What She Likes (2021)

Emotional LGBTQ+ Coming-of-Age Story

"I felt like a guest at a cult meeting"

Based on a web novel which was already adapted into a drama, "What She Likes..." is an emotional LGBTQ+ coming-of-age story about Jun, a closeted high school student struggling with his homosexuality, and Sae a BL manga obsessed classmate that develops feelings for him.

I'm a bit torn about this one. Overall, I did enjoy it and thought it was a touching story with beautiful cinematography and some heart-wrenching moments. My main issues were how unrealistically they resolved some of the conflicts they were dealing with. The way they brushed over some characters and themes lessened the impact for me. Moreover, they should have focused more on Jun as the main lead. One could argue this was about Jun and Sae which is true to a certain extent and there were aspects I really liked about these two. However, considering that this, at its core, is a queer story, I would have preferred a louder voice from the queer character instead of the BL loving classmate.

In conclusion, this was an intriguing movie that while it does have its flaws still managed to move me. I quickly have to mention Kamio Fuju's performance as Jun. I genuinely feel he's a talented guy, who's nuanced portrayal of Jun stood out to me the most.

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emotionally moving performance from a fine actor ,Kamio Fuju

I saw this film in London on 28 05 2022. Introduced on screen by the director Shogo Kusano.
His intro was interesting , comparing audiences to Japan and UK and wondered himself, given the cultural differences , how
UK would view this.
Firstly, I have to congratulate Shogo Kusano on an excellent film , which I could relate to and your choice in casting
Kamio Fuju as Jun was perfect. His serious acting can be quite powerful and believable .
I have to say, despite the obvious culture difference you would expect, I found a lot of similar traits when I was in Japan to an old England i used to know. I could list them but would be digressing from this review. ( so maybe not so different in many ways) There is a hospital scene that i found very moving in which Jun summarises his young life............
I have thought about it a long time since watching the film.
i hope young audiences watch this and empathise with the struggles of young gay life as well as enjoying an entertaining
and thought provoking subject matter.
I think Audiences who don,t mind sub titles here in Uk , would appreciate this excellent film.
(sorry but I dont remember any music for rating )

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