BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“Maybe being in a friendship is happier than being in a romantic relationship.” – Quote from My Strawberry Film
The discourse about whether this series is a BL or not is asinine. Of course it is. Male-male love does not have to be consummated to be a BL; it merely has to be perceived. At its core, this series is that. Most assuredly, it is a love story of unrequited love. In addition, this series is certainly a GL. More overt but never fully realized.
The story is a deeply reflective, pensive at times, coming-of-age narration of four inquisitive high schoolers. Each is hiding an inner secret not atypical of individuals of their age. But for all, it seems crushing and perhaps overwhelming. That is the burden of youth they must carry – until their next quest.
Ichikawa Ryo (Fukada Ryusei) and Toyama Hikaru (Yabana Rei) have been friends for years. Hikaru is the more outgoing of the two while Ryo is certainly far more pensive and reflective, always listening to his music and creating his own songs. He is a deeply introspective individual while Hikaru is gregarious and liked by the girls. Ryo is at best confused about his feelings for Hikaru and as they grow older together, he becomes more attracted to him. Both are deeply bound to one another with Hikaru only triflingly cognizant of the intensity of Ryo’s feeling for him.
They have a mutual friend named Nakamura Chika (Yoshida Mizuki) who secretly has a crush on Ryo and is hoping against hope that he will pay attention to her someday. Yet, Ryo seems to have a wall around him.
As they explore an older part of the school grounds, they discover a lost film showing the patina of a mysterious young girl of stunning beauty taken by someone accenting her natural radiance. After watching the short film, Hikaru falls deeply in love with her and is determined to find out who she is, despite the film being quite old. So, the three of them go on a quest to search for the identity of the individual in the film.
As fate would have it, a young transfer student by the name of Murasaki Minami (Tanabe Ririka) enters the classroom who bears an uncanny and remarkable resemblance to the girl in the film. Hikaru is beside himself with joy as he now found the love of his life.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? Fukada Ryusei and Yabana Rei are well suited and well-cast for their roles. Each brings a depthness to the characters and makes them come alive. However, who brings this series to a genuine emotional deftness is Yoshida Mizuki as the hapless Chika. She has the misfortunate of falling in love with someone that is incapable of even remotely liking her back. She senses that almost from the beginning and soon discovers that Ryo is in love with Hikaru. Still, in her sweet almost hopeless innocence, she wishes Ryo would change. But once she realizes that he is only double dating to ‘support’ Hikaru, she knows that there is no chance for anything else with him. Yet, he does something to her that is cruel and astonishingly heartless, and almost unforgiveable. Yet, she understands that Ryo is struggling and is not willfully meaning to be cruel, even though his actions towards her are baneful. Her response to him as still wanting to remain his friend is one of the best ‘forgiveness’ scenes I have ever seen. Her character showed wisdom and understanding beyond her age and is worthy of emulation. Yoshida Mizuki’s performance of being wounded and almost beguiled was worthy of note. One could see the pain in her face but never the loss of dignity. She remained true to herself, Kudos for a fine performance showing inner strength of character.
Indeed, there is a maudlin sense about this series, almost fatalistic even. But it does so to bring to light issues that needed to be brought out into the open. We can only image the pain of the teacher (Kojima Hijiri) of having to relive the memory of loving Murasaki Minami’s mother long ago (who is the girl in the film) when such a thought let alone any action along those lines would have been met with scorn. We see just for a brief moment her internal struggles even after all these years of trying to deal with her loss and the emptiness she must have felt. That lifelong pain may subside, but it never truly goes away.
Perhaps this is what gave Hikaru his own awakening after being rejected by Minami. He now sensed that maybe Ryo’s feelings for him were deeper than he realized, and he needed to acknowledge that. The exchange between the two of them at the end was a love poem between the two. It was sweet, honest, and laid the foundation for an understanding of a connection for the rest of their lives. Ryo asks for his first and last selfish request of Hikaru to hold his hand was so profoundly moving not only for its simplicity but for its symbolism. There is a strength in holding someone else’s hand even if it is for a moment. So much is exchanged, and it speaks volumes about their relationship because it was done with tenderness and complete acceptance.
Life can feel so empty at times, but it is sprinkled with individuals whose influence and impact on you are measured sometimes only in the moment. And sometime for a lifetime. This series shows both.
This series is profoundly moving in an indiscernible and supple manner. Appreciate its beauty quietly.
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