Definitely a MUST-WATCH
Let me start by saying that I’m not a fan of gender-bender/body-swap stories (I think The Shipper traumatized me for a lifetime), but having read the manga beforehand made me anticipate this particular drama.The main character is Yashiro who’s crushing on childhood friend Kenta, he gathers the courage to confess but Kenta turns him down, trying to maintain their longtime friendship. Suddenly tragedy strikes (insert Truck of Doom’s cameo) and Yashiro is visited by the god of the local shrine who grants him a wish and Yashiro, in all his heartbroken innocence wish to be reborn as a high school girl to have a second chance with Kenta. So Yashiro transforms in the round-eyed lovely Kagura and thus begins his story.
While at first the main plot seems to be Yashiro’s journey to win his friend heart while in Kagura’s body, soon the story begins to unfold and instead the drama focuses in how Yashiro’s choice start to change not only his life but that of his friends also. So much of this drama is about putting oneself in others shoes and showing how this young group of friends try to navigate between new feelings and situations, making sense of everything and trying their best to experience love and show kindness. So despite the fantasy genre, the characters, their motivations and actions are credible and so so relatable.
Beyond a doubt, my favorite thing about this drama are the deep friendships between the main characters.
Speaking of our main characters:
I love Yashiro, he’s everything I love about a protagonist: vulnerable but resilient, so open in his affections and honest to a fault. Clearly, the fact that he wished to become a girl just to be with the boy he like suggests that he doesn't have the right place every Friday ...but I loved him for that too.
Although his wish should’ve made it “easier” for him to develop a relationship with Kenta, life rarely goes as planned and relationships are complicated and messy, so soon his resolution to make Kenta fall in love with him takes a back seat while he deals with all the unintended consequences of his wish, and he does it with a kindness and aplomb rarely seem in someone his age.
Kenta, on the other hand, is charming and outgoing, but surprisingly mature and levelheaded. Even from the start it’s obvious that he values his friendship with Yashiro above all else but it takes a while to sort himself out about the extent of his feelings. So, part of the drama is about the progression on Kenta’s part to ponder and realize his feelings for Yashiro, but even when the realization that he could gave everything up except for Yashiro hits him, this doesn’t mean the end of his struggles. Because even if he’s ready to admit that Kagura IS Yashiro indeed, he isn’t the Yashiro he knew all his life and then grew to love, and he’s not going to settle down with her, easier as it might be.
Rin is this happy-go-lucky kind of girl and initially you think she gonna be the typical ex-girlfriend ready to drive a wedge between the main leads (and she kinda does but not in the way you’d imagine lol); but in the end, I just sincerely wanted her to find love and happiness again.
Late comer, Kagura, was harder to figure out. At first she seems perfectly happy with the whole body-swap situation, but soon is evident that she’s struggling with her own feelings and insecurities. Fortunately our main trio gives her a kind of safe place for her to deal with her own issues.
All in all, I've really enjoyed this little gem of a drama. It wasn't perfect but the combination of refreshing characters and poignant moments, with an honest exploration of identity and sexuality, made this drama an incredible experience
In conclusion, do watch Kamisama no Ekohiiki even if it’s not your genre, just watch the first episode and you’ll be hooked.
Was this review helpful to you?
1Story:
The other day, I had finished reading the manga source during the series airing. In terms of story structure, I believe screenwriter, Kitagawa did a brilliant job refining the manga source to develop a more dimensional layer to the series character's including Kagura and Rin. While it changes the characters' arc, it does not deviate too much from its original story.
What makes the series stand out from previous body swaps is that it puts us in the perspective of these characters. Most of the time characters are portrayed to be sure about their attraction toward another. However, in this series, everyone is questioning themselves. The common saying “In any shape or form, I will always love you.” Is an ideal thought which is challenged by the complexity of attraction and self-identity. The series explores questions such as “Can we still love the same person regardless of appearance?" or “Can we only love the person because it is their body and soul alone?." The series scenario becomes intriguing as the impulsive requests of Yashiro and Kagura impact not only themselves but everyone around them.
Usually, Japanese dramas tend to have a maximum of twenty to thirty-minute duration; however, this series has over forty minutes. Therefore, it helped the story pacing and created more room for additional scenes, especially with supporting characters (e.g. parents). The series does little to spend on fillers and unnecessary drama, which increased my interest. However, a minor rushed pacing in the last one-hour episode. While it tried to stay true to the manga chapters' order, it could have been a little more refined in the editing process.
Acting/Cast:
The majority of the main cast are aged close to their respective characters bringing an authentic touch to the series. In terms of character casting, Fujiwara fits the cheerful and lively energy of Yashiro. Kubozuka added the outspoken personality and charisma of Kenta. Arai gave the confident and assuring nature of Rin. While Sakurada’s character, Kagura is one dimensional in the manga, she conveyed the troubled mind of Kagura very well.
Both Fujiwara and Sakurada had a convincing performance playing their body swap personalities. I noticed in casual conversation scenes their mannerism from the way they sit and carry themselves plays an interestingly fun touch to their portrayal. There are moments when the actors do perform in an over-the-top manner, especially the voice changes. However, the actors nailed the emotional scenes.
The chemistry of all the characters was fantastic. I believe the portrayal and direction of Yashiro and Kenta’s bond were more impactful in the series. The backstory scenes build a stronger image of friendship which made me root for the two characters compared to the manga. Without adding spoilers, Kubozuka’s performance strongly shined in one specific episode. Arai as Rin did a brilliant job expressing conflicting emotions of yearning masked by her supportive nature of Kagura. Sakurada and Arai's brilliant chemistry helped build the unrequited/friendship bond between Rin and Kagura fairly quickly in the series.
The portrayal of Kami-sama by Furukawa is slightly toned down compared to his cartoonish personality in the manga. I believe it's a great writing decision as adapting a manga character to live-action can come with challenges to seeing the character in a serious light. The series added some dialogue in later episodes which can spark inspiration in the audience. Shida had a believable performance as Ukon, and I appreciated how the series gave her more involvement than her manga character.
Music:
Warner Bros Japan and Koyama conveyed a soothing track that compliments the natural green scenery and brings a hint of the traditional Japanese period. Innocent by Keina Suda gives an energetically modern vibe to the opening sequence.
Rewatch Value:
I believe it's a nice binge that carefully explores sensitive topics of coming of age in a fun yet somewhat realistic light. As mentioned before, it’s refreshing to see a rom-com supernatural drama where characters lift each other rather than having them be each other's obstacles. This could apply to most love triangle related dramas. From the popularity, it has received on Tik Tok and other social media platforms, I believe the series would have been reacted to and widely enjoyed by overseas audiences.
Overall, the series focus on the character's search for self-acceptance can be applied to any audience. We may sometimes desire to be someone else, to gain approval from others or ourselves. Kami-sama no ekohiiki shows that we can overcome our struggles and learn to accept ourselves moving forward.
If you are looking for a short body swap series with a twist, I would recommend this drama series. It's also not explicit as the manga, which can be watchable for an audience who may not usually be a fan of LGBT or BL related films/series.
Was this review helpful to you?
Really fun to watch
Not only is the acting really well done -- we really get the sense that Amano Yashiro is in Tendou Kagura's body and vice versa -- but the storyline is pretty creative. I love Kami-sama and Ukon and the comedic relief they provide (I also loved Kami-sama's backstory).I also really enjoyed the questions this show poses. If Amano took over Tendou's body, what does that mean for Tendou? Can Nanahara really fall in love with Amano if he is now a girl, or is it just that he sees his friend as just his friend? Does a person like someone for just their personality or does their body play a part in that? Super interesting stuff. I don't think there's a clear answer. It's different for everybody, just like it is in real life.
There's only eight episodes total so the pace moves quickly (which I actually like, it means that misunderstandings don't last very long), and it's a refreshing and fun story.
Also big thanks to Furritsu for the subs <3
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Refreshing coming of age dramedy with a twist!
I'm truly in shock with this drama. I went in with no strong expectations one way or another, as the body switching trope has always been somewhat boring and repetitive to me, so I wasn't expecting anything special. What I got, however, was an unbelievably honest and mature story that explores the complexities of identity, gender, sexuality, and love with incredible nuance, as well as a cast of incredibly charming and interesting characters, each of whom have a defined arcs throughout the drama that uniquely tie in with the main theme.TLDR: This drama is truly fantastic. If you're on the fence, please give it a try, I promise you will not regret it! It's unique enough to be interesting and stand out, but familiar enough to remain in the comfort zone of most audiences.
I'll now be breaking down my thoughts into more detail. There should only be very minor spoilers, (for instance, me referencing an actors performance in a scene with little to no major context).
Story: I really think one of the main highlights of the story in KnE is what a breath of fresh air it is. What I mean when I say that is that, even when utilizing several familiar and even overdone tropes, it feels like something I've never seen before (of course I have not seen every drama ever made, so not everyone might agree w/ me here). Each episode had a set theme and storyline that tied in together with the overall plot very nicely. I also really appreciated how well this series was able to incorporate both humor and genuine heartfelt drama throughout the story without either feeling forced or unnecessary.
Acting/Cast: The acting in KnE is really outstanding in my opinion. I went in knowing none of the actors, and I've come out a fan of each of them! Considering their young ages and fairly new careers, their performances are truly impressive. I have to give props especially to Sakurada and Fujiwara, as body swapping roles are quite difficult, and often done lazily, especially in gender bending scenarios (i.e., The female lead will act boyish and stereotypically masculine, while the male lead will act traditionally feminine, each focusing more on acting as the gender of the character they're embodying instead of the actual character). With these two however, I really got the feeling that they had switched. Sakurada truly felt as though she was playing Yashiro and Fujiwara truly felt like he was playing Kagura. The dinner scene at the end of episode 7 in particular was just so beautiful and emotionally moving, with the genuineness of both characters truly shining through.
Music: Not too much to say here other than that the opening song is really beautiful and fits the show very well in my opinion! It's such a fun start to each episode and it just brings me so much joy every time the first few opening notes play! I also appreciated the use of music in the drama, as it was not overused to amp up the drama in certain scenes, a problem I've noticed in a lot of my other favorite dramas that detracts from my enjoyment a bit.
Rewatch Value: I've only watched through the entire series once, so I can't completely speak to rewatch value, however, I really believe this will only get better with more rewatches for me personally (though this is coming from someone who frequently rewatches dramas regardless of quality so I wouldn't completely take my word on it.)
I had only a few, very minor issues with the show which I'll explain as briefly as possible:
1. I feel as though Kenta and Yashiro's romantic feelings for each other didn't have enough time to completely develop for their relationship to have enough of an impact. Specifically, I feel like we didn't really get that much explanation as to how Yashiro developed his feelings for Kenta, and that they had few scenes as an actual couple until the end (this is obv common for most dramas though so I can't get super mad).
2. If you're going into this drama expecting and excited about a GL storyline (like I and many others were), you will not find one, at least in the traditional sense. Again, I realize this is not the fault of the drama, as it's just a part of the overall story that makes sense in context, it's more so an issue with their being so few good GL J-Dramas out there!!
3. Sort of related to the last point, I wish there was a better conclusion for Rin's feelings for Kagura/Yashiro. I'm still satisfied with the ending we got, but I feel like for something that was such a big aspect of the story towards the first half of the series had a little bit of a stronger finish.
4. I WISH IT WAS LONGER. I WANT MOREEEEEE!!!
Anyways just to reiterate, this show is absolutely lovely, and if you have time, definitely check it out!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"We are on our way to change the future." Ep 8 (Finale) @ 51:05
[Note: I minimized the spoilers as much as possible, but it turns out analyzing body swaps is difficult without getting into the details.]Humans beware when gods start to show favoritism. Divine favors are apt to cut in multiple directions. A quartet of Japanese high school students learn this lesson when a local shrine god takes an interest in their affairs. Here, the titular deity in the gender-swap BL “Favoritism of the God” answers the prayers of Yashiro and Kagura, each of whom sought a fresh start as someone else. The god (“kamisama” in Japanese) obligingly switches their souls after each falls into a coma following an accident. The main cast also includes two friends: Kenta, the boy who rejected Yashiro when he confessed (“but I like girls!”); and Rin, a girl who found Yashiro’s personality irritating when he was a boy but later finds herself confused to be attracted to “her” once Yashiro’s persona lands in Kagura’s body. Over the remaining episodes, the foursome contemplate whether attraction to another person owes more to the personality or to the corporeal meat sack that houses the soul. Is the body “just a container?” ponders Rin in Ep 7. In ep. 2, Yashiro, now in a female host body, worries the just-completed switch means abandoning characteristics that made Yashiro Yashiro. This existential conundrum, spooling out over the series’ eight episodes, elevates “Favoritsim” from the small collection of other BL-body swap stories. The series rewards thoughtful viewers with thoughtful dialog.
At a particular moment in the story, the titular deity finds itself observing (from above, naturally) the interactions among the four high-school aged humans in whose lives it has recently taken an active interest. Unimpressed by the quartet’s efforts to resolve conundrums both mundane (does my crush reciprocate my interest?) and supernatural (how can I get my soul back into its original body?), the god’s sapient canine companion volunteers an acid summation of human exertion: “As usual, they’re wasting their time on things that don’t work. Well, I guess that’s what we call ‘youth’.” Like most BL series, youthful attempts at love, awkward yet endearing, comprise most of the plot. Rather than drive the series forward as with a typical BL, here the BL plot informs gender-swap high jinks that arise when the Yashiro and Kagura sort out the nuances to the performance of their new gender. Both stories take a backseat to the real achievement of this series: a prolonged, thoughtful discussion about the role of sex and gender in shaping our romantic attractions. The BL story and the gender-swap story entangle one another, developing in tandem, but each retains hallmarks of their own genre. The BL story follows the beats of a run-of-the-mill friends-to-lovers track, modulated by both some GL subtext and even some hints at bisexuality. The fact that two of characters swapped bodies and genders blurs the boundaries between all those categories. The gender swap story includes familiar beats from that genre, including the inevitable scene of trying to figure out the proper etiquette for using the unfamiliar gender’s bathroom. New pronouns (and names) must be remembered.
After several months elapse with Yashiro acclimating to his new life as Kaguro, the full implications of the divorce from his past-self reach crisis level when the “real” Kagura reawakens in Yashiro’s body. To everyone’s surprise, she is delighted to abandon her old life and has no intention of reclaiming her old body. Eventually, she, too, wants to reverse the kamisama’s favor. The series remains comfortable with ambiguity. Rin lands firmly on the notion that personality matters the most when it comes to attraction. In ep. 7, she admits to Kenta that she loved the current (Yashioro) version of Kagura. Kenta replies by insisting he wanted Yashiro to return to his original body. Belatedly, he’s accepted he can reciprocate his friend’s crush, but not in his current female body. Kenta wants Yashiro as a guy.
Kamisama hears their prayers to undo his prior favoritism with sympathy. Alas, rules prevent him from granting more than one wish per human (Kagura and Yashiro) or granting wishes to others (Kenta and Rin) that are not about themselves directly. Any further analysis (I have thoughts!) would spoil the ending; so, I will refrain. But the epigram that opens this critique reminds us all that gender equality and equality of sexualities are not goals that will achieve itself. Individuals must take action in their own lives.
The central lesson Favoritism offers: be yourself. The only authentic way to win over other people is to present yourself is to be honest to who you truly are. Swapping bodies failed to resolve the dilemmas Kaguro and Yashiro faced. Their “dishonest” faces created more difficulties instead. “My life is mine alone to live for the rest of time,” notes Kagura, as part of the denouement. (ep 8 @ 38:12) This series should stand the test of time and out of its Japanese context. The ideas considered here resonate everywhere.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fluff, a god, a dog and an unbelievable journey into the troubles of youth
An adorable Chihuahua on the outside BL-fan at heart presents us with the oddly real journey of 4 teens dealing with life and relatable issues affecting teens everywhere... This by letting two of these teens swatch bodies. However do not mistake the body swap theme here with punch down humour or trans identities as they do a really good job avoiding common punch lines and stick to the issues at hand as well as use this to show different types of love, gender identity as well as sexuality and do fit in a whole lot of equality not to mention a subtle wink to people on the NPF-spectrum.In other words this has a whole lot of well done representation, as they also show that every decision in life will have consequences, and acting on them (teen or not for that matter) can much like the kid in home alone... seem all nice in the beginning but can also leave you with a whole lot of regret... Ans while some actions made by impulse can easily reversed others can't and or make way to a whole bunch of new consequences... as life, love, sexuality, gender identity, family, dreams... and what not pretty complicated...
While some people are afraid of people who are different than them, there are those who will not only accept you for who you are, but love you for being you... it may seem hard but find those people and try to move on from those who do'n't seems to be a recurring theme to this drama, a message any kid, teen, adult, senior citizen (in short human, heck dog, god and cat too) can need to hear over and over again...
Bingeabilaty: High
Friendships: 10
Romance: ok but not the main attraction in this drama
Annoying characters: no
Fluff: 10
This is definitely a youth drama I recommend to all and once my kid learns how read english well enough to follow subs I will defiantly show her this!
P.S. The fan subber who subbed this is a saint! I love how they add small comments here and there, not to much to take over but it is (as always that little extra sprinkles on top)
Was this review helpful to you?
Confused Bisexual Everywhere - And I Love It!
Watching this show made my cold dead heart grow several sizes.As I've gotten older I've found it more and more difficult to truly connect with the characters in many high-school stories. I very much did not have that problem here.
Rarely have I seen such a profoundly meaningful story with such deeply lovable and realistic characters which weaves together humour and charm with genuine emotion so seamlessly.
I have truly and irreversibly fallen for each and every one of these characters. They are real kids with real flaws who try their absolute hardest to learn and grow and make things better no matter how hard it gets and after watching this show I would not hesitate to defend each of them with my life.
The story also tackles big questions such as - What does it mean to love someone? What makes us who we are? When we fall for someone, do we fall for their body or their soul or both at the same time?
It does this with great care and sensitivity and specifically uses the body-swap trope to emphasise that we are more than just our bodies, but that we are intrinsically linked to them at the same time. That loving someone no matter what shape they may take and loving someone for exactly who they are in the exact body they're in, are both important and valid and are not mutually exclusive. Having these topics addressed in such an open and compassionate way is important and meaningful not only for kids trying to find their place in the world, but also for trans people such as myself.
In short: This is a story about friendship, about learning what it means to be true to yourself, to be who you are unapologetically, and about being unafraid to change either yourself or the world or both at the same time.
A true triumph of a show that will appeal to anyone who has ever known what it feels like to grow and change and experience feelings that seem to big and vast for their body to contain. Go watch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
A beautiful introspective trip
I has postponed starting this as I wasn't sure whether this would be like other BL where they use the trope of Changing Genders to make the gay couple into a straight one. The first 2 episodes I still was not sold whether they would take the topic of gender and identity seriously, but after that I was definitely sold on it. I am delighted by the thinking process of the characters and how they are communicating to solve problems instead of avoiding the issue. It's nice to see them acting like teenagers and making mistakes, while there's no toxicity to simply add more length to the story. Instead, I found well rounded characters and wholesome moments as they figure out what makes a person who they are.Currently I am taking my sweet time to watch episode 7 since I truly do not want this story to end. I fear the ending might disappoint but the trip... the trip is still definitely well worth it.
EDIT: Finished watching this and the ending did not disappoint. There were plenty of reasons for tears though... tears both of happiness and of sadness.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I think the best drama i've ever seen.
I'm that moved about this drama, that i finished it fifteen minutes ago and my hands still shakes and i'm still crying about it. What i'm gonna say about this drama will contain a lot of spoilers so if you came here before watching it please don't read, or it's gonna be a waste, since it's really a beautiful drama.When i first heard about this drama i didn't wanted to watch it cause i thought that the plot was gonna be something clichè and stupid, and i though the bodyswap was gonna be something to avoid the 'gay thing', and i thought that was superficial and even a bit homophobic. But it really wasn't like that. The plot was something i really didn't expected. I loved the fact that Yashiro confessed almost right away to Kenta that Tendou was him, and the way he did it? Just made me cry, and a lot. The plot had so much plot twist and so much development, it was so well done. I loved all the characters characterization (lmao sorry for the joke of words). I loved how their emotion, feelings and development is portrayed. All the characters have character development, and it's awesome how they showed it. Yashiro, Tendou, Rin, Kenta, and even God and Ukon changed for the better, learning new things. It wasn't simple at all, and it wasn't all happy and smiley at all. I had to stop watching for a few minutes when Kenta started to cry saying that he didn't wanted to Yashiro to disappear. It broke my heart in half. And when Tendou talked with her parents in Yashiro body? I was destroyed. And when Yashiro nstarted to cry cause he saw his mum? It was so hearthbreaking that i cried with him. Also, God's death was also something that i was especting and that i knew it would happen, but that it broke my already destroyed heart in a lot of small pieces. Cause i got really affectionated to him, i loved him so much. I've also felt really bad for Ukon, she stayed with her master for all thoose year just to see him disappear in front of her, it was heartbreaking, also thinking about the fact that she just accepted it.
And with this i'm gonna talk about the acting. I've never, NEVER in my 18 years of life someone act that well. Evry actor of this drama are really underrated, and deserve more recognition. Their acting was extremely realistic and on point, Kenta crying made my heart break, Ukon screaming that she doesn't want god to disappear also made me cry, and a lot more. I basically cried for the entire series but it was deserved. But the acting i loved the most i think it's the one of Tendou/Yashiro. It's not simple to interprete something like that, it's really difficult to just switch mannerism and personality like that, that's why a lot of actors just interprete characters with a similar personality as them. But she did such an amazing job on interprete Tendou and Yashiro personality as well. She really deserve more recognition. Like all the other characters of course, cause they all were really really good, they all did an amazing job.
Overall, i think this might be my new favourite drama, and i'm really picky so... i think it was worth a try and i will rewatch it for sure a million time.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Short but actually has some depth
April 18, 2022Whoa, I finished another drama just 2 days before my Patho final. 😬
Kamisama no Ekohiiki is so good, I love how they talked about a lot of things. The characters' development is just chef's kiss. I am so happy with how they concluded everything. Though I wish they wrapped more nicely, I feel like they really omitted all the fluffy scenes that I want. Like come on directors, give me more pleaseee!! I also loved how we get to see each character's own perspective and the struggle they face. They make their hardships realistic even though the drama itself is fantasy. I hope y'all get what I am trying to say here...
ALSO I JUST WANNA ADD ONTO HERE, RIN IS THE BEST GURL AND THE BEST CHARACTER IN THIS SERIES. THE FACT THE SHE PUT HER FRIENDS FIRST OVER HER OWN FKING FEELINGS. OH MY GAWD, SHE DESERVES BETTER AND I FKING MEAN IT!!!!
The pacing of the drama is pretty good too except for the last episode, I did feel some inconsistencies here and there. But it didn’t bother me too much.
Also make sure you all support the subber!!! Thank you so much Furritsu!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Much more than just a typical body swap story.
Now that was an unexpected nice surprise. I approached the series without expectations, even rather skeptical since I'm not a big fan of the body swap plot. But what I experienced was a touching emotional coming of age story mixed with LGBT themes. I loved the melancholic mood perfectly supported by the soundtrack. But I also fell in love with the talented main cast, which had the great advantage that all 4 of them could play believable teenagers (probably because they really are teenagers ;)).Towards the end, the last episodes unfortunately showed a few lengths for me, for that the last minutes seemed very rushed. Also, I would have liked to see more interaction from Yashiro and Kenta and their beginning relationship.
But all in all a beautiful little story about growing up and the Struggle to find his place in the world.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Perhaps..... one of my favorite Dramas. Ever?
I think part of my enjoyment of this drama was that I had NO idea what I was getting into, all I knew was that there was some sort of body-swapping going on with very light queer undertones in the form of WLW. I really wasn’t expecting this show to fully embrace bisexuality in the beautiful form that it does. It explores what liking someone is, what gender means within a romantic context, and whether we fall in love with someone’s appearance, their soul, or both things at once.This show has so much heart, absolutely every single character - even including minor ones - is extremely well characterized. They’re not perfect, there are times when you just wanna smack them in the head, but they’re real, and they’re human and they’re trying their best. The two main leads do an excellent job at making you believe there are different souls within their bodies, both characters with distinctive personalities. Sakurada Hiyori as Yashiro has to be the standout for me, she absolutely kills this role. The rest of the cast is really lovable as well, all with different personalities. I believe some people do not like Kenta for a few episodes and you might feel like this as well, but just know that there is growth in his character (just like with the rest of the ensemble), and I personally thought his prickly, sometimes greasy, personality added so much dimension to the main cast and diversity to how they reacted to situations.
[PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO KNOW THE ENDGAME COUPLE - a great part of my enjoyment was going in completely blind.] I never expected a gay couple to be the main focus of the story, not only plot-wise, but thematically as well. It is so easy to fall into bisexual stereotypes, and this show could’ve easily gone that route, but Yashiro is still explicitly shown to be attracted to girls (like Rin), yet his love for Kenta is the one thing that remains unwavering through it all, no matter the circumstance. For a few episodes, I was unsure of who the endgame was going to be - I watched this show thinking it was going to be a straight romance. I thought maybe Yashiro and Rin were going to end up together, maybe Yashiro was going to stay in Kagura’s body and be with Kenta - honestly, the whole cast had amazing chemistry with each other, so I wasn’t opposed to these couples (even the ex-couple had amazing chemistry!). It was still so heart-warming and beautiful to see the male/male couple be the endgame and I was so happy for them. The whole theme of them wanting to change the world was so wholesome and I loved that they reached that conclusion for themselves. This isn’t really a flaw of the show, but Kagura and Rin had unbelievable chemistry with each other as well. I was really rooting for a lesbian couple here, which sadly doesn’t happen, so please be aware of that. Last thing, it was nice that there were queer characters sprinkled throughout the show, not just amongst the main cast - most notably the student who has a crush on Rin (I believe he is implied as bisexual/pansexual), the man in love with Kami-sama, and, I was left unsure, but maybe Kami-sama as well.
Is this show perfect? Well, technically no - I was left wondering whatever happened to certain characters like Ami and Yukihiko - although I’ve come to the conclusion that Ami’s story just ended and there wasn’t much more we as the audience really needed to know. And I wished we could’ve explored Kami-sama’s story a little deeper. And YET - it does feel near damn perfect to me, from the acting to the story, the themes, even the cinematography. I am really glad that I found this gem of a show when I wasn’t looking for it, and I wish more people watched this silly little thing with so much heart and appreciated it as I do! Thank you from the bottom of my little bisexual heart.
Was this review helpful to you?
