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...
Michael and Justin are a happy couple and living with their almost teenage daughter. Their friend and the surrogate mother Brooke is still very much a part of their life. The series begins with Michael's parents visiting the couple to spend a day. Given Justin's really bad experience in childhood and his parents reactions, he is always nervous of this visit and always tries to go out of his way to impress his in-laws but all his fears are unfounded when as always they come full of love for Michael and Justin as a couple and their unwavering love for their grand-daughter. Juston is happy to be reassured of the love of the parents and he has deep rooted mental issues. The next day when he. Takes his daughter for shopping, he meets another family where the father is extremely condescending to his son calling him all sorts of things and this triggers Justin badly. He tries to control and hide from Michael, but it soon starts to become very evident that all is not well with Justin. Michel immediately gets into action and sends their daughter to his parents house. He asks for medication from Justin's therapist, takes time off and he and Justin go to their beach house for a break so that Michael can be there for Justin. In the last episode, we see how Michael is there for Justin every step of the way and how by taking one step at a time, Michael brings Justin back from the dark corners where he had found himself after the incident.
A very rare portrayal of gay happiness and contentment without violence or tragedy. Her the villain is mental health and childhood trauma. It truly takes someone with much love to care for and love someone going through traumatic times because of a bad childhood. The contrast between families here is amazing. While Michael's parents have tons of love to give, Justin cannot get out of his trauma and his father's harsh words just continue to reverberate in his mind. Their daughter thankfully is full of mischief as a young teenager but also extremely understanding and knows exactly when something is wrong between her dad's relationship. One can't even imagine what Justin must be going through but it's even harder for the partner like Michael here to be fully understanding and be there for his love for the sake of family. This is a stark reminder of love, family and relationship goals. The two actors continue to do a fantastic job of portraying a happy gay couple family, who will together lead through all the happiness and challenges that life will be throwing at them. Great season 1 available on YouTube. (6/10)
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