Disclaimer: I am not a transgender and do not know much about issues faced by transgenders and persons with gender dysphoria. I apologize in advance if I use incorrect or insensitive terms in my review. Please do kindly correct me respectfully in the comments if I make any mistake. Thank you.

“Kataoimoi” aka “Unrequited Love” is definitely not a romance drama about unrequited love (though there are quite a few). At first glance, it’s about a murder and its investigation. But the main theme in this drama are issues faced by transgenders and those suffering from gender dysphoria. According to Mayo Clinic, gender dysphoria is the ‘feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics.’

This drama opens my eyes to these topics and issues. I have a little bit knowledge of those suffering from gender dysphoria and might want to go through with a sex change procedure. However, this drama talks about more than just this procedure. I am particularly impressed with the analogy of the Mobius Strip. A character described that the inside and outside, male and female, co-exist on the same strip and not just one or another. Not everyone wants to have the procedure to change their sex surgically. There are some who want to identify with both genders and are comfortable with it.

It’s not an easy watch but a serious and complicated one. However, the writing and the execution could be better. A lot of information and details regarding the crime investigation and those involved are given to viewers in only 6 hour-long episodes. I have to pay close attention to the conversation and the details unveiled to figure out who’s who. I think this drama could benefit from a few more episodes, and explore some other relationships. Even with this criticism, I still find the drama to be quite slow-paced.

This is not a drama for everyone and you should know what you are getting yourself into. But it’s thought-provoking and I hope it sparks healthy conversation and the desire to learn more. Thanks to commenter @seroonetwothree, I learned of the term gender dysphoria and Googled about it.

Other Random Observations:
1. Excellent acting by the cast, especially Natatani Miki as Mizuki/Mitsuru.
2. I like the use of an American Football team as the backdrop. Quite unique for an Asian drama.
3. The pictures taken of Mitsuru are beautiful!
4. Love the ending song and it fits the drama well.

Ending my review with a quote from the drama: "Nature loves diversity. Society hates it.".

Completed: 10/16/2022