We are onto our final edition of this distinctive feature, whereby we are sharing our love for the actors who made our hearts flutter in 2024 with their impressive performances and succinct dialogue delivery. We had got a few surprises that close quarters that received unwavering support from their fans and audiences. Making a mark is easy, holding onto that name is difficult. Here’s hoping these actors stick close to the laurels they learned through their hard work!

Lee Thanapob, Spare Me Your Mercy

Lee Thanapob stood out when he starred opposite Gun Atthaphan in the 2023 bromance “Midnight Musuem”. There were catcalls for Season Two and fans fervently wished that he would take up a BL role. Their prayers were heard when Sammon Scene’s novel “Euthanasia” was adapted into the live action series “Spare Me Your Mercy”. As Dr. Kantapat Akkharamethi, Lee had to step into the shoes of a rich, diffident doctor who was shunned by his father for his sexuality and settled down in countryside where he works as a palliative care doctor. The twist being that Kan strongly believes in “Euthanasia” which is considered illegal in most Asian countries. As a doctor, he doesn’t want his patients to suffer endlessly and wishes to alleviate their pain by giving them quick death. His world collides with the newly transferred Police Major Wasan, who makes his heart flutter. As they dance around their feelings for each other, Kan tries his best to erase evidences leading to him. As Kan, Lee was flirtatious, at times scheming & manipulative but most of all, kind and caring towards his patients. An enigma indeed!

William Jakrapatr, ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

In his first major role as Thame, William shines as the distraught team leader, often misunderstood and misinterpreted. That is until, he meets his soulmate Po and they make a formidable team to bring back his bandmates. The show focuses on their band Mars’ rapid decline which might be attributed to their company CEO, Pemika. She is calculative, scheming and hellbent on packing Thame to Korea while sidelining his bandmates. As the team leader, Thame knows his band members the most; he understands their fears, insecurities and brings them together. Even though they misunderstand him, he is forgiving, nurturing and caring. Thame is also perfect boyfriend material; from the moment he decides to court Po, he makes sure that Po knows he is important to Thame. He is patient, softhearted and sweet. William embodied the finer nuances of his character, he lived and breathed life into Thame. A true global icon indeed!

Nani Hirunkit, High School Frenemy

Nani rose to fame after making his debut in Thailand’s version of “Boys Over Flowers”. He consistently played main roles after; he became a national sensation after starring in the recently concluded bromance “High School Frenemy” which was another Korean remake. As Shin, he plays a troubled teenager who had a major fallout with his once close friend, Saint. The show hugely revolves around their succinct reconciliation with bullying as the backdrop. Nani had a formidable chemistry with his co-star Sky Wongravee. Saint’s love for Shin is unparalleled and unavoidable, the show was exciting watch with both even going to the extent of dying of each other. SkyNani’s fame rose and even though they will be starring in another bromance again; loyal fans want to see them in a major BL role instead!

Sky Wongravee, High School Frenemy

As the apathetic leader of class M.5/2, who once led a gang of bullies in middle school, Sky breezed through his performance of the once delinquent, Saint. He is repentant and trying to reform himself; despite being strong, he stays away from trouble and aloof. That is, until he meets his old friend, Shin. All hell breaks loose when two the campuses of Siamwit School are combined and Saint ends up on the side that is constantly battling Shin’s side. That doesn’t stop him from following Shin around like a lost puppy, making amends and winning his friend back. Sky’s remorseful act won him appreciation and his unhindered chemistry with Nani was celebrated by their loyal fans. Makes you wonder if they will even star in a BL show!

Perth Tanapon, Perfect 10 Liners

One of the most celebrated actors in the Thai BL industry, Perth made his mark after debuting in “Love by Chance”. His chemistry with his co-star Saint Suppapong was appreciated, and they soon became a national sensation. Both were recast as the main leads in their next project, ReminderS and their popularity only grew. Unfortunately, the pairing fell apart. Next he was paired opposite Mark Siwat in the Netflix hit “The Stranded”. Their hot scenes made it to the hit list. Perth next starred in the sequel “Love by Chance Season 2: A Chance to Love” but Saint’s absence was obviously regrettable. On April 4th, 2022, he was announced as a GMMTV artist, after which he was paired opposite Chimon Wachirawit in “Dangerous Romance”. Their somber chemistry was off-the-charts, and they were paired again in “Perfect 10 Liners”. Unfortunately, Chimon had to drop out of the project because of health concerns and Perth was paired opposite Santa Pongsapak. Currently, the pair are making waves because of their refreshing chemistry. As Yotha, Perth took over another challenging role, and he has lived upto his reputation as a veteran actor!

Joong Archen, The Heart Killers

After debuting in the 2019 adaptation “2moons2”, Joong went through a media circus whereby his former management, Motive Village formed the unsuccessful boy band, OXQ with his 2moons2 co-stars. After the project tanked, Joong joined GMMTV in September 2021. He was first paired opposite Dunk Natachai, his new onscreen partner in “Star and Sky: Star in My Mind”. They made waves because of their natural chemistry, and they were recast as the leading pair in “Hidden Agenda”. Their popularity rapidly grew, and they were cast as the lead pair in “The Heart Killers”. As a hitman, Joong had to keep a tight control on his expressions and play a ruthless character. His romance with Dunk’s Style was sensual, hot and flirtatious. Joong’s acting skills keep improving and his recent performances are all commendable. A rising star!

Neo Huo, Fangs of Fortune

Starring as the main lead in a bromance directed by the most celebrated director in Chinese industry isn’t easy, especially when the said director is popular for portraying his leads with queer undertones. As Zhu Yan, Neo Huo plays the dreaded Demon Lord, who is misunderstood by most. Under the false pretense of surrendering, he becomes close to his arch enemy, Zhou Yi Chen (Tian Jia Rui). Their story encompasses a subtle romance that spans across two different timelines. They bicker endlessly, argue like an old married couple and yet are prepared to sacrifice their lives to protect each other. Neo Huo’s intriguing chemistry with Tian Jia Rui was praiseworthy; especially given the rigid censorship rules they have to follow. Despite that, no one would mistake the romantic inclinations between Zhu Yan & Yi Chen!

Araki Towa, Smells like Green Spirit

As the long haired beauty, Araki had to play a cross-dressing character in an era where homophobia was prevalent. Mishima Futoshi, a junior high school student in the countryside, is bullied by his classmates. The reason is that he is seemingly gay. In reality, Mishima does like guys, so he does not resist their bullying, and instead, finds solace in secretly cross-dressing. Shockingly, Futoshi ends up finding his lost lipstick in the hands of Kirino Makoto, one of the bullies. As they bridge their differences and become close allies, they try to find a place where they can be their true selves. Araki’s portrayal was detailed, unwavering and unhinged. His friendship with Kirino (Sono Shunta) was heartwarming, both friends finding solace in each other’s company, hiding their true selves in a community where seemingly everyone is paranoid and homophobic.

Junsei Motojima, Our Youth

Minase Jin is an exemplary high school student who hates troublemakers. Deciding not to get involved with the delinquents, Jin has lived his life as a spectator. Things take nosedive when he catches his class delinquent, Hirukawa Haruki hitting a school teacher. Even though he tries to stay aloof, they end up together because of unusual circumstances. As Minase gets to learn about Hirukawa’s secret, they grow intimate. Junsei puts up an impressive performance as Minase, who is inherently aloof and yet kindhearted towards Hirukawa despite his troublesome attitude. They made an adorable pairing and the show gained global popularity because of their beautiful chemistry!

Await our next feature, we will be back with something more interesting!