What if I Wear a Mask for the Rest of My Life?
- Movie : 53 minutes
- Genre : Drama, Shounen Ai, Romance
- Airing Date : December 11, 2020
- Producers : Respri
Contains Spoilers
Yes ka No ka Hanbun ka (Yes, No, or Maybe Half?) Introduction And Story
Kei Kunieda is used to standing in front of a camera, smiling and being charming, so it makes sense for his colleagues to start calling him “The Prince;” after all, he’s always so nice! What people around him don’t know is that underneath all that charm, Kei is hiding a nasty personality. As frustrating as it is for him, Kei tries his best not to let anyone know his true self. However, when Kei bumps into a stranger late at night on the street, he can’t help but talk to him in a rude manner. Turns out that man is no stranger, though! He’s none other than Ushio Tsuzuki, the man who Kei is going to be interviewing for a couple of weeks.
Of course, when he realizes that, Kei starts freaking out. What if Ushio discovers who he is? Fortunately for him, the man is dense and he doesn’t notice that the rude guy standing in front of him is Kei. Believing he might have got away with it, Kei is ready to leave when Ushio tells him he should take responsibility for hurting his hand. When they get to Ushio’s house, he asks Kei to help him out with the project he’s working on, but Kei—with his nasty mode on—says he’s not going to do it… only to come back the very next day looking shy and behaving like a true tsundere.
It all goes downhill when Kei (now going by the name Owari) starts having conflicting feelings about Ushio, and the lines between his personality in and out of work start to blur. After he finishes helping out, there isn’t an excuse for Kei to come back, but part of him wants to find one to visit Ushio all the time. When Ushio suddenly makes a move and kisses him, Kei runs away, deciding that’s going to be the last time they see each other.
Nonetheless, when Kei is under a lot of pressure it’s Ushio who helps him realize his true self, removing the mask that Kei’s been wearing throughout the film. That’s why, after being able to do his job because of Ushio’s encouragement, Kei goes back to his apartment and things between them get a little bit... steamy. It all starts with a “no,” moving to a “maybe” and finally a “yes” in a matter of seconds. And yes, we’re talking about THAT!
1. Chemistry Between the Leads
It’s either hit or miss with BL films most of the time, and the main reason is because of the chemistry between the leads. Sometimes it just feels forced, like they don’t really get along but they have to kiss or have sex just because the movie needs them to. In the case of this film, however, the chemistry between Ushio and Kei is real, as they get along well and their personalities are extremely compatible. Oh, and Ushio is not a pushy seme! We always value that when it comes to BL!
2. Voice Acting Is on Point
Voicing characters in a BL anime, be it a series or a film, can be kinda embarrassing for some voice actors, but we have to say that both Atsushi Abe (Kei) and Yoshihisa Kawahara (Ushio) did an outstanding job, especially during the final scene of the film. Even though they don’t really have experience recording for BL anime, they were able to match their voices and expressions with those of the characters, making it all feel real and natural.
3. Censorship, With a Bit of Fanservice
Yes ka, No ka, Hanbun ka doesn’t really have a lot of spicy moments between the characters, but the closing scene of the film, when Kei and Ushio finally sleep together, is everything we wanted. Sadly, we don’t really get to see a lot, but Ushio’s face and Kei’s flustered expressions are worthy. The dialogue and the way it’s delivered only adds to the scene, and there’s a bit with a wider shot where we get to see Ushio on top of Kei and let our thoughts run wild...
1. The Soundtrack Falls Flat
The soundtrack is a very important part of a film because it helps create and set the mood. The soundtrack for Yes ka No ka Hanbun ka is not really that impressive, with generic songs that feel a little bland after a few seconds. Truth be told, we’ve noticed this is a problem with the vast majority of BL films, so we really hope someone will realize this and fix it in future films to come…
2. Stiff Animation
Maybe “stiff” is not the right word to be using here, but the animation doesn’t feel right sometimes. There are bits of the film where it doesn’t flow and that’s a shame. It’s no secret that the budget for BL films isn’t usually great, which ultimately affects the final product, so we shouldn't be complaining now they finally release a BL film, right?
3. Not Suitable for Anxious Fujoshis
For the most part of its running time, Yes ka No ka Hanbun ka is all about showing us the relationship that Ushio has with both of Kei’s sides, the charming one and the nasty one, but the romantic relationship between them takes time, and it actually comes a little bit out of nowhere…
If you only care about hot scenes or fast-paced plots, this movie is not for you.
Final Thoughts
Not everyone will love this film, but one thing is clear: Ushio is a great seme! On the other hand, Kei has a personality that’s hard to resist, so at least we got a nice combo to keep us entertained for an hour.
Although Yes ka No ka Hanbun ka is far from being a masterpiece, it’s an enjoyable piece that we definitely recommend to those of you who already like the source material, or enjoy BL stories with a meaningful yet flawed plot.
To be honest with you, a TV anime series adapting the plot with more time could definitely make justice to Yes ka No ka Hanbun ka… just saying!
Author: Yaz L.