Ameiro Paradox (2022)

got better as it went on

Overall: this was in the 'close but not quite' category for me, there was just something missing overall. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala, 8 episodes about 25 minutes each.

Content Warnings: attempted/beginning sexual assault, past sexual assault/non con mentioned, manipulation

What I Liked
- clear set up
- bartender and two bosses
- showing how people aren't always who they seem to be
- the funny and sweet moments
- the best insult ever: smutty alien
- that Onoe Satoshi confronted Kaburagi Motoharu about something that was bothering him instead of letting it drag on

Room For Improvement
- wasn't totally sold on their dynamic, I think we needed a bit more explanation about Kaburagi and earlier on
- Kaburagi's words and actions after what Onoe went thru in episode 3 was not the right time/place
- Onoe was a bit too much of a dumb dumb at times

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Typical Japanese BL

STORY:
I wanted to like this to be honest I really did. Japanese BL is what got me into the BL industry to begin with. The problem is I feel like Japan has not kept up with the current BL trends. I know that most of the BL produced in Japan are based off manga but something needs to change.

The entire premise of this show is about two people who are forced to work together and develop feelings along the way. Good concept that I have seen executed well in the past. This show did not. Both of the male leads were emotionally constipated. If they had opened their mouths and said what they thought and felt things would have been better. Further if Kaburagi had taken the time to get to know Onoe's previous work then he wouldn't have had such a freak out near the end of the show.
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ACTING/CAST:
Kimura Keito as Onoe Satoshi - I think Kimura did a good job at his portrayal of Onoe. Like most leads of Japanese dramas he was over the top and loud. That didn't bother me. What bothered me is that they left most of his character development to the last 3 episodes of the show. I would have liked to see what he went through before he was assigned to work with Kaburagi. I felt like the audience would have understood his motivations better that way.

Yamanaka Jyutaro as Kaburagi Motoharu - Yamanaka played his role well too. He is your typical stoic Japanese man who shows no emotion and keeps his thoughts to himself. While it can be entertaining to watch it is frustrating for the common audience. Unlike other shows with this type of lead he didn't really have any micro expression or backstory alone that we saw where he struggled with his feelings.
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RELATIONSHIPS

Kaburagi x Onoe - This relationship was dull. It reminded me a lot of the relationship in SOTUS. Where we are struggling for half the show on a do they don't they have feelings train. If they had been honest with each other then we could have developed into an amazing show of them working and loving each other as they uncovered these scandals. To be honest half the time I felt like I should fast forward through their interactions because it was so slow.
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REWATCH VALUE

I may rewatch again if I am bored on a Saturday and want something in the background.
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