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What is Ordinary?
The drama discusses the difficulties of being gay and asexual in Japan, yet also asks the question, "What is an ordinary love?"
•❅✧❅✦ Story •❅✧❅✦
The plot is quite simple, our older ML has to help his younger boyfriend, who is formerly striaght and asexual (for demi-sexual as he calls it), navigate their gay relationship so they can date and live together without issues.
Leaving aside the themes, the drama is fun to watch. Of course the drama tackles big topics, but outside of those topics, the two have a beautiful romance. There is a little bit of hesitation and lack of trust from our older ML, but that comes from his experience with gay dating. However, his younger boyfriend is fearless. He is sweet and understanding that his relationship with his boyfriend will be different from his straight relationships of the past. He tries to learn and understand why his boyfriend is hesitant. He really is the best boyfriend and their relationship is quite solid. I wouldn't say they are couple goals yet, but they are definitely on their way to being couple goals. Maybe if they had 12 episodes instead of 8, and we are able to see them tackle the older's narrow minded grandma, I would call them couple goals. But as it stands, that hasn't happened by the drama's end, so they won't get the title.
•❅✧❅✦ LGBT Themes •❅✧❅✦
There are two big topics the drama discusses, one is the difficultlies of being gay in Japan, and the other is what defines a normal love. Throughout the drama the two MLs overcome obstacle after obstacle after officially deciding to date. Sadly, most of the obstacles are internal as they have yet to encounter it in real life, yet they have to prepare for the worst cast scenario. For example, despite dating for a year, they have to prepare themselves for the occasion one of them up and leaves because they don't and can't get anything official to tie them down. They have to life far from work just in case their work colleages see them together. They have to think more than twice before moving in because landlords don't rent to gays, etc. Our young ML doesn't realize the difficultlies as he hasn't experienced it, but our older ML has. He has to explain to his partner why they have to act differently from other couples, which his is understanding of but often asks why.
As they navigate their relationship together, the comparisions between a straight "ordinary" love and their "abnormal" gay love come to light. But there is no real difference, only the gender.
While I have seen better dramas tackling the subject of the realities of gay romance in Japan, this drama is definitely a breath of fresh air. The atomsphere of the drama isn't as heavy, and from the start we know they will pull through just because of how supportive and open to learning our younger ML is. Also, the couple isn't dealing with any major obstacles, rather they are trying to prevent them so the atmosphere of the drama isn't as heavy as other dramas discussing the same subjects.
Another great aspect of the drama is that our younger ML is asexual, or demi-sexual as he calls it. He is asexual, but has found the only one person he wants to love and have a relationship with, which he tells us is called demi-sexual. The definition of demi-sexual is a sexual orientation on the asexual spectrum where a person does not experience sexual attraction to someone unless they have first formed a deep, strong emotional bond. By having our ML be demi-sexual, he feels one step removed a person making emotional and irrational judgements, yet it also feels like he has found his forever home in his boyfriend and will do whatever he can to love and stay with him. It makes their relationship feel more solid even though our older ML is hesitant.
•❅✧❅✦ OVERALL •❅✧❅✦
When watching the drama, one can get overly concerned about the themes it tackles. But this drama surprizingly approaches it in a more lighthearted and wholesome way. Even those who usually don't want to watch dramas with heavy subject matters can also watch this and enjoy it because it's not too heavy.
This drama is definitely a good watch, so I recommend watching it at least once.
Also, to those concerned about Nagano Ryota's acting, it actually pretty good here. His stoic-ness fit well with his demi-sexual aspect, so it looked natural.
•❅✧❅✦ Story •❅✧❅✦
The plot is quite simple, our older ML has to help his younger boyfriend, who is formerly striaght and asexual (for demi-sexual as he calls it), navigate their gay relationship so they can date and live together without issues.
Leaving aside the themes, the drama is fun to watch. Of course the drama tackles big topics, but outside of those topics, the two have a beautiful romance. There is a little bit of hesitation and lack of trust from our older ML, but that comes from his experience with gay dating. However, his younger boyfriend is fearless. He is sweet and understanding that his relationship with his boyfriend will be different from his straight relationships of the past. He tries to learn and understand why his boyfriend is hesitant. He really is the best boyfriend and their relationship is quite solid. I wouldn't say they are couple goals yet, but they are definitely on their way to being couple goals. Maybe if they had 12 episodes instead of 8, and we are able to see them tackle the older's narrow minded grandma, I would call them couple goals. But as it stands, that hasn't happened by the drama's end, so they won't get the title.
•❅✧❅✦ LGBT Themes •❅✧❅✦
There are two big topics the drama discusses, one is the difficultlies of being gay in Japan, and the other is what defines a normal love. Throughout the drama the two MLs overcome obstacle after obstacle after officially deciding to date. Sadly, most of the obstacles are internal as they have yet to encounter it in real life, yet they have to prepare for the worst cast scenario. For example, despite dating for a year, they have to prepare themselves for the occasion one of them up and leaves because they don't and can't get anything official to tie them down. They have to life far from work just in case their work colleages see them together. They have to think more than twice before moving in because landlords don't rent to gays, etc. Our young ML doesn't realize the difficultlies as he hasn't experienced it, but our older ML has. He has to explain to his partner why they have to act differently from other couples, which his is understanding of but often asks why.
As they navigate their relationship together, the comparisions between a straight "ordinary" love and their "abnormal" gay love come to light. But there is no real difference, only the gender.
While I have seen better dramas tackling the subject of the realities of gay romance in Japan, this drama is definitely a breath of fresh air. The atomsphere of the drama isn't as heavy, and from the start we know they will pull through just because of how supportive and open to learning our younger ML is. Also, the couple isn't dealing with any major obstacles, rather they are trying to prevent them so the atmosphere of the drama isn't as heavy as other dramas discussing the same subjects.
Another great aspect of the drama is that our younger ML is asexual, or demi-sexual as he calls it. He is asexual, but has found the only one person he wants to love and have a relationship with, which he tells us is called demi-sexual. The definition of demi-sexual is a sexual orientation on the asexual spectrum where a person does not experience sexual attraction to someone unless they have first formed a deep, strong emotional bond. By having our ML be demi-sexual, he feels one step removed a person making emotional and irrational judgements, yet it also feels like he has found his forever home in his boyfriend and will do whatever he can to love and stay with him. It makes their relationship feel more solid even though our older ML is hesitant.
•❅✧❅✦ OVERALL •❅✧❅✦
When watching the drama, one can get overly concerned about the themes it tackles. But this drama surprizingly approaches it in a more lighthearted and wholesome way. Even those who usually don't want to watch dramas with heavy subject matters can also watch this and enjoy it because it's not too heavy.
This drama is definitely a good watch, so I recommend watching it at least once.
Also, to those concerned about Nagano Ryota's acting, it actually pretty good here. His stoic-ness fit well with his demi-sexual aspect, so it looked natural.
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