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Face Card Olympics - 10 Prettiest Pairs
This is part 2, here's part 1. Rules I played by: faces only (nothing else in consideration). I had to already have a screen shot saved of said pair showcasing faces. (So I am certainly missing some.) Presented without comment.
(source)
Hello! I was reading your posts about age gaps and it made me think about how Fort and Peat did two age gap series with seniority swapped—pretty convincingly too! I can think of pairs who’ve done age-gap in one series and same-age in another but no other “verse” ones. (Maybe Yin and War, a bit, in Love Mechanics vs Jack & Joker?) Can you think of any other pairs that have done this?
Branded Pairs who Switch Age Dynamics in New Parts
Ooo yes there have been a few. Often side pairs. Gimme a sec. Honestly this is something I pay attention to for linguistic reasons but don't actually track.
Quick answer? I found 4
AouBoom - BOTH
FortPeat - BOTH
KimCop - ALL 3 (older, younger, same age)
TutorYim - ALL 3
Lists and criteria follows...
Branded pairs who've done multiple roles (as of March 2025)
(pairs in bold fit asker's criteria, khun simply means they are acting using pronouns that do not indicate age dynamics)
FORMAT = PairBrand: seme actor's age relative to uke actor - age dynamics as pertains to seme actor
AouBoom: Aou is younger - BOTH, I am pretty sure he's the older one in Hidden Agenda & since then = younger
BoomPeek: Boom is younger - same age
BossNoeul: same age (!) - Boss = older
BosszoPeter: Boss is older - older
BounPrem: Boun is older - older
EarthMix: Earth is older - older & same age
FirstKhao but really Khaotung & First: same age - same age or khun
ForceBook: same age - same age & Force = older
FortPeat: Fort is younger - BOTH older & younger
G4 (AKA GeminiFourth) : same age - same age
JaFirst: same age - same age, First = older
JamFilm: Jam is younger - khun
JimmySea: Jimmy is older - khun
JoongDunk: same age - same age or khun(ish)
JuniorMark: Junior is older - older
KarnNut: Karn is younger - same age in one, (much) older in the other
Kim Ji Woong / Yoon Seo Bin: Kim Ji Woong is older, older
KimCop: Kim is older - ALL 3! younger, older, same age
MarcPoon: Marc is younger - older
MaxNat: Max is older - older
MaxTul: Max is younger - same age, younger
MeenPing: Meen is older - same age, older
MosBank: Mos is younger - same age, older
OffGun: Off is older - older, same age, khun
OhmFluke: Ohm is younger (yes, really) - older in all roles
PondPhuwin: Pond is older - same age
PerthLay: Perth is younger - older or khun
SailubPon: Sailub is older - older
SantaEarth: Santa is younger - same age
SatangWinny | WinnySatang: Satang is younger - same or Winny is older
TayNew: Tay is older - always same age (even in Cherry Magic we know they same age from source material) they also act that way IRL
TutorYim: same age - ALL 3 Tutor = same age, older, younger
YinWar: Yin is younger - older, same age
YoonLay: Yoon is older - khun
ZeeNuNew: Zee is older - older
---
Top and Mick: Top is older. I don't think these two can be considered a branded pair, but Every You, Every Me is a masterclass in switching, verse, and rearranging all power dynamics, so I figured I should mention them.
I've left off pairs who haven't yet acted in their 2nd roles (PerthSanta, PavelPoom, UpPoom, MileApo). No I don't care if a new BL is announced or being filmed. It has to actually air to count.
I didn't rewatch to double check so I may be wrong on a few of these. I suffer from Only Friends blindness so that would be one that tripped me up.
There are also actors who have played both seme & uke rolls, but with different partners.
Bah Vinh
First
Gawin
Khaotung
Marc
Mark
Mick
Neo
Pavel
Phuwin (right? when he was opposite Neo - no sure 'cause I refuse to rewatch My Tee)
Pond (not the GMMTV one)
Santa
Singto
Tay (in the same year!)
Tenon
Top
Up
A note for the history books:
OffGun are the only branded pair to have acted 5 different BL roles! Thus I am declaring them current
Kings of BL!
Congratz boys!
I'm not going to keep this post updated, but I did create a new tab in the spreadsheet for tracking branded pairs because this is getting out of hand.
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You have just been handed GMMTV BL actors and told that they want to shuffle their branded pairs like a deck of cards and give them something new. What do you do? Who goes with who? Is there anyone you keep together regardless?
OMG @heretherebedork how could you!
GMMTV BL Actors - Re-paired!
Do I feel evil or overwhelmed....?
Nothing for it but to dive in:
Tay + Gun - I have wanted this one for... well... ever
(but ALSO) New + Gun
Jimmy + Khao (I'm EVIL)
Mix + Fourth (ask me how much I want Mix to play an older seme...) - hand these 2 the Thai Semantic Error.
Nanon + Chimon (of course)
Phuwin + First (roll for archetypes, always mess with our heads/hearts)
Lee + Perth - just for a charisma-off, or maybe even
Perth + Bright - could they do it? Not sure, kinda curious.
BL Actor Pairs - Meta Guide
A lot of these posts are dated, because pairs have broken up and things move fast the the entertainment industry. But since were were talking TayNew and Cherry Magic recently....
Basics of Actor Pairs, Cobranding, and BL Couples
A Guide to Thai BL Actor Pairs for New Watchers (old af)
Thai BL Actor Pairs... REDUX! (late 2021)
GMMTV and Co-Branded BL Couples - pairs and marketing tactics (early 2022)
How to get over Thai BL Pair Branding (mid 2022)
GMMTV’S BL Pairs, Ranked (late 2022)
Rankings, recs, & fantasy casting
BL’s Top 10 Most Deserving Unresolved
10 BL Pairs That Should be Reunited in New Rolls!
Crazy BL Actor Pairing I'd Love to See
TOP 10 BL PAIRS + What They Should Play Next
Your Favorite Thai BL Couples = What to Watch Next?
As of end of 2022 the oldest still active pairs are...
KarnNat (origin Grey Rainbow, latest Dear Doctor) - they cobrand only when they have a show and don’t feed shippers, CURRENT MONARCHS*
BoomPeak (origin Make It Right, latest 7 Project) - they don’t actively cobrand and never feed shippers
MaxTul (origin Bad Romance, latest Manner of Death) - champions (and origin) of Thai BL IRL ships
OffGun (origin Puppy Honey, latest Not Me) - announced Cooking Crush for 2023
TayNew (origin Kiss, latest Dark Blue Kiss) - announced Cherry Magic for 2023
All these pairs started in 2016, some of them as side couples. I consider the oldest established pair to have completed a recent BL the reigning Kings, as of typing in Dec 2022 that’s KarnNat.
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Okay, ABL, here's one l haven't seen tackled: role reversal ! I'm watching Moonlight Chicken, and l'm thinking, "Could l see this with the actors switching characters ?"
Gemini is taller, square face, intelligent and thoughtful nature--but a domineering physical presence. His opposite is more cherubic, elfin even ? I mean, these are just physical characteristics, and l love them as they are ... but l really could see it the other way around, too.
How many pairs out there might you say that about, for any given script ?
Ooo, I think I get what you're after. Pairs branded as seme/uke but where I could see the actors switch it up easily?
Seme/uke Switches
TayNew - first one that sprung to mind, bar none. Tay has done the uke role before (3WBF), and I actually think they'd do a better job at Cherry Magic if Tay played the chaos monkey Adachi role.
BrightWin - they a sunken ship but I could easily see them switching it up
GeminiFourth - in fact they kinda already do this
ForceBook - work either way, so do
JimmySea
JoonDunk
and
PondPhuwin
The fact the GMMTV is shy of this kind of thing is GMMTV's problem and a y-novel adaptation issue, not the actors. I mean they let Ohm & Nanon, First & Khao, and a few others pay with the dynamic, they can keep doing it if they really want to.
Outside of GMMTV?
KarnNut - I just don't think they really need the s/u dynamic at all. They're beyond that same with...
MaxTul
MileApo (bite me)
BoomPeak (insert ironic chuckle here)
PerthLay
and
Kim Ji Woong & Yoon Seo Bin (not that I think we'll see them as a pair again anytime soon)
Hello ABL- I thought of you right away when reading a post on Ask me about BL shows. My question is a little long here.
Do you have any of your favorite shows that you think the main (or second leads) actors could swap rolls and the show still be one of your favorites? Or do you have a show that rates lower but would be improved if they had swapped?
I thought of Sam Lin and Yu Teng in We Best Love. The strength of their acting abilities and the chemistry could lend Yu being Gao Shi De and Sam being Zhou Shu Yi. The scenes that were pivotal in the series would still stand up to scrutiny. The bridge confession is a the first thing that comes to my mind.
Another one that amuses me at this thought is Semantic Error. The height difference would lend to such a cuteness in the aggressive pursuit Jae Young for Sang Woo. The lettuce scene with Jae Chan throwing a fit.
OOoo, what a doozie of a question.
10 BLs where the leads could swap parts & the show would still hold
Our Dating Sim
Roommates 304
Wish You
About Youth
Bad Buddy (BITE ME)
Big Dragon (bite each other)
Don't Say No (bite everything)
Eclipse
Mr Cinderella
Word of Honor
Pairs I think could switch up any of their roles, at any time, past or future:
ForceBook -> BookForce
TayNew -> NewTay
JeffGame -> GameJeff
MaxTul -> TulMax
MileApo -> ApoMile
PondPhuwin -> PhuwinPond
JimmySea -> SeaJimmy
Hiii. A bit of a two tiered question :) I watched the end of Not Me and the scene when DanYok are reunited at the painting Yok did. In my mind they're deciding to make a go of it being a couple, did you get the same sort of take from that scene? Just with Auld Lang Syne playing in the background where a lyric is 'should auld acquaintances be forgot? Although Yok does sat to Dan about keeping their promise 🤔
Also I really adored DanYok and their chemistry. I would love Gawin and First to work together again. On Twitter a lot of people were tagging GMMTV asking for the actors to be given their own series. I was wondering do GMMTV take notice of fan opinions if it's in great numbers? I know Between Us, BounPrem was given their own series? 🤔
DanYok
In my mind they're deciding to make a go of it being a couple, did you get the same sort of take from that scene?
Yep.
I really adored DanYok and their chemistry. I would love Gawin and First to work together again.
First has a new BL coming from GMMTV called The Eclipse where he's paired with Khaotung that I m actually HUGELY excited about - much more so than the idea of more DanYok or Gawin & First together. Sorry.
So let’s get my bias out of the way and talk about BL couples and GMMTV studio marketing tactics, shall we?
GMMTV and Co-Branded BL Couples
I actually take The Eclipse as a sign that GMMTV is considering actively bifurcating their pairs. By which I mean, they seem to be taking a different approach to BL couple brands these days depending on the pairing:
It used to be that they firmly cast a pair and then keep trying that pair over and over again in the hopes that they would stick. No other option available to the actors. (In an eternal quest to recreate the magic of OffGun.)
These days it's different. They seem to have 3 tactics now.
TACTIC ONE - EARTHMIX
Some pairs they are sticking together and keeping that way because they get great sponsorship deals, have good talent range, and consistent chemistry. EarthMix is a successful newer example. PondPawin for perhaps a less successful but still trying attempt.
This, I would call: the old fashioned approach.
TACTIC TWO - FORCEBOOK
Other pairs they are throwing at the wall to see if they stick (PoddKhaotung tried and failed, I feel like this is ForceBook right now). But if they don't stick, they'll recast again opposite someone else. (This is actually how EarthMix happened, remember there was EarthNew and EarthWhite before them?) GMMTV can do this because they have a HUGE stable of actors. We can see them experimenting with these tactics in the Safe House reality TV shows. ForceBook does seem to be working, although probubly not as well as GMMTV hoped.
I would call this: the wide talent pool approach.
TACTIC THREE - KHAOTUNG
Otherwise they now seem to be okay with just floating a talented actor, trying him in different matches (which they are currently doing with Khaotung). These actors may never end up in a permanent pairing since they work well with multiple partners and can do side BL plots etc...
This is the most modern approach.
First & Gawin both seem to fall into this third category.
Which is a VERY long way of saying I don’t see GMMTV putting them into the GMMTV pantheon of permanent pairs. They’re too valuable as assets separated from each other.
ALSO it’s possible the actors don’t want that kind of branding hellscape.
What keeps happening from GMMTV’s perspective is attrition (Singto leaving, Frank on military duty, BL actor scandals, and couples aging out) which they don’t like. Or the pair doesn't stay matched because they grow apart (sorry but I think this is TayNew, it’s not that they don’t want too, it’s that they don’t much care), or the pair just never gelled with audiences (FrankDrake, MikeToptap).
GMMTV is, kind of, learning that they can’t force it. We have been watching them learn that lesson since 2018.
So if the actors really don’t want it, then I don’t think a permanent pairing will happen. (This is a GOOD thing.) Gawin, in particular, I don’t see wanting a permanent pairing. He never does much promo, and he isn’t into things like Safe House or the GMMTV games, or even variety shows. He never has been, since Dark Blue Kiss.
Which is an even longer way of me saying ifFirst & Gawin don’t want to pair up as a brand, these days GMMTV will let them stay separated so long as they stay in the stable.
Now if a really good project came along that they both liked and went into casting for? We could see them paired again. But GMMTV is likely to reserve those projects for an establish actual pair first (it’s much more profitable/easy to raise capital, gain sponsorships, and market on an existing established brand - and remember that is how most Thai BL is made). So it think it’s more likely, if they are paired again in a new project, it would be as a side couple, again. (Read on for: as a spin off from Not Me.)
I was wondering do GMMTV take notice of fan opinions if it's in great numbers?
Sometimes. But they are more likely to take into account the above factors first, than they are fan opinion. Sorry, this is a truth throughout the film industry. Fans are notoriously fickle, and everyone knows this. Once the Not Me fervor dies down, people will forget how great DanYok were. Probubly sooner than we think.
The public has a VERY short attention span.
There will always another pair for GMMTV to try and for us to get obsessed over. No one knows this better than GMMTV.
In fact the beauty of a branded pair, from a marketing perspective, is that it circumvents this attention span.
OffGun remained bankable even when they were not starring in anything. In the film industry, that’s a holy grail.
But, if you can’t force it, you can’t force it. GMMTV has finally learned that lesson. I think Singto leaving was a HUGE blow to their marketing tactics.
This is the reason I always refer to MaxTul as the Kings. They never seem to be forcing it, ever, and they have ridden the BL tide out of college-set stuff into mature gay romance in a way that is... enviable. (Especially for a studio like GMMTV.)
Now if First & Gawin start to show up in fashion shoots and with sponsor gigs as a pair, that would indicate a seed change and that they’ve jumped from category 3 to category 2. Or are trying to. Then they might get their own BL, but it wouldn’t be until next year at the very earliest.
And, like I said, I think this is the least likely outcome.
But that’s what you should be paying attention to and looking out for and really take optimism from. Not them in each other’s IG or shit like that. That’s just promo for this one show. Photo shoots and sponsor gigs, that’s a lifestyle switch.
Fuck this is so much industry talk.
Wabi Sabi and Co-Branded Pairs
I know Between Us, BounPrem was given their own series?
There isn’t a way to directly compare First & Gawin to BounPrem, as BounPrem are outside of the GMMTV umbrella and so are entirely different as a brand. You can compare BounPrem to OhmFluke or to MaxTul ,but not really to any of GMMTV’s holy trinity (TayNew, SintoKrist, OffGun). Indie pairs, as I call them, behave differently from those kept in GMMTV’s stable.
Wabi Sabi isn’t as proprietary and doesn’t keep a stable (in quite) the way that GMMTV (or Star Hunter) does. Hence you see BounPrem show up in other shows outside of Wabi Sabi’s network, as side characters etc...
So indie pairs = they opted to co-brand of their own volition. In BounPrem’s case they kept up with promo work as a couple even post active UWMA gigs (when they would have been actively encouraged to do so) - and, fortunately for them and us, are probubly getting a larger cut of the sponsor deals etc... as a result.
Their forthcoming BL (Between Us) is an adaptation of an existing y-novel, Hemp Rope, that was already ready for their characters. So once those characters gelled and hit in UWMA, and once it became clear they were a good pairing, it was a natural evolution they would get picked up to anchor their own show.
This kind of spin off doesn’t happen often in BL. I don’t think a DanYok y-novel spin off exists for Not Me, for example. Although I don’t follow the y-novel industry, so I could be wrong. And if the author is smart she’s writing this RIGHT NOW. Someone correct me in the comments if I’m wrong here?
GMMTV could give DanYok a short special, though. However, they might be prohibitively expensive (production value costs for non-uni set BL is at least double). But they have done that kind of thing before as extended sponsorship or tourism promo deals (see Our Skyy).
It should be noted that, Boun has been on the fringes of BL for years before Prem came along. So he, at least, knew what he was getting into. I do think they are good friends, but I also think their brand is very well executed and managed. They are doing a great job as a pair (like OhmFluke) and I can see them having a long career as this pair, if they want to (like MaxTul). That said, they have more of a teasing brotherly relationship, like OffGun. So like OffGun they may age out of the field, without the options that MaxTul are afforded by their physicality.
MaxTul were always going to be the best at transitioning from BL into mature gay romance because they act right as a brand and they also LOOK right. Because that transition is partly a move from Thai style BL to Taiwanese style.
Oh.
Can you IMAGINE what Taiwan could do with MaxTul?
Holy BL saints preserve us.
No wait, don’t. They both speak some Mandarin, don’t they?
PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
So there it is.
As always seems to happen on this blog with BL couples, I don’t really want to talk about it (it’s a bit squeaky), but I have a ton to say anyway. I think I just find the whole principle fascinating. It’s so golden age Hollywood.
MaxTul are the Fred & Ginger of our time.
Other stuff on actor pairs:
A Guide to Thai BL Actor Pairs for New Watchers (OLD & no longer updated)
Thai BL Actor Pairs... REDUX! (also old and not updated)
It’s hard to keep up with and it makes me uncomfortable, okay? Speaking of:
Skinship and Thai society?
Is that BL actor actually queer?
BL Actor Homophobia
And some nicer stuff:
OffGun & The Evolution of Chemistry for a BL Pair
Crazy BL Actor Pairing I'd Love to See
TOP 10 BL PAIRS + What They Should Play Next
(source)
So with the announcement of Takara-kun and Amagi-kun and both the leads of My love mix-up involvement on it, do you think Japan will enter the Thai real of BL with more than one couple in a series or do you think they will be showing up just as a cameo? Regardless I'm super excited about this one 😳
I mean they have done movie series with the same couple like Takumi-kun. Weren't DaiMao the origin of the "pair combo naming" idea? Also I got very exciting when Izuka Kenta (Pornographer series) showed up as the “other man” in Absolute BL 2. Because it was all a crossover joke. So Japan isn’t above this tactic, especially if they can be tricky with it.
Will they pair brand like Thailand, I don't think so. That's not really Japan's style.
But then I would have said it wasn't Korea's either until Kim Ji Woong and Yoon Seo Bin come on the scene (Kissable Lips), rumored to be doing another BL together, and prone to appearing on insta and such using the old Thai co-branding tactics. Although, they don't have a co-name yet, do they? If they do... times really are a changing. And there was that time when TayKung and ShinWoo (Light on Me) showed up in some rando het drama.
Right now it's Taiwan who has focused in on cameos to most.
But no one is going at any of this as hard as Thailand.
All that to say, while it might be fun, I don’t think Takara-kun and Amagi-kun and it’s guest appearance rumors heralds a trend. That said, I can’t wait to see it if it happens.
