Participatory Citizenship as Key to Romance in Boys’ Love TV Series Not Me (2022)

On the example of TV series Not Me (Anucha Boonyawatana, 2021), this chapter examines how the current status of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) genre as emerging ‘soft power’ provides it with the unique opportunity to reflect on the current socio-political events in connection with the experiences of the LGBTQ + minority. The chapter divulges the concept of ‘participatory citizenship,’ employed to endorse education and civic unity as positive models of civic engagement among the LGBTQ + youth in the face of verisimilar contemporary issues, including corruption and abuse of power. The chapter further argues that while Not Me initially attracts its audience with the premise of conventional BL tropes of romance and friendship between young men, it does not center its characters’ identities exclusively on their sexual orientation. Instead, it explains how the characters’ minority status intersects with and influences their identities as Thai citizens.