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Soul Mate (Japanese Series)

By Golu
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...
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Single, Out: Season 1 (Australia) (Web Series)

By Golu
Coming out can be a normal experience for some, a secret side for others, and an issue for the old guard to embrace. Presenting yet another facet of stories of coming out, this Australian series was a knock out and a lot of fun to watch. This first season comprised of 6 episodes of each 20 minutes or so. The show focuses on the ups and downs that our lead character Adam embraces as he comes out, cultivates what he thought was first love, discovers the gay scene, feels the pain of a fast relationship crumble, and finds himself and the attraction that others have for him. While we see this, Adam's friends and family also explore their love and sex lives.

Adam lives with his single mother and older heterosexual brother Clayton. In the first episode we see that Adam has a huge crush on his brother's friend Josh. One night when Josh is staying over, they do hook up (Josh considers himself pansexual). But Adam needs to be open and out about his sexuality if he wants his relationship to go anywhere. With his out gay friend Marco, who also happens to be his co-worker and his confidant by his side,  Adam embarks on a journey to find himself and find true love. Things are going ok with Josh, until one day Josh decides this is not for him him. Meanwhile, Adam is completely oblivious of the fact that his other co-worker Gabe has hots for him. Since Gabe has mild Autism, it take time for him to open up about his feelings but he eventually get there towards the end of the show. We also see how Marco is struggling with self confidence issues, finding love and the snub he gets from his family for being gay. Coming to Clayton, Adam's brother; he is going through his own issues where he is secretly gives massage to gay men (without happy ending) to make that extra cash but only till one day an incident makes him think through. Also he is struggling with his girlfriend because he is not very communicative. By the end of this season we see Gabe and Adam getting into a kiss and hopefully a romantic story will unfold soon.

This show picks out plenty of relatable moments that gay men will likely be able to recognize from their own coming out journeys. It is a charming series and at only six episodes, it’s not a huge time commitment. The series wraps up nicely but it leaves plenty of story to continue in its subsequent seasons. Please tell me that there will be follow up seasons. The show is light and fluffy but with plenty of laughs and heart and it instantly reminded me of the show "Please Like Me" also from Australia, which is one of my favorite shows. The actors are all super fantastic in the show with Adam (of course) and his friend Marco being the two standout performances. Adam is charming and lovable and goofy and naive and vulnerable and you wanna root for him. Even the other actors playing roles of Clayton (brother), Marco (friend), Josh (first love) and Gabe (second love) are super solid and give very endearing performances.  They are a breath of fresh air bringing a unique charm to their character. Their on-screen chemistry is palpable, especially during the emotionally charged scenes, where their performances shine the brightest. At no point, does the show make fun of anything and with its light hearted approach covers topics, like coming out, assault, and autism.

This show is a hidden little gem that really needs to be seen and publicized. My guess is that this has not been made by a big production house or anything. It's a heartfelt, funny, and insightful series that shouldn't be missed and I highly recommend it. (8.5/10)
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Comments

Dennis said…
Hello again, just watched it and thank you for the suggestion, loved it.
January 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Golu said…
So happy to hear that. I remember liking the show quite a bit
January 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
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