A guide to the Boys’ Love (BL) genre: How Thailand became the reigning king of Yaoi, Entertainment News

Mention BL (Boys’ Love) dramas, and many would immediately think of Thailand, the current forerunner of the genre – surpassing even Japan, which popularised Yaoi through manga. 

In 2022, the popularity of Thai BL dramas, also known as Y series, exploded with the release of shows such as Not Me, KinnPorsche, and Triage. The hashtag #KinnPorscheEP1 trended fifth worldwide on the day of its premiere, with the drama earning first place in various countries with its subsequent episodes.

BL or Boy’s Love dramas are predominantly used for East and Southeast Asian TV shows and films where the main leads are in a same-sex relationship (m/m). It is a sub-branch from Japanese Yaoi, which first appeared in the 1980s, with the terminology coined by female manga artists Yasuka Sukata and Akiko Hatsu. 

The BL genre allows gay relationships to be a central plot rather than just include a…