The global popularity of Boys’ Love continues to grow, and European fans are now getting the chance to meet their favorite actors closer to home. In an exclusive interview for AsianStyle, the team behind Jus in Bello talks about how their long-standing passion for BL evolved into international fanmeetings, the challenges of organizing large-scale events, and why creating meaningful experiences for fans remains at the heart of everything they do.
In recent years, BL (Boys’ Love) has grown into a global phenomenon, with its popularity spreading far beyond Asia. Fans around the world follow their favorite series, support beloved actors, and look for ways to feel closer to the community they are part of. One of the organizations turning this passion into real-life experiences is Jus in Bello, the team behind fanmeetings that bring together fans from across Europe and beyond. AsianStyle had the opportunity to speak with the organizers about their journey, the challenges of hosting such events, and what it means to see fans finally meet the artists they admire.
What inspired you to start bringing BL fanmeetings to Europe, and did you expect the fandom here to grow this fast?
For us the connection with BL actually goes back a long time, long before the current international boom of the genre. As early as 1999 we had created a mailing list dedicated to BL, which later evolved into a forum, a website, and even a small magazine focused on the same themes. So in many ways we have been part of this community since the very early days of its online presence in Europe.
We also love challenges, and we really wanted to create something positive in a world where it often feels easier for people to criticize or tear things down rather than build something new. For us it was also about bringing something different to a country like Italy, which can sometimes feel quite static and where the culture of this kind of entertainment event is still not very widespread.
After organizing Western-themed conventions for over a decade, when we decided to bring BL actors to Europe it felt like a very natural step. In a sense it was going back to our roots and almost like closing a circle: something that began more than twenty years ago as an online space for fans eventually became real-life events where people could meet the artists and share that passion together.
Did I expect the fandom to grow this quickly? Not really. But what I did expect was that if the events were organized seriously and with respect for both fans and artists, people would respond positively — and fortunately that’s exactly what happened.
Thinking back to your very first BL fanmeeting, could you share a bit about that experience and what you remember most from it?
What I remember most is the curiosity. For many fans it was the first time they could meet actors from the Thai BL world in Europe, and for the artists it was often the first time realizing how international their audience had become.
There was a sense of discovery on both sides. When you see fans who have followed these actors online finally meeting them in person, you realize how meaningful those moments can be. It’s the most amazing feeling in the world to look at a sea of faces sitting in the audience, filled with emotion and joy.
So yes, curiosity before the event — and a sense of accomplishment afterwards.
Can you also tell us more about the vision behind Jus in Bello? Why was the company created, and what are your plans or vision for the future?
First of all Jus in Bello is not a commercial company but a non-profit organization, it is a fundamental difference. As I mentioned before, we love challenges. From the beginning the idea behind Jus In Bello was to build something meaningful rather than simply organize events, to create something positive and different in our own way.
Jus In Bello was born with the idea of placing participants at the center of the stage, so to speak — making them the real protagonists of the event and giving them a space where fans and actors could meet in a respectful and relaxed environment. The goal was always to build something that felt more like a community than a mere commercial event.
At the same time, we have always seen these events as an opportunity to promote cultural exchange. Now, bringing Asian artists to Europe helps create a bridge between two worlds that may seem very distant but that in many ways share similar values and traditions. Countries like Italy and Thailand have very different histories and cultures, yet there are also many points of connection, and events like these can help people discover that.
Over the years this vision hasn’t changed. In fact, maintaining the atmosphere of a family gathering is what has inspired us to continue. We still focus on creating events where both fans and guests feel comfortable and where the environment remains friendly, relaxed and genuine.
For the future, the goal is simply to continue doing what we do well: creating meaningful experiences for fans and a positive responsible fandom expression, while helping to bring different cultures closer together through entertainment.
What part of organizing a BL fanmeeting turned out to be much harder than you expected?
Obviously, the logistical side of events that can bring thousands of participants together in the same place is always more complex than people imagine: international travel, visas, schedules, contracts, coordination between agencies, hotels, venues, and another thousand details.
But the real challenge is maintaining balance — between rules and fun, between making sure fans are as happy as possible and ensuring that artists feel respected, and making sure the event runs smoothly without turning it into something chaotic or uncomfortable for anyone.
Another important balance is between wanting to make the event accessible to as many people as possible and the reality of covering extremely high organizational costs. Keeping that equilibrium while maintaining the quality of the experience is probably one of the most demanding aspects of the job.
And of course there is always a big leap of faith involved in organizing a new event. Each time is a new challenge, and you never really know in advance how things will unfold — you just do your best to make it work.
How do you usually decide which actors or couples to invite, and how much do fan requests influence those decisions?
Fan requests are important because they help us understand the level of interest, but they are only one of many factors.
We also have to consider availability, schedules, agency agreements, travel logistics, and whether the guests fit the type of event we organize.
In the end, it’s always a combination of fan interest and practical feasibility, together with a good dose of intuition on top of marketing research.
Is there a BL ship that fans ask for so much that you feel like you have to bring them one day?
There are always some couples that fans ask for very frequently, especially in our periodical surveys. Sometimes we manage to bring them, sometimes schedules or agency plans make it impossible.
But we always keep an eye on who the audience would like to meet, and we always try to make it happen.
Did your personal interest in BL come before organizing these fanmeetings, or did it grow while working on Jus in Bello? If you do watch BL, are there any series that left a strong impression on you personally?
As I mentioned before, we have been supporting this genre for over a quarter of a century, so our interest in it is certainly not new. Personally, I’ve loved shounen-ai manga and slash since I was a teenager, so yes, I do have a natural affinity for this kind of storytelling.
That said, I have always preferred books, manga, or even fanfictions to anime, movies, or TV series — I enjoy imagining things my own way more than simply watching them.
So, am I a fan? No, not really in the traditional sense. Do I watch BL shows? Yes — probably more than I would by personal choice if organizing fan events wasn’t part of my daily life. But knowing the shows, productions, companies, and especially which ship works well is part of doing my job properly, and I always try to approach my work with competence and a high level of commitment.
As for specific series, there are too many that I’ve appreciated for too many different reasons, so choosing just one would be impossible.
You’re doing amazing work. It’s wonderful to see fans from all over Europe coming together in Rome to support their favorite actors. It’s such an incredible opportunity, especially since not everyone can travel to Thailand to meet them in person.
Thank you! Actually our participants come from all over the world, including lots of Thai and Asian people in general.
Watching people have fun while seeing their favorite artists is amazing. Knowing they bring home memories that will last long after the end of the event is heartwarming. Seeing them make new friends at our events or meet online friends for the first time is one of the most gratifying aspects of this work.
What feelings do you experience when you see excited fans at a fanmeeting? How do you feel when you realize that Jus in Bello has made it possible for European fans to experience something they otherwise couldn’t?
What I feel most is satisfaction in seeing the hard work finally come to life — a sense of accomplishment for a job well done. And, as I said, there is great joy in witnessing all the emotions and the wonder on the faces of people who have traveled from many different countries just to be there with us. That’s always a special moment.
Organizing events like these requires a lot of work behind the scenes, so when everything finally comes together and people are happy, it means the effort was worth it.
What makes your fan meetings special, and why should fans choose to attend them? What kind of experiences can they expect during the event?
For better or worse, what makes our events different is simply us — the people behind them. Every member of the organizing team and staff brings their own passion and care into the event, so in many ways our fanmeets reflect who we are and what we stand for.
Sometimes that means doing things that are not necessarily the easiest or the most popular, like saying no when something isn’t right or insisting on maintaining a certain set of rules. At the same time, it also means creating genuine connections with the people who attend. We don’t see participants as anonymous customers; each one of them is a person to us, and we genuinely enjoy making new friends ourselves.
After decades of doing this work, we are very proud to say that we know people and have friends everywhere in the world.
We are not a faceless organization hiding behind anonymity. During our events we are there, among the participants, working incessantly from early morning until late in the evening. If there is something anyone wants to tell us, they can come up and talk to us, because we are there and we care.
We are probably a bit old-fashioned in the sense that we still believe in talking to people directly. We reply to every email we receive, answering questions again and again — even when the answer is already available on the website, on social media, or even a few lines above in the same post. We do that to provide assistance and a sense of belonging.
If you look at the structure of fan events, most of them offer very similar activities: stage panels, photo opportunities, autographs, and various interactive moments with the guests. What really makes the difference is how those things are organized and managed.
For us, the real difference lies in the work that people rarely see. A well-run event is one where problems are solved before participants even realize there was a problem. It means making sure schedules run on time so fans don’t miss activities, making sure guests feel relaxed and happy on stage, and making sure people who have traveled from different countries can enjoy the experience without worrying about logistics, delays, or complications.
In a way, the best compliment we can receive is when people don’t notice the work we do at all. Because when everything runs smoothly, when guests are smiling and having a good time, and when fans can simply enjoy the moment without stress, that invisible work speaks for itself.
Some consider this an added value, and it is obvious when people keep coming back event after event, year after year. Others probably prefer a less personal approach, but that’s the beauty of life: everyone can choose for themselves how to invest their passion, their time, and their hard-earned money. We simply hope that those who choose us never have cause for regret.
Source: Jus in Bello
