Hidden Gem: Go Go GBoys

Hello, hello, my friendly Misfits, 

And welcome to another Hidden Gem. Today I really have something with me that most of you won’t have a clue about. Some of you might have not even been born when this movie made it to the screen. But for me it will always be one of the first steps I took towards Asian snogging guys. And what an enjoyable step it was. 

I am talking about the awesome, hilarious and extremely touching movie

Go Go GBoys.

This movie is so old that it’s seriously gonna celebrate its 20th anniversary next year as it was released in 2006! So this is definitely one of the earlier examples of BL and I definitely think that it’s worth taking a glance back to the past sometimes. Because a) you might just find something so fun and unexpected as you do with this particular movie. And b) you might also understand a bit more about where our community comes from and what has been around before you. So please follow me into my time machine and let’s travel back all the way to the noughties. When cell phones were mostly flippable and hair cuts really, really wild… 

What Is It About? 

A Hong is really a little bit of a loser. He lives with his gay, best friend A Shin while struggling to pay the debts his high maintenance girlfriend is leaving in her wake. Desperate to make some cash, A Hong decides to join A Shin in taking part in GBoys, the annual gay beauty pageant, even though he is definitely and absolutely not gay AT ALL. During the competition A Hong gets closer and closer to his fellow contestants and especially A Shin seems to get under his skin. 

But when there are death threats against the whole competition, can A Hong and his friends  even survive? And what about Jay, a homophobic police officer, who suddenly also has to compete? Can they together catch the real culprit?

Why You Should Watch It: 

This really is a classic. It’s one of the earlier BL movies from Taiwan and it’s just so much fun. I am not sure if you can even imagine but back in the noughties we had something called “Kill the gays”. Which really meant the only way a gay character was allowed to appear was if he was promptly killed off. So having a movie like this that is just filled with fun, jokes and love… It was literally like a breath of fresh air back in the day. So if you need something to pick you up while learning about the history of BL, this movie is absolutely for you. 

The acting is really quite fun as well. It’s not the biggest production and the director was actually really famous for directing music videos back then and I think you can see it in the aesthetic as well. So even though it’s a cheaper production it definitely has its own charm and beauty. 

The chemistry between the cast is just really sweet and endearing. You really feel like you are part of this crazy gang of different gay men and it’s just heartwarming. In times when being a gay man often meant being the enemy it’s just so wonderful to see how these men all care for each other and are just so freaking human. It’s honestly like a warm hug you really, really needed. 

The storyline is really, really fun. It’s something different and it mixes comedy, romance, crime, action and art house all into one. You can follow A Hong’s journey to self discovery and acceptance and even the girl is not the mean bitch in the end we always expect her to be. 

Why  You Shouldn’t Watch It: 

This is an old production. This is not a mega high quality production. It’s an independent film from almost 20 years ago. So please be aware that the standards we might be used to today are not there just yet. So if stuff like this bothers you, please move past this little gem. 

The comedy is sometimes a bit slapsticky? I know not everyone loves this and that’s totally cool. But if really over drawn comedy is your kryptonite… Just move on to the next movie. 

Where To Watch: 

This movie is so old and so underground that you can just watch it for free on Youtube. 

Finale Thoughts: 

I honestly think there are a few movies and series one should have watched if you are a BL fan. And this movie is definitely one of these. It’s so fun and carefree and it’s such a special movie just due to that. Back in the day being gay was often shown as being something tragic, something that is gonna ruin your life one day. But in this movie you won’t see any of this. You will just see that in the end it’s all about love. About this funny feeling between humans, this feeling that connects us and that makes us be nice to each other. And I don’t even mean love in a romantic way. 

Because this movie is not just about two people finding each other. No, it’s also about community. About finding family in people who might not be your birth family. About being there for each other, as friends, as families, as partners. So if you need a pick me up in these gloomy times… Go Go GBoys could definitely be the ray of sunshine you have been craving. 

First posted on BLDA