When the entire world is set against you and your life choices, LGBTQ allies are those people who render their support selflessly and wholeheartedly.
They cheer you up when you feel down and become the shining beacons of light. While they are few and far between, they uplift the somber mood in most BL dramas and teach valuable life lessons. In today’s edition, our authors are going to talk about their favorites, who have made a memorable contribution!
MychelleLove’s Favorites
In every good BL there is that person or person’s that cheer you up. They are there to support you through the good and bad. They are truly amazing and never let you down. These are some of my ultimate favorite allies in the BL world; in short, they define “True Friendship”.
Manaow, Team & Del, Until We Meet Again
Manaow, Team and Del (Samantha Melanie, Prem Warut and Pineare Pannin) are my favorite allies in this series. Manaow and Team are best friends with Pharm and are there to not only protect him but also ship him with Dean. Del is Dean’s sister and is supportive of Pharm and Dean’s relationship. At times, it is comical to see them help Pharm, as they try to protect him from Alex. In other ways, it was endearing to see these actively support Pharm and Dean. Watching them in this series was a pure delight. These three are extremely talented actors/actresses who have moved onto other projects and have truly proved their mantle.
Pond, Love by Chance
Ae’s best friend, Pond (Yacht Patsit) is his main ally and does everything to help his friend Ae come to terms with the fact he likes Pete and accepts his feelings. Pond has a unique way of bringing Pete and Ae together. Pond was a very interesting character and always had good intentions. Pond plans “Special Parties” so Ae can sleep over at Pete’s. He sets up movie dates and he supports Ae’s decision to be with Pete. Pond might seem crazy at times, but he truly cares for Ae and Pete’s happiness. He wants to see his friends happy and in the end, no matter how crazy Pond is, his heart is always in the right place. Yacht is an extremely talented actor, and I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of Pond in both seasons of LBC.
Ming, 2Moons
Ming (Kimmon Warodom) is Wayo’s best friend who supports him in his quest to win over P’Pha. Ming has always stuck by Wayo during his good and bad times. Ming is one of those friends who will always support you and be there for you always, irrespective of your decisions. Ming is the voice of reason most of the times and has tonnes of crazy ideas. He is also sweet and lovable. He grows on you eventually as you realise that Ming is truly a good friend. Kimmon Warodom has an undeniable talent, and this is what makes him endearing as Ming.
Ming, 2Moons2
Ming (Joong Archen) in 2Moons2 is my favorite interpretation of this character. He encourages Wayo in his attempts to win over Phayo. In 2Moons2, I appreciated the innocent way, Joong Archen Aydin played this role. He was always there supporting Wayo and being a good friend. I truly adored this series more; as Ming had a larger role, so to speak, in this one. We get to see Ming help his friend over and over, as we also get to know the fact Ming has a crush on Kit. Wayo helps his friend and it was very endearing to watch these two close friends win over their apparent love interests. Joong Archen was only 18, when he filmed this series and his talent exploded on the screen. I am a huge fan of Joong Archen Aydin and support him to this day. Joong Archen Aydin will always be MY Ming!!
There are so many other BL dramas with allies, that I could be here all day. These are my favorite ones, as they were most endearing to watch. I appreciated the loyalty they all had towards their friends’ choice of partner. They never questioned them or showed any kind of disappointment. They were genuinely happy for their friends and family. They stood by them through good and bad times and that is what a true friend does. The LBGTQ+ community is a very unique and special community and we should definitely appreciate the allies in this world.
Thank you for reading and I hope you know there is always someone out there, who will support you and be there for you no matter what !!
PotatoBLChild’s Favorites
This was a hard one, and only because I’m weirdly picky at times.
It’s not like there aren’t many allies in BL series—there are quite a few amazing and supportive characters out there. But there are some who’re really memorable to me, either because of how wonderful their characters are or the interesting portrayals of an ‘ally’ that caught my attention.
Nam Goong from Light on Me (2021)
This absolutely beautiful ray of sunshine pretty much resonated with the English title of this series. Nam Goong is so precious, the kind of friend one would want in life. In addition to being a fully-certified clown, he is quite a good listener. He gives some solid advice to everyone (Taekyung included). He understands the struggles of his friends, especially when it comes to Daon and Shinwoo. I particularly love how he deals with Sohee in the series and the anger and frustration he portrays when he sees what his friends are going through because of the rampant homophobia prevalent in society (depicted through the actions and words of his schoolmates).
The Owner of the Restaurant in Table Manner (2018)
Although not referred to by her name, this ‘noona’ is a close friend of Minjae, the main character, and his ex-partner Hyunsoo, who helps out at her restaurant when her chef is sick. She pretty much fills in the gaps in the plot for us, and provides some sound commentary on relationships in general, and keeps Hyunsoo company as he nurses his broken heart.
Barista 2 of the Café in One Last Order (2019)
Another character whose name I wish to know (but isn’t provided by the creators once again), this young woman deserves the attention of viewers. A bright and easygoing character (almost portrayed as frivolous), Barista 2 manages to capture our hearts as it’s revealed that she is very well aware of her colleague Kyungsoo’s crush on Jongin, a customer at the café. In fact, she’s the one who convinces Jongin that his secret admirer is worth the wait, and that he shouldn’t give up finding him so easily.
Tul from A Tale of a Thousand Stars (2021)
Tul is not only a good friend to Tian in the series but is also a supportive ally. This is revealed especially when Tian confesses that he might be gay and that he has feelings for Chief Phupha. Tul is probably the one who makes him realise it as well. I love how he takes it in stride and also says that it’s not any different from liking women. It’s rare to find a supportive friend like him in real life, and although it’s supposed to be the bare minimum you expect from your friend, it’s refreshing to find a character in BL media who provides fascinating conversations around the topic as he does.
Special Mentions
Not a long list this time, I assure you.
There are two interesting kinds of portrayal of allies I’ve seen in BL media other than the ones mentioned above. I’d like to mention Father Oliver from Your Name Engraved Herein (2020), who is depicted as an older ally one confides in. I love how he patiently listens to Jia Han and echoes the struggles of a person from the LGBTQIA+ community in his own life.
On the other hand, Judit from Gaya sa Pelikula (2020) is an interesting portrayal of an ally—that of a struggling one. Although she keeps calling herself an ‘ally’ and tries to show that she is a beacon of inclusivity, the series shows how much she struggles to create a balance between her words and her actions. Although she seems a bit annoying and frustrating, I appreciate her honesty regarding the matter, especially when she apologises to Vladimir, her brother, for citing that his sexuality was the reason for their broken family. I usually don’t see portrayals of struggling allies in BLs, so this one was a breath of fresh air, an issue that needed to be addressed.
We will be back next week with the third edition of this feature. So till then, keep watching this space as we bring you more updates from the Asian BL World!
(Pictures Credit- Original Sources)
The BL Xpress 