Hold on, Harutora-kun – Series Review

Sui is a sophomore at Sofu High School, an all-boys school. He lives in Room 208 of the school dormitory, where he has just gotten a new roommate. Harutora is an eager freshman who takes his introduction very seriously. He kneels on the floor, bows to Sui, and presents him with a box of treats. Sui is amused by all the formality and tells Harutora to loosen up. Sure, he's technically the older student, but only by one year. Forget the honourifics. These roommates can just call each other Sui and Harutora.

Sui always wears a face mask that covers the lower half of his face. He's not sick or anything. He just never takes it off. Naturally, Harutora gets curious and asks why. Sui explains that the mask helps with his shyness. With the lower half of his face hidden, people can't tell what expression he's making. The mask also gives the illusion that he looks friendlier, almost like he's smiling. The mask hides his real feelings when he doesn't feel like smiling around others. Harutora responds by saying Sui looks cute in his mask. That little compliment catches them both off guard. Suddenly, the new roommates are acting all bashful around each other.

Harutora wants to be on the basketball team, but earning a spot won't be easy. This school has plenty of strong players, so he trains constantly before the tryouts. Luckily, he already has his own personal cheerleader. Sui hangs around during practice, shouting encouragement from nearby. He even makes honeyed lemons to help Harutora stay energized. The other dormmates tease Sui about making food for a girlfriend. Once he leaves, the jokes turn into casual gossip. They know Sui is gay, so they figure he must be making those lemons for some guy.

Meanwhile, Harutora has become very comfortable with Sui. Maybe a little too comfortable. He gives his roommate long hugs, even with everyone watching. The other students notice all the touching. Somehow, they decide Sui must be the one pursuing Harutora. They warn Harutora that Sui likes guys and tell him to watch out. Sui is mortified by the whole situation. Desperate to stop the rumours, he blurts out that Harutora isn't his type. Nope! No crush here! There's zero romantic interest!

Once they're alone in the dorm room, Harutora gives Sui another painfully formal apology. He thought Sui liked him. Since they've gotten so close, Harutora assumed there might be a romantic spark. Sui is stunned. Then, he admits he lied to the other dormmates earlier. Last year, Sui was outed at school. Ever since then, the other boys have made snide comments about his sexuality. Sui hides behind the mask because he doesn't feel like smiling around people who make him miserable. Worse, he assumed Harutora would react the same way. In Sui's mind, what straight guy would want to live with a gay roommate?

Surprise! Harutora is delighted to discover that Sui likes him back. Before Sui can spiral any further, Harutora removes his mask and kisses him. The kiss leaves both boys feeling awkward afterward. Harutora goes back to acting ridiculously polite, while Sui tries to process the fact that his roommate might actually want him. Unfortunately, Sui has already been hurt by the boys at this school. They made him feel ashamed for liking guys. Now he's terrified to open up again. Even with Harutora clearly interested, Sui can't quite believe that pursuing this romance will end well.

Hold on, Harutora-kun looks like the cutest BL drama at first. Sui is a soft-spoken teen who loves teddy bears and plush toys. When he falls for his handsome new roommate, they exchange shy smiles and not-so-subtle glances. Aww, this romance is so adorable… OR IS IT??? Beneath the fluffy exterior, the storylines get surprisingly heavy. Sui suffers from social anxiety. He's bullied for liking guys. The worst moments leave behind emotional scars. Each episode delivers a harsh reality check that growing up gay can hurt like hell.

Sui and Harutora's relationship is supposed to be sweet. Unfortunately, this couple does nothing for me. Sorry, there's no romantic buzz. Some scenes try too hard to be cute and cheerful. Oof, their awkwardness together gives me second-hand embarrassment… Out of nowhere, the romance suddenly gets horny. The physical intimacy looks stiff and uncomfortable, like neither guy knows what to do with his body. Even the kisses are underwhelming. So, let's recap. The sweet scenes make me cringe, while the spicy moments leave me cold. No matter what mood this romance goes for, the chemistry always feels a little off.

The first few episodes are tough to enjoy, mostly because of the bullying scenes. Poor Sui is an easy target for the boys at school. "Are you hitting on him?" "Why do you keep touching your butt?" "Do you have hemorrhoids?" Oh my god, shut up! Every nasty comment reduces him to just his sexuality. Where the hell are the adults!? Is anyone gonna step in and protect this kid!? For the first half of the series, Sui becomes a punching bag for the homophobes. His trauma is too unpleasant for me. I feel triggered! Irritated! Over it! When I watch a BL drama, this isn't the shit I wanna see.

For a while, Harutora seems like one of the few decent guys. He never joins in the bullying. But then, Harutora forces himself on Sui, who clearly seems distressed. After Sui tells him no, Harutora says, "…well, you should've said no to the bullies as well." Hold on, that rubs me the wrong way. Don't turn this into a lecture about why the victim didn't fight back. Save your anger for the assholes who keep tormenting him! I'm disappointed in Harutora. He's supposed to be Sui's safe person. Instead, the love interest is another problematic bastard making Sui's life harder.

Surprisingly, I loved Episode 6. In one scene, Sui curls up with a teddy bear and reads about same-sex relationships online. This kid is barely 16, yet the internet has become his only LGBTQ+ lifeline because nobody else is helping him. It's sad that he needs a survival manual just to fall in love. The most powerful moment comes when Harutora opens up about his own struggles. A straight-passing guy like him isn't bullied at school, but he has learned that sensitive boys get punished for showing emotion. If Harutora feels sad or lonely, he pressures himself to bottle everything up.

When Harutora breaks down and Sui comforts him, this is the best scene of the series. Sui's actor (Tsubasa Nakagawa) nails the emotions. I wasn't convinced by his nervous mannerisms in earlier episodes, but he gives strong performances during the important moments. Too bad he doesn't have much romantic chemistry with his co-star. But Harutora's actor (Masaya Sakuragi) has one major advantage. That face! One minute, he looks all cool and suave. The next minute, he flashes such an adorable smile. I see a lot of star potential from this telegenic heartthrob.

Up until Episode 6, I struggled to enjoy the series. Thankfully, the last few episodes become easier to watch. As Sui and Harutora get better at supporting each other, their scenes together feel heartwarming. I like this BL drama when it focuses less on trauma and more on healing. By the end, I talked myself into giving a mildly positive review. Hold on, Harutora-kun has plenty of flaws, but I appreciate that it tackles serious topics instead of just coasting along as a fluffy high school romance. Every now and then, the story actually delivers a hard-hitting emotional moment.