BLISS RATING: ★★★★★
“I love you more than you think.” – Quote from Fake Fact Lips
I just loved this saga and the journey between two of the most endearing protagonists I have seen for a long time in a BL. Both men are intensely camera friendly and uninhibited in feeling comfortable in all areas about making us feel as if they were a genuine couple. An astonishing first for a Japanese BL. I did not feel as if they were filming them as much as we were merely observing them. A big difference. What I hated was the title of this series. It is just awful and wish they had come up with something more reflective of the true nature of this series.
It begins entertainingly enough. There is this intense professional rivalry between Shito Zen (Sato Yusuke) and Yotsuya Ryo (Hori Kaito). Their rivalry is legendary but hides a deep-seated sexual tension between the two. Being ‘friends’ when they were in high school laid the groundwork for them in developing a longstanding unrequited love for one another. Neither could ever outwardly express that, but both nonetheless felt it. Ryo may have been more deeply in love and emotionally vested while Zen was more guarded and cautious and early on built up walls around him to hide his feelings. Over the years, Zen learned to be dismissive, caustic, and used competitiveness as an avoidance tool.
At work, the two, as the expression goes, fought like ‘cats and dogs’. Always trying to play one-upmanship. When they are alone and away from the stares of others, there is more of a softness, gentleness to their tones even if it is still competitive. Their contention becomes intimate when they are secluded until one day when both are a bit inebriated, they make a wager that whoever “makes the other fall in love with the other – wins.” This is exactly and precisely the route that is a requisite to begin the furtherance of their relationship. Through the façade of a pretend competition.
In the scheme of things, it honestly does not take long for each to slip deeply and madly in love with one another. Why? Because they have always been. Their journey is a way for each to break down their barrier walls around each and finally admit to the other how much they are in love with the other. On every level.
Of course, the series does make some attempt to throw roadblocks into their nurturing journey, but nothing is going to derail it. It is a rare milestone for a Japanese BL to go so deep into the emotional connection of each of the characters and to share those emotional interactions with one another. Even rarer is the ability to convince us that their responses are real, honest, genuine and uninhibited. And these two do just that. Just as I was ready to give up on Japanese BLs being able to forthrightly show real signs of affection, these two unhesitatingly and with passion and commitment went where others would not go. Their affection, especially their kissing, was so sincere and honest, it almost became a sensuous display. No hesitations. No external or internal cringes. No closed lips. No camera angles from a million miles away. Just full-blown passion. And wholeheartedly so. How refreshing. They showed no signs of being uncomfortable or ashamed or embarrassed to hide how they felt with each other. I loved their complete connection to one another.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? Honestly, their involvement began when they met in high school. Ryo played by Fujii Ren was gregarious and helped Zen played by Horiguchi Ibuki to come out of his shell. Their competitive natures were a byproduct of their inability to express themselves emotionally. Almost from the moment they met in high school, they were inseparable yet appeared to be intense rivals or more like competitors. But they did this only because they could remain close. Zen was deeply affected by leaving Ryo when high school ended, however. Here is where their personalities were formed and shaped and the foundation for a love had germinated. Neither could forget the other. These two young actors did a fantastic job in molding who the present-day Zen and Ryo were and showing us exactly who we thought they would be. The two of them had a task to do which was to convince us that they were indeed Zen and Ryo and they did exactly that. Kudos for making their characters’ transition into adulthood feel like were simply seeing the youngsters all grown up.
The screen chemistry between Hori Kaito and Sato Yusuke is simply remarkable. Their timing and the way they grew their characters were a work of art to watch. We could see Hori Kaito as Ryo begin to crumble as he feels as if he is not Zen’s equal. Meanwhile we can see Sato Yusuke as Zen cocoon himself in his usual Modis Operandi and begin to take Ryo’s affection for granted without feeling the need to share any of his in return. Or at least not to share it with the depth that Ryo had. We witness the growing pains of two men so deeply in love without any guidance on how to share their thoughts of what love meant to either of them in a way that could be understandable or meaningful to the other. The story unfolds so gently as if we are reading a book and turning the pages, waiting to see what is on the next page. It was all so enticing, entertaining, and encompassing.
What I think just ever so slightly diminished the impact of this series was the introduction of the third competitor into the mix. Futami (Hira Amon) comes into the picture just as their relationship is in the beginning stages of solidifying. He, like the other two, is deeply competitive and is also romantically interested in Ryo. While it is certainly not that Hira Amon displayed any bad acting, it is just that the whole characterization of Futami was too much like a caricature to be believable, at least for me. I was disappointed that such a character, and a false one at that, was introduced into the mix. There was honestly no need to test Ryo and Zen’s relationship. It is one of the most rock-solid connections I have ever seen in any BL. I think it was all so unnecessary, unwarranted, and brought the integrity of the story down slightly. Fortunately, the last episode relegated Futami to simply another character.
I could have simply watch Hori Kaito and Sato Yusuke just talk which is literally the last episode. They had such strong harmony that we cared for them. We could understand the emotions on their faces and in their actions. I could simply watch them bond with each other for hours. That is how formidable they are as a couple. And their exchanging of rings at the end, spontaneously, is an act so like them. It was a brilliant culmination of who and what they represented. These two deserved to be happy as they have and will continue to work for it. They also deserve the right to be married. Let us hope that the outdated and entrenched cultural norms begin to give way. How on earth would these two men in any society represent some sort of disruption to their world order if they indeed were allowed to get married? It is obvious they are doing so out of love.
There is something powerful about watching them together, and their sexual tension. Admittedly, Sato Yusuke has a strong sexual gravitational pull and animal magnetism about him, and I could certainly see why Zen would be an object of much desire and fantasy. However, I do wish he would have softened his cynicism and sardonicism even a tiny bit. That can get irritating in any relationship after a while.
This honestly is a memorable series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it except for the silliness of Futami (and the awful title). This will be going into my Apotheosis List for its unhesitatingly honest dealings with the candid feelings for one another and for its upfront and genuine portrayal of affections for one another being and feeling so real. The last episode was such a nice transition to their whole story and helped solidify their union to completion. Kudos!
Do not skip this series.
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