Mood Indigo (2019)

Both of these dramas have deep meaning. The first one honestly left me puzzled in some ways. This clears it up and additionally adds so much more meaning to the character Kijima Rio. I still recommend watching this one second and not first however.

Plot - It's based off the first, so there's not much room left for criticism. I like that the story doesn'r completely revolve around Kijima and Kido. It rather revolves around Kijima's feelings, vulnerability, and his relationship with the famous writer he studies under in this drama. I liked this because I don't really like Kido, and I assure you many of you won't after finishing this.

Story-Telling - Some episodes pull your heartstrings more than others. For me:
Ep 1 - Weird
Ep 2 - Revolting
Ep 3 - Captivating
Ep 4 - Exciting
Ep 5 - Interesting but lowkey rolling my eyes
Ep 6 - Ehhh. I like the ending ((:
The pennical for me are the middle two. The story really makes you think at some parts because I've never seen a relationship like Kido's and Kijima's. And I don't think that's necessarily a good thing.

Rio Kijima - The best part about this drama is the fact that it lets you understand where Kijima is coming from. You see a side of him you've never seen before, and I have a new respect for this character that doesn't even exist in real life. Why must we care so much about fictional characters?

Music - The same music from the first drama. It's not my favorite, but it sure works the scenes well.

Acting - It's good. Nothing to say about it. Zero criticisms.

Rewatch? - Probably not unless you're obsessed with these characters and love their story. The story's not overwhelmingly heartwarming or super funny. Only if you're invested in these characters the rewatch is worth it.

Ending Credits Scene/ Kuzumi-kun - I love throughout the movie that Kuzumi was mentioned.. And also anyways Kuzumi and Kijima TOTALLY outshine Kijima and Kido. Kido's character I don't know if he's sad or bad. Not sure which one.

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Moving, Erotic, and Melancholic

This series is a quiet gem and so brilliantly acted. Kudos to Oishi Goro who played Ikuo with a grittiness yet displayed a quiet human understanding of the role. Takezai and Yoshida put their souls on the line in this series and made it feel raw, gritty, and utterly intense. It is profoundly moving. Hard to watch without becoming a bit melancholy yourself. The beauty of this series is (perhaps for me only) to realize that no matter what happens in their lives or in their current relationships, they shared with each other an intimacy and connection to each other that touched their souls and impassioned their deepest fantasy of lust that very few people ever get to experience. That can never ever be taken away from you. No matter what, that is worth celebrating!

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When you're not completely satisfied and that makes the series all the more satisfying

The DOPs in Japanese shows really know how to set up a frame. Mood Indigo is replete with beautiful, heart breaking cinematic frames.

There are moments in the series when you're not sure you agree with the path in which the story travels, and that frustrates you, the viewer, and yet you're still watching. There are basic human conditions of loneliness, heartache, heartbreak, lust, jealousy, rage and so many more that come into play in Mood Indigo. It consumes you.

The chemistry between the leads, between one of the leads and his mentor are so intense; sometimes you're slightly embarrassed for witnessing their interactions.

I rate highly based on whether I would watch this again...and I so would. It pairs so well with Pornographer.

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It's WOW for me!

I don't write reviews for anything. I decided to sign up to MyDramaList so that I can write a review about this BL drama. Yep! I loved this drama that much!! I just started enjoying BL dramas. I think BL dramas help me understand another type of relationship different from my own. This drama really helps me or anyone see and understand how LOVE can start from nowhere and with anyone. Compared to Season 1 "The Novelist/Pornographer," season 2 explains how the novelist became an erotic writer and how he started a relationship with a man. The ending was deep and well-written. I felt the editor's feelings and pain. Sex scenes were nicely done. I truly enjoyed the passion they had for one another. Must watch if you are into BL dramas. My favorite BL drama so far. I like that it's a short drama and the message is well-delivered. I would also recommend "HIStory" Taiwanese BL dramas.

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Alright so after I watched this my heart was crying for my man Rio. He came to a whole other dimension BECAUSE of Kido but in the end it was KIDO who betrayed him.

This also explained all his actions in the prequel movie The Pornographer. How he longed for Kuzumi but was trying to make him go away once he realized how Kuzumi should be focusing on himself and his future.

Also if anyone felt weird about how Rio forgave that old man (Who made him suck off Kido)who later became his mentor then let me explain. Rio longed for a father who gave him validation. He never received approval from his father for pursuing his dreams neither any kind of affection. So Rio had this weird warped bond with that old man. Also it wasn’t a big deal for that old man to ask him to suck someone off because he was in this dirty industry for so long things like this are like a piece of joke to them. Not justifying his character though just explaining in dept of the psychology.

Overall I didn’t expect to like this but I did. I really really adored the character of Rio. And Im so glad he finally got someone who TRULY LOVED HIM, KUZUMI !!!

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A Continuation That Explains Too Much And Not Enough

So "Mood Indigo" I watched directly after I rewatched "The Pornographer/The Novelist", because I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything and I'm glad I did. Though technically you could watch this series without seeing the first season, you'll be confused by the very first scene at the bar and the final scenes with Kuzumi. I will say off the bat, though I enjoyed this series as well, its not as solid as the first and though its enjoyable I don't think its necessarily necessary if that makes sense? We didn't need this much information about Kijima's and Kido's former relationship, I would've liked to see instead more on Kijima's life even before that since he's such a gripping character and then added in Kido halfway through the series.

So this show is shot just as well as the first one, even better at points sometimes. Like that shot of the rose with the droplets on it was freaking beautiful, euphemism and all. As well as the shot of the first kiss in the taxi with the light perfectly placed between their lips. So well done and I loved it. We get the same musical score as well for the most part, which was great. Though the ending song (for credits) was replaced and it makes more sense this time around, its more melancholic where season 1's was too romantic and lighthearted. This season has the same director and writers, which I could tell immediately. I think that helped out with some scenes overlapping from the first season, like Kido pouring coffee behind the blinds in the office area with Kuzumi. That's done again here but with different context and it's such smart storytelling. Watching this felt like putting together a puzzle with pieces that fit into the first season.

So right off the bat, we get confirmation at the beginning that Kijima and Kuzumi are together at the end of the first season and its official. He states it to Kido at the bar and it was a nice way to introduce the continuation aspect of this without doing too much. It's also a great reassurance for the audience that it did get better for Kijima so even though we're about to see a lot of awful things happen to him it gets better. So there were some questions from the first season surrounding Kijima and Kido's past relationship (again I don't think we needed all the details, but we got them) and they are definitely answered. Immediately I thought that their tension could've stemmed from Kido convincing Kijima to write porn novels and I was kinda right! "I would rather quit writing than write trash" this is how Kijima felt about it at the beginning. So it's obvious it was a poor decision coming from a sort of peer pressure from Kido, especially during the forced apprenticeship. Which was so gross by the way, eww old man eww. But Kido clearly had so much jealousy that he didn't care how it hurt Kijima throughout. Though he did him a favor with the drinking problem telling him to stop.

Kijima is such a fascinating character to watch. In this he's ironically so much more broken, where in the first he learned how to mask that with false confidence, humor and sex until we see him really break. In this he's cracking throughout until he eventually kind of embodies Sensai a little bit aka. replacement father. That was such a great addition by the way, I remember him saying his father died in the first season and the fact that his drinking stems from not going to the funeral and feeling guilt. So good. You can also see how he became this kind of sexual being after everything that happened with this replacement father-like relationship, as well as how Kido basically used him for sex in a lot of their "relationship" though of course Kuzumi changes that for him eventually after he proved he wasn't just in it for sex. This entire season made the scene of Kido handing over the key to Kuzumi in the first season that much more powerful, and it was powerful enough before! It's like finally moving on from their past together.

Kido really did mess Kijima up though, so I hope this really is the end for them. He really used him for a new job and to get married, like my god it was difficult to watch. "You're despicable" yeahhhh Kido I would say that about. Also spineless and selfish, such a complicated character who left by the end. There's so much of this where if these 2 hadn't crossed paths in the way that they had it would've been so much better off. Kijima meeting Kuzumi right off the bat would've saved a lot of heartache, though we wouldn't of gotten the porn novels though lol. By the end though, it's clear Kijima wants to actually support Kuzumi with that last great scene. Kijima has moved on for the better and Kido will be left watching and have to accept that. The line "there will always be a flickering flame in my heart" was a great way of showing where Kido's character stands after everything. Both relationships (Kido vs. Kuzumi) are so different in how they function/functioned and its fantastic.

Though I had some issues with the story-telling, how graphic some of the scenes were and validity of this season, it was still a good addition and I cannot wait for the film sequel to come out! More Kijima X Kuzumi continuation please! I would say watch this season if you really want to know all the hidden truths from the first season, but if you're like me and were fine with open endings and guesses than its not necessary.

"You are someone special to me. You always have been and you always will be."-Kuzumi

"Words are amazing aren't they? I didn't really know that even though I'm a writer."-Kijima

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Excellent

This series and the actors are great, i believe that both Main Lead actors are straight but the way they are portrayed the relationship, kisses and sex was excellente.As far as i could tell, their scenes were real ,seems not faked and intense

Takezai Terunosuke is an eye candy and loves his innocent role and the sadness of being lonely while Yoshida Munehiro was great with kissing scenes. It was a sad that both of them are not together in the end hope to see them again

Japanese were good in acting of BL role probably due to no restrictions and banned from the government

I would like to recommend to watch the series over and over and hope to see them again

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my first Japanese BL

Story wise, it is good but somehow it still have spots to develop better
Acting wise, I love Mr. Gamouda best ! He is so cool ! So savage!
He shows his 'play room' to the 'innocent' Kijima, its kinda cute to see ><
And the way he laugh, its just cute lol ><

Kido, damn I don't like this story plot type ..
The typical having a girlfriend, dating a guy, being uncertain but two-timing ..

Kijima, he is good !
Very uke type ! but cute too .. and a bit sassy ~

Kuzumi, good looking !
Can't say much about him here, as he just appear in the last moments ..
But I think he is earnest type (?)

As perhaps this is my first Japanese bl movie, it gives me the feels ~
Good job for the feels, but could be better !

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Compelling and incridibly moving

It is very rare that a 'second season' is better than the original one, but Mood Indigo manages to be on a whole new level compared to Pornographer (and Pornographer already was a very very good drama) because of the depth of the characters and their path to growth.
It can be a painful story to watch, and it is not your typical BL drama, it is way too real to be confined in the genre, but at the same time it's so perfectly done and so compelling that even melancholia will make you happy you are watching it.
It is a story about love, but also fear.
It's about the weight of being normal and the loneliness of being diffferent,
It talks about dreams and life choices that fight against them.
It is about being who you really are and letting society dictate who you must be and the pain that both brings to the soul.
From the start we know that Kijima and Kido are not together in the present but they still have a strange entangled realationship, and Mood Indigo masterfully shows us why, portraying two amazingly complex characters that are so deeply human and can only resonate with anyone watching.
It is not only the characters that make this drama so great, every aspect is spectacularly well done.
The plot is intriguing, and well written, the directing is evocative and with the perfect rythm, the photography is a work of art, the acting is SUPERB, the music is hauntingly beautiful.
An absolute must watch.
Of course Pornographer should be watched first to give the right perspective on the characters, but if the choice is between watching only this or not watching it at all, go for it and start watching anyway, it will still be more than good enough to captivate.

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This made me feel a range of emotions from lives I have not lived

Going purely by the synopsis, you might expect a fluffy – possibly even humorous – show with a stereotypical erotica plot. But I’m here to tell you that it is none of these things.

Moody, intimate and intense, Mood Indigo’s brilliance is in exploring the anguish that comes with desire. Desire to be with someone and inside them (literally). The blurring boundaries between love and lust. The vulnerabilities that come with opening up.

Being with Kijima is maddeningly arousing and sensual – nothing like he has ever experienced with other lovers – and he constantly struggles with the pull of Kijima’s magnetism. While he does harbour genuine affections for his friend, he can’t bring himself to be with a man.

This becomes the source of Kijima’s anguish. Not from emotions that have stirred within him, but from Kido’s selfishness of wanting him without choosing him.

Do they end up together eventually? In Mood Indigo’s universe, this is irrelevant.

The underlying message is that some people will never be forgotten. A flickering flame always remains, never to be extinguished even with the passage of time.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/05/08/mood-indigo-bl-review/

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Devastatingly realistic.

This is such a devastating drama, which is sadly so representative of many a people's life experience. It's all about timing.

Seeing Kijima and Kido's backstory was very enlightening. The development of their relationship from being old university classmates to friends to sort of lovers and back to acquaintances was interesting to watch. I found it interesting that each initial development in their relationship was never intentional, but as a result of the circumstances around them. They had undeniable chemistry and were so passionate as lovers, but the somber ost, depressing tone/theme and dimmed lighting would make you feel dissatisfied about their relationship because you could just feel like it wasn't going to end on a positive note, regardless of whether you'd previously watched the Novelist or not.

Overall, I wouldn't necessarily categorize this as a romance. It's more about showing the relationship between two people who all of a sudden developed a relationship as lovers but due to poor timing, fear of society, and lack of courage, ultimately weren't able to realize the full potential of their relationship. What it lacked in romance it had in passion and lust. You could probably watch the drama and blame Kido for things ending the way they did, but my personal takeaway was that there really wasn't one person to blame as I understood Kido's actions as well. Some relationships are just not meant to be, and this way Kijima has the opportunity to find someone else that will choose him and love him.

Big kudos to the actors. They were so committed to their roles and expressed themselves wonderfully and had amazing chemistry. Kijima had such a sensuality to him that kept pulling me to him and Idk how the actor was able to create that kind of atmosphere around his character, but he did and it was amazing to watch.

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