In spite of the dark undertones which often colour Japanese BL (because, let's face it, it's part of their yaoi tradition), you've gotta hand it to them - they know how to tell interesting stories in beautiful ways, which is why over and over again I find their BL outputs to be far superior to the ones from other Asian countries. They are not always going to pander to giggly girls, they are not going to dosh out that standard buff guy in the shower shot; in fact, they will make fun of this by giving you a really mediocre dude in the shower so we can laugh at ourselves and this weird and wonderful genre (yes, I am referring to Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko). This show will no doubt rub people the wrong way, especially those who are new to BL and prefer the fluffy versions. The master/slave dynamic between the two leads is really painful to watch, but that's why it's compelling and it is these dark parts of both of their characters which make them so intriguing to watch. I can't say too much without spoiling it for you but I just want to say the last episode of this show has gone down in history as a personal favourite for me. There was no way of knowing how it was going to play out, but ermagerrrd the revelation and conclusion was so beautifully executed that I had to rewatch it a few times to wrap my head (and heart) around it - aaaaaahhhhhh! <3

The actors are so good in their roles - they really managed to highlight the nice and not-so-nice parts of themselves through nuanced acting. Their chemistry is as complicated and conflicted as their love story. Parts of this show are so beautiful to look at - I was reminded of ITSAY every now and then. This is by no means perfect but that's what makes it a really good watch. I look forward to seeing these actors again!