When you say boys love drama series, one immediately connects this entertainment fare with progressive Asian countries that seem to embrace tales that center on a different kind of romance where two or more young men figure prominently in passionate scenes.
In Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan, boys love drama, or BL for short is a lucrative business. Yes, BL, which is not just exclusive in the pink community, has a huge following. And it makes me wonder if the Philippine entertainment industry is ready to gamble and invest in this genre.
My Husband’s Lover, which starred Dennis Trillo and Tom Rodriguez, happened seven years ago and is considered as the most successful pink-centric primetime drama. Is the timing ripe for producers to scratch the seven-year itch and gay drama drought? Is now the season to give in to the desires of the pink market that wholehearted supported TomDen some seven summers ago?
As of the moment, every late Friday night, the Thai BL, 2gether with Win Metawin Opas-iamkajorn and Bright Vachirawit Chivaaree, who portray Tine and Sarawat, respectively, are giving stay-at-home audience to enjoy and endure this quarantine season.
Why most people embrace 2gether is a no brainer, really. Major ingredients include a pair of charismatic Thai men in their early 20s, with classmates and friends who, just like the main tandem, are all ready for their close-ups.
Always fresh looking since most of their outfits of the day are long-sleeved, immaculate polos. From time to time, the cast members are not ashamed to show off their lean bodies in well-blocked and choreographed naughty scenes.
Of course, the look of love and twinkle in the eyes of the characters, the special smiles they have for each other, and my, oh my, the lip-locking sequences are indeed aplenty.
These juveniles are into sports, bar hopping, delish dishes, and junk food, and most of the main figures in majority of the boys love drama series are not offended by the blossoming romance and eventual relationships that happen between the teen-aged partnerships.
If I were given the opportunity to cast a boys love drama, I’m betting on James Reid and Ivan Dorschner as first choices. Reid and Dorschner are best friends for real, there is a need to fake their warmth and intimacy, but boy, we have a winner with the best buds as a love team in them.
A sexier casting, who may be more than willing to do more than the predictable skin exposure requirements and might be brazen to go the unchartered path of risqué intimate sequences, Marco Gumabao and Kiko Estrada scream perfection when they engage in an erotic bromance.
My biggest fantasy casting of course, is the pairing of Alden Richards and Derrick Monasterio. A Richards-Monasterio boys love drama starrer is a definite scorcher.
A boys love drama needs more time, emotional maturity and understanding from the general public, before it comes to fruition. One of the major debacles it will encounter are the opinions of the “elders” and members of the “concerned and moral people.” They will definitely raise the noise and will not tolerate the proliferation of such a genre with its classic argument stemming from the fear that it will influence a lot of impressionable teen-agers to embrace boy to boy love as the new normal. And then we have the Catholic Church.
Censorship will also be a major issue to address especially if a progressive producer wants to show a boys love drama during a primetime slot. We don’t even need to enumerate why members of the classification board will not permit a show on free television, unless the BL will be shown on digital platform which is free from the board’s jurisdiction.
Aside from these obvious realities, the very macho and patriarchal culture that dominates our society will not be that sympathetic to a drama that espouses romance between two young boys.
Should we all kiss our BL fixation goodbye then? Not quite yet. My Extraordinary, a Pinoy BL, which stars newbies Enzo Santiago and Darwin Yu, will air by middle of 2020, around June. Reports have it that TV 5 will carry the show.