Seven Days: Monday - Thursday (2015)

A great romance movie. I don't seek out BL stories, but will watch them if they appeal to me on the same ground as any other romance. This one has a great rom-com setup with the two leads: One guy has a rough personality at odds with his angelic face which leads to him being very disillusioned with physical attraction after constantly being rejected for who he really is (as opposed to his looks). The other guy is so desperate to love someone and be truly loved in return that he is willing to give it a try with...well anyone who asks. The setup leads to a lovely and believable story of two people finally finding acceptance and love. The problems they deal with in this and the second part (Friday-Sunday), are born from their different interpretations of how their relationship started and their own insecurities.

The acting is nicely done and the cinematography is good with some really nice visuals.

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Love Love

This is one of my favorites. I always seem to come back and watch it every few weeks.
There is nothing over the top about this one. I think its subtleties make it lovely and memorable. Even though it takes place over only 7 days, it doesnt feel rushed at all. Love the characters and the subtle building of feelings. One is straighforward and outspoken, while the other is timid and reserved. This creates a beautiful chemistry that I adored. It is cute, but also tugs at the heartstrings a bit as you begin to understand each othe characters. Lovely. I would definitely recommend. ??

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This is the story we need

You need to watch Seven Days: Monday-Thursday first, and then Friday-Sunday. I hope that they put the two together sometime because it should be watched as a longer movie. I'll be referring to both movies as just one in this review.

This is not your typical BL story, and that's good. What this is, instead, is an exquisitely and breathtakingly beautiful story about two young men in high school who, almost accidentally, realize a love that they didn't know existed or was even possible. There isn't any fanservice here, thank goodness, only phenomenal - and age-appropriate! - writing and acting. They actually act and speak like high school boys and their shyness, embarrassment, and halting actions were all backed up by their inner thoughts, which the audience was thankfully privy to. We got to listen in on their doubts and lack of self-confidence even when their outer appearance was the opposite. I had never seen either main lead before and my goodness, they both delivered 100%. Also, the OST was the perfect accompaniment to the story, and it was shot really well, from lighting to the filming angles.
But the importance of this story lies well past how well-done it was. It lies in the fact that two people, who happen to be the same gender, find a love in each other. Yes, most of us have seen BL stories before, and many of us have seen a lot of BL before. And reams of type have been dedicated to the more problematic aspects of BLs, like the lack of consent too often portrayed as normal, the often-toxic nature of the relationships, again portrayed as not only normal, but expected in these relationships, and the ways BLs cater to the female gaze, making that more important than the other stories of LGBTQ+ men and women that deserve to be told. So we need more stories like this (and maybe less problematic BL!)
The beloved LGBTQ+ folks in my life experience the same kinds of fears and hurts as straight folks do in relationships and many of them want to get married and have a family and live a stable, settled life with their love. And they deserve that chance. Hopefully stories like these Seven Days films, Life-Love on the Line, and others, will help change public opinion enough in Japan to help pass marriage equality laws and normalize LOVE. Because that's what it is. #lovewins.

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