The Ship that Sails: BL Couples: Fan Service or IRL?

Mew x Art in happier times

For those who are not living under a rock probably would have heard about the MewArt saga  (from "What the Duck" series)  that is playing out on social media. I, for one, do not follow or nor am I invested so much in these actors lives outside of the drama, so I am not entirely sure of the details. Long story short, the lines between fan service and real life became blurry when one of the party harbored real feelings (whether just purely sexual or something  more) for his partner and these feelings were not reciprocated. The result is one hairy mess where one calls the other a liar, and another posts a teary-eyed explanation of how it all went down. Whether the drama ensued between Mew and Art was necessary or not, we cannot fathom, or whether their choice of using social media to air their dirty laundry was a wise one. But one thing is certain, I feel that as viewers, we have to keep ourselves in check and realize that those who act in these type of dramas should also have the same courtesy as any entertainer in other genres, which is their private lives. What they do or don't do in their free time, is frankly none of our business. If you do not like others, especially strangers, to dictate what you decide to do in your life, then the same is true for them.  

Having said the above, I believe that most, if not all, actors who act as part of a BL couple, are in fact straight, unless they say otherwise. Not saying that they are not gay, or that  being straight should be the standard of sexuality. It is also therefore not a prerequisite that to act in a BL drama, that the actor must be gay. Much like an actor does not need to kill for him to be able to act as a murderer. Much like the romance or sex scenes between heterosexual couples, just because they act together in a movie or drama, does not necessarily mean, or does not require them to be in a relationship in real life. So yes, I believe all the signs of affection between two male leads or between other boyxboy pairs in a drama, are purely a fan service to promote their drama and/or movie, and nothing more. 

Sotus' Krist Perawat

However, I also know there are a lot of curious and hopeful minds that wish they are together off-screen, all these thoughts are merely our imagination, which is also our own free will. The problem only arise if we start imposing these unrealistic expectations on these entertainers and become deeply disappointed, and sometimes vindictive, if we find out that these actors have girlfriends, that are not their partners on screen, and begin to bombard their significant others with hateful words. Pretty much like what happened when some fans found out about Sotus' Krist Perawat's  girlfriend and the actor had to issue an apology about disappointing his fans (which he didn't have to).  Actors are people too, they get hurt like we do, although some may argue that because they have chosen their profession, that they in fact have to give up their private lives, or that they owe us an explanation, or even an apology if they have acted in a way that is against our fantasies. If we profess ourselves to be a fan of these actors, then we should be supporting their work and also their decisions outside of the drama / movie.