Beyond reality: Queer effects of fan service in Thai boys’ love cultures

This article dissects fan service, a formative industry practice in East Asian popular cultures, with a focus on its effects on audiences. Framing it as a queer practice, it argues that it enables limited representation in conservative public spheres and its impact on perception within fans. Using the celebrity ships TayNew and OffGun as case studies, it traces fan service through their interactions to explore the phenomenon and its implications. At its core, the article analyses celebrity cultures and fan practices, mapping the symbiotic affective relationship that develops between them. It further examines understandings and critiques surrounding fan service, emphasizing its role in shaping emerging patterns of kinship and oppositions within transcultural fandoms.