A Man Who Defies the World of BL – Drama Review

Mob is a university student with an overactive imagination. He believes all the men around him are somehow becoming romantic couples, and he's the only one immune to the BL syndrome. Whether he meets with friends or strangers, every guy wants to hook up with either him or each other. Even Mob's little brother Ayato has a special male suitor of his own at school.

Although Mob claims to have an aversion to the Boys Love genre, he is also seemingly obsessed with it. He even reads tons of BL manga as part of his "research". Each day, Mob devises outlandish strategies that will minimize his chances of encountering BL tropes in life. However, BL has a way of sneaking up on him no matter where he goes or how he tries to avoid it.

A Man Who Defies the World of BL is a unique comedy series that may be unlike anything you've watched before. It specializes in tongue-in-cheek humour poking fun at many popular BL tropes. When the jokes land, they can be hilarious, especially for fans who know the genre inside and out. You'll recognize the familiar scenarios, silly references, or exaggerated parodies. The best laughs come from a mix of satire and mockery, as A Man Who Defies the World of BL highlights the genre's quirks.

As much as the humour can be funny, it sometimes backfires. Mob's constant resistance to BL is depicted as a playful schtick, but it also contains a subtle whiff of homophobia. His snarky commentary can sound like cheap shots at the gay community, like "ugh, gay people!" or "ew, gay people!". Moments like the "meryba" (merry bad ending) joke, where Mob worries his brother will die after accepting a love confession from a guy, get under my skin. I know the humour isn't supposed to be serious, but some insensitive jokes feel too pointed for my taste.

As the series progresses, I stop clutching my pearls and just let myself enjoy A Man Who Defies the World of BL for what it is. I understand it's a silly satire of the genre. The comedy celebrates and subverts BL's most common cliches. There are flashes of brilliance when it captures the ridiculousness accurately. Not every joke lands, though. Some episodes stand out with clever gags, while others feel weaker or miss the mark in the writing. Regardless, the series does an excellent job maintaining a fun, upbeat, and lighthearted atmosphere.

The most successful part of A Man Who Defies the World of BL is the charismatic lead actor (Atsuhiro Inukai), who exudes boundless enthusiasm. His exaggerated reactions make every absurd situation even funnier. He deserves credit for managing an over-the-top role without becoming annoying. In contrast, the supporting cast and guest characters don't bring the same energy. They're all vaguely similar, with their only defining trait being that they fall in love with each other. The series misses an opportunity to make these side characters more memorable.

Technically, there are many romances since the characters are attracted to each other without rhyme or reason. However, most BL moments are just random comedic scenes involving characters who come and go. There's nothing substantial in any of the relationships. The only real romance we see is between Ayato and his boyfriend, which seems decent for the five minutes they appear on screen, but that's hardly enough. Mob’s romance with Kikuchi is a dud. This one-dimensional love interest doesn't have the personality to match Mob's zaniness.

I wanted to laugh my ass off at A Man Who Defies the World of BL, but that never really happened. A few scenes made me chuckle occasionally, although other jokes fell flat. The series could have pushed itself as a comedy and leaned into more zany scenarios. The adaptation may have worked better as a BL anime, where the exaggerated humour and over-the-top reactions would translate smoothly. Regardless, A Man Who Defies the World of BL is still a clever and amusing comedy. I appreciate all its inside jokes, parody scenarios, and cheeky mischief.