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 Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
James, a university student lives by himself. One day, his mom calls and wants him to take care of Sky, her best friend's son. Sky is a university freshman and their respective moms just decided that it will be best of their sons shared a room together as roommates. Neither of them are enthusiastic to have to share a room together. However, the two roommates get used to each other's quirks and different personalities over time. Unbeknownst to James, Sky is gay. However, he doesn't tell his roommate about his sexual orientation. Sky is out to his best girl friend, who along with a friend of James do everything that they can to ship these two boys together. Over a period of time, even James starts to have feelings for Sky, who already is attracted to him, and on a beach trip finally the two boy confess their feelings.
The premise if simple, short and sweet and actually the first episode was alright. Their personalities are showcased through various quirky scenarios, highlighting a fun dynamic between the leads. The BL relationship develops at a comfortable pace, going from strangers to friends to the tease of something more. Buts its when the respective friends come along, the typical BL tropes started to annoy me. The romance just develops out of nowhere, we don't get much of background of either of those characters on why is it that they fall for one another in the first place. The main characters feel authentic, like two ordinary guys who speak naturally and behave normally. They are a compatible couple, compensating for the uneven writing with their comfortable chemistry. Unfortunately the same can't be said if the story or the overall show itself. It doesn't help the last two episodes are written dreadfully and involve a non-consensual drunken encounter. The finale backtracks massively, but it's still a questionable and unnecessary moment that leaves a bad taste. Overall, despite a charming couple and their cozy interactions, the show lacks a cohesive romance and delivers a subpar narrative, that can easily be missed. (3.5/10).
Comments
Overthinker in me, though, keeps thinking WHY this piece was made in the first place :D Maybe, just MAYBE there was a bet or an obligatory task or someone drank that selfsame blue alcohol and got some delulu idea to write a BL trope puzzle. Everything has a reason, right :D ?
BL tropes can actually be fun if done the right way. Imagine if someone made a satire comedy on BL tropes; that would be so much fun
My favorite author Karen Swan bases her novels on a specific formula, but manages to keep them different - and most of the time I don't recognize the culprit or what exactly redeems the a$$hole in this particular book. So it is possible to use the same framework over and over again without the result being completely predictable or boring.
When that satire comedy is made, I'd definitely watch :D Maybe with friends, each having bullsh1t-bingo sheets with tropes and competing who gets the first row, column or diagonals :D