VitMai

The series did not particularly normalize the act of stalking, but show it in a nuanced way

- Personal interpretation: I am opposed to any kinds of obsessive behaviors that devalue moral boundaries (and somehow some romantic Japanese series that desensitize those actions as attractive is truly repelling). However, this series emphasizes the interrelationships and intertwining pathways of both females and male protagonists. The obsessive actions, albeit ethically oppositional, are justly penalized as can be seen from disillusionment from the male protagonists. His failure to capture the hearts of the person that he truly loves desolates him to the point of nihilism, which is later propitiated by the female character with truly heart-warming and genuine remarks. Her ''live-for-yourself'' mindset shattered his heart, but reinvented him to rethink, relearn and reconceptualize his concept of goals and objectives. He cannot live vicariously through the disguise of someone else, but can proceed life through the rehashed mindset that is more internal, personal and authentic. His behaviors reconfigure him to not be a subordinate to life, but a stalwart adherent to self-understanding and genuine happiness.
- Personal thoughts: From a cursory glance of the title, I thought this series would be a demoralized lense of romantic relationships, advocating for the wrongs instead of denouncing such actions. However, the series seems to somehow simultaneously lambaste the actions of stalking while showcasing it in a more empathetic fashion that truly resonate to the audience. Not a die-hard fan of such genre, but if authentic interpretation recompenses such stigmatized genres, I truly appreciate it. Definitely a good watch

Read More

''Inauthentic'' chemistry and awkward cinematic execution

- The plot: I think the cinematography throughout the whole series still captures the essence of Japanese bls (which I have invariably adored) such as the rustic and nostalgic feelings during the high-school flashbacks and the subtle interaction. HOWEVER, everything else seems to be quite lengthy and unnatural, especially the storyline between the two main protagonists. Their ''love journey'' revolves around their reticence with each other, and this sentiment prolongs throughout the whole series without any times for genuine connection and understanding (goes on to 9 episodes). Nakano, especially, always harbor an unnecessary sense of insecurity and malaise that really troubles and hinders Yokoi to actually express why they could soldier on stepping into the next stage (which is being lovers). I know this series is a slow-burn one and the characters, given their disposition and experience in the face of unfamiliar romantic feelings, need time to adjust themselves and openly intimate their own concealed thoughts. Still, it was still quite disheartening to see them realizing this mutual romance too late into the whole series, and the after-story seems to predicate on the audience to imagine it themselves. What the plot could improve on is to actually restructure and steer their attention to the subtle ''eye glances, subtle moments of love or signals of confession'' to clearly map out how each character feel for each other.

- The chemistry between the two characters: The two main cast members seem to be inexperienced and sometimes emotionless in some of the moments in the series. Their interaction seems to be quite equivalent to the sentiment of ''reading off the script'' instead of ''genuine emotional and romantic intimacy''. I find their chemistry dialed down at the penultimate parts of the series, which are unfortunate because these episodes were quite the culminative romantic moments. Both need more training in both emotional execution in order to actually bring out the best of their characters

Read More

Typical paradigm in homosexual relationships

Looking at the series in a more reality-related lenses, I find the initial scenes and acting of the series horrendous. With all the storyline laid out for the viewers, it is an exemplar of bad-written and cliche BL series, doing a disservice to the impressive repository of series lingering out there that constrains the usage of heteronormative roles in homosexual relationships. I cannot comprehend how viewers could actually relate to this kind of shebang with a serious mindset of appreciating the homosexual community. The only acceptable rationale for the viewers to watch is the visually breathtaking appearance of the cast and an anti-depressant pill from the rigorous society with malicious prejudices against such communities.
Listing this film as a representation of the homosexual community is an overstatement of the actual struggles and adversities that the people perceived as ''against-the-nature-of-things'' face. Such series belongs to the wattpad trajectories with major fillings in the plot and how it is represented instead of being shown to the public with a platform as big as GMMTV.

Read More