Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...
MMA fighter Misha is a black guy who is dealing with his demons (we don't hear about it till much later, on what they are). He likes to dance but somehow never does, because of being perceived as gay. His ex-girlfriend is dropping off his daughter by a one night stand and the duo are not on best terms. After repeated self harm attempts by Misha, his doctor recommends him to see a transgender psychiatrist in Fire Island if he wants his pain prescriptions refilled. Once in the gay mecca, Misha falls in love with the house he is renting. However, the seller, will only let him buy it if Misha is gay. So, in an offensive subplot, Misha pretends to be gay to convince the neighbors so he can buy his dream house. The nieghbpurs are trip of gay men who are trying to win a dance competition. They want Misha to help them. Misha, who was a dancer — until a shameful incident from his past broke his spirit and he became an MMA fighter — is reluctant to help. He even refuses to teach his own daughter. Between ll these scenes, Misha, says at least on 10 different occasions that he is not gay.We all have scenes between Misha with his therapist, which include snippets of psychobabble as Misha comes to terms with his big dark secret from his past, where he comes clean as how he seduced his dancer teacher when he was young for sex. Somehow eventually, he accepts who he is, promises to help the trio for dance competition with the film ending with the four of them dancing their heart out.
The film is a full on musical with song and performances coming every 5-10 minutes that take the story forward. But when the story itself is so random, and unsure; nothing was able to hold my attention. Everyone from the start, including his ex-girlfriend and daughter, ask him or tells him he is gay. Don't ask why! He shouts I am not gay. Over and over. And in between all this, the story keeps moving from Misha's past, t his MMF career, to his teenage trauma to the trip of gays wanting to win a dance competition and Misha shouting I am not gay. The songs all sounded same after a while and the word choice pf color palette and everything that was going around was personally very uninspiring for me. While I’m Not Gay asks many questions, one of the things it refuses to do is give direct answers. With so much talk of queerness in the film, there is never an outright declaration of Misha’s sexuality; which goes back to my initial thought that it is hard to comprehend what is this film even trying to say. (3/10)
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