This is the second vertical AI BL drama I've sat through, and honestly I went in knowing better. I had it on while I was doing cardio at the gym, and what struck me was just how much the plot echoed the last one I watched. Same step brother romance angle, same mystery girlfriend showing up near the end, same extra guy pining after one of the leads. Genuinely the only thing going for it was the runtime, the whole thing wrapped up in forty five minutes flat. The setup kicks off with Finn moving schools because his mom just married into money. He finds out his new step brother Aiden goes to the same place, and he's warned to keep his distance from him. Their first run in at school is rocky, just like you'd expect, but there's this odd pull between them neither can shake off. Finn keeps telling himself not to read into it because Aiden's straight and openly homophobic. Things shift when some kids start bullying Finn and the student council president, Ryan, steps in to ...
Yo is a university student who is best friends with Noboru. The two of them hang out all the time and it's clear that Yo has a crush on Noboru. A gay bar Bb is the only place where Yo can be himself (gay) and has a friend working behind the counter with whom they share each other's personal lives. Noburu has starting to see a girl and Yo feels compelled to make up a story that he has a girlfriend too. A sudden incident where Yo's bar friend's mother dies before he could have come out to her, makes Yo realize that he needs to be true about himself to his friends and family, regardless of what happens. He first comes out to his sister who takes the news very positively. Next, after immense struggle he comes out to his best friend Noburu. In fact, he also tells him that he had a crush on him. But Noboru continues to be the best supportive friend as he was before. Eventually he comes out to his parents too, whose reactions are more to blame themselves for Yo being what he is but eventually they also come around. The film ends with Yo confiding to Noboru that its probably time to come out to their remaining group of friends too.
I like the fact that it's a simple story. No unnecessary drama. Even the parents reactions initially is something that you would expect, but thankfully they talk it out and Yo shares some books to help them understand him better. My favorite is Noboru's reactions. He is slightly happy to know that he was Yo's crush and still he continues to be the same friend as he always was. Very supportive. I was hoping to see that Yo and the friend working in the bar get together, because I feel there was a potential of some love story there. But I guess the idea was to show the coming out story and process. Thankfully, its all shown in a positive light. On a negative note, the film is way too slow. Some scenes just drag on for no reason whatsoever. Whatever the makers wanted to show could have easily been achieved in a 45 minute short film. At almost an hour and a half length, the film rally tests your patience before coming to the point.
Sometimes, as individuals we think we way too much, make up stories in our mind and mostly that people would react negative to coming out. But you will be surprised how most people understand it and eventually come around. I liked this positive message. I am not sure what Japanese culture and society is like when it comes to gay men, but this will come as a positive message to younger folks struggling to come out. (5/10)
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