美しい彼 S1

I really enjoyed this series, and ended up finishing it faster than expected; “just one more episode” I told myself, over and over again...

The series follows the nascent romance between two high school classmates, which slowly blossoms after they graduate and pursue their dreams. There’s a lovely scene of the two when they’re still students, riding a bike together by the river in spring, which is mirrored in the final episode.

The story was well-paced, and I was particularly impressed by the actor who played Kiyoi - even more so when I learned this was his first acting role. There were a few things, however, that kept me from loving it:

• It’s basically a love story between a bully and his victim
• I didn’t like Hira’s killing spree fantasies
• I found Hira’s acting over the top at times (particularly when he’s surprised)

Although the language level was a bit high for me, the story itself is pretty simple, so I didn’t have any trouble following it.

Overall, an enjoyable BL series that kept me hooked. And now I'm off to watch season 2!

TW: bullying, gun violence