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Contrast (Japanese Series)

By Golu
This is basically a high school BL where two guys who have nothing going on in common somehow end up getting really close to each other, and that's kind of the whole point of the title too. There's barely any drama or fluff packed in here, it stays pretty straightforward the whole way through. A little bit of friction pops up here and there, but it's nothing compared to what you'd normally get in this kind of show. Runtime wise you're looking at 8 episodes, each one sitting around 25-30 minutes. The two guys carrying the story are Akira and Kanata, and funny enough they knew each other's faces way before they ever knew each other's names. Kanata's the type everyone likes, always got people around him, popular guy, but there's this distance to him that people can't quite place. Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
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My Beautiful Man: Season 2 (Japanese Series)

By Golu
The first season of this show came a couple of years back. Hire absolutely adores Kiyoi, almost like he wants to be his slave. Hire worships everything about the guy and we find out that Kiyoi also had secretly liked Kira. This season the story takes their relationship forward, while they are in the college. At 4 episodes of 24 minutes each, the show is an easy watch. While first season was about Hira surrendering to Kiyoi, this is more about the evolution of their relationship, although I still feel this wa still very much like about the guy who adores and worships and puts his idol on a pedestal.

Season 2 instantly delves into the lives Hira and Kiyoi are trying to build together. Kiyoi attempts to further his dreams of being an actor, while Hira still struggles to find where he fits in. As we know they still have an unconventional relationship. Kiyoi is doing well in his acting career, but Hira is struggling with what do next. He is part of photography club, but still lacks confidence to pursue that as his career. His friends and Kiyoi both try and motivate him to take the next step and apply for some photography contest to make his presence. Meanwhile Kiyoi is still struggling to work on Hira's self confidence issues, waiting for him to say just once 'he likes him'. As much as Kiyoi probably enjoys the attention, he also wants Hira to love him of who he is, not because he idolizes him and worships him and doesn't. Think of himself as Kiyoi's equal. Hira  still sees himself as an unworthy partner to Kiyoi, like a pebble to this beautiful king. Kiyoi gets annoyed with Hira's insecurities and calls him "creepy" or "disgusting". Towards the end, Hire does manage to find a job thanks to push from his friends and Kiyoi and in a very unlike his character move kisses Kiyoi.

While season one focused more on Hira's point of view, I feel here we get to see things from Kiyoi's POV. He likes being admired and taken care of by Hira, but he also wants to be loved and be boyfriend just like anyone else. He has had enough of God like reverence by Hira. What we have here are two polar opposite men fighting different types of insecurity. The toxicity isn’t in the While Hira battles that part of himself that feels undeserving and less than in both seasons, Kiyoi finds it hard to trust others and be honest with himself. Hira deals with this by being meek and easily controlled, while Kiyoi was/is dominantly controlling. And yet, they make each other stronger. Not because they’re good at making each other feel better, but because both felt invisible except to each other. This season delves less into Kiyoi’s weaknesses and more into the wall around Hira that has yet to be broken. Where Kiyoi’s shields are his attitude and words, Hira’s shield is his camera. Insecurity is a dark beast. Kiyoi finds the key to his insecurity by realizing he craves Hira’s devotion and the attention he gets when being on camera, but he also desires feeling equal to Hira when off the stage. Hira finds beauty in Kiyoi but never quite finds the self-acceptance he must embrace to see beyond his camera lens.

It's an interesting perspective and if you really tried hard, there are a lot of hidden, sub verse things going on in the show. There is a lot of symbolism as well going on. It's the external photographer who help Hira realize his potential and break his wall of insecurities. Even if I don't always agree with the twisted messages about love, I can appreciate the intricate storytelling. Best of all, the talented actors inject vibrant enthusiasm and vivid personality into their roles. They handle the comedic, dramatic, and romantic material elegantly. Apparently this season is going to be followed up by a movie and it will be interesting to see how their relationship evolves. While the conclusion seems firm and decisive, it's open-ended enough. (6.5/10)
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Sailor Maan said…
I liked it and prefered it to season 1. The couple is still very atypic, but maybe a little bit more relatable. Really looking forward to watching the movie!
May 11, 2023 at 9:01 AM
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