Thai stars Ohm Pawat and Nanon Korapat stayed true to their promise that they would make their first fan meeting in Manila the best day for their fans.
Best known for the hit Thai boys-love series Bad Buddy, the duo did a nearly two-hour show at SM Aura's Samsung Hall on January 21, 2023.
Ohm and Nanon opened the program by singing "Same Page" by Tilly Bird, which is part of the official soundtrack of their boys-love series.
The fan meet included a segment called "Good Buddy and Bad Buddy," a fun game that tested Ohm and Nanon’s knowledge about the Philippines.
Select lucky fans got the chance to join them onstage and help them answer the questions correctly.
They also treated their fans to back-to-back solo performances.
Ohm just released his first single "Unlovable," and he sang it for the first time in front of his Pinoy fans.
Nanon, for his part, serenaded the crowd with his song "Just Friend," which won as Best Theme Song in the 27th Asian Awards for Television.
- Zeus Collins turns PHP50K savings into food business with 43 branches
- Vivamax star Andrea Garcia defends brother Jet Delgado against singer Ryssi Avila: "Don't act like a victim."
- Meet Dexter Valenton, first Aeta na pasado sa Criminology Licensure Exam
ohm and nanon LEARNING MORE PINOY STUFF
What made the fan meet extra special for the fans was when Ohm and Nanon made an effort to entertain the crowd by learning Pinoy gay lingo.
They made the fans laugh when they were taught how to say "Charot!"—a Pinoy gay slang for "just kidding."
To make their first visit in Manila memorable, Ohm and Nanon were each gifted with colored Barong Tagalog, a famous Pinoy formal wear for men, with their names embroidered on it.
Ohm and Nanon were also treated with a surprise video presentation courtesy of their Filipino fans.
OHM AND NANON'S MESSAGE TO FILIPINO FANS
The two Thai stars got emotional and thanked their fans for joining them at their first fan meeting in Manila.
"Today I feel so happy because I love your energy today. I love you!" Nanon exclaimed.
Looking forward to his next visit, Nanon added, "Thank you for supporting us and for coming here today. I hope we come again here. I love you very much! I really love your energy.
"We [hope to] come to the Philippines again next time."
When it was Ohm's turn to give his message, he admitted that he was feeling a bit under the weather because he just flew in a day before the fan meet.
He said he was feeling a little "sleepy and dizzy" so he tried to perk up his energy by drinking coffee before the event.
Then he pointed out how receiving so much love from Pinoy fans gave him the boost he needed.
“But [today], when I [came] up on the stage and met you guys, you [made] my energy very, very full today, and I’m glad to see you.
"This is my very, very good day of the year. This is my best first memory of this year," Ohm happily noted.
He added, "I hope we can come back here and see you again. Tomorrow, I have to go back, and you know, I think I will miss you.
"I love your energy. I hope you enjoyed today and I hope you feel very, very happy today. Today [is] our best day!"
The Manila fan meet for Ohm and Nanon was presented by CDM Entertainment.
UP CLOSE WITH OHM AND NANON
Hours before the fan meet, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) interviewed Ohm and Nanon at Seda Hotel in BGC, Taguig City.
The duo were delighted when told that their Thai BL series Bad Buddy was well-received not only in their country but also in the Philippines.
"I [am] very happy that it was well-received in the Philippines because we all worked hard for the series. I’m very happy that we got good feedback,” said Nanon.
Ohm happily agreed, “Just like what Nanon said, I have the same feeling that it was well-received in the Philippines because we all really worked hard, and we’re excited to meet the fans later.”
Bad Buddy is a BL series that that tells the story of Pat (Ohm Pawat) and Pran (Nanon Korapat), who both grew up hating each other as a result of their parents’ rivalry.
However, their special feelings for each other unfold when the two agree to become best buddies.
The romantic-comedy series aired from October 29, 2021 to January 21, 2022.
BAD BUDDY'S IMPACT ON VIEWERS
During the interview with PEP.ph, Ohm was told how Bad Buddy became a source of comfort for Pinoy BL fans at the height of the pandemic.
"I am very happy that someone has posted that Bad Buddy is a safe zone for you," said Ohm.
He then cited his previous series Cheng Meng (He's Coming To Me) where his character confessed to his mother that he is "different" and doesn't feel attracted to the opposite sex.
The actress who played as his mom comforted him and said that she still loves him no matter what.
Ohm went on to say that one of the things he values as an actor is how a certain role can help viewers' grapple with real-life struggles.
“I feel that our Bad Buddy series also portrayed those feelings [of being comforted and assured] that he had.
"I am very glad that it is a safe zone for most of the people who watched the series."
One of the avid fans of Bad Buddy is Drag Race Philippines Season 1 Top 4 finalist Eva Le Queen
On January 11, 2023, Eva Le Queen tweeted that she couldn't make it to the fan meet, but that she's a huge fan of Ohm and Nanon.
Then Eva Le Queen attested to how Thai BL series helped cheer her up during difficult times.
Published as is, Eve revealed, “Only few ppl knew during lockdown 2020 when my panic attacks and anxiety was so bad. I had severe meltdowns in the middle of virtual parties or even hostings.
"Thai BL was my refuge. My escape. It kept me together during really dark times. So yeah, I love my BL boys sm.”