Orange Juice Meet Cute
This has to be one of the sweetest fucking things I've ever seen.This showed from start to finish the embarassing and exciting experience of finally talking to that person you're interested in and actually having them reciprocate. And all the missteps and moments of barely-mustered courage in between. From initiating a conversation and agonizing over what to say so much that you say very little, exchanging numbers, typing, deleting, and retyping the first text, to going on a date for the first time and making things official.
What a treasure these shy and real moments in a developing romance are.
Bless these two sweet, terribly awkward men.
That's it. That's all I had to say. NOW GO WATCH THIS MOVIE BECAUSE IT'S GOOD, I PROMISE!
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adorable and heartwarming
overall this was an adorable movie that showed us a the anxiety and determination that comes with liking someone and attempting to date them.I really was pleastly surprised with this one. there isn’t a lot of angst, it’s more the struggle of getting to that first step. both MCs were great and you could really feel how they both wanted to progress but were nervous. and I LOVED the co-worker. she was their number one supporter, and girl, same.
this is honestly a heartwarming, wonderful, story.
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This review may contain spoilers
An Interesting Depiction of First Love
Courage can be as simple as taking that first step toward something you’ve longed for but were afraid to hope for.In the Japanese BL film Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka? (Can I Buy Your Love From a Vending Machine) adapted from the manga of the same name by Yoshii Haruaki, Salaryman Koiwai Ayuma (Matsuda Ryo) takes that first step and finds himself face-to-face with a love he wants while being afraid of losing it.
The film follows Ayuma as he shyly approaches the strong and muscular vending machine worker Yamashita Ryoma (Tazura Shogo) at his office, using his desire to add orange juice to the options as an opportunity to talk to the man he’s been crushing on. To his surprise, it leads to much more when the more direct Yamashita asks him out.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/06/08/can-i-buy-your-love-from-a-vending-machine-movie-review/
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A Visual Guide For Dating
One would have to be completely dead inside to not get a warm cozy feeling from watching this film. It is a joy to behold and drink in. And it is so astonishingly relatable because it is happening to ordinary people under very ordinary situations. It is a pure story of love with its only requirement being someone courageous enough to make the first move. Honestly, one does not need to read manuals, books, or listen to experts on how to find love; all one needs to do is watch this movie. It gives you a step-by-step visual presentation of what to do. This is a complete joy to watch!Was this review helpful to you?
You need courage to take the next step
This movie with its simple love story has fast become one of my favourites -- a story about two very ordinary men who fall in love with each other and take the first steps into a relationship.I love how the film shows us the insecurities that come with having a crush on a man as a man, the questions that come with getting to know another person -- will you like me, too? Do we have a chance to come together? Will I take the step into the unknown?
And at the same time, both men as well as us get to experience the giddiness when we feel that our feelings might be reciprocated.
We get to see how these two men, who seem to be very different in their hobbies and lives, try to find the courage to open up to each other -- only then the relationship may move forward.
The film makers obviously had to make do with a low budget, there are some sound issues in outdoor scenes. But they did not need much more -- as I said before, this is a simple love story of two ordinary men, who could be our neighbours, our colleagues, ourselves. Accordingly, the use of places, of light that is already there makes the film feel very real.
I also love the sets, which are lovingly filled with small details: There's the changing date on the white board behind Koiwai's desk. There's the small detritus of the life of a working person in Yamashita's room. There are the messy bed sheets near the end of the film.
I'm looking forward to rewatching the story of these sweet and gentle people.
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Gentle giant & Scaredy cat
Unfortunately this is a very low budget production: they must have filmed it in producer's office!Fortunately, this again goes to prove that you don't need loads of money if you have a good story and a good writer.
Unfortunately there is the height difference.
Fortunately, the gentle giant is cute.
Unfortunately the cat is 32 year old virgin who does not know what he wants. Such a typical situation for an asian drama. He has a crush on the giant but when he asks him out, he choses to misunderstand!
Fortunately the giant knows that so he starts playing hard to get.
Unfortunately the cat is so embarrassingly inexperienced.
Fortunately there is the female coworker teaching him the ropes of dating.
Unfortunately they have zero chemistry.
Fortunately, the gentle giant is rather proactive.
Unfortunately the cat is not.
Fortunately, eventually he needs to be so he is. Hooray!
Unfortunately they did not make this about teenagers. It would have been more convincing. Or would it?
Fortunately, they did not make this about teens it would have been ridiculous. Teens usually jump before thinking. This is the opposite: the cat thinks and then does not jump!
Unfortunately they kept those boring manga tropes like clear distinction between seme and uke roles.
Fortunately the kisses were nice.
Unfortunately this reminded me of She Who Cooks: the same awkward uncomfortable relationship.
Fortunately the guys here seem to get over it by the end.
Fortunately, Nicksden subbed this expertly so we get to enjoy it a lot! Thank you!
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It will remind us that there is always room for love and personal growth
ON May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the list of the International Classification of Diseases. Later, since 2004, it became a date to commemorate the fight of the LGBTIQ+ community for their rights and raise awareness about discrimination.However, LGBTIQ+ people in Japan face certain legal and social challenges not experienced by heterosexual citizens. The current Constitution, written after World War II under the control and supervision of the United States, refers to marriage as an act between a man and a woman and is prohibited for homosexual couples.
Despite the discrimination towards this human group and the fact that the dates mentioned above are not that far away, the issue of homosexuality had already been on the rise in the Japanese film industry long before.
With diverse approaches, mainly from the 80s of the 20th century, we could remember some films such as 'Beautiful Mystery' (Genji Nakamura, 1983), considered a cult film and the first feature film from that country that addressed homosexuality as a central theme; 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' (1983) and Gohatto (Taboo), from 1999, both by Nagisa Oshima, a director of extraordinary sensitivity and director of some of the most international Japanese films, and the list could be longer, because while The closer we get to modernity, the more prevalent the theme has become.
In this sense, a film that stands out is 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?' (In English 'Can I Buy Your Love from a Vending Machine?', from 2023, a live-action adaptation of the popular manga series of the same name by Yoshii Haruaki.
Thus we find this film that was born from the thoroughness and creativity of an incomparable filmmaker who had already worked on several equally significant works such as 'One Man's Son' and 'Reminiscence Journey'.
This is a film that stands out for its deeply human themes, its formal successes and its delicate exploration of identity and friendship. Additionally, it combines elements of comedy-drama with a sincere look at relationships between men.
Although it covers several contents (the construction of a friendship narrated with unusual delicacy, the support of friends, coming out of the closet, work vertigo in today's world, a journey towards the search for happiness, self-acceptance and self-love) , the film is simply about a love story.
In 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?', everything that can be conceived is reduced to the gaze, which confirms the existence of the other; and from there comes the rapprochement, and then desire and love. Yamashita Ryoma, a strong, tall and muscular 28-year-old man in charge of a juice vending machine in an office in Tokyo, surprises office worker Koiwai Ayumu with a noble gesture in a moment of exhaustion from hard work. From that moment on, Koiwai, 32, cannot take his eyes off Yamashita Ryoma, with whom he has secretly fallen in love. One day, he musters the courage to start a conversation, which sets in motion a closer relationship.
Although eye contact, known as shisen or awasu, is not common in Japan, and staring into a person's eyes can be very rude and uncomfortable, at some point, their gazes meet.
Actors Matsuda Ryo and Tazuru Shoho play the lead roles, Koiwai Ayumu and Yamashita Ryoma, respectively. Next to them we see Yanagi Yurina, who plays the character of Ooishi, Koiwai's colleague and friend.
Matsuda Ryo is one of the best-known Japanese actors inside and outside his country, thanks to his role as Jonouchi Hideyasu / Kamen Rider Gridon in several films and series of the Kamen Rider universe, as well as his leading performances in the films 'Bakumatsu Without Honor and Humanity' and 'Messiah: Shikkoku no Shou', among others.
For his part, Tazuru Shoho made his acting debut precisely in 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?'. Through his character's relationship with a man who recognizes his gay status from the first scenes and who has just entered his life, he learns to accept his sexuality and find his own voice. His authentic performance captures the complexity of his character.
Written by Kumi Tawada ('Junihitoe wo Kita Akuma' (2020), 'To Each His Own' | 'Chotto Ima Kara Shigoto Yamete Kuru' (2017) and 'A Chair on the Plains | Sougen no Isu (2013)', the The audience will be able to enjoy in this office romance how each young person becomes the center of the other's attention and they build, step by step, a very strong bond, friendly at first, romantic later, although full of clumsiness and misunderstandings.
The viewer will appreciate how small everyday mistakes, such as being late for an appointment, also contribute to boosting confidence and making the person you want to conquer feel more comfortable.
Koiwai Ayumu and Yamashita Ryoma will confirm to us that Japanese way of being when it comes to seducing: they are not as inventive as Westerners could be, as it is difficult for them to express their feelings or take the initiative. Even the first kiss takes forever to come. And it's not exactly due to lack of interest, shyness or even coldness, as many might think, but it seems that flirting is still a taboo in Japan. Although much of this has changed in the last century, Japanese society still finds it somewhat difficult to express its feelings, due to its culture of extreme respect for others.
But equally, the film transgresses, for the better, some of the peculiarities of Japanese romance. For example: the characters' dates are not with groups of friends, such as work or study colleagues, and when they declare their feelings they can lead to public displays of affection.
It is striking how Yamashita, who is the younger of the two, is the one who not only asks to exchange contact information or proposes the date without spending weeks exchanging messages, as the Japanese usually do, but he will also ask Kiowai to call him. his first name and leave aside the use of honorifics, something strongly rooted in Japanese culture.
The viewer will be able to appreciate that although they are both adults, everything related to the emotions that Yamashita awakens in Ayumu, and vice versa, feels like the first love of a teenager.
I also recommend the film for joining other dramatized films in addressing issues related to sexuality and gender identity in a conservative society with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, such as Japan.
I highly value the fact that 'Sono Koi, Jihanki de Kaemasu ka?' portray the diversity of human relationships with delicacy, and contribute to dismantling the prevailing stereotypes regarding what is "normal", enabling the necessary change in society.
In short, it is a film that not only seeks to entertain us, but also makes us reflect on our own lives and relationships. It is a reminder that no matter what challenges we face, there is always room for love and personal growth.
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