I’m still thinking about Daou Pittya’s live last night where he roasted fans and his current mission to get people to stop using the terms koojin and fanservice.
And thinking about how Pond and Phuwin admitted they hang out a lot but they don’t post any of it because they don’t want their actual relationship outside of work to be called fanservice.
And thinking about the interview BillyBabe gave recently where they reiterated that they don’t engage in fanservice and they can’t make anyone believe anything about their relationship anyway.
And about old videos of Earth during early ATOTS era asking MCs not to use the term koojin about him and Mix.
And about YinWar, BossNouel and MaxTul always having been very honest that they are friends who work together. Never obscuring that fact.
And about Tay Tawan loudly saying that OffGunTayNew all kiss each other all the time since Gun showed up and the realties of their friendship are none of your business.
And about Krist loudly saying he’s allowed to have friends.
Because none of these pairs intend to stop acting with their current partner (aside from MaxTul because Tul has left the industry entirely.) They’re not protesting being paired with another person for multiple projects. They are protesting the commodification, the telling a person who they are with know actual knowledge, and frankly homophobic/toxic masculinity drenched idea that for a man to show care to another man they either have to have a deep romantic relationship or they’re faking it all for the money, even the stuff with no branding attached.
And half the stuff that gets filed away as evidence that two men in a pair or are dating or that everything is definitely fanservice and is entirely manufactured are things that are completely normal in female friendships:
Looking at a person when they speak
Knowing someone’s likes and dislikes
Thoughtful gifts
Saying you love them/care
Acts of service
Physical affection
Sometimes being jealous of a friend’s relationship with other friends
Hanging out outside of work
And yeah, some of them may be just coworkers that they grit their teeth and work with and fake it til they make it. But some pairs out there have a genuine relationship, however they label it. And however it’s labeled is none of your business.
As a fan, you have no right to tell them how to act, whether it’s to call out fanservice and demand they stop or to tell them they can’t have other friends. Both are toxic extremes and treating a person like an object you can control.
There’s a longer essay on this, that I plan to finish soon, but this is where my brain keeps cycling through.
Bottom line, listen to these men when they speak. Trust their agency. I hope they keep clapping back at everyone.
