We often watch a movie or drama solely because it has our favourite pairing of actors or went viral because of a specific pairing. But sometimes a drama goes viral because the fans love its side couple more than the main couple. The reasons for this are pretty simple: because the main couple wasn’t interesting or was unable to act properly, or maybe their story was very dull, and the side couple came to the rescue of the show. So here are 10 side couples in Thai BL dramas that we loved more than the main couple:
1. Vegas And Pete In Kinnporsche (2022)
While everyone no doubt loved the story, cinematography and the main couple, it’s well-known that the storyline of Vegas and Pete stole the spotlight of Kinn and Porsche. The regular viewers of this show were eagerly waiting for their story to finally unfurl, and when it did, it became the only thing fans could talk about. Part of the reason for this was that Vegas’s role was the debut of actor Bible Wichapas Sumettikul, and he never lets you realise that. He plays a complex and ‘villainous’ role with so much seriousness that it fools you into thinking that Bible is a veteran!
2. Prapai And Sky In Love In The Air (2022)
Love in the Air had us hooked from the first episode with the character of Payu, played by Boss Chaikamon Sermsongwittaya, a charming and a ‘Mr. Perfect’. But the real storm stirs up when the second couple, Prapai and Sky, make their entry in episode 8. After a turbulent first interaction, Sky avoids or at least tries to avoid Pai to the best of his ability, but Pai has entirely different plans. He cannot get Sky out of his head and decides to pursue him romantically. Their story will irritate you a little initially because Pai keeps following Sky around against his wishes, but after some time, you will come to love his goofy yet caring character, just like Sky did.
3. Win And Team In Until We Meet Again (2019)
Until We Meet Again was a massive hit amongst Thai drama watchers in 2019, but no one made as much impact as the second couple- Win and Team. They were so loved by the viewers that an entirely new series was created for them, named- ‘Between Us’ three years later in 2022. The reason why people loved this couple so much was that they stood out in this series. Most of the time, side couples just disappear into the background, but Win and Team stubbornly stay in the foreground of the series and the viewer's minds with their captivating chemistry.
4. Heart And Li Ming In Moonlight Chicken (2023)
While the main characters in this drama are significant, the second couple of Heart (Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak) and Li Ming (Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul) are way more important than any other couple in the Thai BL universe. Heart is a deaf teenage boy who was forced to always stay in his house because his parents were embarrassed by him, and they didn’t even learn sign language to communicate with him. Meanwhile, Li Ming, a stranger who befriends Heart after a series of events, learns it for him and helps him discover the world outside his four walls. Their story also focuses on the lives of teenagers and how they might find it challenging to fit in.
5. Bee And Prince In Between Us (2022)
Between Us was mentioned before in point no.3, and as expected, it was a hit with the viewers who waited three years for it. But as people were familiar with Win and Team’s story, they also got interested in the side couples, especially Bee and Prince. Prince is an actor with a manager who is initially shown as over-controlling and overworking Prince. Bee is Prince’s air-headed classmate, who develops a crush on Prince. Their story focuses on the life of actors who, more often than not, are forbidden to have a private life as it might distract them from work or make their fans stop supporting them. Bee becomes Prince’s safe space through all this, and from this, blooms a beautiful relationship.
6. Pruek And Manaow In Between Us (2022)
Another couple in the Until We Meet Again universe that captured the hearts of the viewers was Manaow and Pruek. Manaow is initially shown as a very flirty but innocent girl who falls in love with a new guy every week and is a wannabe actress, but as the story progresses, we see that she is actually very lonely and is always overlooked in her drama classes, never getting picked as the lead in plays. Pruek enters her life as someone who supports her through thick and thin and helps her when upset over her treatment in the drama club. Their romance is very heartwarming.
7. Kan And Thua In The Eclipse (2022)
Although it is difficult to forget Akk and Ayan’s addictive chemistry and storyline, Kan and Thua’s storyline was simple yet hard-hitting. Both yearned for each from a safe distance, Kan because of his internalised homophobia and Thua because he thought Kan was homophobic. Their story takes us on an emotional roller coaster as they slowly figure out their feelings and finally get together after many trials. Kan often stood up for Thua when the boys at their school bullied him for being gay.
8. Leon And Pob In Don’t Say No (2021)
Don’t Say No rose to popularity as a spin-off because of its famous parent drama- TharnType 2: 7 Years of Love. The main characters of this drama, Leo and Fiat, were loved enough, but the bittersweet story of Leon (Leo’s brother), a flirty and popular guy and Pob, a soft-spoken and calm, cat-loving guy. Their relationship was adorable and non-toxic compared to that of Leo and Fiat. They, unfortunately, had to break up at the end of this series as Pob wanted to move to work to better the lives of underprivileged children.
9. Ink And Pa In Bad Buddy (2021)
To say that Pat and Pran, the main couple of Bad Buddy, wasn’t loved by their viewers would be a serious crime because that is just not true. But the sapphic pairing of Ink, played by Milk Pansa Vosbein, and Pa, played by Love Pattranite Limpatiyakorn, was also received very well by the viewers. Ink is Pat’s high school who falls in love with his sister, Pa. She is very protective of Pa and regularly scares away boys interested in dating Pa. The viewers loved their pair so much that their company recently announced an upcoming GL series with Milk and Love as the main couple.
10. Duean And Meen In Fish Upon The Sky (2021)
Neo Trai Nimtawat and Louis Thanawin Teeraphosukarn’s chemistry is such a captivating one to see that they get two mentions in this list, the first one as Kan and Thua in The Eclipse, and the second one as Duean and Meen in Fish Upon the Sky. Duean, the older and cooler brother of the main character Pi, is a terrible student and has to retake classes in the first year, where he meets Meen, a studious and sweet freshman. Duean is annoyed by Meen’s clingy personality initially, but it isn’t long before he falls head-over-heels in love with him. Their story is like a breath of fresh air compared to the complex and sometimes even problematic story of the main couple.
