 Minutes 2 Love, Reverse with You, Buy My Boss, Let's Kick this Love, No Romeo, and so many more!), but I'm making my annual list of the BLs I'm excited for this year with brief reasons why I'm looking forward to them, and it includes some I've previously mentioned in my GMMTV 2025 Hot Tops. However, I must first look back at my 2024 list and see if those BLs were worth my anticipation:

The Next Prince - I still haven't gotten it, so 2025 better be the year!

Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart - Great! Amazing! Loved it!

Spare Me Your Mercy - We don't talk about her.

Wandee Goodday - I have my issues, but it was a fun ride. *wink*

Choco Milk Shake 2 - The production team said it was never planned, you know, like a liar.

Time of Fever - Beautiful! Astounding! I NEED MORE!

My Doctor/Mr. Doctor - I'm probably never getting it. I need a moment to collect myself.

Live in Love - I was only showing up for the colors, and it delivered them plus a lot more crazy nonsense.

Red Peafowl - It was all a lie, and apparently we are never getting it.

Love Upon a Time - I don't want to talk about what happened, but I better get it this year!

Love Puzzle - Probably not getting it, and I'm not okay about it.

Peaceful Property - Fantastic! Divine! Best thing I watched this year!

Sunset x Vibes - I showed up for MosBank, and I got MosBank, so I was thrilled!

The Heart Killers - I'm having the time of my life!

Bonus: Your Dear Daddy - WHERE IS MY MAN FLUKE?! GIVE HIM TO ME RIGHT NOW!

Now time for this year's list!

Honorable Mention: MosBank & JoongDunk

I will show up every year excited about the same thing — my ships! I'm getting Joong and Dunk in Dare You to Death if they don't get divorced before then, and I'm getting Mos and Bank in Be My (Soul)Mate if they aren't busy planning a wedding by then. I know JoongDunk's piece is about murders and making out which are two of my favorite things, but I don't even know what the plot is for MosBank's series because all I know is it isn't Big Dragon 2, but it doesn't matter anyway since I'm always happy to see my favorites!

A Dog and a Plane

2024 came for my throat and my heart with some really heavy shows, and in comparison to the rest of this list, I'm banking on this show to be my one bright spot in 2025. I need at least one show to make me laugh while it's ripping out my heart, and I think this is the show for the job.

Goddess Bless You From Death

This show scares me, and it might give me nightmares, but it involves murders and making out, so I'm effing with los espookys for this one. Y'all can have Khemjira though. I ain't that brave.

My Sweetheart Jom

Saint, in a BL again. That's it. That's the reason.

Memoir of Rati

I expect only happy endings from GMMTV, but I'm worried about this one's ending, yet I must see what happens. It has history, politics, and class dynamics, so as much as I'm happy to see Great, Inn, Aou, and Boom in this, I'm also very nervous.

Love Carved in the Moonlight

It seemed like poly was a possibility, which I know is a lie, but also, this looked beautiful, and I'm not just referring to the men. It's another period piece, so I might just be in for a Thai history lesson in 2025.

I'm the Most Beautiful Count

People are upset that the pilot trailer seemed to make light of the source material, but I have faith this adaptation will do justice to the webtoon and give us a leading man worth fighting for.

Interminable

I sense a lengthy series brewing from Idol Factory for this one, so I think we might not see it until later this year or 2026, but I also think it will be worth the wait since there's no way Billy and Babe won't make me teary-eyed with a plot like this.

Ticket to Heaven

It involves Catholicism; therefore, it will hurt me. However, as a Catholic, the Church has instilled in me that if it isn't painful, then it isn't good for me, so if the show makes me cry every episode, I think the Church would approve.

Knock Out

It's Gym Bros BL adjacent meaning men will be in a gym, half-naked, and working out, which is good enough for me! Also, they're color coded, so who am I to deny small blessings?

The Wicked Game

We are getting two GLs and a BL about bodyguards falling in love with their clients, but just like all the vampire series we were supposed to get in 2024 yet only got two, I'm wondering who will be first and how they will turn out. I think all of them will be great, but I am especially looking forward to Daou getting bruised up for love.

Love of Silom

Up and Poom were a surprise for me in 2024 with My Stand-In, so from what I know about the plot dealing with a cop and a single dad, I think they will do just as great with their second series as they did with the first. I am patently waiting to be in my feels again because of them.

Me & Who

I need to watch Big kiss men like I need air. I need to watch Big gently place his hand on another man's neck like I need water. I need this show. Now.

Bonus: Mandate

Did anyone watch 2012's Political Animals with Sebastain Stan who played TJ Hammond, the bisexual son of the former President of the United States and the current Secretary of State, who had a secret affair with an older married and closeted US Senator?

Anyone? No?

Well, can I get something similar, Thailand? Is that too much to ask? I don't know, but I'm going to ask for it anyway! Let me have it! Give me what I deserve.

[deliriousblue]

i am fascinated by the latest episode of break up service and its take on shipped pairs. recapping for context:

ice and mocha are BL actors who are popular but haven't done a show in two years, since their breakout success in a suspiciously familiar-sounding series. ice is leaning hard into fanservice (to the point of saying 'we're a real couple, not an imaginary/shipped one'); mocha is uncomfortable with this.

it's revealed that mocha has a secret real-life boyfriend, who he has to hide due to being in a shipped pair. mocha plans to end his contract and leave his partnership with ice, so he can go public with his real relationship.

ice hires boss and jued to ensure that mocha stays in the partnership with him. they send photos of him and his boyfriend to the director who'd cast him in a movie; when confronted mocha says that his real relationship shouldn't be relevant to his career, and he doesn't want to keep hiding it for fanservice.

however, the director tells him that if he's not interested in doing fanservice (and therefore keeping any real relationship a secret), he isn't right for the role.

in the end mocha stays in the partnership with ice; his boyfriend breaks up with him for choosing his career over their relationship.

so there are a few different concepts around fanservice the episode is playing with: the constraints it puts on actors and their potential real-life relationships; the degree to which it's prioritized over or less respectable than "real" acting; the tradeoffs between fame and authenticity.

these dynamics are complex! gmmtv has a specific model built strongly around shipped pairs and fanservice, which is common in thai BL but not universal. it certainly is interesting that shipping and fanservice are explicitly framed as making an actor seem less respectable (by drawing focus away from the parts they play) but also desirable for fame and in many cases even explicitly required by the production company.

notably: homophobia is absent from this story. mocha dating a man is slightly plot-relevant (it takes them a little longer to figure it out, and boss rather than jued ends up being the one to try to seduce the boyfriend/take incriminating photos) but the tradeoffs of fanservice explicitly (supposedly) exist in the same form regardless of the gender of his costar.

and...i just fundamentally do not think that that's accurate. i think it does, actually, matter that the person mocha is dating is a man (which is not to say the pressure to hide the relationship wouldn't exist regardless). i think the expectations around fanservice are, actually, different (at least in gmmtv's model, which this episode is explicitly paralleling).

and it was jarring to have these questions of legitimacy and (frankly) closeting brought up in a context that cannot acknowledge the ways homophobia and stereotypes around queerness influence BL fanservice (and a component of why people might keep relationships either private or unremarked upon in public).

anyway none of this is exactly the point of the episode (which is a breakup-of-the-week style plot) and i certainly don't mean to take it seriously as anything like an official stance. but i do think while the meta commentary is intriguing it suffers from not actually being willing to be meaningfully self-critical.

[rythyme]

hello ok so i saw your recent ex-morning posts and like i watched sotus but i have No Idea what's going on at the moment. f it's not too much effort can you explain why the ex-morning stuff is so, i dunno how to say it, noteworthy, i guess? like just what's up maybe?

Tl;dr: The Ex-Morning is GMMTV's literal RPF with the serial numbers filed off, starring the actors from said RPF.

i'll do my best to explain more under the cut

ok let's do this

SOTUS and KristSingto were some of the biggest cash cows GMMTV has ever had. I would argue that the success of SOTUS in 2016 is the main reason we have a BL renaissance today.

Krist and Singto have not acted together since 2018. Until recently, it was assumed that they would never be paired up again.

There were rumors that they had a falling out, which supposedly explained why they stopped acting together. Mostly speculation, but who knows.

Krist made a poor taste comment a while back that led to him being somewhat "cancelled" for a few years. He only started dipping his toes back into BL last year.

Singto, on the other hand, never stopped acting in BLs and has had at least 6 on-screen male acting partners since then (maybe more if you count his one-sided crushes on Mike and Lee Thanat in Baker Boys, or whatever the hell was going on in Shadow). This is very notable, since the BL business model tends to keep acting pairs in the same "ship" for years at a time.

Acting pairs almost never "get back together" after getting a new male acting partner. The literal only exception I can think of is when Tay Tawan acted with Joss Wayar in 3 Will Be Free and then continued to act with New in DBK/Cherry Magic.

Despite everything, KristSingto is still extremely popular among fans to this day and is still one of the most popular "ships" of all time.

When Singto's schedule opened up, GMMTV finally got the opportunity to profit off of it again -- in the most intentional and transparent way possible.

The plot of The Ex-Morning -- exes reuniting and falling for each other again -- mirrors the careers and relationship of Singto and Krist. The fact that Krist's character has a publicity blunder and has to restore his reputation is even more fuel for the fire.

The director for The Ex-Morning is the same director who made SOTUS

The flashback in The Ex-Morning shows Krist and Singto with their signature iced coffee and pink milk, which intentionally calls back to their characters in SOTUS.

P'Aof, who is said to be writing some of the screenplay for The Ex-Morning, said that he wrote it to match Krist and Singto's relationship. This story was tailor made for them.

Conclusion: GMMTV is going for the SOTUS / KristSingto cash grab by essentially having Aof write some kind of amalgamation of KristSingto RPF and SOTUS post-canon future fic.

Do I know that it's a blatant cash grab? Yes. Will I will be watching it anyway because it looks low-key good in its own right? Also yes.

[lgbtpopcult]

What cool WLW projects do we know are coming in 2024?

Drive-Away Dolls

Arguably the most important representation of the year comes from a movie directed by one of the Coen brothers. Ethan Coen directs this wacky comedy that is very much in style for him.

Synopsis:

This comedy caper follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

A game had to be added to this list and here it is, the best one. From the creators who gave us Life is strange. Lost Records: Bloom and Rage tells the story of four friends who experience a transformative summer in 1995. After 27 years of no contact, Nora, Swann, Autumn, and Kat are reunited by fate and forced to confront the long-buried secret that made them agree to never speak again all those years ago. From the teaser alone it is obvious at least two of them dated.

Pluto

A Thai gl from GMMTV, known for its successful Thai dramas. The story is the telenovela cliche we've always wanted. Two girls in love. One gets in an accident and her twin takes her place to find out who was behind her accident, the other girl is blind. The twin has to fake being the real one so has to be in a relationship with the blind girl and of course falls in love with her. Match made in fanfic heaven.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

It was announced so long ago people are getting frustrated. However, with both a writer and a director now attached to the project, and the strikes over, we have every reason to believe we will finally get to see the hit novel, that centers the love story between two closeted Hollywood actresses, come to life. Whether you loved the novel or were indifferent and didn't see what the fuss was about, it is a very successful wlw romance and we want to see it on screen!

The Paying Guests

The director that brought us Carol adapting a book by the author of Fingersmith? Yes please!

Speaking to Indiewire, Haynes revealed he’s developing an adaptation of Sarah Waters’ 2014 novel The Paying Guests. “It’s a three-part limited series that would need to be a British production, but it’s a really great novel.” Set in post-WWI London, the drama is part lesbian love story and part murder mystery following a down-and-out widow and her daughter, the latter taking up a relationship with one of their lodgers. Waters also wrote Fingersmith, which was adapted into The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook.

NCIS Hawaii season 3

One of our favorite pairings of last year, Kate and Lucy are the main couple of their show and they carry it well. They look good together, have progress and evolution in their relationship and have fun working together.

The Secret of Us

Thai channel CH3 is expected to hit us strong with this Thai gl. CH3 is big in Thailand so this one is a big deal. The story is the typical exes meet again trope and it's magnificent. It centers Doctor Fahlada, nicknamed Doctor Angel. She is trying to hide the pain after being abandoned by the woman she loved. But then...by chance that woman comes back into her life.

Whisper Me a Love Song

Our resident anime entry has to be Whisper me a love song. Based on a manga it is the story of Himari Kino. On the first day of entering high school, Himari Kino "falls" for her senior, Yori Asanagi, whom she watched singing with a band at the welcome party for new students. When Himari confesses her admiration to Yori, Yori misinterprets Himari's feelings as romantic love. However, before Yori realizes, she comes to fall for Himari anyway, and promises to win her affections for real.

Bad Sisters season 2

Bad Sisters is one of the best reviewed and hilarious shows on this list. Coming back for a season 2 was inevitable. Bibi, the lesbian sister, will keep entertaining us in 2024.

Station 19 season 7

One of the most enduring shows and wlw couples on TV are coming back for a season 7! That is a lot of seasons but Maya and Carina do still have that spark.

About Galaxy The Series

Part of the gl renaissance that is expected to go full force next year, this series is already hugely popular among Asian romance fans.

Synopsis:

‘About Galaxy’ is based on author Zezeho’s yuri of the same name, with a Thai title of “มูลค่าดาวล้านดวง”. The story revolves around Hong Yok, a designer who has a big scar on her face which led her to hide away from the public due to her inferiority complex. But something changed in her life when she met Note, a woman she was measuring clothes, and realized she is the same person who gave her that huge scar! However, despite the incident, she doesn’t outright despise her, and instead… feels safe. What will happen to the two women?

My Ex-Friend's Wedding

Kay Cannon ("Blockers") will direct from a script co-written by Taylor Jenkins Reid? Staring a group of friends trying to stop their friend from getting married? And one of them is queer? We're all in!

Arcane (Season 2)

It seems like forever since we first watched Arcane but we're definitely looking forward to season 2. Needs no introduction.

Dream the Series

We already have enough Asian dramas in this list but we couldn't leave out one of the most anticipated gl, Dream. The story is that of a woman that sees a girl in her dreams every night only to meet her in real life. While in real life they are friends in her dreams they do much more. She thinks her friend doesn't know about that what she doesn't know is that she also remembers everything they do in their dreams.

Harley Quinn the Animated Series season 5

Another season of our favorite criminal duo Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy? Yes please and thank you. These two, and this particular iteration of them, might be the best representation American television has ever given us.

Chaser Game W

Chaser Game W is the first gl produced by TV Tokyo so it has a historic significance for the advancement of representation for queer women in Japan. First episode airs January 8. Based on manga series "Chaser Game" written by Hiroshi Matsuyama & illustrated by Yukitaro Matsuyama

The story:

synopsis: Itsuki has been working in the "Dynamic Dream" game company for five years and is now appointed as the lead for a big Japanese-Chinese collaboration project, which she is fully motivated to work on. However, it turns out the Chinese company team is led by her ex, Fuyu, whom she one-sidedly broke up with back in university! After breaking up with Fuyu, Itsuki never dated anyone else and chose to focus on her work, all while not coming out to her family and coworkers... But when her ex-girlfriend suddenly appeared in front of her, her feelings immediately started to sway. Meanwhile, Fuyu always resented Itsuki for breaking up with her without saying why. She takes charge of the project and pushes impossible tasks onto Itsuki. While Fuyu plots her revenge, Itsuki is rekindling her unrequited love. What will the outcome be for these two opposites?

Vigil season 2

The first couple of episodes of Vigil season 2 will technically be shown in December 2023 (in the UK only) but we'll basically be able to watch it beginning 2024 and we're looking forward to it!

Several upcoming TV shows and movies have cast actors that make it obvious they'll have lesbian and bi characters but until we know whether the representation will be enough to be worth watching we're holding off on making that other, more elaborate, list.

[heretherebedork]

re: P10L

as for the horrible parenting on Faifa’s mum’s part, you’re completely right. what struck me during this entire show is their interesting concept of “divorce.” 🤔 for full disclosure: by some miracle, my parents are still happily married. so all my experiences are 2nd hand (through family and close friends).

I get that Newton/ Yota/ Faifa’s mother doesn’t live in Thailand, so she doesn’t have her own home there. (although, at the rate of her visits he might as well acquire one… 🙃) but constantly visiting N/ Y/ F’s dad and then demand an assembly of all the family members…that’s just strange. we never see her spend quality time with any of her sons individually (you know, doing activities that they might actually enjoy). now this might all be on account of her bad parenting.

as for the relationship between mum and dad, I definitely do not suggest a ww3 scenario. but their interpretation of “coparenting” is weird to say the least… the fact that they literally split up their children suggests some animosity. but during their forced gatherings they seem to be a sort of happy unit…

[now assuming that the dad is the more attentive parent in this scenario]

sorry, but if I noticed one or more of my children suffered significantly from my ex-partner, who I feel at least a little animosity to, I think I would at some point put my foot down and say “enough!”. but none of that seems to have happened here. (or at least not significantly)

where was the dad here? it’s good that he pointed out they are bad parents, but it’s a little too late. I know it’s awful to say, but at this point I would’ve even preferred a loud argument, because that at least would’ve suggested that he actually stood up for his children.

honestly this just makes me a bit sad. especially since they don’t seem to have an “alternate parental figure” (a grandparent, aunt/ uncle, family friend).

ugh…BL and parents…you could write a book about it. 😒

love,

— Thel. 💚

You could write many books about it, though I would not be the one to do it.

But basically... yeah. It's wild. They're bad parents and they hurt Faifa so much and mom claimed she knew the entire time and did... nothing?! Abandoned him again and again? Said he was sulking when he, for once, showed her that he was hurting?!

I still will never forgive her for literally forgetting about his allergy. That was the first thing we learned about her, that she didn't remember her son's allergy... and we're still supposed to believe she loves him equally to the two sons she wanted to take with her to her new family without him?

It's a family dynamic that tries to say it's solved because of a single conversation but doesn't actually touch on the other issues.

Still mad that neither Yotha nor Newton ever apologized for leaving him waiting for five hours and that mom's apology was basically just passing the blame to his father, in the end, no one acknowledged that Faifa has been hurting for so long. Mom apparently knew! Everyone was there when Faifa stared straight ahead in absolute misery while Yotha and Newton forgave her.

How did none of them see him!? He wasn't even SUBTLE!!

Anyway.

Yeah, it was an unsatisfying end and I knew it would be. Alas. GMMTV has done a few better and I had a small hope... but nope. I really wish the show had spent more time on the brothers. I really wish we'd been able to see their relationship as brothers grow and get better. Because, truthfully, seeing Yotha and Newton figure out how to show Faifa that he was loved would have been better than any amount of forgiveness that Faifa gave his mother.