No but really, im glad they touched on the fact that a lot of older queer representation portrayed queerness as intrinsically associated with misery and misfortune. I like how they showed a realistic portrayal of Eiw trying to understand the prejudice toward queer people and how much that affected his own perception of hismself
I love how complex his character is, and in the second season, i cant wait to see him grow and sustain his relationship with Pete healthily, or see what kind of struggles get in the way of that
Quite frankly, I don't think Shin really even loves Minato. To me, it feels more like a child admiration turned…
I think whilst youāre right in saying that Shin didnāt have full-blown romantic feelings for Minato when they first met, I think that the moment was memorable enough for him to keep him in his mind, and so when they met again, I feel like itās more so an opportunity for Shin to spend more time with Minato to be able to actually love him. Itās what Shin implies, that he was given a chance, not just to get closer to him, but also to understand his own feelings better (thatās how I interpret it at least,) but Iāll admit itās still ambiguous and questionable for this point.
For the next idea you presented, about how there are few scenes in which we see Shin develop feelings for Minato, I think that by showing them hanging out, having dinner and stuff like that is what gets Shin to develop deeper feelings for Minato. Sure, there isnāt a clear-cut reason for why he does like Minato (like how in some series, the cliche is that a character sees another character rescuing a cat or smth which makes them intrigued, showing that itās their warmth attracted them to that person).
However, I donāt think itās necessary for there to be a clear reason, because oftentimes, exposure to someone is what allows people to love, especially when one already has a positive impression about someone. Shin is first curious about Minato (oh heās back in this hometown, why is that? Whatās the reason heās taking over this laundromat, how is he so welcoming yet so silly? Etc). Then this transforms into care and affection as he gets to see Minato joke around with him, blush and get shy, all those sides that make him likeable and cute in Shinās eyes. I mean, Minato is friendly, goofy, endearing, fun to tease and to bicker with. Sure, it would have been nice to have more scene where they talk more about serious topics but you can see the gradual attachment they form for one another.
I disagree the most with your last point to be honest. Itās very possible that Shin has an abandonment issue, but if that was true, there would be more signs to indicate that. For example, that it would negatively affect other areas in his life, because thatās the problem with those kinds of issues: they tend to be damaging and lead to self-destructive behaviour, and thatās why itās unhealthy, especially for a romantic relationship. But you see that on the contrary, Shin gets great results on his exams after the rejection, showing that even without Minato, he can go on about his life without issues. And the only reason why it was affecting his grades before, wasnāt because he was obsessed with Minato in general (which would then continue if they were to date), but because he was anxious about having to make a decision for his future, not knowing what to decide on because he needed Minatoās answer before moving on. It also shows, that if rejected, he would probably go to Tokyo and live independently, because heād have no reason to stay. Proving that heās not dependent on Minato.
You also need to consider tone and nuance. When Shin is rejected, he looks extremely sad about it but not agitated. What this means is that there isnāt a deep-seated worry coming from him about needing to be in Minatoās presence. Heās sad because his feelings werenāt reciprocated but his lack of anger and frustration shows that on the other hand, he can accept that. He can accept that Minato canāt be with him romantically, can accept that he will eventually need to go on about his life, without him. If he had an abandonment issue, he would be a lot more desperate, and therefore we would see agitation, anxiety or worry in him, especially when telling Minato about wanting to help him find his happiness. On the contrary, heās quite calm about it, and gentle. Heās just expressing his inner wish to see Minato happy, without expecting anything in return, not even Minatoās company. So thatās why, if he can, heād like to help with that. It may also be a way for him to process this rejection better, but you can tell from his mannerisms and facial expressions that this isnāt a desperate attempt at staying by his side, rather it feels more like a farewell.
About the age gap, there is always that risk of course, and I understand where youāre coming from. I tend to be quite sceptical about that myself. Though, I think that the biggest issue that a relationship with an age gap can have is a power imbalance, and thatās something that isnāt present in theirs at all, in my view. the two treat each other as equals, as though they were the same age, and it truly feels like it. As for whether if Shin actually feels love, I feel inclined to say yes (though of course they could have developed this better) because they didnāt keep in contact after he was first saved, and they didnāt know each other before either. Basically they have no further connection apart from that. Had Minato stayed around and watched Shin grow up, then I could easily say that, well, Shin may be confusing affection to an older and kind ābrotherā for love, and then it would be more questionable if Minato was developing feelings since he could have influenced him. Since that isnāt the case, it feels more like a love that was nurtured in the present moment, that was possible because Shin wanted to know more about him due their incidental first meeting.
Those are my thoughts on it, thank you for your previous answer, I appreciate your take :)
I must be very selfish.Or not really in love This, I can't even understand.š„ŗ
I canāt really judge the kind of love youāre experiencing, but even if what youāre feeling isnāt unconditional love, then more than selfish, it just makes you human :)
Quite frankly, I don't think Shin really even loves Minato. To me, it feels more like a child admiration turned…
I get where youāre coming from tbh, I think the fact that they added that fantasy element of Shin liking Minato ever since he was a child, makes it harder to decipher especially since the writing doesnāt really develop what made him develop such feelings properly. Technically he only feels that way for Minato because he was saved by him from drowning. Psychologically, if we dumb it down to that, youād be right in saying that it isnāt love, just something that ressembles the Suspension Bridge Effect (confusing love with the excitement/nervousness of a dangerous situation).
Given that this is fiction, however, we see in the present time, that Shin has a lot of affection for Minato, cares about Minatoās feelings and is clear and communicative about his feelings. Whilst he can be a bit pushy, he isnāt forceful either. Every time, he seeks Minatoās permission first such as when he asked if he can start courting Minato and then backing off when Minato tells him that he cannot return his feelings. Based on his own words, as well, with how he says that he will love Minato by himself if need be, without getting in Minatoās way, and helping Minato achieve happiness, I still feel like the label āunconditional loveā is very suitable to him. Idk what you think
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https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFR4wBJj/ (for me, i explain it in this edit)
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFddQQmX/
:>
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMFe32qHR/
:>
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMF1PbpL9/
No but really, im glad they touched on the fact that a lot of older queer representation portrayed queerness as intrinsically associated with misery and misfortune. I like how they showed a realistic portrayal of Eiw trying to understand the prejudice toward queer people and how much that affected his own perception of hismself
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNo6Eum6/
had to make an edit of it ofc ^^
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNENLb1Y/
I love how complex his character is, and in the second season, i cant wait to see him grow and sustain his relationship with Pete healthily, or see what kind of struggles get in the way of that
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNwAgNtV/
Tried not to make Sean's fall look too funny
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNTQknuS/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNvbu3ga/
For the next idea you presented, about how there are few scenes in which we see Shin develop feelings for Minato, I think that by showing them hanging out, having dinner and stuff like that is what gets Shin to develop deeper feelings for Minato. Sure, there isnāt a clear-cut reason for why he does like Minato (like how in some series, the cliche is that a character sees another character rescuing a cat or smth which makes them intrigued, showing that itās their warmth attracted them to that person).
However, I donāt think itās necessary for there to be a clear reason, because oftentimes, exposure to someone is what allows people to love, especially when one already has a positive impression about someone. Shin is first curious about Minato (oh heās back in this hometown, why is that? Whatās the reason heās taking over this laundromat, how is he so welcoming yet so silly? Etc). Then this transforms into care and affection as he gets to see Minato joke around with him, blush and get shy, all those sides that make him likeable and cute in Shinās eyes. I mean, Minato is friendly, goofy, endearing, fun to tease and to bicker with. Sure, it would have been nice to have more scene where they talk more about serious topics but you can see the gradual attachment they form for one another.
I disagree the most with your last point to be honest. Itās very possible that Shin has an abandonment issue, but if that was true, there would be more signs to indicate that. For example, that it would negatively affect other areas in his life, because thatās the problem with those kinds of issues: they tend to be damaging and lead to self-destructive behaviour, and thatās why itās unhealthy, especially for a romantic relationship. But you see that on the contrary, Shin gets great results on his exams after the rejection, showing that even without Minato, he can go on about his life without issues. And the only reason why it was affecting his grades before, wasnāt because he was obsessed with Minato in general (which would then continue if they were to date), but because he was anxious about having to make a decision for his future, not knowing what to decide on because he needed Minatoās answer before moving on. It also shows, that if rejected, he would probably go to Tokyo and live independently, because heād have no reason to stay. Proving that heās not dependent on Minato.
You also need to consider tone and nuance. When Shin is rejected, he looks extremely sad about it but not agitated. What this means is that there isnāt a deep-seated worry coming from him about needing to be in Minatoās presence. Heās sad because his feelings werenāt reciprocated but his lack of anger and frustration shows that on the other hand, he can accept that. He can accept that Minato canāt be with him romantically, can accept that he will eventually need to go on about his life, without him. If he had an abandonment issue, he would be a lot more desperate, and therefore we would see agitation, anxiety or worry in him, especially when telling Minato about wanting to help him find his happiness. On the contrary, heās quite calm about it, and gentle. Heās just expressing his inner wish to see Minato happy, without expecting anything in return, not even Minatoās company. So thatās why, if he can, heād like to help with that. It may also be a way for him to process this rejection better, but you can tell from his mannerisms and facial expressions that this isnāt a desperate attempt at staying by his side, rather it feels more like a farewell.
About the age gap, there is always that risk of course, and I understand where youāre coming from. I tend to be quite sceptical about that myself. Though, I think that the biggest issue that a relationship with an age gap can have is a power imbalance, and thatās something that isnāt present in theirs at all, in my view. the two treat each other as equals, as though they were the same age, and it truly feels like it. As for whether if Shin actually feels love, I feel inclined to say yes (though of course they could have developed this better) because they didnāt keep in contact after he was first saved, and they didnāt know each other before either. Basically they have no further connection apart from that. Had Minato stayed around and watched Shin grow up, then I could easily say that, well, Shin may be confusing affection to an older and kind ābrotherā for love, and then it would be more questionable if Minato was developing feelings since he could have influenced him. Since that isnāt the case, it feels more like a love that was nurtured in the present moment, that was possible because Shin wanted to know more about him due their incidental first meeting.
Those are my thoughts on it, thank you for your previous answer, I appreciate your take :)
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMNvftw2N/
Given that this is fiction, however, we see in the present time, that Shin has a lot of affection for Minato, cares about Minatoās feelings and is clear and communicative about his feelings. Whilst he can be a bit pushy, he isnāt forceful either. Every time, he seeks Minatoās permission first such as when he asked if he can start courting Minato and then backing off when Minato tells him that he cannot return his feelings. Based on his own words, as well, with how he says that he will love Minato by himself if need be, without getting in Minatoās way, and helping Minato achieve happiness, I still feel like the label āunconditional loveā is very suitable to him. Idk what you think