Gelboys

Bangkok is also a character in this bitter colorful love story

Gelboys has become my favorite BL series from Thailand. The cast of the four main characters is really good, especially PJ and New. They were both amazing!

I really liked the four characters, I could empathize with all of them. Initially, it was hard to like Bua and Chian, but even they became more human later on. I really identified with For4mod because, like him, I am a person who has always sought monogamous relationships my whole life and tends to romanticize this type of relationship too much, eternally searching for perfect partners (who do not exist). In the first scene of the series, we are introduced to the protagonist, a guy who is crazy about having a monogamous relationship, someone who hates having uncertain and informal relationships. Unfortunately for him, he falls in love with another guy who can only offer him the uncertainty he hates so much. Chian is obsessed with his classmate Bua - who is strangely lonely despite his popularity on the internet - who does not reciprocate his interest, but gives him unfounded hope. To top it all off, Baabin, Fou4mod's best friend, harbors a repressed passion for his friend.
Four people who harbor confusing feelings for each other, many passions directed at the wrong person, many unrequited desires or, worse, reciprocated with unequal intensities.
Along with all this, the suffocating omnipresence of social media, maximizing anxieties, minimizing self-esteem, and increasing the feeling of loneliness in the midst of the crowd.
The photography in the series takes us deep into the center of Bangkok, making us familiar with alleys, lanes, train stations, and shops. For those who have never been to Bangkok, it's as if they had the opportunity to get to know the city. For those, like me, who already know the city, it feels like they're watching an old friend being portrayed from a beautiful and glamorous point of view.
The scenes of sexual intimacy were beautiful and well-executed. They didn't fall into any cliché of mechanical penetration scenes. They used sexuality more in the sense of touch, of discovering the body. The sequence in which Baabin and Bua "perform" sexual poses is a delight. It was incredibly sexy, but without being vulgar or overbearing. In a way, it is a surprisingly innocent scene, where two virgin boys play with their bodies, one inciting the other, testing their limits.

The disappointments that all the characters go through were well explored thanks to the good performance of the cast. Such moments made me remember the disappointments I have experienced throughout my life. How painful it is to be rejected, betrayed or hurt by someone we like. And watching the series as an adult, it is interesting to reflect on how these disappointments will continue to occur throughout life. And it will always hurt, but we learn to deal with these frustrations.

A beautiful series about coming of age in the age of social media in a big city in the global south. I wish more people in the West could watch series like this.

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THE BEST BL ever made (:

I finished watching this series almost a month ago and honestly I can't stop thinking about Gelboys. It is without a doubt the best BL ever made.

I'm a bit biased to say this since I think Boss Kuno is one of the best BL directors today, but here he once again surpasses himself and delivers one of the most authentic and interesting series ever made in this industry.

Nothing is chewed up and regurgitated to be consumed easily. What we have here is an original story, full of personality, color, life, desire and excellence.

Every frame of this series is a photograph. The scene composition, the construction of the set, the costumes, the editing, the way Boss captures Thailand is mesmerizing. He shows a real, dirty, messy, alive place. The cinematography makes us feel like we're inside this chaotic world that he creates.

This is without a doubt the series that has the most authentic and realistic representation of teenagers. The way they use social media, the language, the way they dress, the confusing feelings and the embarrassing moments. There are no villains or big kidnapping plots, rich and manipulative families, destroyed secrets, here everything is real, everything is very easy to identify with.

I love how much the series references these influences. The music, the trends, the behaviors that every teenager has when they are in love, the confusions, the game of interests.

And unlike some other series that seem disconnected, here everything makes sense. Boss creates this colorful and maximalist world, full of stickers, graffiti, motion and fashion. The costumes, the sets, the nails and even the editing are full of personality and create this universe so visually rich and interesting.

I could spend hours talking about every aspect and every detail of what I loved about this series. The subtlety, the development, the creativity here are high points. And how innovative and refreshing it is to watch a BL that doesn't infantilize its characters or repeat the same old aesthetic.

Truly, a work of art.

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A different show

When the trailer came out I didn’t watch it. It was in my YouTube feed for one entire month.
One day I decided to watch it without watching the trailer and WOW, I didn’t expect it to be like this. After finishing it I find out that the director is Boss Kuno who is the director of I Told Sunset About you that is my favourite BL show. I think he is a very good director.

About the show. This one tries to show gen Z, at least in Thailand because I think that in other parts of the world this generation is different. Despite this there’s a lot of things in common like using Instagram and TikTok the way they use them: to flirt, to stalk and these type of things.
The plot is good and I like how the events go.

About the image and the colors I like them. I like the locations too. Is incredible to know that most of the scenes are recorded with a mobile phone because the quality is so good. The fashion is on point.

About the acting. I haven’t seen this actors before. I think that the guy who plays FourMod acts in I Promised you The Moon but I didn’t finish that show so I don’t remember him well. I think that these actors have a lot of chemistry especially the ones who play FourMod and Chian. The way they act is very real and good, I appreciate actors who can cry in a real way.

Music. I think that I like all the songs, RED FLAG is so catchy (the speed-up version).

This is one show that I would recommend and if you are thinking on watching it I think that you should give it a try, even if you don’t like love triangles (in this show there is a square lol) because I hate love triangles and I liked it a lot.

To finish, I NEED TO DO MY NAILS LIKE THEM. I don’t like to do my nails but after this is a necessity.

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Réal « gel » boys wihtiut usual Thaï cliché

I binge-watched it — and I can confidently say: it’s a masterpiece. A serie I almost skipped because of the cover and the title. Thank God I gave it a chance.

If you’re looking for pink unicorns, Porsche-driving tops, and glossy boys — this is not the show for you. This is a story about regular guys, a bit rough around the edges, dealing with real, awkward, and painful love issues. There’s no clear division into tops and bottoms, no obvious pairings. You never know who will end up with whom — the only thing that’s clear is that everyone has a broken heart.

The four main characters might not have equal screen time, but each of them is fully fleshed out and relatable. There are no clear-cut good or bad guys, no love at first sight. Everything is messy and complicated — just like in real life. Honestly, if I didn’t know it was from Thailand, I would’ve thought it was a European series. It feels that raw and grounded — no glitter, no sparkles, no fairy dust. Just teenagers and their feelings.

Special shoutout to that running gag with the ridiculous nails — such a small detail, but unforgettable.
A solid 10/10. I’ll definitely be following the actors — they all nailed it. And Leon (the redhead)… you know what I mean.

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Reached The Top But...

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best BLs to come out of Thailand in a long, long time. Assuredly, it will be like nothing you have ever seen before. It is realistic, fresh, and reflective of today’s fast paced adolescent living. Antithetical to when I was their age? I hate to tell you this, but little has changed! It is exactly what it was like when I was their age. While the forms of communication, clothing styles and slang, and certainly the awesome freedom to express oneself are all vastly dissimilar, what the internal feelings and emotions are and how those are established and exhibited are exactly the same way that we expressed them some 60 years ago and I suspect goes back much further. It is comforting to know that egocentrically and emotionally little has changed. If this is representative of today’s generation, then the reality is we have always been generational gelboys. Where I wanted to see this unique series succeed was to tell a more truthful story. I wish they had used actual teens for the roles so as to have captured the genuine immaturity of the substantive times; not the reflections of the past memories of the current performers. I am not a proponent of using older performers for roles that are clearly contemporary and in the here and now. There is no reason to do so. That IS what the story is about. We want to see, sense, feel, and genuinely grasp what they are experiencing in real time. Not a reflection of what was but a reality of what is. If they had used contemporary performers this would have been a dynamic masterpiece and set the standards for others to follow. It would have lent a greater level of sincerity to the production and the story, and we would have grasped the deeper meaning of the emotions because they would not have lived them yet. We would have watched them project their raw emotions, and for me that would have given it a greater sense of uncertainty. After all, they are teenagers, and they have their whole lives ahead of them. Let us see how each of them would have portrayed their own ‘tabula rasa’.

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The adolescent queer human experience as a show

This is not a story about everlasting love, nor is it about finding the right person or making the right choices. It is a story of four flawed young queer people and the consequences of their intertwined lives. As the audience, we are mere observers, watching attraction, lust, and heartbreak unfold through the lens of a modern, social media-obsessed world. This is one of the best coming-of-age stories I’ve ever seen.

The city itself feels like a character, alive in every frame. Each shot is masterfully composed, with something compelling always unfolding around the protagonists. The use of music—and its absence—heightens the impact of every scene.

If you're looking for a break from fluffy, romanticized BLs and want a glimpse into authentic, messy, and bittersweet queer love, this is it.

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Genius and Calculated Series

I have nothing but admiration and awe for this series. The production is absolutely insane—can you believe it was filmed using a phone? The acting is phenomenal; the casting is flawless, and every actor delivers with such precision, from their nuances to their micro-expressions.

I also love how the story unfolds without spoon-feeding the audience. It trusts us to understand each of the Gelboys characters, their complexity, and their deeply human teenage struggles. The show captures the reality of being a teenager—the impulsive decisions, the lack of long-term thinking, and the way we act purely based on how we feel in the moment. The characters are beautifully flawed, making them feel real and relatable.

Another thing I admire is how seamlessly they incorporate T-pop culture into the narrative. The music is incredible—my personal favorites so far are 9PM by Pide and Noid-Ah by Leon. I’m really into slow and melancholic songs, so these two resonate with me the most. But honestly, every OST released so far perfectly fits the characters and their emotions.

At first glance, Gelboys may seem like a lighthearted and fun story, but it’s so much more than that. It delivers valuable lessons and allows us to reflect on our own teenage years. It makes us realize how we used to think and act at their age—perhaps minus the super colorful aesthetic, but the thought processes and decisions feel very familiar.

I also love how Siam is not just a backdrop but an integral part of the story. The setting isn't just there for aesthetics—it plays a role in shaping the characters, their experiences, and the way they navigate their lives. The show captures the essence of its culture and environment, making it feel immersive and authentic rather than just a pretty location.

Lastly, I am absolutely in love with Gelboys’ cinematography. Every frame tells a story. The wide shots are brilliantly placed, subtly conveying shifts in emotions and character development. You can feel when a character is lonely, longing for something, or going through a moment of change—all without words, just through the visuals. That, to me, is pure genius.

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