Our Youth

sad & beautiful with amazing chemistry and top-notch cinematography

For an idol Kamimura Kenshin had an amazing debut in his main role. Both leads had an amazing chemistry, subtle facial expressions or not so subtle facial expressions which cought me in episode 1. The sensiblity with all their inime scenes filmed was stunning. The story was captivating and it was excruciating to wait for the next episode. Oh my god did I wish this series had been released with all episodes at once.

The characters were detailed and their personalities completly different. Motojima Junsei as Jin also showed great skill, the introvert with only two friends, overthinking anything and struggeling to come out of his shell. Haruki has "friends" but is not close to anyone, hides his struggles and is abused at home. He fears to become like his father and so he always decides not to fight back, takes blame for things he never did and is generally an outcast by most people. Jin does not understand Haruki, he knows of the abuse, but subconsciously he knows Haruki is not a bad guy. And then Haruki is bold kissing Jin a lot, never by force, but denies Jin the word for his feelings which does confuse Jin a lot. You feel the tension and their struggles with each other. And when you think all is well, it is not. Of course this a BL so we get a happy end.

There are some things I did not like. Jin was not open with his friends It was never shown that he told them about his love but it was implied, otherwise why did he invite his friends for the movie made by Haruki? His film is about two boys who seperate to meet again when adults btw. The second one is that the finale felt underwhelming. While the beginning was good the middle and end was lukewarm including the kissing scenes. I had tears in my eyes through all episodes from 1-9 but only in the beginning of episode 10. That's the only reasons why it was not perfect for me. Update: The "special" epsiode (sometimes labeled episode 11) does not solve the issue that Jin keeps in the closet with his friends even when Haruki said he had a crush on Jin but circumvent the reason. So either his friends are stupid and don't get the drift or it's a huge plothole.

The cinematography and direction was on point. This is a series you should binch-watch, the 10 episodes at around 22 minutes playtime will be gone faster than you can imagine and are a delight to watch. While it seems to be going slow everything was made with a tought behind it. Again a great japanese BL which makes thai shows looking very lame and underwhelming (with few exceptions). Overall this is a must see and was one of the best in 2024.

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Didn't Buy The Emotional Tugging

This series has all the right elements to pull at the heartstrings of the audience. Misunderstood youth. Overbearing parents. Abusive family dynamics. Tone-deaf school officials. And reverential/delinquent love. Unfortunately, for me, it just did not work, and I did not, as the expression goes, ‘buy it’. Undoubtedly alone here, I felt no chemistry between the two main leads. In addition, it is getting tiresome and weary to preach the same tune over and over again: someone physically 25 years old simply cannot be a student in high school. In fact, no one past 20 should even attempt to portray anyone supposedly in high school. No matter how much they try, their own life experiences as well as their physical characteristics begin to show/display that they are not 16, 17 or 18. And I lose interest in the story. No matter how good the story is. It just does not work. In this case, one could easily tell who were not young looking. Overall, the story vacillated from being good to being utterly frustratingly bad. The whole story is so filled with tropey scenes and cliché setups that whatever emotional responses that we were supposed to feel, I could not elicit. Regrettably, this series did not even have potential. The characters are overplayed. The plot is weak and mawkish. And the storylines are right out of the unoriginal book of tropes and cliches. To be sure, it worked on a lot of people; I just did not get its attraction or appeal.

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Shallow, Boring and Depressing

This one is extremely boring story with a pretty predictable plotline. The characters are flat one dimensional characters like straight out of a yaoi comic and characters have zero logic or motivations behind their actions. The so called poetic melody was redundant, shallow and repetitive and had very little depth or meaning to it. Minase acting like a girl whenever hirakawa messed with was honestly annoying. No reasoning was given why Hirakawa's father beat him up for no reason and why did Hirakawa took the theft allegation onto himself, trying to be a hero? Absolutely unrealistic and unrelatable! Certainly an overhyped show!

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Amazing from start to finished

I have watched over 100 BL series, primarily from Thailand, Korea, and Taiwan. This is my second Japanese BL, and I would highly recommend it.

While the production quality—such as the graphics, color, and cinematography—may not be as high as that of Korean dramas, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I binge-watched all 11 episodes in one sitting. The chemistry between the two male leads was captivating, evolving from friendship to a deeper connection, progressing to their first kiss, and ultimately culminating in them falling in love with each other. I felt a sense of relief when Haruki's father passed away, as he was portrayed as an abusive alcoholic. It was difficult to believe that Japanese law does not provide more protection for children in such situations. Had this been in Australia, Haruki would have received extensive support, including free accommodation, food, and a safe home. I am, however, grateful that Jin was there to support him.

My only criticism is that it seems unrealistic that, after loving each other and being separated for over five years, they could not contact each other through platforms like Instagram or Facebook. While Jin lost his phone in America, in reality, they could easily have reached out to one another if they truly wanted to.

Overall, I would rate this drama 9 out of 10. I appreciated how each episode beautifully developed their relationship, from high school to adulthood, allowing us to see their love grow with each passing moment. My favorite part was the ending, where Haruki mentions that, although Japan does not have legal gay marriage, he will always be there for Jin. This was a deeply realistic and emotional sentiment, and I could see myself in Haruki's position one day.

I look forward to watching more Japanese BL series in the future.

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One of the best; my favourite BL this year

"I hope the boundary between me and you will fuse and disappear..."

Now, THIS is how you do the bad x good person trope! The storyline is nothing unique or unheard of, yet still manages to captivate you, make you feel, laugh, and cry. 🥰

Minase Jin is a top student from a wealthy family, already facing a prosperous and successful future, lots of career opportunities. All he has to do is to be a "bystander", focus on his studies, and not get into trouble. However, all changes when he accidentally discovers that the deliquent of his class, Hirukawa Haruki is being abused by his father. He smokes, hangs out with shady people, barely attends lessons, and couldn't care less about his grades - not the good type of people to befriend. At least, so does Minase Jin think, yet not matter how hard he tries, he finds himself falling deeper and deeper for Hirukawa. Until the house of cards he carefully built falls apart.

There are many things I love about this drama - the list goes on and on. But two things I'd like to point out are the pacing and the characters. Everythings just clicks so nicely. Altough some find the pace a bit too fast (compared to the webtoon it's based on), but I think it delivers perfectly. Sometimes it's a bit faster, but when needed it slows down, taking its sweet time with meaningful silence, longing gazes. My heart flutters everytime these two look at each other! OMG, what a great couple! Also, the cinematography is beautiful, very Japanese like - minimalist but clean, not too bright, not too dark. Just perfect! 🇯🇵

HIRUKAWA IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS EVER... He is written so well. A complex character! He is not the typical "bad guy", a nonchalant bully. Rather, he is filled with love, yet lost and lonely. Nobody really cared about him until Minase gave him a shelter in his own appartment - damn, I feel why Hirukawa can't hold himself back from kissing him. The fact that this is their first love makes it even more better. Two people who are polar opposites falling for each other, despite all the hardships and prejudices. 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Minase is such a nice person. At first, he comes off quite bland and awkward, but as the story goes on, you realise that being simple isn't that bad after all, and he has a heart of gold. Everybody tries to tell him not to befriend Hirukawa, and he tries, but clearly can't stop. From the moment their eyes met for the first time at the water fountain, he was done for good haha. The series is still on going, so I'm curious how the conflict between him and her mother will turn out...

Minase gave a safe place, a home to Hirukawa, meanwhile Hirukawa now became the meaning of Minase's live, the motivation to be himself instead of trying to impress others, especially his mum all the time. ❤️

So far, this is all I wanted to yap about. More's upcoming once the series finished airing. If you read this whole pharagraph, thank you very much, ILY <<33

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BL Block Perhaps..?

I think I might be slipping back into my unfortunate BL Block, because I have found zero interest in this BL, which is very rare for me when it comes to a Japanese BL, but good Lord, I don't think I can do it anymore.

Let's Dive In.

I want to also start this off by saying: I genuinely see nothing wrong with anything that this show has to offer. I think the first two-three episodes were my favorite, and then after that, it just bored the fuck out of me. I'm not sure when it went all wrong, but it took me less than two hours to watch the first four episodes, then took me two days to watch the fifth, then a week to watch the sixth until I was forcing myself to sit and watch the rest. I can't do that anymore.

I will say, this series was hyped a lot, honestly a lot more hype than I'm used to hearing when it comes to JBLs, so I had high hopes for this, but inevitably, this is where I'm at with this series.

Ratings:

Story: 6/10 - good until it wasn't. Started boring me to no end. Main characters were cute though,

Acting: 8/10 - really good, great job for Kenshin (Haruki) for real.

Music: 5/10 - didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 4/10 - I can understand why people liked this, loved it even, but for some reason, the plot, the mess with the character's dad, the overall ominous feeling just did not do it for me.

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Impressive and memorable BL that wrecked my heart and took my breath away in the best way ~~~

This BL drama manages to do so much over the course of its 11 episodes of about 30 minutes. It portrayed the relationship of two highschoolers in a very worthwile and touching way. It made so much sense why they grew closer, despite (or rather because of) their difference in social class and personality. Their family background was instrumental in bringing them together and nurturing their connection. The writing of the series was very solid in getting to the point, without too much fioriture and creating a clear picture of the story for the viewer in very limited time.

The chemistry between the two main leads was very good. The evolution of their relationship felt very credible in their feelings as well as the way the intimacy naturally increased between the characters. There was a brilliant progression over time in the skinship moments and the way the kisses got more an more passionate as the series progressed took my breath away. It felt very real but poetic as well. There are a myriad of gestures, little touches that gave life to the characters and their romance in a meaningful way. Some scenes will definitely stays into my memory for a very long time.

The production was really good with water being a common thread in the making and a key element for the storytelling. I loved the OST with the un-skippable opening song and the emotional and sorrowful music which was inserted purposefully in the background of some of the scenes.

I would strongly recommend this stellar and emotional BL to everyone looking for a poetic romance with gut-wrenching storytelling. I wish they had a bit more time to even further develop some elements but it is also because I loved it so much ! Do yourself a favor and don't miss episode 11 who serves as a beautiful epilogue to the story with a strong and important activist point of view ! Far from being preachy, it opens the door in a mindful way to reflection on the place of gay relationship in Japanese society.

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Intense, heart-breaking and hopeful

By the time I write this review, this show is absolutely the best japanese drama I've watched. The story, the writing, the production value, the overall message of the story all fit perfectly toghether to create a wonderful, intense and engaging experience. It took me just one episode to get hooked by the unfloding story of Minase and Hirukawa, and I enjoeyed every second of it.

The story, while probably not that uncommon, manages to portrait perfectly the story of the protagonists, two troubled boys finding unexpected comfort in each other, while also always remaining grounded and realistic. Both Minase and Hirukawa are extremely reletable and genuine characters, and you just can't avoid getting fond of them. Their relationship is very intense, sometimes herotic yet very delicate, and the actors did a splendid job in portraying their relationship. Without any major spoilers, the finale in the eleventh episodes offers a beautiful, well thought, bittersweet yet hopeful commentary on the desire of getting married without being able to, which I personally very much appreciated.

Production wise, the show is phenomenal, with attention to deatils, every camera angle clearly studied and with a soundtrack that nicely gets along with the overall mood of the story, without ever being distracting or off setting: honestly, even though everyone is free to like or dislike the show and its story, it just need to be admitted that is beautiful to watch anyway.

In short, I personally believe Miseinen raised the standards for japanese dramas, with a simple yet impactful story that really touches your soul.

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genuinely beautiful beyond words

I’ve been wondering how to write a review for something that has had such an impact on me.. I’ve been a fan of them since almost the beginning of their story and the journey was very long and emotional but worth every single second.

The cinematography was beautiful, it encapsulates the emotions in the scene and creates an atmosphere that feels stripped of the feeling that you’re watching something through a screen. The acting was raw and expresses the characters true feelings rather than someone just “playing” as that character. Even the music used hides an underlying message that relates to the characters’ story. It’s truly amazing how everything in this drama feels so deliberate from the pauses between character dialogues to the timing of internal monologues in scenes.

I don’t think there has been a show/movie thats resonated with me as much as this drama—I fell in love with the characters and their individuals struggles. They both saved each other, despite being just teenagers, they found safety and comfort in each other than by the adults that were supposed to protect them. Their story was beautiful from the beginning to the end.. a balance of lightheartedness and pain that’ll make you feel emotional and sympathize with the characters.

「　Minase, who lived life as a bystander to not accidentally get involved in trouble and mess up his future becomes acquainted with Hirukawa, the schools top troublemaker whom even the teachers gave up on. He discovered a secret about Hirukawa’s private life that left him a target to Hirukawa’s attention. This eventually leads to a psuedo-friendship forming between both characters as they get closer and learn more about one another. 」

Slight spoilers for ep 11:
A story like this ends up having a very happy, yet bittersweet ending as the characters are able to acknowledge their feelings for one another, yet know they won’t be acknlowedged the same way by the people around them. This is what I mean by lightheartedness and pain—the characters are happy being together but the drama still reminds us of the reality for queer couples and how currently they will not be recognized as a relationship by the law. Some people disagree with this disheartening ending and view ep 10 as the true ending, which is understandable and they can do as they like, but that also adds to the ignorance that the characters face where people don’t acknowledge the struggle in queer relationships. Despite the pain, I think this ending was still beautifully written and goes to show that their love can still exist and is very much real with or without others approval.

Anyways I just wanted to say I love this drama sososooo much and I’m so grateful to everyone that worked hard to make it because I genuinely don’t think I’ll watch anything that’ll match how this drama made me feel.

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Resilience

Found the series to be a deeply moving that immerses the viewer in sadness until the very end. The series evokes feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and I believe different viewers may resonate with various aspects based on their backgrounds.

For some, it might be Hirukawa Haruki's constant abuse by his father. For others, it could be Minase Jin's perpetual loneliness. Perhaps it's the societal constraints that prevent them from expressing their love for each other. These elements contribute to the unique and special nature of the series.

What makes this series even more remarkable is that it has nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, because it is so grounded in reality, viewers feel a deeper connection and love it even more. The direction, writing, and acting are so well-executed that I must confess I feel lucky to have had the chance to watch it.

The series effectively conveys that no matter what you like or who you are, there is something for you in it. It teaches a valuable lesson: that there is a future for you, even if you feel left out or underestimated. As long as you put in the effort, you will find a way out of your struggles and discover your own unique happiness.

This beautiful and perfect series made me genuinely feel the characters' emotions and left a remarkable impact on me. It will stay in my heart and soul.

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