{Watch Party Wednesday #4-BL} I Cannot Reach You: Episode 5
Hello, Internet, and good mornight to you all!
My name is Taffryne, shoppekeeper of Midnight on Memory Lane, and it is my absolute delight to welcome you to the BL-type post for this week's gathering of Watch Party Wednesday!
'Tis a pleasure, 'tis a pleasure indeed.
As the title of this post says, we're going to be talking about the fifth episode of the Japanese BL (Boys Love) drama based on a manga, I Cannot Reach You.
MyDramaList Link: click here!
I humbly present my thoughts for your enjoyment and consideration. Accordingly, please mind that there will be spoilers ahead!
Disclaimer: I apologize if there are any crucial cultural notes or nuances that I misunderstand or fail to recognize. I, unfortunately, must trust the accuracy of the translated text to accurately represent the story and characters.
Trigger Warnings: Teasing, Friends Meddling in Relationships, Sulking, Emotional Dilemmas, Confessions, Non-violent but Non-consensual Kissing, Someone Passes Out
Episode 5
Recollection
- After hiding in the same futon together, Kakeru and Ohara experience even more feelings
- Kakeru gives that girl's romance omamori to Ohara, TELLS HIM ITS FROM THE GIRL, and then Ohara gets very pissed
- Their friend, Fujino, tries to be helpful in bringing along Akane so she and Kakeru can get together...Fujino does not realize he is making things worse
- Ohara choses to go with the girls and Fujino and tells Kakeru to forget about their promise to see the bridge together which greatly upsets Kakeru
- Ohara vents to Hosaka and another friend who call him out for his sulking and self-sabotage
- Kakeru finds Ohara's guidebook in his bag and sees all the notes Yamato left about the places he thinks Kakeru would enjoy
- Akane calls out Kakeru for being distracted but encourages him to go handle whatever he's distracted by (Ohara)and even helps him with directions to get there faster
- Hosaka tells Kakeru to run over to the bridge meanwhile Ohara is also running to the bridge to meet him
- OHARA KISSES KAKERU ON THE BRIDGE AND THEN CONFESSES
- Ohara also then passes out...
OH MY GOD HE DID IT! HE DID IT! OHARA YOU ACTUALLY DID IT! I mean you did it a little backwards because I'm pretty sure standard practice is to confess, get consent, and then kiss someone, but THIS IS A DRAMA SO WOOOOO!!! Everyone, please always get consent before kissing someone.
No "wooo" at you passing out immediately after though. Boy, are you okay? I know there's a lot of emotions and adrenaline and also you were kinda out of breath from the whole running thing, but are you okay??? You didn't cry super much though! That's good! I cried a lot when I confessed, so hey, you've got a one-up on me!
Fujino, buddy, I see what you were trying to do...but please don't stop trying to do that. I mean, granted, in a roundabout way it actually worked. Not for your goal, but for ours. So, uhh, no-thank-you-but-thank-you.
To pay my respects to Akane, you gave it your best shot and politely bowed out when you saw it wasn't going your way. No fights, no petty nonsense. Honestly? Really classy way to go. I hope you can find your fella off-screen or in the finale!
We've ended the episode right at that height of emotions, and while I have no doubt they will have to go through yet another panic over it before finally getting together, I want to hark on what Hosaka said:
"If your true feelings truly ruin everything, you two were never best friends to begin with."
This sentence brought back in me a lot of the struggles I have with a particular trope when it comes to romance in the real world and in stories. The whole "but if I tell them, I'll ruin the friendship!". Personally, I've never been able to comprehend why some people will completely break off a friendship just because their feelings can't be returned. If you liked someone enough to want to be in a romantic relationship with them, then surely you liked them enough to be friends too, no? I just...I can't wrap my head around those being exclusive to each other because surely if that was the case, then you weren't actually "liking" them and just "lusted" them, right? Shouldn't you want to support and see them with someone who makes them happy, even if that person isn't you?
Furthermore, I don't think knowing your friend has feelings for you is a big deal (or any deal at all) if you just both make it clear that you're in a platonic place. That's the whole point of having healthy relationships and boundaries. If Kakeru actually got grossed out or something else by his best friend having feelings for him, then Kakeru would be a flavour of jerk and not worth Ohara's time. Confessing to someone and getting rejected shouldn't mean the end of your friendship. It should just mean that you'll stay friends and won't go further. At least, that's my hot-take on the subject. I've had people try to explain it to me before, but it never "clicks". If you can't be friends anymore because they won't be more-than-friends with you, then I don't think you really wanted to be friends in the first place.
The nitty gritty of that is a rant for another day, sorry for the tangent.
I look forward to the now unhidden feelings debacle of these two!
Episode 6 Preview
KAKERU WHAT??? OHARA WHAT??? WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING???
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you've been able to watch and enjoy the story for yourself! If you haven't, that's okay too! My thoughts are here to keep you updated and entertained in the meantime.
This caps off this post, so off into the nighttime I go to publish the next and final one shortly!
May we meet again when the clock strikes 12:00!