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Interesting story, great cast
I think the first point I need to highlight is how great the cast is! Young actors that are actually close to the age of the characters and delivering fantastic performances.I wouldn’t say this is a BL or a series about exploring sexuality, this is a story about gender. Mishima started the series knowing he is gay and knowing that, although he likes to play with his hair and makeup, he doesn’t wanna be a girl. We also know he’s attracted to the coach and starts his relationship with Yumeno.
While with Kirino, we don’t really see him liking anyone or wanting anything with other boys. Kirino wants to live as a girl. I fully believe when he says that he thought he liked the coach because he actually wanted the coach to be his dad.
With all that, the story, in my opinion, is the journey of Mishima helping Kirino to live his dream, even if just for a semester.
I understand the ending is not necessarily happy, but it’s just one minute of Kirino’s adult life. I understand why he needed to be distant from Mishima. He can be both happy with his family and still wanting to explore the Pandora’s Box inside.
PS: Happy that we see Mishima and Yumeno still together in the end.
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Only one drawback
I'm sad that the trans/gender queer kid, Kirino. didn't get a happy ending. I was hoping they would be the Drag queen. It made me die a little inside to see it end that way for them. I know we could talk about the artistry of it all. The realism, but IDK, if our gay character (and pan character) get a happy ending, I think the trans/gender queer character didn't. You could say I'm selfish, you could say that the world has already given trans characters enough sad endings as it is. This was a safe place to give them a happy or partially happy one. IKids are great an all, but you could see it when they zoomed into Kirino's face at the end and zoomed in on their eye that they were dead inside.Was this review helpful to you?
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Lots of Potential, but Fell Flat because of it's Too Gloomy
•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•Smells Like Green Spirit had the potential to be a really thought-provoking drama with all of the themes it decided to tackle, but it really fell flat with its gloomy atmosphere and rushed ending.
The drama tackles the theme of sexuality in the 90s. They also sprinkled in some of the usual troupes of bullying, societal pressure through neighborhood gossip, and coming out. There was also a little bit of sexual assault thrown in the mix as well. Just by reading all of the themes, you can tell they are not happy themes at all. It’s all doom and gloom, and with only 8 episodes it’s hard to insert many happy moments. It seems like Mishima is constantly facing some sort of gloomy trouble that he can never catch a break to be happy. And this is what is missing from the drama.
Every episode seems to be gloomy with no happiness that we end up feeling bad for Mishima. Even the ending, which is supposed to show Mishima being happy, no longer struggling with his sexuality, is rushed and crammed into the last few minutes. Even his cross-dressing nature is lost that when Mishima is shown as a drag queen model, we don’t even know if it is actually him or not. It’s sad, since this could have been a good coming of age drama!
•❅✧❅✦ Themes ✦❅✧❅•
Smells Like Green Spirit tackles many themes including sexuality in the 90s, bullying, societal pressure, neighborhood gossip, coming out, and sexual assault. The most prevalent is the reality of sexuality in the 90s and societal pressure through neighborhood gossip.
The drama focuses on each theme they try to tackle though gossip from the neighborhood. We then learn about the truth of the situation through the characters they are gossiping about. It’s really sad because on more than one occasion, the characters change their course of action after hearing the neighborhood gossip. Kirino can’t even live his life freely because his mother bends to the pressure of society and he doesn’t want to disappoint her. He even went as far as trying to run away, only to be pulled back because the neighborhood gossip hit his mother and she collapsed.
I could go on and on about each theme, but the neighborhood gossip really pissed me off while watching because it was so accurate to how the Japanese bend to the pressure of their social image, even in this day and age!
•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•
Smells Like Green Spirit could have been a thought-provoking drama, but it kind of fell flat for me with it’s doom and gloom. Other people really seem to give it high regards, so I guess it’s good. Maybe I just have really high standards. Or I just found it too gloomy to see the positives of this drama.
Either way, I think the drama was nice, but it’s not something I would ever watch again. I honestly don’t even feel like reading the manga since it’s more gloomy than happy. Overall, it’s a decent coming of age story, but it’s really not for me.
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Surprising, unpredictable, excellent (worth watching over and over)
The visuals in Smells Like Green Spirit are absolutely beautiful! And the pacing? Perfect. The story development is somewhat unconventional (unpredictable) and doesn't follow the typical BL story arc.The series begins with intense bullying. The perpetrators, who are homophobes, have latched onto the long-haired Mishima. The show takes a surprising but significant turn when he starts to befriend one of the bullies, who is gay as well.
This sparks a sweet and wholesome bond between the two as they secretly have lunch on the school roof every day. Over boxed bentos and makeup accessories stolen from their mothers, the boys find a safe zone in each other.
But the sappy sweetness from this coming-of-age friendship is short-lived. Smells Like Green Spirit is fraught with the anxiety of not belonging.
Set in the 1990s, the show comes with a warning that some may find the language inappropriate for today’s context. There’s also a warning label for sexual assault and violence.
Expect some unsettling behaviour in the show, but only because it mirrors reality. There is a fine line between highlighting real-life issues and parading tragedy for the sake of drawing attention, but I think Smells Like Green Spirit casts a delicate balance without overdoing it.
While fraught with the troubling anxiety of youth, it also reminds us of the immeasurable potential of having one’s life stretched out in front of you. Shangri-la is out there waiting for us.
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a bittersweet journey of queer identity
i dont usually write reviews but it’s 6am and i just binge watched the whole thing… i have too many feelings to keep to myself.one scene that really stayed with me was when kirino and mishima were in their usual spot and kirino kept unconsciously using the feminine pronoun for herself, mishima gently picked up on it and reassured her, that when they’re together, it’s okay to be whoever she wants to be, even to use “she” if that felt right. that moment of freedom, of affirmation, of just being seen and accepted….it was so beautiful. watching kirino begin to use “she” and seeing the happiness on both their faces… it was like watching someone breathe for the first time.
mishima’s confrontation with his mom was another standout. her unwavering support, her love, her simple desire to see her son happy… it’s something every queer kid deserves. in contrast, kirino’s moment with her own mother was just heartbreaking. the weight she carried, the choice she made to abandon her truth for what she believed was the best for everyone… it was devastating.
kirino in the bath, scrubbing her body like she’s trying to erase something invisible, something that lives just under the skin like if she tries hard enough she can scrub away whatever part of herself she’s struggling to accept or reconcile.
this drama doesn’t offer easy answers. it gives us two queer characters, two very different outcomes. mishima got to live his truth. kirino didn’t. and yet, both stories reflect real lives. real people. it’s not fair but it’s real. that’s what makes it so bittersweet.
mishima and kirino’s story is not about falling in love, it’s about seeing and being seen. about offering someone a space where they don’t have to flinch, where they can exist in the fullness of their gender, their fear, their hope.
for those who have lived even a fraction of what these characters go through, smells like green spirit will feel like a mirror. and maybe, just maybe, a hand reaching out to hold yours through it.
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Damn....
I haven't watched a show like this in a while. I thought it would be stupid and clique at first but damn. I can't believe how it managed to portray how people who are different from others so well. My words simply can't do this show justice but it pains my heart how sweet and how bitter this series is. It gave us a sweet and tragic end to two stories. My heart aches for people who had no choice but to be a slave to societal norm. I wish deep my heart that you would find happiness somewhere else.Was this review helpful to you?
I love these kind of stories that explore human connection and growth.
I really appreciate the way they approached this show. Rather than "tackling" the subject matter, it more delicately inquires into the minds of these teenagers who are still trying to figure themselves out. And of course, this all happens in a rural town that doesn't really know how to handle their complexities. I'd say genre wise there are themes of [coming of age/absurdism/slice of life/angst]. We still have 3 more episodes left so we'll have to see how the story continues, but so far I really appreciate what they're exploring with this piece.Was this review helpful to you?
this drama is realistic, unhinged, and.. did i mention realistic?
it's not your typical BL and it mainly focuses on how characters discover themselves, friendships, and love. Some scenes are like a warm hug and some scenes are like a slap on the face. it's cruel, but realistic. and i like how in some serious or dramatic scenes, they do not put a background sound which makes it even more realistic as if im actually there, invisible, watching the characters suffer and can do nothing about it. i especially like the friendship between kirino and mishima.pros:
the plot is amazing
the acting is GIVING
the characters are well-written and have some flaws (which is realistic)
makes you experience different feelings in just one episode
cons:
being aired once a week
cant wait for new ep
so short, wdym 9 eps?? i need 900. RIGHT NOW. ALL AIRED!!
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This one is a very realistic portrayal of what our society is now about gay person, in a small town nonetheless Very sad, sad for Kirino that have to suppress his true self for his mother, for how society portray him.
Very happy for Mishima who got his happy ending with (suprise suprise) Yumeno.
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Bad
Probably these types of BLs aren't my cup of tea, I wasn't searching for a romantic silly drama I know what this is about, still I couldn't see the "finding your identity" thing, I expected something like Fujoshi, Ukkari Gei ni Kokuru maybe, but this wasn't the same at all.Acting was ok, I don't understand why everyone has to be gay just because this is a BL drama but I understand that's the common thing about bls.
It's not so deep but I can see why it's popular and the over 8 rate but this just isn't for me.
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It comes in at the right time in my life (I was facing transphobia..). I watch it in one sittingA real queer story about acceptance, coming out and friendship.
"The pandora's box we could only open on the rooftop" what if I CRY?!!
They did really a great job on portreying queer people who struggle with their identity - even though I'm not a big fan of "they are homophobic because they are queer too" and "they bully you because they love you".
It's very japanese in the way they act, it's not bad, just a observation. I loved it.
If one day I'm too happy, i'll re-watch it to remember how sad life is.
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Review is W.I.P~
Foremost, I think the runtime should have been around 45 minutes to properly impact the viewers. 23-24 minutes episodes aren't ideal when you're dealing with such delicate societal topics. Makers should have given viewers the time to settle in and connect themselves. I would recommend waiting for 3-4 episodes and then start watching.Now, let's come to the societal issue this drama will be dealing with, this is not a BL, it's an LGBTQ drama, so please keep that in mind when jumping in. You gotta bring your compassion along with your passion while watching.
In the first episode, there's a disclaimer in the beginning which viewers should read carefully. Though the drama is set up of 1990s, the society is still very much prejudiced and harsh against a 'girly' boy than it is against a 'boyish' girl. If I am to give an example from my own experiences, we had a boy in our school, who liked 'girly' stuffs were harassed/made fun of by other boys and even some girls. But a tomboy was quite famous among boys and even girls. She played volleyball in district level for our school.
Nevertheless, I am through and through impressed by Araki Towa, he's going to win awards for his protreyal of Mishima for sure
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