I am so scared to start this drama. š I found the trailer intriguing, but the hype is so crazy and I usually…
The hype is crazy because itās deserved. This series isnāt even that popular, and only now, two weeks later, Iām starting to see people talking about it.
But if youāre looking for a mainstream show, this isnāt it. Itās very poetic, and the pacing is more like a romantic poem than a typical drama.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. But if that kind of storytelling isnāt your thing, you might not like it.
Iām sorry but do you even know what queer baiting actually is bc neither of those two are that.
Take Arthit and Johan from Fourever You. Theyāre both queer characters, theyāre both in relationships with men, and by fandom logic they could absolutely be shipped together. People ship characters for far less.
Yet you barely see that happening.
Why? Because the friendship itself isnāt written in a romantic or homoerotic way. The narrative doesnāt encourage that reading. Their relationship is clearly presented as friendship, so thatās how most people perceive it.
Of course there will always be a few shippers. There always are. But the dominant conversation around Arthit and Johan isnāt ātheyāre secretly in loveā or ātheyāre basically a couple.ā
Thatās why I donāt think all of this can be reduced to fandom projection. The way a relationship is written matters. Some friendships are perceived as friendships by the vast majority of the audience, while others generate constant romantic readings. To me, that difference doesnāt happen by accident.
Iām sorry but do you even know what queer baiting actually is bc neither of those two are that.
I think this is where we disagree.
I donāt deny that fandom contributes to it. What I disagree with is the idea that GMMTV is just standing on the sidelines while fans randomly decide to ship people.
GMMTV knows exactly how these pairings are perceived. They know which dynamics generate discussion, engagement and shipping. If they truly wanted to tell straightforward friendship stories, they could do that. Plenty of shows have done it successfully.
Instead, they keep returning to pairings and narratives that are constantly read through a romantic lens, and then market those pairings together because they know thereās an audience for it. Thatās why I donāt see it as purely a fandom issue. If a company knows exactly how a product is being consumed and continues to lean into it, then the company is part of that dynamic as well.
Iām sorry but do you even know what queer baiting actually is bc neither of those two are that.
Sure, I can explain what I mean.
When I talk about capitalizing on romantic speculation, Iām not necessarily talking about whatās happening within the story itself. Iām also talking about the way these pairings are promoted and consumed.
Once a ship exists, you often end up with fandom dynamics that look almost identical to BL fandoms: people shipping the characters, shipping the actors, analyzing every interaction, talking about the relationship as if itās romantic, and treating the story as a love story that simply doesnāt include a kiss.
And if weāre talking about Wu specifically, Iāve seen countless fans describe it as ānot a BL because itās an action series with romantic undertonesā or āa love story without the romance being explicit.ā Whether you agree with those interpretations or not, they exist, and theyāre extremely common.
Thatās exactly the distinction Iām trying to make. When people talk about a friendship-focused story, they usually talk about friendship. When people talk about bromances, the conversation very often becomes āthey love each other, theyāre basically a couple, the romance is there even if it isnāt explicit.ā
To me, those are not the same thing. A genuine friendship narrative stands on friendship itself. A bromance, by definition, exists in a space where romantic interpretation is constantly part of the appeal, whether itās encouraged by the creators, the marketing, the fandom, or all three.
Iām sorry but do you even know what queer baiting actually is bc neither of those two are that.
I think youāre arguing against a point I never made.
I never said deep friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, or platonic love arenāt real. Of course they are. What Iām saying is that there is a difference between a story that is clearly written as a friendship and a story that deliberately leans into ambiguity, romantic interpretations, or marketing that benefits from those interpretations.
Also, I never mentioned Wu specifically. My comment was about a broader trend, not a judgment of one particular series.
And since you brought up the audience: Iām actually not part of the audience for these shows. I donāt watch bromances precisely because Iām not interested in that kind of marketing. So this isnāt a case of me wanting everything to be a BL and being disappointed when it isnāt.
My point is simply that if a story wants to be about friendship, then let it be about friendship. If it wants to capitalize on romantic speculation, thatās a different conversation. But pretending those are exactly the same thing is where I disagree.
Friendship is valuable on its own, and romance is valuable on its own. Wanting a distinction between the two isnāt an attack on platonic love.
Iām sorry but do you even know what queer baiting actually is bc neither of those two are that.
Thank you šš» It genuinely frustrates me when people donāt understand the difference and act like we want every show to be a BL, because thatās really not the point at all š
Iām sorry but do you even know what queer baiting actually is bc neither of those two are that.
Maybe some of you donāt understand the difference between a story about friendship between two men and whatever GMMTV is doing.
A friendship centered story is exactly that: a story about friendship. The relationship is written, framed, and presented as platonic, even when the characters deeply care about each other. There are countless great shows built around male friendships, and you can clearly feel that thatās what the story is trying to portray.
What GMMTV often does is something different. When you deliberately fill a relationship with romantic coded scenes, lingering looks, intimate moments, suggestive dialogue, jealousy, and constant ambiguity designed to make the audience question whether thereās something more going on, people arenāt imagining the subtext. The subtext is being intentionally created.
And to be clear, Iām not saying actors who donāt want to do BL should do BL anyway. Thatās not my point at all. Iām saying that if youāre going to tell me a story about two friends, then make it a story about two friends. Donāt create something that constantly winks at people who see it as romantic while simultaneously trying to reassure people who donāt want to see it that way. And before anyone brings up Chinese ābromancesā: thatās not really the same thing. Chinese productions are often forced by censorship to present romantic relationships as friendships, even when the source material is openly romantic. Thatās very different from intentionally writing and marketing a relationship with homoerotic tension while still calling it ājust friendship.ā
They eat fried worms? Is there anything that chinese people don't eat? It is a wholesome story though.
Yes, they did. Every culture has foods that seem unusual to outsiders. Thatās one of the things that makes learning about different cultures so interesting.
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But if youāre looking for a mainstream show, this isnāt it. Itās very poetic, and the pacing is more like a romantic poem than a typical drama.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. But if that kind of storytelling isnāt your thing, you might not like it.
Yet you barely see that happening.
Why? Because the friendship itself isnāt written in a romantic or homoerotic way. The narrative doesnāt encourage that reading. Their relationship is clearly presented as friendship, so thatās how most people perceive it.
Of course there will always be a few shippers. There always are. But the dominant conversation around Arthit and Johan isnāt ātheyāre secretly in loveā or ātheyāre basically a couple.ā
Thatās why I donāt think all of this can be reduced to fandom projection. The way a relationship is written matters. Some friendships are perceived as friendships by the vast majority of the audience, while others generate constant romantic readings. To me, that difference doesnāt happen by accident.
I donāt deny that fandom contributes to it. What I disagree with is the idea that GMMTV is just standing on the sidelines while fans randomly decide to ship people.
GMMTV knows exactly how these pairings are perceived. They know which dynamics generate discussion, engagement and shipping. If they truly wanted to tell straightforward friendship stories, they could do that. Plenty of shows have done it successfully.
Instead, they keep returning to pairings and narratives that are constantly read through a romantic lens, and then market those pairings together because they know thereās an audience for it.
Thatās why I donāt see it as purely a fandom issue. If a company knows exactly how a product is being consumed and continues to lean into it, then the company is part of that dynamic as well.
When I talk about capitalizing on romantic speculation, Iām not necessarily talking about whatās happening within the story itself. Iām also talking about the way these pairings are promoted and consumed.
Once a ship exists, you often end up with fandom dynamics that look almost identical to BL fandoms: people shipping the characters, shipping the actors, analyzing every interaction, talking about the relationship as if itās romantic, and treating the story as a love story that simply doesnāt include a kiss.
And if weāre talking about Wu specifically, Iāve seen countless fans describe it as ānot a BL because itās an action series with romantic undertonesā or āa love story without the romance being explicit.ā Whether you agree with those interpretations or not, they exist, and theyāre extremely common.
Thatās exactly the distinction Iām trying to make. When people talk about a friendship-focused story, they usually talk about friendship. When people talk about bromances, the conversation very often becomes āthey love each other, theyāre basically a couple, the romance is there even if it isnāt explicit.ā
To me, those are not the same thing. A genuine friendship narrative stands on friendship itself. A bromance, by definition, exists in a space where romantic interpretation is constantly part of the appeal, whether itās encouraged by the creators, the marketing, the fandom, or all three.
I never said deep friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, or platonic love arenāt real. Of course they are.
What Iām saying is that there is a difference between a story that is clearly written as a friendship and a story that deliberately leans into ambiguity, romantic interpretations, or marketing that benefits from those interpretations.
Also, I never mentioned Wu specifically. My comment was about a broader trend, not a judgment of one particular series.
And since you brought up the audience: Iām actually not part of the audience for these shows. I donāt watch bromances precisely because Iām not interested in that kind of marketing. So this isnāt a case of me wanting everything to be a BL and being disappointed when it isnāt.
My point is simply that if a story wants to be about friendship, then let it be about friendship. If it wants to capitalize on romantic speculation, thatās a different conversation. But pretending those are exactly the same thing is where I disagree.
Friendship is valuable on its own, and romance is valuable on its own. Wanting a distinction between the two isnāt an attack on platonic love.
A friendship centered story is exactly that: a story about friendship. The relationship is written, framed, and presented as platonic, even when the characters deeply care about each other. There are countless great shows built around male friendships, and you can clearly feel that thatās what the story is trying to portray.
What GMMTV often does is something different. When you deliberately fill a relationship with romantic coded scenes, lingering looks, intimate moments, suggestive dialogue, jealousy, and constant ambiguity designed to make the audience question whether thereās something more going on, people arenāt imagining the subtext. The subtext is being intentionally created.
And to be clear, Iām not saying actors who donāt want to do BL should do BL anyway. Thatās not my point at all. Iām saying that if youāre going to tell me a story about two friends, then make it a story about two friends. Donāt create something that constantly winks at people who see it as romantic while simultaneously trying to reassure people who donāt want to see it that way.
And before anyone brings up Chinese ābromancesā: thatās not really the same thing. Chinese productions are often forced by censorship to present romantic relationships as friendships, even when the source material is openly romantic. Thatās very different from intentionally writing and marketing a relationship with homoerotic tension while still calling it ājust friendship.ā
Their chemistry is insane, and Iām already obsessed.
Canāt wait for more! ā¤ļø