Utsukushii Kare (2021)

beautiful mess

english is not my first language, so sorry in advance if i make some mistakes while writing this review, plus this review might contain spoilers... also, this is my first time writing any kind of review, but i think hira & kiyoi deserved it, so i'm writing it...

with that being said, let me just begin.

if you decide to watch this series, you'll meet two characters - hira & kiyoi - who for the life of them couldn't be any more different than they already are and there is no possible way you would ever pair them in any lifetime, but as you get more & more involved with their story, you end up realising that those two characters could only be with each other and are in fact a perfect match.

at first sight, hira is a nobody, a loner, a creep, a stalker, annoying and whatnot, mockery to all, being bullied by his classmates. at some point you even start thinking that there's something seriously wrong with him for putting up with such violence & that's that, there is no help. also with kiyoi, at first sight, he's god-like beautiful, but with harsh personality, cruel tounge and overall hard person to go by with.

but once you turn the tables...

you end up seeing hira in a different light - hira is in fact very strong, caring, devoted, shows more determination to express his feelings and has no fear, only the one... to live in a world without kiyoi; even the thought alone can shred him to pieces. and he's beautiful in that way, his strong sense of what he wants & who he is, that's what makes him so beautiful, plus he's def not ugly, like that man is actually attractive.

and kiyoi... he's always god-like beautiful, that never changes; in any scenario, kiyoi is always the mesmerizing one. but because of his past, he's also very insecure, needs constant attention & craves affection that focuses only on him & him alone, all the time, with persons whole being, eyes only fixed on him.

kiyoi had that feeling with only one person in the entire world and it was hira. thousand eyes could look at him, but nobody has ever looked at him the way hira did & nobody ever will.

so kiyoi, who can have any person in the world cause people are literally throwing themselves at him, remains single cause he can't be with anybody he doesn't feel has the same devoted look in their eyes as hira had for him.

as for hira, he always remained loyal to his worship of kiyoi, but has always thought of himself as unworthy of him.

first thing that has to be understood about their story is that it's taking course of several years, not only a few weeks or months. literal years of their relationship were put into 10 episodes (season 1 + 2) that lasted 20+ mins each + almost 2 hours long movie. so we see their relationship progress since highschool till adulthood.

what i loved the most, besides superb acting & story, was the fact that directors did such an amazing job with portraying years long relationship history into such a short episode time & it all made sense, nothing was left unsaid. even if you didn't read the novel first, you could understand everything just from watching. the series script did some changes from the original novel story, but those were not some troubling changes, cause the core of the novel was left intact. (i did read the novel after watching the series, yes, i couldn't help myself & couldn't even sleep until i finished reading volume 1 xd)

and the acting itself, i absolutely loved it. in my eyes, everything that riku & yusei did in that series was just filled with emotions. i loved the way they acted together, and while reading the first volume of their story, i could even imagine their faces, glances, mimics, voices... they are the perfect actors for hira & kiyoi roles. period.

then the story itself... i'll never understand people who are saying that to them hira is not a top, but a bottom & who were genuinley shocked upon learning that hira is the top, while kiyoi is the bottom. to me it was perfectly clear that hira is the top ever since that scene in the series when he clutched kiyois hand & without any shame or fear or anything really confessed his feelings for kiyoi in a heartbeat (was it in episode 2 or 3?), calling him the person he loves most in this world. only a strong person could do that. that was not a behaviour of a weak person. that was a behaviour of a person who knew exactly what he wanted & who he wanted. and it has always been kiyoi. anyway, that scene right there made it all clear to me. and then kiyoi pushed hira away, cause he was afraid of his own feelings.

filmography was also beautiful. it felt like universe only for hira & kiyoi. i loved how the scenery reflected their personalities as well. for example, hiras house gave me this warm feeling that hiras character gave me & for example, shooting scenes with kiyoi gave me that kiyoi celebrity feeling. anyway, i felt like every scene was just perfect reflection of their story. and the music matched their facial expressions so well that at moments it made me cry.

overall, for me this was not just another bl story. it was like a new dimension of bl universe. i have never seen anything like this before, this story is so unique & creative. i applaud the author itself, the script crew, the production team, design team, directors, casting crew... everyone did amazing job with bringing hira & kiyoi story to life.

to say i only loved this series is an understatement. cause this story will forever remain a part of me.

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Intense, unpredictable and... fabulous!

What a great end of the year surprise! After Eps 1 and 2, I wasn't really sure what I thought about this series but, for anyone else feeling the same way, my recommendation is to stick with it! Here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

UNUSUAL BUT COMPELLING STORY. Misfit Hira is persecuted by just about everyone at his school. He even has a stuttering problem that is schoolmates cruelly make fun of. Along comes handsome, mysterious, aloof and popular Kiyoi, who attracts everyone (including Hira) and, while he appears to have a soft spot for Hira, Kiyoi treats Hira abominably, hurling insults at him left and right. But, as the story continues, there are plot twists that take us all on a wild ride.

KIYOI'S APPEARANCE. Damn, the guy is stunning and has a killer body!

SYMPATHETIC LEAD CHARACTERS. Without giving too much away, I'll just say that I ended up sympathizing with BOTH Hira and Kiyoi as the series progressed.

A LOT PACKED INTO SIX EPISODES. Many BL series tend to drag on with 12, 14, 16 or more episodes and, along with that, the stories can drag as well. Not here! This one manages to pack in all the feels in just six, 25-minute episodes. Kudos!

CONS:

"TOXIC" BEHAVIOR. Yes, I realize that "toxic" is today's go-to word for describing challenging relationships but, for my taste, they went just a little too heavy on the toxicity. Not a dealbreaker, but it could have been dialed back a bit and packed even more of a punch.

KIYOI'S BACKGROUND STORY. What we got was okay, but I would have liked to know more of Kiyoi's backstory.

Overall, I loved this one. 9.5/10 for me.

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UNDERATED PIECE OF ART !!!!

STORY (10/10)
The screenwriter had done an absolutely remarkable job in giving us a beautiful story in just 6 episodes, obviously, the main credit goes to the author. The timeline spans over characters' time from high school through their college lives. Each episode has been so beautifully directed and visual sequence laid out, that sometimes you don't need an explanation of things but rather you will understand what or why is it happening. The story is shown from a first-person perspective dividing the series into two-part, one from Hira's point of view and another from Kiyoi's point of view. Each perspective makes us dive into the character's situation, emotions, and way of thinking. The best part of this series is that you can actually relate to both of them and there is just no right and wrong. From the first episode, I found the series to be captivating and since I could connect with the characters it just made it more interesting to watch. I would not just appreciate it as just a BL series but rather a proper series.

ACTING (10/10)
Riku Hagiwara had aced his role. His portrayal of Hira was on spot. The way he used to look at Kiyoi literally made me feel butterflies in my stomach. Hira's character went on from idolizing a person to genuinely falling in love with Kiyoi. Take note of the time when Riku saw Yuusei for the first time, he was enchanted by him in a form that wasn't love at first sight but rather a form of idolizing one to the point of obsession. He didn't want to be a part of Kiyoi's world but rather wanted his world to revolve around Kiyoi and so he held him in high regard. Unbeknownst to him, his obsession later changes to that of love which he realizes in the latter half of the series.

I personally think that this series was meant for Yusei Yagi, The first time when he enters the screen as Kiyoi Sou, my first thought was 'beautiful'. The role of Kiyoi Sou was meant for Yusei and he did justice to his character. Yusei's portrayal of Kiyoi was just breathtaking. When we are shown the story from his point of view, it sets a pure example of 'All that glitters is not gold". Being a popular kid with lots of friends doesn't mean that you just have everything in your life. Beneath that facade, Kiyoi hides his own insecurity of being left alone. But after meeting Hira, he realizes what is it that he needs the most. I was shocked to know that this is Yusei's first series. His expression and line delivery are so on point they will convince the audience that he is Kiyoi Sou. (Also do check-out songs of Fantastics from Exile Tribe, Yusei has an amazing voice, If you found his acting to be captivating, wait till you hear him singing)

The chemistry between the leads was off the chart. Loved those gazes laced with longing, love, and passion. Yusei and Riku did a remarkable job in bringing life to the characters of Kiyoi and Hira.

REWATCH VALUE (10/10)

This series is something which you can watch again and again without getting bored. For me, each time I watched the series, I find something new that I missed the previous time watching it. This is the kind of series which lets the audience analyze each and every scene and its meaning behind it. For someone who loves critically analyzing series and movies, this is a perfect treat for me.

OVERALL (10/10)

This series deserves more attention from the people. Also, I feel that it is one of the most underrated series of all time. 'Utsukushi Kare' has everything starting from a good storyline, relatable characters, good acting, brilliant directions, and visuals. If you ask me to describe the series in one word, I would say, "Beautiful", because it is, in every sense.

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Good soup

At first I was hesitant about watching this cause I thought it would dissapoint me and it won't top kieta hatsukoi which I recently watched. But the main lead (kiyoi) caught my attention so bad that I Couldn't really stop myself.
But bro was it worth it... I loved the bl sm. The cast was everything. The guy who played Kiyoi.. I really can't describe in words how pretty he is. Like God really has his favourites huh?
His acting was pretty great too. He did total Justice to that asshole of a character. I mean partially asshole lol. How can a guy be so rough and yet so soft at the same time. Andl you know how hard it is to resist pretty assholes right 😂
The guy playing Hira was good too. I mean he was embarrassing at some points but that's what the character was supposed to do ig? Not complaining though..
The other love interest of Hira was kinda nice too. Bro deserved better but I'm with Hira in this one lol.. I mean how could you choose someone else when a guy like Kiyoi is one of the options :")
So if you're wondering about watching the series don't waste time go watch it. It's short and a very good watch. The chemistry is perfect, cast and story is also perfect. Give us a season 2 please

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Actually, the story about ‘out-of-league-first-love’ is not the first time to be brought up in a series, but for some reason this series presented it quite interestingly.

Flashback moments with a different point of view from the other characters, made me fascinated to follow this series to the end. Moreover, with a different disposition, which makes this series even more deserving of being included in my favorite series list of this year!!

In Indonesian:
Sebenarnya cerita soal cinta pertama yang dirasa ‘out of league’ ini bukan pertama kalinya dibahas dalam sebuah serial, tapi entah kenapa series ini mengemasnya dengan cukup menarik.

Kilas balik dengan sudut pandang yang berbeda dari karakter lainnya, membuatku terpesona mengikuti series ini hingga berakhir. Apalagi dengan pembawaan yang berbeda, yang membuat series ini semakin pantas masuk jajaran series favoritku tahun ini.

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This drama was definitely not what I was expecting but I was far from disappointed!!!

My beautiful man (Utsukushii Kare) is a very unique story, which at the start I thought I was not going to enjoy but throughout the show I growed to love the storyline and romance between Hira and Kiyoi.

It is from Hira's perspective, who is a 17 year old boy that just wants to be invisible, especially in School (the main setting at the start of the drama), he is very shy and has a stuttering speech when talking to his classmates. He seemed to live a very boring life alongside his interest in photography. That was until new classmate Kiyoi enters his classroom and he immediately falls for him, but not in the way the way you would think. Hira seems to see Kiyoi as a somewhat king and treats him like it, getting him drinks, doing his errands, just so that he can be in his presence. This is why this drama has stuck with me for quite some time because their relationship is something I have never seen portrayed in BL before (and I have watched quite a few). Also at the start I thought their characters lacked any personality what's so ever due to their weird relationship but throughout the drama I came to the realisation that both Hira and Kiyoi are very complex and there is a lot going on behind the surface, which showcased through their rocky romance.

Yes Hira's obsession for Kiyoi and putting him on a pedestal in his life was a little weird and at the start I wasn't a fan of Hira's character, thinking he was a pushover and needed to stand his ground, but there are people like that out there (I do think there might be mentally something there with Hira) and I'm not going to spoil it but his character does get better. If you are thinking of watching it but have been put off by what people have said this is your sign to give it a try I don't think you'll regret it, its in my top 15 and I will definitely be rewatching it.

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Unique and Beautiful

i did not think i will like it at first but i was intrigue about how their story will end up. And, i was not disappointed . it was beautifully done.

The story at first , seems like a typical high story about a KING and SERVANT. But as the story progress you realized that these two persons are more than that. They are not perfect , they have so many flaws like all of us but it does not mean they aren't capable of sincere feelings. The story also tell us that people need not to be perfect to fall in love or like somebody , it is all about how that other person think and feel about it.

i loved the acting of both main actors. They did their best.
OSTs also deserve special mention here especially follow by Roce.

As it was fun to watch , i will watch it again someday soon . ^^

Hope there will be second season as i don't follow novels. So, it will be great to know their future.

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Finally a BL drama that didn't make me feel like I was ingesting empty calories while watching it. Because that's the overwhelming feeling I've had lately, that all BL dramas as of late were empty and without any substance, all stuffings and no real core.

But after finishing this one, I honestly didn't feel like I wasted my time, I felt like I watched actual art. The cinematography, the music and its timing, the performances... everything simply clicked.

That said, it doesn't mean I found the characters actually likable. Not at all. Not at first, at least. It took me a while to get them - and to get into them. But that was good so! It meant that they were flawed and human, multilayered and multifaceted.

The story was mostly told from Hira's POV but when we were finally allowed to see all that happened from Kiyoi's side too... wow. It was the perfect example of an "unreliable narrator" storytelling. Or, when you get to see everything from just one person's POV, much gets lost. Wonderful!

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Finally something new and refreshing. An ultimate favorite.

The definition of "not like the others" and healthily ""toxic"" (oddly they're way more healthy in their stuggles, weirdness and passion than most drama couples, especially the ones who are usually portrayed in BLs).

A+ storyline and main characters, A+ cinematography & OST (seriously the OST is THAT good).

Really clever and psychologically oriented, so well-crafted and written as this perfect circle which makes the rewatch of this show even more interesting, meaningful and endless cause you'll notice new things and details that you've probably 100% missed during your first watch.

Both characters are objectively kind of unlikable/flawed on the surface but you can't help but loving them and feel attached to them cause you get to understand them both individually AND together, and loving their both very pure and twisted unusual unconditional love they have for each other. The coming of age story of two lonely boys who are saving each other, and about the deconstruction of the idealization of love without removing the light sub/dom kink/relationship they have with each other despite themselves.

I often see people throwing around the word "soulmates" when it comes to their fave fictional couple, but I think that's really the case for those two whether you'll like them or not. They're so complimentary as if they were born for each other and I don't picture them functioning and be happy without each other also because they're both a lot to handle and difficult to reach to any other person.

A really good part one out of the three ones from the novel.

The only down is how short the episodes are and with only 6 of them which is a challenging format for such a complex relationship, but they've still managed to make it more effective and meaningful that some other shows who have 16 eps of 1hour/45 mins length each.

This show is so underrated and hated for no other reason than people not understanding the characters separately or together. Usually hated by tasteless people who will call it "dark", "disgusting", or "toxic" (which basically equals trashing and not respecting the LGBT kink community to me but that's another topic that could be extended here) while it's not, and they're the type of people who prefer boring BL trash with no depth and with all the non-con /r*pey tropes in it. Sad...

sidenote : the unreliable narrator trope is a weakness of mine so I really enjoyed finding it here, I'm not even talking about the switching of pov, it's more subtle than that (an exemple: the cherry blossom petals scene with the idealized version of Kiyoi through Hira's pov vs. the second time we're seeing it. i won't elaborate and i'll stop there otherwise it'll take two other paragraphs).

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Les premiers émois amoureux sont souvent compliqués ^^'

Il s’agit d’une histoire que j’attendais, j’avoue ne pas trop savoir pourquoi. Sans doute les teasers qui montraient une certaine « tension »… (Va savoir x’D)

Je me lance donc dans le visionnage de ce drama qui suit deux lycéens : Kiyoi & Hira. Il s’agit de deux personnalités assez complexes… Kiyoi est le genre qui attire toujours les gens à lui, tandis que Hira préfère rester seul. Durant une grande partie de l’histoire, on tente de nous faire croire qu’ils sont des opposés… Cependant, plus nous avançons dans l’histoire, plus on se rend compte qu’ils sont similaires de par leur sentiment d’insécurité mais également pour leur indifférence face au monde qui les entoure…

Au fur & à mesure de l’histoire, nous voyons se dérouler un jeu du chat & de la souris… Avec deux personnages des plus maladroits ! On peut voir qu’il s’agit de leur premier émoi, ils ne se comprennent pas… & n’essaient même pas, partant du principe que leur amour ne pourrait pas se concrétiser… (Est-ce car il s’agit d’un amour homosexuel ? Ou simplement une question de fierté ? Surement un mélange des deux ^^’)

J’avoue avoir apprécié cette histoire, le mélange de tension & d’incompréhension m’ayant tenu en haleine. (Même si l’histoire n’a rien de bien original x’D)

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More In-Depth than You'd Think

BASICALLY: 9/10
Honestly, I went into this with the idea that it would be a cute, simple, cliche story. I figured it'd have that "I'm bullied but the person who bullies me is sooooo cute~" mentality, and, while it may seem that way for a good portion, it turned out to be a really good story about first loves and our perception of people~

STORY (LOOSE SPOILERS; NOTHING MAJOR): 9/10
Like I said, I thought the plot would be more toxic than it was. Now, that's not saying it's mind-blowingly healthy, but it's realistic, and it really highlights how Hira's perception (and, subsequently, ours, as viewers watching it from his PoV) is a bit skewed from reality. The first couple of episodes are told strictly from Hira's perspective, so everything is what he knows, and he doesn't know a lot, as an awkward loner with no confidence. Kiyoi's perspective sheds more light on how wrong Hira is and how upsetting and -- quite frankly -- infuriating it can be to constantly be idolized to the point that you're barely human anymore. Both are wrong in their decisions -- make no mistake -- but they're supposed to be in high school, and who the hell knows anything about healthy in high school lol We make mistakes, and we try to fix them. Just like these two people do.

ACTING: 9.5/10
I've never heard of either of these actors, but I don't really follow Japanese shows as much as I follow Thai BLs and Korean Dramas, so don't take it too seriously~ The main actors, as well as MOST of the side actors, did wonderful jobs; I'm just jaded from Bad Buddy when it comes to acting, so my standards are (unfortunately) high at the moment~ While the main actors did a good job, I felt like some of the side characters that showed up here and there fell flat for me~ Not too bad, but enough for me to roll my eyes once or twice~

MUSIC: 8.5/10
It's not overly impressive, but there are a few songs I enjoyed~ Nothing too major or noteworthy, though~

REWATCH VALUE: 9/10
It's a short, cute story with some deeper themes than most, so I will definitely visit it again, especially with all of this snow~ Snuggle up and binge watch BLs? Sign me up, bitches~

OVERALL: 9/10
Are there longer dramas out there that I'd pick over this one? Yes. Of course. Japan isn't know for there drama productions, after all. Does that mean this isn't a nice show to watch? Of course not! It's cute. The actors are attractive, adorable, and kinda awkward, and the story is pretty good itself~ You should definitely check it out~

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My bittersweet memories

This is gonna get kinda personal, I'm letting you know upfront so you can decide if reading my review is worth your time.

When I first read Utsukushii Kare synopsis I didn't thought it was that special, but I decided to give it a try because I really liked the poster, they look so pretty surrounded by flowers. So you can imagine I was quite shocked to find myself relating so deeply with its characters and story.

Hira and I have a lot in common. I once met someone who I feel deeply in love with, but I was too young to understand or deal with my feelings properly, so I would just do everything the person I liked asked me to and try my best to make them happy. I saw myself as inferior to them, and thought I was so lucky to be allowed to walk by their side. Nobody was more important to me, nobody could compare, I was so enamoured I became blind. Now that I'm older, I know I was kinda stupid (but who isn't right). I also know loving like this can make you suffer. You can't put people on pedestals and turn them into Kings, they are just human, they are flawed, and seeing them as more than that will be painful for the both of you.

I am so happy and touched we got to see how Kiyoi felt about all this. I know many people can't understand him or connect with his character, but I wish we all could see that it's hard for him as well. He had his own problems to deal and then Hira showed up and even without meaning to, changed everything. One of the most important moments for me is when Kiyoi says to Hira "You will never understand my feelings". Yes, Hira cares a lot about Kiyoi, but he created a version of Kiyoi based on what he sees on the surface and doesn't let himself get closer, to really know Kiyoi as a person, because he's afraid and has a negative image of himself.

I think I saw someone say how Utsukushii Kare is a story about two people who struggle, each in your own way, with connecting with others and receiving/giving love, and I couldn't agree more. Kiyoi wishes to be an idol, to receive love and be adored, even recognizing that being famous can lead to a lonely life, because at least then he will be loved. But over the years he realizes what he really yearns for is human contact and the attention of one person in particular. Hira uses his camera to distance himself from everyone, he's socially awkward and prefers to keep to himself, believing that's the way the things are and there's nothing he can do to change it. Still he yearns for connection, so when a person so beautiful and interesting as Kiyoi enter his life, he can't resist. But he can't handle changes, and the possibility that Kiyoi and him could be something is too wild to even consider. When confronted, and after a lot of angst, he starts to change his way of thinking and finally the obstacles they created to keep the other apart are destroyed.

I don't know if the drama portrayed this part as well as it could. Speaking from experience - it's very difficult to overcome low self-esteem, and it can takes years to deconstruct the hierarchy you built in your mind. I think we will probably see more of this side if we get a season 2, I'm very curious about how Hira and Kiyoi's relationship would evolve. I also am not here to say that it's a "healthy portrait of a relationship", but most relationships in real life aren't, so I don't see the problem on someone wanting to tell a story about 2 complex men having a complex relationship. The "is this toxic or not" discussion doesn't lead anywhere, and it's getting boring to be honest. If you don't wanna see something that may cause you discomfort, stop watching. Your feelings are valid and you should take care of yourself, if Utsukushii Kare disturbs you that much, go watch something else.

I guess it's pretty clear I'm happy Utsukushii Kare exists. I saw myself in Hira, and I think many others will too. Knowing that there are people who understand how I feel makes me feel less alone. I understand just a little bit more how someone in Kiyoi's place would feel, and I learned how I was in a way not respecting the feelings and thoughts of someone I used to love. It's harder than it seems, to love and be loved. I just hope someone feels as comforted as I after finishing this drama.

Ps: if it's hard to understand something, sorry, English is not my native language.

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