A Complex BL Masterpiece (And the Actors Are the Main Reason Why)

This BL might be the only awkward, puzzling yet oddly beautiful BL series there is. If not, it would be very hard to compete against this.

Story:
First of all, the show highlights and puts a huge emphasis on great characterization. It is the icing on the cake.

The lead characters are well thought-out; unhealthy, imperfect and strange in their own ways. They have dark layers just like humans in the real world. What if the point is that the main characters in this show aren't just 'toxic/problematic,' but are humans who make mistakes and misunderstand situations?

The flaws of the characters also make sense because they connect to their personalities and behaviors, giving it a realistic quality. Most BLs just give a character a flaw, but doesn't know why or where it stems from, and sometimes the flaws go way over the top that it makes it incongruent to the fundamentals of the character, or even worse, they just add it to make the story 'interesting' even if it makes no sense to the plot.

Hira and Kiyoi also have relationship dynamics that are severely misunderstood.

At first, the lead characters are deceivingly different in personalities, like polar opposites, but as the story progresses, it's clearer they are equally obsessed with and desperate for each other because of how lonely and deprived they are from affection and trust. How they actually view each other is very similar.

This is why I think even if they're different on the outside, the reason why they're attracted to each other is because they possibly sense they share the same problems and they both match each other to fulfill their needs and desires, but both of them keep hurting each other because no one wanted to admit it or take action.

Honestly, this story is just excellent. I can write endless essays on it, and I don't even know how others and I are able to keep doing it. It's like you notice something new when you watch or rewatch an episode.

Also, an interesting thing I want to point out is that people might think that My Beautiful Man is only how Hira views Kiyoi, but that's how Kiyoi views Hira too. That's why in the main poster, they are symmetrical to each other. It's also clearly hinted from Kiyoi's point of view in the series. I don't know, I just find it to be a cool detail. It makes me think that the show might be implying everything about them (their love/frustration/misunderstanding) is precisely equal. I could be wrong and just assuming though.

Acting:
Hagiwara Riku is terrifyingly convincing. He seems to thoroughly understand the specific nuances his character possesses, and it is even more impressive that he knows how to act them out properly. From hand movements, posture, etc. It seems he views his character in an analytical way.

A character like Hira is very difficult to act out because he is distinct. Even if he is that 'stereotypical' nerd nobody likes, he has additional qualities that are uncommon, making the body language and expressions almost impossible to act out unless you've done research or have experienced seeing others/yourself go through the same. I even doubt an acting coach alone can make him this good.

Yagi Yusei is magical here. I can sense his patient and profound approach. Being physically beautiful is one thing, but to embody a 'beautiful' aura/vibe? Not everybody knows how that works, but Yagi Yusei knows how. He also knows how to make his eyes expressive, and you get an idea on what he feels depending on what/who he looks at. His emotions and intentions build up in every episode, and I must say, his performance in episode 6 is raw, outstanding, and quite unexpected. The way he acts frustration is natural, you can see how pent-up his character was. He did a great job.

Needless to say, the two of them are extremely good actors. People who love this series need to put emphasis on this more. Their acting is the reason why the characters are so good and intricate. Even if the writing is good, if you have bad actors, it would never work out because they don't have the ability to show visual details. They approached this very artistically and psychologically rather than just for the sake of being on a show to gain popularity. These qualities are rare, and even rarer that TWO actors accomplished it together, usually you only see one actor succeeding in such endeavors.

I desperately want to see them with each other again, or at least in equally complex series or films where they can showcase their talents.

Rewatch Value:
Obviously high, but I have to be honest here and say that this drama might only attract specific types of people, so I will reconsider.

The story and characters aren't simple at all, and you might want to rewatch to catch some details and further examine the nuances of the characters and the meaning behind the things they do or why they act in such ways.

In my opinion, it's not that much rewatchable if you're not into that kind of stuff and get headaches from confusing stories and subtle characters, because the story is heavily about people longing for each other, but keep misunderstanding each other because they both have personality and communication issues.

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