This review may contain spoilers
Overall, decent. Lots of filler that could have been cut, though. Slow burn - they get together at the end of ep 8. The dream premise was interesting but fizzled out. Yu is in danger every other day for random reasons and then it’s suddenly completely safe after the finale. There’s no real reason or explanation or deeper mystery behind it revealed.
Mostly good consent. They immediately end things when someone pushes away or says they’re not ready. They ask if the partner is okay before proceeding, and say that stopping is okay if they’re not ready. Both couples are equals and take turns leading in the bedroom. The secondary couple both lead outside the bedroom too. For the main couple, Yu mainly takes the lead out of the bedroom, but not in a domineering way. For example, in the special episode, Ai expects and waits on Yu to propose instead of thinking about doing it himself. Both couples show reciprocal affection - no constant rejection and pushing the other person away and shying away for no reason.
Two dubcon drunk scenes. For the secondary couple scene, one is extremely drunk. The drunk one is the one that initiates, they have a pre-established relationship, and the drunk one has initiated sex while sober before. But having drunk sex was not pre-negotiated. He passed out before anything could really happen though. For the main couple, I couldn’t tell if the scene was real or a dream. But the drunk one initiated. He had rejected sex while sober the night before. He had expressed an interest in sex while sober to his friends, but did not convey this to Yu. When he wakes up naked the next morning, he looks upset and asks if Yu did something to him. Yu says he got hot and took his own clothes off. So clearly it didn’t progress much further than the make out session we saw, if that makeout session was real and not a dream. Also one dubcon scene where Ai says he’s going to “punish” Yu. The scene wasn’t pre-negotiated, and Yu seemed hesitant and didn’t kiss back much at first, but eventually reciprocated. Ai should have pulled back to verbally check for consent before proceeding at that point.
The second couple was more compelling for me. I bought into their romance more and they had more chemistry. They were also better kissers. One of them was a playboy at the beginning of the series, but he’s 100% in on Ing once they get together. He dates one other person at the beginning, but he’s not really serious about him and there wasn’t much drama surrounding it. He proudly tells the ex that he and Ing are together later in the series.
The ex drama for the main couple annoyed me. In ep 3/4, Yu seems like he’s really not over his ex. I almost dropped the series at this point, especially after reading spoilers for the ex drama in ep 10. In ep 10 though, His ex is getting harassed and Yu offers to help her. The thing is, he offered, she didn’t ask. He offers to let her stay at his house. He doesn’t tell her he’s in a relationship. He doesn’t tell Ai that she’s staying over or why. This happens almost immediately after they finally get together and sleep together too. He brings her to dinner with Ai’s parents, and is super caring and attentive to her, putting food on per plate and talking to her, and practically ignoring Ai. Ai and Yu don’t sleep in the same room while the ex is there, even though they usually do. Yu stays home with Pan instead of going out with Ai and their friend group. There was no reason he couldn’t help his ex, respect her wishes to not tell Ai the details (just tell him she’s in danger and he’s helping), but also disclose his relationship status, interact with Ai as normal, and prioritize his feelings over Pan’s, while also caring about her safety. In the end, Yu never discloses their relationship. The ex finds out through the internet. She apologizes to Ai for not knowing, and Ai apologizes to Yu, saying he would have done the same, but Yu never apologizes for or even acknowledges his approach and absolute disrespect of their relationship. That being said, Yu does seem emotionally over his ex at this point, even before offering his help, and the drama starts and ends within the one episode.
There was a love rival for Ai as well, but it didn’t bother me much. Ai never reciprocated and unlike Yu, he did all the right things to shut it down and prevent misunderstandings with both Yu and the rival. To be honest, the rival was a good guy and he actually put Ai first, unlike Yu with his ex. I wouldn’t have been mad if the series was written for Ai / Wann instead of Ai / Yu. He also accepted no for an answer when rejected.
I thought this series was going to be steamier than it actually was, especially when they showed that he had an erection at the beginning. But it doesn't go past semi-clothed make out sessions and implied sex.
Mostly good consent. They immediately end things when someone pushes away or says they’re not ready. They ask if the partner is okay before proceeding, and say that stopping is okay if they’re not ready. Both couples are equals and take turns leading in the bedroom. The secondary couple both lead outside the bedroom too. For the main couple, Yu mainly takes the lead out of the bedroom, but not in a domineering way. For example, in the special episode, Ai expects and waits on Yu to propose instead of thinking about doing it himself. Both couples show reciprocal affection - no constant rejection and pushing the other person away and shying away for no reason.
Two dubcon drunk scenes. For the secondary couple scene, one is extremely drunk. The drunk one is the one that initiates, they have a pre-established relationship, and the drunk one has initiated sex while sober before. But having drunk sex was not pre-negotiated. He passed out before anything could really happen though. For the main couple, I couldn’t tell if the scene was real or a dream. But the drunk one initiated. He had rejected sex while sober the night before. He had expressed an interest in sex while sober to his friends, but did not convey this to Yu. When he wakes up naked the next morning, he looks upset and asks if Yu did something to him. Yu says he got hot and took his own clothes off. So clearly it didn’t progress much further than the make out session we saw, if that makeout session was real and not a dream. Also one dubcon scene where Ai says he’s going to “punish” Yu. The scene wasn’t pre-negotiated, and Yu seemed hesitant and didn’t kiss back much at first, but eventually reciprocated. Ai should have pulled back to verbally check for consent before proceeding at that point.
The second couple was more compelling for me. I bought into their romance more and they had more chemistry. They were also better kissers. One of them was a playboy at the beginning of the series, but he’s 100% in on Ing once they get together. He dates one other person at the beginning, but he’s not really serious about him and there wasn’t much drama surrounding it. He proudly tells the ex that he and Ing are together later in the series.
The ex drama for the main couple annoyed me. In ep 3/4, Yu seems like he’s really not over his ex. I almost dropped the series at this point, especially after reading spoilers for the ex drama in ep 10. In ep 10 though, His ex is getting harassed and Yu offers to help her. The thing is, he offered, she didn’t ask. He offers to let her stay at his house. He doesn’t tell her he’s in a relationship. He doesn’t tell Ai that she’s staying over or why. This happens almost immediately after they finally get together and sleep together too. He brings her to dinner with Ai’s parents, and is super caring and attentive to her, putting food on per plate and talking to her, and practically ignoring Ai. Ai and Yu don’t sleep in the same room while the ex is there, even though they usually do. Yu stays home with Pan instead of going out with Ai and their friend group. There was no reason he couldn’t help his ex, respect her wishes to not tell Ai the details (just tell him she’s in danger and he’s helping), but also disclose his relationship status, interact with Ai as normal, and prioritize his feelings over Pan’s, while also caring about her safety. In the end, Yu never discloses their relationship. The ex finds out through the internet. She apologizes to Ai for not knowing, and Ai apologizes to Yu, saying he would have done the same, but Yu never apologizes for or even acknowledges his approach and absolute disrespect of their relationship. That being said, Yu does seem emotionally over his ex at this point, even before offering his help, and the drama starts and ends within the one episode.
There was a love rival for Ai as well, but it didn’t bother me much. Ai never reciprocated and unlike Yu, he did all the right things to shut it down and prevent misunderstandings with both Yu and the rival. To be honest, the rival was a good guy and he actually put Ai first, unlike Yu with his ex. I wouldn’t have been mad if the series was written for Ai / Wann instead of Ai / Yu. He also accepted no for an answer when rejected.
I thought this series was going to be steamier than it actually was, especially when they showed that he had an erection at the beginning. But it doesn't go past semi-clothed make out sessions and implied sex.
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