This series is a quiet gem and so brilliantly acted. Kudos to Oishi Goro who played Ikuo with a grittiness yet displayed a quiet human understanding of the role. Takezai and Yoshida put their souls on the line in this series and made it feel raw, gritty, and utterly intense. It is profoundly moving. Hard to watch without becoming a bit melancholy yourself. The beauty of this series is (perhaps for me only) to realize that no matter what happens in their lives or in their current relationships, they shared with each other an intimacy and connection to each other that touched their souls and impassioned their deepest fantasy of lust that very few people ever get to experience. That can never ever be taken away from you. No matter what, that is worth celebrating!