BLISS RATING: ★★★
“Love has no age, no limit; and no death.” – John Galsworthy
Weird. And just a shade demented. Unfortunately, this series is the most inappropriately named series – ever. While ‘buttocks’ is certainly a theme, it is so much more than that. I do wish it would have leaned into what made it so quirky in the first place and just had gone full steam ahead; but it did not. It started to but then decided, I think, to get politically correct. It is really a ‘May-December’ BL.
It begins strangely enough. A quiet and adorably shy, sweet, and handsome young college student is accosted on a train. Hisaki Ainosuke (Sakai Sho) is flustered and does not know how to extricate himself from a guy forcing attention onto him. Fortunately, this is being witnessed by a rather handsome, stately gentleman named Okumi Hideaki (Kimisawa Yuki). He rescues Ainosuke and he finds him strangely compelling, despite the fact that he is 17 years older. Hideaki is also immediately attracted to him and before long, they are involved in a rather intense physical relationship that does involve Ainosuke finally being able to experience an orgasm, which he had never experienced and indeed it is centered on and focused around Ainosuke’s buttocks. Their relationship begins to deepen but both realize that the age factor is a major stumbling block between them.
Unbeknownst to Ainosuke, he has applied for an internship at a company that is headed by Hideaki. Furthering their already intense relationship, it becomes now an intrinsic one; not solely just based upon a physical lust or attraction. On the part of both parties. Each is beginning to fall deeply in love with the other.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? This is truly more of a treatise between two men and while there are others, their roles are supportive. However, there is one that is slightly different as in a sense he establishes that their relations is not just a fluke or something that is purely transitional. That is Kujo Hidaka played by Mahiro Hidaka. Hidaka is Hideaki’s nephew and comes aboard as an intern. He becomes attracted to Ainosuke and wants to pursue him and since Ainsouke and Hidaka have decided to keep their relationship a secret, they ‘pretend’ they are not in one. So, Hidaka tries to get closer to Ainosuke. He does this until Ainosuke, who, now begins to realize what is happening, makes it unequivocally clear to Hidaka that he only has space in his heart for Hideaki. Mahiro Hidaka plays this part with playfulness and a sense that he knows what the ultimate answer will be but wants to give Ainsouke options. Since he has seen them both together on the streets, he knows that they are a couple but wanted to lay the groundwork for perhaps being able to swoop in just in case the relationship goes south. He demonstrates no real serious intent to create a rift between them except to let Ainosuke know that he is willing to wait. This is the freedom and luxury of youthful predilection and the thought of living only-in-the-moment.
The series does sort of try to deal with ‘the elephant in the room’; which is, obviously, the large age gap between them. Even though 17 years is challenging, it is not necessarily significant. While Hideaki, at least intellectually, has said that if Ainosuke tires of him, he can leave without reservations. And Hideaki will accept that. A nice sentiment – now, while they are in the throes of a passionate romance and where a full vestment of time has not lapsed. That will be emotionally painful let us say 15 years from now when Ainosuke is 35 and Hideaki is now 56. While they confess their undying love for one another now, can that be sustained over a long period of time and at an intensity that is satisfying for both? Both are committed to saying “yes” presently but in all honesty, that is a hard response to maintain given that there are no legal requirements to maintaining that sentiment.
There is a nice exchange between Ainsuke’s parents and the two of them as they try to define their relationship succinctly. Not only is it gay, it is also one where the age difference is significant, which deeply and legitimately worries and concerns his parents. Sure, the parents can see that they are in love and a certain level of trust and commitment is indeed there that they want to be together. Therefore, the parents do feel comfortable with their son’s relationship and a lot of their disquietness is lessened.
Curiously and somewhat cryptically, Hideaki’s sister-in-law keeps running into Hideaki after the death of his wife, her sister. She seems to be quite bitter about their relationship and that whole process is not fully explained. And perhaps it does not need to be. In certain instances, no matter what might have happened, the death of a close sibling is hard to bear, and it is easy to ‘blame’ the spouse who seems to be moving on from the death. Worse than that, he is moving on in a ‘perverted’ direction.
The issue I have with is series is it lacks clear focus and intensity. At times Ainsuke seems like a pre-adolescent kid who is shocked that someone is sexually interested in his buttocks and nipples and sometimes acts demurringly when they are at the height of passion. Yet, he is clearly and palpably enjoying himself and thus seeks Hideaki’s attention rather manipulatively in order to obtain the pleasures that, without question, both enjoy. It is the silliness around being childish about this behavior that I have a difficult time accepting. If this is ‘play-acting’ and/or part of their ‘foreplay’, so be-it. Just be adult about it. Instead, it seems to focus that if I act childish, it is still innocent behavior. I simply cannot stand protagonists who simply refuse to grow up or mature.
The episodes are way too short for us to fully believe that Ainsuke can mature and act like he does in so short of a period of time. He indeed is astonishingly immature and naive, yet wants to contribute both to the relationship and to making Hideaki himself happy. All that takes time to develop, season, and mature. That is not shown here and only referenced in a Pollyanna glaze. That is an inherent weakness in today’s current crop of Japanese BLs.
The series is also simply too short for any consequential character development and/or intensity of relationships and thus both feels incomplete. Therefore, it all leads to a fantasy island ending. I do wish we could see these two, more especially Ainsuke, develop intrinsically. Stop being so childish. It is a fallback behavior pattern. Maybe even be tempted by another like Hidaka. That is a hidden story that is not told. Something that would create a more dynamic approach to this story besides the obvious one. What would make Hideaki, who was married, want to now become gay and chase after younger guys. Talk about Ainsuke’s natural beauty and what an enticement and turn-on that is ( especially his buttocks) and in return how the lure of an older man is an aphrodisiac in and of itself. Make us feel as if these characters are people and not caricatures.
What and how two consenting adults wish to and want to display and express their sexual preferences is totally and strictly up to them; just be adult about it and understand and unequivocally agree to the perimeters.
This could have been a ground-breaking series if they carried it a bit further and made it more adult-like.
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