What’s a MewGulf, you might ask? We expect that if you’re reading this, you probably already know. However, in the off chance that you don’t, MewGulf is two halves of a BL ship from TharnType: The Series. Mew Suppasit plays Tharn, an openly gay university freshman, and Gulf Kanawut plays Type, a complicated, emotionally confused, homophobic freshmen who end up sharing a dorm room with Tharn.
While it’s becoming more popular, it really isn’t common practice to ‘ship two actors together that play fictional characters. So why are we writing about MewGulf instead of TharnType? Well, these two adorable young men from Thailand have certainly blurred the lines between fiction and reality a lot lately.
It is common knowledge that fanservice culture in Thailand, especially with the BL industry, operates on a whole different level to what is expected in Western entertainment realms. It is not uncommon for actors to participate in very ‘couple-like’ activities while hosting fan meets.
Initially, when MewGulf started promoting TharnType: The Series when it first aired, this was exactly what their promotional fan meets were like. It wasn’t long, however, before a genuine connection between the two individuals became evident to everyone.
MewGulf calls their relationship ‘bromance’. The fandom calls it ‘romance’. We’re calling it we-don’t-really-know-mance. Whatever it is though, we want what they’re having. So what is it about these two individuals that have the entire world spinning in circles?
Come with us as we unpack the relationship of Mew Suppasit & Gulf Kanawut.
Protect, protect, protect!
In an interview with Thai Entertainment Portal (TEP) just three weeks after they met each other, Gulf Kanawut says he felt confident that Mew Suppasit would protect him on this journey they were about to embark on together. We’re guessing Mew Suppasit, who seemed shocked by that comment in the interview, heard Gulf Kanawut loud & clear.
It wasn’t long before Behind the Scenes footage started emerging from their pre-shooting workshops, and then also from onset once shooting began. It was very clear that Mew Suppasit had indeed stepped in as Gulf Kanawut’s knight in shining armor.
While TharnType was shooting, Mew Suppasit doted on Gulf Kanawut on set constantly. Kanawut was constantly being hugged, picked up, carried around, wrestled with, groomed, and anything else that required physical contact, including taking naps together in random locations on set. Mew Suppasit never left Gulf Kanawut’s side.
As filming wrapped & the pair started doing promotional interviews and fan meet & greets, it became clear this clingy, protective behavior from Mew Suppasit was not going to stop any time soon. There is an abundance of footage on YouTube of Suppasit guiding Kanawut through massive crowds, moving him away from anyone that seems questionable, and basically caring for his public wellbeing at all times.
Furthermore, this protective stance is also extremely noticeable when the two are giving interviews together. As Kanawut was new to the entertainment industry, his experience dealing with reporters was very limited. At least, in the beginning, Suppasit would always take the lead on intrusive or inappropriate questions & model how to respond. Now it seems, Kanawut has a pretty good handle of that on his own.
Gulf Kanawut’s growth
While Mew Suppasit may have voluntarily stepped in to protect Kanawut at all costs, we all know it takes two to tango. Gulf Kanawut has clearly revelled in Suppasit’s attention. Fans comment on his transformation often, claiming that he evolved from a shy, polite, quiet-spoken individual, to a brave, bold, giggly baby. It’s delightful.
There is plenty of footage around on YouTube from the early days. At fanservice meet & greets & during interviews, Kanawut was always extra polite and would often take his lead from Suppasit. Well, that’s really not the case anymore.
He banters with Suppasit in front of crowds and reporters often. During these moments, Kanawut can often be found revealing personal information about their off-screen relationship in what appears to be a completely accidental manner. Every time they’re on screen together now, fans sit on edge wondering what he’ll let slip this time. Kanawut has earned himself the reputation of being a terrible secret keeper.
While this is a relatively new development in the MewGulf saga, among these moments of banter, Kanawut can now be found flirting with Suppasit on the regular. He tries to lead Suppasit into conversations that might reveal how the man might feel about him, and throws his own feelings around quite a lot too.
Whether this is fanservice, or not, remains to be seen. The pair can be quoted endlessly saying that the state of their relationship is “brothers who love each other a lot”, but can often be seen giggling like schoolgirls on camera upon immediately finishing that statement. Needless to say, fans are confused, and have decided to run with their own theories.
What fans are not confused about, though, is Gulf Kanawut’s beautiful development as a human being. Regardless of whether it’s friendship, a familial kind of bond, or something more, Gulf Kanawut’s personal growth is largely attributed to the love & support that came into his life when Mew Suppasit did.
If that wasn’t enough to get on board with this relationship, the constant blushing, giggling & utter baby-like behavior from Gulf Kanawut in response to Mew Suppasit that arrived with the onset of 2020 is nothing short of adorable. We beg of you, please don’t stop any time soon!
Respect, respect, respect!
One of the most loveable things about the MewGulf relationship is the clear & uncompromised mutual respect they show for each other always. At fan meets, as part of their fan service obligations, the pair are often at the whim of fans who request they engage in very couple-like activities.
For example, it is common for fans to ask Suppasit to pick Kanawut up. They get requests for fans to touch each other’s cheeks, divulge information about the status of their offline relationship, touch each other, hug each other, and a whole host of other activities that require the young men to enter each other’s personal space.
Neither Suppasit or Kanawut ever act on these requests without first obtaining clear verbal permission from the other. There are a multitude of videos of them at fan meets where viewers can explicitly hear them requesting permission.
Additionally, in interviews, both men often talk about how much respect they have for the other. This has been something they have done since the beginning and their behavior when they are together in the same space, as well as individually and online, really demonstrates their words are true.
They squabble and bicker like your Mom and Dad
Does anyone remember that time not too long ago that the young men clearly had a misunderstanding, as all people do sometimes, and Suppasit went on twitter and vomited his feelings all over the place in a cryptic manner? The incident caused his fellow castmates to rally and try and figure out what had happened between the two.
What was funny about that incident was that it happened on Twitter in a very public forum & it sent the MewGulf detectives in the fandom into an absolute frenzy. However, what was even more amusing was the Instagram Live they did together the next day to attempt to smooth over all the drama.
If you want to watch the Instagram Live. Not a lot happens in the video, as it is mostly just the two of them driving in Suppasit’s car through Bangkok on their way to get some food together. It does get relatively interesting towards the end of the call, though, when Run Kantheephop Sirorattana, who plays Seo on TharnType: The Series, joins the call and asks them about the incident from the day before.
Hilarity ensues. Instant squabbling erupts as Suppasit tried to pin the whole incident on Kanawut, while Kanawut sat there acting like he had no idea what the issue was in the first place. The two respectfully and playfully banter back and forth like their co-star isn’t on the call, and tens of thousands of people aren’t watching.
This isn’t the only example where MewGulf can be found bickering like your parents do, seemingly forgetting everyone is watching. There are many interviews available on Youtube that also demonstrate this behavior from the two. Yet they never take it too far, it always remains respectful, and it always has an air of playfulness about it. Fans have decided they enjoy this part of their relationship very much.
Even though TharnType: The Series is on hiatus while they wait for the onset of Season 2, the pair continue to attend official events together, and take Instagram photos and Lives of them spending time together on a personal level. They seem to understand that the world just can’t get enough of them.
So what is it specifically about this relationship that keeps you so hooked? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts!
