Jero

Actually, the author has some short stories (if I recall correctly, about the winter season) while Koichi was still alive. But my computer files are a mess right now, I have no idea where I sorted them 😭

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I can see where you’re coming from and why that line might feel reassuring or contextual in the scene.

But at the same time, in the novel, Watarai’s realization is very clear and precise: “Maybe I didn’t need to find a girlfriend like Hioki because right here, was the person I’d been looking for”

He imagined a “girlfriend version” of Hioki for a moment but immediately understands he didn’t need a hypothetical or safer version, bc what he wants is the real Hioki as he also realized that “I really do like the real, unadorned Hioki”

For me, the adaptation’s added line shifts that emotional logic a bit. It turns a more specific queer moment into a generalized statement, which is why it felt like a shortcut for me compared to the novel. I get that in-universe it could be read as reassurance, but the novel frames the attraction as unambiguous and precise, and that’s what made the moment so meaningful to me

Someone finally gets my point, and to be honest, that line wasn’t originally part of the novel. In the novel, Watarai immediately realized: “Maybe I didn’t need to find a girlfriend like Hioki. Because right here was the person I’d been looking for” and later in the novel: “I realized… I really do like the real, unadorned Hioki”

His attraction is specifically to Hioki as he is, not a gender-neutral version of Hioki

While the whole audience is asking for one Watarai...

me, just asking for one Hioki

Those who’ve read the novel will probably understand what I mean

Can I be honest? I can’t sleep without releasing my thoughts, and this is one of those moments that’s been sitting with me.

Yes, that realization actually deepens his love instead of diluting it. Loving Hioki as a guy means loving the exact circumstances that shaped him, specifically, the version of Hioki that exists with Watarai, not some abstract, interchangeable idea of him.

But the added line, “I like you whether you’re a boy or a girl” (which was also NOT originally part of the novel), just doesn’t work for me. Watarai isn’t drawn to a hypothetical girl version of Hioki, he’s attracted to Hioki as he is. Inserting that line flattens what should be a very precise, very queer moment. It shifts the focus away from desire and specificity and into something safer, broader, and frankly tired something added to reassure straight viewers rather than to serve the emotional logic of the story. And that’s kind of disappointing, ngl.

That said, I still love this show. One overused line doesn’t erase the tenderness, the intimacy, or the sincerity that make Watarai and Hioki compelling. I just wish it hadn’t reached for a shortcut when the moment was already saying something much braver on its own.

Ify so much!! It hits even harder for me bc it reminds me of those one-sided crushes I never got to pursue irl, or even experience as a closeted gay teenager lol. Somehow this drama heals that little teenage ghost in me that always wanted moments like these. Some people take it way too far and make something so simple unnecessarily complicated, when it’s really just meant to be enjoyed

Same honestly. I got my spark back too, but it’s not even about “outgrowing” BL well, it’s just that a lot of adaptations don’t hit the way the manga or novels do. Some actors can’t bring out the chemistry or the emotional beats the source material promised, and that disconnect ruins it for me. That’s why I stopped finishing the School Trip novel yet, I don’t wanna spoil the show if the live action ends up feeling weaker

This series is cliche as hell, no lies, but the chemistry between these two is so good af. It kinda reminds me of Kiekoi, the story isn’t anything special but the way the actors play off each other makes it work. Sometimes it’s not the plot, it’s how believable the pair feels

No exactly, you get it. That’s what I used to say as well, if we had shows like this earlier, a lot of us could’ve found the language for ourselves way sooner. And you’re right, BL isn’t some one-size-fits-all category. It’s a whole spectrum and there’s space for all kinds of stories. That’s why limiting it to one “target audience” never made sense to me in the first place

That’s exactly why my own community isn’t progressing and the fact that he’s also part of my queer community makes it even more frustrating. Shows like these aren’t created for the specific audience he keeps insisting on. They’re made for us. For us gays who never got to experience the kind of soft, wholesome teenage romance straight teens we see everywhere. For the kids who need queer content they can watch openly, even with their parents. For the people who finally want to see themselves reflected in stories that aren’t built on trauma or fetish

Tbh, the OP actually has a point about those girls who get “irked” by any homo stuff like kissing scenes, bed scenes, anything intimate. That hits for me because I’ve had acquaintances who claimed they “watch BL” but the moment the two guys actually kiss, they start acting disgusted. Sorry but that’s kind of homophobic. But we also can’t generalize it as all teen girls or all women. Let’s say some. Some people have their own reasons and are simply NOT used to seeing intimate or R18 scenes in general, whether it’s straight or queer media

And honestly? Those some fujoshi who only watch BL for the “seggs” part aren’t any different either. The ones who only look forward to the explicit scenes… it really feels like they see gay people as entertainment or something to satisfy their fantasies

What annoys me the most is how OP made it sound like these shows are made for girls, when in reality, a LOT of us gay people watch and enjoy fluffy BL too. We exist, and BL isn’t just some fanservice genre built solely for a straight female audience. Don’t erase the actual queer viewers who are here because these stories matter to us

For me, their dynamic reads more like companionship than an actual couple. The romantic chemistry just isn’t there, but I can let that slide since like the one person said here, romance isn’t the main focus anyway. It doesn’t really bother me as well bc everything else in the story is crafted so well. This show plays more like a family or queer-drama series than a BL

Sakuta hid some paper, idk if it’s about the housing loan. Guess we’ll find out in the final ep next week

No thanks. You don’t get to tell me what I should watch to feel what I want to feel. My gay friend and I enjoy it, and some of us just want a little escape from reality. Maybe get a job and stop camping here, dropping your think pieces and essays every wk abt a show you don’t even like just like some unemployed wannabe BL critic

Lol, that’s why I kinda felt offended. I’m gay, and my gay friend is watching it too. And yeah, I know this kind of perfectly smooth gay story isn’t really how things play out for most of us irl. But sometimes we just need a little escape from how harsh the world is. There’s nothing wrong with finding comfort where you can

You really get me. CM and Kiekoi are literally my top 2 and 3 BLs (and honestly, School Trip might replace or tie with Kiekoi at this point lol)

I don’t really care whether a BL has kissing scenes or love scenes or not, what matters to me is how the whole show is executed. But ngl, I am expecting a bit more than a fish kiss if they ever give us one here. Japanese dramas (not just BLs, even straight ones) used to serve the non-passionate kisses ever. Like pls, I just want to see lips actually enter another pair of lips atleast 😭

And yeah, I’m also being petty because I got annoyed at that one comment saying this show is “for teen girls who don’t want to see homo stuff” Yes, those people annoy me too, don’t get me wrong but it’s the same energy as people who watch BL with voyeuristic expectations. As a gay person, it’s irritating seeing some treat us like entertainment or fantasy fuel to satisfy their desires

It’s just a simple, silly, cute, comforting show and the characters are just honestly so refreshing to watch. Let people enjoy things, the way some of them also enjoy their “standard” BL or whatever

And yeah, I Hear The Sunspot had all the potential, the story was there, the actors can act but the chemistry was dry af idk

Awww 💔

Exactly!

Not worth my time lol. It just annoys me when people go way too hard on a simple, cute BL teen romance, when the same stuff in straight high school dramas gets a free pass every time. Like… when I was younger, I literally wished those hetero school shows had versions with two boys, and Japanese BLs are finally giving us that

And yeah, this BL is cliche asf, I’m not pretending it isn’t. But there’s more to a show than plot alone, theres the acting, the chemistry, the execution… those things count too

The real world is already exhausting. Sometimes we just want something soft and wholesome to watch. It’s not that deep fr

And if I ended up being in the minority who didn’t like a BL (like I Hear the Sunspot), I’d just drop a comment and dip. I’m not out here trying to force everyone to agree with me like some try-hard “BL enthusiast/critic”