Utsukushii Kare (2021)

Good BL of 2021

I thought that Kiyoi was a bully and Hira obession with him was very weird but Kiyoi never respond to his obession with him like saying "gross" or "disgusting. At first you think Kiyoi may not like Hira because of the way he was treating him but then in episode 5 we actually get to see Kiyoi point of view that he actually started to care for him and saw the passion in his eyes. When he kissed him it was intense that Hira was arrogrant for treating him like a god or a king instead of a ordinary man. Hira didnt think it was impossible for Kiyoi to like him. I really loved the final episode i wish they gave us more finally two people realizing they loved each other and needing to communicate. They really are polar opposites of each other but when Kiyoi was on the back of Hira on the bike he smiled so happily that the person he loved, loved him back. I loved this BL so much. It really made some of think it was a master/servant type of love but it didnt turn out that way.

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AMAZING DRAMA

THE ACTING OF THEM MADE ME CRY OMG THIS CAST AND THE STORY SO CONFUSING BUT SO BEAUTIFUL TO BE TRUE THE DRAMA REALLY SHOWS THEIR LOVE AND CHEMISTRY I REALLY HOPE THEM DOING OTHER BL DRAMAS I REALLY HOPE FOR A SEASON 2 WITH MORE OF THEIR LOVE. THE DIALOGUES ARE EVEN MOREEE BEAUTIFUL.............. THE ACTING OF THEM MADE ME CRY OMG THIS CAST AND THE STORY SO CONFUSING BUT SO BEAUTIFUL TO BE TRUE THE DRAMA REALLY SHOWS THEIR LOVE AND CHEMISTRY I REALLY HOPE THEM DOING OTHER BL DRAMAS I REALLY HOPE FOR A SEASON 2 WITH MORE OF THEIR LOVE. THE DIALOGUES ARE EVEN MOREEE BEAUTIFUL..............

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yes.

very good!! i had no hope for this show at first but the way they portrayed kiyoi's character is beautiful and i would definitely rewatch this sometime soon. the last two episodes were just perfect, i cried. i think i did have some angry moments where i would want to just jump in there and make them communicate with each other properly. i could relate a lot to hira's character, loner and bad grade-wise. i would recommend this show to just about everyone. i did have some secondhand embarrassment at times ^^'. but overall i like it and i'm sure many others should too!!

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I am happily surprised by this drama because I loved it and may be one of my favorite Jdrama of 2021. I wasn't planning on watching it, except it got quietly popular and reading some comments I became interested.

This kind of BL is right up to my alley since it is the kind of plot I do love to read in books. More specifically, this drama reminded me a lot of the Straight series, a MM romance series where almost always the leads are so f**ked up and may need therapy but you can't help but root for them because of their intense chemistry and lust/romance. They are flawed characters and I love it; I realized this year that I do like my leads to be imperfect, but still perfect for each other.

Is their relationship toxic? Depends of every person but to me it wasn't. It is not like their dynamic made each other miserable or was ruining their lives; they do have a miscommunication (they are teenagers after all) but once they lay out all their feelings *coughkiyoionhiracough* they are on the same page and I can see they will work on their "problems". And about the "kimoi" thing... I love it. I love when in my MM romance books the term of endearment is "jackass", "asshole", etc precisely because it is said with love and endearment, not as a way of abuse. I certainly cringe when the term of endearment is "baby", "honey", etc **cringe** Again, it depends on anyone's taste.

The acting was excellent, both were amazing and had a nice chemistry. So nice I didn't have any 2nd hand embarrassment with scenes like the finger sucking... it was actually pretty hot and kinda sweet. The only time I had 2nd hand embarrassment was at the shower scene in the school yard...it was too long 😅 Even if it were a straight couple I would have felt the same.

I also liked the OST, both OP song & ED song.

My only complain? Too short, but on the other hand the drama was mostly about them and very little about others.

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The Second Time Around

"Haunting" is a word that I find is thrown around a lot. Too much for that matter. Having said that, I found that after my initial viewing I just couldn't get "Utsukushii Kare"/"My Beautiful Man" out of my head. And I couldn't figure out why for the longest time. On the one hand there's "Hira" - the shy, self-conscious loner/loser (who comes as close to a psychotic stalker as you can imagine). On the other, there's the impossibly beautiful "Kioyi" - brash, self-centered, obnoxious....

Basically it's the story of two people you probably wouldn't like if you'd met them in real life. Except for one thing - I have met them in real life, and they - at least Kiyoi - reminds me of people I know, people I've met and, most importantly, people I have befriended.

And now the explanation. I work in film/television and theatre, and the place is lousy with Kiyois, and every single one of his problems (nobody knows me/nobody understands me/everybody just wants to use me) is real. Kiyoi reminds me of one of my former students - a fairly successful model who was so accustomed to doing whatever it took to please everybody that he simply couldn't just be himself and that is what stopped him from being a good actor. He had lost touch with himself and his humanness - he had to keep his true self buried so that nobody would see him as "imperfect". And he had his real-life "Hira"- someone else who worked in the theatre who absolutely adored him. It was just odd. It was, however, the basic plot of "Utsukushii Kare". Talk about something being too real.

So, did I enjoy it? I don't know if "enjoy" is quite the right word...but I did recognize it. Every last bit of it. So I watched it twice.

About the second viewing. What is interesting in the second viewing is how differently the story unfolds. We are now aware of everybody's motivations, so there's no "big reveal" to look out for. The thing is, though, that's when you realize how brilliant their performance are. Everything about Hagiwara Riku's "Hira" is spot on. From his fawning and adoration of "Kiyoi" to his desperation to not even be noticed, but to just be in Kiyoi's presence is just brilliant. As for Yagi Yusei - what can I say? I am in awe of his performance. He is heart breaking. What you toss away on the first viewing as "beautiful people problems" you recognize as "people problems" the second time around. So, yeah - don't just watch it one, watch it twice. Once for the writing. Twice for the performances and the direction.

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RED FLAG RED FLAG RED FLAG . . . But also dang that boy is pretty . . .

What on earth . . . Did i just watch . . .
The cover poster is blue but it should have been red because this show is just packed full of screaming red flags.
In the show’s favor, “my beautiful man” did in fact have the most beautiful man I have ever seen. He was gorgeous.
The other point in the show’s favor (slight spoiler) is in one episode they had a water fight during detention and it had the most beautiful music playing and the cinematography was breathtaking.
But otherwise this show was . . . Idk . . . It was just so concerning. One of the first lines was ‘most people think the world is a globe’ which made us think he was a flat-earther (which is concerning) but then he says ‘but it’s actually a pyramid’ (which left us even more concerned for him.) Cause like lol wut? I understand you were being poetic but like wut?? This character was just overall incredibly worrisome.
Another spoiler but it’s actually also a ***trigger warning.**** The main character has daydreams where he shoots the people around him. This show is obviously Japanese, duh, but as an American viewer that was actually very upsetting and disturbing as that kind of thing actually happens quite frequently in American schools. So . . . Idk if they were trying to be humorous? Or what? but it just took the show from “well that’s weird and concerning” to “code red code red this boy is THE biggest red flag.”

So yeah . . . In summary . . . I would not recommend . . . But Kiyoi is sooooooooo pretttttyyyyy.

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His Beautiful Jerk

Overall: Although I heard that the characters were more developed/had character growth in the manga, I am only reviewing what I saw in the 6 episodes. If this had been an explicit dom/sub and/or sadist/masochist relationship with discussion about rules and boundaries, then I would have enjoyed it more. Watched on Gagaoolala, it's also on Viki.

Content Warnings: manhandling, repeatedly name calling (disgusting, gross, stalker), there are two scenes in episode three where I began to think that Hira is a sociopath

What I Liked:
- the intro animation sequence was really cool and it set up the story well
- overall good production value
- good acting

Room For Improvement:
- the intro sequence and music sets this up as a silly and upbeat show and the vibe is much darker
- the accordion music was an odd choice for the intro animation, seemed to be the wrong vibe
- Hira is obsessive and does stalker behaviors. I was hoping to see character growth when he went to college, but saw none.
- I was hoping Kiyoi would have character growth but he continues the name calling, kicks and pushes Hira to the ground.
- I didn't like all of the "you are gross/disgusting/stalker", it sounds like it may have been a translation issue but the number of times it was said was a turn off
- did not like the master/servant dynamic without discussion of dom/sub

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So, I will start off with the one thing that bothered me in this series: the gun metaphor and associating standing up to bullies with that image. Mind you, there is no gun in actuality, but it is shown in a daydream. Especially, because the setting is a school. And maybe that is a cultural difference because I live in America. But, we have experienced a lot of school shootings, and it hits a bit too close to home. So, even though, there were only two times this was brought up, and both times were rather short, it actually really bothered me.

Now, onto the good things. To start off, please note that I generally tend to dislike romance between a bully and their victim. Despite this, I really appreciated this series. The characters were flawed in very realistic ways, and the acting, also, seemed very genuine to me. The main characters are not angels but they are not unredeemable, and often, while I don't agree with some of their actions, I can understand why they act that way. I do not think they fit in the stereotyped molds. While Hira is an introvert, he is not the stereotypical introvert you see in mainstream media. Rather than just being socially awkward and possessing low self-esteem, Hira can be kind of gloomy. Often, such characters are shown as antagonists or side characters. I liked that they made him a protagonist. As for, Kiyoi - he is supposed to fit into the bully role, but even though he does boss Hira around, he is more gentle. From the start, even when he tries to show he isn't interested, he actually listens to Hira when Hira speaks. Oftentimes, the bully character just steamrolls over their love interest's thoughts and words, but Kiyoi is not like that. That's not to say that Kiyoi doesn't say mean things, but there is something about the context that gentles what he says. Also, even though Kiyoi bosses Hira around, Hira seems to actually be glad to be bossed around, because it establishes a connection between him and Kiyoi.

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An intriguing depiction of imperfection, flaws and insecurites

I think everyone is pretty familiar with the saying: Do not judge a book by its cover. I can comfortably say that, in this case, to not judge a show by its premise. Really… just don’t. And I am going to tell you why, though this may turn out a little longer than necessary.

To kick things of, I can say that this series receives a very solid 9/10 from me: superb cinematography (esp. Ep. 2, which, by the way, is my favourite episode out of all 6), wonderful acting (esp. Hagiwara Riku as “Hira Kazunari”, though Yagi and Takano were both splendid as well), interesting story (though I would not call it complex), wonderful direction as well as good art design. Season 2? Yes, I’d be most thrilled to go in for another ride.

Is it a masterpiece? Not quite, but it is nonetheless a very good series. But, to call it a masterpiece would, in my eyes, be quite the overstatement. But why?

I found there were two or three “little” weak points. For instance, Ep. 4 is my least favourite. To me, this episode seemed a bit rushed, even cramped. I also am not - in fact never have been - particularly keen on having a time skip taking place in dramas, as often times none of the major characters change anything about their clothing or hair style or adapt a different vocabulary. While Hira may indeed not very much alter his style, I refuse to believe that someone like Kiyoi would not be interested in trying, say, new hair styles.

Koyama’s character, while surely nicely played by Takano Akira, is given very little room in this show and does not really leave a lasting impression on the viewer. This is partially the fault of the series running time. For I found that 6 episodes were not enough to cover their (individual) stories/the first novel sufficiently. As a result, I felt that the series lacks certain moments that would add so much substance to the characters. I would have loved to see more of Kiyoi's background, for instance, or hearing his take on "beauty". I would have wanted to see what influence Hira's parents had on him in his younger years other than having him taking pictures or the effects of his former homeroom teacher as well as Yama-chan (for those who have read the novel know of whom I am talking) and her subsequent behaviour had on him. But, of course, since they were going for 24 min., they had to cut out a lot of scenes.

And thus, in my opinion, the pacing varied greatly from episode to episode.

Ep. 1 & 2 had such a wonderful pacing and I felt that the producers of the show used the time they were given really well. Hira’s (self-)introduction – gorgeous imagery, wonderful use of colours. And then the scene on the bicycle with Hira’s talk about becoming an invisible person (there is not a single cut during his talk but the camera does zoom in a little towards the end so that the audience gets a better look on Kiyoi’s face); or the scene where they are having fun cleaning the basket balls and school’s jersey’s is splendidly executed, cut and put together – the track in the background adds to the slight nostalgic-romantic feeling of a summer long vanished in the sand of time, and remains only as a memory in one’s mind, vivid and unshattered.

The confusion, the frustration, the obsession, the lust, all of them were indeed very palpable throughout the series. I’ve got to say that Yagi does some really wonderful “acting” with his eyes and voice (particularly ep. 4 towards the end as well as ep. 5 & 6). But what I loved most is that the show unabashedly showed that love can come in many forms and that it is a question as to how one perceives it. For some, this could indeed be seen as “unhealthy”, “toxic”, or “derogatory” – (the former two words were used frequently in the comment section but, more often than not, in not quite the correct way.) Does the show romanticise bullying or stalking or unhealthy (love) relationships? Not at all. Let us be honest – as teenagers/young adults (and a whole lot even well after this stage of life) do treat other people unfair, unequal, and not without a small degree of prejudice.

One must bear in mind that the actors were cast to play teenagers/young adults. Especially in this stage of one’s life, love is chaotic, feels weird and can terrify you for no good reason. In most, if not all of the cases, you lack both knowledge and experience to handle certain situations with a little more tact and speak words that the other party certainly understands. In this stage, you are insecure and terribly vulnerable, are constantly feeling like walking on eggshells, but try to mask this with indifference or arrogance or (insert word).

I, therefore, must applaud the show for not taking sides - neither demonising nor glorifying either character, rather allowing the viewer to experience their unusal bond.

Anyhow, while the series is not without flaws, I can still comfortably recommend this show to anyone who is genuinely interested in seeing a love portrayed not quite as fluffy as in many other dramas, not as perfect and wonderful as it is often depicted. I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to see two young men struggling to find their place in the world and coming to terms with themselves.

Thank you for reading.
Mestari

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Polished Series with Compelling Characters

I enjoyed watching and rewatching Utsukushii Kare a lot. The story is interesting. Though the plot might seem typical and the characters might seem mere tropes when you read the blurb on this site, the series goes way beyond that. In fact, it seems to want to break those tropes down. Kiyoi and Hira (and even Koyama) are rounded characters. Through the switching perspectives and them maturing from high school to university age, you get to follow their development and dynamics properly. While watching this show, I constantly re-evaluated my opinions of the characters. If you don't like a character in the first few episodes, keep watching, because once you get the other perspective, you might suddenly shift sides!

The acting is decent overall. Very good for BL standards. Takano Akira (Koyama)'s genuine acting really shines, making a possibly annoying side-character into a real person with complex emotions. I doubted Yagi Yusei (Kiyoi)'s acting a bit at the start, but in the later episodes, Yagi Yusei (Kiyoi)'s acting gets really impressive. (I'm still shaky from that one scene in the last episode.) Hagiwara Riku (Hira)'s acting is consistently decent and his narration is very pleasant to listen to.

The outro song "Follow" by Roce is great. It really suits the series and specifically Hira's wild adoration. The soundtrack overall is lovely. I particularly like the piano piece that plays when they get along during high school times.

The camera work is nice. It's very polished overall. I was impressed by how the lighting was used to express the different moods of the characters.

Due to the switching perspectives, Utsukushii Kare naturally has high re-watch value. But even aside from that. I think I've watched most of the episodes more than seven times, just to catch all the little details, and I'm not bored yet.

I really hope they make a season two and three based on the novels.

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amazing

How amazing is this drama, man this is 9/10 for sure. The only weak spot is the soundtrack, the story was so good I rewatched the episodes so many times before the end. The actors did a pretty good job, It's not easy being someone who's not good at expressing your feelings, the both actors have done such an amazing job. I wish to see them more in more dramas, movies. It's a good story, with talented actors, with a good production, in the first episode I was confused but at the same time loving the whole situation, they are so pretty together, I can't lie, i was angry at some points, but in general It's all good

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not your everyday bl

Definitely something I think can be deceiving to the eye. You need to really take in every second of this drama to fully comprehend the characters and an understanding of them. This is the most psychological type bl I’ve seen. These two characters show a story that they need each other to fix the flaws and trauma dealt within them. It’s much more than “so and so is this so it will never be healthy” not true at all. Its like they together are the only ones who can heal each other. Raw and compelling. Certainly need to be big brain for this one or at least mature. I recommend this for anyone looking for a deep emotional show about two people with flaws figuring out love and being themselves realizing they are happier and can fix each other. It pulls you in to their deep complex love story.

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