Worth the watch

Firstly, I watched this after a few fluff bl so was pleasantly surprised.

The spark that Youchi feels stems from Sakurai on meeting him immediately understood his art. Those around him took care to keep him safe but did not understand his expression on canvas. Youchi feels drawn to him. Sakurai, himself, burnt out by his uneventful life, welcomes the attention though struggles to understand why he is attracted to Youchi as this is his first male awakening.

Their conversations are always introspective. At times the age gap is glaring and sometimes not. Yoichi, blunt and direct, forces Sakurai to acknowledge who is creating the distance between them. I should mention that Youchi's immediate family and cohabitants all welcomed and encouraged the relationship as this was the first person that he had opened himself up to.

Then enters Fujimoto. School mate and age appropriate sees Sakurai as a threat. He doesn't waste any moment to remind Sakurai how obscene a man of his age looks when pursuing a boy half his age. His sole purpose to win Youchi fails as he cannot compare to the clarity and bond they share. He cannot see the unfinished painting as flowers which Sakurai readily saw on their first meeting.

Youchi, after a break period between them, understands that Sakurai was waiting for him to come out of his cocoon, come to terms with his past and truly form a stronger bond if they are to be together. Sakurai realised that conforming to other perceptions of their relationship (gay, older man, lover) would not bring the happiness he craved.

Pros:
Pacing was slow which allowed the story to evolve.
The family members, rather than having unnecessary interactions, was used as a vehicle for clarity as Youchi barely spoke.
Main actors embodied their roles.
Scenery suited the mood.
Non visual sex scene was alluded to by the lowering of Sakurai's hand. Perfect for this movie.

Cons:
Fujimoto rushed brashness felt out of place. Probably used to make the viewer like Sakurai more.
Sakurai appeared older than 37 in body movements. Who would get angry at 37 with being caught in a water fight?
At no time was it shown that his family had a chat with Youchi about his living outside of the bubble and the expectations that may be imposed by the public upon viewing their relationship. Their stance was Youchi seems to want this, let's make sure it happens. Except, for Takeo who questioned Sakurai's motives but still pushed for it to happen by supplying Youchi's number.
The subdued mood of Youchi throughtout did nothing to help the lack of chemistry between them. Not even with Fujimoto.

Beautiful moment:
Y: Flowers must be watered everyday
S: I'll call you everyday

Y: This flower will bloom right?
S: Yeah, this time it will bloom. It will definitely bloom.

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Worth every second

Very rarely have I a seen a drama that pulls the water works out. Every story within the main story was brought to an expected end. None were rushed or left open ended. Which I loved.

Nut and Plan brought out their best work without relying on nc scenes to make their story believable and complete. Phob and Phat's timely meeting set the tone and pace of the series. Every nuanced expression and emotion was felt. The ending was expected because a love like that just isn't forgotten.

The imagery, costuming and ghostly effects were great without going over the top. The three main shooting locations did become tedious to see but budgets to consider was acceptable. Only peeve, Phat's mother seemed invisible until needed. It seemed days would pass without seeing each other.

I would recommend watching over a period of days to truly enjoy the story and everyone's performance. In a era where fast food is easily accessible this was like a nice meal.

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