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This picture taken on April 27, 2024 shows a member of staff serving customers at Tokyo No. 1 Sabo cafe in Tokyo, a tiny Thai-themed cafe in the Japanese capital that has become a hotspot for fans of the TV show "Boys' Love." Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP

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Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1718000658822GA9MpE8bwAAi1jI.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Thai series ‘Cherry Magic’ led by Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom was the top trending topic in X after airing its debut episode. <em>Photo courtesy: GMMTV</em></span></span></span></div><p>BANGKOK, Thailand — At her lowest point, fighting burnout and depression in her Chinese hometown, Huang Bingbing says she found comfort in watching the escapist love story of two young men on a then-unknown Thai TV drama.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/06/10/23/20-korean-bl-series-to-make-your-heart-flutter">• 20 Korean boys’ love series to make your heart flutter</a></div><p>She came across &quot;Love by Chance,&quot; a same-sex romance, scrolling through clips on social media five years ago and quickly became hooked on the &quot;immature love&quot; depicted in the show.</p><p>Inspired by her favorite idol from the series, Huang moved to Thailand a year later to start a new life, becoming part of a growing legion of fans of the &quot;boys&#x27; love&quot; (BL) romance genre taking Asia by storm.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/04/10/23/new-gen-of-thai-bl-love-teams-to-shine-in-our-skyy-2">• New generation of Thai BL love teams to shine in &#x27;Our Skyy 2&#x27;</a></div><p>The BL genre, which features same-sex male romances, began as a strand of Japanese manga comics in the 1960s known as &quot;yaoi&quot; but has become a booming cultural export for Thailand, where the LGBTQ community is generally more accepted than in many Asian countries.</p><p>&quot;People here don&#x27;t care about genders, and all the loves are equal, no matter if it&#x27;s between men, women or a third gender,&quot; Huang, 36, told AFP.</p><p>Storylines featuring good-looking couples, romantic scenarios and themes of being true to oneself are particularly popular among straight female viewers.</p><p>Commonly known as BL, the genre has proved a hit in the region, with episodes racking up tens of millions of views online.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/4/23/thai-actors-krist-perawat-singto-prachaya-to-reunite-in-new-bl-series-2050">• Thai actors Krist Perawat, Singto Prachaya to reunite in new BL series</a></div><p>Girls&#x27; love, a genre featuring same-sex women couples, is also increasingly popular.</p><p>At promotional events, fans queue for hours to meet the stars of their favorite shows, sometimes going to lengths more often seen among K-pop devotees.</p><p>At an event this year, Huang represented a Chinese fan group for girls&#x27; love, which donated huge floral displays made of baht banknotes worth around $1,000.</p><div><strong>THAIS DO IT BEST</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17180015135616-10-2024 2-54-34 PM.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This picture taken on April 27, 2024 shows a member of staff serving customers at Tokyo No. 1 Sabo cafe in Tokyo, a tiny Thai-themed cafe in the Japanese capital that has become a hotspot for fans of the TV show &quot;Boys&#x27; Love.&quot; <em>Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP</em><em></em><br/><br/></span></span></span>Thai BLs are also a runaway success in China, despite the government banning Chinese firms from producing or broadcasting such dramas.</div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/09/20/23/3-korean-bl-series-to-stream-on-iwanttfc">• 3 Korean BL series to stream on iWantTFC with Filipino dub</a></div><p>&quot;Because we like it, we will find ways to search for it,&quot; Huang said. &quot;Even if we can&#x27;t find a way (ourselves), we will ask how other people watch them and follow (them).&quot;</p><p>Thai BL series have also won the hearts of fans in Japan.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/04/19/21/new-title-poster-of-thai-series-i-told-sunset-about-you-part-2-revealed">• New title, poster of Thai series ‘I Told Sunset About You Part 2’ revealed</a></div><p>Kira Thu-Ha Trinh is a regular customer at a tiny Thai-themed cafe in Tokyo that has become a hotspot for BL fans, with its walls covered in celebrity photos.</p><p>The genre became &quot;explosively popular&quot; during the COVID pandemic when there was little to do but watch TV, she told AFP.</p><p>&quot;You&#x27;ve exhausted what Japan offers. There is usually... only one BL drama in one season. If you wanted to immerse yourself more in that kind of thing, you get suggestions by the algorithm,&quot; she said.</p><p>And, Trinh said, &quot;this sounds kind of rude, but Thailand just made it better.&quot;</p><p>BL production in Thailand has rocketed in recent years and production houses have organized fan events at home and across Asia.</p><p>The number of BL shows produced has jumped from 19 between 2014 and 2018, to 29 in 2021 and 75 in 2022, according to data collected by Poowin Bunyavejchewin, a senior researcher from Thammasat University&#x27;s Institute of East Asian Studies.</p><p>Poowin said the genre has become popular even in more conservative societies, such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia, although fans in these countries are often more discreet.</p><p>&quot;There are a big group of fans (in those countries), but they cannot identify themselves as a big fan of BL publicly due to the socio-cultural constraints, like religious matters,&quot; he told AFP.</p><div><strong>ACTORS FOR CHANGE</strong></div><p>Thailand is expected to legalize same-sex marriage later this year -- the first country in Southeast Asia to do so -- but LGBTQ campaigners say there is still work to be done to change attitudes.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/6/2/thousands-march-for-pride-as-thailand-nears-same-sex-marriage-legalization-1933">• Thousands march for pride as Thailand nears same-sex marriage legalization</a></div><p>And despite their popularity, BL series do not reflect the challenges faced by Thailand&#x27;s LGBTQ community, Poowin said.</p><p>&quot;Sometimes the life of gay men in Thailand is kind of tragic. They have family problems. But no one wants to consume tragedy,&quot; he said.</p><p>Some in the BL industry hope their work can help promote LGBTQ rights, such as gender and marriage equality, in popular culture.</p><p>Actor Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana, who got his big break in &quot;Love by Chance&quot; and founded his own TV production company in 2020, says he is aiming to go beyond romance stories.</p><p>At a shrine in Bangkok, the 26-year-old joined the cast and crew of his latest drama, a girls&#x27; love show, who gathered to pray for the success of their new series.</p><p>&quot;I see opportunities with BL series, such as advocating gender and marriage equality,&quot; he told AFP.</p><div><strong>— By Sarah Lai and Watsamon Tri-yasakda, </strong><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><strong>Agence France-Presse</strong></span><strong> </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PM0gWA0YiME?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The BL genre, which features same-sex male romances, began as a strand of Japanese manga comics in the 1960s known as 'yaoi' but has become a booming cultural export for Thailand.</p>

The BL genre, which features same-sex male romances, began as a strand of Japanese manga comics in the 1960s known as 'yaoi' but has become a booming cultural export for Thailand.

Thai 'boys' love' TV dramas conquering Asia

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Thai 'boys' love' TV dramas conquering Asia

Agence France-Presse

Published June 10, 2024 02:46 PM PHT

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