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...
For a long time, Scotland really didn't "do" gay. Being gay was considered dangerous and taboo, and it actually stayed illegal there until the 1980s. It’s pretty wild to think about how a country that seemed to take such pride in its prejudices managed to flip the script and end up with some of the best gay rights in Europe. Back then, homosexuality was just something that families, churches, doctors, and society in general chose to totally ignore.
Dr. Jeff Meek, who wrote Queer Voices in Post-War Scotland, explains that there was basically a total ban on even talking about same-sex desire. While gay men had been targeted by strict laws since the late 19th century, same-sex contact between women was never actually made illegal. Gay men existed, obviously, but they didn't fit that "tough guy" image of Scottish masculinity, so they were forced into the shadows—meeting in public toilets or secret parties. If you got caught, the fallout was brutal: you could face two years in prison or get locked up in a psych ward. Things started to shift in 1969 when a brave group called the Scottish Minorities Group (SMG) decided that since they couldn't change who they were, they’d change Scotland instead. They started organizing discos and meetups, and while it started small, the community eventually grew. Then the HIV/AIDS crisis hit; Scotland got a massive wake-up call in 1985 when 60% of intravenous drug users at an Edinburgh hospital tested positive. Since the year 2000, attitudes have done a total 180. Today, surveys show over two-thirds of Scots support gay marriage, and now it’s actually homophobia that’s considered taboo.
It's honestly a remarkable transformation to see Scotland rated as the top country in Europe for LGBT legal equality in just one generation. This documentary does a great job showing just how deep the silence was back in the 50s and 60s. It really highlights how that silence only ended because gay people organized themselves. The SMG wasn't just about parties; it was about building a community consciousness, which eventually created the political pressure needed to stop treating people like criminals. It’s a fascinating perspective, though I did notice it’s pretty narrow—there’s almost nothing about bisexual or trans identities, and representation for Black or minority ethnic groups is basically non-existent. I personally learned a ton from this. I think we often just assume that Western or "white" countries were always gay-friendly, which definitely wasn't the case. I knew a bit about how the movement progressed in the US, but getting the lowdown on the Scottish struggle was a real eye-opener. It’s a solid history lesson, even if it doesn't cover the entire spectrum of the community.
It’s an interesting look at how a country went from total repression to leading the way in equality, even if the film misses some of the more diverse voices in the community. (5.5/10)
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