Fans packed the 8,000-seat Tokyo Garden Theater in January for GMMTV Fan Fest 2025: "Live in Japan," a major event celebrating Thai BL, short for “boys’ love,” dramas.

Banners bearing the faces of beloved on-screen couples lined the walls, while attendees clutched handmade signs along with flowers, letters and other gifts.

This was no one-off event, either. Similar gatherings happen every few months across the country, drawing dedicated communities of viewers who have embraced Thai BL dramas as more than just entertainment.