BLISS RATING: ★+
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak out and remove all doubt.” – Abraham Lincoln
This series could have learned something from this quote. While something might look good, when put into place, it reveals its foolishness. This is not a good series in so many ways that I simply lost count. It is dull, lifeless, boring, and presents a picture of love that is superficial and perfunctory.
It begins with two people who are perhaps the two stodgiest individuals I have ever seen in a BL. Yuki (Seto Toshiki) is a 3D CG designer under the tutelage of Jun (Naito Shuichiro) who is a Modeling Director and Supervisor for 3D CG designs. Yuki has always been an admirer of Jun’s work and abilities in CG. And secretly in love with him. Jun, as his Senpai, gets close to Yuki and begins to see him more than an employee in training.
This banal and bland love story is agonizingly immature and silly. They both play this cat-and-mouse game with each other and their feelings. Both obviously like each other but are too culturally timid and shy to be forthright with one other. If both had been a bit more communicative and adult-like, this would have been an interesting story. Instead, it is yet another in an endless stream of do-nothing series that pretends to show us two guys in love with neither one of them able to show it, let alone prove it.
Even when there are hints and suggestions of liking each other, they both find ways to question that. That gets so old after awhile and so standard. How obvious do you have to be to show liking someone? There is also the usual let us hide how we feel about each other from others in the office so no one will suspect. That is asinine and in the short run, some do.
What bothered me the most about these two were their downright immaturity in acting and being adults. It has nothing to do with culture or societal standards really, but it has everything to do with these two characters not remotely believable or sincere. Simply looking ‘cute’ and demur does not make for a solid relationship. It does not even make for good entertainment unless you are 15 and this is your first infatuation.
To thwart this budding relationship, Jun’s old boyfriend and mentor Benjamin Tanaka (Nelson Babin-Coy) comes into the picture. He does have a high pomposity score and can see what is going on and in what appears to be a good move for Jun manipulates him into accepting a job in Canada for a year for this special project. But he knows the intensity of their relationship will undoubtedly survive and Jun asks Yuki to wait.
When Jun returns after a year abroad, he finds Yuki more mature and taking on greater responsibilities and he himself has become a Senpai. Yet his feelings remain for Jun. Like before, however, it goes unrequited.
That is in essence this series. One does not need to be Vulcan to see how illogical this story is. Did they not talk, connect, communicate with each other for that entire year? If so, why was it a surprise for Yuki to see Jun back in the office and to both act as if they had never met each other?
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? Watanabe Shu as Ichikawa Hayato. A throw-away part who was not very dynamic and made mistakes at work but had good intensions. Yuki persuades him not to quit as he sees potential in him and if given a chance, would be a good modeler. Watanabe made this part real and genuine and brought sympathy and relatability to the role with great flair and, was the only true person in this series. He honestly, albeit briefly, stood out over the main characters.
There is no depth to the main characters and very little connection or chemistry with each other. Even the endless stares seem rehearsed and not genuine. Honestly, there was no portrayal of anything resembling a loving relationship here. Even when they hugged, they dare not get close to each other otherwise their bodies might have touched. There is a cringeworthy kiss at the end that looks like both had been feasting on garlic cloves for the last hour. There was not even enough good acting here to even suggest these two were a couple.
This is a surprisingly inept Japanese BL series. Perhaps because the actors did not commit to the parts? I do not know but this was uncomfortable to watch and to slog through. But the title is accurate. This CAN’T be love. Truer words were never stated for a tile of a series.
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