It's been quite a while since I saw the series and I honestly can't recall what score I gave it, but having watched the Director's Cut with only a partial recall of the plot I found it highly enjoyable. Like most BL dramas this remains primarily a bromance relationship, but I'm fine with that. I find graphic, simulated sex scenes (same or opposite sex) are unnecessary and often cringeworthy. There is a brief and romantic bed scene at the end, which I think is new. It's tastefully done and appropriate for the story. What earns a Solid 10 is the unusual ending. We have a brief montage of Akira and Yuuki's happy bromance from 39 to 40, then we fast forward to age 82 where a patient named Yuuki Itou is in the hospital. He has 2 rings, so we know one partner has already passed, but the inference is it wasn't so long ago that the survivor moved on and forgot about him. I say this is unusual because same-sex relationships tend to be portrayed as something that won't last. And this ties up the metaphor of connecting the dots (Akira and Yuuki) and following life's path to the end of the line. It's not clear from the patient name which one survived to the end, but apparently it's Yuuki who took Akira's Surname. Maybe someone else can clarify. That being the case, it's not in keeping with the promise Akira made not to leave Yuuki ever again (also Akira is the main character), so maybe I got it backwards. But that's just a minor complaint. I hope this is released on BluRay because it's a keeper for repeat viewings. Well done!