Why queer romance shows are booming across Asia - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

The drama Heated Rivalry has become one of the biggest shows of 2026. It's a gay romance story in a genre, known here in Asia as Boys Love, or BL. The concept originated in Japan in the 1970s, and it has since found a stable fan base in the region. in countries such as Thailand, South Korea, as well as China. And in recent years, Thailand has started producing its own. not only Boys Love, but also Girls Love content.

So what's behind the genre's popularity, and does it pave the way for greater LGBTQ acceptance in Asia? I'm Mariko in Singapore and this is Asia Specific from the BBC World Service. Twice a week we bring you Asia Pacific stories. unpacked by those who know them best. And today I have Derek Cai from our Asia Pacific podcast team. I also have Nongnapat Patcham, who is a BBC reporter based in Bangkok.

Her friends call her Mork. Welcome both to Asia Specific. Thank you for having us. Hi. So, Derek, for viewers and listeners who might not be familiar, can you just explain, what is Boys Love. content? Boys Love content originated in Japan, I believe, around the 1970s, and manga is such a huge backbone of Japanese industry, right? Manga as in anime comics. But back then, a lot of the manga artists were men, and a lot of the scenes, especially the explicit ones they are,

they tend to sexualise women. And then the feminist movement rose, and a lot of women authors and manga artists. came out to fight against what they call misogyny in Japan. and started drawing manga that shows two men, very beautiful men, or what they call bishonen, like androgynous looking men in love. It's what people outside of Japan will know. as a romantasy, romance fantasy. That became really huge in Japan.

People I spoke to who are fans, not just in Japan. but outside of Japan, and a lot of them are women. They say that it's like a form of escapism for them. They get to enjoy the romance, I guess, sort of storytelling, without seeing themselves sexualised on paper. So it started with manga, but it became dramas, and now it's become a reality show as well, hasn't it? Netflix's The Boyfriend. It's become huge not just in Japan, but outside as well.

So just can you just tell us about that program? Yeah. The boyfriend, it's a reality show. Season two just ended. It's a reality show where the producers get ten gay men. and get them to live together in the same house for a period of time. And it's unscripted. Totally. Or what they say. They call it unscripted and watch them forge friendships, fall in love. There's like I mean, the undercurrent theme are of, you know, gay men in Japan coming out. That's the premise of the show,

and it's become really popular outside of Japan. And we actually spoke to the executive producer haven't we, of the programme, Dai Ota, and we asked him if he actually expected. The Boyfriend to become so big in Japan and outside as well. We didn't expect it to become so popular overseas, but we're very excited that it did. From young people, even through to the older generations in their 50s and 60s. Our audience is diverse, from the LGBTQ community to their parents.

There are more female viewers, but that is quite common for any romance reality shows. We wanted The Boyfriend to be authentic, but given this is Japan's first same-sex dating reality show, we knew that it would get media attention. So we wanted to make sure. it also appeals to the non-LGBTQ community who can learn something new. Mork, I understand that Boys Love content from Japan, they became quite popular in Thailand. Can you tell us when they started to gain popularity and why that was?

The Thai BL series in Thailand. Um, was not like fully adopted from Japan. We adopted some some words like yaoi and yuri. That was the word from manga. But actually the development of BL series. in Thailand started from a novel. Some writers write some story about relationship between men and men,

and it get kind of like, popular among certain group at that time. From that novel, Thailand started to have the full form of BL series, but it takes so, so long time before we start to have a real GL series. So GL is Girls Love, as opposed to Boys Love? Yes. Yeah. Mork, you know, I spoke to this academic who, I mean, he he's a cultural anthropologist. His name is Tom Baudinette, and he also talks about Love Sick.

And he told me that the media industry in Japan, in Thailand, they realised a lot of young people weren't watching television, and. they were trying to come up with ways to make young people watch television more. And then they found out that this novel was so popular with young people. So they decided, hey, why not? Let's just adapt it to a TV show. And then it became a big thing. And they realised, hey, there's a market for this because people want this kind. of content and it just sort of blew up. I think at first it was just like an experiment,

like the producer wanted to try the new thing, to serve the new kind of audience. And when the Love Sick series got very, very popular and then, another production company saw the marketing opportunity in this, and they jumped in. And when they jumped in, there was more demand and more supply. I think it's as simple as that. So how how big are these Girls Love content, compared to Boys Love? It's kind of started a couple of years ago. Is that right?

Yes. In terms of the number of viewers that they're getting, how are they perceived by the public? I think they are doing very, very well following the model. of BL businesses. But there was no estimation of, you know, am I getting value of, these two kind of series comparing to each other. We have like several of these.

We have several of, GL as well. But for GL is like slightly still slightly less than BL series, but not that different. When did they start producing GL series. In 2022, and after that episode aired, it got a lot of feedback. It got a lot of fans and also international fan as well. In YouTube they have overall more than 100 million views.

So they got a lot of feedback. And the actresses go to fan meetings abroad. In some countries, like China. So after the series success, many, many production companies see the opportunity in this and then jump in. You mentioned those actresses going to China. So in terms of who's watching these GL content, they're not just in Thailand. They've become popular outside as well. Yes, yes.

It is very common now that after the GL series has broadcasted, the main actresses. would hold a fan meeting and the first country would be in Thailand. But normally the next country would probably be China. Many, many GL stars go to China. Boys Love content is huge. also in China. A lot of Boys Love content producers as well, and, like a lot of them were arrested, because for the better part of a decade,

media regulators have prohibited the portrayal of same sex relationships, homosexual relationships on TV and on web series. because they deem those relationships as abnormal sexual relationships, and they justify it by saying that they don't want this on TV. to prevent vulgarity, because they deem this those relationships as vulgar. In terms of the Thai BL or GL content in comparison to the Japanese BL content,

Derek, are they different, are they very similar? Well, I mean, for Japan, Boys Love content. and LGBT messaging and, you know, any political message around LGBT community, it's strictly separate. It's a that's a strict separation between the two, because a lot of the authors of BL, they are women and. it's meant to be art for a female gaze. There is not meant to be any political messaging, but for Thai,

I mean, when I spoke to the professor, he said that a lot of Thai BL content. has sort of taken it's sort of evolved away from what Japanese BL is like, in the sense that they contain political messaging. I was speaking to one of the producers from GMMTV and he said, actually, in Thailand he felt like there was no limitation of. in terms of telling a story. So we have variety of ideas, of story.

that they will portray in that kind of series. And sometimes they add some social problems, equal marriage, kind of this, this, this kind of issue in that series as well, because they don't have limitation of that. They can put mostly anything in, in that theme and they put that. So they include like political debates, gay rights, all of that? Well, has there been any backlash from any sectors of the community?

You know, maybe religious groups. Any criticism? Yes. Of course. If you turn on a TV in Thailand and you look through channel to channel, you could see like the heterosexual romance, the BL series and the GL series, like they all are there. But in the real world, not everybody would welcome the LGBTQ community. But as I have talked with fans, both from Thailand,

from abroad, like they said that the popularity of Thai Girl Love series, they wish. that would raise awareness to people how they look at LGBTQ community. Yeah. Because Thailand legalised same sex marriage last year, didn't they? Yes. I kind of find it interesting that Japan hasn't. And yet when we were speaking to the executive producer of The Boyfriend, you know, we asked him, has there been much backlash, criticism?

And his answer was pretty much no. You probably can tell me whether I'm wrong, but Japanese people are not the most confrontational people. So even if they don't accept you, they won't tell you to your face. Also, we're too polite to actually... - Correct. But I was living there. I have to say, the gay scene there is. a lot more energetic than the one in Singapore. So yeah, maybe people in Japan, even if they don't accept the gay community, they just, you know, I'll mind my own business. You can do whatever you want. You know? As Derek was saying, Boys Love content was originally born.

because female writers were trying not to, I guess, sexualise, objectify women, whereas with Girls Love content, I mean, I have to say, watching those trailers, they're very, very good looking. Is there feedback or is there reaction from the community. that maybe they should have more diversity in terms. of who represent their communities. The majority of Thai GL series that you see would be the good looking, long-haired female.

Starting with good looking, long hair. female. So majority? Yeah, yeah, yeah, they both would be very, very feminine on screen. But the actual queer community, they have many, many looks. But recently I have seen some development on this as well though. For example, um, there are some series.

that airing now that have one main character look like a short hair, more masculine, and another main character is look long hair, feminine. And also some production company just announced the lineup. for 2026 series like at the end of last year, and that would be one series telling a story of trans woman. So I think I could say that I see more diversity right now,

but still, the majority are still, um, the good looking female long hair. Yeah. I mean, obviously in every community you have a variety of people. Not all gay men look like the men in BL. Not all gay women look like the women in, in GL, I imagine, because I haven't watched any GL dramas, but it's television. It's the same across not just not just. in Asia, not just in Thailand, but like look at Hollywood.

You you typically pick good-looking women or men to be in your show. because it has the, uh, like because you want mass appeal, right? I'm not saying that's right, but I'm just saying that I can understand. it's a business decision because ultimately you still want profit. You want people to watch. I wonder, Derek, do you think the popularity of this BL, GL content. Do you think this will pave the way for greater LGBT acceptance in Asia?

I think your guess is as good as mine. Thailand. Taiwan. Two places that I think are a lot more open and accepting of the LGBTQ culture. But I can't see a place like in a country like Malaysia or Indonesia. legalising same sex marriage. Singapore... - Just a couple countries. - Yeah, yeah. I mean, up until like I want to say 2022 or 2023, having gay sex in Singapore was a criminal offense.

China. I mean, they clamped down. on portrayal of feminine looking or effeminate men on television. Probably not anytime soon there. Maybe South Korea? I'm not sure. What do you think, Mork? I think it depends on each country. Like the law, the religions. How the majority of people there think about it. And I think it depends on limitation of how, how can you put this on,

on media and to make it like normal of that country, to like to see two women or two men kissing on screen? I mean, like in Japan, culturally it's accepted or not talked about, but legally still not accepted. One could argue it's I mean, can you continue living in a country. like that where you're allowed to live your own life however you want? You just don't get the same rights? I do wonder, Derek, whether streaming services made it easier. for those BL GL content to be made more widely available.

and gain popularity because compared to when I was a kid, when everyone just had to watch free to air TV, one can choose what to watch, what not to watch. So if you don't like it, they can choose not to watch it. But as a result, this content has actually become so popular on those streaming services. 100%. 100%. Streaming services, not just streaming services, but social media. People, now, when you whenever you watch something that you like,

you can find your own community on social media, on X, on Twitter, on Reddit, on YouTube, you cut whatever snippets of. from the shows that you like, you put it on social media. and it becomes viral, and then that show becomes even more popular. So hopefully that helps people accept that, you know there are LGBTQ people in the world. But yeah, 100%. I think, um, social media streaming services all helps. Absolutely. For, for BL and GL in Thailand because if it if it's only there.

on free TV, it won't be gaining this popularity abroad. But because it was available on other platforms as well, like iQiyi TV, YouTube, Netflix. So anyone abroad. if they can access that kind of application, they can watch it. And that is the key thing that makes this type of series success abroad.

It's interesting, isn't it? Because once you come across it, you realise that it's not, it's not necessarily the category of BL or GL, but it's kind of like, oh, it's just a romantic relationship involving. two people, which might not be from the same sexuality of yourself, but it's actually quite the same thing. - Normalised. Yeah. Thank you so much, Derek and Mork, for joining me on Asia Specific. Thank you for having me. Thank you. You've been watching Asia Specific. from the BBC World Service with me, Mariko Oi in Singapore.

If you have any questions or thoughts on what we've covered in this episode. or any other stories from the region, please leave us a comment below. You can also get in touch with us on Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk. and click like and subscribe so you never miss an episode. See you next time!