My Best Gay Friends

The series revolves around the lives of three twenty-something men who share an apartment. Khoa, a college student, was forced to live away from his family so that he can learn to become independent. By chance, he found and rented a room in the apartment where Rje was living, and was soon joined by Nhật. Rje operates a stall selling bún bò (rice vermicelli) at a market, while Nhật has a mysterious past. The humor in the series arise from the daily lives of the perpetually broke young people who live away from their families, in situations at school, at work, in relationships, but involving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters. Khoa is always unsuccessful in love, but he is always looked after by his good friends. Rje and Nhật vie for the affections of BB Trần, one of Khoa's classmates, while Rje is being pursued at work by a delivery boy. A subplot of the series involves Nhật coming to terms with his past. ==Cast==

Main • Huỳnh Nguyễn Đăng Khoa (Khoa Loi Nhoi) as Khoa, a college student who was forced to live independently by his family • Trần Nguyễn Kim Hân (Rje Kaj) as Hân (Rje), the owner of the shared apartment who operates a bún bò stall at a market • Ngô Xuân Nhật (Đới Mộng Mộng) as Nhật, a mysterious young man and the third person sharing the apartment Supporting • Minh Thành as Thành, Khoa's schoolmate • Tống Minh Khang as Tonỳ, a delivery boy at the market where Rje works; he is interested in Rje • Magic Quyên as Khoa's mother Guest • BB Trần as himself, Khoa's schoolmate and the handsome man being pursued by Rje • Cindy Thái Tài as herself • Khả Như as My's mother, appeared unexpectedly at her wedding in episode 9 == Production ==

Development According to director Huỳnh Nguyễn Đăng Khoa, he developed the series after hearing his friend and eventual co-star Trần Nguyễn Kim Hân recount his "weird and amusing" experience after coming out. He wanted to portray gay people in a more realistic way, unlike the negative images he often see in Vietnamese films and comedies. He said, “It’s not right. I’m gay and I see my life as very normal. That’s why I want to bring true images of homosexuals to everyone to change their perspective on us.” He plans to make 15 episodes in total. Filming My Best Gay Friends was filmed using a Canon EOS 600D DSLR camera and a tripod. Each episode lasts about 20 minutes and takes about 2 to 3 days to film and edit. Each costs about 1 million VND (50 USD) to create, mostly borne by Đăng Khoa and friends. The crew typically film on location, such as at school, on a bus, or at a market, so they are sometimes ejected from their filming locations. Episode 9 of the planned 15-episode series deals with the issue of same-sex marriage. When a lesbian wedding at a restaurant was cancelled, due to being "against Vietnamese tradition and customs", Cindy Thai Tai (the first openly transgender person in Vietnam) intervened, and the wedding was held at a different venue, to the delight of the couple's friends and family present. ==Reception==

When it debuted, the series created a "fever" online, attracting many viewers and was widely shared on Facebook. The initial response from the LGBT community was largely positive, and many asked to take part in the series. The film debuted during a time when Vietnamese society is rapidly changing its view towards LGBT issues, while the Vietnamese government is considering legalizing same-sex marriage, but it's unclear how much My Best Gay Friends had helped. Trần Nguyễn Kim Hân, who plays Rje Kaj, actually works at the bun bo stand featured in the series. The stand has become somewhat of an attraction as fans often ask for Hân or take pictures or ask for autographs when he is there. It also has increased business there. It is actually owned by Hân's mother, who has expressed her support for the show and her son's sexual orientation. The series was described as "exposing a world of homosexuals that is fun, funny, and healthy." However, because their sexual orientation became public as a result of the series, the actors sometimes face opposition. Ngô Xuân Nhật, who plays one of the three roommates, was condemned by his neighbors and relatives, but supported by his mother, after his sexuality became known. Despite its online popularity, the director has no plans to broadcast the series on television due to its "rather sensitive" subject matter. == Sequel ==

After a 7-year hiatus, the second season of the series was officially announced at the talk show event "Tự tin bản sắc chính mình" (Confident in your own identity) on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the series' broadcast held at Léman Luxury Apartments, Ho Chi Minh City on September 16, 2023. This return is a thank you to the audience, and at the same time, a desire to convey a message to society to have a more positive view of the LGBTQ+ community. ==References==