HIGENEKO

One line from Itsuki stayed with me until the very end.

He compared himself to "a tropical fish that feels too hot even in the water where it is supposed to live."

I interpreted it as someone who isn't weak or broken, but simply cannot survive comfortably in the environment they were born into.

Sometimes leaving isn't running away.
Sometimes it's simply a survival strategy.

This drama isn't about deciding who was right or wrong.

Yuma loved Itsuki's freedom at first, but later realized he couldn't live with it.
Itsuki wanted to be accepted exactly as he was, and eventually realized that Yuma could never truly understand that part of him.

Neither of them was a bad person.
They simply reached a point where neither could compromise on what mattered most.

That made me think about relationships in general.

I don't believe living together depends on understanding everything about another person.
I think it depends on whether you can accept the parts you'll never fully understand.

Empathy is wonderful, but it isn't always possible.
Acceptance may be even more important.

The director said she wanted to create a film that could change the world.

Can a story really do that?

If people could accept differences instead of trying to erase them, perhaps there would be fewer conflicts.
But at the same time, I don't think the world is ever that simple.

I only hope that, someday, both Yuma and Itsuki will find someone who can accept them for who they are.

Not every love story ends happily.
Some simply leave us with questions that stay long after the credits roll.