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One of the best BLs of 25
Depth of Field should occupy a chapter, if not a reference, in a young filmmaker's textbook on constructing a drama in a limited format. Six 20-odd minute episodes are all that Director Kawasaki Ryo needs to present and flesh out how its two high school student characters, Hayakawa and Konno, meet, react and intertwine their physical and emotional growth paths to a happy and satisfying conclusion as young adults. Much of this is due to the uncredited writer, but the casting of Usa Takuma as Hayakawa and Hirano Koshu as Konno is significant for creating and sustaining an almost hearbreaking tide throughout so much of the series about how young people desire and need love to support their growth toward adulthood, and how strongly the pull towards coupling is both nourishing and fulfilling, if not essential. DOF is perhaps one of the most sympathetic and emotionally satisfying BLs of the year.Was this review helpful to you?
Hayakawa is drawn to Konno’s calm and sincerity, while Konno is moved by Hayakawa’s vulnerability and emotional intensity. What starts as simple curiosity slowly grows into a deep emotional bond, where they help each other see their feelings more clearly while the rest of the world remains blurry and out of focus. They are such a compelling pair, and watching them slowly open up to each other felt so real.
The final moments of the last episode were some of the sweetest and most romantic scenes I’ve ever watched. Highly recommend!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Romance With Deeper Feelings & Understanding!
There are moments in life when everything around us blurs, when the noise of expectation, pain, and routine drowns out the quiet beauty of connection. But every so often, someone steps into view so clearly, so unexpectedly, that they sharpen our world with a kind of gentle urgency.The Japanese BL series Depth of Field captures that feeling with haunting grace. Based on the manga Hishakai Shindo by Enjo, it stars Usa Takuma as Hayakawa Shuichiro, a once-passionate music student burned out by the world, and Hirano Koshu as Konno Ryohei, a quiet classmate with a camera and a steady gaze.
Hayakawa lives in grayscale, emotionally shut down, his passion for music replaced with isolation and surface-level encounters. Konno, all softness and sincerity, enters Hayakawa’s life on the rooftop of their school, where sky and sea meet in a haze of blue and the world feels just distant enough to make breathing easier.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2025/07/22/depth-of-field-series-review-ep-3-to-6/
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Where's the Depth?
This is what happens when shows are so short. They really lack depth, and for a show called 'Depth of Field' that's something I was really looking for. I did enjoy it don't get me wrong, I think it was sweet! However, there could've been so much more here. It kinda felt like 'My Beautiful Man' light, and not just because its set in Japan with a photographer (though that is so many coincidences lol). If we would get a second season or special, maybe it would really help the story! But with what we got, I was left wanting more for our two mains especially Hayakawa.Was this review helpful to you?
The Rooftop Where Music Meets Silence
Such a shame! Depth of Field could’ve been something truly special. The series is actually quite nice. It was soft, melancholic, and visually beautiful, but it just lacks the depth that its own title promises. This is exactly what happens when you rush everything into six short episodes.I genuinely loved the chemistry between the leads. Usa Takuma (as Hayakawa Shuichiro) and Hirano Koshu (as Konno Ryohei) delivered heartfelt performances that felt raw and believable. Their quiet interactions, the shy glances, and that emotional rooftop scene. All of it had potential to be something deeply moving. But because the story moved so fast, the emotional buildup felt unfinished. One minute they’re strangers, and the next minute, we’re already at the confession and kiss scene, with barely any time to breathe or see their relationship grow.
The theme itself isn’t new. There was a Japanese BL a few years back with a similar concept of emotional healing through art. Still, I wanted to give Depth of Field a fair chance. It had all the ingredients I love like music, photography, loneliness, and that nostalgic “high school rooftop” vibe where everything feels fragile yet magical. Unfortunately, the story never quite reached the emotional crescendo it was aiming for.
Visually though? Absolutely stunning. The cinematography is top-tier with the blend of ocean, sky, and rooftop scenes gives the series a poetic and dreamlike quality. Every frame looked like a postcard. You could tell the director wanted to express how art and love help people find themselves again. I especially loved how Konno’s photography mirrored Hayakawa’s journey back to music, both of them using art to process pain and rediscover who they are.
But for a show called Depth of Field, I expected more… well, depth. The pacing felt like we were flipping through beautiful snapshots rather than watching a full story unfold. I wanted to see them struggle more, heal more, love more. I wanted to feel the connection grow naturally, not just in the last ten minutes of the final episode. Even the happy ending felt slightly forced, ike they wanted to tie it up neatly instead of letting it breathe.
Still, despite its flaws, I don’t regret watching it. It’s a short and calming drama that’s perfect if you want something visually soothing and emotionally light. Just don’t expect too much plot development or deep emotional payoff. Think of it as a series of aesthetic moment, fleeting but lovely, like looking through a camera lens that never quite comes into full focus.
If there’s ever a second season or special episode, I’ll be the first in line. With just a little more time and storytelling, Depth of Field could easily turn from a soft breeze into a full-blown masterpiece.
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Beautiful Coming of Age Romance
I like the overall production—beautiful color grading, cinematography and music/ost. The actors are also great and makes the roles much more appealing in my opinion since I know the original work and wasn't extremely fond of the story. I do prefer some of the changes made in the adaptation versus the manga because I feel some things work better in manga and doesn't translate quite well to a live action format. The actors' chemistry also help attribute to the story, but overall, I feel the original storyline doesn't work super well as a drama format (maybe it'll work better as a film) so the drama felt a little short and incomplete.I still really enjoy the drama, and adore the overall aesthetics of it. Very good rewatch value as I've seen it 3x so far and still think the couple's chemistry is adorable.
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Story could’ve been better with 8 or 10 episodes
Overall I liked the drama and got drawn into the story. I can even see myself watch it again at one point in the future.But is it perfect?
No.
The acting was okay for me, the chemistry matched the plot (more sparks within the last 2 episodes).
What leaves me a little disgruntled are two points.
The first is the rushed storytelling overall.
Hayakawa’s messed up psyche and him sexually assaulting Konno could’ve been fleshed out better and should’ve been addressed more, than the glossing over with just a heartfelt apology (and an additional non consented kiss!) we got to watch.
Konno should have confronted him about it and cleared it up.
My second point of annoyance is a missing good ending. A kind of epilogue, which shows us how they’re doing as a couple in the future. A proper send of.
Hence my opinion, this drama could’ve been better with some additional episodes and storytelling.
So, all in all, since I liked it despite my criticism, 9/10 it is.
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Unfairly Rushed
This story had so much potential, and I feel like there was too much of a rush at some point. It almost feels like entire episodes or chunks of the story got cut. I'm not sure if there's source material for this series, but the time-skip threw me off.I would've liked to see more of a sense of personality to both of the leads, there wasn't much to their essence and with the themes in the overall plot made this feel emptier. While I was happy to get one of these leads to finally take on a leading role, his full potential didn't seem to get used here. I'm usually partial to Japanese BL when it comes to the emotional, effective storytelling, but this series failed in that part a bit. It's a shame, but even with it's flaws it was still enjoyable.
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Depth of Field: A Beautiful Start, but an Unfinished Ending
Depth of Field is a Japanese BL drama that starts with an exciting and mysterious tone, but it suffers from limited events and lack of depth in explaining the characters’ past or the evolution of their feelings.On the positive side, the cinematography is creative and comfortable to watch, the music is well-chosen, and the transition between scenes is smooth. The casting is strong, especially the performances of Usa Takuma (Hayakawa Shuichiro) and Hirano Koshu (Konno Ryohei).
Hayakawa’s character embodies the struggle of appearing social and confident while hiding inner confusion and fear, especially about his passion for music and how others judge him. Konno, on the other hand, lives freely through photography, becoming a safe zone for Hayakawa to be himself.
Their relationship feels “lost in the depth of emotions” rather than cold—unclear yet touching. The kiss scene and the voice recorder moment strongly represent the drama’s title, highlighting Hayakawa’s inner conflict and Konno’s role in helping him face it.
However, the drama falters in its ending, which doesn’t match the strength and promise of the beginning. While it leaves viewers with emotional moments, the lack of closure makes it feel incomplete.
Overall, Depth of Field is worth watching for its visuals, music, and acting, though its unresolved ending might leave you wishing for more.
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I wish is was longer
This is a super cute easy to watch series. The actors are ok and very handsome, which is a plus. It has one one those unresolved for years misunderstanding plots so I wish it had a few more episodes so we could see how they managed the distance a bit more of f the romance between them. All in all it think it is worth a bit of your time.Was this review helpful to you?
very heartwarming and relaxing bl
tbh I think not much people would like this cuz the Japanese culture in dramas and all is usually slow, calming, and yk that sleepy dreamy cozy vibes, also they're so popular with that typa beachStory: 8.5
I liked the story cuz like hayakawa is like too innocent (apart from sex heh) like he felt guilty because of someone misunderstanding his motive that's yamashita thinking hayakawa was pitying him and then hayakawa decided to not play music or get related to it just to feel what Yama had always felt, I found that like a little sad but yk hayakawa looked so adorable like a sad heart patootie I wanted to hug him so bad but konno already did that for me heh, also I know the ending was a bit rushed but I still liked it, also the little details when konno wipes hayakawa's tears was so cuteeee, then the cuddling scene after they did ehm ehm hit the spot, I have a soft spot for cuddling and haya looked so cute and smol in konno's arms I LOVED THAT SCENE PLEASE MAKE MORE BLS WITH SOFT CUDDLING
Acting: 9
acting was really good, haya totally ate that crying scene, it literally remind me of 'cries cutely' IT WAS LITERALLY THE DEFINITION OF THAT
Casting: 9.5
visuals 💋
I love how cute soft features haya got
konno looked a bit old heh but in some scenes he looked pretty and handsome
Music: 8.5
I'm not a big fan of music in all bls like you'd find me skipping it but this one... this took my heart..
Rewatch value: 8.0
why did this have the smallest number? cuz most bls nowadays would be like so chaotic and all so this would've been forgotten, but after all that chaos, and you need a calming watch, this and sugar dog hit the spot
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Strong essence in tiny bottle
Just like with When it rains it pours Japan gifts us again a strong, intense essence in a teeny tiny bottle. We’re already used to it, we’re used to their gorgeous cinematography (that terrace view is nothing short of breathtaking) , to excellent acting and music and to the complex feelings and emotions. They always manage to create meaningful stories with depth in just a handful of episodes and even if we always end up complaining about the number of episodes and the rushed and somehow abrupt endings we wouldn’t change a damn thing abt it. This one didn’t reach the When it rains it pours greatness but it’s just as heartwarming and intense and it shows again why I’m so in love with Japanese BLs and why they’re always my preferred choice .Was this review helpful to you?
