News 
This review may contain spoilers
A gentle reminder that not everyone is privileged enough to be comfortable in their identity
Yes, 10 stars is a high rating for what seems like an ordinary BL. And yes, I'm slightly obsessed with Masaya Sakuragi, so I can't even pretend to be unbiased, haha. Now that that disclaimer is out of the way, let me make my case for why I think it really is worth the 10 stars I gave it.
Like with many JBLs, when you look deeply into the story, there's a lot to love. On the surface, this is the usual popular, outgoing boy falling for his shy schoolmate. But for me, this show was an honest exploration of why some people have a harder time owning their identity than others.
Harutora has an easy life. His parents love him, he's athletic and popular, and most importantly for the story: he passes as straight. In fact, we even have a moment where someone says something homophobic to him, assuming he's straight, and he quickly puts them in their place by letting him know that he's gay. In short, Harutora hasn't experienced any drawbacks to being gay, so naturally he wishes that Sui senpai could be more like him.
But Sui has none of the comforts Harutora has. He's visibly effeminate, and he comes from a home where being gay is not acceptable. He quickly becomes his schoolmates' punching bag, and so he learns to roll with it and make fun of himself first before anyone else can do it. Harutora is the first person who lets him know that there's nothing wrong with him, and the scene of him meeting Harutora's family is one of the most beautiful moments I've seen in a BL. (Shoutout to the special episode of The Servant Prince for another heartwarming moment where a gay couple is showered in total love & support.)
Harutora is patient and considerate, and he slowly opens Sui senpai's eyes to a world where it's okay to be gay. Where you're loved for just being yourself. Of course there's the stereotypical "homophobic parent who quickly comes around", but it's worth noting that none of this would even be happening without Sui finally believing that he's worthy of love. It takes a lot of courage to ask your parent to accept you, even if they don't quite understand you, and I really enjoyed watching Sui's journey to get to this place. A very well-deserved 10 stars, if you ask me (even discounting the power of Masaya's charisma, lol.)
Like with many JBLs, when you look deeply into the story, there's a lot to love. On the surface, this is the usual popular, outgoing boy falling for his shy schoolmate. But for me, this show was an honest exploration of why some people have a harder time owning their identity than others.
Harutora has an easy life. His parents love him, he's athletic and popular, and most importantly for the story: he passes as straight. In fact, we even have a moment where someone says something homophobic to him, assuming he's straight, and he quickly puts them in their place by letting him know that he's gay. In short, Harutora hasn't experienced any drawbacks to being gay, so naturally he wishes that Sui senpai could be more like him.
But Sui has none of the comforts Harutora has. He's visibly effeminate, and he comes from a home where being gay is not acceptable. He quickly becomes his schoolmates' punching bag, and so he learns to roll with it and make fun of himself first before anyone else can do it. Harutora is the first person who lets him know that there's nothing wrong with him, and the scene of him meeting Harutora's family is one of the most beautiful moments I've seen in a BL. (Shoutout to the special episode of The Servant Prince for another heartwarming moment where a gay couple is showered in total love & support.)
Harutora is patient and considerate, and he slowly opens Sui senpai's eyes to a world where it's okay to be gay. Where you're loved for just being yourself. Of course there's the stereotypical "homophobic parent who quickly comes around", but it's worth noting that none of this would even be happening without Sui finally believing that he's worthy of love. It takes a lot of courage to ask your parent to accept you, even if they don't quite understand you, and I really enjoyed watching Sui's journey to get to this place. A very well-deserved 10 stars, if you ask me (even discounting the power of Masaya's charisma, lol.)
Was this review helpful to you?
