#and in more non-romance genre plots like The Player and The Revenge and Baker Boys etc | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mejomonster · 3 years ago

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saw some thai actors mentioning wanting to branch out beyond bl genre, which i thoroughly get because of like - expansive genres options (whereas a lot of bl used to be romcom/romantic-drama)

however like, i don’t think that necessarily means no more playing lgbt characters either. especially with some movement toward more shows with like General lgbt characters/plots that are part of the larger whole. Like, Manner of Death is a prime example of Murder Mystery Genre, with characters that happen to be queer as the main romance subplot. 3 Will Be Free is an ensemble show that includes primarily lgbt main characters and storylines, its a thriller/on the run plot main-genre wise. The Player has multiple lgbt characters central to the plot, but the show is Primarily Murder Mystery genre as far as ‘the kind of acting job you want to explore’. 55:15 Never Too Late has lgbt characters and again, the main plot is about exploring the main character’s lives/regrets not limited to romance. (i’m only going into thai dramas right now, but likewise in western media there’s a lot more of ‘lgbt main character’ in Main Genre sci fi/supernatural/horror/murder mystery shows than there used to be - u can now find lgbt characters and stories beyond just gay rom-com/romantic-drama genres, you can find lgbt characters and stories beyond just the ‘romance’ main genre stuff).

i just think like. i would love in general to continue seeing the trend of more lgbt characters and stories in general being a part of a wide range of genres, and in that sense i don’t think we’ll stop seeing actors take on such roles.

(its complicated in that to me i generally see ‘bl genre’ as the same as ‘gay romance’ since to me there’s overlap, but at the same time i Do realize that bl genre normally means ‘ROMANCE main-genre.’ and in that sense, yes there is a distinct difference between lgbt characters/romances being a part of a plot versus The Main Plot going on in a story. I saw someone mention once that History 3: Trapped was so distinct because it brought a relatively-meaty mystery plot in alongside the romance, making it not strictly romance genre which made it stand out. Then Manner of Death took that idea and went further, making a mystery the Main Plot and visually leaning into that genre more, with romance just a part of it - whereas History 3 Trapped tone-wise with its visuals leaned closer into romance-genre presentation. I do agree there is that kind of distinction in a way - on whether romance is part of the plot or the central element of the Entire plot. Again though - there’s a grey area full of overlap. Guardian, Word of Honor, The Untamed are HEAVY on their non-romance plots too and not visually depicted like ‘romance’ genre. Not Me has been categorized as ‘bl genre’ yet I’d argue so far its presentation and storytelling lands in suspense-genre more like The Player, romance is not its primary plot driving force - characters and their personal struggles are. Not all ‘bl genre’ shows’ are actually primary-romance genre. I think the more these writing choices are made - choosing to simply write a wide range of plots/genres that include lgbt characters - there’s going to be less distinction. And the difference will turn more into ‘is this mainly Romance genre’ or more genres, instead of ‘does this have an lgbt romance or not’.)

as bl genre plots start stretching what kind of stories they tell beyond ‘just romance’ we get more into this grey zone of them being a variety of genres that happen to have queer romance.

#rant #im sorry if i cant explain my point well. but its like? we saw a similar thing in western media #it used to be u watched Queer as Folk or The L Word. or else you saw NO lgbt characters #or very few. especially few that were main characters with romance arcs #then the late 90s some regular romance-genre straight shows started including lgbt characters and arcs #then 2000s-2010s saw a LOT more willingness to add at least 1-2 lgbt main characters #to the point where now? i Expect queer characters in my fantasy or sci fi shows at MINIMUM #and thank god its easier for me to find that. but yeah its like? im bi i'd like to see characters like me in the main cast.#and i havent seen old thai dramas so idk when they started including more 'general lgbt characters' in various genres #but in My Dear Loser you can see willingness to add lgbt main characters to General Teen Romance shows #and in very new Ensemble shows again you can expect lgbt main characters #in Romance-Drama plots that are more general audiences like Friendzone #and in more non-romance genre plots like The Player and The Revenge and Baker Boys etc #and that reminds me a lot of how in western media i now expect to see some lgbt people like me in stories #but also. in thai dramaland u get an interesting addition. of the 'bl romance genre' also starting to stretch plots #outside of the traditional 'rom com/rom drama in school setting'#thai dramas are curious to me because they have the potential to really create an atmosphere of #MORE multi-genre stories with MAINLY lgbt characters #which is something western media still rarely does - usually theres a 'token' lgbt character and maybe 1 romance for them #only shows that distinctly AIM for lgbt focus tend to have more queer characters - like Black Sails.#with thai bl genre branching out into more stories. it opens up room for more varied stories lgbt characters get to be the focus of. which #is cool.#semi-related but i think thats part of the appeal of cdrama censored-gay-romances oddly. like no one wants them censored #but the fact they got adapted? generally means their Whole Plot was quite interesting - enough to be compelling even with the romance toned #down. and i think a lot of people crave more variety of stories with lgbt characters as the MAIN characters.#and cdrama adaptations provide me lgbt main characters and romances in a variety of stories. thai dramas are the ONLU #dramas rn also starting to provide lgbt main characters in many situations/stories.#in western media i still basically have to go to 'romance genre' to find that usually. and in japan and taiwan still have to usually go to #romance-genre as well. thai dramas are the ones starting to lean into trying lgbt leads #in more genre variety. i think the popularity of bl dramas there is helping them start taking those risks

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