One of the many reasons why BL is so loved worldwide is that it tries to focus more on the story’s romantic and less problematic aspects. As a viewer of several BL series, I have found that most shows have one thing in common. It focuses very little on the “serious” aspects of life and usually has a light and warm words. It’s not as comprehensive and fully conveyed as many other big-budget films, feature films, or TV shows, but it’s still a compelling, coherent, and honest story. Yes, some shows try to be bolder in the plot, but at their core, BL shows are really comforting and generally have a “feel good” character.
Thailand’s Boys Love empire was not readily broken by other countries. Popular in many Asian countries, this pop culture phenomenon is unstoppable, but the Kingdom is at the forefront of creating its best works. 2022 will be another big year for the BL series in Thailand. Promising programs are selected to be shown on both big and small channels. Let’s see what fans can expect.
TharnType (2019)
TharnType tells the story of two students – Tharn (Mew Suppasit) and Type (Gulf Kanawut), who become roommates on their first day as freshmen. Tarn is openly gay, and Type claims to be 100% straight. In previous issues, Tip was characterized as homophobic, suspicious and wary of gays. As the story unfolds, you learn why everyone acts as they do, and it ends great.
SOTUS The Series (2016)
SOTUS stands for Principles of Engineering Program in Thailand, meaning “Seniority, Discipline, Tradition, Unity and Spirit”. The series follows first-year student Kongpob, who disobeys the illegitimate orders of Artith Jr., known for abusing his freshman powers during his “hazing” period. As the story unfolds, Artith slowly realizes that his strong feelings for Bean Rice are not irritability or hatred but the other way around.
In Between (Hello and Goodbye) (2020)
In Between is a BL online series based on the story of Joseph “Otep” Malaya and Taurus “The Mountain” Noble). The two friends later develop deep feelings for each other. The two become lovers but break up after a few months when Utep’s family decides to move to another country to treat his father for a severe illness. After years of reuniting, Tau and Otep must acknowledge each other’s existence or risk losing each other.
Theory of Love (2019)
The story of Theory of Love is recounted from the viewpoint of Third, a film major in college who is a member of the famed “Savage Squad,” a group of friends noted for being the greatest heartbreakers at their school. Khai, who is Third’s best buddy and is very popular with women, is also a member of their group. Since they were freshmen, Khai and Third have been great friends. However, for as long as they have known one another, Third has been concealing his genuine emotions for Khai because, like most of us, he is worried that his buddy doesn’t feel the same way. Third attempts to busy himself with other hobbies after becoming tired of being Khai’s emotional punching bag due to his numerous heterosexual breakups, only to understand that his closest buddy could also have emotions for him.
Ben x Jim (2020)
With the rest of her family permanently living abroad, troubled online trader Benjamin receives an ultimatum from her mother to ensure financial stability and self-sufficiency. Otherwise, he has no choice but to leave Manila and live with them in the United States. While shipping the goods, he later learns that his old neighbour and childhood friend, Jimson, has returned home to spend time in quarantine with his family. However, upon arrival, Ben realizes that much has changed and that the person returning home may not be the one he fell in love with years ago.
Dark Blue Kiss (2020)
This is actually the third part of a trilogy series called Kiss, and the story of the protagonists Pete and Cao does not start here, unfortunately. The first two shows, Kiss The Series and Kiss Me Again, featured linear primarily relationships, with Pete and Kao introduced for the first time. In Dark Blue Kiss, Pete and Khao explore their relationship through uncharted territory. It’s no secret that Kao’s family struggles financially as she remains a mystery to her family about her true gender and mainly pays for her sister’s education. Without the support of a supportive father, Pete struggles to locate the ideal firm to work for after college. When faced with obstacles that put their pledge to strengthen their bond to the test, Pete and Kao begin to doubt if their love is strong enough to get them through everything.
