When 'Seme' means 'A Block Of Wood'
While Keito Kimura is cute and appealing as the slightly dorky, honest Satoshi Onoe, Yamanaka Jyutaro's Motoharu Kaburagi is D.O.A. He's meant to be the jaded pessimist seme to Satoshi's optimist uke, but he lacks any charm to make his sullen character palatable. This made it difficult to understand why Satoshi would want this downer of a guy who generally treats Satoshi like crap and communicating extremely mixed messages. When he isn't stonewalling, or just being grabby. Like, Satoshi, I would understand it if you were just horny for him, I have eyes, I can see why you'd want to jump his bones, but why are you in luuurrrve?
On the plus side, the show avoids the tropey mess of jealous suitors and disapproving parents by framing each episode around the current article the boys are working on. Granted, the show lacked the bite to really ask questions about the morality and ethics of journalism. Each 'scoop' has the real task of bringing the boys closer together...until there's a story that tears them apart. For the dumbest reasons. It was the crowning jewel in the annoying through-line that it's on Satoshi to discern the intent behind Motoharu's vague gestures and contradictory statements. At no time does the plot hint that it might be Motoharu's responsibility to do his own emotional labor, and to communicate. Not only is it Satoshi's job to figure out what Motoharu wants, it's also his job to BE the version of himself that Motoharu wants. I found this concerning.
I couldn't even watch the sex scene it was so uncomfortable. It reeked of two Actors Not Wanting To Be There and two characters I couldn't fathom the draw between.
Good news! There are no evil anti-queer women to speak of in this show, which was nice... except almost every single woman onscreen is being exploited in some way. So. Add that as background radiation.
While Candy Color Paradox never became actively offensive or rage inducing, it was still a discomforting viewing experience saved by one thing; Keito Kimura. He was doing his best to bring levity and brightness to a dead fish.
On the plus side, the show avoids the tropey mess of jealous suitors and disapproving parents by framing each episode around the current article the boys are working on. Granted, the show lacked the bite to really ask questions about the morality and ethics of journalism. Each 'scoop' has the real task of bringing the boys closer together...until there's a story that tears them apart. For the dumbest reasons. It was the crowning jewel in the annoying through-line that it's on Satoshi to discern the intent behind Motoharu's vague gestures and contradictory statements. At no time does the plot hint that it might be Motoharu's responsibility to do his own emotional labor, and to communicate. Not only is it Satoshi's job to figure out what Motoharu wants, it's also his job to BE the version of himself that Motoharu wants. I found this concerning.
I couldn't even watch the sex scene it was so uncomfortable. It reeked of two Actors Not Wanting To Be There and two characters I couldn't fathom the draw between.
Good news! There are no evil anti-queer women to speak of in this show, which was nice... except almost every single woman onscreen is being exploited in some way. So. Add that as background radiation.
While Candy Color Paradox never became actively offensive or rage inducing, it was still a discomforting viewing experience saved by one thing; Keito Kimura. He was doing his best to bring levity and brightness to a dead fish.
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