#bl fanservice

At the end of July a video was posted online on Twitter, that showed two people, a man and a woman, kissing in an apartment. Usually, that would not be a problem, but here there were several:

The video was filmed from an empty building across the street without the permission of the two people who were being filmed inside their private rooms.

Also, the two people were a BL actor, Seng Wichai and a GL actress, Freen Sarocha. Both were/are singed under idol factory and played together on "Secret Crush on you", a BL that featured a lot of heat on screen and heavy fanservice off-screen. The same concept was used for the spin-off BL Gap the series.

For SCOY Seng and partner Billy performed a lot of traditional fanservice, meaning the behind the scenes cutesy videos, light coloured couples outfits, cutesy photos and games... you name it.

Freen and Becky upped this even more, since they were one iof the first, if not the first GL couple that had that much success and a large fan base. They added comments that could be taken as confirmation that they are dating, wedding shoots, even more skinship than the boys. Both seemed comfortable with it and seemed to get along well, which is good. It was still fanservice.

Problem is that, like always, many fans believed it to be real. While the Billy Seng ship disappeared at some point, Becky and Freen are still going strong and growing their fanbase.

Rumours erupted before about Seng and Freen dating, when a little girl, who played one of the lead roles as a kid, let it slip in a live that Freen was dating a boy. I don't know if she mentioned Seng by name, since the live has since then deleted, but it caused an uproar.

The manager of Freen then came of and denied everything and the 8 year old was made to publicly apologise.

Now, if a child picks up on set that one of the lead actresses is actually dating one of the guys, there is no way that this was ever a real secret on set. Kids are honest and they don't understand the machinations of the industry. I actually have a huge issue with making that little girl apologise for blurting out the truth. In my personal opinion they should have just laughed about it and admitted it and that's that.

Yet, that's not how the industry works and admitting that one of the money making ships is actually not dating at all, at least not each other, would cause the exact uproar that we are seeing now.

Basically, at this point a little girl was made to apologise for speaking the truth and the manager straight out lied to the fans. I get the reasons, I don't agree with the road taken. like, AT ALL. And if fans want to be upset about this: Go ahead, be outraged because you were lied to repeatedly, when they could have just ignored it or admitted it.

For a while everything was calm and then one day the fanclub got a message along with the above mentioned video asking for hush money from the actors to keep this under wraps. Both Seng and Freen felt violated, not only because their relationship was threatened to be exposed, but also because someone knew where they/she lived, filmed into their apartment and therefore robbed them of the trust of privacy and security inside their own home. I mean, lets be real here, in their shoes you start worrying what else they caught on camera aside from these harmless kisses.

Apparently, and rightfully so, they denied to pay and so the video got leaked online. Problem is that the criminal who took the video is a foreigner, so this case has to be investigated internationally. Lawyers are on it and we can all hope they catch and trial whoever did this.

Now, on another note that ties in with the fan reactions that I will address in a second, this while blackmail attempt could not have been done if all involved had been more honest or if, at least, dating other people aside from your ship partner wasn't considered a huge issue in BL/GL fan culture.

Yes, it's news as well whenever some British actor/actress is dating someone and the tabloids are on it and people have an opinion. But I've never seen anyone apologise to their fans for "Letting them down". Which brings us right back to the problems with fanservice and skinship and the detrimental effect it has on the parasocial relationship fans have with their stars and the entitlement they feel and delusions they have about the artists' real life.

Like we've seen in other ships before, many fans are upset now because Freen is considered to be "cheating" on Becky, leaving her "heartbroken". Others feel betrayed because they believed the ship was real, because all of that just couldn't only have been fanservice. (Go back and read the comments of Mew and Gulf, you can basically copy and paste them). Again: if a little girl on set knows Freen is dating Seng, we know Becky knows as well that they are a couple. And who knows who she is seeing?

Ultimately it doesn't matter. Fact is that a crime was committed, privacy was violated in horrible way and two people first had to hide their relationship, were forced to lie and now get hate for being in love.

At the same time fans rightfully feel betrayed, because they were lied to at least two times. An industry sold them the fantasy they believed in too much.

Some fans now leave, there are even claims that a few threaten suicide. (If you are one of them or feel depressed because of any other reason, please go and seek help through a mental health hotline or your nearest hospital).

There are no winners here: Not the couple, not the fans, not the people around the couple, not the industry and not the person who became a criminal.

Sad fact is, that as long as BL/GL actors are forced to lie and it's seen as a problem when they are dating in real life, we can be sure that this story will repeat itself.

My plea, once more, to the industry would be to stop this madness. Stop the ships, stop the fanservice stop the skinship. Let your talents admit when they are dating. You don't have to reveal who they are dating, but don't make it a secret. Help to prevent the delusions of the fans that go way too far. Because if things like this happen, you ARE losing money as well, which is what this ultimately is all about.

What’s up with the some people reducing MileApos relationship as “fanservice” I’m aware some ppl in the industry do it to sell and maybe at some point they did it but it pisses me off that what ever they do they always take it as a negative thing or just “fanservice” I tend to just block people that talk out of their ass and pay no mind bc whatever their relationship is the one thing that is 100% true is that they adore each other ! So to all them haters cut the BS!

Anyway to my beloveds MA take care and keep lovingly eo babes and to you have a nice day ❣️

hi friend! I don't mind posting the ask. but yes I did write about it here and here. the tl;dr is homophobia (sadly).

as for fanservice, it's sadly super prevalent. I don't see much of it but it's cringe 🫣😔

I think the reason the kp cast's relationships with each other resonated so much with fans is that they genuinely seem to like each other and are friends. I watched the smtown new year concert two weeks ago and after half a year of watching the kp cast, the aegyo and lukewarm ads really fell flat.

compare the above tiktoks to Jeff feeling compelled to kiss both Barcode and Bible's shoulders. just a whisper of affection and it's unexpected so it comes off as authentic. it's not a show for us. we just happened to see Jeff being affectionate (like a cat).

younger people not being able to identify genuine behavior is a byproduct of the pandemic. calling men being genuinely affectionate with each other fan service reinforces toxic masculinity. using queer relationships as entertainment and forcing actors to carry out that behavior for entertainment while disliking real queer people and also the idea of them having girlfriends is homophobia and sexism 💁🏻‍♀️ guess I unpacked all of it after all

With more and more new BL couples emerging, who are relying on "old school" fanservice again, the question arises: What happened to former couples that used the same tactics, and is it clever to do so?

Old school fanservice is the very "in your face," over-the-top cheesy way BL actors act when they are with their ship partner in front of any camera. From couples' outfits to presents, flowers, surprising each other (with 5 cameras present), and the ambiguous comments and answers about whether or not they are a real-life couple or could ever be one because of the declarations of love. I think at the height of Covid around mid-2020 and before that was, in some way, the standard.

Then for a while, it looked like it was changing a bit, with shows that were different and also ships that were different. Even though the hardcore fanservice still remains a very good medium to push a couple and build a very solid and devoted fanbase that can then become the target group for all kinds of other projects of said actors.

End of 2020/2021, we got shows like "Manner of Death" by the ship Max and Tul, who were never really known for being overly sweet with one another. Yes, they did the stupid games and the couple outfits, but there came a point when they apparently decided they were too old for it. Also, they had the standing (and money) to simply not do it anymore. "Manner of Death" was not a sweet show, and the promo after and before was also halted because of Tul's Bell's palsy infection. When they reemerged, they did so very clearly as friends and as grown men, who were not cutesy in the slightest. They were acting their age, both with the jokes they played as well as the topics they discussed. Not that much later, Max admitted to having a girlfriend, and Tul was the first ship partner to show up at the "tell it all" and tell his side of how a ship deals when one has a girlfriend. There was nothing any delusional fan could be angry about anymore, because Tul was right there being openly supportive of Max's relationship. Around the same time it was revealed that Tul actually went through a cancer therapy while shooting their first show together, which in their case seems to have brought them closer as friends.

Then "I told sunset about you" came out, a show that was very different from the other BLs like TharnType or Why R U in ways of storytelling and how it was shot. It also dealt with things differently and did so by being totally unproblematic and honest. The two actors, Billkin and PP, had starred together in another show before and had gained fans and shippers from it, which made the bkpp project - meaning "I told sunset about you" and "I promised you the moon" - possible. The two real-life best friends never played the usual games in front of the cameras. They bickered, told stories of how they met and how they disliked each other at first, and made it clear they were friends.

Next came Earth and Mix's "A tale of a thousand stars," a BL that was very slow-burn and went against the trend of providing very NC content, which at the time seemed to get more extreme with every show. Yes, they do couple's outfits sometimes, and it first looked like they would go down the traditional road of fanservice like other GMMTV couples. Not with Mix, though. He claps back on Twitter at too delusional fans, curses and calls out Earth if need be, clings to anyone nearby, and starts laughing on air when Earth tries the usual cheesy fanservice lines - all while looking so innocent and cute no one dares to come for him. Earth seems to have forgotten his traditional fanservice training as well, and when "EarthMix Space" came out, all fanservice left the building. It's more normal that they insult each other playfully or slap each other than them being sweet in a fanservice way. Also, there have been stories emerging that Earth would actively avoid, for example, signing his name on a small gift like a cup of coffee because he didn't want a nice gesture to Mix be used for fanservice by anyone catching it. That's kind of sad actually. And when stuff like "Space of love" comes out, they usually find a way to bicker so much onstage that there’s no romance left for the fanservice. Also, fans coming for one of them on live or social media means dealing with both of them calling you out. No fan of Mix should dare to attack Earth or vice versa.

Then came the "no fanservice" couple Ohm and Nanon, who at first glance might have said things that could be fanservice, but they made it crystal clear they were talking about just being friends (not that stans don’t cut out a love confession and leave out the part where they mention the word "friend" or try to shame Ohm for possibly having a girlfriend). They seemed to be good friends for a while, but in 2023, there must have been some kind of fallout between the two former besties that sadly showed on-screen as well when we got to see Pat and Pran again in "Our Skyy2," sadly without the chemistry that made "Bad Buddy" great to watch.

The next big show that turned into a “no fanservice” show once the new company Be on Cloud took over is "KinnPorsche." If you watch the videos of the Filmania time and then when Be on Cloud took over, you can clearly see the difference in Mile and Apo’s interaction and the things they say. And even though there was no more fanservice, people still shipped the “old” couples on the show together, Mile and Apo, and Bible and Build. Even though, in the second case, that ended rather abruptly for many shippers recently after the scandals of Build. The third couple on the show, Jeff and Barcode, stopped any rumors right from the get-go, and especially Jeff made it clear multiple times that he cares for Barcode deeply, but simply as an older brother. The fact that Barcode was still a minor when KinnPorsche was shot and aired and the dynamic between them made fanservice totally impossible. Not that they need it.

I guess there are many more shows and ships without extreme fanservice, but then it kind of went backward again in some cases. Mame's shows always seem to take the more traditional approach to fanservice and marketing, and Ja and First have definitely been set up that way when they were still with MeMindy. The problem is that compared to Mew and Gulf, they are both more reluctant to play their part. Ja just falls silent, and First starts laughing. They are both also not overly touchy-feely people with one another and have left the studio in the meantime and done other shows with other companies. Still, as a ship, since it works for them and they seem comfortable with each other, but the over-the-top events stopped as soon as they had a say. The couples under MeMindy meanwhile seem to follow the rulebook that MewGulf left behind, just without as much success.

And then there is Domundi with "Cutie Pie” and the new show that will soon air. From the set-up in the show "CutiePie" to the marketing, it's very, very old school, to the point of it being ridiculous and painful to watch. Sadly for Zee, opposed to Mew and Gulf back then, fans seemed to be more sensitized on the matter, and there were many who criticized him for the fanservice he provided and which clearly made his partner New very uncomfortable at first. Since Zee doesn't do it for his pleasure but to follow the marketing set up that has been chosen, I don't expect them to change tactics any time soon, especially because there is still a huge shipper group loving it and lashing out against anyone who dares to criticize it on Twitter, social media, or any other platform. Many fans of them truly believe that they are really dating, because Zee and Nunew sometimes go a step further than even Mew and Gulf did, and word things in a way that can be taken as them confirming a romantic relationship. The abrasiveness with which their shippers are reacting towards critics is not new and an indication of the tone that is being set in the fandom and that will turn on the actors, once it turns out they are not really dating.

The most prominent and also one of the most problematic fandoms at the time (now I’d vote differently), where the toxicity of the fans was first exhibited towards critics then turned on the ship itself, is MewGulf. It will, therefore, be used as an example here of how it can go wrong when people buy the fanservice too much:

The second the promotion for the show started, MewGulf raised the skinship and fanservice bar. Helped along by a strategy that showed "accidental" cute moments that were being filmed behind the scenes starting at workshop. So while they were rehearsing scenes, they already had to perform fanservice because they were being filmed while rehearsing for filming. I hope you're not dizzy yet ^^ Mew initiated the skinship at first, and like Nunew, Gulf was obviously uncomfortable. Sitting on Mew's lap, sleeping on one bed, hugging, holding hands... and we know that during the time of the workshops, Gulf had a girlfriend, not that anyone cared. More recently we have learned that Mew himself was taken basically the whole time the show was shot, aired, and the ship was still afloat. Season 2 was one huge fanservice event, but the script was a mess. And even before the season aired, suddenly problems in the fandom started to emerge. Mew had started his own studio, recorded his own music, and mentioned here and there that his work with Gulf might come to an end soon. In my opinion (not that I have any proof, this is purely speculation), Mew knew as soon as he saw the script of season 2 that the height of TharnType was over, and there wouldn't be too many new fans acquired with season 2. They did a lot less events and promotion for season 2, maybe also because Covid was hitting hard at the time, and then the ship kind of vanished. Even the behind-the-scenes videos weren't shot anymore, at least not like before. Instead, Mew used them to promote his own new studio (meaning himself) by shooting Vlogs in his trailer as he ate alone. Gulf was usually seen hanging with the rest of the cast meanwhile. Rumors and blind items about a ship falling out and not talking anymore behind the scenes, that were clearly about them, were popping up. The last big bang together was Gulf's graduation, and then they basically went their separate ways. Fans hadn't taken the hints yet and were still looking for clues and meetings and events. Mew went on to promote only his own music, and while Gulf was supportive, his fans were not. Especially Mew's silence on Instagram and his no-show at Gulf's solo events didn't go over well. 

The fandom split right down the middle and turned on each other. Old stories were being dug out again, claims were made about one using the other or one being left behind. Gulf kept on liking and commenting on Mew's posts for a while, but since there was no reaction, it stopped. You were either a Gulf fan or a Mew fan now. Especially Mew got a lot of heat for "abandoning his baby." 

Mew is a clever businessman, though; he knew what he was doing. His goal certainly was to get away from the ship and make his own mark. He had his own studio, his own music, and the money to push it all. It didn't go as smoothly, though. There was a scandal about a video he shot that some fans thought looked too similar to the one of another artist - and it ended with him deleting the video and calling a press conference with lawyers. And the Art thing came up again. And then there was the whole Tpop show disaster where his fans outvoted the artists on stage a couple of weeks in a row, which didn't go over too well with the showrunners. So Saint took over Mew's role as a host. 

Next Mew pushed his music because it is easier than filming during covid and hired international artists to help him out. It worked, and his music placed high in several charts. At the same time he shot "Ocean eyes,” for which he bought the expertise from overseas. 

I am not sure what exactly happened with it. Just that sometime after the shooting ended, Mew had to stop working for a while and admitted to suffering from insomnia and burnout. He went to see his pal Tul in the US and took a vacation. When he came back, he admitted openly that he couldn’t continue like before. He ended his own studio and made his sister his manager. Gulf got signed to Channel 3 meanwhile, getting ready for his (non-BL) lakorn roles, and the two openly admitted to not being in contact anymore in recent interviews. 

The problem for both: Fans just wouldn’t stop. From rumors to how they sneak into each other's apartments to calls for joint fanmeets to insults online: it was constant and ongoing. Gulf was being told to "go back to being a good bottom and stop trying hetero roles," and Mew was simply called "a liar." Fans then outbid each other in insulting the other part of the former ship while - in a weird way of schizophrenia - also called for them to work together. There were some fans who still called for cooperation and peace, but it was a lost battle because the ship has never been peaceful, not even in the best of times. With the same intensity that the skinship and fanservice were provided before and riled up the fans, the fans were then acting online in the most shocking display of hate, inappropriateness, and delusion. And that turned into a problem for both Mew and Gulf and their solo projects. It's not good that every project they join or release individually gets hateful comments and asks about where the other ship partner is. Officials will get fed up with this at some point, especially when, unavoidably, new on-screen partners will be subjected to the hate. 

It also means that as long as fans are being this crazy, even if Mew and Gulf wanted to hang out or work together again, they can't because then the madness would get even more intense, and the whole thing would start anew. 

Finally, Mew had enough and while coming clean after his burnout, he shared his happiness with his fans about the relationship he is in and that he thinks about marrying his partner someday. Some fans then started to ship him with Tul, convinced that Mew and him were a couple because of the pictures of their time in the US. Others got upset with him for “cheating” on Gulf or thought he was actually talking about Gulf.

Mew then made it clear that he hadn’t seen or talked to Gulf in more than 2 years and was fed up with fans still shipping them.

 In an unprecedented move, he admitted on Twitter that everything MewGulf ever did was fanservice and that Mew had been in a relationship the whole time - not with Gulf, though. He vented his frustration that fans couldn’t tell reality from fiction. His legendary Twitter spree did upset many of his fans when actually it was a long time coming. (Most parts of this article were written in 2022, so while Mew was still shooting Ocean eyes and the signs were already there.I can send you the original text if you don’t believe me. Add delusional fans to Mew’s temper, and that’s what you get).

Setting up a shipped couple is always a business venture. If the two actors get along, it can last a while. If they are friends or become friends, even better. However, if what you put out into the fandom with fanservice and skinship snowballs and reflects in the madness of the fans themselves, then you have got a huge problem on your hands once the actor’s job is done, and they want to move on to new projects. The fans will often only support the ship, not the individual actors. And that's okay, as long as there is no hate in the fandom. 

However, if hate is already part of the way a fandom operates while the ship is still afloat, it's no mystery what will happen once the ship breaks apart. Because the spirits that they've cited, the actors' commands they ignore. Let's see which fandom will lose it next.

My usual example for all things fanservice: MewGulf

If someone wants to avoid fanservice altogether does that mean they can never show any affection to the person they work with? Is looking at someone fanservice? So many other people do fs and also talk about boundaries.

Is it because some people are queer so they have a higher standard? Why can Mew stand next to a woman and dance and it’s not fs?

Yes, I've seen it and I am actually preparing a longer post about it. Yet, I haven't had too much time to look into the circumstances, for example who he is talking about.

Can you explain?

Hi, Nonnie!

So. The short, short answer is, I don't know.

They had a very public (in front of fans), clearly heated discussion in.... spring 2022? I think? And stopped doing press and events (more or less) together after that (with some exceptions - a fanmeet, I think, and promo for OS 2). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

We will probably never know, and that's okay. I don't need to know. To be honest, we as fans don't really need to know. I do wish them both well, and I hope they worked out whatever it was.