The Boys’ Love craze is real, and it’s here to stay

The country has been under community quarantine for months now, and naturally, the restrictions that come with it can bring about feelings of sadness and exhaustion. People need to consume uplifting content now more than ever, and one way they can do this is by watching light, feel-good series.

At a time when the world celebrates all forms of love, it doesn’t come as a surprise that more people are appreciating various storylines that were once considered as “out of the ordinary.” In recent years, Thailand has been releasing numerous boys’ love or BL series that many have grown fond of, but it wasn’t until recently that the craze started reaching Filipinos and slowly, mainstream media.

Take the case of 2gether, the hit Thai series that originally aired from February 21 to May 15, 2020. 2gether revolves around Tine (Metawin Opas-iamkajorn), a first-year university student who is being pursued by an admirer, Green (Korawit Boonsri). In order to convince Green to stop pursuing him, he seeks the help of campus crush Sarawat (Vachirawit Chiva-aree) and asks him to be his fake boyfriend. Tine even joins Sarawat’s music club so that he can convince Sarawat to help him out. From there,  hilarity and cuteness ensue, and the two slowly gravitate closer and closer to one another.

One thing that makes the 2gether series so appealing is its perfect balance of wit, humor, and genuine kilig factor. It isn’t over the top with its portrayal of Tine and Sarawat’s relationship, and gives the characters space to really develop their feelings and grow as individuals. 2gether also doesn’t treat Green’s admiration for Tine, or Tine’s relationship with Sarawat, as something unusual or out of the ordinary, which is refreshing and helps create the light atmosphere of the series.

A five-episode sequel called (Still) 2gether will air on August 14, and just based on the local version of the trailer, fans can expect even more fun, laughter, and cuteness as they watch Tine and Sarawat try to grow with one another despite having distance between them. Filipino viewers can watch the much anticipated return of the duo (complete with a Tagalog dub) on iWant TV.

The local reception for 2gether is proof that BL series are gaining traction and attention from Filipinos. That’s why it isn’t surprising to see local boys’ love shows emerging, especially timely ones that are set during the pandemic, like Black Sheep’s first digital series Hello, Stranger. The series revolves around two college students – responsible, top student Mico (JC Alcantara) and star basketball player Xavier (Tony Labrusca) – who end up being paired with one another for a school project.

Through Zoom, Instagram, and Messenger, viewers see how these two strangers develop a friendship, and maybe even more. Fans won’t know for sure until the series’ finale on August 19, 2020. Fans can also opt to attend the Hello, Stranger: The Finale FanCon, which lets fans have an advance screening of the finale, and an exclusive fancon, for Php 99.

There’s also Gameboys, a series where live stream gamer Cairo Lazaro (Elijah Canlas) meets his secret admirer and fellow gamer Gavreel Alarcon (Kokoy De Santos). The two start off as rivals, but slowly grow fond of one another. Gameboys has received love not only from the Philippines, but from places like Europe and Latin America. Fans all over the world have to wait for the series’ 11th episode on August 21, 2020 to see how Cairo and Gavreel’s story unfolds.

These two BL series show that the Philippine BL craze isn’t going to subside any time soon. Amid all the hype, kilig, and lightheartedness that these shows bring is also an opportunity for the country to normalize LGBTQIA+ couples in Filipino culture and mainstream media. The BL craze should not be treated as a ‘phase,’ but as a way of giving these couples the same acceptance, rights, and privileges that any heterosexual Filipino couple enjoy.

The reception of BL series in the Philippines is a step toward promoting inclusivity and diversity, and we can only hope that the stories, voices, and perspectives of the LGBTQIA+ community continue to be heard and portrayed responsibly.