BLISS RATING: ★★★★
“Please stay by my side.” – Quote from Cosmetic Playlover Season 2
If you are expecting Hosannas to be singing from the heavens and trumpets to be blaring over a thunderous love story, you will be utterly disappointed. Likes its predecessor, this series remains serene yet is one of the warmest and most genuine BLs to come out of Japan in a long time. Its sincerity in creating a narrative of authentic love that simply grows stronger by the day is actually unprecedented. What is sad is that the protagonists are unable to rejoice in their love in any type of normal fashion because of the culture and society. While the story remains a happy one; its ability to be seen is overshadowed by taboos and social constraints which diminish its beauty without reducing its intensity.
This is a continuation of the story between Maniya Natsume (Okuno So) and Sahashi Toma (Toyoda Yudai). Now living together for some time, their relationship is well established. They are a couple. Natsume has become very good at his job and now is the Chief of his department at the store. Meanwhile, Toma’s skills in make-up have become such that he is given an opportunity to study in Paris. However, this will require that they be apart for 2 years. This then becomes their countdown journey until Toma’s excursion to Paris. Along the way is a plethora of experiences for them both to navigate. Some enhance who they are while others take away time from each other.
Admittedly, the actions on some of these occasions seemed a bit forced and trivial. The whole exchanges with Toma’s family I found to be a bit over-the-top and superfluous in general. Some of the specifics were over-acted and well, just plain cringey. When, however, the story remains focused on the two of them, there is something magical about seeing them grow together. While we begin to see their relationship intensify, we can slowly feel a sense of malaise creep in as they know that they must separate. The tragedy in their separation is that they must almost exclusively rely on themselves to get through this. Their relationship must remain and is – a secret.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? Perhaps I read too much into Japanese BLs, but I tend to think they tie their essence together if you look for the clues. And Hoshina Riku is a prime example of that. Played by Nakagawa Tsubasa, he is the prima facie of what this series is all about. A male BA who if awkward and unsure and needs a steady hand to guide him to become whatever he wants to be. Riku is put under the tutelage of Natsume. No doubt, he saw much of himself in who Riku is, and we get to see a rather unsteady BA come into his own, just like he helped Toma become who he was. Not in a utopian fashion but one through grit and determination, reflective of this whole series. Accomplished quietly, steadily, and consistently. In small steps and slowly. Nakagawa Tsubasa becomes Riku so effectively. All that looks easy, perhaps, but it is not. Although his role is minor, he needs to develop convincingly within a short time so that Riku’s character feels believable. And he did that. In essence, he represented a combination of both Natsume and Toma and had a combination of both their personalities. His role is a complete reflection of the story of Toma and Natsume.
As stated, if you were wanting fireworks to go off, this is not your series. It is a slow, steady pace to an ending that you know is coming. It honestly is like watching a turtle race. Boring, tedious at times, but there is just something so endearing and mesmerizing about watching these two guys remain head-over-heals for each other. They live in two different worlds. The world of their professional work and their own quiet private world of love. This is the best example I have seen of how a gay couple can make that work. They must trust each other and see that once work ends, their world is for each other.
This obvious and hopefully is leading to Season 3 as we see Natsume on the ground looking up at a plane in the sky, representative of Toma leaving. Before he left, however, Toma exchanged rings as a sign not only of devotion but as a reminder that he is always by his side. Both pledge to look forward to living their lives together. As beautiful as that exchange was, I still wept. Not so much because of the meaning behind the exchanging of the rings but of the fact that each had to place the ring around their neck on a necklace rather than their fingers. For me, it was deeply painful that their society—and therefore the individuals themselves—cannot openly express their commitment to one another or feel proud to display it. There is something so sad about societal barriers and taboos that are so crushing intrinsically on individuals that a simple act of love between two people is somehow an act of social disorder.
While not perhaps as impactful as Season One, Season Two matures both Natsume and Toma and in a sense makes them regular people in a society that does not see them that way. Hopefully, you will and if you do, then this series is successful.
This is a great series and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
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