What starts off as purely a servant/master dynamic, slowly develops into a genuine deep care for each other. When Hira looks into Kiyoi’s eyes you get a sense of why he’s able to fall so deep. The actor who plays Kiyoi has the most expressive eyes that swallow you up. And like the ying to his yang, Hira’s eyes are so piercing you feel like he really sees you when he looks at you. Its the feeling of having all his focus, love and admiration. That’s a powerful feeling. So much is conveyed in a single look so you can also understand why Kiyoi becomes attracted to Hira and falls for his piercing gaze, because Hira is someone who really sees him and is someone who appreciates him for the first time in his life without wanting anything back. You really buy into these two characters from different worlds. That they are able to fall in love with each other. It’s believable that they each get from one another, something that was missing before. It’s not perfect but I think it does a good job of balancing flawed characters who have toxic coping mechanisms and it does so with sincerity and honest emotions. Having good chemistry goes a long way to making these characters feel real and grounded. Their chemistry is one of the best I’ve seen in bl land. They have the perfect amount of tension that keeps you hooked until they finally get together. They’re two people who shouldn’t work on paper but they manage to carve out a space where they both fit together for each other.

In reality, I’d rate this an 8.6 but MDL doesn’t give that option.