The very definition of short and sweet

This little gem to me embodies everything a short film should be. It has great acting, precise editing, good sound design, likeable characters with distinct personalities that serve as more than just vessels for the plot, and, most importantly, it has an actual narrative with a beginning, a climax, and a conclusion, all of which are perfectly paced for maximum effect.
My only gripe with this movie would be that, despite the whole premise being centered around a first kiss, we don't actually get to see said kiss.
But maybe that's kind of the point as well. We as the audience don't have to see the kiss in order for the narrative to work. It's a private moment that we have neither cause nor right to intrude on. Besides, the kiss isn't what's important, it's only a starting point for the real story - the characters' growing and changing relationship.
All in all I say give this one a shot. I promise it's five minutes very well spent.

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Messy, Queer, And Fun

This little movie has a fairly simple premise and pulls it off with panache. It's a short glimpse into the wonderful, messy, overlapping lives of a group of queer women as they spend an evening drinking together and it feels incredibly real.
The writing and acting are both fantastic and without the level of quality they provide to the show I don't think this would have worked nearly as well as it does. If the only plot you have is your characters, they have to feel believable and this movie manages that expertly.
I'd recommend this short to anyone who likes mature slice-of-life type stories or who simply wants to bask in the joy of getting to watch queer women simply existing.

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A perfect conclusion

Oh hell yeah, that's how you do a story climax right!

Where the first half focused on introducing the characters and setting up the plot, this second half gives us some more insights into the characters' inner lives. It explores the fascinating seesaw of power between the two - the restrictive labels of Senior and Junior, the class difference, and Seiryo's relationship with Shino which lends him a certain amount of power in Yuzuru's eyes.
It also dives a little deeper into the euphoric sense of vertigo that comes with finding someone who likes you, just you, as a whole, and adores the things that other people have repeatedly criticised you for. This not only endears the viewer further to the characters (although if you've not grown incredibly fond of them at this point I don't know what to tell you), but also serves to make the ever-building, all-consuming tension not only bearable but enjoyable as well.

The camera work and editing continue to enhance each scene until the story finally culminates in a truly fantastic and incredibly touching penultimate scene that genuinely made me pump my fist in the air and go "Now THAT'S how you do buildup and breaking of tension!"

I don't think I really need to say anything to make you watch this movie, this is the second half after all, if you're here you've already started watching anyway.
But if you're just scrolling through these reviews and fondly remembering the movie, let this be your sign to go rewatch it, rewatch it right now! You already know you'll love every minute.

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A masterpiece that has stood the test of time!

When I stumbled across this movie for the first time I thought "Huh..." and somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind I started to vaguely recall having read the manga years ago.
So I thought "Why not" and decided to give the movie a shot. And absolutely nothing could have prepared me for how much I've grown to love it.

From the very beginning the movie has a distinct quiet feel to it, a sort of understated grace that is incredibly hard to pull off without becoming boring. But bore me this did not!
The, let's be honest, fairly shallow and fluffy story is given depth by absolutely stellar performances and gains an undercurrent of authenticity and, for me personally, an aching sense of nostalgia. It effortlessly conjures up the absolute, razor sharp, stepping-around-landmines tension of being a queer kid, who maybe isn't even aware they're a queer kid yet, making a queer connection for the first time with such incisiveness that I found myself absolutely speechless.

And that feeling didn't let up. The entire movie is an absolute masterclass in tension. From the recurring theme of archery, the creaking drawing of bowstrings, to the ceaseless push and pull of the main characters' dynamic - that hesitant reaching out and pulling back of two people who are terrified, terrified of wanting but much more terrified of not being wanted in return - to the long static shots, the lingering close-ups, and the drawn-out continuous takes. It all adds up to steadily build a breathless sort of tension until you feel as if you're being forced to walk a tight-rope of emotions.
It's absolutely incredible.

If you like slow-building romances, stories with lots of tension but very little angst, or movies that speak volumes by deliberately saying very little out loud, then I couldn't recommend this movie more.
It's also a very faithful adaptation of the manga so if you're a fan of the source material you'll very likely love this as well.
Go watch it and then go watch the sequel, I promise you'll be in for an absolute treat.

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Queer Life and Love

This show absolutely devastated me in the best way possible.
It's pitch-perfect from the acting, to the cinematography, to the music, it's all spectacular.
But most importantly it's entirely driven by a cast of deeply likeable if flawed characters whose various pasts and hardships shape their lives in a multitude of ways.
As is to be expected with a project led by P'Aof, the show addresses a variety of real life issues from disability, to socio-economic inequality, to homophobia (both societal and internalised), to simply how messy break-ups can be.
Combined with the excellent writing this makes all the characters feel almost painfully like real people and makes every scene, from the light-hearted to the deeply serious, highly impactful.
This is one of those rare cases where I love a show so much I have virtually nothing to say about it, so I will simply leave you with this:
This series is incredibly meaningful both in how touching it is and in what it means for the queer community.
As a queer person, this story made me feel good - seen and respected and loved.
It's a perfectly paced, quietly angsty yet wholly comforting slice-of-life we all deserve.
Do yourself a favour and go watch it it you haven't already.

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The cracks are where the light comes in

This show is a quiet, sincere masterpiece well-deserving of the love audiences have shown it.
I didn't know if I was going to like this show when I started watching it, in fact I was fairly skeptical of the whole "forbidden love" angle.
But what I thought was going to be the biggest hurdle the show would have to overcome, in fact turned out to be its greatest strength.
Rather than being titillating and reveling in the taboo, this story is slow and introspective. Instead of focusing on romance, it prioritises exploring the inner lives of the characters, their complicated circumstances, emotions, and relationships.
We see the characters on their own almost as much as we see them interacting with one another, and when they are together found family and loving people by choice are very strongly thematised.
Paradoxically, this makes the show almost devastatingly romantic and touching. It doesn't make any grand, general statements, it simply explores, in great detail, the relationship between two people who are absolutely indispensable to one another and why that connection turns romantic. How, for these two specific people, a love like this can and does work.
Another completely unexpected highlight of the series is its understated humour which not only balances perfectly with the more serious tone the story strikes overall, but which is also often so clever or unexpected it made me laugh out loud several times.

Add to that the spectacular performances from the entire cast, excellent writing, beautiful and highly effective cinematography and editing, and a simple yet lovely soundtrack and it's clear why this series is so cherished by its viewers.
It's not entirely without its flaws, for example I would have loved to see Qian experience more character development in regards to his extreme protectiveness over his sister and how, intentionally or not, this ties into general misogynistic patterns of behaviour. Some of the gang sub-plots could also have been more fleshed out.
On the whole though these issues aren't nearly enough to diminish my high opinion of this show and certainly won't dissuade me from recommending it to others.
If you like slow, thoughtful, highly character-driven slice-of-life stories which, in their own way, highlight how in the end what it all comes down to is love, love, and love again, then this one is for you.
If you enjoy stories that explore the shifting and often blurry lines between different kinds of love, or that ask what it *really* means to form a family with someone, then this one is most definitely for you.

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A spectucular sunset of a show - vivid, warm, bursting with colour

Yeah, so this one is an absolute masterpiece.
I'm a complete sucker for slow, introspective coming-of-age/love-story hybrids so it's no surprise I fell head over heels in love with this show, but even my personal bias aside this series is, objectively, a damn triumph.
The cinematography, the frankly stunning performances, the recurring narrative themes, the sets... every aspect of this show is spectacular and the creators' deep love for their craft and their attention to detail is woven into its every facet.

Besides tackling the undeniable complex topic of disability, the show explores a variety of difficult and mature themes with great care and insight. It analyses grief in its various forms, complicated familial relationships and the nature of guilt and blame, as well as loneliness and isolation.
My absolute favourite of these themes, however, is the depictions of socio-economic differences and difficulties and the impact this has on every aspect of people's lives. Ever since watching Dark Blue Kiss it's been clear to me that P'Aof has a chip on his shoulder about the class divide in general and how it relates to queerness specifically and this is incredibly apparent here as well, in the portrayal of Mhok and his relationships to the people and world around him, as well as to the concepts of masculinity, queerness, and success. It may not be a main focus of the story, but a big part of Mhok's characters development stems from him coming to terms with his experiences of going through life as a former convict, society's view of him, and how this affects his perception of himself. It is nothing short of spectacular and I deeply appreciate the inclusion of these plot lines, however minor they may be.

And the characters... my god, the characters. If it wasn't already obvious from all my fawning in the previous paragraph, I am absolutely smitten with Mhok in particular, but quite honestly there isn't really anyone in the entire cast of characters whom I don't like or whose inclusion feels unnecessary.
Further personal favourites include Phojai - who is wonderfully multifaceted and deeply human character and whose relationship with Mhok means a whole lot to me personally - and Night, who is clearly a deeply traumatised person that carries his guilt around with him like a damn yoke but tries so incredibly hard anyway. His little tortured face will probably continue to ever so slightly haunt me for the rest of my life, to be honest.
And then there's Day who, in my opinion, is a surprisingly misunderstood and contentious character. I personally do not have any sort of significant visual impairment so take my opinions on the topic with a grain of salt, but I am firmly in the camp of "the disability rep in this show is really good, actually".
If I understand correctly, the showrunners made sure to get a lot of input from blind and otherwise disabled folks in order to depict the realities of their lives accurately and respectfully and it shows. The writing is never preachy or patronising, and Day isn't simply a tragic yet inspiring figure for the audience to project onto, no. He is a well fleshed-out, three-dimensional character with believable and deeply human flaws. His story is inspiring not because or in spite of his blindness, it's inspiring because his struggles with loneliness and isolation, with anger, resentment, and the complete collapse of his self-image are deeply relatable and pretty much universally applicable.
For further insight on this topic is especially in light of the show's ending, I highly recommend having a look at the "Some thoughts on the ending" topic in the Recent Discussions section, it might help anyone still feeling conflicted help sort out their thoughts :). Beware of spoilers though, obviously.

My one gripe with the story is how rushed the last episode feels in certain respects. The conflict feels realistic and makes sense for the characters, but really, couldn't we have brought it up just a few episodes earlier instead of keeping the dreaded episode 11 curse alive? I really think that showing more of Mhok's character growth as well as him dealing with his PTSD would have made the story feel more complete and well-rounded as well as helping to keep the pacing consistent.
In all honesty though, this is a relatively minor complaint compared to how fantastic this show is as a whole and it thankfully didn't even take away too much from my enjoyment of the ending.
I think I shed real actual tears when I saw Mhok had removed the little bandage from Rung's car so on the whole things balanced out for me.

In short, this is one of the most well-written, thoughtful queer shows in recent years. It is a timeless tale about hope and the resilience of the human spirit and if that sounds a bit too pretentious then let me assure you: it is, at its heart, a simple story about falling in love. Falling in love with people, with yourself, and with the world.
Go watch it already, you won't regret it, I promise!

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So wholesome and sweet it almost sent me into a diabetic coma

Aww hell, they really got me with this one. I wasn't expecting to like this show as much as I did but they won me over alright.
Plot-wise My School President doesn't really bring anything new to the table but through a combination of good writing, genuinely clever humour, and the occasional trope subversion it manages to make the story feel fresh and entertaining.
The young cast all deliver incredibly solid performances and the characters are all deeply charming.
Not only are the relationships depicted (romantic, platonic, or otherwise) wonderfully healthy and realistic - an absolute highlight for me personally are Tinn and Gun's respective relationships with their parents - the show also gains an edge by focusing on the more difficult aspects of teenage life as well as just on straight-forward fluff.
It explores how hard growing up can be, the difficulties of trying to find out who you are and what you want to do with your life, grief, failure, and the realities of being a young queer person in today's society.
It addresses all these topics with great care and and insight without ever getting too heavy or preachy about it.

I also really appreciate how uncompromisingly the story allows its main characters to take their relationship at their own pace. What starts off as a fun spin on the classic nerd/jock trope quickly develops into a slowly yet steadily building bond filled with mutual respect and fondness which the show uses to analyse the often blurry lines between platonic and romantic love as well as the differences between physical and emotional intimacy.
This all works together to paint an achingly sweet yet grounded picture of first love that had me, a grown ass adult, grinning like a fool much more often than I'd care to admit.

The show isn't perfect of course, it does have its flaws, but most of what I disliked about it was entirely down to personal taste. The sound track, for instance, did not work for me at all and the auto-tune hurt my soul a little bit, but a lot of people seem to genuinely love and appreciate this series for its music so you might really enjoy it as well.
It also has to be said that I am clearly not the target audience for this show, it's aimed at a younger demographic, so it's honestly a very pleasant surprise just how much there is to enjoy and love about the show for someone like me as well.

In short, MSP is a show that I would have loved as a tiny high-school baby gay, but which is still highly enjoyable even as an adult queer person. If you're in a the market for a well-written, deeply wholesome high-school rom-com with a good dash of realism as well as clever jokes, then this one is for you.
And if you're an old cynic who needs their cold heart dusted off a little bit, then this show might be just what you need as well.

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This absolute gem of a show deserves to be recognised!

These showmakers has a vision and goddamn did they ever commit to it! Translating a comedy manga into a live-action series can be challenging and often works best when certain exaggerated elements are toned down, but here the creators fully lean into the style of the source material, utilising camerawork, lighting, and editing to great effect and creating a stylised masterpiece. It is an absolute joy to watch which several people have, deservedly, compared to Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko.
Rather than the focus being on comedy however, like it is in that show, here the core of the series is a sweet and sensitive portrayal of a struggling artist learning to break free from expectations and pursuing love and happiness in their various forms.
The romance may be tame, but it feels real and heartfelt - given the show is based on the works of an openly gay mangaka, this authenticity may not exactly come as a surprise, but it is delightful nonetheless.
If you're in search of an uplifting slice-of-life series with great queer representation (Framboise is a personal highlight; he's eccentric, deeply likeable, and provides superb comedic relief without ever being the butt of the joke), highly lovable characters, and an endearing romance then look no further.

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Charming, stylised, gay - this show is basically perfect

Oh but I'm so happy I stumbled onto this little gem of a series!
The writing, acting, cinematography, and music are all pitch perfect and make the viewing experience a pure, utter joy.
The simple concept of having to people both entirely pre-occupied with each other while simultaneously completely incapable of talking to one another (a fantastic story-telling device that I already appreciate on its own) is utilised to its full potential and infused with so much clever humour I found myself laughing out loud at least once per episode
I love the approach of having both characters start out with completely different viewpoints of their situation - Mikage is thriving in her little teen-romance movie world while Hinata is essentially living a psychological horror thriller - and yet having them both equally fail at being in any way heterosexual about the whole thing.
Then, as the story progresses and the two get onto more even footing with one another, their relationship slowly begins to evolve into a deeply charming romance which is just as much of a joy to watch as the first couple of episodes, if not more so.
Sure, we only get to see the very beginnings of that changing relationship, but the story ends on a very satisfying note and is, in my opinion, great to watch as a delightful little mini romcom.
The sapphics win big time with this one, go watch it right now.

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The colours! The needless melodrama! The genuine emotions!!

I had the time of my life with this show, let me tell you.
At first it intrigued me by taking an age-old soulmate trope (age-old to fanfiction writers anyway - thank you for your service, gentlefolk), giving it a bit of spit and polish, and turning it into an actual TV show.
Then it entertained me with its wonderful, over-the-top teen angst. When you're young all of your emotions are just way to big for body to contain, every moment of joy is magnified, every failure evokes utter despair, and love... well, that feels just a little bit like the end of the world.
Really good stories know how to lean into this and provide thoughtful, realistic portrayals of youth that audiences of all ages can enjoy. Best-selling stories know how to take these emotions to their extremes and that's how you get delightful abominations like Twilight.
This show, I thought, is going to be gay soulmate Twilight and I am here for every ludicrous second of it!

But then, finally, the series completely hooked me by somehow being none and all of the above at the same time.
The plot is indeed something straight out of a fanfiction, but the general tone, pacing, and writing make it all seem fresh and new.
The characters and their emotions are intense, dramatic, and utterly, disarmingly sincere. Forget being shielded by a thick layer of sheer mirth, this show punched its way straight through all my silly, goofy expectations and demanded I actually care about its characters.
Yes, the story is still somewhat ridiculous and over-the-top, there's unresolved plot-threads galore, and most of the angst could have been avoided if only everyone involved just went to therapy.
But the characters feel real and there is such genuine care, love, and humour woven into the script it actually makes you sit up and listen. Someone clearly had a vision for this story, they knew what they were making and they pulled it off exactly as planned.
But why, why this combination of deep care and utter ludicrousness?
Well, to me it all starts to make sense if you consider the show as a parable. And I don't just mean the clear thematic metaphors of queer love and homophobia, though lord knows there's those as well.
No, I mean the drama as a whole. The vast and unfamiliar world we're thrust into and expected to accept unquestioningly. The extreme highs and lows of emotions, the hurried pacing, the picture-perfect happy ending, the COLOURS.
It's a parable, and a damn effective one at that, about fear and desire and a desperate, clawing search for love.
It teaches us that, though freedom, love, and identity can feel overwhelming and all-consuming if you've been deprived of them, there is nothing more important than opening yourself up to them anyway and that, once you do, you won't be swept away by some uncontrollable force, no, life just sort of... continues. It becomes ordinary, beautifully mundane even.

Maybe I'm reading to much into it all, maybe this really is gay soulmate Twilight and if you enjoy it that way, that's fine too.
But to me this is a really rather clever little drama which uses a highly stylised format to incisively analyse the terrors of love and desire from a distinctly queer viewpoint.
There are honestly endless ways to enjoys this series so give it a try - watch it and see, maybe you'll get something entirely different and unique out of the experience.

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Simple, Sweet, Excellent

What a calming watch this little show was.
The story is entirely driven by the complex inner lives of its main characters, two utterly ordinary people in more or less entirely ordinary circumstances, which are explored with such skill and deftness it renders the need for any outside conflict to their relationship entirely obsolete. It's a character-driven drama par excellence masquerading as a simple rom-com and for that alone I'd consider it worth watching.
Add to that the fact that the story and characters are absolutely delightful and deeply endearing, the editing and themes are cohesive and perfectly underscore the plot (the little dating sim-style vignettes of their time in high school in particular are brilliant), the performances are stellar, and the music is fantastic and has been stuck in my head since I first watched the show, well you essentially end up with a must-watch show, in my opinion.
It's a realistic, low-stakes drama with boundless charm and a great appreciation and understanding for love as a transformative force in all of human existence which very much resonated with me.
"Happy endings aren't guaranteed and might not even exist in real life", it says. "But choosing love every time? That's real. That's worthwhile."
And honestly, it couldn't be more right about that.

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Made my heart sing and my soul do a happy little jig

I adore this show to pieces. Everything about it is truly excellent, from the writing, to the cinematography, to the music.
It was apparently produced by the same team behind Blueming and it absolutely shows.
There is so much queer love, joy, and authenticity woven through the entire story, it completely knocked me flat.

The characters are all incredibly charming and well written. The supporting characters are well-rounded and unique and each contribute to the story in meaningful ways. Even the main antagonist is portrayed as a complex, multi-faceted human being whose motivations and actions are logical, even understandable to a certain degree.

The show also excels at portraying intimacy. The relationship between the main characters is perfectly, messily, joyfully real. Rarely have I seen (queer) friendship portrayed so lovingly and realistically, with so much open affection and casual physical closeness. This series really says "Cuddle your homies, tell them you love them." and it is absolutely right about that.
The slow progression from deep friendship to a more romantic relationship is flawlessly paced and the show makes a point of exploring the often blurry lines between different types of love and how those distinctions can both be almost completely unnecessary and deeply needed at the same time.
All of this is perfectly underscored by the editing and cinematography, whose expertly used close-ups and warmly-coloured static shots enhance the impact of each emotional scene tenfold.

So if you want a show full of queer complexity and subtlety, fantastic music, charming humour, and absolutely filled to the brim with joy and love in all its different forms, then this series is perfect for you. I honestly cannot recommend it highly enough.

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A simple story of two people finding happiness in good food and in each other

This has to be one of the coziest dramas I have ever watched. It's calming and slow-paced without ever becoming uninteresting or boring. It also made me incredibly hungry every time I watched an episode, but that is only to be expected from a Japanese series centered around food.
I also really enjoy the was the show emphasises the importance of female friendship, of finding companionship and building a life that makes you happy despite the myriad of little rules society loves imposing on its members, specifically on women.
Furthermore, I find Yuki's slow realisation and exploration of her feelings towards Kasuga incredibly well done and I'd love to see their relationship evolve further.
I will never get enough of love stories (be they romantic, platonic, or otherwise) told through the medium of good food and I simply can't wait for season 2.
Do yourself a favour and watch this show. Do prepare some snacks first though, you'll probably need them.

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Aromantic or not, I fell in love with this show

I cannot begin to describe the feeling of seeing myself represented on screen this way. I have never seen a show featuring aro-ace characters that are central to the plot, much less a show where they get to be main characters. I am so insanely grateful for this drama's existence and even more grateful to see all the aro-ace people in the comments finding joy and solace in this story just like me.

The way the writers portray the leads is simply excellent as well. They both have distinct personalities and interests and their character arcs don't simply evolve around their sexualities. It's made clear that their identities are an important part of their lives, but certainly not the only part. Seeing the two of them grow and evolve as people over the course of the show is a genuine pleasure to watch.

I will say that quite a few of the side characters annoy me immensely and I don't enjoy how some of their storylines were handled. Some plot points felt a bit unnecessary or out of place to me as well. However, all in all I still feel that the good of this show far outweighs the bad.

There is no singular aro-ace experience and the series doesn't try to pretend that there is. It offers a glimpse into the lives of two specific people in a way that will feel familar to most aro-ace people at least to a certain degree and which will give others the opportunity to learn just a little bit about one of the least well known sexualities.
For that alone I highly recommend you give this show a shot.

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