The Fujoshi Files: My Journey to Being Rotten

7. My First Filipino BL

Everything in the world seems so uncertain, but one thing is for sure change is happening.

The first Boy's Love series created for the Filipino viewers was "Gameboys" (2020). Gameboys was produced by IdeaFirst Company which was known for its innovative, game changing and award-winning content. After the success of the Thai Boy's Love series "2gether", IdeaFirst created Gameboys as an experiment. While borrowing some of the game plays from the playbook of its predecessor, the writer of the show elevated the level of BL writing into new heights by smashing tropes and by highlighting the experiences in life and love of queer characters.

Game Boys showed the story of a live-streamer and his fan. Cairo was a gamer and live-streamer, while Gavreel was his fanboy who learned to play mobile games to impress him. Gavreel challenged Cairo to a one-on-one game. They made a deal that whoever won the game would be granted a reward. If Cairo won, Gavreel would stop pestering him. If Gavreel won, Cairo would give him (Gavreel) permission to court him (Cairo). Being confident with his gaming abilities, Cairo accepted the challenge and struck a deal with Gavreel. Little did he know that this challenge would lead him to the path of love, forgiveness and self-acceptance.

I enjoyed this show tremendously. There were many aspects of the show that made it more than just a source of entertainment for people like me who love a good romance drama. The show was an important piece as it tackled various topics, such as gender and mental health, which were usually featured only to a certain extent in mainstream media. This is due to the constricting social norms and beliefs, as well as existing industry/business models.

Gameboys was set during the pandemic; a time when many were caught unprepared by a virus that spreads and kills. The country was on lockdown, and people were forced to adapt to the drastic and massive changes (i.e. the new normal). People were isolated, forced to look at themselves and find their place in a world full of question marks and exclamation points. Such brought an unquestionable realism to the show which made it not only relatable for the viewers but more importantly made it RELEVANT.

Aside from the solid plot, the story had the most relatable characters. When I thought about the characters, a few people in my circle came to mind. Yes, that was how well the characters were written/created. The people in Gameboys felt so real. They could be your siblings, your friends, your friends' friends, your classmates, or colleagues. It was really like watching people you know get to know each other and then fall in love; therefore, you would be more invested in their story. The character development was amazing. While the story progresses, you see the characters evolving.

Another reason why this show was so wonderful was the execution. The actors were great. Their portrayal of the characters felt so authentic, as if they were no one else but the characters they played. The production was high-quality despite the show having low-budget. In fact, the producers, director and casts revealed that the show was shot using only iPhone11 handsets in their own homes (given their strict observance of the rules during the Enhanced Community Quarantine). Yet, no one would think that this was the case because the editing, the shots and angles, the color grading were done marvelously. Also, the OST is so good. They're all original and were made specifically for the show.

Honestly, I could go on and on about this show. It's just so good. I looked forward to the next season and the movie too.

If you were interested in the show, you could watch it on IdeaFirst's Youtube channel. Check it out. You wouldn't regret it.

Photo Credit: mydramalist