Eien no Kinou (2022)

Bitter and Sweet

This gotta be one of the best JBL. The plot is interesting and well written. I loved how it clearly tells us what kind of series this would be. That it would have a sad ending that would make us cry buckets. But did that made it hurt less? No, it actually hurt even more because it makes us hopeful that maybe all will be happy even though there is a very slim chance of that happening. Also by the end, I loved how we see the POV of the other character, it makes that things that we have witness even more impactful and finally I loved that the pacing is good. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't slow and we only focused on these two characters. Now the acting is just phenomenal. Both the actors portrayed their characters really well and also they are not afraid to kiss. Japanese Bl is infamous for its dead fish kiss but here, the actors actually kiss properly. So that amazed me. The ost was so nice. It set the mood for the series really well. Overall this is a really great bl. A unique plot, great acting and great ost. Beautifully well done.

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Understated and Underrated

We have here an atypical BL with pre-college schoolboys as the main characters. There is innocence, cuteness and sweetness, but this is certainly not a lighthearted BL. It's serious and melancholic, but it also manages to be moving without being excessively sappy. The youth of the main characters accentuates their sense of helplessness when it comes with coping with loss and separation that is all too premature but (perhaps) inevitable.

I didn't know what to expect at first though I was half-expecting something tragic immediately after I started watching the first episode. Let's just say it features a vehicle, the notorious bane of more than one couple in the history of BL. I wondered: Is it just a story that ends with the death of one of the main characters? Are we merely being shown the sad ending right from the start before a flashback to the past for the next seven episodes?

Then, soon enough, the apparently bizarre premise of a corpse that continues to be "alive" made me wonder if the story was some necrophiliac fantasy.

Yet, watching on, the story seems more plausibly a contemplation of the separation and loss that is inevitable in every relationship. Sure, no one in real life is going to have a boyfriend who appears to be alive in every way except for being physically dead and slowly becoming invisible to more and more people. (A corpse that even manages to have an erection, anyone?) Yet, isn't loss and separation inevitable in every relationship started (and we don't even know when they will take place) unless everyone becomes immortal? It's a truth that we know but don't consciously confront all the time, but how do we cope when we are made to confront it incessantly? Perhaps we would treasure every moment spent with those we love more, but perhaps the constant confrontation would also add more than a tinge of melancholy even in the most joyful moments of a relationship.

While the BL couple in the series is young (complete with youthful awkwardness at times), the intensity of their love comes across as being really strong. The fateful moment when Koichi pushes Mitsuru away from an approaching vehicle highlights the intensity of Koichi's love. It does not appear to be a conscious decision on Koichi's part but an instinctive one. He has yet to even display shock on his face at the coming vehicle but his hand has already pushed Mitsuru away to protect him. The poignance of the scene is also intensified because it comes after a conversation that sounds like Koichi is merely joking or saying something sweet to flirt with Mitsuru when he tells Mitsuru that he always stands on his left to protect him. It turns out that he really means it. On Mitsuru's part, his love is no less intense as it seems to be the reason Koichi continues to be "alive" after becoming a corpse.

What makes Eternal Yesterday unique as a BL series is the relatively understated way in which the love and bond between the couple is shown. There is no obvious lovelorn pinning on either of the main characters before they become a couple, unlike so many BLs where the attraction between the couples seem somewhat frivolous. The actors are look good, but the focus is not on their physical attractiveness and I think Koichi's good looks may even have been deliberately downplayed. In the synopsis, Koichi is said to be the most popular boy in school, but unlike many BL stories featuring a popular boy in school (you know, those characters with legions of hysterical fans in school, with camera angles, filters and make-up all meant to emphasise how perfect they are in terms of looks or some other department), Koichi is portrayed as a relatively ordinary person who tells Mitsuru he does not have anything to offer him. A lot depends on the direction, actors' performances and the viewer's sensitivity to the nuances in the scenes, and I think these don't disappoint. The short scene in Ep 6 after the couple bump into the driver of the vehicle that knocks Koichi down exemplifies this. The dialogue is simple and brief, and yet it is such an emotionally powerful scene.

I think Eternal Yesterday is a series that deserves more love from BL fans. When a BL series like Cutie Pie gets a rating of 7.8 on MDL, I don't know why Eternal Yesterday gets a comparable 7.9. Perhaps it is the most underrated BL of the year (or more than just the year)!

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Sweet like candy with a doom filled center.

This was a nice story that was undercoated by dread. From the horrible shock of the accident, then the disbelief that we are supposed to follow a story like this, then being fully on board because the story was just so nice, then trying to decide if that last episode would be watched or forever skipped. The entire show was pierced with a feeling of dread knowing the only way it could end. The thing is, that in the opening credits, you see them having a great time camping and think maybe there will be a twist. I assume that was deliberate. The two main actors were amazing in this. I hope that separately or together, they do a lot more acting so I can see them again.
I had to knock down the Rewatch rating. I really don't think I could go through that again.

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"A momentary illusion once again, true love is always there."

Well, this was a way of showing the 5 stages of grief while throwing strong symbolic and relatable content into the mix. The fact that this is a BL is a bonus too. It's quite a shame that this drama is underrated, because although the theme seems a bit disturbing and morbid at first glance, when one considers a BL with such a ship, this unique plot transcends all that entirely.

This BL story goes beyond the typical love story.
It's about a first love tale; most of them are doomed not to last.
This one took 2 years too bloom, alas when it did it was already too late.

"It was in the blink of an eye. It was so sudden, it was inevitable. I couldn't do anything." - Mitsuru

It starts with the ending, and ends with a possibility of a new start.
(Although, it seems there's a cycle too, of when a person is stuck in the past.)
Confusing? Perhaps, but the drama is fairly complex and simple at the same time.
All it takes is to read in between the lines, analyze the symbolic value it presents in the scenes and lines.

The content is relatable. It tackles life and death in a calm, soothing way.
Almost too natural in an unnatural way. Then again, Japanese dramas are keen in this thematic.
They are able to teach valuable lessons, and make it look like it's a natural, mundane rite of passage.

The way this drama was wrapped was beautiful, heartwarming and bittersweet.

"How can we heal the sorrow of what was given and taken away?" - Mitsuru

When people start to forget Koichi's existence, and seeing Mitsuru's frustrated was painful.

Those we lose still live in our memories, in our hearts, there's always resurrection, when time passes the memory lasts but the image of the person sometimes fades without us realizing it does. We find ourselves forgetting about those we cared about, and then remembering them from time to time. It's the natural course of life. This drama handles those themes in a light way, but in the underlines of the meaning of their lines, their scenes and the plot the message is there.

The five stages of grief are highly represented by our main lead Mitsuru.

"I cried so much that my whole body turned into tears. But in the end... the sadness did not go away at all. " -Mitsuru

He can't let go of Koichi. He denies the truth, lives with the pain, and knows he has to embrace reality.
The connection of a newborn baby, in the birth of Koichi's little sister, shows that while in death and loss there's also life. It goes on, the living keep on living, time waits for no one. The concept of Koichi being trapped in eternal yesterday, it's a ephemeral miracle. Perhaps the will to hang on to life a little longer, to his love, to his unfinished and unresolved love story. Mitsuru's feelings that keep him there, and make him well co-exist. But, nothing lasts forever. And neither will he. The departure is eminent and they have to deal with it. Make peace with the situation, acknowledge their pain and predicament.

From the very start we know where this will leads us, and yet we still follow the ride.
Very much like Mitsuru and Koichi who seemed enthralled by their first glance, we find ourselves wanting more.
Hoping for a miracle, albeit knowing it's impossible. Wishing that there's a happy fairytale ending instead of reality.

I think it's realistic as to where or how it ends. It was meant to be a moral fantasy story after all.
Maybe it was mostly all in Mitsuru's head, his profound wish for it to be true. To have Koichi near him.
Or maybe it was really an odd miracle provided just for them, in a short term. Koichi was his shield and Mitsuru his life.

Komiya Rio and Inoue Sora did a phenomenal job in their roles. I can only praise then. Rio's character was a hard one to portray and to be believable. A living corpse, the walking dead, not a zombie, not entirely dead but not alive either. And yet he did it. The pain, the struggles, the longing and his love for Mitsuru is there implicit even before the accident. Mitsuru being more reserved, took him more time to acknowledge his feelings and maybe that's why it was so hard for him to let go, and what made Koichi wait. But time was against them, and as much as Koichi and him wanted to stay and last, it was for the best that it ended.

Rio's sorrow as he cried in the last episode, broke my heart.
They were too pure, and their cute first love was robbed too soon.

"Koichi. You're still my number one. I love you the most." -Mitsuru

There can only be a number one. Despite the room in our hearts, there's always a special person in it.
For Mitsuru it will always be Koichi. I love that the sensei took a picture of them, it validates that it was real?
It's a memento, a token to keep close to the heart. Even after years, Mitsuru still can't forget his first love.

The story is mostly under the perspective of Mitsuru, but I liked that in the end we have an insight of Koichi.
As he describes their first meeting, his on growing feelings for Mitsuru and their journey. The tender love and enthusiasm in his voice as he tells the details, is endearing, despite bittersweet, since we all know where it leads.

"I didn't know how many first-year high school students there were that year. But meeting Mitchan was a miracle to me. He looked scary. However... He looked at me with a strong gaze. Yes. I fell in love. I never thought I would fall for a man. So I was surprised. But it didn't matter. As long as it's Mitchan." - Koichi

The real definition of he fell first, but the other fell harder could he applied to these two.

Superb acting from the main leads, Komiya Rio and Inoue Sora.
Once again Japan is able to present a strong plot but make it somehow emotional, a fantasy more a less realistic and symbolic and not a dark, heavy and only tragic.

The OST is great, I really enjoyed it. The intro song called Sunshower by Ayumu Imazu is so alluring given his vocals, and the lyrics so meaningful. Meanwhile the ending theme called Eternal by Aoi Kubo, is graceful and emotional at the same time.

And the whole cinematography and overall coloring of the drama too. Despite the gloom, it holds a warm filter. It focuses more on the male leads, the support characters appear for that purpose only. They don't create unnecessary drama inside of the drama, or add more complexity to the plot. They are meant for value and that's about it. The dialogues are intelligent and mostly to reveal hidden truths and relatable lessons for us the viewers to notice.

It's a mature first love drama. Not suitable for those who idealize typical romance or only want fair happy endings.
If you are not ready for a heartbreak, for a few tears, and valuable moral lessons, then this drama is not for you.

Don't let the theme or the first episode discourage you from seeing all 8 amazing episodes and grasp the tragic beauty and value that this drama holds. It's wistful, and bittersweet but there is a refined grace to it in the way it teaches it's content. To the purity of the main characters, or the soothing way they talk and how the scenes present themselves. To the pent-up emotions, confessions and revelations. To how the story unfolds. What could be truly tragic would be missing all of this, just because it doesn't settle with the overall idealization of what a love story and BL should be like, or if it has or not a happy or sad ending to begin with.

If you can see all this combined then give it a go.
Have a tissue box and heart ready, are my words of advice.

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A beautiful sad love...and so much more.

First of all I just want to say that this series blew me away! If you even lost somebody you loved you can definitely relate to it. Well...to be honest even if you are luck enough to say that you've never lost a loved one, you will be moved by this story.

PLOT: Our narrator, Mitsuru, guide us through the entire 8 episodes. He starts by telling how his life changed after meeting Koichi. They were in the same class, but didn't know each other. Mitsuru is a classic smart sad loner, and Koichi a nice popular jock. Since the first time their eyes met, they fell deeply in love. Koichi did everything is his power to get closer to Mitsuru, and it took him a while to do it...but they became inseparable.

Unfortunately, while walking to school Koichi gets hit by a truck (those fucking white trucks that loves killing our beloved characters AAAHHHH **screams in pure hatred**) in front of our boy Mitsuru. Its pretty clear that Koichi couldn't have possibly survived the hit, but there he is...."alive" and breathing. Both of them go through an incredibly emotional journey.....going through all stages of grief.

The story was put together beautifully!! Their feelings were tangible....their interactions were 100% believable, even though I knew it was just a series about a walking corpse and his bf. But still it was very moving to watch those boys navigating through their loss and emotions. Definitely a MUST WATCH!

CAST / CHARACTERS: OMFG AMAZING!!!!! Every single actor hit their mark. I don't remember the last time I said that. Just beautiful work from everyone! Koichi and Mitsuru are wonderful! Supporting cast too. Zero complaints from me.

The writers are 10/10. I feel like a broken record but I am at a loss of words. Can't really describe the feeling after just watching it. You have to let it marinate a little....let the emotions settle. What a beautiful series.

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Excellent show if you can handle the tragedy in your romances

Well, this show destroyed me like I knew it would, but in a good way. It was deeply sad but honest about that the whole way through, and also managed to deliver a lot of moments of joy even as it never let you forget the mounting dread. It also featured one of the most authentic feeling young romances I’ve seen in awhile.

It felt like the creators had a really strong grasp on the story they wanted to tell, and all the elements came together perfectly. The themes around grief and love and loss were clear, the plotting and pacing were precise, the chemistry from the main pair worked wonderfully, and the acting was top notch (especially the actor playing Mitsuru, his eyes are gonna haunt me).

This is definitely not for everyone - if you can’t handle tragedy in your BL or romances that don’t end HEA, you should give this a skip. But if you don’t mind that on occasion, this is one of the most poignant shows I’ve seen in a long while and very much worth the watch.

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I will never forget you till the day I die. You are my Number 1.

When I watched Make Our Days Count, I was devastated and left traumatized by the ending. So if I were to describe MODC, I'll say it was beautiful and tragic. But Eternal Yesterday leaves me with a bittersweet ending. I don't think it was tragic, I wish to refer to it as a beautiful series, maybe because I already knew that it'll be a sad ending.

Cherry Magic used to be my favourite Japanese Bl because of its healthy and heartwarming story, but I think it just got dethroned ?

God this series was well written and executed, the two leads delivered nothing short of spectacular acting. I was forming hard girl hard girl, telling myself that I won't cry , up until Koichi started narrating how they met ? God I broke down ? I bawled and I cried so hard.?

And what Mitchan said about some people being irreplaceable? I totally agree. No matter how much time that passes, no matter the number of years that goes by, your number 1 will always be your number 1.
It reminds me of Leslie Chung's Lover ?

This is a show that is worth watching even tho it doesn't have a happy ending. Trust me,you definitely won't regret watching it.

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A gem...but not everyone's cup of tea!

People saying its disturbing... With the living corpse and all. And yet, they watch vampire shows and movies with no problem. Vampires are DEAD too! It's fiction so treat it as such? Anyway... Yeah, it was a beautiful drama, great actors and chemistry, great work behind the cameras... Everything was masterfully done. I gave it an 9 for the ending. Even tho i'm good with a sad ending because it gives life a little spice, im still a sucker for happy-endings,so yeah... I know i expected it to be sad, but there still was a teenie tiny hope that some other miracle might happen. So yeah... Worth the watch, but keep a box of tissues near-the tears are gonna flood. ??????

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Ahh my first bl drama. I didn't even knew it was a tragic bl but like after episode 1 i found out it was a tragic story i usually don't like tragic story but i was so fascinated by watching them together i watched the whole series..if i put it. simply it's a great drama .. but the accident scene where koichi gets hit by truck the blood on koichi wasn't really looking realistic but i wouldn't cut any points for that because i simply adore them. ..gosh i fell in love with rio koimya(koichi) ..<3 not gonna lie i cried my eyes out when koichi disappeared.. lol my whole pillow was soaked with tears

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A Metaphor For Mourning, Regret, Coping, and Letting Go.

Many people when reading the summary for this drama may find the concept silly, but the show uses it masterfully to show how different people cope with death.
The biggest thing in the drama is forgetting about someone when they're gone, how many people will forget you, but there will always be at least one person who will never forget. By the end, Mitsuru is unable to forget Koichi and is unable to move on, forever holding on to a lingering sadness.
One of my favourite messages from this series, said by Mitsuru's father, is that you don't have to force yourself to heal. It's always good to try to move on, to heal, but sometimes, a lot of times realistically, it's impossible and that's okay.
This series has become one of my favourites and is one of the very few dramas that has actually made me cry. I'm a sucker when it comes to death metaphors in shows, so this one really hits the spot. This is a short review, but I don't have much to say besides you should really watch this drama, for its message is one many people need to see and hear.

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