Postcolonial performativity analysis and its relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Southeast Asian BL-themed short movies

English Literature Study Program, State University of Surabaya, 60231 Surabaya, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: alimustofa@unesa.ac.id

Abstract

This study looks at how sex, love, and gender are portrayed in Southeast Asian boys-love (BL)-themed short films. In the popular Japanese subgenre known as “boys love,” male characters are explored in their romantic and frequently sexual interactions. But Southeast Asia, where the genre has a devoted following, has seen a substantial increase in its appeal. Understanding how sex, love, and gender are portrayed within this cultural framework is the main goal of this study. To evaluate a variety of Southeast Asian boys who enjoy short films, the research draws on a multimodal analysis which conforms multidisciplinary model of analysis. Departing from queer studies and postcolonial performativity, this study employs careful analysis on the issues of sex, love, and gender between young men in different contexts of region such as Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The results of this study add to the body of knowledge on boys’ love and shed light on the distinctive cultural characteristics of Southeast Asian countries. This research offers insight into the negotiating of cultural norms and expectations within the setting of romantic and sexual interactions by looking at how sex, love, and gender are represented in these short films. The study also looks at how these films could contradict or support regional gender norms and conventional roles. In the end, this study seeks to deepen a comprehension of the relationship between sex, love, and gender in Southeast Asian boys’ short movies and its possible ramifications for more general understanding on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).