Ximmich

Yes, I agree the majority of his scenes in ep 4 and 5 were needed, but the one in ep 6 was definitely not needed. The scenes could have been cut a bit more short, even a few seconds could have worked. There are also a lot of his scenes that weren`t in the novel, but were purposefuly added in the drama, there weren`t supposed to be there in the first place, but they were added. I understand it was to show that Koyama was also an important friend to Hira, but they could have cut his scenes a bit more short.
Anyway, things are done, we can`t do anything about it.

I realised maybe i come across as too serious in the previous comment, like too absolute in my opinion, and i didn t meant that. I am actually quite chill in my comments, and i like to keep things funny most of the time.
It s not that i disliked his character, or i think his scenes are not needed at all, or that i don`t understand why people like his scenes, because i don`t. I also like his scenes, his scenes with Hira makes Hira more human, more relatable, we are able to see him being himself, in his more natural state, i just wish things would have played in a different way, and we would have got more HiraKiyoi scenes instead, because there were some really important ones, that weren`t added.

Yes. Exactly.

No. I know you were being serious about it, and not sarcastic, since this was discussed before,. It makes sense for people to think like this, because it just don`t make sense he was given so much screentime, especially since even in the novel he don`t appear that much.

Nope, even if they liked the character lol, they have taken from the screentime of HiraKiyoi to instead give more to him. Just think honestly of the scene in ep 6 with Kiyoi. Did it help in any way to move the plot forward, because it doesn`t. He was out already at that moment, it was clear Hira wouldn`t ever come to like him, like why add that scene?
If the drama had more eps, i would understood, but they sacrificed Hira Kiyoi screentime for him, and it wasn`t because Yusei or Riku couldn`t carry the drama without him either.

Yes. I and other people have noticed all you mentioned in the comment, and from the discussions we had, we think it`s really likely Takano Akira has to have some connection with the director/screenwriter, maybe people who have given funds to the drama has agreed to do it only if he has been given those scenes, who knows. He was also in the press conference and in the merchandise stuff, so something is the deal with him.
The scene of Koyama in ep 6 was totally unnecessary and it was obvious it was meant for people to get attached to his character even more, since it was the classic pitiful second lead scene, i was rolling my eyes when i saw that scene.
I was also upset they didn t include more about Hira telling Kiyoi why he acted like that and all his thoughts about the situation in high school and his bullying.

It`s not like he was upset about the fact that Hira has called him Kiyoi kun, but more that he was bothered by it.
The "kun" added after the family name (because Kiyoi and Hira are family names, not given names) , is a honorific, which has to be used everytime people interact in a public space. It`s a honorific that should always be used, because not using it is rude, and makes a bad impression. Is especially used when people meet for the first time, between colleagues, classmates, people who are not close etc.
The ideea is that the "kun "is used between people of the same age, classmates, at most people close in age, or when older people, superiors etc calls younger people ( this is not the case here).
But, if the relationship between people change, in the sense that they are getting close, between lovers/boyfriends, married couples, close friends, in private if both persons has agreed on dropping the honorifics ( even if the people are in a senpai/kouhai relationhip, superior/subordonate relationship), the honorifics can be droped/not used, to indicate the closeness of the relationship, as long as both parties agree with it.

Kiyoi wanted Hira to drop the honorific because they has gotten more close, and because Kiyoi wanted Hira to drop it, if both parties agree on it, the honorifics can be droped, so this is why Kiyoi did this. Especially in the scene in the classrooom when Kiyoi is asking Hira to not do that with his photos, and Hira has used again the honorific, just imagine how uncomfortable Kiyoi was. Hira has even done that using his photos, they have gotten more close until they are able to speak more comfortable, but Hira calls him Kiyoi kun in that moment.
Hope i was able to answer your question. All this info is from my reasearch and what i observed from watching a lot of japanese movies and dramas over the years.

We hope. But not announcement has been made so far.

They are adapted from the same manga, yes.

My thoughts on some of the things revealed in the interview.

A. Yagi Yusei being chosen as Kiyoi because he is beautiful enough to convince fans of the novel that he is a perfect fit for Kiyoi, so there wouldn`t be complaints about it. Of course, is not only this, but i was happy that they really considered this when they did the casting, because Kiyoi is really beautiful in the novel, and is the title of the drama too, so like Nagira Yuu has said, the drama would fail otherwise.
I personally think that even through Yagi Yusei is not the most beautiful and attractive guy that can be found in the japanese entertainment industry, he is a perfect fit for Kiyoi not only for his appearance, but also because he portrayed well the inner beauty, confidence and the unique way the character carries himself, which compensates. There are actors that can`t show this as well as Yagi Yusei did.

B. Hagiwara Yusei being chosen as Hira because of his appealing eyes, strong gaze and habit of making eye contact with his costars without being shy ( those are partly Ginger Ale words, i am honored i get to use them, haahhaha). I am so relieved they have taken this in consideration. They are those eyes of HAGIWARA RIKU that made me really understand why Kiyoi was so attracted of Hira eyes. It really can`t imagine anyone else as HIRA.

I have come across this interview the author (NAGIRA YUU) of the novel Utsukushii kare, ( which this drama is adapted from) has given, where she reveals a lot of things about the characters, why Riku and Yusei were chosen as Hira and Kiyoi, etc.
The interview has some minimal spoilers from the novels too, which i thought is worth mentioning for people who don`t know nothing about the novels.
I will add the link in the discussion thread for the novel too.

https://sparkling-rain.tumblr.com/post/673590796391514112/translation-utsukushii-kare-nagira-yuus

Agree with you. I also feel really alone in this world when i see people mentioning this drama alongside other dramas that has obvious emotional or physical abuse .
And it makes me think that the world is going backwards despite the fact that people access to information is much more easily now and people has much more posibilities than in the past.

True. While most comments are funny and help me enjoy the eps more, there are some really nasty comments. But i chose to ignore the bad comments ans keep going.

Same, same. I don`t know how i will survive to a second season at this point.

Oh. Yes. I have forgotten for a moment that we have gotten a bit of Kiyoi perspective in ep 6 too, because it was too short. I seriously thought that we will get more of Kiyoi perspective than it was showed, because it was really not fair. Almost all the drama has Hira perspective, but yes, i was still satisfied so i will try to bury those toughts of mine.

OMG, i can`t.
I am rewatching the drama in Viki and i remembered that VIKI has a timed comments option, where people can make comments on the drama while they are watching, and anyone can chose for those comments to be visible while watching and is so funny to read the comments while i am watching the drama, because the majority of comments points out the things that i have also noticed, but seeing people actually saying them is much more entertaining.
I forget that this is one of the things that i like when it comes to watching things in VIKI.
Some comments are hilarious lol, it makes it much more fun to watch.

What i said is revealed clearly at the end of ep 4. Don`t read if you don`t want to know earlier who Koyama Kazuki is to Hira.






Koyama is not his boyfriend, but someone who likes Hira and wants to have Hira as his boyfriend, but whose chances are ruined when Kiyoi re- appers in Hira life. The matter of him being Hira boyfriend is a misunderstanding.

It gets better in my opinion.
After ep 3, the story will have a time skip, the story will not take place only in high school, but in college too, where Hira and Kiyoi will not longer be classmates.
If until ep 3 the drama presented only Hira perspective ( inner thoughts) on the things that happens, which is misleading or how to say it better unreliable, ep 5 will have Kiyoi perspective too.
The last two eps of the drama are the best and reveal a lot of things that weren`t showed in the first 3 eps. I think is better for you to also see Kiyoi perspective of what happens in high school and after, but is your decision after all, i am not trying to excuse Kiyoi actions in high school.

Just a mention that if you watch the drama with GagaOOLala subs, they are really innacurate and pretty bad. It`s better to watch the drama in VIKI, or there is another fansubber who subbed the drama named Lollilop, which translations i shared in the discussion thread i made related to this.

As MusicalVeggies has mentioned, The Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese is adapted from a manga not novel. But the content in this manga is much more mature than in other BL mangas. The manga was released in Japan in a magazine addressed to woman, as a normal psychological and romance story that has two men on it, and not in a BL magazine.

Sorry for the late reply. I didn`t read the novels. My knowledgment about the novels comes from listening to the two audio dramas and parts of the eng and spanish subs that can be found. Listening to audio dramas makes it more easy to figure out what it happens than reading the novels in a language i don`t understand well. I also researched a lot about the novels from various places.
I am not the only one that actively share info about the novels, they are other people too, so part of info i come across is also from reading the comments of other people who have read the novel. There is also a user in twitter who has shared all that happens in the first two novels, which links i also shared in the discussion thread for the novel.
As far as i know, the second translator who i mentioned is also working on the novel, is still working on it.

No. You are right on this.
From an objective view, Hira should be considered the MC, since his perspective is narrated more, but i am not trying to be objective here hahahaha. For me Kiyoi fits more the MC part, and this is probably i read too many danmei novels, and i am used to the dynamic that can be found in danmei novels.
IN THE END tough, i think Japanese bl novels, the ones i read at least, resemble more Priest way of writing her characters. If you have read anything from Priest, in her novels she gives both the MC and ML as much equal presence and voice in the story as she can, until it`s hard to spot who is the MC and ML, and this is especially easy to spot in her later and more popular novels like Silent reading, Imperfections, Sha Po Lang.