Just returning from study abroad, fashion designer Ritsu (Mikami Masashi) takes up a job at LOVE&HATE and ends up sharing an apartment with Sho (Kato Ryosuke), the son of his boss. Sho has lately developed the worrying habit of holing himself at home and not interacting with anyone, and Ritsu's boss wants him to keep an eye on Sho. Unknown to everyone, however, is the fact that Sho and Ritsu used to be lovers before Ritsu went to New York... (YA)
This movie, under certain definitions, is not a gay, yaoi or "boy love" movie. Some consider it just to be "slice of life" Japanese guy movie. There's no hand-holding, no kissing, no play wrestling. I will withhold judgment regarding whether it is or not because I think the overall point has to do with intimacy and the struggle to it that involves two guys (with ambiguous sexual orientations).
The story is simple. Aki is a furita (freeter -- a young Japanese person who chooses part-time work over a salaried position). When he decided to ride his bike through the Japanese countryside, he quits his job and goes. Along the way, he helps a woman who almost loses her 32kg luggage down a pedestrian fly-over when his bike suffers some minor problem. She invites him to come to her house for the evening. There lives "Grampa", a master watchermaker and Masaya, the watchermaker's apprentice.
Aki and Masaya's relations get off to a somewhat mysterious rocky start -- although Masaya is prissy. We then come to learn through a wristwatch Aki wears that doesn't work, that Aki had a childhood friend/love of his life named Hayato who looks exactly like Masaya. The Aki-Masaya tension increases and we learn what has happened between Aki and Hayato.
Because I was expecting an awkward kiss, hand-holding moment, or similar, my mind had to recalibrate a few times to fully accept the narrative drama unfolding in the movie. Nevertheless, it's a G rated movie that you can cuddle with your partner on a date.
