We’re calling it—BrightWin's 'F4,' BL ‘Bad Buddy’ are the Thai shows to watch out for in 2021
Thai production company and talent agency GMM finally released the trailers of their upcoming shows for next year on Thurs, Dec 3.
More than 10 shows were announced—the most awaited of which is their remake of the popular Asian drama “Meteor Garden.”
Titled “F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers,” the show stars Thai actors Bright Vachirawit and Win Metawin, with Tu Tontawan (who will play the show’s female lead), and actors Dew Jirawat and Nani Hirunkit.
“F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers” is Bright and Win’s first TV project together after their phenomenal Boys Love show “2gether: The Series,” which became a hit earlier this year.
The show aired on Thai TV network GMM 25 but was made available on YouTube for viewers outside Thailand, turning it into an online sensation, especially in the Philippines.
“2gether: The Series" and its stars became so popular that it spawned a so-called BL fever in the Philippines. Many local production companies released their own BL (a genre of fictionalized media that features homoerotic relationships between male characters), including The Ideafirst Company (Gameboys), ABS-CBN (Hello, Stranger), and Regal Films (BenxJim),
It’s understandable why fans would go gaga over “F4 Thailand” besides Bright and Win. “F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers” is based on the Japanese shoujo manga Boys Over Flowers which has spawned several popular adaptations all over Asia—including the popular 2001 Taiwanese version titled “Meteor Garden” starring Jerry Yan and Barbie Hsu.
But for our money, among the titles GMMTV launched, it’s the BL show “Bad Buddy” that has the biggest potential to be a crossover hit.
Starring Thai actors Ohm Pawat and Korapat, “Bad Buddy,” at least based on the trailer, is about two young men who are members of feuding families.
But the two men are friends, so they have to hide their friendship from everyone else—something made more complicated by the fact that they are developing feelings for each other. It feels like a modern Thai retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but with two men.
“Bad Buddy” is on to a good start; Ohm and Pawat trended on Twitter as soon as their upcoming project was announced. (Ohm’s 2019 BL drama “He’s Coming To Me” is available on iWanTFC, along with other past titles from GMMTV)
The exact premiere dates of “F4 Thailand: Boys Over Thailand” and “Bad Buddy” are yet to be announced, but we’re hoping they’ll be available (legally, of course) in the Philippines via official streaming channels once they air.
2021 can’t get here soon enough.
Banner photo screengrab from GMMTV Youtube Channel
