Japanese Audiences of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) Dramas: Viewer Characteristics, Cultural Engagement, and Perceptions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48048/ajac.2026.69Keywords:
Thai BL dramas, Japanese media audiences, Transnational fandom, Sexual diversity perception, Cultural engagementAbstract
This study investigates the demographic characteristics, viewing behaviors, and cultural perceptions of Japanese audiences of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) dramas, a genre that has rapidly expanded across Asia and gained global popularity. While BL originated in Japan, Thai adaptations—often referred to as “Y dramas”—have been localized and re-exported, prompting new forms of transnational fandom and cultural exchange. Drawing on a quantitative survey of 1,734 Japanese respondents who had previously viewed Thai BL dramas, the study analyzes standardized data collected via Google Forms between January and March 2024. Participants were recruited through social media platforms and fan communities, and the survey included 27 items across four thematic sections: demographics, viewing behavior and motivations, perceptions of sexual diversity and cultural elements, and engagement with Thai culture. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to examine associations between sociodemographic variables and media engagement patterns. The findings confirm four hypotheses: (1) viewers are predominantly women aged 36–50 with relatively high educational attainment and employment status; (2) Thai BL dramas contribute to increased awareness and acceptance of sexual diversity; (3) engagement with Thai BL dramas leads to behavioral and attitudinal shifts toward Thai culture, including consumption of Thai products, language learning, and travel; and (4) younger and older viewers are more likely to engage in extended viewing, while younger and economically disadvantaged groups are less likely to pay for subscription services. The study highlights Thai BL dramas as transnational cultural texts that foster emotional connection, social dialogue, and embodied cultural curiosity among Japanese audiences. It contributes to scholarship on media globalization, gendered consumption, and queer representation, while addressing a gap in quantitative research on BL fandom. Limitations related to sampling and generalizability are acknowledged, and future research directions are proposed to deepen cross-cultural understanding.
Highlights
- Provides the first large-scale quantitative analysis (N = 1,734) of Japanese audiences of Thai BL dramas, addressing a gap in existing qualitative research.
- Demonstrates how Thai BL dramas function as transnational cultural texts that reshape perceptions of sexual diversity and national identity.
- Reveals significant behavioral and attitudinal shifts among viewers, including increased cultural engagement with Thailand through language learning, travel, and consumption.
- Identifies statistically significant relationships between sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, occupation) and media engagement, using chi-square analysis.
- Contributes to media globalization, fandom studies, and queer cultural research by linking BL media consumption to broader patterns of identity negotiation and cultural exchange.
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References
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