Recently, I've been complaining about the onslaught of insipid fluff, passing for BLs, that Japanese have been sending our way and regretting the good old times of the last year when their BLs were outstanding mostly!

And then I watched this. And, oh boy, was I served! More than I ever asked for! This was dark, gritty, cruel, depressing, thought-provoking, disturbing and more! Completely unexpected.

The story of two completely broken people trying so hard to survive in the awful surroundings is extremely difficult to watch! This is everything but a BL (except for the last episode!);it's a psychological crime drama where the main characters happen to be gay. They were both cruelly abandoned by their own families and are forced to do anything and everything in order to survive.

How do you stay hopeful in such a desperate situation? They are barely keeping their heads above the water, hanging on, still wanting to survive in spite of everything,

It was expertly filmed, the atmosphere was sufficiently heavy and menacing, the empty side streets, the garbage, the neon signs - everything on screen was dehumanizing and hopeless, hell on earth. And still, they want to live! The hope that never dies! The music, heavy, adds to the overall feeling of banging your head agains the wall!
The acting is amazing: the blond guy does not change much, he is outgoing and somehow optimistic, but he is so thin that he looks sick! The other actor does not show much feeling before the ending, he is practically dead inside but spending time with the blond guy, he allows himself to feel.

This drama was awful and I almost regret watching it. But at the same time it shows the filth behind the shiny signs and pretty clothes. Most of all, it criticizes the Family and the whole society that is turning a blind eye to people suffering.

It was very hard to watch: I could not believe that they put certain scenes involving children, in this drama. I hope those child actors are taken care of by psychologists!

HOTE gets lighter only in the last episode and goes full BL: they meet again after a time jump and everything is so nice and they live happily ever after.....