This review may contain spoilers
Confronting but beautiful
This is an amazing story of working through complex trauma. It has scenes that can be very triggering, so it's important to make a careful decision about whether to watch it.
Seriously, I loved this drama. It's a beautiful presentation of a healthy but complicated and unconventional relationship that requires work to get right. Uea has been severely and repeatedly traumatized, and he can be very reactive and impulsive and is a bit of a mess, which gets him in a lot of trouble and makes him an easy target for predators (which is scary realistic!). King has good intentions, but he's human and has his own needs, and he's inexperienced with trauma and sometimes makes bad calls. But together they grow as people, support each other, and their relationship is beautiful. By the end, they've both grown stronger, broken from old patterns, and freed themselves from toxic people. It's wonderful.
And I particularly appreciate that the characters are equals in their relationship. Both have agency (with each other) from the start. It would be so easy for the whole story to be about King serving/saving Uea, but it's not like that. King has his own wants and needs, and even though he is obviously head-over-heels in love, it's clear he wants to be a partner and support for Uea, not a 2D servant/knight. Sure, it takes them a while to figure everything out, but they can BOTH be themselves with each other. There's sometimes drama, but they support each other and can be a safe space for each other, and that applies to both characters equally. I love these characters, and I'm so glad they get a happy ending.
Seriously, I loved this drama. It's a beautiful presentation of a healthy but complicated and unconventional relationship that requires work to get right. Uea has been severely and repeatedly traumatized, and he can be very reactive and impulsive and is a bit of a mess, which gets him in a lot of trouble and makes him an easy target for predators (which is scary realistic!). King has good intentions, but he's human and has his own needs, and he's inexperienced with trauma and sometimes makes bad calls. But together they grow as people, support each other, and their relationship is beautiful. By the end, they've both grown stronger, broken from old patterns, and freed themselves from toxic people. It's wonderful.
And I particularly appreciate that the characters are equals in their relationship. Both have agency (with each other) from the start. It would be so easy for the whole story to be about King serving/saving Uea, but it's not like that. King has his own wants and needs, and even though he is obviously head-over-heels in love, it's clear he wants to be a partner and support for Uea, not a 2D servant/knight. Sure, it takes them a while to figure everything out, but they can BOTH be themselves with each other. There's sometimes drama, but they support each other and can be a safe space for each other, and that applies to both characters equally. I love these characters, and I'm so glad they get a happy ending.
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