I can't wait for all the books to be translated, but I gotta say, nothing will match that wonderful sensation of first getting Kiyoi POV after all that obsessing from Hira.  That sudden switch of view points was startling and surprising.  I never expected Kiyoi to be so vulnerable.  I'm sure the new volumes have excellent stories, but that surprise element from the first will be hard to match. 

 Maggi64:

I can't wait for all the books to be translated, but I gotta say, nothing will match that wonderful sensation of first getting Kiyoi POV after all that obsessing from Hira.  That sudden switch of view points was startling and surprising.  I never expected Kiyoi to be so vulnerable.  I'm sure the new volumes have excellent stories, but that surprise element from the first will be hard to match. 

Completely agree. I feel like his also has a bit more nuance and insight, so when it switches to him, you suddenly realize you've been seeing the story through murky water. Which totally fits Hira. 

 Maggi64:

There is no spoiler tag for messages.  Besides, I did not reveal the big plot twist. The plot twist is something major with celebrities and I said nothing about that. You still don't know a thing about the plot or how it climaxes or how it ends. So nothing has been spoiled for you :)

Yes, there is a spoiler 'tag' for messages. It's the triangle on the taskbar and should be used. Even if you didn't reveal a big plot twist, you still revealed more than I wanted to know before I got a chance to read the translated novel.

I even did a 180 after getting Kiyoi's POV. For instance, I had been glad during ep 4 when he was jealous of Koyoma and thought he deserved to have some competition after being so dismissive of Hira. But after seeing how vulnerable he was and how hurt he was about the disconnected phone number, I switched and thought, "Hira, wake up to poor little Kiyoi's feelings!" lol.  

I also raced to rewatch all the eps and saw tons of signs that Kiyoi liked him all along. The most obvious was how Kiyoi defended him against Shirato's crowd at school. He defended him 3 times -- after the water pail incident, when they teased Hira for liking glasses-girl, and when Shirato yelled at Hira for getting the wrong sandwich.  Kiyoi also got Hira around him by choosing him to go to the cafe to stand in line for them, and then by choosing Hira's house to hang out at that summer. He goes to Hira's bedroom to seek him out. He seeks him out again on the bicycle.  He goes to Hira's house that night after the water fight. He started hanging out with Hira one-on-one after Hira beat the shit out of Shirato.  He kissed him on last day of school.  

After high school, he invited Hira to the play's after party not once, but twice. And he asks Hira why he changed his number (yet Hira misses that this mean Kiyoi must've called him).  He asks Hira who he likes, him or Koyoma. And then he flat out TELLS Hira, "Did it ever occur to you that I love you too?"  Yet Hira still -- still! -- misses it.  LOL.  Now, I missed a lot of those signals too, and had interpreted the kiss as a mercy kiss just as Hira had.   But I still noticed that Kiyoi was aware of Hira and wanted him around.   I just wasn't sure how the show was going to make it believable that Kiyoi loved him after portraying him as having been so aloof and, as Hira said, "like a king."  But man, the show did this beautifully!  And in only 20 minutes with ep 5.  That's great directing.  Of course, it's great directing based on a great novel!

 Popcxqueen:

Yes, there is a spoiler 'tag' for messages. It's the triangle on the taskbar and should be used. Even if you didn't reveal a big plot twist, you still revealed more than I wanted to know before I got a chance to read the translated novel. 

Sorry for my involvement in that; I'll try to be more conscious of hiding spoilers in the future.

At Maggie64 - totally agree on all those points! I also avidly rewatched and started noticing Kiyoi's subtle glances at Hira and drawing Hira to him when others went after him, and finding excuses to get himself close to Hira. I think they did an amazing job in such a short time of selling their individual POVs~

Yes, it was excellent direction. My only qualm with that director was that she put Koyoma into the show too much when there was already not enough time for Kiyoi's and Hira's story.  For instance, Koyama's confession was 1/3 of episode 5 and all I wanted was more of Kiyoi's pov.  Then the director created a scene for Koyama that wasn't even in the book for ep 6, when he goes to Kiyoi at play practice acting like a noble White Knight to tell Kiyoi that he's the one Hira loves. 


I had suspected the director had some personal reason for getting that actor into the show so much, and someone (I think it was Ximmich?) confirmed to me that he was starring in that director's new play, and hence the director would've wanted to promote him by expanding his role.  In fact, if you read the CD version of volume one you'll see that he's barely in the book, and that the director expanded his character a lot for the show. To be clear, I liked his character, but with only 6 eps at 20 min a pop, I wanted it to only be Kiyoi and Hira for all of ep 5 and ep 6.   


Man, can you tell that I am obsessed with this show?  LOL.  It's my #1 fave BL, with Old Fashioned Cupcake and Blueming rounding out the top 3.

I can tell. XD I also loved OFC, blueming didn't hit me as hard though. I actually liked the Koyama scenes; he's adorable. Sorry, but I'm hoping he's in the movie or second series (and also gets his own bf).

Yes, I can see why some would love Koyama.  I thought he was a cutie-pie too (I loved his crooked tooth).  If it were a longer show then I'd have no complaint. But it was so short that every minute counted and we needed more of K & H.     Oh, and Koyama's not as nice in the book version.  He intentionally makes little jabs at Kiyoi and comes between Hira and Kiyoi.  So the director not only expanded his role, but made his character nicer .  As for volume two, I only read the CD and he's essentially not in it.  He shows up only at Hira's photography club.  So the director would have to write a whole new story to get him into the sequel, and I doubt that would happen. 

Oh damn, I didn't know about the little jabs! Excited to see that lollipop and white lotus' translations!

Hi guys I want to ask if there's any version of the second/third novel around? 

 It doesn't have to be english as long as I can use google translate to read?

 Maggi64:

Yes, I can see why some would love Koyama.  I thought he was a cutie-pie too (I loved his crooked tooth).  If it were a longer show then I'd have no complaint. But it was so short that every minute counted and we needed more of K & H.     Oh, and Koyama's not as nice in the book version.  He intentionally makes little jabs at Kiyoi and comes between Hira and Kiyoi.  So the director not only expanded his role, but made his character nicer .  As for volume two, I only read the CD and he's essentially not in it.  He shows up only at Hira's photography club.  So the director would have to write a whole new story to get him into the sequel, and I doubt that would happen. 

Wow, I completely disagree with your depiction of Koyama, so I’m very excited to see if that’ll change once you’ve read the translations haha! 

@Aerials whoa, I just watched the trailer for the movie, it looks really really interesting actually

Argh I wanted to edit my post but I mistakenly canceled it :( I wrote that I read the translation in my language of another Yuu Nagira’s book  (this book is really a punch in the gut)  and just found out about a movie version of it “Wandering” starring one of my favorite Japanese actor (Yokohama Ryusei). I don’t know if I will be brave enough to watch it but if someone is interested and want to watch it be prepared it talks about ALOT of triggering topics… If people screamed about the so called toxicity of Hira’s and Kiyoi’s relationship here they’re gonna go nuts!

Lollipop,  the CD of Volume One depicts Koyama as making jabs at Kiyoi and Hira.  There's a scene where he comes to Hira's house after his confession was rejected,  and brings his whole photography club with him.  He essentially makes Kiyoi feel out of place and chastises Kiyoi for trying to hold Hira's hand.  This was during the phase when Kiyoi was trying to be affectionate with Hira to show him that he wanted him as a boyfriend. But Hira was oblivious to the attempts, and then Koyoma comes over and even makes fun of Kiyoi's attempts.  Based on that, I disliked his character.  He also kept calling Hira and crying and sobbing and being needy.  I thought the show portrayed him as a much nicer guy than the CD did.   

 Maggi64:

Lollipop,  the CD of Volume One depicts Koyama as making jabs at Kiyoi and Hira.  There's a scene where he comes to Hira's house after his confession was rejected,  and brings his whole photography club with him.  He essentially makes Kiyoi feel out of place and chastises Kiyoi for trying to hold Hira's hand.  This was during the phase when Kiyoi was trying to be affectionate with Hira to show him that he wanted him as a boyfriend. But Hira was oblivious to the attempts, and then Koyoma comes over and even makes fun of Kiyoi's attempts.  Based on that, I disliked his character.  He also kept calling Hira and crying and sobbing and being needy.  I thought the show portrayed him as a much nicer guy than the CD did.   

I just reread the passage you mention, and I still don’t agree with this depiction, so I’m still gonna leave it at curiosity towards whether or not you’ll change your mind upon reading another translation! I also just listened to the audiobook version of it while following along in the book, and the scene leaves out about 2 or 3 pages of inner monologue and conversations between everyone. It's actually interesting comparing, haha, I do see how Koyama comes off as snarkier in the audiobook, especially because it makes it sound like he's the one making Kiyoi let go of Hira's hand when in the book, it's Hira who pulls away.