^As a heads up, my comment only briefly talks about two of my favorite scenes, I mostly put this as spoiler because…
Thank you for the kind words!♡ It warms my heart knowing someone read all that and appreciated what I wrote. I do want to share my thoughts about S2 and the movie as well, so more long comments incoming haha ^_^
Long comment incoming because the words are just flying out of me when it comes to this series, so beware, lol.So,…
^As a heads up, my comment only briefly talks about two of my favorite scenes, I mostly put this as spoiler because my comment is a whole novel itself and would take up half the comment section lol. Forgive me, I just can’t stop writing when it comes to this series🥹
Long comment incoming because the words are just flying out of me when it comes to this series, so beware, lol.
So, I made an MDL account solely to comment on this drama because for some reason I’ve been living under a rock and never bothered watching this until a few days ago. Now, I’m extremely picky when it comes to what BL series I thoroughly enjoy. I mean, I can like shows pretty often for what they are, but I can almost never say that I wholeheartedly love a show. Maybe I’m overly critical at times, but I just need something more than the average cliche BL with a perfectly happy ending where every character sorts everything out and becomes perfect in the end as well. I need something where I will literally feel the drama running through my veins, where I’m so absorbed in the story and characters that I just binge the two seasons and movie, only to then miss that feeling and instantly starting over to watch the obsessed boy and his beautiful man all over again. I need something like Utsukushii Kare.
Without a doubt, Hira and Kiyoi have been engraved in my heart forever. In the end, I can say that I wholeheartedly love all three parts of this series. H€ll, I’m so utterly invested in MBM that it’s become one of my favorite BLs ever. Maybe even THE favorite (HIstory 3: Trapped finally has competition for my #1 spot).
But I can’t say it was love at first sight. Quite the opposite. When I started watching it, like many other commenters, I could only muster through like the first three episodes, then I decided to go to bed because I wasn’t sold at all. Yet, the next day, I had this weird feeling that I would be missing out if I didn’t watch it, and in hindsight I’m beyond grateful that I kept watching. As complex and somehow problematic as S1 is, it’s still my favorite of the three parts. I will never forget the feeling I felt when the story switched to Kiyoi’s perspective… that’s when my perspective of this series switched as well. That’s when I fell wholeheartedly in love with MBM. Like, Kiyoi isn’t this god that Hira paints him as, he doesn’t want to be a god either. He’s just… Kiyoi. A broken soul who, like most people, just wants to love & be loved.
I will say, the last classroom scene is probably my favorite scene in a BL drama ever. It’s like the most beautiful poem ever written. That music build up ending with Kiyoi shouting at Hira that Hira is the one he loves… God, I love Yusei’s acting there, it gave me chills. And add Riku’s confused, desperate and somewhat helpless demeanor to really show Hira’s overwhelmed feelings, and you get a recipe for, in my opinion, a masterfully mesmerizing scene.
The ending left a lot to be desired, but not in the way that it was a bad ending and I wanted it to end differently. I actually loved the ending. But it was an ending where leaving it in an sort of unpolished state, aka Hira and Kiyoi’s characters needing growth as well as finding their ways in their newly started relationship, warranted the second season and ultimately the movie.
(I won’t discuss S2 and the movie here since this is the page for the first season, but I’ll just mention that I loved those as well as they more deeply try to actually tackle Hira & Kiyoi’s respective issues to make their relationship work. And I don’t know what it is about Yusei’s acting, but my favorite scene in S2 was, again, when he was screaming out his frustration with Hira for not understanding that all he wanted was for them to be equals and face the future together. For Hira then to say that he didn’t want to understand Kiyoi… ouch. I could physically feel my heart breaking for Kiyoi in that scene, and I kinda wanted to jump into the drama and strangle Hira myself :))) Though I think the frustration I felt with Hira also was just another of the million reasons as to why I loved this drama. He has legitimate issues, and he can’t magically solve them just because he’s got Kiyoi. He’s still Hira, and healing and growing as a person takes time. And I think time (and a bit of well chosen words from Kiyoi) was exactly what Hira needed.)
That said, I think a lot of people drop this show because of the seemingly “toxic” nature that is present especially in the first episodes. Now, I won’t gloss over the fact that the series definitely has elements of toxicity (like literally every other show out there but that’s a topic for another day), but once you watch the full season, get Kiyoi’s perspective, and especially if you rewatch it to see all the small things you missed the first time you watched, I have to say that this probably is one of the most non-toxic toxic BLs there are. I’m not looking to excuse the times where Kiyoi was a bit too tough with his love, or Hira’s obsessive behavior, but it’s extremely far fetched to call this a toxic BL as a whole. It’s just young, complex characters that, while they found each other, also need to work on finding themselves. If you want to see what the definition of toxic actually is, I have *quite* a few BLs I can recommend.
All in all, this was a wild ride of anger, anxiety, complexity, sadness, happiness, warmth, annoyance, all in one. As I just watched the series and movie for the first time a few days ago (and again rewatched it right after because I missed Hira & Kiyoi so much it hurt lmao), I’m still in my MBM bubble and I don’t want to leave. I feel like someone will have to drag me away from this drama like Kiyoi had to be dragged away from Hira in that scene in the movie. Oh well…
Until we meet again, Hira & Kiyoi. ♡ (I don’t know how I will cope with not seeing them, Rubber Ducky, save me!!)
So, I made an MDL account solely to comment on this drama because for some reason I’ve been living under a rock and never bothered watching this until a few days ago. Now, I’m extremely picky when it comes to what BL series I thoroughly enjoy. I mean, I can like shows pretty often for what they are, but I can almost never say that I wholeheartedly love a show. Maybe I’m overly critical at times, but I just need something more than the average cliche BL with a perfectly happy ending where every character sorts everything out and becomes perfect in the end as well.
I need something where I will literally feel the drama running through my veins, where I’m so absorbed in the story and characters that I just binge the two seasons and movie, only to then miss that feeling and instantly starting over to watch the obsessed boy and his beautiful man all over again.
I need something like Utsukushii Kare.
Without a doubt, Hira and Kiyoi have been engraved in my heart forever. In the end, I can say that I wholeheartedly love all three parts of this series. H€ll, I’m so utterly invested in MBM that it’s become one of my favorite BLs ever. Maybe even THE favorite (HIstory 3: Trapped finally has competition for my #1 spot).
But I can’t say it was love at first sight. Quite the opposite. When I started watching it, like many other commenters, I could only muster through like the first three episodes, then I decided to go to bed because I wasn’t sold at all. Yet, the next day, I had this weird feeling that I would be missing out if I didn’t watch it, and in hindsight I’m beyond grateful that I kept watching. As complex and somehow problematic as S1 is, it’s still my favorite of the three parts. I will never forget the feeling I felt when the story switched to Kiyoi’s perspective… that’s when my perspective of this series switched as well. That’s when I fell wholeheartedly in love with MBM. Like, Kiyoi isn’t this god that Hira paints him as, he doesn’t want to be a god either. He’s just… Kiyoi. A broken soul who, like most people, just wants to love & be loved.
I will say, the last classroom scene is probably my favorite scene in a BL drama ever. It’s like the most beautiful poem ever written. That music build up ending with Kiyoi shouting at Hira that Hira is the one he loves… God, I love Yusei’s acting there, it gave me chills. And add Riku’s confused, desperate and somewhat helpless demeanor to really show Hira’s overwhelmed feelings, and you get a recipe for, in my opinion, a masterfully mesmerizing scene.
The ending left a lot to be desired, but not in the way that it was a bad ending and I wanted it to end differently. I actually loved the ending. But it was an ending where leaving it in an sort of unpolished state, aka Hira and Kiyoi’s characters needing growth as well as finding their ways in their newly started relationship, warranted the second season and ultimately the movie.
(I won’t discuss S2 and the movie here since this is the page for the first season, but I’ll just mention that I loved those as well as they more deeply try to actually tackle Hira & Kiyoi’s respective issues to make their relationship work. And I don’t know what it is about Yusei’s acting, but my favorite scene in S2 was, again, when he was screaming out his frustration with Hira for not understanding that all he wanted was for them to be equals and face the future together. For Hira then to say that he didn’t want to understand Kiyoi… ouch. I could physically feel my heart breaking for Kiyoi in that scene, and I kinda wanted to jump into the drama and strangle Hira myself :))) Though I think the frustration I felt with Hira also was just another of the million reasons as to why I loved this drama. He has legitimate issues, and he can’t magically solve them just because he’s got Kiyoi. He’s still Hira, and healing and growing as a person takes time. And I think time (and a bit of well chosen words from Kiyoi) was exactly what Hira needed.)
That said, I think a lot of people drop this show because of the seemingly “toxic” nature that is present especially in the first episodes. Now, I won’t gloss over the fact that the series definitely has elements of toxicity (like literally every other show out there but that’s a topic for another day), but once you watch the full season, get Kiyoi’s perspective, and especially if you rewatch it to see all the small things you missed the first time you watched, I have to say that this probably is one of the most non-toxic toxic BLs there are. I’m not looking to excuse the times where Kiyoi was a bit too tough with his love, or Hira’s obsessive behavior, but it’s extremely far fetched to call this a toxic BL as a whole. It’s just young, complex characters that, while they found each other, also need to work on finding themselves. If you want to see what the definition of toxic actually is, I have *quite* a few BLs I can recommend.
All in all, this was a wild ride of anger, anxiety, complexity, sadness, happiness, warmth, annoyance, all in one. As I just watched the series and movie for the first time a few days ago (and again rewatched it right after because I missed Hira & Kiyoi so much it hurt lmao), I’m still in my MBM bubble and I don’t want to leave. I feel like someone will have to drag me away from this drama like Kiyoi had to be dragged away from Hira in that scene in the movie.
Oh well…
Until we meet again, Hira & Kiyoi. ♡
(I don’t know how I will cope with not seeing them, Rubber Ducky, save me!!)