Life: Senjou No Bokura (Japanese Series) [Life: Love on the Line]

After watching a few long BL series, this 4 episode, very much to-the-point series was like a breath of fresh air. There were no unnecessary side stories to distract you from its main protagonists, no forced comedy and all of the other actors had something concrete to add to the main story. The series uses age as time line to show the progress of love between two individuals , not just dealing with each other but also the society and family.

One day after school, the serious Ito Akira and the child-like Nishi Yuki meet by chance, as each endeavors to remain walking on the sidewalk`s white line. Soon Ito realizes he is drawn to Nishi in a way that is new to him. Ito decides to act upon his feelings and kisses a surprised Nishi, who agrees they need to walk side by side for a change. The sparks between them are undeniable as their relationship blossoms in high school when they are 17. At 19 they both enter university and are very much in love, although you can see that Nishi Yuki needs sometime for the sexual aspect of the relationship. Time flies and the duo are in mid twenties. Ito is an ambitious man and understands value of work but Yuki still prefers to be a free spirit and enrolls himself in a scripting class. With the realities constantly changing around them, and inability to come out of closet to face his overbearing mother, Ito decides to breakup with Yuki and marries a girl in hope to start a 'normal' family. Heartbroken Yuki doesn't know what hit him and he is quite low. Few years into marriage Ito realizes that this is not what he stands for and however hard he try, he will never be able to forget his first and only true love. He apologizes to Yuki. They are in their early 30s by now, confronts himself, his family in hope to be with his love, this time forever.

This short series bears witness to loving partners, whose unchanging feelings must co-exist within a world of changing realities. The actors very convincingly played 17 year olds and 32 years old with equal ease. They conveyed there emotions very well and there was no awkwardness at all. I could feel their love for one another through the screen. Using age as timeline, sometime you feel that you are losing out on how their relationship is growing and since. A lot was to be shown, I actually didn't mind it. What I did feel bad was about the way Ito breaks up with Yuki. Thats not just done on how you break up with someone. But having said that I can understand things that people are forced to do with societal pressure and family pressure. I have to say that this story is much more Ito focused than Nishi. While Nishi does get the screen time and important moments to demonstrate his character, his conflicts are less concrete.

The one is short and sweet and maybe a little bitter, but I would definitely recommend it. Loving someone is not easy and constant, especially when so much around you is changing. (7/10)

The Shortest Distance is Round 3: Fallen Flowers

Continuing with the weird trilogy of "The Shortest Distance", I am so glad that finally I am done with part 3 and won't have to deal with this again in future. Thankfully, as of now the makers have not announced any further parts; which will save all of us on this earth from the embarrassment of watching this in near future. After the first 10 minutes are used in sort of recapping bits of first two parts, the story moves forward. Haruto is now starting to have feelings for Ruka, the mysterious pole dancer from second part. In a fit of rage, Ruka ends up killing the goat man and to save him and Haruto, Shibahara asks them to go underground. Meanwhile Shibahara continues the search for Seiya (the guy who had cut off Haruto's penis). It turns out Seiya is now also taking care of the original club owner from part 1. Both of them were released after they had informed Shibahara of Aoyama's secret location. Shibahara tortures Seiya's boyfriend leading to Seiya killin

One Summer Night (Korean)

I really wanted to like this film but for non native speakers, these movie leaves a lot to be understood and the way scenes were unfolding in front of me, I wasn't sure many times what was really going on. The story had potential button getting any back story on any of the characters limited my ability to empathize with any of these actors. Film starts with two North Korea military guys Yong Joon and Jae Sung having sex and they are caught red handed and they run. Three years later we see Yong Joon in Seoul leading a very mundane and poor life. He has a boyfriend Tae-Kyu, who is a weird guy. He is carefree, doesn't do any work and is completely emotional and financially dependent on Young Joon. In fact, even Yong Joon will go to any lengths to protect him , fend for him and taking care of him to the extent of even taking up prostitution. Suddenly one day Jae Sung appears in their life again. His motivation is not clear but it is obvious he wants Yong Joon back in his life, who

Ultimate masturbation: Shigoki no yama (Japanese) [The Ultimate Masturbation]

I would never know what was the point behind making this film. Was it supposed to be a comedy, cos it wasn't. It wasn't even porn. It was just a silly attempt at making something absolutely senseless and ridiculous. The story, as well as direction is equally shoddy. You could laugh for having seen something so bad, but I wouldn't call that comedy. An old man runs a camp about gay masturbation. The explanation given is that gays masturbate for pleasure unlike straight men, for whom the act is seen as shame or because they can't find a woman. One day a straight man shows up and wants to join the camp for his thesis. After discussion, he is allowed in. Rules include that you can masturbate together, you can masturbate one another, but there is no fellatio or anal sex. Some students of course breaks rule. The teacher then talks about 2 forms of masturbation which gives ultimate pleasure. He shows one without touching and then refuses to talk of the other. Somehow suddenly,

Sailor Maan said…

Beautiful bitter sweet short series. The first episode was such a happy feeling one. And I loved the poetic metaphore with the lines all through the series. One thing that really bugs me is the supposed timeline though. Waiting 2 years to have sex, still hiding their relationship after living together for 11years... Replace years by months and I would find it believable. The way Ito breaks up with Nishi is so cold hearted, the reasons he gives are totally off topic for a long time couple too. However it gives a glimpse of social pressure in Japan, which is always interesting. Other than that, the cast does an amazing job. As you said, it's impressive they can play 17 and 33years old with so much ease. Time don't have effect on them, I'm utterly jealous lol. If you can go read the manga ending as it closes the whole story in a beautiful way (spoiler: when they die at an old age, they reunite on the line going to heaven)

February 5, 2021 at 5:06 AM

Golu said…

I have never read any manga. I am not sure that's my thing. But the ending from it that you hav mentioned above sounds soooooooo beautiful and poetic considering how they met navigating the line.

February 5, 2021 at 4:12 PM

You might actually like reading some manga since you've already liked some BL coming from them. This one is very easy and quick to read (there are far less things than in the series), I can send you the link if you want: kevin.rentchler@gmail.com. You'll just have to adapt reading from right to left haha.

February 8, 2021 at 4:58 AM

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