BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“Once in a while in the midst of the flirtationships, the hangouts, and million calls, you meet someone who you just know is your future.” – Love Quote from Pinterest
One would have to be completely dead inside to not get a warm cozy feeling from watching this film. It is a joy to behold and drink in. And it is so astonishingly relatable because it is happening to ordinary people under very ordinary situations. It is a pure story of love with its only requirement being someone courageous enough to make the first move. Honestly, one does not need to read manuals, books, or listen to experts on how to find love; all one needs to do is watch this movie. It gives you a step-by-step visual presentation of what to do.
Koiwai Ayumu (Matsudo Ryo) is an office worker, 32 years old, leading a mundane life. Perhaps a bit lonely as he does not date much and is surprisingly open about his gayness. At least to his coworker. Koiwai seems to be more than enamored with the rather tall and very handsome vending machine supplier.
Finally, he makes a request of the towering and gorgeous blond-haired man requesting if he could stock more orange juice since there never seems to be enough in the company’s vending machine. This imposing, well-built man, whose name is Yamashita Ryoma (Tazuru Shogo), is more than delighted to stock an extra supply of orange juice for him and goes out of is way to identify which slot the orange juice will be in. In fact, he gives Koiwai his business card and on the back is his ID address, which Koiwai is unsure what to make of its significance. When they next meet at the vending machine, Yamashita asks him if he would like to go out for dinner and thus begins their sojourn to discovery.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this movie? Unquestionably, this movie belongs to both Matsudo Ryo and Tazuru Shogo. Matsuda’s confession as Koiwai that he is gay after they have dinner is just classic and represents for all gay people the ‘make or break’ moment. We ‘think’ the other person is interested but are not sure until we make it clear to them where we are in our life, and we hope for the best. Although Yamashita Ryoma’s response is simply classic, Tazuru Shogo delivers it like poetry in motion. It is equally as emphatic. He states to Koiwai that he approached him with the idea of dating him. Both showed such great emotional dichotomies. On the one hand, both are excited, yet both are anxious, apprehensive, and certainly awkward as to how the other is going to react. Koiwai is a bit more hesitant and reserved and to a degree perhaps more frightened or maybe unsure. Whereas Yamashita is much stronger in his feelings for Matsuda. He must wait until Matsuda’s feeling catches up to his. Both play their roles with complete conviction. Sensing reservedness at times yet never being embarrassed. Both always wanting to move the relationship forward but perhaps not sure quite how to do it.
This is such a great blueprint for watching how a relationship grows and develops in its infancy. Both are unsteady at being gay and dating and obviously the whole notion of what and how to communicate to each other is also lacking. When Yamashita asks Koiwai to not remove his clothes in front of him because he ‘likes him in a sexual sense and doesn’t think he could resist’, had me roaring with laughter. So honest, yet so maladroit.
This movie is simply refreshing to watch. These guys are so relatable to all of us, and we can see ourselves in how one or both have acted or what they might have said. Even in Japanese, the love language is universal. It is refreshing to know that no matter where you are, the beginning stages of developing a relationship are some of the most awkward yet thrilling times. And how the smallest and maybe what seems like an insignificant gesture can have a lasting impact on the future actions of someone else.
These guys are ordinary guys just being ordinary. They found each other through an insignificant happenstance. That caused a spark which turned into a flame. And that is a cause for great celebration.
This is pure joy!
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