Kissing & making out scenes can be a powerful storytelling toll when used to explore the characters beyond what they say and do &I❤️"Our Youth" for it
One thing that i have always admired and love about JBLs is the way most of them manage to convey so much more beyond what is shown, beyond of what we think we know about the characters, their actions, their words, their overall impression. I believe this is possible because of how much they perfect the script, because of how well they plan every step that the characters take, the intention behind their actions, etc... And the way they would make sure to properly convey it on screen through everyone`s hard work.
There always seem to be something new to unpack, to discover when it comes to them. It doesn`t happen with all of them to the same degree, but you can notice this in most of them. From time to time, there is a JBL like Our Youth where every emotion, every situation, every event, every feeling, each line, each character has had its own detailed purpose. The drama excels in its attention to detail, from the well written script to the well acted scenes that highlight the tender moments between the characters.
Series like this tend to require a bigger investment from us, but they can also make us relate to it so much more, allow us to reflect and learn from it. It`s impossible for everyone to feel a pull towards those kind of stories. This is why there is something for everyone out there and those kind of stories are made for me, perfectly tailored for me hahahaa.
One of my favorite part of Our Youth is the way the kissing and the making out scenes are used as a catalyst to move the story forward. The character and relationship growth in Our Youth is insane. All the unsaid things being conveyed through eyes, facial expressions, body language, etc.... are telling a story on their own. A story that ends giving impact and depth to those moments when the characters do sit down and would express their feelings properly.
Pic 1. In episode 2, Minase is not kissing back because he is inexperienced. Because he finds himself being faced with feeling attracted physically towards someone, forced to deal with it and no knowing what to do with it.
Pic 2: In episode 3, as they start to know each other and open to each other more and more, we see him ease up into Hirukawa`s kisses little by little, getting used to the feeling. We see that he is still not comfortable that much with it, because he is still struggling with his feelings towards all this.
Pic 3 & 4: In episode 4, we see Minase starting to surrender to Hirukawa. He is still unsure of everything, but him starting to lean into the kiss is a huge turning point towards them and their relationship.
Pic 5 & 6: At the ending of episode 4, we see Minase starting to show a more vulnerable and weaker side of him. The way the kisses and the hug are portrayed here gives me goosebumps. The way i can clearly see how a few more of his walls are starting crumbling down right there, just as he started accepting his feelings, and the way it shortly culminates in him starting to embrace and respond Hirukawa back out of genuine love. Please, someone start to shower this series and our boys with awards. This scene is that good.
Pic 7, 8 & 9: The scene in Ep 6 when they make love for the first time wouldn
t have been as impactful as it is, if Minase wouldnt have been the one who initiated the kiss. It`s only when i looked back on the story as it was presented until then, that i realised how important this move was for me to be able to get invested and be able to root for the characters further along the road. They needed to properly convey that it was mutual, that they were both 100% in and aware of what they are getting themselves into for this scene to hit as well as it did.Pics 10-17. The kissing and the making out scenes from EP 10 & EP.11 hit as well as they do because they have done a brilliant job at building the tension, the yearning, keeping the love and the desire that the characters have for each other alive in all the time that they spent apart. I am still in shock on how everything culminated to having Minase and Hirukawa reaching towards each other with that kind of desperation and urgency. I still have the tendecy to say YABAI, whenever i see Minase taking the initiative to make the first move, boldly reach out towards Hirukawa, no longer being shy to initiate kisses and intimacy with him.
Our Youth has the most touching and naturally portrayed kisses and making out scenes among all the JBL series that i have watched until now. To me, they are the closest to my heart and i think it lies on how raw, naked and genuine they feel while watching them.
This series warms my cold heart the way only a few stories has managed to do it until now. So you just know, i will just never stop yapping about it.
The last pic is an extra for me to suggest how much fun i had while writing this post 😁😆😆🥰😋🤭. Feeling a bit exhilarated 🤭