Hishakai Shindo

Ohh to be seen and loved for what you are!

Depth of Field is one of those stories that creeps in slowly but wraps you neck deep in emotions before you know it. It was aching at times, but beautiful.

The drama centres around Hayakawa, who has shut himself off from music and honestly, from feeling anything at all after a past that clearly wrecked him. And then there is Konno, who is camera-obsessed, a stoic, quiet individual who doesn't try to fix anyone but somehow holds a space in a way that changes everything.

What I enjoyed the most was that they didn't chase melodrama and didn't overexplain anything. The metaphors were so on point - music was for self-expression and photography for different perspectives.

Hayakawa's journey is very layered. He questions, self-pities, lashes out but also listens and evolves. Konno, on the other hand, feels like someone who has finally started to understand himself more and helps Hayakawa get back the parts of the past that are lost and buried. Hayakawa felt messy, raw and human and Konno was the contrast who was perfect with a clear plan in his head.

The tension between them is everything. It's admiration and jealousy in Haywaka's head while Konno stands there silently offering a kind of safety he doesn't himself know how to accept. He was like an anchor, just simply being there when everything else felt adrift. Their interactions aren't flashy but very tender and real. They had the kind of chemistry that doesn't explode but softens. Sometimes it wasn't about romance, but more about finally being "seen" for who they are and those long glances and silence that screamed "I got you" without any words.
Usually, the lack of communication bothers me a bit, but here it made sense considering the character's background.

The cinematography is literally poetry here. I really loved the terrace shots and all the unspoken confessions. The lighting is sad (where it needs to be) and subtle. Also, loved the ending shot, it felt like a complete circle...ending where it all began!
Acting-wise, I found Usa Takuma (Hayakawa) to be a bit stiff at times, but it didn't take away from the overall viewing experience. Hirano Koshu (Konno) played a very stoic character, and I thought he did a decent job as well.

Overall, this hit the sweet spot between emotional chaos and calm reflection that follows after. It's about being seen, finding courage and beginning again. Though the pace seems a bit fast, but considering the run time, it is excusable.
I would 100% recommend it!

Read More

strong start, rushed end...

As typical of a JBL we get an interesting premise, we get an serene atmosphere and quite a slow pacing. I just feel the end is rushed, another episode should have extended the end which was overly fast and breaks with the overall pace of the show. Especially they introduced the "Konno goes abroad" thing which is not in the original manga and which did not make much sense especially when they were limited on episodes anyways. To introduce drama is not always a good choice, this series could have done without it.

The cinematography was top notch, the actors did a good job, except with kissing. What's the point of close ups "kissing" when the lips are only touching for a "endless" time. Besides that, I have nothing to complain about. So overall a good BL which started much stronger (the first two episodes were just perfect) and gave us a weaker ending. The series is extremly short, only about 24 minutes per episode (except the finale which is about 30 minutes), so you can easily binge-watch this and have a better flow and not a week long suspense.

Read More