Thai BL Pulps Explained + My Favorites
There’s this category of BL that comes out from Thailand (a lot) that’s just... oh how do I put this?
They’re mass produced with low production values (film quality, staging, wardrobe, makeup, workshopping or not, etc...), often with amateurish acting, and with slim or negligible story structure. One of the hallmarks form Thailand is particularly bad sound.
Henceforth I shall be calling these:
The Pulps of Thai BL
Here’s a shortlist of some of the worst offenders:
The Moment
Cupid Coach
I Am Your King 1 & 2
Love Love You
Love Poison 1 & 2
My Dream
Location
So Much In Love
Friend Forever
Evening Cafe
Brothers
With Love
They are, objectively speaking, not good. I do not recommend them as quality film, but like a soap opera addict, I watch them anyway.
I feel like a lot of Vietnamese and Pinoy stuff could be called BL Pulp too. And there’s early stuff out of Korea and Taiwan that’s in this vein, but not enough of it to be truly qualify as a pulp movement or BL sub genre.
The thing about Thailand is its *consistency* in producing these kinds of shows.
I also think there’s some Thai stuff out of bigger studios (that should know better, like GMMTV) that edges real darn close to Pulp like YYY or My Tee but for some reason just doesn’t fall all the way into the category. Maybe because better acting and production values? Or maybe because they were at the beginnings of the movement?
Anyway, just spitballing.
Update 2020:
I now throw this term around a lot.
Thai BL Pulp UPDATED Thoughts
It's not a pejorative, I promise!
@heretherebedork and I came up with the term because a lot of the mass produced Thai BL reminded us of the pulp fiction movement from 1900-1950s (racy, action-based books published cheaply and rapidly). These were accused of being poorly written, but like many things of this ilk, sniffy critics were upset by what was popular and the actual quality ranged widely (some were really very good).
The pulp term is drawn from the inexpensive nature of the paper they were printed on (which in turn can be traced back to the industrial revolution and the rise of the penny dreadfuls and yellow backs of the Victorian era).
Thai BL pulps are also cheaply made and rapidly produced, they tend to have inferior production values (especially sound) and chronic over use of tropes.
That doesn't necessarily make them all bad (although most of them aren't exactly good, either). It just makes them a specific sub genre of BL.
As watchers, we need to be prepared to forgive them their sins of quality or we can't ever appreciate them for the corny cheerful chaotic entertainment value they actually provide.
But some better made Thai BL can have these flaws too. It's just with the Thai BL pulps you're better off EXPECTING the flaws, that way you can be pleasantly surprised when they exceed expectations.
RECOMMENDED THAI BL PULPS
In no particular order.
Second Chance
Three couples, two of which are very good. Leads are great, plus fantastic kisses, plot is naff af though. Side dishes are an established pair. Messy high school shenanigans with everything culminating at the prom. Charming. And did I mention the kisses?
Golden Blood
Come for Sun & Sky, stay for Pitch & Bank. Thailand first crack at a bodyguard romance, and it’s not awesome. But they tried real hard, and PitchBank are absolute magic.
Ingredients
Everyone’s emotional support convenience store advertisement. If all you want is two soft boys being domestic, cooking together, cuddling on the couch, cat sitting, and babysitting - just put this on and be cozy.
Nitiman
This Thai BL pulp had sympathetic characters, a solid tsundere uke redemption arc, and a fantastic pining seme who yearned without bullying, grooming, or gaslighting. Plus when they were together, they were ridiculously soft. But it also had a realistic portrayal of university life, bisexual awakening, and friendship groups. Bummer about the ending.
My Ride
This is absolutely the best pulp Thailand has ever produced. It IS a pulp but it has a tight clean well paced story, for Thailand, and it’s well acted all round which elevates it beyond shoddy production values. It’s truly great. Not just as a pulp, but as a BL.
I should add I LOVE Make It Right, but while I consider it the origin of the pulps I’m not sure it, itself, can be considered one.
This post updated April 2022 so top ten as only as of this date.
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