BLISS RATING: ★★★
“Our relationship began with a seat change. Eventually, our seats will change again. Like people and seasons. Everything changes over time. And yet…” – Quote from After Moving Seats, The Boy Behind Me Has A Crush On Me
This is again another in a litany of titles of series that are almost as long as a novel. Frankly, I am not sure there is a reason for that. It is weird. Can you shorten it specifically in English to a simple title like “Musical Chairs”? I know this may not make sense to a Japanese audience; any more than the silly title makes sense to an English-speaking audience. Nevertheless, the real crux of this story is a standard, cliché, tropey, formulaic undertaking that lacks anything imaginative, distinctive, or creative. Yet I cannot categorically state that I did not enjoy it or did not find it entertaining; for on both accounts, I most assuredly did. It is a pleasurable adventure and admittedly appealing but, in the long run, there is nothing new in the execution of the tropey theme that we have not seen before. In fact, it does so even less. What saves and salvages this story is the spectacular acting by our protagonists. They are both its salvation and its downfall. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but I assure you it is not.
The story is another version of a sad sack that nobody wants or thinks about that suddenly becomes the love object of the most popular student in class. Mayama Hara (Konishi Eito) leads what he considers to be an ordinary, uneventful life matched by his personality which he concludes is pedestrian. He is kind, generous, thoughtful, considerate, and always puts the needs of others above his own. He will sacrifice for the good of others. And no one notices him. Or at least that is his perception. Meanwhile, the student who has garnered the most attention in the class and the one every girl (and presumably every gay boy) wants is the handsome but laconic and aloof, Asamiya Kosei (Gennosuke).
At the beginning of each semester, the teacher requires the students to change-up the seating arrangements. By chance, Mayama is seated directly in front of Asamiya. When they are requested to forward some required paperwork, Mayama happens to notice that Asamiya has written on his form the phrase “I like you”. Shocked and thinking he is sending that message to the female teacher, he discreetly recommends Asamiya to erase that; which he does. But Asamiya corrects him and whispers to Mayama that it was not meant for the teacher but for him!
With Mayama’s rather low self-esteem and lack of confidence, his absence of belief in himself overrides what is obviously right in front of him. Yet, it is understandable. For someone who has isolated himself from others, has no friends, and thinks of himself as less than everyone else, it is no wonder that he would question why the most secure and popular person in the class would want him. His hesitancy in accepting Asamiya’s overtures of affection for him are understandable, as he simply cannot believe/comprehend why anyone would be interested in someone as boring and ordinary as he is. With his always thinking of himself as worthless or less than the rest of the others, Mayama’s confidence in flexing his muscles or wings is tenuous at best. So, almost anything can create a major insecurity in him.
To be sure, the story does a good job of establishing the discourses of the qualities and virtues between Mayama and Asamiya that they value; but it is the differences between them that make them unique. We get to find out that while Mayama thinks Asamiya is perfect in every way. He soon discovers that Asamiya is placed on this pedestal whether he wants to or not. Asamiya conveys that should he not live up to everyone else’s expectations, he is branded as the typical good-looking kid who is so full of himself that he does not think of others. Which of course is not true, as Mayama has learned.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. this series? Honestly, this is a hard choice to make as all the supporting cast were just phenomenal. None were overpowering, but each was integral and contingent for the story moving along. The one character that fascinated me perhaps the most was Mayama’s brother, Mayama Ten played by Nagata Seiichiro. Acting like a surrogate parent to his brother, since their real parents were generally not in the picture. Ten was astonishingly attuned to his brother’s various moods and swings. Just after he met Asamiya, Ten began to notice that his brother was dressing better, becoming more outgoing, meeting friends, and largely acting like someone in love. Ten was astute enough to put the pieces together but wanted to wait for his brother to place the final piece of the puzzle in letting him know of his real relationship with Asamiya. Nagata Seiichiro plays this part with such sweet acceptance – and nurtures him along the road to becoming the person that he is truly meant to be. His projection is that he will always be there for his brother. Ten shines as a family member that will not abandon him, no matter what. Perhaps not a significantly big role, but one that clearly defines what it is like to support unequivocally an individual who has pretty much only known never to shine and never thought he would. Now his brother is here to help him move on to becoming his own person. Nagata Seiichiro simply optimizes the ideal concept of brotherly love in a way that is perhaps not so typical in a traditional Japanese family but still reflective of the deepest bond between brothers.
The screenplay is top-notch and is emotionally packed that makes it easy for the performers to emote their feelings with naturalness. So, the acting, in this case, is not the issue. In a sense, it is too perfect. Allow me to explain. The lines are executed with clear, clean, crisp elocution much like an adult would. Because that is exactly what the protagonists are. They are adults, each in their mid to late 20s trying to act like high school boys. It just does not work. I have stated this over and over that adults simply cannot, with conviction, play teenage boys with any type of efficacy or proper emotional impact. There is no angst or hesitancy in their performance. They have been through their teenage years and no matter how much we might not want to think that will not affect a performance, it certainly does. There is no element of surprise; no sense of true awkwardness or true timidity. It is all feigned. If they were actual teenage boys, the element of surprise would be there as the emotions would be raw and real, honest, and unrehearsed. They have not yet lived through it yet. That comes out, whether they ‘act’ it or not; it simply does. There is no faking or acting the actual life’s experiences. And there is no denying it either. It will come out naturally and that is obvious in the performances of these two.
In addition, they are simply chronologically too old to play the parts of teenage boys as they honestly do not look like teenage boys either. No amount of makeup or coiffing of hair can guise it, otherwise. They looked like they were in their 20s a lot of the time as well as some of the other characters. Please start using fresh new faces to have a story about the angst of teenage love. Stop faking it.
The story is way too polished as well. We have seen this scenario a million times before. Quit using the trope of the good-looking guy being a jerk to females, then repenting, and making amends. Quit using the cliché of the naïve nerdy guy being irresistibly attractive and the endless pretending with nauseating frequency, “Why me?” nonsense. This has been so overused and overblown. Anyone of us can write the script.
I KNOW these are supposed to be teenage boys, but they skirt around and treat the whole concept of s-e-x as a non-existent entity, acting like they are saving themselves for the marriage routine. I am NOT advocating sexual experiences, but these ARE teens and have needs and desires which are a part of the process of growing up, no matter the cultural norms or mores. Deal with that in a more realistic fashion. Kudos for the kissing which was at least somewhat less cringy but of course they are, in fact adults, and I would have expected no less. But these are the kinds of issues that make or break a series; not necessarily the direction of the story but how it is carried out. If everyone is ‘saving’ themselves for a more appropriate time, when does that time come in a BL series and is that not part of the discussion of being boyfriends in a serious relationship? The feigned innocence is wearing so thin anymore. We are going to take it slowly, which is certainly admirable and prudent and wise. But it must not be used as a tool for no activity; otherwise, one has no sense of growth or maturity. They continue to act like pre-pubescent boys. One must face sooner or later the time of: Is it now the ‘right’ time for me to fully commit myself to another person intimately on my own terms? None of these issues are even remotely talked about, intellectualized over, or even emotionally drawn to a mutual conclusion. It either happens or not. That is a major missing part in these BLs that is simply not addressed.
What I did like about this series is that they did not introduce any other or attempt to feign another coupling. The friendship between Asamiya’s friends, Sakaki Toma (Hiramoto Ken) and Tsunekawata Hikaru (Iijima Hayata), that soon spill over to being friends with Mayama remains nothing more or greater than a friendship between them all. I loved watching the interactions between them and it all being nothing more than bantering among friends. A nice change of pace rather than trying to create something that just was not there. When it was finally revealed to them that they were dating, true to being friends and defining the foundational concept of what friendship is all about, Sakaki and Tsunekawata see them no differently. Only Sakaki, however, had no clue that they had been dating, whereas Tsunekawata had figured it out some time ago. That is what gave this story a charming element; even close friends cannot always see what is happening right in front of them.
Perhaps I am being overly harsh or critical with this series. However, these types of series are being cranked out at an alarming rate with no real thought about the serious quality to them. They seem to be just showpieces for talented musicians, singers, Tik-Tokers, etc. with no real thought to the actual end-product. They are not necessarily ‘bad’ actors; on the contrary most are not. But they do not fully understand or comprehend the impact these stories are conveying and the influence they can have on their society. They are representing the gay community and as such have an enormous influence for doing something either productive and influential, or not. Keep that in mind so that when you are ‘kissing’ someone, decide that the individual you are kissing is indeed the love of your life and no one else is around and make it passionate. If you cannot convey that sincerity, do not make these series solely for money or exposure; a lack of genuine commitment will be obvious. These series represent so much more than stepping-stones to enhancing careers. We want not just more but better (quality) stories.
This story rang shallow to me.
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