Utsukushii Kare (2021)

A story that causes controversial overreaction by viewers without doing anything controversial

This is my first time writing a drama review because I was usually a silent viewer but this drama was so interesting that I ended up feeling the need to write one despite this is not a language I speak.

Story:

When I first read the synopsis, I thought that It must be one of those lazy shoujo/BL story that used to be popular with trope like bully x victim cheesy high school romance which usually end with bully kept enjoying the bullying while the victim just submit to them after awhile because they can’t fight back. It started with two kids with troubles of their own who seemed like it will end up in a bad relationship but the story turned out different the more I watched. It was about calling out their deep rooted issues until they are ready to face it together and touched on topics like communication, idolatry, consent and first love. Because of first episode alone I feel like these characters have more behind what they are showing on facade so I chose to look for the source material and found the audio drama adaptation which is close to the original Novel. I LOVE IT. I was anxious and anticipated to see how the drama which only have 2 and half hours run time overall would be able to adapt such complicated story accurately.

Characters:

They started like one of those boring flat characters, an obsessive introvert boy and his crush who’s the opposite. However, what you will realize is that, the story is being told in first person point of view, which mean for the over half of the drama you will hear from this boy Hira about his life and his obsession over his crush. From his point of view, me and the other viewers are sympathized with him and feel the anger toward the crush who seems like bland untouchable character but we are so wrong when the narration switched to Kiyoi, the popular boy, to be the one telling the story from his eyes which to be honest, more realistic view than Hira’s. It told you the complexity of both characters and WHY there was misunderstanding between them because even we, as the third person who watch them, also misunderstood them. Worth noting that this story might not have much of them as romantic partners but more like HOW they became a couple because this is only adapted from 1st book of the novel trilogy.

A lot of people’s reaction to this drama was a shallow view and criticism on the story and characters without looking closer and reflecting. The word “Toxic” and “Abusive” wouldn’t be what I would call their romance, I would say they are two teenagers with their own issue who found comfort in each other but miscommunication happened, loneliness and bad timing didn’t help either.

Rewatch value: HELL YEAH this is the only romance drama that I suggest rewatching because trust me, every rewatch will give you new details you didn’t notice before and that should thank to awesome and attentive production team as well as the young actors who surprisingly are good at portraying complex story and characters with such a short limit of time.

I believe drama-only fans won’t find it anything special but this drama put a lot of effort in including favorite lines and hidden detail from its source material so the rewatch value is MUCH higher for fans who love the novel and audio drama version.

However, I would suggest everyone to give it a try and watch for yourself. This is a good story but probably not for everyone, especially those who refuse to open their mind.

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The Best Japanese BL EVER

The funny thing to me is.... I started off liking Kieta Hatsukoi more... and I just thought My Beautiful Man first episode was JUST OK... but in the end I liked My Beautiful slightly more than I did Kieta.. both shows are beautiful but the story build up in My Beautiful Man was just perfection.

The acting performance from the two leads were so stellar and gripping. The show builds episode by episode and it leaves u on the edge of your seat... This is definitely the best Japanese BL I've ever seen and definitely top 10 among all time BL's for me. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves boy love content.

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Worth your time

(Minor spoilers)

What got me to start this was knowing the ML from another drama and enjoying his performance as well as the absolutely gorgeous poster. I went in with average expectations, and I was not disappointed. It was even better than I imagined.

Watching Kieta Hatsukoi and this back to back was an interesting experience. This featured a fairly masochistic character, some unhealthy relationship dynamics, and ominous music and shots. It's also somewhat dark but honest about it, with characters who are at times morally grey. But, believe it or not, you can enjoy this and Kieta Hatsukoi.

This was an addictive drama that always made me curious enough to go back and rewatch the recently released episode about six times before the next one was released. I had to pay attention to see what I may have missed. And there are quite a few small details that can be missed.

It was also wonderfully shot, had moments that promised something dangerous, and the music in particular really lended to the eerie/uncomfortable atmosphere at times. The light masochism was also quite interesting to watch. Not to mention they did a great job at building tension between Hira and Kiyoi. You feel those stares.

The way this was shot in particular really lended itself to the idea that Hira views Kiyoi as a King/God. They did an amazing job of making us see him the way he did too. On a pedestal. Above him. Some untouchable ethereal person. He comes into the classroom and a light shines on him while petals fall gracefully around him. He turns to the camera and gives us one smile and our heart stops. Or with symbolic moments such as Hira getting down on one knee to kiss his hand and even that small touch is so precious and he feels unworthy for receiving it from his King.

One last compliment:

The ending shot literally looks like a painting based on ancient times. They literally look like art pieces. I want to capture it and frame it on my wall. Just... Hats off to the person who directed this and the people who filmed it.

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Love with Flaws

Here we have a special series, which is defined primarily by its unique storyline.
Unlike the often over-romanticized BLs, both main characters have recognizable character flaws: they are arrogant, selfish and obsessed, but also insecure, intimidated and vulnerable.
This contrast is what makes the series so appealing, because for all their negative attitudes, they remain sympathetic and likable and I always wished them a satisfying love.

Their relationship is neither perfect nor equal and their love hurts others, but that's how it often is and I'm glad that a series shows this without losing sight of the beauty of their relationship.

The acting, cinematography and soundtrack are always on a high level.
All in all a nice surprise at the end of the year and probably one of the best BLs from Japan.

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What Did I Just Watch...?

I feel like the last two days that I've been watching this show didn't happen. I feel like I lived in a simulation in which I thought I was watching this, but I would just end up waking up to it being all a dream. But nope, I really watched this. I heard nothing but amazing news about this series -- "It's perfect", "It's the best BL in a long time". I genuinely think we were all watching something different. No, I'm convinced there is another My Beautiful Man out there that is what everyone was talking about because this can seriously not be it. Utsukushii Kare is a perfect setting with the absolute worst story possible.

Let's Dive In.

The basics of this story is that Hira is a nobody and everyone treats him like trash, even including the guy he deems the beautiful-est human ever, Kiyoi, who is the high school's most handsome, and treated like a god among the others. A great premise, and sure, we've heard similar ones, but Japan has a way of telling a story that you can just never get bored with it, and I think this really could've been a good series -- heck, a great series. However, it crumbles under its own hold by having terrible characters, a god-awful plot twist, and a lackluster ending.

Let's start with what I liked: I liked Koyama more than anything else. He falls under the Second Lead Syndrome for sure. He was the definition of the perfect boyfriend: cute, funny, charismatic, thoughtful, caring, there to help Hira with his stutter, there to be his friend, someone he could talk to -- and Hira can't seem to see any of that..? It's okay, Hira doesn't deserve a Koyama, I do. I will take Koyama, because, who wouldn't?

Again, I think production was nice. The bike scenes were really nicely shot. I liked the sceneries and the lighting the most. There is a way Japanese series are shot that I just fall in love instantly, so this was a big bonus of watching.

The acting was really good, especially Hagiwara. Even if they really did his character wrong, he still played it to the best of his ability, and it comes off really nice. The rest of the cast did an excellent job too, even the bullies were good.

Alright, now into the terrible: Both Hira and Kiyoi were just horribly-written. Hira can't seem to stand on his own two legs, which is fine, some people are super shy, and stuttering's not even the problem -- it's the fact that he let everyone walk all over him, including the guy he liked. He would automatically do anything they asked, without hesitation, and it made me sick to my stomach. It was so hard watching him on the screen, I just couldn't stand him in any way. And Kiyoi was just the worst. I was thinking at some point, Kiyoi was going to be like, "Ha! I was only being mean to you so that you could finally grow some balls and stand your ground," nope, instead, he bosses Hira around like the rest, calls him disgusting, gross, a stalker, kicks him, pushes him down, and Hira still manages to fall for him for god-knows-what reason. Looks can only get a person so far. Instead, Kiyoi's big plot twist is that he also liked Hira, he just didn't know how to tell him. This plot twist is just pitiful. Why harm Hira then? Why call him names, have him do things for you? Nope, it still doesn't make up the fact that in the entire series, Hira is bullied to death by his own love interest. There's no turn in Kioyi's behavior until the very last episode. It's disgusting. And what makes it worst is that the ending is so lackluster. How could I care about them after all this time? I sat and watched Hira be used like a ragdoll, and you want me to sing Kumbaya..? No, just no. I think this behavior is dangerous in a BL, especially with me seeing so many people praising their relationship, and for what?

Ratings:

Story: 5 - How could I give two craps about the story when for the entire series is was Hira being picked on? I'll give it 5 stars for Koyama, and Koyama only.

Acting: 9 - I think the acting was the only good thing about this series.

Music: 5.5 - I don't remember it, meaning it wasn't a distraction. Great.

Retwtch Value: 1 - No.

Overall, this is one of the worst, if not the worst, series I've seen in a while. I can't comprehend what people like about this, and quite honestly, I don't care to know. It's sick. A BL like this is dangerous, it shows that a toxic relationship like their's is revivable, that it's okay when it's absolutely not! If this were real life, Kiyoi would've been cut off immediately, or he would've put a restraining order on Hira, cause I know I would. Not recommended in the slightest.

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Complex & Beautiful Story

This is one of the best dramas I've seen in a long while. It's incredibly emotionally and visually compelling, with complex characters that develop themselves and their relationships to one another so captivatingly over the 6 epidodes. I held my breath all the way through the final episode, it's the kind of show that just draws you slowly and will make you feel emotionally connected to it.

This show will make you feel so strongly about the characters and it's so well acted and produced that I was really captivated by the story the whole time. Particularly strong is the acting from the character Kiyoi, which is revealed so well in the later episodes as we understand more and more about him.

Also this show is just such a realistic portrayal of complex relationships, emotions, and the obsessive tendencies we have as humans when we like people. Specifically it portrays very emotionally the complications and contradictions young people may feel when coming to terms with their own sexualities, and navigating the social pressures in their surrounding environments at the same time. All of this emotional complexitiy comes together so beautifully with the settings, lighting, music, and camera work in the show (which is just visually stunning). I just felt so strongly connected to the story.

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It's beautiful

It makes me sad that this drama is getting so little attention + a lot of attention that it is getting is negative because apparently these days every character has to be flawless & every relationship has to be 100% healthy which is so annoying.

What I liked about this drama:
- The cinematography in this show is so beautiful!!!
- Fell in love with the music, the end credit song is a bop.
- Didn't even notice how the episodes went by (I often struggle with getting bored even with 20min eps) which means that I was really invested in them.
- The animated scenes when starting Hira's & Kiyoi's POV were well done.
- The dynamic between Hira and Kiyoi is just interesting to me because you don't see it often in series.
- Flawed characters who have a lot of growing and maturing to do (and no Hira isn't an innocent baby who's just being abused by Kiyoi, they both got issues + Kiyoi treats Hira better than everyone else in that high school, sure he calls him names sometimes but he also talks to him and spends time with him without expecting something in return unlike others who either ignore him, make fun of him or uses him.)
- Despite what some people say I don't think it's "romanticizing toxic relationships", I'm pretty sure the characters know that they have issues and they're trying to deal with them, that's the whole point.
- I also have to mention that I love the acting!! Especially watching Kiyoi I really saw and felt his inner conflict and frustration while trying to understand his own feelings.

Overall I really enjoyed this drama and have rewatched every episode multiple times (which is not what I was expecting when starting it since I'm not a fan of high school stories, especially ones that deal with bullying but that's only first 3 eps)

You should give this series a try but don't expect it to be light & fluffy, that's just not what this show is about, it's like the polar opposite of Kieta Hatsukoi.

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IF YOU'RE HESITATING TO WATCH IT.. DON'T HESITATE BITCH GO WATCH IT NOWW

i don't know how to write reviews but i really wanted to write about this one
I'll probably never be able to fully express the amount of love i have towards this bl
u know when you watch tons of bl that it's like you feel they're like all so similar but then you watch a one and you feel like ✨
i don't really know much about love and im not sure if i understand it that much but this might be the definition of love to me
it's so beautiful that i want to rewatch it already even though i just finished it
it's insane and driving me crazy how the actors portrayed the feelings of the characters in such a perfect way
but as much as i love it i also hate it cuz it kinda hurts watching it knowing that : oh so this is what love looks like and knowing that I'll probably never get to experience it
im in love with every single detail every scene every look and every line
it's just so pretty that i want to watch it again and again and again
you should really really watch it

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As gentle as a summer breeze, as all-consuming as the sun.

Yeah, well, I've watched it twice now. It's quite addictive, but way too short. I really don't think Kiyoi is the most problematic one in this relationship. He can be harsh and rude, but you honestly don't need a magnifying glass to see through that farce. They did have this power imbalance between them, but Kiyoi isn't the only one to blame for this.

Hira's obsessive behavior was just as problematic to me. It was pretty obvious what was going on between these two, and if Hira wasn't so self-absorbed all the time, he should have been able to tell. I feel like both of them are quite vulnerable and insecure people that deal with their vulnerability in different ways. Kioyi hides his feelings behind harsh words and actions, while Hira tries to be as invisible as possible while shutting everybody out. That's probably the reason why I didn't just mark it off as toxic, since it deals with people's insecurities and emotions in a sympathizing way, even if those can be self-destructive and unhealthy.

It's not as deep as it wants to be, but it definitely has its impactful moments that linger with you. I particularly enjoyed how they played with the view the leads have of each other and their relationship and how we, if we pay close attention, can already see everything. They were subtle, but to me the emotions were loud and clear and somehow that even enhanced the emotions when they got voiced out. We got some beautiful scenery shots and the way they played with camera angles, lighting and music made for some atmospheric and captivating shots between our leads.

Overall, I really liked the performance of the actors.
In some scenes the acting wasn't as nuanced as it could have been, but It wasn't for the lack of trying, so I'm really happy with what we've got since they managed to move me with their performance. I just wish this was longer since the short length kinda lessens the impact and there is still so much more to explore here. They're both incredibly flawed characters, but there's something about them that tugs at your heartstrings.

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Foundational Romance Tropes: whipping boy, spoiled prince, obsessive crush

I love a sympathetic main character and Japan delivers introvert well (emo is their brand, after all). This is a pretty classic whipping boy trope meets spoiled prince (it’s been a while my old friend).

Our POV is that weird kid who takes photos and thinks he wants to be invisible but actually just wants to be seen by one person (and belong to him). The beautiful boy who starts bossing him around is protective out the gate, having decided that this weirdo is HIS weirdo, no one ELSE can boss him around. This execution of whipping boy was a whole lot gentler than I expected, but because Hira is the seme character it did pivot into attack dog half way through and I LOVED that. One of the things I like about Japanese BL is that it's not afraid of darkness,

Utsukushii Kare managed to be harsh as all get up, angry with us and itself, reminding us of old tropes and archetypes long forgotten but still utterly appealing.

It was exactly as weird and as messed-up as any origin manga and it was great to watch a no holds barred authentic Japanese yaoi adaptation once again. Sure this was an angsty af warped little BL, but it was entirely true to itself with no attempt made to modify its POV for modern sensibilities or international audiences. It highlights one of the things Japanese cinema is best at, staying true to itself.

Up until the last episode this was a solid 8/10, right there with Japan’s other 2021 offerings... and then the final ep BLEW MY MIND. I did not understand how they could possibly end this series well, I half expected tragedy, but this BL turned into a life lesson in how to stick a landing. Japan, why you gotta do us all so fantastically dirty like that? I tend to put all my eggs in the endings basket, as a result episode 6 alone bumped the whole thing up 9/10. I may not rewatch all of Utsukushii Kare but I have already rewatched the final ep 3x. So, yeah.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, JUST KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO

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Japan flexes their BL muscles and reminds us they are the OG

In spite of the dark undertones which often colour Japanese BL (because, let's face it, it's part of their yaoi tradition), you've gotta hand it to them - they know how to tell interesting stories in beautiful ways, which is why over and over again I find their BL outputs to be far superior to the ones from other Asian countries. They are not always going to pander to giggly girls, they are not going to dosh out that standard buff guy in the shower shot; in fact, they will make fun of this by giving you a really mediocre dude in the shower so we can laugh at ourselves and this weird and wonderful genre (yes, I am referring to Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai VS Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko). This show will no doubt rub people the wrong way, especially those who are new to BL and prefer the fluffy versions. The master/slave dynamic between the two leads is really painful to watch, but that's why it's compelling and it is these dark parts of both of their characters which make them so intriguing to watch. I can't say too much without spoiling it for you but I just want to say the last episode of this show has gone down in history as a personal favourite for me. There was no way of knowing how it was going to play out, but ermagerrrd the revelation and conclusion was so beautifully executed that I had to rewatch it a few times to wrap my head (and heart) around it - aaaaaahhhhhh! <3

The actors are so good in their roles - they really managed to highlight the nice and not-so-nice parts of themselves through nuanced acting. Their chemistry is as complicated and conflicted as their love story. Parts of this show are so beautiful to look at - I was reminded of ITSAY every now and then. This is by no means perfect but that's what makes it a really good watch. I look forward to seeing these actors again!

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