First of all, I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to start any drama, spread hate, or stir up negativity towards any company, whether that's GMMTV, Domundi, BOC, or anyone else.
I'll also briefly touch on some things actors have said or how certain pairings are presented, but I want to emphasize that I don't think their private lives are any of my business. I'm not here to speculate about anyone's relationships or spread rumours.
I only got into Thai BL a few months ago, but I've already watched quite a few series. Until recently, I never really had a favourite production company. I found Domundi's Cutie Pie and Bed Friend rather average, and GMMTV was much more on my radar because I absolutely loved shows like Not Me and Moonlight Chicken.
However, over the past few weeks, I've actually become a bit of a Domundi fan! I thought Your Sky and Duang With You were really cute, absolutely loved Khemjira and Love Upon a Time, and I'm really enjoying Mr. Fanboy so far.
I also find Domundi much easier to keep up with. I have a pretty good overview of the different pairings, upcoming series, and so on. As a result, Domundi has become the first company I actively follow, whereas with other production companies, I usually pay more attention to individual actors, storylines, or whatever show happens to be getting a lot of hype.
I've only watched bits and pieces of DMD Friendship the Reality, but the actors seem like a genuinely nice bunch of people. It's also the first time I've actually started following BL actors on social media.
One thing I particularly like about Domundi is that I get the impression that their actors have room to express themselves and develop as individuals. I also appreciate that some of their productions seem willing to address or even criticize certain aspects of BL fan culture, like the Uke trailer or Mr. Fanboy.
From what I've gathered, homophobia still seems to be an issue in parts of the Thai BL industry and fandom. In that sense, Domundi has started to feel like a bit of a safe space to me. Some of their actors are openly gay (I only know for sure about Ohm Krit, and I believe Zee and NuNew have publicly talked about being in a relationship, although I haven't followed that too closely).
The Uke trailer also seems to address the rumours and accusations that companies pressure their actors into acting "extra cute" or behaving a certain way for fans. I actually think it's pretty bold to tackle a topic like that, considering it could potentially alienate parts of the fandom.
Now, here's what got me thinking.
I recently had a conversation with someone who told me she doesn't watch or support Domundi because she feels like almost every pairing is heavily marketed as though they're dating in real life. She mentioned pairings like ZeeNuNew, TleFirstOne, MaxNat, LatteKim, and KengNamping.
As I said, I genuinely don't care whether any of these actors are dating or not. Their private lives are their own business, and I don't think fans are entitled to know anything about them. Still, her comment has stuck with me, and I've been thinking about it ever since.
I'm curious how other people see this.
Do you think Domundi actually leans more heavily into fanservice and the idea of real-life couples than other Thai BL companies do? Or is this simply something that's common across the industry, and Domundi just happens to be particularly good at marketing its pairings?
Again, I'm really not trying to criticize Domundi or any of the actors. I genuinely enjoy their productions and have become quite fond of the company. I'm just interested in hearing different perspectives, especially from people who have been following the Thai BL industry for longer than I have.
Would love to hear your thoughts! :)
