Female representation in the Thai boys' love industry: The intersection of privilege and oppression

Abstract

Traditionally, Boys’ Love (BL) narratives, a female-centred subculture, have been praised as spaces for challenging heteronormativity and reimagining masculinity. Paradoxically, women within BL narratives are often depicted as flat side characters or villains, while internalized misogyny has received limited scholarly attention. Jittirain (pseudonym of Jittinat Ngamnak), the author of 2gether—marking Thai BL as a global phenomenon—mobilises aspects of female identity by portraying Thai women as antagonistic figures. Consequently, two of her Thai BL works 2gether and Fish Upon the Sky that later underwent revision due to online criticism after the broadcast of their TV series adaptations, form the focus of this study. This research examines how female antagonism is constructed, revised, and negotiated through intersecting positions of gender, sexuality, and authorship, and how these constructions shape women’s sense of belonging within BL narratives. Through comparative analysis drawing on intersectionality, feminist translation, and narrative analysis of literary and audiovisual adaptations, this study demonstrates that “female villainy” is not a stable category but is negotiated by the various agents involved in the production and consumption of BL. It further reveals language and narrative structure functioning as sites of both the reproduction and attempted subversion of misogynistic norms—efforts often constrained by translation practices and commercial imperatives.

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