A screenshot of a poster for The Fallen Leaf

Recently, a Thailand LGBTQ-themed drama, The Fallen Leaf, has become a hot topic of discussion among netizens in China, who have given the show a high mark of 8.6/10 on Chinese media review site Douban.

The Thailand drama's unique topic and characteristics, which sets it apart from South Korean and US shows, has captured the attention of Chinese viewers. The hashtag for the show has been used more than 33,000 times and viewed 260 million times on Sina Weibo.

Looking for love 



The Fallen Leaf tells the story of a young man in a rich family. Nira - derived from Niranam, which means the anonymous one - feels that he is a girl at heart. Except for his mother, Nira is not accepted by those around him due to this feeling. 

His father in particular is unable to accept this and often tortures Nira and his mother. Nira hopes that his father could be like Nira's uncle-in-law Chatchavee, who loves and understands him.

Spending more time with Chatchavee, Nira starts to fall in love with him. Chatchavee realizes what is happening and rejects Nira, which breaks the young man's heart.

Supported by his mother, Nira makes a decision what changes his life, he undergoes sex reassignment surgery, which completely transforms him into a gorgeous woman. 

Unfortunately, Nira's mother dies in a car accident while Nira is still in the hospital. 

Overwhelmed by the news, Nira flees the hospital. Fortunately, the kind doctor Benjang takes her into his home, where she starts living as his sister. 

One day, Nira coincidentally runs into Chatchavee, who doesn't recognize her. Due to her beauty, he starts to fall for her, as does her father after he runs into her. 

This tragic love gets even more complicated after Nira's aunt, who always looked down on Nira, discovers the truth and begins to go out of her way to hinder Nira. 

The excited and complicated story has riveted Chinese audiences, with related topics even appearing on Sina Weibo's trending list. 

On media review site Douban, more than 85 percent of the 3,700 reviews of the show have given it four or five stars out of five. 

The show stars Thailand actress Pimchanok Leuwisetpaibul, who is a quarter Chinese, and actor Puttichai Kasetsin, both famous young stars in Thailand. 

Standing out

Thailand's television shows and films have always held a certain amount of fascination for Chinese audiences. Their unique style and content help set them apart from other popular dramas from other countries. 

"The actor and actress in the drama both have the perfect look," a Thailand drama fan who goes by the net name Supier Mianbao, told the Global Times. 

"That's one of the reasons that I can tolerate these insane stories."

It is not unusual to see LGBTQ themes in Thailand dramas.

Mianbao said she believes that many viewers in China enjoy watching Thailand dramas because these types of stories do not often appear in dramas from South Korea or the US. 

"They promote the unique feature of Thailand dramas," said Mianbao.

"There are no heartbroken romances like in South Korean dramas and no intense gun fights like in US drama," said Mianbao. 

"There are only a bunch of good looking boys and girls putting on an imaginary story. It is very relaxing, isn't it?"

Social issues

Chinese drama fans are very picky when it comes to shows. The reason that Thai dramas are popular in China is not just due to handsome actors, pretty actresses and odd plots, but also because of the social problems that are reflected in these shows.

"Some Thailand dramas dare to write stories about some topics that other people avoid," noted Mianbao. 

Besides dramas, Thai film also explores risky subjects. The 2017 Thai film Bad Genius made huge waves in China, earning 271 million yuan ($39.38 million) at the Chinese mainland box office with a story about students setting up and organization dedicated to cheating on exams. 

Audiences found the theme innovative, and appreciated how the director added suspense through the use of music and cinematic camera angles. What's more, the depth of the film reflected the class differentiation and education issues in Thailand. 

In The Fallen Leaf, the special identity and miserable plight of Nira has drawn sympathy from Chinese audiences. The domestic violence suffered by Nira at her father's hands is also a challenging social issue. 

"Even though this kind of story is not likely to happen in our own lives, it can remind us about other issues through its story," Mianbao noted.
Newspaper headline: Unique attraction