Gay Series ‘Gameboys’ Earns Emmy Nomination

Queer drama Gameboys is getting the recognition it deserves!

Filipino YouTube and Netflix series Gameboys has been nominated for an International Emmy Award. The series gained the nomination for the Live-Action category of the 2021 International Emmy Kids Awards.

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Gameboys is a Filipino show that started as a web series. The story follows a teenage video game streamer named Cairo. One day, Cairo receives a video call from his online rival named Gavreel. But to his surprise, Gavreel asks Cairo out on a date. But the global pandemic hinders this blossoming love, and the new couple struggles with long-distance dating.

The show was one of the first BL (Boys’ Love) series in the Philippines. BL was originally a gay romance genre that formed in Japan and was created by women for women. But as the years have gone by, queer voices have gathered to absorb and create within the genre… like Gameboys.

In fact, Gameboys became so popular that it got a re-cut version called Gameboys Level-Up Edition. This new version of the series was an extended cut that included new scenes and additional footage. It then received distribution globally through Netflix. On top of that, a trailer for the second season of the show recently dropped, a movie project is in the works, and a lesbian romance spin-off with a bisexual female lead aired earlier this year. Plus, the series received the Best Web Series award in the Indie Shorts Awards in Seoul, South Korea.

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“Gameboys is ultimately about love overcoming all boundaries – even physical ones set by our new reality,” said Executive Producer Jun Robles Lana. “It is about two people who find each other at a time when they can only connect with one another virtually. I think that is what makes it so resonant with audiences around the world. We want to believe that you can still find love and companionship even in the middle of a pandemic.”

Ivan Payawal, the director of Gameboys, also shared his honest surprise at how popular the show has become.

“I knew we had a show we can all be proud of, but it’s just overwhelming to see fans from around the world commenting and posting about it – a lot of them even creating reaction videos to chronicle how much they loved our episodes!”