Our Youth

Couldn’t have ended any better

After watching enough J BL, they generally fall into several categories, the comedic ones that have a relatively happy ending, the angsty one that has a bittersweet ending or the slice of life ones where the romance is somewhat muted. This one in the other hand had realistic elements with abuse and neglect - and yet also had a realistic and happy ending. The cinematography was great, especially the small meaningful moments, like subtle brush of the lips on the hand, use of water and the sea as analogy, and the playground ship. The willingness to show intimacy instead of bland dead fish kisses also elevates the story.

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Must watch!!!

The plot, the storytelling, the acting, the cinematography?
Chef's kiss, it checks all the boxes!
Watched in one sitting, if there was an option to give more than 10 stars, I would've given that.
It's so good... definitely would recommend!!
I tend to watch many (re : most) series while skipping or fast-forwarding
But that wasn't the case with this one
I was hooked, and i cried in the later episodes (happy ending don't worry :) )
It's so much lesser known and underrated.
We should stop hyping up avg series and hype up these masterpieces instead...
Only regret I have is that I am a little late to this
Go give it a watch...you will love it!!!
P.S. : Don't forget to watch the special episode too!! ^^

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Blue-Skied, Sentimental Prowess.

Man...words fail me whenever I seek to convey what I felt watching this. From the stellar casting to the absolute BANGER of an opening- one I can't skip no matter how hard I try under an urgent time limit- Miseinen remains an authentic Japanese drama till the end. Regardless of whether they remained unfaithful to the original WEBTOON, Miseinen stands out in itself as a reliable coming-of-age that touches upon multiple facets of growing teens' lives- from verbal and physical abuse to alcoholism and its consequences to that rebellious teen phase of smoking to undesirable high-school hierarchies. Such facets are both under-represented and overly-exaggerated in media, but it felt natural and almost expected of Haruki to descend into that spiral of self-loathing and play up to the role he was designated by peers. The duality between his and Minase's characters isn't unnatural and doesn't feel forced- from that first, awkward encounter to their final, joyful reunion at the very end of the drama.

In summary, Miseinen is an emotion that perfectly represents the tendency to make last-minute, spontaneous decisions without a second thought- the type of show I would've liked to watch growing up, when being queer and the queer community wasn't highly represented or at the forefront of mainstream media. The simplistic cinematography, colour schemes and sets also help make Miseinen memorable amongst other gems like Cherry Magic and Happy of the End, living on in our minds to the extent that the sight of a beach, or a letter, or a blue ice lolley unknowingly pull us right back to where we left off. Here's to J-BL- which makes me think- feel like no other.

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Absolute reality and humanity

In this hetero ocean, two fish appear, each with its own sea and deep down they have doubts about who they really are...
Japan produces LGBTQ+ projects, ranging from complete strongholds to completely unrealistic pieces based on manga, but still Japanese society as a whole is not so open to human differences on the outside, traditions and uniformity are adhered to. This wonderful piece is proof of how these two characters were shy and approached their inner differences so cautiously. That is why, in my opinion, this series is so different from most others, which offer unreality, fairy tales and often we don't find many hetero characters in the project. Thanks to the director, the entire team and both guys who put that special Japanese charm and absolute REALITY into it, it is civil, HUMAN and for me not 10/10, but 11/10.
Someone here mentions whether the project would have been so highly rated if it weren't for BL. Of course it wasn't. After all, the hetero characters wouldn't have to fumble around so much, come to terms with their difference on the outside, and it would have been a completely normal series.

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Do not talk to me anymore....

That's a strong statement to close the pilot episode. Minase seems to have a clear sense of who he is, what he wants, and how he views the situations he finds himself in. As the protagonist of the series, he doesn’t play the "hero" card, which is one reason I like him.

Then there's Hirukawa: tall, skinny, and handsome, of course. He's in the shadows, outcast by his peers because of his reputation and his attitude toward his teachers. As a teenager, he's also experiencing domestic violence, with physical signs of abuse on his body.

Sympathy and empathy are the basic foundations that will draw Minase to Hirukawa. Personally, I like this kind of story—it’s both predictable and unpredictable at the same time. The two characters come from different backgrounds, so their endurance and responses to conflict will be shaped by their experiences.

It's still early to say, but I've noticed how Hirukawa intentionally and openly tries to get closer to Minase. Even though Minase attempts to set boundaries by asking Hirukawa not to speak to him, it’s clear that Minase’s walls are coming down. We'll have to wait and see how they navigate this meaningful phase of youth together.

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Precious gem

Another excellent masterpiece from Japan . I was reluctant to start it at first because it seemed …heavy. I knew it would be fabulous but I also had a feeling it wasn’t a light story. Yet despite its heaviness it was an absolute delight (unlike Let free the curse of Taekwondo where despite its awesomeness it wasn’t such an enjoyable experience, it felt more…oppressive somehow) . Loved everything about this series, the acting the most. Loved the story and the feelings and the realism of it all. I don’t know what to say about the extra episode to be honest because it left me with a niggle that I HAVE TO get off my chest. And that is the fact that Minase had too little character development. He always acted a bit cowardly when in school, always looking over his shoulder and afraid of what will ppl/ his friends think, never acknowledging Haruki in public/at school . It was disappointing to see him doing the same thing as adult especially when he made us and Haruki a promise. He acknowledged he was acting scared and selfishly because he was a powerless child but that he will grow up and he will properly defend and take care of Haruki. Which he didn’t as he was still afraid of what will ppl say and keeping Haruki in the shadows. I understand his fear of his parents knowing but I don’t understand how could he still consider that awful guy (the one with glasses who said he would hate him if he made friends with Haruki-what a jerk!) , a friend when he couldn’t be himself around him, still having to deny having anything to do with Haruki. I felt bad for Haruki. When he said that in school he had an unrequited crush on Minase I expected Minase to come out and say it wasn’t unrequited. But he acted the same as in high school. When we first see him as adult Minase was smoking and felt…free and rebellious and I thought he would be stronger and more self assured but he wasn’t.
It’s not a big issue and I saw the subtle and beautiful ways he loves Haruki now but I just felt a bit let down by how he cut off Haruki’s words at the bar in front of his friends.
This would be my only complaint about this otherwise beautiful and touching story .

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