RyanDylan

This show isn’t smart enough to be a good psychological thriller and too emotionally inconsistent to be a good BL.

We could have just stayed with two awkward Japanese school boys falling in love. That was working. I liked it there.

I could even overlook the female characters functioning more as plot devices than fully realized people. I could empathize with Hioki’s internalized homophobia and social fear. That part rang true.

What I can’t overlook is the detour that frames “men dressed as women” as inherently embarrassing, followed by the repeated suggestion that “if only I were a girl, everything would be easier.” That isn’t nuance or vulnerability. Therefore it turns womanhood into a hypothetical escape hatch while ignoring the actual social pressures women live with.

The show then doubles down by using a fictional “girl version” of Hioki as a throwaway narrative tool to explain why intimacy was possible at all. Therefore femininity is reduced to a logistical inconvenience rather than treated as a lived reality.

And just in case the story risked challenging masculinity for too long, it neatly reasserts itself with a muscle-measuring competition immediately after Watarai declares “I like you for you.” Therefore the contradiction speaks for itself.

None of this is about asking a fluffy BL to become a political thesis. It’s about noticing when a story repeatedly leans on the same gendered shortcuts while asking the audience not to look too closely.

Unfortunately, in this paper-thin worldview, all is forgiven as long as the crush finds you cute. It’s a very pretty aesthetic layered over ideas the show clearly didn’t want to examine, and that’s why the ending feels disappointing rather than sweet.

Doesn't matter how close it is to the source material. It still could happen and thus a spoiler.

Book spoilers are still spoilers and should be marked as such.

I am so proud of this show and Jimmy's character for finally saying that someone's constant pursuit is emotionally exhausting to the person having to say no repeatedly. This show is so healthy. Yes let's not pretend that constant pursuit is romantic or nobel. Please continue this in other shows. Please please please.

Romantic relationships and sexual relationships are not the same. Let’s not arbitrarily conflate the two for the convenience of your argument. Not every couple—even teenage couples—is all about sex. It’s unrealistic of you to assume that they are. So let’s not reduce how “real” a relationship is based on how often the characters kiss or have sex.

This show focuses more on the emotional aspect of young relationships, and I think that’s actually a healthier and more realistic glimpse into the struggles that often go overlooked in this kind of story.

I’m not saying the show couldn’t show both emotional and sexual aspects of these relationships—but I am saying they don’t need to. And honestly, I feel like the show—and GMMTV as a company—has gotten better at making sure the actors are comfortable with the level of physical intimacy they’re asked to perform. That’s important.

There are subtle moments that hint at deeper layers. For example, Shane being uncomfortable with Kit sleeping over at first—Kit respects that and doesn’t push. He understands Shane isn’t ready to be sexual in their relationship and quietly supports him. And that’s valid. That’s love too.

Mon and Kim, on the other hand, struggle with miscommunication and an overall lack of communication. If they rushed into physical intimacy, it would only confuse things more. That too is a valid portrayal of a developing relationship.

So yes, at times these dynamics may come off as queerplatonic—but that doesn’t make them any less real, meaningful, or worthy of being portrayed. Emotional intimacy is not inferior to physical intimacy; they’re just different expressions of connection.

Good points. Thanks

Not all diuretics lead to increased urination. It could effect the sodium and other electrolyte levels first before it gets to the bladder. Boxers are generally already dehydrated from cutting weight and pre-fight preperations so that leads to less urine output. The boxer could be loosing the liquid through sweat and not urination. So it's actually not uncommon for the diuretic to work that way. And fainting without any increased unrination is very possible.

Thanks

Does it have a happy ending? I can't handle a sad ending right now.

I am so sick of way too many shows excusing abusive parenting because "it was from a place of love." That isn't love; that is control. It isn't love if it doesn't extend beyond them just doing what you want them to do. It isn't love if you only care about their "convenient or appropriate" emotions. I will always hate how quick these shows are to forgive toxic behaviour. I will also always hate how so often it falls on the victim to understand the emotions of the abuser or to be repentant for "causing" the abuser's behaviour. There is never any accountability in these shows. I abhor it.

Yotha you better start using those lips for talking instead of kissing when it comes to Gun.

Or maybe I am the delusional one because I don't want a love triangle.

I think Jun is not third wheeling or crushing on either Thame or Po but actually really smart. When people question Thame and Po's closeness Jun can step in and be like "what do you mean? At times I think I am even closer to Po than Thame is. You all are delusional. We are all close with Po he is the bands friend." He is pre-empting suspision.

Finding a female character annoying does not automatically equate to misogyny. I too find her character annoying. I also find some of the male characters that have only appeared briefly annoying. Gender has nothing to do with finding a character annoying or thinking they might become a problem for the other characters. And 5 minutes is more than enough time to find someone annoying. And you don't need someone's full background story before being able to call a character annoying. I understand that people have a tendency to dislike female characters in BLs to the point where others feel the need to call it out. But that doesn't mean that you can assume or label anyone disliking a female character as misogynistic.

Thanks for letting me know.

I need this info aswell.

Free the Turtle. Free the Turtle. Free the Turtle.

Zen was going to tell Atom and Atom stopped him. Atom is constantly talking over Zen. Atom knows that Zen doesn't like him. Atom just is selfish and doesn't care as long as he gets to manipulate the situation to get what he wants. Zen feels uncomfortable and like he can't speak up to Atom because Atom always bullies him into the situation, talks over him, invalidates his emotions, and never cares to actually listen to Zen.

I get the family being mad at Vee. But I don't understand them not understanding that he is desperate for his grandmother to stay alive just as they are desperate for their grandfather to stay alive. The stone has kept their grandfather alive. All Vee wants is for it to keep his grandmother alive as well.