Punks Triangle – Series Review & Episode Guide

Chiaki Sumiura used to be a shy and plain-looking high school student. One day, his friend convinced him to attend a fashion show, and he was amazed by the glitzy runway. A handsome supermodel named AE caught his eye. As AE strutted with style and confidence, Chiaki felt inspired by the model's coolness. After the show, he gave himself a dramatic makeover. Chiaki completely embraced the punk aesthetic, which includes a lip piercing.

Three years later, Chiaki works part-time at LABORATORY, a trendy clothing store that specializes in punk attire. He also attends night school at the P Mode Fashion Academy as a second-year student. He takes fashion courses and hopes to become a designer one day. His dream is to create an outfit that AE would wear. However, Chiaki's shy personality continues to affect him, and he avoids socializing with others. He even sees his classmates as rivals.

I want to write a fair review about Punks Triangle, but it's hard to take this series seriously. OMG, the entire story is soooo ridiculous. A famous model leads a double life, hiding his identity by wearing a bad wig (with an ugly hat). Wig off? SUPERMODEL. Wig on? STUDENT. I'm laughing my ass off at this goofy premise, which feels like the BL version of Hannah Montana. Somehow, nobody notices the most transparent disguise ever. His name is Ayumu Enaga, his alter ego is called AE, but they don't make the obvious connection!

Enaga's hidden identity is a major plot, but I have mixed feelings about this storyline. On the one hand, this situation is exciting. Enaya pulls off the ultimate scheme, juggling two identities while transforming himself like Sailor Moon. Can he avoid getting caught? How does he cope with the pressure? Each episode offers a lot of interesting material to explore. On the other hand, his lie is absurd. Chiaki interacts with two versions of the same person and never realizes their similarities. How do you miss the voice? How do you overlook the cheap wig!? It's hard to stay immersed when this series challenges my logic.

Chiaki always seems so nervous around AE, but I like him best when he's with Enaga. Once they grow closer, Chiaki relaxes and steps out of his introverted shell. He talks openly, shares his feelings, and seems like the happiest version of himself. Yeah, their scenes together are actually enjoyable. Also, they have a funny habit of making random moments feel weirdly erotic. In one scene, Chiaki starts sucking on Enaga's fingers in a really kinky way. Not just a little nibble, but the whole damn hand is inserted into his mouth! What the hell is this freakish foreplay!?!?

Shipping this couple becomes difficult because of Enaga's deceit. Their entire relationship is built on false pretenses, from the moment they met to the point they develop feelings. We know Enaga doesn't have bad intentions, but it still feels like he's toying with Chiaki. The longer this lie continues, the worse he looks. Enaga has many excuses. I might hurt Chikai's feelings! I might distract him from the contest! Yet, there's no way to justify a deception of this proportion. The L in BL doesn't stand for lies, and I can't enjoy the romance until Enaga stops fooling his partner.

Although the bad wig and the ugly hat do everything to downplay Enaga's attractiveness, he still looks sharp on camera. The actor (Yasunari Fujibayashi) takes on a challenging role with two very different personalities, yet he handles both parts convincingly. As AE, he has a flirty vibe with a confident swagger. As Enaga, he appears gentler and more sincere. His costar (Ryota Nagano) gives an inconsistent performance. When he tries to be shy or nervous, his expressions and mannerisms don't feel entirely natural. I become aware that he's putting on a persona.

I found the finale decent. It addresses Enaga's lie, explores the fallout, and resolves the conflict with a happy ending. Overall, Punks Triangle is a fun series if you avoid analyzing it and just enjoy the wild shenanigans. The plot can be so hilariously absurd that it feels iconic. I laugh at all the weird shit happening, like Chiaki getting his belly button pierced in a love hotel. Each episode manages to entertain me in one eccentric way or another. Punks Triangle might not offer the best romance or a realistic story, but it still delivers eight episodes of chaotic entertainment.