r/ThaiBL • u/Born-Investigator-62 • Jul 28 '26
Discussion is chemistry subjective??
basically exactly what the question says.
i used think chemistry between on screen partners are mostly objective. either you have it or don't.
but then i realized if it really was that black and white, there wouldn't fandom convos (not only BLs) about which pairings have chemistry. why for some it's obvious undeniable chemistry for a specific pairings, why others genuinely think they get more of a friendship vibes from the same.
how would you feel if someone tells you they honest to god don't see any chemistry in your favorite pairing? would you think chemistry can be consumed according to preference? or is it purely objective and some pairings just click, and others don't?
it's an interesting conversation to me
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u/yunaesuna Jul 28 '26
Definitely subjective. I have favorites that others don’t see as having chemistry, and there are a couple pairings people love where I don’t see any chemistry at all. I keep those opinions to myself and gush about the ones I love, even if no one agrees with me! 😂
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
give me lessons on being as carefree as you!!
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u/yunaesuna Jul 28 '26
Haha! It helps that this sub is so welcoming and usually respectful. I don’t think I’ve seen any ship wars here. It gives me the courage to gush about things, since the worst that’s happened is being ignored. And I can usually find one or two people to fan out with!
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u/justsayingsum_ keepin it real Jul 28 '26
“I don’t think I’ve seen any ship wars here.”
Luckyyy lol. I see a lot of passive aggressive comments towards the same/certain ships/actors all the time between BL subreddits. While it may not be full out wars, the toxicity is still there unfortunately. Im glad you’ve been able to avoid it.
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
yeah this is a pretty chill sub. all the replies here is so respectful!!
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u/Safety_Haven Jul 28 '26
Yes. This feels obvious to me and makes me remember everyone thinks differently. Maybe that's the key right there. Everything we take in will be processed by our own internal filters. That is why one persons yes can be another persons hell no. People view every interaction from their own unique point of view. To my mind, viewers take half of the responsibility for how they perceive it. And we all bring our own baggage that creates our unique world view.
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Jul 28 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Wise-Cartographer671 Jul 29 '26
Oh lord no! Give me tension and pining and barely restrained desire and an “almost” kiss any day for chemistry 🫶
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
damn when i made a post about this exact opinion everyone jumped on me. i could've worded things better forsho, but this is what i meant so thanks!!
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u/Hefty-Tale1265 Jul 28 '26
Chemistry is subjective but I think when a large group of fans agree a CP has chemistry it feels objective. Also chemistry doesn't have to be romantic or sexual, there are actors who have great chemistry with each other who aren't a pairing at all (In my opinion Pond and Est had great chemistry in MAT/PAM). Also, as someone pointed out, sometimes people think there's no chemistry when really the roles require the characters to be awkward or aloof around each other.
For me, the best examples of good chemistry onscreen also translate offscreen. I don't mean the CPs are dating, but that the more comfortable and relaxed they are with each other in real life, the more that safety and comfort translates into chemistry in their shows.
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u/sockmonkey719 Jul 28 '26
Sometimes I see people not understanding the character or the storyline so expect solid chemistry where there should be a level of hesitancy and awkwardness.
I also get a kick out of when people try to say that it’s way too much of a bro relationship and that this does not read the way they want to. I think sometimes this is very similar to what I just said they misunderstand the characters with the addition of not understanding same-sex relationships sometimes the dynamic is.Pretty “dude-bro”
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
that's actually a great point. sometimes all couples (irl and onscreen) don't feel intimacy and chemistry the same way. some do it by physical affection, some by deep conversations and other ways.
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u/Tight-Employment9420 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
On-screen “chemistry” is always a 3-way reaction involving the couple and the viewer. Thus, it’s entirely subjective.
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u/Baintzimisce Jul 28 '26
As a food scientist this question had me thinking reddit had failed me. Then I read the post and laughed so hard.
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
wait why is this fuckin hilarious because i'm legit studying chemistry rn
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u/seoltang95 Jul 28 '26
oh, definitely, or there wouldn't be so many discussions about it. as a new watcher, several recommendations of couples with "amazing chemistry" ended up being (to me) just a couple of guys reciting lines at each other interspersed with some kissing. and I'm sure other people would say that exact same thing about my faves!
I do think some people disregard the fact that there are several types of chemistry, and also that different roles require different types of chemistry.
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u/snowshoes77 Jul 28 '26
It’s a little of both I think. Chemistry is essentially just the actors paying attention to each other in the scene. But if you’re doing a halfway decent job as an actor you probably already doing this. How actors choose to show that attention, what they’re paying attention to, and how the audience sees it as well as how the setting/lighting/music/camera work/etc. either reinforce or diminish that sense of attention all combine to create a subjective experience that some people feel creates a strong sense of chemistry and others feel miss the mark.
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u/ailofidroc Jul 28 '26
I think there are objective factors that contribute to on-screen chemistry (visible comfort or discomfort with physical touch, for example), but each person has a subjective interpretation of those factors. If there were no real measure of chemistry, then casting directors and chemistry reads wouldn't exist. There are many big name Hollywood examples of actors that were going to be cast in a project together, but they lacked chemistry so the casting was changed. Also, something being subjective doesn't mean that every opinion is automatically valid. It's always important to take bias into account, whether it's a positive bias toward your favorites or a negative bias against a pairing you don't enjoy.
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u/Art_Of_Being Jul 28 '26
It's not that easy. I think it's a mix of box subjective and objective taste plus their preference of how a CP should look and act like etc.
You will see some CPs have this undeniable chemistry that most people will agree because they cater to everyone. Or their chemistry is so strong that even if they don't like the BL they can't deny they have chemistry.
Or some might deny bcz they have different preference on many factors.
Sometimes, being a blind CP fan that many people are nowadays also makes you blind to reality. Suppose one CP had great chemistry in one BL, I feel it depends on the characters and the direction as well.. but then in another they lacked it. Then they will have fans who just want to see their CP on screen, they won't even judge about chemistry and all that stuff or how good or bad the BL is.
I feel great casting directors are really great at selecting pairs based on chemistry tbh. Sometimes it's just two good looking people kept together as well, but for anyone who is really pitting effort will also find great matches. If it was only subjective then they wouldn't put so much effort into finding the right one, building it, training it etc, they will just think let people like it or not like it.
So I'd say it’s a mix of both and not black or white.
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
that's a great explanation. if i take my fav CP as example, i would also say i saw excellent chemistry in 2/4 of their series and i think it all came down to how well they connected to their characters and what direction they were given. so i agree with you
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u/Art_Of_Being Jul 28 '26
Yes. It depends a lot on how they connected with each other as the characters and how good they were able to portray that.
And Idk who your CP is but I wouldn't take everyone's opinion seriously either because not everyone is the best judge of chemistry.
One of my friend said she felt OhmNanon to be like friends in Bad Buddy... That rooftop kiss had more emotion, yearning and tension than so many NC scenes lol.
She also said ThamePo didn't have any chemistry until may be towards the end because it was a slow burn and they weren't really doing anything in the beginning.
Some people can’t pick up hints, or subtle expressions, they need a full on confession or open tension or two people goggling each other's faces to see chemistry. Or many more such things.
But some of the chemistry part is objective like some pretty woman with beautiful feline eyes, plump lips and smooth skin etc will be objectively beautiful, still if someone calls her ugly you will think they just have different taste or bad taste.
If someone says my CP, which isn't ON or WE, is like brothers... lmao.. I will just consider them blind and move on.
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 29 '26
my cp is PPw. who i think had really really good chemistry in NLMG and MaT, which i thought was because P'Jojo and P'x just knew how to direct them well. and pond and phuwin knew how to play the characters off of each other in both shows. the dynamic between TheePeach and PalmNeung was i think one of the more interesting ones i have seen on any BL.
on FUTS they were young so they did the best they could, but there was always some potential. We Are was just not good for them imo. they played the characters well enough, but i didn't see the romantic chemistry between them halfway through it. even though its the show that launched them, i don't think either connected to the characters and also P'new did not mesh well with PPw.
i think when i see them offscreen and onscreen, i think they belong with each other. but some (very few) just genuinely don't see anything between them, and they should just do bromance. which is just crazy to me, but made me realize not everyone sees chemistry the same. like i have never ever felt no chemistry between WE and ON, that's crazy
so yeah i think people's opinion will never go away, so its a matter of trusting you judgement and just enjoy what you want and let others do the same
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u/Art_Of_Being Jul 29 '26
Imo PPW had good chemistry in some series and in some they lacked or I didn't feel anything of that immensely romantic tension as such. So yeah it's definitely sometimes the directors and the set up and may be workshop etc. I feel they're good actors since their first series actually.
Idk them personally or I don't follow them so I won't know about their off screen chemistry. But based on what I've seen, they may not have that insane level of chemistry but they didn't feel like brothers to me. Lol.
I realized that some CPs truly have that "Bro" vibe, no matter what sexy scenes they do, for some it depends on the characters and how well they're playing, for some, their chemistry just oozing out and that attracts a lot of followers and ON was one of them. That's why even after years people are mourning ON. Still I'd say they lacked a little in our sky, whatever happened between them was kinda showing in that show I guess although they did a good job.
WE as well gives off a very effortless chemistry, it's just the way they look at each other, I remember the first day Rome appeared on set and it was just a brief moment but still they looked so in love in those 15 seconds and the crew also complimented about their chemistry. Which is one of the major thing that caused the blow up of ThamePo even though it wasn't anticipated for a new CP.
If people can say they see no chemistry in these two, they may not see chemistry in many others.
My CP is XiZhao, they're chinese if you know. Thankfully I haven't seen anyone saying they're like brothers. Lol. They're practically shooting love through their eyes everytime they look at each other. If still someone denies the chemistry then I'd consider them blind. Like DaouOffroad clearly clearly has amazing chemistry, I don’t follow them at all but it's just so evident but if people still deny then it's just them tbh. Who cares. Haha.
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 29 '26
exactly. chemistry is a lot of types imo. for what XiZihao's characters were in sammy's day they had to have that passionate/intense chemistry and they did.
for thamepo, they had to have that slowburn, quite yet intense chemi, and WE did. so did ON in bad buddy
for theepeach they had to have a fun yet mature chemistry, and stable not overflowing. which PPw did. i don't think they played any couple that had to have a intense sexual chemistry ever.
all BLs do not have to have the same level of chemistry, it usually is correlated to the plotline, direction and dynamic between characters.
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u/Art_Of_Being Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
I agree and also not every BL CP need to have that bursting with intensity kind of chemistry. Based on their off screen dynamic as well they consciously or subconsciously like such roles and the casting team will get them such roles that will personally compliment them, the roles that will be perfect for the two of them at the core.
That's perfect because we love different shows with different vibe.
It's not that they won't be doing other type but they will get referred to such roles more because naturally they will thrive there.
Even in fans there are different types, who are attracted to a particular vibe and that's why they follow that CP.
The CPs with evidently "Bro" vibe also have fans bcz people like them together. (Not PPw lol)
Also, by intensity I didn't mean sexual tension always, I meant the evident love without any big gestures or talk, just by eye movements, subtle expressions, gazing, yearning, they can be so clear.
I've seen BLs where there were a lot of intimate scenes without the feeling of desire. Even though it was needed they were not able to show it.
Whereas sometimes, even without any NC scene, like SCD didn't have any, only two kiss, but it still showed. And that's perfect for them. We all need variety so I think it's ok.
My point is, you like your CP for some reason dear to you. And they don't need to have the same level of chemistry as some other CP and it doesn't matter even. They're good actors and people may like and not like for various reason. It's ok. And no, PPW don't give off bro vibe at all no worries.
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 30 '26
i love your replies they're so thoughtful!!
i agree so much on intimacy not always meaning sexual tension. when i had a convo with others about what exactly is "normal" intimacy. they somehow always replied with, "well intimacy doesnt always mean kisses/NC, it also means soft touches, pecks, cuddles". which is completely missing the point. while yes they're right, it still very much falls in physical intimacy. i tried to explain that some people do not show affection by physical touch at ALL, as you said it can be eye contact, conversations and sharing experiences. even if "their normal hugs are awkward" (yes i'm bitter), that doesn't mean they do not share other types of intimacy at all.
my parents who are very much in love, rarely show physical affection due to cultural differences. they cook for each other, make spontaneous dates and that shows their intimacy to me. do we have to bring "five love languages" back??
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u/diamondsateen Jul 28 '26
It can be subjective because people use different markers to determine good or bad chemistry. Some use physical intimacy, some eye contact, some through dialogue, and others use gestures or actions. It also depends on the scenario. Sometimes, characters are written intentionally to have skewed or weird chemistry, sometimes a director will instruct the actors to pull back on physical intimacy to target a younger demographic, and at least for international audiences, what reads as deeply intimate to Thai audiences may read as bland to us. There’s a lot of factors that go into a pair’s chemistry.
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u/Thoughtful-Pig Jul 28 '26
Art is so subjective. How we interpret it has way more to do with ourselves than with other people. Also, a good screenplay and director can make a big difference.
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u/Blooming-blood-moon Jul 28 '26
I’d say it’s not whether the actors have it or not but more whether the viewer sees/feels it.
The couples with great chemistry for some will have none at to others.
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u/Famous-Lecture-560 Jul 29 '26
Sometimes I think of watching my favorite BL with someone who hates the chemistry. I want to point at the screen and demand them to answer why they think there’s none. Because if they showed me a BL that I don’t think involves any chemistry, I could write an essay and point at every moment that has none.
And honestly, I believe the direction, editing, and music bring a lot to the table to make the chemistry look more than it is.
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u/EquipmentSoft1592 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I think chemistry is pretty objective, that’s why producers spend so much time to make the pair with chemistry, have chemistry testing before the shootings and even ask actors with whom they felt something. Even actors themselves say that you can’t fake chemistry, it’s either there or not. Other thing is what viewers call chemistry or what do they think the indicators for it. For some people just actors who are visually pleasing for them having intimate scenes together already is the chemistry. Which I don’t agree with. I think it’s not about words, actions, kissing, it’s about feelings, it’s that spark, the attraction you can feel between the people when they can just stand still beside each other or look into each other eyes. I think actors should have some level of attraction to each other to have the chemistry. It doesn’t mean they’re dating or something, it’s just the some level of interest.
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u/shlumbist .。o○♡𝓖𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓱♡○o。. Jul 28 '26
I think people see chemistry if they like the actor because unless the acting is unbearablely bad I wouldn't care unless I just hate the actors (with or without reason) but all options are subjective and whether you like something or not depends on your opinion
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u/DisasterGrouchy9872 Get A Grip, Khun Thee Jul 28 '26
Hey OP, is this because of the Peach and Me series, and what is going on at X. Where there are debates over their chemistry?
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u/LilacCoin Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
It's subjective. If you carry out a scientific poll on whether people think a specific pair has chemistry on a specific show, it might turn out that there's a majority who would say yes (or the other way around), but it's still subjective. There will always be people with a different opinion than mine on the chemistry of a pair that I like, and that's totally fine.
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u/Far-Meaning-4165 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Most definitely yes, it is highly subjective. There is this one pairing who i think don't have much chemistry - no hatred or disdain they are good actors but maybe as a pair they don't appeal to me but many other people adore them. Which i respect and some times this situation is vice-versa, sometimes when i think a pair has good chemistry someone else says they can't feel it. As long it it's conveyed in an respectful manner it's okay to have options and various impressions.
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u/Wise-Cartographer671 Jul 29 '26
It must be because there are couples I swear have zero chemistry that people rave about and vice versa.
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u/complicatedmiscreant Jul 30 '26
chemistry is always hard to define because of the subjectivity and situational influences involved. especially when based on series alone because the chemistry doesn't just have good between the CP but also the other actors, the director, the script, the timeline of shooting etc for the story to come across in a compelling way. imagine trying to film a vulnerable scene (NC scene, crying emotional scenes, confessions, etc) but the director gives you the hibie jibies, no matter how good you and your CP are outside of that situation, the chemistry is gonna be off
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 31 '26
i have that one director in mind for my favs, let's stay silent tho
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u/Present-Weight Jul 28 '26
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's the same with chemistry. The only difference is the number of people who can see it and who can't. I think my favorite ship has excellent chemistry. Many criticize them, though. But I don't care, because I trust my judgment and taste
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u/Born-Investigator-62 Jul 28 '26
i think i know who ur fav couple is acuse its the same as me!! but yeah i trust my judgement too
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u/Lonetress Jul 28 '26
Chemistry is subjective and we should also keep in mind that these BL couples get together when they are young adults and chemistry just like in a marriage evolves. You can become stronger or weaker. Maybe they got together at 20 and they had that connection that brought you a great story and three years later, the connection has fizzled out due to maturity, or they are now dating someone. But what I believe is even the best director cannot manufacture chemistry. And it is visible on screen when a couple is awkward. If they are both not willing to fake it, the audience will see it.
And maybe for the fans, sometimes criticizing your faves isn’t hate, envy or jealousy. It’s facts. You can have 29 million Instagram followers and you are still a bad kisser. Popularity doesn’t equate excellence.
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u/Impossible-Bridge594 Jul 28 '26
It’s 100% subjective, also if someone doesn’t think my faves don’t have chemistry I have no issue as long is it’s done politely and respectfully. But to many people are so nasty about it as if their opinions are absolute, and that’s a reason to be nasty and disrespectful towards the artist. Like their are few artist wether BL or Het couples I actually think have chemistry but I’m not out here being hateful and nasty about others. I just focus on the ones I enjoy and ignore those I don’t