Polyethylene Terephthalate (2023)

Interesting story with low production values

I just finished this and have some mixed feeling about it. I did enjoy the story that focused completely on the couple and flipped through the moments of their relationship from beginning to end. There wasn't a over reaching plot or outside forces bring drama into the story. It didn't focus just on pivotal moment but instead showed snippets that you could find in any couples daily life. You could see small changes but it wasn't big dramatic things that signaled a break up. So this felt a little different from the normal slice of life or the few shows that have the watching a couple through moments in their life story line.

When they do break up the story loses some of it cohesion because it is very hard to tell where we are in the story. They do alot of flashbacks and the flow of the story isn't done well enough to get exactly where they are in the story. I think if I had paid more attention to clothes the characters where wearing it might have help, but you shouldn't need to do that. By the end I think I had figured most of it out but I still felt confused while watching it.

The ending was a bummer since they didn't get back together although they parted on good terms. I did like that Kaoru and Ryo's problems focused on coming out and that sometimes it is a deal breaker. I will say the title and idea of the plastic bottle might have sound like an epic idea in their heads but it is pretentious and give the show a silly name that very few people are going to be drawn to.

The production values on this are abysmal. At first I couldn't hear the sound it was so low so I plugged in some noise cancelling earphones to later get my ears blowen out by the volume of regular talking and picking up things like putting a cup down on the table. Most if the show was filming in their room as well but that does fit well into the stories intimacy around the couple so I didn't mind as much. The acting was uneven but it wasn't horrible either for what I'm assuming new actors it was good enough.

This was an good watch if your looking for something outside of the norm and ok with something that feels like a small indie project without a lot of money put into it.

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Messy relationship & recycling

Wikipedia says: Polyethylene terephthalate (or poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in fibres for clothing, containers for liquids and foods, and thermoforming for manufacturing, and in combination with glass fibre for engineering resins.

Basically, PET is the material plastic bottles are made of. In this short series, the main characters liken their relationship to a plastic bottle and its cap: how long does it last and if they are going to meet again after recycling.

The drama depicts a relationship: meet, get together, live together, first glitches and then a major one sending everything up in the air. The relationship is told in short scenes over a period of time. That was the first problem I had with this drama: the timeline is not clear: months or years? Eventually we discovered that it took two years for the relationship to go bust(one moves out!) but it feels like it had taken much longer. Logically! Do you really break up with your boyfriend after a year because he does not want to come out to his family? In Japan? After a few years, maybe.... Moreover, they continue living together and seeing new people and still sleeping together. Messy, very messy but they seem fine with it!

The characters are rather sketchy as we never get to know much about them and their past, friends and family: one is bi the other one gay! They are obviously in love with each other but cannot live together. One is getting serious while the other is still behaving like a teen and throwing tantrums and running off in the middle of an discussion.

Production gives off the indie vibe: real and rough and cold (practically no colour to speak of!). Sets a limited to an apartment and a couple of outside shots. The story is straight forward for the most part though the final part has some flashbacks which are difficult to grasp (same sets, similar situation!). There are a couple of scenes after final credits suggesting that maybe they are not as over as they would like us to believe. The ending is open!

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