“the boys were no longer children, but even though they spoke of greater things, they weren’t adults yet.”the irrational things that love drives us to do can never be justified, can never be understood and will always remain illogical, but those actions can always be rationalised no matter how heinous.
keiko takemiya writes such a profound story, of youth sexual awakenings, of the different actions people take, fueled by the love they don’t understand, and the unexplainable decisions they make, paired with the delicately beautiful art of pastels and flowers and european architecture, in a attempt to humanise inexcusable acts, like having an affair, grooming, raping your best friend, attempting to kill your best friend, all in the name of love, without separating these acts from their horrible natures, drawing a dainty balance between them.
this 70s classic may have some problematic aspects to it, and maybe i’m just a takemiya apologist but she manages to emphasise her points by drawing the raw humanity evident in love, with really modern and progressive sensibilities for the 70s.
while an anime like this may not hold up well to todays standards, takemiya’s writing is an absolute pillar in japanese queer fiction and will forever hold a special place in my heart.
