BLISS RATING: ★★★★★
“No one understands your beauty better than I do.” – Quote from My Beautiful Man Eternal
This is a trilogy to what feels like the epilogue of the love story between Hira (Hagiwara Riku) and Kiyoi (Yagi Yusei). While perhaps the toxicity level in their relationship is now not as high, it is a relationship that cannot fully be grasped except by the two of them. Hira remains almost immobile with a feeling of inadequacy. Yet, others are able to recognize his potential and his tremendous effect to read people and situations ably and astutely. His issue remains his inability to see his own value or worth on his own without either directly or indirectly linking it to Kiyoi. His world, his life, his whole existence is Kiyoi. The theme over and over again is that he is better because of Kiyoi.
Kikoi has also so intertwined his life with Hira that he too simply cannot live without him. When he thought, he was going to lose Hira, he was beside himself with grief and wailed and screamed he could not live without him. The two have literally become so co-dependent on each other that it is impossible to break the bond between them. Their ‘red string’ to borrow a concept is tied inexorably between them. If there is a connection greater than ‘soulmates’ these two share that. I do not know how to describe their relationship beyond inadequate words like fervent, inseparable, and unending.
Yet, I cannot feel good about their relationship. They seem like lost souls, incapable of being apart, yet never fully functioning as a whole. There is no question that their love for each other is immeasurably intense, and perhaps it can only be understood by the two of them. Alone. But we never get to see the other side of their relationship – the joy, the happiness, the contentment, the pleasures (outside of the sexual ones) of being a couple. That is the part I found missing. Are we to just assume that is there?
The road to finding their love was so toxic and unhealthy. Calling your partner King, as Hira does, is obsessive and sick. Kiyoi, treated him as a servant and assistant, formed an unhealthy attachment to him based on his ego, need, and love. A complex mixture that is linked only to who Kiyoi is. In the end, they make a pact that they will stay with each other, never separating, being together forever. Inescapably linked. Their loyalty and commitment and passion for one another is almost, as trite as this sounds, legendary.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this movie? Unquestionably, Yusei Yagi as Kiyoi and Hagiwara Riku as Hira are brilliant. We have seen them grow up not only as characters but as actors. A bit unpolished when they started these series, in 2021, they matured and understood the complexities of their characters and created the nuances of their personalities more subtly. We understand them better and perhaps are now better able to accept them. Simply sensational acting. And they made the love making scenes seem like we were being voyeurs. It seemed so real. Kudos.
If you had asked me way back when if I would have given this whole trilogy a thumbs-up, I would not have. I dislike intensely exploitive and abusive-themed series, especially gay ones, for entertainment purposes, but this one was so beautifully choreographed and focused. We saw them as adolescents and all the ugliness of bullying. We saw Kiyoi go deeper and find himself and realize that his outward beauty is fleeting. And we find one of the most complex individuals in BL history named Hira, be stronger than we expected and be self-aware beyond expectation and yet remain completely devoted to Kiyoi as if it is his life’s mission. Even after Kiyoi tells Hira that his beauty will fade as he gets older. “No matter how old you are or what happens, you are always beautiful in my eyes. No regrets.” Hira’s commitment to his undying love. Kiyoi’s response, “Stay with me…….” Kiyoi’s commitment to his undying love.
Who am I to question their undying love for one another?
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