mikuni14

[mikuni14]

#maeda kentaro

[mikuni14]

I Cannot Reach You — Episode 8

#💖💖💖

[mikuni14]

I love the little bits of humor they throw into I Cannot Reach You.

Yui and Soichiro see Yamato and Kakeru kiss on the bridge and their taiyaki happen to be kissing too. Soichiro actually notices, but just continues on.

The claw machine doll Yamato won for Kakeru is sitting happily when everything is calm.

When Yamato gets aggressive, it's shook. 😂

#Yui and Soichiro 😆💖 #the comedy element in this series was actually fun and I loved it!

[mikuni14]

— KIMI NI WA TODOKANAI | EPISODE 6

#ahhhhhhhhhh

[mikuni14]

MAEDA KENTARO as YAMATO

[mikuni14]

Yamato, I want to be in a relationship with you. Huh? If my feelings were to cool down over time, I wouldn't be worrying this much. Because I really like you. Yamato.. I want to be your special person. Yamato.. How about you? Yeah, I feel the same way. Kakeru, I want to be in a relationship with you. Sure. I was so nervous... I've wanted to say it for a long time, but I wanted to show you my good side, so I studied hard, and I tried to confess in the park but I caught a cold because of the rain.

KIMI NI WA TODOKANAI (2023) 君には届かない。 dir. Tanazawa Takayoshi

bonus #forhead kiss my beloved

#🥺💖

[mikuni14]

Real question: Are these two dating?

They are, right?

#they communicated non-verbally like an old married couple #so yes! they are! 👍

[mikuni14]

I haven't been able to stop thinking about that day. I can't even sleep because of it. I keep thinking and worrying. But I'm sure you've worried much more than I have, so I need to take you seriously. Before this, I've only every thought of you as a friend. Honestly, I'm not sure about dating yet. But I want to consider it. I want to think about what I want us to be.

I CANNOT REACH YOU / KIMI NI WA TODOKANAI (2023) dir. tanazawa takayoshi

#ahhh #the tension

[mikuni14]

I CANNOT REACH YOU (2023)

#i love them SO MUCH #and i need more of them!! #another season please?? #<- me too!!!

[mikuni14]

I Cannot Reach You

Today I binged I Cannot Reach You and I think this series has become my favorite Japanese BL 💖

I liked everything, especially how the series showed pinning, friends to lovers trope, suffering, uncertainty and struggling with the fact that love, confession can "endanger" a close friendship, the fear that letting go of feelings that become more and more difficult to conceal and control, can destroy a long, cherished friendship. I really like that Kakeru becomes aware of Yamato's feelings at the beginning of the series and is not stupid and clueless for the rest of series. I'm so glad we watched them struggle together 👌 I really liked the communication between them, the language they used, their kindness, the fact that they never wanted to hurt each other. I really liked how they couldn't control their feelings. I absolutely love their circle of friends, people who sincerely support and try to help Kakeru and Yamato. Especially Zen Master Hosaka and Yamato's sister. I also like the subtle (although I would like it to be more visible, but well, it's not this kind of series 😚) physical aspect of their relationship, Yamato is definitely very horny for Kakeru, it was visible, but I must admit that I would just love to see more of this 🤭

What I also liked was that the "seme type" character was shown as perfect on the outside, but at the same time he was the most dependent, the most vulnerable and the most pathetic in this relationship. Many times he couldn't cope with himself and his feelings, he relied on others (what would he do without Hosaka and Mikoto...) and that was great.

AND I ALSO LIKED (did I mention that I liked everything? 😄) the large number of emotional scenes that tugged at my heart and made me feel a deep bond with the characters. It was a wonderful experience, exactly what I look for in BL series 🥺💖

The series is wonderful, I love it, I highly recommend it, 10/10.

(their hands 😭)

I love these boys.

#i cannot reach you #kimi ni wa todokanai #japanese bl #bl drama #I LOVE THESE BOYS OK #and while I enjoy the weekly communal viewing of single episodes #binge watching all episodes has its advantages ngl 🤔

[mikuni14]

Second part of my translation comments (and half meta) for Gray Shelter [Episode 5], you can find the first post here!

"You gave the choice/decision to me, didn't you? (reference to the earlier scene)" "So your decision is to give me some money and tell me to get out of your sight?"

꺼져 is quite a rude word, like 'get the hell away from me', Yoondae is clearly pissed rephrasing/interpreting Soohyuk's intentions, he's using informal tone too

"Because I live like this? Because I idle/fool around here and there without doing anything, not able to get myself together (cannot get a grip on myself and my life)? Because you still see me as a child?!" "Yes. That's why I'm confused. Because it doesn't matter who is by your side (anyone will do), right?" "And (what's the problem)? You can be by my side. Why is everything so complicated for you? Just... (in softest pleading voice) ...Watch me. I will live like all the other people. Then it'll all be good (it's solved), no? You can watch over me while being by my side. Mmhm? Don't care about the situation, once again I'm telling you, just look only right at me."

I actually really like the usage of 'focus on me' in all the sentences because the translator keeps the leitmotif and it works in all contexts, the entire conversation was translated nicely. Even "- What's the most difficult thing about me and this situation for you? - That I'm your home (the place you return to now)."

I just gave you more literal translation... idk, for fun xD Maybe you'll catch more nuances that I tried to put in here. It's just devastating. Soohyuk sees and feels that Yoondae is clinging to him like to a lifeline, and he doesn't want to be one, he's got enough of people burdening him, his life is hard enough.

He tried to think simply like Yoondae and just live in the moment, give in to his impulses as well, but he just can't. He's sinking on his own and he can't chain himself to another person because even if he's a safe place for Yoondae, he won't be able to save him in this situation, it means they'll both drown. Yoondae has to find his own ground to stand on, he has to get a grip and find a new home on his own so he won't circle his entire life and attention on Soohyuk. Only then it'll work.

"If I find another home, can I call you? You won't avoid me then?"

They don't kiss here – they can't. It won't work. But such short distance is a promise, it's a possible future happy ending hanging between them both like a life vest and a heavy rock.

I'm not sure he means it as 'we get together again'. More like

"If we meet again, will we become okay?"

Like, they agreed it won't work out now, they need some time, and Yoondae now will be holding onto that hope that Soohyuk might accept him and his feelings once Yoondae finds his own home, his own meaning in life. But he's still afraid it won't happen, that's why he needs to hear some affirmation. Will things between them become alright (and the fact that he doesn't really say 'better' or 'good', he uses 괜찮다 - fine, alright, okay and asks if they will be able to even reach that). Which means they both know their relationship is less than 'okay' now.

And in a very Gray Shelter melancholic satisfying-unsatisfying way, Soohyuk only replies: "It'd at least be better than now."

That's the only thing Yoondae is left with. This, and a daring request to pretend he didn't steal that goodbye kiss.

And we're getting a time skip which starts on a sound of a ringing telephone. ("If I find another home, can I call you? ) And surprisingly, it doesn't seem that Yoondae is the one calling this time, as he wanted to. It seems like Yoondae accepted the call but he wasn't holding it or answering, yet Soohyuk called him and invited him for a dinner and is waiting for the answer. Now, the decision is up to Yoondae.

There is a calendar on the wall but I honestly didn't track if there were any other calendars in the show so we can tell how long was the time skip.

"Alright. I'll be waiting."

To be honest, in the ending I wished they showed at least one scene of Yoongdae coming home in a work-like uniform or doing something to indicate he started sorting his life out before that call came through. Because even though the ending is hopeful – they lived separately for some time, Yoondae has his own place, Soohyuk is reaching out to spend time with him now and they both agreed their next meeting will be more hopeful – but will it be enough? Was the problem actually solved?

We all should think that yes, but I wish the ending supported it a little bit more confidently. After such a rollercoaster of emotions and complicated situation, I want to see them heading towards the truly happy ending Т_т (give me the second season!)

In any case, the acting is great and the melancholic atmosphere for a BL was so unusual, I loved the edgy dialogues and emotionally raw writing. For such a short story, Gray Shelter certainly will go under many people's radar but it still touched my soul.

And, well, now I understand the title. Soohyuk is a shelter, he shouldn't be a home. Shelter is a place they seek temporarily comfort in when they have nowhere else to go. And it's not a bright happy couple place, and it's not an abusive family house either, gray is neither black nor white. It's something in between, and it's up to Soohyuk and Yoondae to try and build an actual equal bond, have a place to return to and person to eat dinner with.

#gray shelter

[mikuni14]

แค่ที่แกง Ost.แค่ที่แกง Only Boo! - Keen Suvijak

[mikuni14]

#😍

[mikuni14]

I'm getting an allergic reaction to the word UNCUT thanks to the bl industry

27.04.24

#what again? 😑

[mikuni14]

still amazes me that by season 45 or whatever, Supernatural was being exclusively watched by delusionally hopeful women with flamingo-salinity tolerance for bad writing and the creators still couldn’t pander to them because maybe there was 1 straight guy out there still accidentally watching it

#lol

[mikuni14]

"someone who allows you to rest" is the relationship dynamic of all time

[mikuni14]

“He’s here …” THE EIGHTH SENSE (2023) - Episode 9.