Due to government restrictions on domestic BL content, Chinese viewers have increasingly turned to Thai boys’ love (BL) series, which depict homoromantic relationships between male characters. Thai BL is distinctive in its encouragement of both on- and off-screen intimacy among actors. This paper examines Chinese fans’ engagement with Thai BL dramas, highlighting how their participation in “shipping” and “fan service” practices creates a “hyperreal” experience in which the boundary between fiction and reality becomes blurred. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 30 Chinese viewers, the study argues that fans actively co-construct this hyperreality to fulfill emotional and social needs, rather than being mere passive consumers manipulated by the industry. Beyond its hyperreal appeal, Thai BL also shapes Chinese fans’ perceptions of Thailand, offering a contrast to China’s restrictive social environment by imagining Thailand as a land of freedom and acceptance. This engagement extends beyond romantic fantasy to a broader cultural imagination, with Thai BL presenting an “alternative civility”—a vision of tolerance, love, and respect for differences. By immersing themselves in these dramas, fans momentarily escape their own social realities, negotiating between fantasy and resistance in ways that redefine their relationship with both media and society.
Amporn Jirattikorn (Wed,) studied this question.
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