Utsukushii Kare (2021)

The Second Time Around

"Haunting" is a word that I find is thrown around a lot. Too much for that matter. Having said that, I found that after my initial viewing I just couldn't get "Utsukushii Kare"/"My Beautiful Man" out of my head. And I couldn't figure out why for the longest time. On the one hand there's "Hira" - the shy, self-conscious loner/loser (who comes as close to a psychotic stalker as you can imagine). On the other, there's the impossibly beautiful "Kioyi" - brash, self-centered, obnoxious....

Basically it's the story of two people you probably wouldn't like if you'd met them in real life. Except for one thing - I have met them in real life, and they - at least Kiyoi - reminds me of people I know, people I've met and, most importantly, people I have befriended.

And now the explanation. I work in film/television and theatre, and the place is lousy with Kiyois, and every single one of his problems (nobody knows me/nobody understands me/everybody just wants to use me) is real. Kiyoi reminds me of one of my former students - a fairly successful model who was so accustomed to doing whatever it took to please everybody that he simply couldn't just be himself and that is what stopped him from being a good actor. He had lost touch with himself and his humanness - he had to keep his true self buried so that nobody would see him as "imperfect". And he had his real-life "Hira"- someone else who worked in the theatre who absolutely adored him. It was just odd. It was, however, the basic plot of "Utsukushii Kare". Talk about something being too real.

So, did I enjoy it? I don't know if "enjoy" is quite the right word...but I did recognize it. Every last bit of it. So I watched it twice.

About the second viewing. What is interesting in the second viewing is how differently the story unfolds. We are now aware of everybody's motivations, so there's no "big reveal" to look out for. The thing is, though, that's when you realize how brilliant their performance are. Everything about Hagiwara Riku's "Hira" is spot on. From his fawning and adoration of "Kiyoi" to his desperation to not even be noticed, but to just be in Kiyoi's presence is just brilliant. As for Yagi Yusei - what can I say? I am in awe of his performance. He is heart breaking. What you toss away on the first viewing as "beautiful people problems" you recognize as "people problems" the second time around. So, yeah - don't just watch it one, watch it twice. Once for the writing. Twice for the performances and the direction.

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RED FLAG RED FLAG RED FLAG . . . But also dang that boy is pretty . . .

What on earth . . . Did i just watch . . .
The cover poster is blue but it should have been red because this show is just packed full of screaming red flags.
In the show’s favor, “my beautiful man” did in fact have the most beautiful man I have ever seen. He was gorgeous.
The other point in the show’s favor (slight spoiler) is in one episode they had a water fight during detention and it had the most beautiful music playing and the cinematography was breathtaking.
But otherwise this show was . . . Idk . . . It was just so concerning. One of the first lines was ‘most people think the world is a globe’ which made us think he was a flat-earther (which is concerning) but then he says ‘but it’s actually a pyramid’ (which left us even more concerned for him.) Cause like lol wut? I understand you were being poetic but like wut?? This character was just overall incredibly worrisome.
Another spoiler but it’s actually also a ***trigger warning.**** The main character has daydreams where he shoots the people around him. This show is obviously Japanese, duh, but as an American viewer that was actually very upsetting and disturbing as that kind of thing actually happens quite frequently in American schools. So . . . Idk if they were trying to be humorous? Or what? but it just took the show from “well that’s weird and concerning” to “code red code red this boy is THE biggest red flag.”

So yeah . . . In summary . . . I would not recommend . . . But Kiyoi is sooooooooo pretttttyyyyy.

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His Beautiful Jerk

Overall: Although I heard that the characters were more developed/had character growth in the manga, I am only reviewing what I saw in the 6 episodes. If this had been an explicit dom/sub and/or sadist/masochist relationship with discussion about rules and boundaries, then I would have enjoyed it more. Watched on Gagaoolala, it's also on Viki.

Content Warnings: manhandling, repeatedly name calling (disgusting, gross, stalker), there are two scenes in episode three where I began to think that Hira is a sociopath

What I Liked:
- the intro animation sequence was really cool and it set up the story well
- overall good production value
- good acting

Room For Improvement:
- the intro sequence and music sets this up as a silly and upbeat show and the vibe is much darker
- the accordion music was an odd choice for the intro animation, seemed to be the wrong vibe
- Hira is obsessive and does stalker behaviors. I was hoping to see character growth when he went to college, but saw none.
- I was hoping Kiyoi would have character growth but he continues the name calling, kicks and pushes Hira to the ground.
- I didn't like all of the "you are gross/disgusting/stalker", it sounds like it may have been a translation issue but the number of times it was said was a turn off
- did not like the master/servant dynamic without discussion of dom/sub

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beautiful mess

english is not my first language, so sorry in advance if i make some mistakes while writing this review, plus this review might contain spoilers... also, this is my first time writing any kind of review, but i think hira & kiyoi deserved it, so i'm writing it...

with that being said, let me just begin.

if you decide to watch this series, you'll meet two characters - hira & kiyoi - who for the life of them couldn't be any more different than they already are and there is no possible way you would ever pair them in any lifetime, but as you get more & more involved with their story, you end up realising that those two characters could only be with each other and are in fact a perfect match.

at first sight, hira is a nobody, a loner, a creep, a stalker, annoying and whatnot, mockery to all, being bullied by his classmates. at some point you even start thinking that there's something seriously wrong with him for putting up with such violence & that's that, there is no help. also with kiyoi, at first sight, he's god-like beautiful, but with harsh personality, cruel tounge and overall hard person to go by with.

but once you turn the tables...

you end up seeing hira in a different light - hira is in fact very strong, caring, devoted, shows more determination to express his feelings and has no fear, only the one... to live in a world without kiyoi; even the thought alone can shred him to pieces. and he's beautiful in that way, his strong sense of what he wants & who he is, that's what makes him so beautiful, plus he's def not ugly, like that man is actually attractive.

and kiyoi... he's always god-like beautiful, that never changes; in any scenario, kiyoi is always the mesmerizing one. but because of his past, he's also very insecure, needs constant attention & craves affection that focuses only on him & him alone, all the time, with persons whole being, eyes only fixed on him.

kiyoi had that feeling with only one person in the entire world and it was hira. thousand eyes could look at him, but nobody has ever looked at him the way hira did & nobody ever will.

so kiyoi, who can have any person in the world cause people are literally throwing themselves at him, remains single cause he can't be with anybody he doesn't feel has the same devoted look in their eyes as hira had for him.

as for hira, he always remained loyal to his worship of kiyoi, but has always thought of himself as unworthy of him.

first thing that has to be understood about their story is that it's taking course of several years, not only a few weeks or months. literal years of their relationship were put into 10 episodes (season 1 + 2) that lasted 20+ mins each + almost 2 hours long movie. so we see their relationship progress since highschool till adulthood.

what i loved the most, besides superb acting & story, was the fact that directors did such an amazing job with portraying years long relationship history into such a short episode time & it all made sense, nothing was left unsaid. even if you didn't read the novel first, you could understand everything just from watching. the series script did some changes from the original novel story, but those were not some troubling changes, cause the core of the novel was left intact. (i did read the novel after watching the series, yes, i couldn't help myself & couldn't even sleep until i finished reading volume 1 xd)

and the acting itself, i absolutely loved it. in my eyes, everything that riku & yusei did in that series was just filled with emotions. i loved the way they acted together, and while reading the first volume of their story, i could even imagine their faces, glances, mimics, voices... they are the perfect actors for hira & kiyoi roles. period.

then the story itself... i'll never understand people who are saying that to them hira is not a top, but a bottom & who were genuinley shocked upon learning that hira is the top, while kiyoi is the bottom. to me it was perfectly clear that hira is the top ever since that scene in the series when he clutched kiyois hand & without any shame or fear or anything really confessed his feelings for kiyoi in a heartbeat (was it in episode 2 or 3?), calling him the person he loves most in this world. only a strong person could do that. that was not a behaviour of a weak person. that was a behaviour of a person who knew exactly what he wanted & who he wanted. and it has always been kiyoi. anyway, that scene right there made it all clear to me. and then kiyoi pushed hira away, cause he was afraid of his own feelings.

filmography was also beautiful. it felt like universe only for hira & kiyoi. i loved how the scenery reflected their personalities as well. for example, hiras house gave me this warm feeling that hiras character gave me & for example, shooting scenes with kiyoi gave me that kiyoi celebrity feeling. anyway, i felt like every scene was just perfect reflection of their story. and the music matched their facial expressions so well that at moments it made me cry.

overall, for me this was not just another bl story. it was like a new dimension of bl universe. i have never seen anything like this before, this story is so unique & creative. i applaud the author itself, the script crew, the production team, design team, directors, casting crew... everyone did amazing job with bringing hira & kiyoi story to life.

to say i only loved this series is an understatement. cause this story will forever remain a part of me.

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So, I will start off with the one thing that bothered me in this series: the gun metaphor and associating standing up to bullies with that image. Mind you, there is no gun in actuality, but it is shown in a daydream. Especially, because the setting is a school. And maybe that is a cultural difference because I live in America. But, we have experienced a lot of school shootings, and it hits a bit too close to home. So, even though, there were only two times this was brought up, and both times were rather short, it actually really bothered me.

Now, onto the good things. To start off, please note that I generally tend to dislike romance between a bully and their victim. Despite this, I really appreciated this series. The characters were flawed in very realistic ways, and the acting, also, seemed very genuine to me. The main characters are not angels but they are not unredeemable, and often, while I don't agree with some of their actions, I can understand why they act that way. I do not think they fit in the stereotyped molds. While Hira is an introvert, he is not the stereotypical introvert you see in mainstream media. Rather than just being socially awkward and possessing low self-esteem, Hira can be kind of gloomy. Often, such characters are shown as antagonists or side characters. I liked that they made him a protagonist. As for, Kiyoi - he is supposed to fit into the bully role, but even though he does boss Hira around, he is more gentle. From the start, even when he tries to show he isn't interested, he actually listens to Hira when Hira speaks. Oftentimes, the bully character just steamrolls over their love interest's thoughts and words, but Kiyoi is not like that. That's not to say that Kiyoi doesn't say mean things, but there is something about the context that gentles what he says. Also, even though Kiyoi bosses Hira around, Hira seems to actually be glad to be bossed around, because it establishes a connection between him and Kiyoi.

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An intriguing depiction of imperfection, flaws and insecurites

I think everyone is pretty familiar with the saying: Do not judge a book by its cover. I can comfortably say that, in this case, to not judge a show by its premise. Really… just don’t. And I am going to tell you why, though this may turn out a little longer than necessary.

To kick things of, I can say that this series receives a very solid 9/10 from me: superb cinematography (esp. Ep. 2, which, by the way, is my favourite episode out of all 6), wonderful acting (esp. Hagiwara Riku as “Hira Kazunari”, though Yagi and Takano were both splendid as well), interesting story (though I would not call it complex), wonderful direction as well as good art design. Season 2? Yes, I’d be most thrilled to go in for another ride.

Is it a masterpiece? Not quite, but it is nonetheless a very good series. But, to call it a masterpiece would, in my eyes, be quite the overstatement. But why?

I found there were two or three “little” weak points. For instance, Ep. 4 is my least favourite. To me, this episode seemed a bit rushed, even cramped. I also am not - in fact never have been - particularly keen on having a time skip taking place in dramas, as often times none of the major characters change anything about their clothing or hair style or adapt a different vocabulary. While Hira may indeed not very much alter his style, I refuse to believe that someone like Kiyoi would not be interested in trying, say, new hair styles.

Koyama’s character, while surely nicely played by Takano Akira, is given very little room in this show and does not really leave a lasting impression on the viewer. This is partially the fault of the series running time. For I found that 6 episodes were not enough to cover their (individual) stories/the first novel sufficiently. As a result, I felt that the series lacks certain moments that would add so much substance to the characters. I would have loved to see more of Kiyoi's background, for instance, or hearing his take on "beauty". I would have wanted to see what influence Hira's parents had on him in his younger years other than having him taking pictures or the effects of his former homeroom teacher as well as Yama-chan (for those who have read the novel know of whom I am talking) and her subsequent behaviour had on him. But, of course, since they were going for 24 min., they had to cut out a lot of scenes.

And thus, in my opinion, the pacing varied greatly from episode to episode.

Ep. 1 & 2 had such a wonderful pacing and I felt that the producers of the show used the time they were given really well. Hira’s (self-)introduction – gorgeous imagery, wonderful use of colours. And then the scene on the bicycle with Hira’s talk about becoming an invisible person (there is not a single cut during his talk but the camera does zoom in a little towards the end so that the audience gets a better look on Kiyoi’s face); or the scene where they are having fun cleaning the basket balls and school’s jersey’s is splendidly executed, cut and put together – the track in the background adds to the slight nostalgic-romantic feeling of a summer long vanished in the sand of time, and remains only as a memory in one’s mind, vivid and unshattered.

The confusion, the frustration, the obsession, the lust, all of them were indeed very palpable throughout the series. I’ve got to say that Yagi does some really wonderful “acting” with his eyes and voice (particularly ep. 4 towards the end as well as ep. 5 & 6). But what I loved most is that the show unabashedly showed that love can come in many forms and that it is a question as to how one perceives it. For some, this could indeed be seen as “unhealthy”, “toxic”, or “derogatory” – (the former two words were used frequently in the comment section but, more often than not, in not quite the correct way.) Does the show romanticise bullying or stalking or unhealthy (love) relationships? Not at all. Let us be honest – as teenagers/young adults (and a whole lot even well after this stage of life) do treat other people unfair, unequal, and not without a small degree of prejudice.

One must bear in mind that the actors were cast to play teenagers/young adults. Especially in this stage of one’s life, love is chaotic, feels weird and can terrify you for no good reason. In most, if not all of the cases, you lack both knowledge and experience to handle certain situations with a little more tact and speak words that the other party certainly understands. In this stage, you are insecure and terribly vulnerable, are constantly feeling like walking on eggshells, but try to mask this with indifference or arrogance or (insert word).

I, therefore, must applaud the show for not taking sides - neither demonising nor glorifying either character, rather allowing the viewer to experience their unusal bond.

Anyhow, while the series is not without flaws, I can still comfortably recommend this show to anyone who is genuinely interested in seeing a love portrayed not quite as fluffy as in many other dramas, not as perfect and wonderful as it is often depicted. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to see two young men struggling to find their place in the world and coming to terms with themselves.

Thank you for reading.
Mestari

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Polished Series with Compelling Characters

I enjoyed watching and rewatching Utsukushii Kare a lot. The story is interesting. Though the plot might seem typical and the characters might seem mere tropes when you read the blurb on this site, the series goes way beyond that. In fact, it seems to want to break those tropes down. Kiyoi and Hira (and even Koyama) are rounded characters. Through the switching perspectives and them maturing from high school to university age, you get to follow their development and dynamics properly. While watching this show, I constantly re-evaluated my opinions of the characters. If you don't like a character in the first few episodes, keep watching, because once you get the other perspective, you might suddenly shift sides!

The acting is decent overall. Very good for BL standards. Takano Akira (Koyama)'s genuine acting really shines, making a possibly annoying side-character into a real person with complex emotions. I doubted Yagi Yusei (Kiyoi)'s acting a bit at the start, but in the later episodes, Yagi Yusei (Kiyoi)'s acting gets really impressive. (I'm still shaky from that one scene in the last episode.) Hagiwara Riku (Hira)'s acting is consistently decent and his narration is very pleasant to listen to.

The outro song "Follow" by Roce is great. It really suits the series and specifically Hira's wild adoration. The soundtrack overall is lovely. I particularly like the piano piece that plays when they get along during high school times.

The camera work is nice. It's very polished overall. I was impressed by how the lighting was used to express the different moods of the characters.

Due to the switching perspectives, Utsukushii Kare naturally has high re-watch value. But even aside from that. I think I've watched most of the episodes more than seven times, just to catch all the little details, and I'm not bored yet.

I really hope they make a season two and three based on the novels.

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amazing

How amazing is this drama, man this is 9/10 for sure. The only weak spot is the soundtrack, the story was so good I rewatched the episodes so many times before the end. The actors did a pretty good job, It's not easy being someone who's not good at expressing your feelings, the both actors have done such an amazing job. I wish to see them more in more dramas, movies. It's a good story, with talented actors, with a good production, in the first episode I was confused but at the same time loving the whole situation, they are so pretty together, I can't lie, i was angry at some points, but in general It's all good

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not your everyday bl

Definitely something I think can be deceiving to the eye. You need to really take in every second of this drama to fully comprehend the characters and an understanding of them. This is the most psychological type bl I’ve seen. These two characters show a story that they need each other to fix the flaws and trauma dealt within them. It’s much more than “so and so is this so it will never be healthy” not true at all. Its like they together are the only ones who can heal each other. Raw and compelling. Certainly need to be big brain for this one or at least mature. I recommend this for anyone looking for a deep emotional show about two people with flaws figuring out love and being themselves realizing they are happier and can fix each other. It pulls you in to their deep complex love story.

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Problematic

It seems almost forced how many excellent reviews this drama has. And there is a difference between excellent and good. I know there is some sort of war has been going on between "haters" and hardcore fans. It came to the point where I simply want to provide at the very least some form of criticism to this show, which it absolutely deserves, as pretty much any other show out there.

First of all, I am not a hater. But I certainly do dislike the show very much. I have to point out that I have nothing against the actors as I have no interest in making it personal. The problem that I have with the show is the premise of it.

Another issue I want to address is how much negative feedback someone criticising it receives. It's like some form of hysteria, and, more than anything, it just makes the show much more unattractive, and experience watching and trying to participate in a discussion almost unbearable. The community around it feels sick and unhealthy, toxic in itself. Though, somehow it fits the drama.

Now, about the show itself.

As I have pointed out previously, I don't like the premise of the show. Basically, a very insecure guy is being obsessed with a very beautiful lad and, apparently, falls in love with him for the beauty. And the good-looking lad at some point is in love with the fact that someone is obsessed with him, and that person too, presumably. What do these people have in common? What would they talk about? Do they even enjoy spending time with each other? What do they do? Who knows. Worse than that, we see a dynamic of a "king" and his "servant", where the insecure character falls into the serving the overly idolised person. Literally, serving. And it is presented as a dynamic that no one is concerned with? I don't really care about the feelings involved in this whole ordeal, nothing in the drama makes me sympathise with both characters. This sort of behaviour should be looked down upon and not presented as a form of beautiful kind love. Even if it is love, it is twisted and it should be made clear, which show completely fails to do.

One might argue that all kinds of love should exist, and, to be honest, fair enough. But where do we draw boundaries? Some things should be noted, it should be shown that this twist in their relationship is out of the ordinary and is unhealthy. It bears consequences, there's complexity. It's not just black and white, well, it's not supposed to be. Well, not in the show. The show is very one dimensional in portraying it, and one sidedly positive. It is way too simplistic.

What it fails to do completely is to actually show any kind of love. All I personally see, these were obsessions over different characteristics of each character, there was nothing to suggest that what they feel towards each other is true love. The show told us about that, but what it was supposed to do was to show it. It didn't.

Romanticising this sort of relationship is deeply alarming. The creators/writers should understand what public they aim this show for, who would watch. Yes, creators do have such responsibility, it has nothing to do with triggers per se but a general common sense and understanding. It has nothing to do with censorship either. Does this show has a right to exist? Yes, absolutely. Do I think it's a good series? Absolutely not.

This relationship between those two is just a relationship that can happen. Sadly, I would like the shows of this sort to address how this relationship if not bad, then at the very least realistic. This is a very polished and romanticised version of what these sort of relationships actually look like. Too many logical flaws as well. Even twisted logic doesn't justify certain actions, there's no full picture.

On other fronts. The actors are pretty okay but I didn't feel the chemistry. It is shot well. Sadly, nothing can save this show for me. It feels hollow. Good looks but not much on the inside.

Someone in the community I follow mentioned this part of a famous poem in my native language (which I found a translation of) and I can't help but think how much it fits not only the couple but the show itself.

"But if it's so then what is beauty?
Why is it so idolised by all?
Is it a vessel, empty absolutely?
Or fire flickering behind a vessel's wall?"

On that note, I hope this review would also help someone to see other perspectives of the show. There are plenty of people who didn't like the show but simply don't say anything in order to avoid the backlash. And those who loved it, loved it, perhaps, a little too much and hence even the rating of the show is higher that one might expect. It doesn't reflect the reality. At least it feels so to me. I might be wrong, but at this point I don't really care much.

I just wrote down some thoughts I had and it wasn't a really organised review. I would like to leave it here and leave the show behind me too.

Cheers.

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One of the Best in 21

This is an astonishing BL series full of angst, pain, and heartache. It is hard to watch because love here is not a storybook fantasy but an obsession. Well, more like possession. It is raw, gritty, and unhealthy. Yet compelling. This is not romance; its abuse. Told astonishingly and acted brilliantly. One of the best for the year 2021. This kind of story needs to be told.

It is a toxic love story that should not be romanticized. It does not make it less brilliant, but we should not try to fit a ‘square peg into a round hole’. It is haunting and will leave you feeling something. You must decide what to feel.

If you want to read my full review, go to my website at BLBliss.com/

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Not your typical flower-boy-type of BL.

Bullying in (any type of) drama always hits too close to home for me. Seen few dramas where the main theme was bullying, the execution wasn't always good, because it is hard topic to work with without coming up with excuses for aggressors. In Utsukushii Kare, there's something deeper to think about.

N O T S P O I L E R F R E E / N O M A J O R S P O I L E R S

Hira Kazunari was never the cool kid, he was always shy, the slightest attention making him stutter. He knows it and he runs with it, tired of fighting and just waiting for the high school to be over. Kiyoi Sou was given good looks that make all his classmates orbitate him, without actually trying to get to know him better. He knows it, and he runs with it, using his flower boy privilege. When Kiyoi transfers to Hira's class, Hira immediately feels attracted to him. Seems like letting Kiyoi bully him, making Hira his lackey, is the only way to stay close to him. Unfortunately Kiyoi's also been bottling his feelings up and Hira practically stalking him is pushing his buttons.

What a breath of fresh air. This drama is bitter sweet, you know that what the characters are doing, saying, their behavior and things unspoken, are the root of all their problems, you know it and the creators (the novel author) knows it, and they will use it against you... With a sweet release at the end. ;))

Do you think Kiyoi is just an ordinary flower boy? Kiyoi is mainly a human being hearing for most of his life that his looks will get him everything, but he knows first hand that is not true. He's been expected to behave certain way and the beauty spell is broken, when he does the opposite the society is expecting of him. It actually makes other superficial, not him.

Do you think Hira is shy weirdo? Hira is mainly a human being that never got the help he needed as a kid. His parents tried so hard to label him as "normal", so Hira ended up even more closed up, in his own world, desperately trying to find the reason for living. And the status quo becomes Kiyoi.

In a sense, those two are destined to each other, needing each other more, than they realise and that makes the relationship they have so hard on both of them. It is also something that pushes them closer in the end, to the point where they have to communicate like two broken adults they are and stop hurting each other. And that is going to be a long journey for them. (yeah, hoping for second season, but not sure if my kokoro can handle it)

I love the way they went with both sides of the story. Kiyoi's story could've more episodes, but I understand the time they got for this was limited and they probably went for a surprise. It was surprise for me for sure. Nice surprise. I liked the cast, I had some hard time dealing with first two episodes before I realised this wasn't only about bullying. Utsukushii kare is about teens that grew up without anyone talking about their problems, which shaped them into who we see at the beginning. The character developement was there and without it, it just couldn't work.

Not feeling like rewatching it (yet!, there's too much stuff on my Plan to watch list), but I am considering reding the novel Utsukushii kare was based on. It probably doesn't have English translation, so training my Japanese it is.

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