This dark gritty Japanese BL is something I was not expecting. The story focuses on a Yakuza bodyguard assigned to kill his young boss. The premise sounds interesting but the execution was just weird. There were lot of problems with the show like violence, abuse, coercion and even forcing themselves sexually. Eventually it somewhere becomes. BL with some nonsense stuff. Thankfully the series was only 6 episodes of about 26-30 minutes each. Kataoka is a respected yakuza leader. His boss has grown old and frail, unable to manage the organization anymore. Leadership now falls to the boss's son, Keito. He assigns Odajima as Kataoka's new handler to keep him in check. Kataoka is impulsive and treats Odajima aslmost as a servant even forcing sex on him. But beneath the rough exterior, Kataoka occasionally reveals a gentler side. Odajima, on the other hand, is stoic and distant, keeping his emotions under tight control. What Kataoka doesn't know is that Odajima has a hidden agen...
Just like the original, here the focus of the season is Robbe, a young teen struggling with family and his own sexuality. He gets a girlfriend, much sooner than any of his other boy friends. But he knows something is off and doesn't feel very sexual for the girl. On one of the seaside trips, he meets another boy names Sander. He is mysterious, attractive and something about him that instantly attracts Robbe towards him. They both feel a certain chemistry towards each other but turns out that Sander also has a girlfriend. So for a few days neither of them make a move, until one day hanging out, they share their first kiss, underwater in a pool. Robbe is confused, but thanks to his very underrating gay roommate Milan, who becomes his friend/philosopher and guide, he is able to share his feelings and what he issuing through with him. Robbe and Sander decide to be together but Sander's behaviors often leaves Robbe confused. Every time he says that the duo will be together forever, Robbe finds Sander back with his girlfriend and he does't know how to handle it. During this process he also eventually comes out gay to his best friends who take the news very positively but in their own time. If you know the story, we know it's the big mental breakdown scene that we are waiting for. The same happens here where Sander has a big episode and he finally loses his shit and Robbie is super confused on how to handle the situation. HIs friend coaches him on how to handle people with bipolar disorder. Robbe finally decides to take matters in his hand and be there for Sander minute by minute. Het gets ample support from his friends and roommate. Sander knows he needs to get better. The season ends with a big Christmas party, where the lovers are now getting closer again and very much in love with each other with support from friends at the Christmas party.
Believe it or not, the first thing that I noticed in the whole show was the most amazing soundtrack. The songs just fit every and every situation and just add to the brilliance of the overall show. I normally don't even pay attention to these kind of details but here it was evident that a lot of thought had gone into picking the right song for the situations and it works. Coming to the main leads here, the guys are absolutely gorgeous , especially the mysterious Sander. Their chemistry is off the roof, they look amazing together and just super beautiful. My only issue here is that I felt the actor playing Sander didn't really internalize the mental health issue that Sander is dealing with to portray it out. I felt something was lacking there, but I am willing to completely ignore it. All the amazing paintings that Sander makes for Robbe were all beautiful. I appreciated that they still kept the character of the gay roommate Milan who is there very step of the way for Robbe and probably the only person Robbe can talk to. Despite having seen the same story twice before, every time a teenager like Robbe is struggling with sexuality, it tugs your heart. Th struggle and confusion is real. As it is being teenage is hard, with studies and here Robbe has family issues and now sexuality. Talk about pressure. But Sander comes as a breath of fresh air and their chemistry is electrifying. Also for a change both the leads actually felt teenagers and people who you may know who could be in love. At this point I also have to mention, that I did like Robbie's girl roommates boyfriend Senne. For whatever reason I don't remember much of this character from previous versions , but he was a sane, sorted and a very very reliable friend. Even in the small role he had, he left an impression on me. Oh! And his brother Victor, who shows up all in just one scene, my go!! Hew as extremely extremely handsome. How I wish he was playing one of the leads. Lol. Jokes apart this version deals with the complexity of love, sexuality, coming out, and mental issues exactly how you would have expected a remake to have done that.
At some point I will watch other versions too, just need a break. I am and will always have the softest corner for the original Norwegian version. I will never not love this storyline, no matter how many times I watch a remake, and this was a pretty good one at that. This came in just a little short from the previous two versions but still a very good one at that. (7.5/10)
Comments
I agreee that each of these countries have tried to keep the spirit alive of SKAM. Unfortunately US did only the first two seasons and never go to do the gay storyline, which is a bummer. I now need a break for few months or a year before I pick up the next country and watch one of my favorite stories all over again, albeit in a different setting.
It was good to see that the makers kept the best scenes from the original and added some of their own that were just as amazing. Like the prank Milan and Robbe play on Moyo, the bike race in the St. Anna's tunnel and the breathtaking mural by Sander. This version had so many "my" things that I've lost count how many times I've rewatched it - drawing my crush, art academy, two men having a deep conversation, eyes, LASHES... The only thing that made me flinch a little was instant karma being a little too instant, when Robbe and Sander get beaten up.
I tried to pick out a few actors/characters, but gave up - the whole cast is chosen so well and everyone does a great job. Especially Milan with his million different smiles and Sander with his amazing voice and the way he masters it. Seriously, if he is hired to read an audio book one day (for example "My Family and Other Animals", with various characters and voices), I'd keep listening to it over and over again.
The multiverse line works so well here, just as in the Norwegian original, adding Sander declaring his feelings for Robbe with "...in every parallel universe..." made it even better.
If you want to see more of Senne and Viktor, they both are more present in S2 (Zoe's season), but Viktor is...eem... not so good character. That's putting it mildly. Hope you like the actor Jonathan Michiels more than Viktor :D /Meanwhile in the green room yours truly is sapio-crushing and drooling over a smart and sweet serial killer (Joe Goldberg from "You") and tries to hide the shame of cheating on young Hannibal Lecter. No success whatsoever :D /
That mural by Sander was AMAZING !!
Thx for the recommendation on season 2; but honestly I seriously doubt I will ever watch it. There is way too much only plate right now and work is just getting busier. Just hope I can keep up my spirit here. As you know there are plenty (some really good ones) films and TV series in the straight world too :)
Latest season of You is still in my list. Need to get to it at some point. I just finished 'Last of Us' and seriously find it highly overrated, (but thats just me)
Speaking of stuff waiting on the list... while everyone else (and Youtube :D ) has already forgotten that there once was a series named "Wednesday", I still haven't seen it :D And "The Menu" is also trying to guilt trip me, while I rewatch "Two Heads Creek" and "Les traducteurs". Yes, I have shame, but I don't feel it :D