Maggi64

Yep, I put it in spoilers just now. Thank you!

I am so glad to hear that! You wrote, "we" love excellence. Does that mean that you are Japanese yourself? I agree that the Japanese have good taste. I was worried that this amazing show was being overlooked, but it seems it's only being overlooked in America (where I live). Well, who cares about stupid Americans if the Japanese love it! It's the Japanese who count when it comes to a sequel, right?

Oh, no, but you do! Because there is a part 2 to the manga. That's all about them as an established couple trying to keep it a secret. I am guessing that if there is a sequel (and I hope there is) it will be based on this 2nd manga. Both are on "MyReadingManga."

The show and the manga are the same length and they cover all the same material. In fact, what's amazing is that the show follows the manga EXACTLY frame by frame. They have not omitted a single scene, or a added a single scene. It's 100% faithful to the source material.

But consider what he'd just said. He just told Togawa, "You are the only one who makes me glad I am alive." That's tantamount to saying, "I love you." So he was embarrassed, not jealous. The manga actually has him say, "I am so embarrassed," as he runs off. The show, however, did not bother with that line of dialogue because the director probably thought it was obvious from his behavior and the context that he was embarrassed. But I don't know, based on your comment maybe they should've left that line to make it more clear.

This is the first time I've ever seen either of them. I had no idea the guy playing Nozue was big in Japan . Are you Japanese? I'm American and he's not known here. But I will pay attention to him from now on.

The trailer already showed it's gonna be a happy ending, so don't worry! :)

THESE 2 MEN KNOW HOW TO ACT


I was impressed by how the actor playing Nozue handled that kissing scene. Did you all notice that he actually returned Togawa's kiss? His lips moved and he was responding and returning the kiss -- but only, ever so slightly. Which made sense. This is a 39 year old man who's never kissed another man. It was perfect that he returned the kiss slightly (because he's in love with Togawa), but did not return it fully (because he's scared and needs time to process all this).

Hell, Nozue was scared even before that kiss, and the actor did a terrific job conveying this as well. Consider his facial expressions and intonation as he was suddenly embarrassed and tried to run away saying, "I have a package coming..... I have to tape a show..... I have to do the gardening...... I have to prepare the week's meals.... I have to do that, um, that thing." LOL. That thing!

Dang, the man just dropped a massive bomb telling Togawa, "You are the only one who makes me glad I am alive," and then tries to run off! That is a powerful thing to say to another human being. Christ, if someone ever said to me, "Maggi, you are the only one who makes me glad I am alive," it would fucking rock my world! It clearly rocked Togawa's world. And that actor did an amazing job with subtle facial expressions to show how the import of what Nozue had just said was dawning on him. The transformation of his facial expression was brief, and it was subtle, but it was unmistakable. You could see shock transform to realization, and then there was his sudden lunge toward Nozue.

The guy playing Togawa was amazing in that scene. In a flash, his stalwart, alpha-male exterior melted, and he morphed into exposed, raw, pink-fleshed vulnerability. And then his voice is cracking as he says, "I love you so much I could die." (Note: the subtitles mistranslated "love" to be "like" here, but the manga version properly translated this line of dialogue as "love"). It was a powerful scene because everything that happened leading up to it had already earned the emotion that we viewers were investing in it. This is the mark of a good story -- it EARNS our emotion.

I'll just sum it all up by saying that these two guys know how to act. Their performances are why I am loving this show so much.

It is fascinating that Japanese dramas are not subtitled for an international audience, because it fits Japan's reputation for being isolationist for centuries. Hell, it's what got them into WWII. Even so, if there's money to be made by selling a product on the international market, I would have thought they'd get past being cultural isolationists. Isn't it just plain bad economics, isn't it?

That out-the-door and on the street running were for the preview for episode 5. They were not part of that final scene in episode 4. It is confusing because the show never runs credits after the final scene. They just go right to the next week's preview, so it felt blended in with episode 4, but it wasn't.

I noticed that too. I even REWOUND four or five times to doublecheck. Yep, Nozue's lips responded in kind every time! lol.

Thank you for such a thorough comment. I was so freaking baffled by the popularity of Thai BL's considering their uniformly bad quality, that I researched a couple of months ago. Turns out that Thailand churned out over 100 BL's last year alone. That's why they feel like they're coming off a factory assembly line. They are such a cash machine that Thai's Govt counts BL's as one of its Gross National Products. Wow. This, I suspect, is why they invest in their BL's international promotion. But the sheer number of Thai BL's per a year is why they are so cheap and unoriginal. And the fact that they're watered down to appeal to Western girls' obsession with "toxicity" and "consent" is also why they are so boring and bland.

The Japanese BL's are original even when they are fluffy, like Cherry Magic. They have compelling themes, such as the one about mid-life 2nd chances in Cupcake. And they dare to be different, as with My Beautiful Man. And in every case, the acting is stellar. Hell, the acting in that low-budget YouTube Japanese BL, 8.2 Byo No Hosoku was better than what I see in 95% of the big-budget Thai BL's.

Thai BL's seem to pull cute boys out of high school homeroom class and shove them in front of a camera that same day.

THANK YOU! I was so fucking annoyed by the comments on MDL and Twitter about My Beautiful Man's "toxicity." I thought, have these people never read classic literature? In "Wuthering Heights" Heathcliff is so obsessed with Cathy, that he digs up her corpse to hug it. Romeo and Juliet are so obsessed with each other that they kill themselves. But these American girls thought Hira's obsession was, as they called it, "problematic." Christ. Some even complained about Togawa's "lack of consent" in Cupcake because he kissed Nozue's cheek as he slept.

They all want bland vanilla like the Thais put out (eg, Bad Buddy). You can absolutely tell that the Thai BL's are catering to Western values. It's also why most are so bad. Likewise, you can tell that the Japanese do not give a shit about our twee, precious values and that's why their BL's are all so good.

BTW, I am thrilled that MBM swept awards this year. I am bummed the novel is not translated in English. Two people started, and both stopped after only 20 or so pages.

Absolutely . One finger sucking between men who'd been yearning in secret is way hotter than a full on sex scene with chains between guys the viewer hasn't been given enough time to care about. I liked the Vegas/Pete stuff, but it felt rushed. Meanwhile, the sexual tension and emotion in that confession scene in Cupcake was EARNED.

Thank you soooo much for explaining this to me. I was just baffled by the attention K/P is getting compared to Cupcake. I am getting a kick out of K/P but it's also rather silly (I mean, every character except Sebastian & Elizabeth is gay), whereas Cupcake has a serious theme on a mid life crisis and stellar acting.

I am actually glad Japan doesn't give a shit about Western viewers, as it would influence them to pander to our obsession with "toxic" characters and "consent" and all that other bullshit that sucks all the drama out of drama. Western viewers complained that My Beautiful Man was "toxic." But I heard it did well in East Asia and I know it's also just greenlighted a sequel. I hope Cupcake does well in Japan as well.

Fudanshi Bartender
8.2 Byo No Hosoku

Both are on BLparadise, but hardly anywhere else. Not even on Viki. Neither is as good as Cupcake, but they're still good. Cupcake is on Viki, but it's not even getting many viewers there, which is nuts. It must be about the lack of promotion.

There are currently 3 new JBL's on Blparadise and none got any promotion, Cupcake included. All are produced by Fuji TV. I could not figure out why this show is not getting any attention (only 800 comments on MDL compared to a 130,000 for KinnPorsche). And it seems that the answer is something to do with Fuji TV. Do they simply not promote their BLs? It's odd, as these shows don't feel low budget. The acting in Cupcake is stellar. Is it just here in the west that Fuji TV shows are not promoted? K/P is getting pushed even in places like Rolling Stone Magazine, but a better show like Cupcake is slipping by unnoticed.

It just became my fav BL, up there with Blueming. And I've seen them ALL. It is the acting. These 2 guys are pros. And the direction and pacing is flawless, not a minute is wasted. Lastly, the theme on a mid-life crisis and 2nd chances is compelling. It has it all.

I don't get why there are so few comments and ratings -- KinnPorsche has 125,000 comments while this only has about 600. There are few viewers on Viki as well. I am baffled.

I know! Nobody says, "I like you so much I could die." If it's dying, then they are in LOVE, not like.

He's such a good actor that you could see in his face how he was smitten with Nozue on day one, when Nozue gave him all that wisdom about loving himself and enjoying life. He'd been a goner since then. I love stories where a hot young guy is not into other hot young guys but, instead, into a gentle, older, wiser man (who also happens to be pretty darn cute himself!)