BL METAMORPHOSIS

And, 2022, 115 minutes, Colour.

Mana Ashida, Nobuko Miyamoto..

Directed by Shunsuke Kariyama.

Sometimes we miss out on trends in various cultures. In coming across the title of this film, the question was: what does BL stand for?  A quick trip to Google: BL, also known as boys' love and its abbreviation BL (bīeru), is a genre of fictional media originating in Japan that features homoerotic relationships between male characters.

Apparently, it became popular in the 1970s in Japan, script to Thailand and other Asian cultures, featured in Manga stories and in Anime. And there was a dominance of women authors. So, an opening inquiring attitude as the film begins.

In fact, the main feature of the film is a friendly relationship between a lady in her 80s and a young teenager. Yuki, is seen looking for a cookbook and attracted by the cover of one of the BL groups that she sees on the shelf. She buys it, to the apparent concern of the young teenager serving in the shop. Yuki returns for more, befriends the young girl who, herself, is a fan of this kind of book, has a whole collection home, eventually lending some to Yuki.

They chat, they visit, there is a young man friend, discussions of the story, the style, the illustrations, the relationships between the young men, the young woman deciding to create a booklet, its being published by a publisher and his son who come to Yuki who has calligraphy lessons.

There is an chance encounter with the author of the first book – and happy connections, affirmations, friendships.

It still leaves the audience wondering about BL stories but in a very happy frame of mind.

1. the title? The history of Boy Love in Anime Manga, from the 1970s, Japan, Asia? Female authors? Boy Love characters?
2. The Japanese city, homes, bookshops, Manga conventions, the overall views and impressions of the city? The musical score?
3. The opening, the heat, behaviours, the people crossing the street, Yuki and her hurry, looking for cooking books, discovering I Have had eyes Only for You, the attraction of the art, buying the book, you were at the counter, her surprise, the beginning of a friendship, a gentle encounter?
4. Yuki’s story, age, two years widow, her prayer remembering her husband, her calligraphy classes, the printer and his son, keywords in calligraphy throughout the film, a reading the books, the surprise about Bully Love, her liking the drawings, the characters and their interactions? Buying more books, discovering the magazine? Her relationship with her daughter, the daughter’s visit, talk, drink, the possibility of moving in with her daughter?
5. You are a story, her age, at school, 17, at home with her mother, her mother’s ambitions for further study, classes, the help from the boy, their friendship for many years, observing him with the girlfriend, the tensions with the girlfriend, the encounter with the Yuki, Yuki’s return, finding her more books, lending her own, reading her own quietly at home, a collection?
6. The visits, the friendship, the kindliness, the discussions, you were and her loneliness, finding a friend? Her studies? The two love for Mango, you were and her ideas, sketching, school, the boys seeing them, encouraging her? And his later reading her book?
7. The plan to go to the convention, you were and her studies? Meeting up again, the plan for the Manga book, the process for you were in drawing and writing it, encouraged to go on? The pressure of the dates? The self-publishing, Yuki and her encouragement, the printer and his son, the production of the book? You were and her shyness, not going? Yuki, unwell, the printer helping her, the breakdown of the car, the encounter with the author, the conversations, the author buying the book? Yuki not recognising her?
8. The scenes with the author, who work, friend, discussions, her themes? The encounter with Yuki, buying you were this book? The buildup to the signing, you were and we, his dilemma about seeing his girlfriend off at the airport, asking you were to decide, their going to the airport, her hurrying back, in the queue, eventually getting her book with the sketch and autograph?
9. Yuki, going to the signing, the conversation with the author, the drawing, the author recognising Yuki and telling her how the self-published book encouraged her? Yuki then telling you were, the joy?
10. The finale, the happy achievement, the portrait of an unlikely lovely friendship, the sensitivity of the film, the builder, repairing the house, the curry…?