#KAI GOT HIS HIRO

[bl-bam-beyond]

PERFECT PROPOSE (2024, JAPAN)

Episode 6: The Finale

Post 2 of 2

Hiro (KANEKO SHUNYA) finally got his man. Or was it Kai (NOMURA KOTA) that got his man?

Well no matter how it's looked at Hiro realized that Kai has made his life so much better. And putting gender aside he chose happiness and love over that damn job.

@pose4photoml @lutawolf @bengiyo @kingofthereblog-boysloveed @thewayofsubtext

[bomber-grl]

Touch Starved

Pairing(s): Hiro Hamada x Gn!reader

Summary: you’re rarely the touchy type but when you get into a fight with your parents you leave home. The only person on your mind is Hiro so you drop by his house in hopes of comfort.

They were so stupid. Obviously you felt even more strongly about your parents at the moment but that’s what automatically came to mind.

They just don’t understand and sure you’re acting like an angsty misunderstood teenager but that’s exactly what’s happening. Whatever, they’re the reason their teen kid is walking out at night.

Well, regardless of what you thought you were brought out of your head. You were now in front of hiros window, the window that you’d try and climb and hope to not get caught doing so.

Luckily for you, you brought along some gadget you invented while at SFIT so with some A LOT of effort you managed to make it through his window.

Ok, step 1 complete.

….

That’s all you got, you hadn’t planned ahead and now you were standing in the middle of Hiros bedroom luckily without causing any sort of racket What a lie

Well because of how in your own head you were you completely tuned out the footsteps walking towards the door. Aaaaand now you’re face to face with Hiro..

“Uhh hi?” He says a bit awkwardly, he’d been taking a shower if the towel around his neck and wet hair was anything to go by.

He steps out of the door frame and into the room. He’s staring at you…

Huh??? Hes staring at you

“So? Why’re you here” you can practically hear his smile through his tone.

“Oh! Well uh… I just wanted to hang out” that’s all you said, he immediately got it and stepped closer, a little too close.

“Kay, want to play games or something?” He asked nonchalantly, and of course you answered-

“Sure”

-

It had been fun, you and hiro were laughing until it hurt if the ridiculous drawings of each other were anything to go off of.

Half way through your little hang out Cass might have heard the commotion as she popped in and offered some sweet snacks, luckily not suspecting anything.

Now? It was quiet, you both calmed down and you were sitting on his bed and he was standing.

“So uhh, what’s been up with you?” He asks obviously stepping on egg shells around you.

“Huh?” You perk up “what’re you talking about?” You really didn’t know.

He laughs awkwardly “don’t think I haven’t noticed your weird behavior.”

You cleared you throat but hiro interjected “look I-“

Suddenly hiro back was against the wall and despite almost tripping over Baymaxs charge box-thing he managed to hold onto you, you were hugging him.

What you did didnt sink in until you felt his hands reach around you.

Suddenly you became hyper aware, he was breathing close to your neck, his hair was tickling your cheek and most of all? You could feel his heart pounding against yours, and to say it rivaled it wasn’t exactly an understatement.

You held him back of course, your face hid away in his neck and after a moment of stiffness hiro relaxed once more.

You thought you were being silly for reacting this way, but hiro? He was just as much head over heels for you as you were for him.

His face was bright red and all he could hope was for you not to notice, he really couldn’t handle any teasing after this.

Then you let go and backed away. Seeing your face was much more reassuring for him.

It was silent until you both spoke

“I-“hey” you glanced from the floor to him in an instant

“Sorry- “you can go first”, you guys spoke at the same time, again..

You spoke up once and for all “you speak first, please do..” the last part was said in your head but who’s to say otherwise?

“Uh, what’s really up with you?” He breathed in and then out “you can tell me, and if you don’t want to? Well that’s ok.”

The last feelings of conflict left you and you finally told hiro about the big fight with your insufferable parents- albeit in a bunch of jumbled words.

He smiled obviously trying to hide it and when he asked why you hugged him? You told him that you just wanted to be held…

WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT??-

“Oh..” hiros face went ablaze and was now covered in a darker shade of red. Atleast now he couldn’t tease or say anything sarcastic-

He spoke again “then I’m assuming you’re sleeping here?”

-

And boy was he right, now you’re here laying in his bed while he brushes his teeth.

Luckily Cass had a spare and he let you use the restroom before him.

Now you were laying here in suspense, your heart was practically pounding in your chest and you were filled with all kinds of nervous energy.

The door creaked open and in popped in hiros head, then followed by him as a whole.

He stood around the bed for a second, very obviously hesitating. Then he went all in and laid down

He was faced away from you but once you reached out to touch his neck it was hot to the touch.

“U-uHm” his voice cracked “you want to talk about it any more?”

He was going for the normal approach

“No, just… hold me, ok?” You really didn’t know how to respond, was it even possible to say this in a relatively normal way? You rlly don’t think so.

He flushed again then opened his arms. You joined to lay in them and despite the constant pounding of a heart you couldn’t decide was his or yours; you enjoyed it.

It was nice to finally be able to be affectionate with someone.

The next morning rolled around and the two of you got ready and headed down.

You two were met with a delicious looking breakfast and cass may have picked up on the energy between you two because she asked

That morning you witnessed your boyfriend hiro having the Heimlich maneuver performed on him by no other than his own aunt.

-

For those who can’t read between the lines, the last paragraph is basically saying that since hiro and reader were already having tension from the events of last night, cass brought it up and startled hiro- catching him off guard. Prompting him to choke on his food)

[bengiyo]

Perfect Propose Ep 6 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Hiro was promoted to team leader as things got way worse at his company. He did his best to protect his team, but still watched exhaustion take down one of his juniors. Kai spent the entire time sending Hiro pictures of the food he still made for him in an attempt to make him go home. Hiro revealed that he’s afraid to quit because he’s held on to the hope that things will get better if he quits and isn’t ready to face the reality that it might not. We left these two kissing on a bench, because my man Kai is not going to let me down.

Oh yes, let’s see that kiss again.

Hiro, you need to tell Kai you want him to stay. He’s asking you if you want him to stay.

Oh, Hiro, you have less than a week left with Kai. You gotta make this count!

I do not mind this fast exposition from the son because it ended in a much-needed apology.

I love Kai’s relationship with this old man. I love two grumpy people of few words who get each other.

This boss sucks. The team succeeded on launching a difficult project and he couldn’t even congratulate them or say thanks. A meeting on a Sunday? Fuck that.

Yes, Hiro! They will manage somehow no matter who is gone. You all need to find better work because this place sucks!

No, Hiro! This doesn’t mean you’ll manage without Kai! FFS why do you always take the wrong lesson?

Yes, baby boy! Run!

Kai!! Don’t do this! He’s standing right in front of you and telling you to stay!

“Being involved with people is heavy.” Guys, please!

Yes, Hiro! Quit that nasty job!!

More running!!

Yes! Show him that you’re not a kid anymore! GET IT IN!

Damn, he did that man so good his skin looks better the next morning again.

I hope this picnic means the whole team quit!

Final Verdict: 9, Highly Recommended. I genuinely loved this show, and it’s going to end up as one of the shows I rewatch (rare for me with all the new shows these days). I loved getting a story about two guys worn down by life finding a way to enjoy it again because they found each other again. I love that both of them accepted the other because there was a sense of desperation about their current state, and that Kai was able to help Hiro and himself by going back to him. I think Kai’s arc happened a little quickly with the shorter run time, and I hoped to spend more time with them than we did, but I really like the way they integrated Hiro’s work into the way it ruined his life. He also quit that job! A huge win! Another favorite of the year for me.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. All but one of these are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching! Yes, even the ones I'm not loving! We need to encourage these Japanese studios to keep giving us access to their content. Changing up the order this week so as not to lead on a bum note (we can end on one, instead:)).

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yara ka

When we left off with Kazuyo’s confession last week, I said this: “Kazuyo is such a sweetheart that I really hope she'll stick around rooting for this pair once she inevitably gets let down gently.” And we got all that and more this week, because this show is my perfect angel that has never done anything wrong in its life. I love that Kazuyo is not only at peace with Sakae’s feelings for Soga, but very enthusiastically supportive of his pursuit. I love this friendship, and I love that we’re spending real time on Kazuyo’s feelings in the aftermath of this rejection. And we continue to see bits of the past relationships that have been weighing on Sakae and Soga. This show really cares about its characters and it shows. Sakae’s confession at the end of this episode was another great moment of grace and kindness and I’m looking forward to Soga’s response once he has a chance to process alongside some healthy jealousy as Sakae’s ex returns.

Perfect Propose

The first two episodes of this new jbl dropped today, and I loved it. Overworked young salaryman, Hiro, is falling apart. His childhood friend, Kai, finds him lying exhausted on the street and invites himself to move in to take care of him. Kai explicitly declared 1) that he is gay and 2) that he considers himself Hiro’s fiancé within the first five minutes, and helped Hiro get off so he could sleep properly in the first episode. This drama really said eat real food, have a nice orgasm, and get a good night’s sleep and you will be happy, and it seems to be building to some themes about the harm caused by the culture of overworking. I support this message!

Ossan's Love Returns

...where to even begin. This "honeymoon" episode was bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S. I went from crying to laughing hysterically to gasping to staring in mute horror at my screen to laughing to crying again. This show is so good at keeping these characters grounded in authentic emotion even as their behavior spins far out of the realm of how real people behave. It's a minor miracle that I can be gaping at Maki in disbelief and then bursting into tears two seconds later because of one perfectly executed line. I don't even want to talk about what specifically happened in this episode, I just want you to go watch it.

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK, BABY!!! I got my hot little hands on the first four episodes of this excellent second season and let me tell you, the joy I felt to see Yuki and Kasuga again! I love that we came back to find out the gals have been eating like queens and blowing the budget. Plus, there's a new baby lesbian in the building! This season is really delving into Yuki's exploration of her sexuality, and the show is handling it with the expected gentle grace. I am enjoying the journey and putting on my patient pants to settle in for a long wait before these two actually officially get together.

Chaser Game W

This was a rougher week for this show, in that the pacing felt very jerky as the story suddenly executed a rapid turn in the romance that did not really work. The backstory reveal was weak (very poorly motivated noble idiocy), Itsuki's casual decision to start caring for Fuyu's child at the expense of her own life and Fuyu's decision to let her was under-explored, the messages about the importance of these women's work was decidedly mixed, and the sudden love confessions straight to sex didn't get proper build up. Add Fuyu continuing to be a violent drunk who treats Itsuki like shit, and it's hard to root for this pair--I am not really invested in the romance. This show is clearly going somewhere with its commentary on gender roles as it relates to Fuyu's behavior, and I hope wherever it is will feel worth it.

Sahara Sensei to Toki-kun

This show ended this week, and I pretty much hated it, but I will always love Toki despite the mess this show made of his story. We have one more show coming from Drama Shower for the season, and I sincerely hope we can end on a good note with this project.

[twig-tea]

Perfect Propose: A few final thoughts

There is a melancholy to this series because it’s about a romance but it’s also about breaking out of external and internal barriers holding you back from happiness. 

Hiro’s work situation was such an incredible representation of what it feels like to work in a workplace that is out to exploit every second of your time and never thank you for it. I really loved that the show is clear about how people enable their own exploitation in these environments, and how often people don’t leave because they need the idea that their life will be better when they finally do quit, and they’re afraid it isn’t true so they’d rather stay with the devil they know [it's me, I'm people].

I loved Kai finding his way to Hiro when he was at his lowest, and going from a guy who was afraid to ask for anything or make any kind of mark on Hiro’s life, to putting up a wind chime decoration and building a hydroponic vegetable system and asking Hiro to come home to him every night.

Kai’s arc wasn’t as strong or as detailed as Hiro’s, but it was important to the story. Kai has always recognized Hiro's kindness in asking for something from Kai rather than offering something to Kai--Kai has always felt useless but Hiro gave him purpose, as a kid and again as an adult. But Kai needed to learn to want things for himself, something Hiro noticed and encouraged him to do. And when Hiro misses their festival date and realized he’d let Kai down, he offers to make it up to him in two ways (committing to the tomato growing, which was a short-term but tangible commitment to Kai, and agreeing to share a bed), which helped bring them closer together and helped Kai get bolder, sending Hiro those images of the food he was missing to help him continue to want to be home.

Kai got to see Hiro more vulnerable, and feel more wanted, and then got the apology from the old restaurant owner’s son. But when he heard that his presence had held the restaurant owner back from moving in with his son, he took it the wrong way, and defaulted back to thinking he’s a burden who puts the people he loves at risk just by virtue of being there. [There was a kernel of truth in there about how Kai, in making Hiro’s life a little better, also was enabling him to stay longer in that awful job, but he couldn’t see how he was also giving Hiro a reason to quit it.]  

And at the end, when the typical Japanese Run For Your Love failed (which I really enjoyed), the words that got through to Kai were heartbreaking. Hiro doesn’t tell Kai he’s a good presence in his life; he’s already done that and he knows it wouldn’t get through anyway, because he knows Kai. Instead, he reminds Kai that Hiro’s life was already empty and meaningless, so Kai couldn’t possibly make it any worse. He made himself and a relationship with him feel safe. I have been sitting with this all day and it still makes me devastated every time I think about it for more than 30 seconds. Kai made home a place Hiro wanted to be enough that he could actually come home, and Hiro made home safe enough that Kai felt like he could stay there without being afraid he’d ruin it. 

Would I have wanted more of these two together? Absolutely, I could watch Hiro and Kai together for triple this runtime easy. But for me, this show used its time incredibly well and ends in the perfect place. I have enough with what we got to see exactly how they got from where we leave them to how we see them in the show opening credits.

Enough to know they’re going to be ok.

[ellsieee]

Damn Perfect Propose kind of broke my heart this week despite getting the long awaited kiss.

My heart hurts for Kai so much. He just wants someone to choose him. He's used to being alone, but that doesn't mean he's not lonely. Kai waiting for Hiro every night, only to end up eating alone is so gut wrenching.

Hiro is so real for talking about how numb and burned out he is at a job that doesn't give a shit about his well being and provides no work-life balance.

Ooof. This hits hard and is so relatable. Not knowing when your next paycheck is coming when you've got responsibilities and bills to pay is terrifying. Quitting your job can be really hard to do, even if you hate it.

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Perfect Propose - final thoughts

Another absolutely stellar series from Japan. It's so interesting to think about my favorite QLs from each country, and why they all appeal in different ways. When it comes to Japan, there's something about the quiet nuance, the depth of feeling hidden beneath social nicety, the things that don't have to be completely spelled out to be understood, and in the end, the desire for connection and love to be given its rightful place above work and status.

I did a post last week that really highlights what I love about the themes in this show, and how relatable I find it to my own life experience. And considering it's been one of my more popular posts recently, I think I'm not the only one who feels seen by a critique of capitalistic culture and an expression of longing.

I don't want to repeat what I said there, so I just want to highlight a few additional things that I think made this series work really well.

I talked a lot about Hiro previously, because I've literally lived his experience (though not quite as extreme) but I do love that Kai also had his own journey here. He'd been abandoned his whole life, and his one major connection outside of Hiro was someone who couldn't outwardly express affection. Kai struggled to see what value he could bring to someone else, and feared doing damage just by his presence. He hoped for Hiro's acceptance, but was resigned to rejection. Hiro letting down his walls let Kai understand that he truly mattered, and that no matter how futile life may feel sometimes, him being there meant something to Hiro.

I like that we get a follow up with the coworkers, and see that they still have a great relationship with both Hiro and Kaneko. It's so easy to think that we are irreplaceable, or that we are abandoning people, but those who truly care about you will only be happy for your decision - and maybe it will help them seek happiness of their own (I like to think they have all quit by now).

I like that it ended with a little bit of heat, to show that Hiro wasn't just making this choice out of loyalty, but that he genuinely has desire for Kai. (Not at all saying shows have to have heat to show love, just that in this particular case, it worked to show it was an equal relationship in terms of want).

Cons - we never got to see the supervisor get punched in the face. Special episode? Just one minute will do!

[dramalets]

2024 Watch List pt2

Mr Unlucky has no choice but to kiss - Very, very cute and silly without being slapstick. This gets a bit lost in its own soup and after about episode 4 it drags some. Also just a bizarre and somewhat anticlimactic ending. The leads are lovely though and they do work well together. 3/5 (22/2/24)

What did you eat yesterday S1 - Just perfect. Watching Shiro & Kenji grow together over the episodes is a treat. This is as warm and tender as it is brilliantly observed and funny. A true must watch. 5/5 (24/2/24)

The Sign - This just got lost in itself. It had moments of absolute perfection but there were, for me, too many threads it didn’t tie up. Personally I liked this show the most in its procedural show parts and less in its fantasy elements, where I feel it had the most work to do. This isn’t one I’ll rewatch but I did enjoy the journey. 3/5 (25/2/24)

If it’s with you - Lovely is the best word for this. Just a little warm hug of a thing. A sweet story of first love. 4/5 (26/2/24)

I became the main role of a BL drama - Very soft and silly. Not much happens but the leads are lovely and fun to watch. Would kind of love a spin off about the managers if I’m honest. Zero complaints. Just a cute, easy, quick watch. 3/5 (27/2/24)

Kabe Koji - Very enjoyable. Absolutely loved the manga come to life concept of this one. It was super fun to look at. Personally, I think this could have done with maybe 1 or 2 more episodes. Neither character felt as explored as I would have liked. A nice watch nonetheless :) 3/5 (27/2/24)

The Man who defies the world of BL s1 & 2 - This is so unbelievably funny and well observed. Atsuhiro is a master at comedic faces and they never feel slapstick or overdone. Loved every silly second. 4/5 (28/2/24)

Candy Colour Paradox - This isn’t the best acted thing and the chemistry is only so-so it also really starts to drag in places. (Inserting Izuka Kenta into a multiple episode arc was a choice because he’s incredible and it only serves to highlight the so-so of the leads.) Having said all these things it still has a charm and I still enjoyed watching it. Just perhaps not one I’ll be itching to rewatch or suggest to friends. 3/5 (28/2/24)

Perfect Propose - A sweet six episode watch that’s really all about being human. Kai has to realise that being part of peoples lives is both terrifying but necessary and Hiro must learn to value the role he plays in the world. Just a gorgeous little watch. 4/5 (1/3/24)

Kei x Yaku - Is this a BL? Not really? It’s more like gay romance is heavily inferred but here is a messed up, lovely little found family so enjoy that. This is so much fun and I can’t rec it highly enough. Very much just tune in and have fun. 4/5 (1/3/24)

Cherry Magic - Zero notes. Absolute perfection. TayNew supremacy. 5/5 (2/3/24)

My Personal Weatherman - Just bored me honestly. It’s not bad but it’s not as good as some make it out to be. I think if I’d watched this before the novelist I might have liked it more? Not something I’ll reach for again. 3/5 (3/3/24)

My Beautiful Man s1&2 - This is very Japanese and, on paper, should not have worked for me at all. In practice tho? I loved this. I understand the reasons this is controversial but I also think if you go into this without any of the disk horse you’ll just see it for what it is; a love story between two broken boys with piss poor communication skills and self esteem issues. 4/5 (5/3/24)

My Beautiful Man Eternal - This movie is the third part of the beautiful man series. I genuinely think you could skip s2 and go straight in for this. It delivers what I would have wanted, but was impossible to give in four episodes, from s2. We see Hira and Kiyoi’s growth as individuals and also together and we finish with them as equals, with Kiyoi speaking to his king Hira. Beautifully shot, excellently acted. Will watch again. 5/5 (6/3/24)

[darkened-storm]

Mayblade Day 27: Defeat

Working out of order, here is a little snippet from G Rev from another point of view.

~*~

She found the Blitzkreig Boys in the corridor leading back to the locker rooms. Tala, as expected, looked furious and Kai looked as though he couldn’t care in the slightest, his arms crossed against his chest as he leaned against the wall. Bryan and Spencer waited a few paces behind. Both of them were watching Tala carefully, ready to step up in her defence if required.

“Oi - Summers!” Tala stepped forward, the anger emanating from him. “That was an underhanded move,” he said, forcing himself to keep his tone level. “Using Kenny to analyse my moves so Daichi could get the jump on me.”

“Well it serves you right,” she said, forgoing sympathy. Tala wouldn’t care for it, and as far as she was concerned, he didn’t deserve it. “Of course Kenny was a decoy, but you might have realised that sooner if you’d bothered to think with what’s between your ears instead of what’s between your legs.”

Tala stared at her, speechless. Bryan snickered and Spencer coughed unconvincingly into his elbow.

“Oh - and it wasn’t Hiro’s idea to bench Tyson this round,” she added, throwing a meaningful glance in Kai’s direction. “It was mine - so I wonder what’s making you madder: the fact that we tricked you, or the fact that you lost to us when we didn’t even have our trump card.”

“She’s got you there, Tala,” Bryan said, grinning. He was enjoying this too much.

Tala tsked, glowering at the lot of them as he decided on a rebuttal.

“You got lucky this time,” he muttered, roughly stowing Wolborg into the pouch at his belt. “Tell Tyson to pull himself together, because next time, I won’t be making any mistakes.”

He turned and stalked down the hallway. Kai followed without a second glance back in her direction and only when they both disappeared around the corner did Steph let go of a breath she hadn’t realised she’s been holding in.

Spencer placed a hand on her shoulder. “Well played, kiddo,” he told her, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“Thanks,” she muttered, letting go of a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in. “At least I think … “

“Don’t worry about Tala,” Bryan said, offering a sympathetic smile. “His ego is bruised, but he’ll get over it. If anything you’ve reminded him that this tournament isn’t the shoe-in he expected.”

That had been the point, hadn’t it? Steph realised. If they could just keep their heads above water until Tyson was back to his old self again, maybe they still had a chance at winning this tournament. She felt a little guilty of course for tricking Tala, but he would forgive her eventually - when he’d had the time to cool off of course. For now, she’d savour this little victory; knowing it would take a lot more than cheap tricks for Daichi to beat him next time.

[boredcouchpotato]

Okay, but what if Kai Hiwatari is the snow white of Beyblade universe. And before you say it is brooklyn, hear me out first.

So we see brooklyn with animals and I think a part of it has to do with him being peaceful and good and all that stuff.

But I also think it has to do with his bit beast. Zeus clearly has 2 sides and when he is on good side he kind of attract good things. Just like bad things attract bad luck. Hence, animals comes to him.

But Kai on the other hand do not have all this. Now imagine a situation where both of them are present. And all of the cats and birds decided to play with Kai. How smug he would be. And how confusing it would be for other bladers

. Like Kai loves animals? Since when? And brooklyn is there too??? What is happening?? Why are they going to Kai and not to brooklyn?? Even brooklyn is confused. And then they all saw the look on Kai's face. How loving and caring he is to them.

Bonus points if other bladers are hiding or Kai don't know that he is being watched. So when he is talking to them (more like cooing) somebody takes a video of him and post it in social media. It increased his following in females even more.More fangirls means more annoyance for Kai

Even beygirls like him because it kind of humanize him more from the cold image he has of himself. It helps them approach him without being uneasy and joke with him. And he hates it.

After that it became a running joke in the Beyblade community that Kai is snow white. And image demolition boys reaction. Now whenever they want to tease Kai they will call him princess. Especially Bryan he is relentless. And tala won't stop him because Kai is a little shit si he can take a bit of teasing. Kai hates it even more. They all love it.

One time hiro decided to tease Kai by calling him princess and he got punched in the face.

[teabiscs]

Hear me out hear me out hear me out hear me out.

Manga!Hiro/Anime!Kai & Anime!Hiro/Manga!Kai

Almost some Isekai bullshit. Where the Hiro’s are transported out of their world to the other one. Some weird planets aligned stuff.

Manga Hiro gets transported to the future where he’s older, and has come to find out a lot of bad things have happened. Volkov in this universe was a monster, and by extension, so was he. Takao doesn’t look up to him like he did, and his father and Ryu are disappointed by him. The team he cherished and coached can’t stand him and don’t trust him. Even hate him? Who is Brooklyn? What is BEGA?

Anime Hiro is taken to the past. There’s no BEGA. Volkov is still evil, but holy shit he wasn’t as bad as the Volkov back home. There’s a different level of respect from the Bladebreakers. And they’re just all different than how he remembers them back in his world.

Manga!Hiro has the toughest time, trying to piece things together through the internet and others. Until he confides in Mr. D, who looks like he’s crazy, but hears him out.

Insert hospital scene here, where idk some made up medical stuff where it’s like yeah this isn’t our Hiro. Maybe. Or it comes out there’s nothing wrong with his brain, and yeah Hiros a master manipulator but he seems different.

The slowest of burns for Manga!Hiro/Anime!Kai. Kai doesn’t trust him, and is under the impression this is just another one of Hiro’s plans. Kai still hates his guts after everything that happened during BEGA. Everything that was said, that he partnered up with Volkov.

Manga!Hiro trying to make amends for what other Hiro did. Apologizing. Volunteering. It feels pointless because people still see him as other Hiro. He feels so lonely. Isolated.

Again slow burn, but eventually Kai takes pity on Manga!Hiro and talks with him and hangs out with him. And maybe… maybe Hiro was telling the truth. There’s not this ominous aura around Hiro. There’s just this gentler vibe. The hairs on his neck don’t stand up, and his gut isn’t telling him to get away.

And Anime!Kai’s feelings begin to fester

-

Anime!Hiro is having the time of his LIFE!! he got to do all this shit in his other life and now he has no consequences of that. There’s no Volkov to pair up with. No looming over throw of the BBA, it’s surprisingly calm. He’s coaching the team, and they listen to him, including Hiwatari, who was such a little shit in the other world.

This isn’t a slow burn. This story is kinda icky??? Depending on how it’s written. I see Anime!Hiro as such a manipulator. He gets what he wants, without caring who he hurts. Also this would take place more towards the end of the Manga, ignoring Rising’s existence. So like 15-16ish Kai and a 22-23 Hiro. So like while good and legal in Japan, my western brain is like NOOOO.

He wants Kai. This world’s Kai isn’t insufferable. Isn’t a little shit. Is bright eyed and optimistic. Isn’t damaged goods from the abbey, which may or may not exists (he’ll research that later, as well as Yuriy, for reasons). Has daddy issues. Is kind of unsure of himself, blushes????? Really? It’s endearing, and this world’s Kai is kind of cute.

And yeah okay, maybe wanting Kai, is him just getting back at his world’s Kai.

If the other world’s Hiro/kai is a slow burn this is a spontaneous combustion. It happens so fast. Hiros almost a little disappointed there’s no chase at all. Kai just opens up to him. Emotionally and sexually. Share his frustration over his dad and Hiro listens, and shortly after he kisses Kai and it’s a done deal after that.

He wants to be rough and aggressive with Kai, after everything Anime!Kai put him through, but he can’t. At least not the first time, and then after he finds out Kai is into that.

And then the rest of the story would be Hiro being like, ya know what? Kai’s not that bad , and he slowly falls for Kai.

Would probably alternate between the two Hiro’s one chapter for one then the next chapter for the other. Or two separate fics. The usual one

[bengiyo]

Perfect Propose Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we started with Hiro, an overworked office grunt who probably works for a black company passing out on the street in exhaustion. His childhood friend Kai appeared, saying he wanted to make good on their promise to marry. Kai is dealing with his own difficulties and needed a place to stay, and has begun taking care of Hiro, going so far as to jerk him off to help him sleep once. We learned that Kai has not had an easy go of it. We left on Hiro failing to make it to the festival on time to get food with Kai.

This is such a great opening. Hiro is disappointed, and is more upset that Kai isn’t mad about this. We know that Kai was looking forward to this because he bought the fish tank, but he’s downplaying any disappointment for Hiro’s benefit. He went to the festival and got the food Hiro said he liked, but Hiro really wanted to share in an activity with Kai. I love that he’s berating himself for all the things he could have done to keep his promise instead.

Never getting over the office chairs being the same color as Hiro’s couch. It makes his home look uncomfortable.

I thought that was Tominago Kayoko’s actress for a second.

Hate that they always eat their lunches at their desks.

Not sure what the chef’s son’s beef is with Kai, but it feels personal.

I do love that Hiro is processing what’s happening with his and Kai’s reactions to all of this.

“Be conscious of it.” I will be thinking about this for the rest of the weekend. I love Kai so much. “You’re straight so I won’t cross that boundary, but you make things difficult when you show me this level of regard,” is a place I find myself in a lot.

I love when broody boys are suddenly happy. “In the end you’re going to be mine.” I love him so much.

Oh, looks like my little anxious man is going to be a drunk mess next week.

I absolutely love this show. I like that we have two adult characters that are already jaded by their circumstances and are desperately reaching out to each other as a lifeline. I love that the coworkers all immediately worried when Watari regressed back to his original self. I’m so looking forward to him confronting the idea that he “works too slowly” as he tries to face Kai. I was talking with @lurkingshan about how much she likes that BL characters are now asking for time to think instead of just rejecting someone, because for me I love that Kai accepts that “thinking about it” just means “getting used to it.” Kai asked Hiro to be conscious about his feelings. He does want to do activities with Hiro, but he’s also not going to pretend he isn’t a gay man living with the man he loves. If Hiro wants to be closer to him, Kai is going to want to be physically close to Hiro as well, even if that’s just sharing the bed and sleeping with his back to Hiro.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

Another great batch of episodes this week, as Kasuga and Nomoto settled into dating life, all the gals got together for various food related events, and Nagumo began seeking treatment for her eating disorder. This show is just always so compassionate with its characters, and manages to find interesting conflicts without going for high drama. I am very much enjoying seeing Kasuga and Nomoto figure out how their relationship should look now that they're dating and also how to communicate and respect each other as they make decisions. Kasuga's tendency to let Nomoto steamroll her feels harmless when it's about picking fruit or vegetables, but it won't be when it comes to making decisions about where they live and how to set up their home, so it's great they're addressing it early. It's also awesome to see them expand their circle of friends and deepen their bonds with Yako and Nagumo--I was high key jealous of the curry and s'mores parties. And Nagumo just has my whole heart. When she expressed profound relief at learning there is a name for her illness and ways to treat it, my mind immediately jumped to Rachel Bloom. Looking forward to her healing. I can't believe there is only one more batch of episodes coming, love and gratitude to @furritsubs!

Chaser Game W

I’ll keep this brief. This show was a mess, and not even in a fun way because unfortunately it was also extremely misogynistic. @twig-tea covered the major issues well in her post. Wild that this show aired simultaneously with TsukuTabe, what a dichotomy.

My Strawberry Film

This one is really not grabbing me. It feels kind of slow and muted and uncertain about what it's doing. I am not finding the mystery or the love rhombus compelling, and this week's focus on Hikaru's infatuation with Minami had me yawning and picking up my phone a lot. But it's early, I am hopeful it will pick up some steam.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

This was a cute episode about Sakae and Soga getting past their initial awkwardness, learning how to communicate with each other, and moving into a more intimate phase of their relationship, and I think I would have loved it if we'd gotten it two weeks ago. This should have been the episode that followed their initial confessions, but instead the show did a two week diversion into love triangle nonsense, and unfortunately, I think it really threw off the pacing and the connection to these characters for me. It just feels too late in the show for this relationship to still feel so new. We haven't had time to settle in with them as a couple, or for them to develop a strong foundation to make us root for them to overcome the coming obstacles in the final arc. Still, this episode had some delightful scenes--Soga finally paying a visit to the sauna was my personal fav, and I also enjoyed the metaphor of Sakae literally catching Soga's love (and knowing @bengiyo would lose it over another important SPORTS moment in bl). This is a show I really want to love, but something just isn't connecting.

Perfect Propose

I love this final episode and I love this show. Hiro quit his job, Kai resolved things with the shop owner and his son, and they finally got on the same page about their relationship and made out about it. 10/10 no notes for this finale. It was lovely to see Hiro finish his project and make a decision to quit the daily grind--I loved, too, that he is still in touch with his former colleagues--and we saw the change in him so quickly. He looked happier, lighter, brighter. His skin was cleared and his crops were watered! And Kai got to have his moment of catharsis too, sharing his fear that he is a burden on others and having Hiro affirm for him that he wants him in his life and he's a help, not a burden. And I loved that we got all that plus a great kiss, a bed scene (with a very cute leg cramp diversion) and a small peek at their new domestic life together. This show makes me happy and it will definitely be one I return to for rewatches.

Ossan's Love Returns

I'm of two minds on this finale. On the one hand, I really loved it as a single episode of the show, was happy with where all the resolutions landed, and was left with a very warm feeling toward the show overall. The cherry blossom scene especially really got me right in the feels; I've loved the progression of Maki and Haruta's relationship this season and I love the way they talk to each other. They have earned themselves a spot on my list of favorite drama couples who I actually believe are going to stay together. I also loved everything about the big chaotic group scene and all these characters coming together to pour love on Haruta; it felt earned after a season of him knocking himself out for all his loved ones. The end joke with Chief moving in next door, and getting a final Maki/Kurosawa battle, was *chef's kiss*. And Takegawa's perfect life partner being a cat? 10/10 no notes. I will be clutching my aroace Takegawa read tightly to my bosom.

On the other hand, the episode reinforced for me that the way we got to a lot of these resolutions didn't feel quite right. In particular, I don't think the way Kurosawa's health scare played out across the back half of the season worked, and I'm not too pleased about spending three episodes in a downbeat, tragic mode for the sake of a simple pun joke. I think the whole plot would have landed a lot better for me if the audience was let in on Kurosawa's mistake at the start and the tone of his overwrought goodbyes was farcical all the way through. Not only would that have maintained the comedic tone of the show, but we could have used that story time to better seed some of the themes of this episode with Haruta's crisis of confidence and yearning for family. I'm pretty much agnostic on Kiku and Izumi; they never sold me on that pairing but I wasn't mad about their ending.

Overall, I am very glad I jumped into this show and enjoyed the watch experience a lot, despite my quibbles with some of the overarching writing choices. The cast is amazing and all the characters make me smile. If they make another season, I'll be watching!

Bonus: Josi teki Saikatsu

I finally watched this drama this week--I held out for awhile hoping to find it in better quality, but no dice, it's 480p in the grey--and despite the potato lens I loved it so much. This is the story of Miki, a transfemme lesbian, just trying to live her life in the way she wants, and all the barriers she comes up against in that pursuit. Our story begins when her childhood friend, Goto, comes looking for his old pal in a moment of desperation and is stunned to see how she's changed. The show is only four short episodes, but they manage to paint a full picture of Miki's life at home, at work, with friends and lovers, and with her estranged family, and show us how she became who she is. Miki is whip smart and perceptive and generous, but also wary of trusting anyone after she's been let down by so many loved ones. I love her so much, and you will too. This story was written by a trans woman and it shows! Brave the 480p and check it out.

[yu-riy]

(Hiro) Night Shift

"What do you mean 'Stay here'? I'm coming with you." Yuriy snarls darkly, as Boris just smirks. Behind him, Sergei softly shakes his head. "We got the wrong one, but this one can still be useful." Yuriy scowls, looking down at the man cuffed and gagged on the floor. "... Are you sure?" Kai walks through, gun in hand, as he works on holstering it. "Yes, and you know why you can't come with." The urge to punch Kai rises, but instead Yuriy looks away, glaring at the man on the floor. Since the accident, he's constantly being sidelined, the others looking to Kai rather than him. "Fine. Whatever. See you all later then." Probably a few days spent babysitting this idiot before they kill him. Yuriy can work on getting his aim back up in the meantime. Regain his strength.

[prongsmydeer]

Things I Liked About Perfect Propose (2024):

Having a main character who outright and clearly, at the beginning, says he is gay without caveat or needing to explain it

The exploration on how a toxic work environment can drain you in every part of your life ("But I don't feel anything anymore.")

Kaneko showing how much a good manager/team lead can keep you afloat in a job, and then Hiro taking that on himself ("I refuse! Sakamoto-san has been working hard enough.")

The revelation that being able to avoid conflict and anger isn't always a healthy thing, and in Kai's case comes from a lack of expectation that he will receive support ("When I asked him to leave the store, his reaction was as indifferent as when I told him not to visit." "He probably doesn't expect much.")

The push and pull of Kai always voicing what he wants, while still giving Hiro the space to decide whether or not he wants the same thing. ("By creating an escape route like this, that's why I want to keep on spoiling him.)

The trope which is quickly becoming a favourite of mine, the let-me-seriously-consider-my-feelings-and-let-you-know! ("I need time. Time to properly face you and then give you an answer.")

The trope subversion of Kai saying that he hasn't had feelings for Hiro the whole time he's known him, even if Hiro is the only person he's seriously liked

Mr. Kenji and his gruff but caring relationship with Kai

Kai's legitimate hesitation to change his and Hiro's relationship given how his bonds with people have resulted in disappointment and guilt ("Being involved with people is heavy.")

How unambiguous Hiro's confession is despite not using the word love ("I'll give you my remaining years!" / "It feels like a proposal, doesn't it?" "It is a proposal.")

Things I Didn't Like About Perfect Propose (2024)

Mainly the episode 1 insomnia [redacted]. For why? I get that's coming from the source material, but it's reinforcing a reprehensible trope (on top of being a stereotype that can actually be used to harm real people) and if you wanted a physical intimacy in the first ep, I feel like there are better ways to do it

While their adult friendship and childhood friendship are both fine on their own, and I know they've not seen each other for more than 10 years, the optics of having such a large age gap in their initial friendship (elementary and high school) and then going on to date (and/or get engaged) are a little wild

It is one of many, many shows that will only verbally categorize characters as straight or gay. ("I'm gay." / "Well, Hirokuni, you're straight.") It is obvious by the end of the show that Hiro is capable of attraction to multiple genders, why will we say every word but bisexual?

Hiyori did not need to keep fixating on Hiro being with a guy. That's your coworker, leave him be!

I wish a bit that they explored more of what exactly Kai likes about Hiro aside from being needed, because for Kai we can see Hiro admiring his cooking, being endeared by his confidence, his comforting, even enjoying talking to him on the phone. But we don't see that for Kai, and Kai doesn't see what we as the audience see about Hiro being thoughtful by bringing his colleagues snacks and sending them home, or being dedicated by showing up hours early so he can go to the festival on time and running to get Kai yakisoba when his day goes too long, or being selfless standing up for Sakamoto and taking on a double workload so his junior doesn't burned out. Even if Kai's feelings are established, I want to hear more of why he likes Hiro so much voiced. Especially with the show's premise being rooted in reconnecting with a former friend. What do you like now?

While I love that Kai has a support system in Mr. Kenji in his way, and I understand he is working through a lifetime of trauma, I think Kai needs some friends! Get a friend, Kai. I would've loved if he actually got that drink with his coworker, in the same way Hiro has an ongoing friendship with Kaneko and his other colleagues

[rifki16]

Living with Him the Manga

Picture credit: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-29/toworu-miyata-living-with-him-boys-love-manga-gets-live-action-tv-series/.208135

As we’re just now counting days before the airing of Living with Him live-action on April 12, I want to review the work it’s based on, the manga. This analysis will bring up several big themes I found interesting or common, just like my review of At 25:00, in Akasaka.

Synopsis: Natsukawa Ryouta and Tanaka Kazuhito were close friends in grade school, after which they were separated during their high school years. When they got into the university, they became roommates. The manga, and the live series, zeroes in on the domesticity of these parted close friends.

SPOILERS ALERT DUH

Old yet still very much alive parted love

One of the most-used tropes of BL by Japanese showrunners is the idea that A had a crush on B when they were in High School or sometimes in the past. Then, for one reason or another, A never told B that he had a crush on him. When they become older, or when they already work, A and B cross paths, and B slowly falls in love back to A whose crush never died out all this time. This trope is used in Perfect Propose, Naked Dining, My Beautiful Man, and arguably, Minato’s Laundromat.

The use of this trope in this series is actually quite unique. In Perfect Propose, A, Kai, was very aggressive, and B, Hiro, was given a shock of reality and love when they crossed path. In Naked Dining, A, Mahiro, was quite timid, and B, Ichijou, was very oblivious to the situation so much that it took the show so many episodes until B finally realized A’s crush and his affection for him. In this series, A, Tanaka Kazuhito a.k.a. Hito, has a crush on B, Natsukawa Ryouta a.k.a. Ryo, ever since grade school. But when they cross paths during their university years, Hito was not as aggressive as Kai nor was, he as timid as Mahiro.

In my opinion, he was really about to accept that he was just going to be a close friend to Ryo. Ryo seemed not to even notice Kazuhito during the Middle School and High School years.

“We have not even seen each other for years”. -Ryo Chapter 1, page nine.

That statement by Ryo was actually false, we later recount that Kazuhito actually talked with Ryo, at least once. The fact that Ryo didn’t remember it just shows the insignificance of Kazuhito’s presence was during their post-grad school era. This was later affirmed by Ryo.

“…[E]ven if you say we were childhood friends, you’re basically a different person now”. -Ryo Chapter 1, page 14.

The opposite is true for Kazuhito. He always has a crush on Ryo. The High School era conversation that I mentioned several sentences ago was, in chapter seven, when Kazuhito had a horrible accident that might change who he is, and he asked Ryo about what would happen if you didn’t feel like the old you anymore, without revealing to him that he had a life-changing accident. When they parted ways after grad school, Kazuhito tried to calm his brain about his crush on Ryo.

“After we went to different High Schools, we had even less contact with each other. ‘This is probably for the best. Before long, I’ll forget about him, and fall for someone else. But in the end, that someone else never shows up”. Kazuhito, Chapter 7 pages eight to nine.

I suppose that I can argue as well that the conversation that Kazuhito had with Ryo when they were high schoolers also strengthened Kazuhito’s crush on Ryo.

This is how I see how the trope’s flaw usually appears. It’s just weird for me to have an undying love/crush for someone for so long without any reminder of said love/crush. Maybe I’m too pessimistic. In Perfect Propose, I think it was a nice work of drama fiction to hold on to a love for so long without any contact with your crush since Kai and Hiro were never friends on Facebook or Instagram as a mean to hold on to the ember so to speak. In Naked Dining, it's basically the same, but at least Mahiro was a friend of Ichijou’s grandmother. It’s pretty easy to say that maybe, his grandmother might say one thing or two about Ichijou, without her knowing that Mahiro has a crush on Ichijou, hence, the love can be preserved. Side note: I think in Naked Dining, they tried to paint Mahiro as someone who was community-oriented and even though he has a crush on Ichijou, his feelings have taken a back seat but not that far from the front seat, ergo, it seemed like the love ember was dormant until Ichijou showed up.

However, in Living with Him, the love ember was justifiably red-hot flaming when Kazuhito got reunited with Ryo. Ryo and Kazuhito still see each other until Middle School albeit maybe not as often as when they were in grad school. And, when they became high schoolers, Kazuhito had that very fundamental and inspiring conversation which he kept in his core memory, to borrow a term from Inside Out, that he can always replay during his HS years to remind him of why he loves Ryo. I think it’s a balanced way to write love, not too fictional, and not some precise quantitative positivist precise feelings. However, time waits for no one, Kazuhito might have his love for Ryo, and infrequent interactions might make people stuck on the idea of a person rather than what the person really is, which brings me to the second topic.

The perfect seme

This is also one of the biggest tropes of Japanese BL works: the perfect seme. From Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss, Cherry Magic in all of its franchise works, Love Is Better the Second Time Around, I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama, to the work which I have very mixed feelings about: Hitorijime My Hero. When I say perfect, I don’t just mean, popular, if it’s just popular, we have more examples to sift through. What I mean by perfect is that the guy is smart, sociable, athletic, and of course popular. In Cherry Magic, Kurosawa was this dazzling guy who was very calm and cool in every situation, very athletic, could reach the high notes of any song, and was basically the ace in the sales department. In I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama, Yuichiro was this athletic guy who did everything he could to really embody, get it?, his roles. One thing is true of being “perfect” in any situation, nothing is really that perfect, that flawless. Japanese BL works are no exception. In all of the works that I have mentioned, we all learn part by part how the seme is not really that perfect.

Living with Him uses the same trope in presenting Kazuhito. First, we know him as this very popular High Schooler who played in the national baseball tournament.

“I think that’s great. Even at my school, Kazuhito-kun is crazy popular.” – Ryo’s sister about his brother living arrangement during his university years. Chapter one page nine.

Even Ryo already acknowledged how cool Kazuhito is in the first chapter.

“When I’m close to him, his vibe makes me feel like… …I’m inferior and about to die.” – Ryo. Chapter one page 12.

One thing led to another, Ryo asked Kazuhito to a “pretend date” in the first chapter. During their supposed date, even Ryo couldn’t find a flaw in Kazuhito.

“His clothes aren’t too dull or tacky” – Ryo. Chapter two page three.

“He’s like the sun” – Ryo. Chapter two page six.

Ryo even dared to tell Kazuhito’s friends that he found this guy that he lives with doesn’t have any flaws.

“No… Just the other day we tried to find some of his flaws, but we didn’t really find anything…” – Ryo in answering a question of Haruna, one of Kazuhito friends. Note: this is from the unofficial translation. Chapter three page six.

Of course, the perfect man gets all the girls, right? This image of the perfect man is actually still used in Japan. I think before the manga reveals that Kazuhito actually loves Ryo, Kazuhito-kun was heavily portrayed as this pussy magnet by everyone around him, including Ryo.

“If you already have one now, let me know beforehand if she’s coming over. I don’t want to get in the way, so I’ll leave”. – Ryo. Chapter one page 16.

“I don’t think that was the case but, … I guess you probably wouldn’t be able to tell” – Kazuhito when Ryo asked him on his confusion as to why he kept getting dumped. Note: this is from the unofficial translation (UT). Chapter two page seven.

I think Kazuhito’s answer was very queer-coded. He was insisting that it was not because the ex-girlfriends of his had “high” standards as Ryo asked, nor was it due to one of Kazuhito’s flaws as Ryo himself found after the pretend date between the two of them when the conversation happened. Kazuhito was hinting heavily, I like dudes, bro. Well, not so much like that. That’s another thing that I encounter in many Japanese BL works. I think in one of my analyses before, I named this trope as “one is gay another one is still finding out”. A gay person announcing to himself or even to his crush that he’s gay is quite rare. I don’t know whether it’s an author’s way of evading the sexual orientation expectation perception or it’s just their way of making their work more “romantic”. Usually, the conversation about sexual orientation goes:

A: Are you gay?

B: No, but I like you, just you.

I don’t know the motive behind authors’ pattern of just refusing a character self-confessing that he’s gay, however, I’m pretty sure that the motivation is not the most recent debates amongst queer theorists that there is really no need to label oneself in a certain sexual orientation, as we all are just in the spectrum of sexual orientation and maybe we can easily be more sexually or romantically attracted to a certain gender compared to the others. However, this hunch is not backed by any facts.

Going back to the manga in presenting Kazuhito as someone who gets all the girls. To be quite frank, even though, Kazuhito never shouts to the world that he’s gay, he’s quite confident in his love for Ryo. One day, Ryo became quite sick after taking too many shifts. In his fever dream, Ryo would not let Kazuhito go, and hence, he brought Ryo to his bed. The next day, after realizing what had just happened, Ryo said, “If I were a girl, I would be falling for you right now”. Kazuhito replied with:

“… I’ve never done this with a girl”. Chapter two page 15.

Man, if that’s not rizz, I don’t know what is.

Kazuhito continued his story by saying:

“Every time I got dumped, they’d always say this to me: ‘You already have someone you like, right?’” Note: UT. Chapter seven page 16.

I can firmly conclude that Kazuhito wants Ryo to know that Kazuhito-kun has a crush on him, very and immensely delicately. So that not to frighten him. Which is why it was no surprise that Ryo has the hunch that Kazuhito has a crush on him firstly on this chapter.

In the next chapters, the novel tries to still present Kazuhito as a guy with all the girls. After Kazuhito introduced him to his friends, Haruna and Yoshieri, he needed to go and patted Ryo in the head, yes for the first time. Yoshieri said that she was jealous of how close Ryo and Kazuhito were, as evidenced by their physical public interaction. Haruna then replied:

“You think so? Isn’t he pretty touchy-feely with others?” Chapter three, page nine.

I don’t know what Haruna’s motivation is in denying an inference that Kazuhito might be close, not even in a romantic sense, with another guy. Yoshieri even elaborated on why she was so shocked by Kazuhito’s gesture toward Ryo.

“Even when we were dating, he never patted me on the head like that.” Chapter three, page ten.

When Kazuhito went out to have drinks with his coworkers, even they were baffled that he didn’t have a girlfriend. The conversation surprisingly never focused on Kazuhito’s crush’s gender, but immensely focused on why Kazuhito’s crush doesn’t like Kazuhito back. The conversation went like this.

Kazuhito’s senpai (KS): “Hey Tanaka-Kun, you don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”

Kazuhito: “Nope, I’m not seeing anyone.”

…

KS: “If you’re single, I’ll go right after you”

Kazuhito: “I’m sorry but there’s someone that I like”

KS: “WHAT? THEY DON’T LIKE YOU BACK?”

Chapter seven pages one to two.

Linguistic side note: I think it’s weird that in many Japanese BL works, whenever a crush conversation is happening with a not-yet-out, gay, or a guy who has a crush on a guy, guy the conversation easily slips into the gender-neutral pronouns They/Them. I observed this in My Love Mix-Up and I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama, to name two. My first question is, is it that common to use the They/Them pronouns in referring to a person in Japan? No one was ever fazed by the use of the pronouns, unlike in Western media works. Or is it just that the Japanese language structure is not that gendered and hence the translation from she/her to they/them was a heavy-context dependent translation? I don’t know.

Besides being the guy of every girl, of course, a seme is not perfect if he’s not “gallant”. By “gallant”, I mean, the usual chivalric, altruistic behaviour of a seme – of a “man”. You know, sacrificing what he has for whom he lives and sacrifices himself. Again, I’m not affirming that this is what being chivalric should be, but it is what many Western media works adopt and depict.

I have already written about how in the second chapter, after the pretend date, Kazuhito took care of Ryo’s cold and how he gave up his personal space in his bed so that Ryo could be accompanied throughout his cold fever phase.

After a night shift, Kazuhito needed to go through the rain to get back home. And it was pouring hard. When he got home, Ryo was shocked to see Kazuhito soaking wet. When asked why Kazuhito did not call Ryo to get him with an umbrella, he only replied:

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Chapter six page 19.

I think the manga was right in making, this will he realize? Won’t he? Trope a short period. By the third chapter, Ryo already realized that Kazuhito likes him. And in the fourth chapter, Ryo confronted Kazuhito to kiss him, in order to clarify what Kazuhito’s interest means for him, whether it’s romantic or not. The manga tries to show how gallant Kazuhito was again by saying that he won’t kiss Ryo until Ryo-kun is sure that he likes Kazuhito back, in Chapter four pages one to ten.

“But I don’t want to force you”. – Kazuhito. Chapter four page nine.

...

“If it’s difficult being with me, just let me know. I’ll leave alright?”. – Kazuhito. Chapter four page ten.

I know it should not be something that we praise someone for just not forcing themselves on someone else. What I wanted to focus on was how even when Ryo wanted to test and offer Kazuhito a freebie, Kazuhito still insisted on Ryo’s comfort above all else.

This chivalric perception even extended to hypothetical future scenarios that Kazuhito made in his mind. This line always makes me cry, as someone who used to always be on the end of a one-sided love.

“Even if you fall for someone else, I will gladly pull out, but until then….” UT

“When Natsukawa finds someone, he likes, that’s when I’ll move on. So, until that happens…” Official translation – Kazuhito. Chapter seven page 18.

I think it’s a refreshing sight to see that, yes, the seme character is being characterized as a very gallant guy, however, to see that there is a line which he will never cross, it’s new. In many Japanese BL works, it seems that your crush/love is so eternal that you don’t really see it fading even when the recipient of the crush already has someone that they love. I mean, this happens often in Western media works, however, I have seen more and more works that try to rewrite this trope there compared to the Japanese BL works.

With Kazuhito’s feelings not being concealed anymore, things are of course not that dandy yet. Also, I need to point out very loudly that Ryo never really asked Kazuhito whether he likes Ryo-kun or not. Kazuhito just flat out told Ryo and Ryo already put all the puzzle pieces together before Kazuhito told him about his crush.

As we have established, Kazuhito has this aura of perfection in everybody’s eyes. It’s not as flawless as people’s perception. Yet, the perception exists. And of course, it has repercussions on how his now, conscious of his feelings, crush, Ryo, will react to Kazuhito’s feelings.

Of course, like any of the other works which I have mentioned in the opening paragraph of this subtopic, the uke feels inadequate in accepting his love. Even as early as the third chapter, Ryo already said:

“So why me? What does he like about me? And from when?” Chapter three page three

“I don’t know why, but it seems he has special feelings for me”. Chapter three page 12.

This confusion of what Kazuhito “sees” in Ryo even made Ryo-kun spiralled three pages later.

Ryo even questioned whether Kazuhito really liked him or not because Kazuhito never told Ryo-kun his traumas, like his life-changing incident for instance.

“Wait a second. if he really thinks of me as special in like, a romantic sense, then won’t he be hurting the whole time that we’re hanging out like this, too?!” – Ryo. UT. Chapter three page 14.

I think this is what made the manga a little bit bearable to read. Because, unlike Minato’s laundromat, the tug of war of whether I’m worthy of this gallant, perfect seme’s love is not just one-sided, the manga is not making me read all 10 chapters of it just Ryo being repulsive of love that he thought he didn’t deserve.

In the fifth chapter, we got a little glimpse that Ryo was actually accepting Kazuhito’s love, albeit for so little and so quickly.

Ryo: “Seeing your face as soon as I get up is not good for my heart”.

…

Ryo: “Well, your heart is made of steel”.

Kazuhito: “Is that a compliment?”

Ryo: “Yeah of course it is”

Chapter five pages one to two.

Kazuhito tried to pat or hold on to Ryo’s shoulder and it sort of shocked him and made Ryo retracted his shoulder a little bit. The same thing happened in Sasaki to Miyano, in a different body part lol.

We also got a little glimpse of Ryo’s acceptance of Kazuhito’s feelings in the sixth chapter. When Kazuhito came out of nowhere to the library to intercept Ryo and Haruna’s meetup, Kazuhito offered to go out with Ryo the weekend after, which made Kazuhito-kun blushed. After Kazuhito left, Ryo said to himself:

“What I said made him blush[ed]… and he’s jealous… I’m beyond happy”. Chapter six page nine.

Even Ryo said to himself that he loves Kazuhito too.

“I can return your feelings, and kiss you, Kazuhito. I want to tell him properly”. – Ryo. Chapter six page 13.

Ryo even repeated this thought in chapter seven while nursing Kazuhito after he got drenched in rain and became feverish.

“I like him. I like him so much. I like you, Natsukawa”. – Ryo. Chapter seven page 17.

Things took a turn of course. In chapter eight pages eight to 12, as Ryo was about to say that he likes/loves Kazuhito back, Kazuhito-san’s phone rang. Ryo got an off-ramp and his doubts made him spiraled again. At which Kazuhito noticed him. His chivalric disposition, which we have established, practically made Ryo stunned. Kazuhito-san cut off anytime Ryo was about to say something because Kazuhito wanted to just stop Ryo from spiraling further and sort of retracted his confession and wanted things to go back to normal.

Ryo basically became silent. Even he felt like the conversation that he just had was like a breakup. Ryo’s monologue went very beautifully painful:

“I want to be honest with you because you told me your feelings, but I also want you to be happier than anyone else on the planet. You probably don’t need me for that to happen. ‘I may be overthinking it, but we can’t get married or raise a family’. Even if that time does eventually come, you wouldn’t need to go out of your way just for me. But, despite all of that, I want to be by your side”. Chapter eight pages 13 – 14.

I know right? Who amongst us gay men has not had this monologue ourselves? Straight crush? Geez, remind me of my late teen years. That’s also a point, right? Usually, the monologue is reserved for our straight crushes. Why does Ryo have the same monologue for his mutual crush/love – who of course is aware that his crush is also a man and that they both live in Japan.

Thankfully, we don’t get to see their cohabitation with Ryo’s mindset that he needed to resign himself to the background EVEN THOUGH HIS CRUSH IS MUTUAL. Kazuhito needed to help out his family business. During that period, Ryo visited his family, and when he asked implicitly about his condition his sister, his sister in a slayed manner answered:

“I would be ecstatic if Kazuhito-kun liked me, and it would make me feel like the cutest girl ever. What good does it do to you if you doubt yourself even though someone likes you?” – Ryu’s sister. Chapter nine page six.

Ryo was given a second shot of reality from Haruna. Do you still remember when I wrote my confusion as to why Haruna was sort of insisting that Kazuhito is straight? Well, in the ninth chapter, he happened to be around Kazuhito and Ryu’s place and he went up to talk to Ryu. He was not perturbed at all that Ryu and Kazuhito love/like each other. In the Kazuhito-less apartment, he gave a monologue:

“… It’s not up to you to decide what will truly bring happiness to Tanaka… Why are you worried about his public image and future? Don’t you think a guy that cautious hasn’t thought about that already?” Chapter nine page 16.

I know. I wish I had a friend like Haruna. I’m sobbing as I’m rewriting his monologue.

So, all in all, this seme perfection trope is a huge and hefty subtopic. The manga used the trope really well in my opinion. In Cherry Magic, Adachi just became accustomed to Kurosawa’s perfection. Adachi slowly knew all of Kurosawa’s imperfections and it made him braver to face Kurosawa – well, as I have argued in my previous analysis, Adachi himself became braver as the manga progresses, and a combination of both in the end prevails. In Living with Him, we don’t really see Kazuhito being humbled, well, not yet. I think Ryo just accepted this idea that this god-like creature likes him, but not too excessive like in My Beautiful Man.

Miscommunication trope

I have been writing on this essay for far too long. And I think the second subtopic had most of how I wanted the manga to be characterized by the public, and hence inspired my expectations for the live-action series in 4-day time. However, I really need to write how this manga never really dwelled on the miscommunication trope. Of course, this manga still used the trope.

In the first chapter, I really thought that it was gonna be like Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss and Hel and I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama. When Ryo offered Kazuhito to a pretend date, I thought that it was going to be like one of those sitcoms in which, Ryo at first didn’t have feelings for Kazuhito, but during and after the pretend date, Ryo falls in love with Kazuhito. I know, it happens canonically in the manga. What I had thought would happen was Ryo kept asking for a pretend date, and Kazuhito being sick of being taken to all of the pretend dates. Thankfully my prediction was dead wrong.

The other two miscommunication cases were all just bad predictions of mine lol. When Ryo asked Kazuhito to kiss him, and Kazuhito refused. It made Ryo annoyed and insulted, but then Kazuhito, gallantly, clarified his answer. The last one was when Ryo found the apartment listing when Kazuhito was away, and it made him even sadder about his “breakup” with Kazuhito. Thankfully, Haruna shaman’d his way in helping Ryo confronting his emotions.

My expectations from the live-action series?

I think it has a better chance of resembling the manga more than At 25:00, in Akasaka. Ryo and Kazuhito’s attractions are such puppy love, it’s so abstract and idealistic, such a fit for a vanilla live series. I pray to the brightest stars that they actually make the Living with Him: Heating Up as a 7th/9th episode or a film ☹, as I said on Twitter, I don’t care if the gay sex scene in this proposed film/extra episode is vague, all I want to see is how they manage more and more of reality.