J-atty

There is a saying: Short people have the biggest voice to make up for their height. Well, Zen proved it over and over and over again. I spent 8.5 ep trying my best to like the little golden nugget. I mean, look at him. Just adorable once he keeps those lips shut, leans his head on Ryo and something in his mouth. He has the most irritating combative personality ever. I was so turned off by most of it until the mop head turtle faced parrot came in. Futami took over and instantly made Zen appear more loveable. I think Ryo is a saint. A boyfriend that acts like a steel brush and a friend like an ear worm.

Futami had a purpose tho, he finally made Zen be openly honest. Now Zen has his nice side, instantly popping up when Ryo said he missed him, I'm not disputing that but everything else overshadows his soft side. Ryo, on the other hand, wanted him for so long, he basically coolly relinquished his power just to keep him in his peripherals.

Now to the plot. What plot? Two guys learning to communicate after being rivals. Japan has a way of making something out of nothing. They succeeded. The only thing I would seriously change was Zen's pitch. I had to turn the volume down and strain at the same time to hear Ryo. It was just rubbing me the wrong way. The one thing I did like, their rivalry covered their romantic relationship, so that they had time to develop without the office snoops being on their scent.

Overall, it was a typical JBL and it was not disappointing. The were believable in their roles and other than minor repeated behaviors, the pacing was good for the length. The conversations were real and brutal. If you can endure the constant clashing with a heavy dose of unnecessary misunderstanding, go for it.