Director’s Cut Needed for the streaming release or BluRay/ DVD versions

Contains Spoilers.

What a let down!!!

I have not read the manga so I not sure if the movie is a continuation of the series or an original story, but I wondered if Ms. Okazaki Satoko, the movie scriptwriter, watched the original series or read the manga because the magical essence of what made the show a hit was lacking. It definitely loss its magic - figuratively and literally. What was once a beloved BL series because of its dramedy series became just a dramatic movie with a very few comedic scenes. They could have added more hijinks from Adachi reading his new colleagues’ mind or Kurosawa doting on Adachi. The original script writers of the series, Ms. Yoshida Erica and Ms. Okazaki Satoko, had a better adaptation of the book. (Side note, Ms. Yoshida, was also the writer of “Double” - the series.)

Touching Moments

- The storyboard is good beginning with the Prologue with the summary of the the BL series, then moved to the the 1st scene of Adachi searching through the children’s book section of the pop up van book seller. Then showing that everything is not always HEA (Happily Ever After) when the main leads get to finally be together. I liked how the second to the last scene when Adachi closed the fairytale book and revealed the title to be “The Prince and the Wizard”. 👍🏽

- Coming out to their parents - something rarely seen in Japanese BL’s.

- Holding hands at the last scene where Adachi and Kurosawa were fearless in showing their relationship publicly. 👨🏽‍🤝‍👨🏻🙌🏽

Huh Scenes

- It was fun seeing Adachi still have his magic in the beginning. I was even excited that he seems to have gained a new magical power when he brought the fire logs to Kurosawa and had gained a premonition power of seeing an upcoming event. It was a wasted scene because if he was not going to have that specific power again, why would it be necessary put on the script.

- Why is the second location in Nagasaki!!! It is fictional company! Why couldn’t they choose the new store to be closer like Kyoto or Nagano. I know the transfer lasted 8 months, but the scenes went by too quickly. The filmmaker should have done a quick montage of the pass 8 months. They should have edited the camping trip and focussed more on the struggles of Adachi and Kurosawa maintaining a long distance relationship.

- When Adachi explaining to Kurosawa his family mentioned that he has a noisy niece, he looked at the camera oddly bent over. I was anticipating a funny scene of his niece next.

- Why did Adachi’s mother and sister-in law giggled when he introduced Kurosawa to them at the home entrance but were stoic when Adachi came out at the next scene. They missed an opportunity to have a funny scene and have the family laughed as an inside joke that they already knew that Adachi was gay a long time ago.

- The last 30 minutes of the movie were coming out to their respective families back to back. It would have been better if there was a break between the two to lighten the heavy scenes.

Disappointments

- Proposal: I am not familiar with Japanese proposals so I found it odd that Kurosawa would kneel on one knee to propose (to be in a steady relationship) with matching pens to Adachi in one of the last scenes of the series, yet would stand to propose (for marriage) with matching rings to Adachi while standing on the beach. It could have been so romantic.

- Kiss: Japanese BL’s have come a long way from 2020 when there is now at least one kissing scene within the series from the two male leads. It is still puzzling that we still have not seen Adachi and Kurosawa kissed from a side view. We watched a supposed kiss when the elevator was closing in the last scene of the show and we saw the supposed kiss from a back view at 45:11. I don’t see why they couldn’t even have a quick peck on the lips within the whole movie even from the imaginary wedding before they opened the doors because this could have been classified as a bromance movie. LOL. I am not sure if it was producers or the director or the actors themselves who were uncomfortable with same sex kiss. I have read that Japan is a conservative country but is it blasphemous to see two men kissing from a side view in a Japanese film in movie theatres?

Even though there were some misses, I still enjoyed watching the movie. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10. Hopefully, there is a re-edit version and have a Director’s Cut of the movie either in digital forms or in a BluRay/DVD versions. 🤞🏽

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