‘Depth of Field’ BL Review: A Story of Being Seen for Who You Are
The echo of a lost passion, trauma burried in the past and a blooming attraction towards the most supportive figure in the room. That’s what builds up Hayakawa’s world as he struggles with his decision to live behind a fake smile until he meets Konno, a photographer who embraces his true self and sees Hayakawa for who he really is.
Plot
‘Depth of Field’ is the romance story between Konno (Hirano Koshu), a photographer, and Hayakawa (Usa Takuma), a musician who’s given up on his cherished art. After a meeting at the school’s rooftop, a bond begins to form between the two, with the background of the shimmering midday sea.
Hayakawa’s lost passion stands in contrast to Konno’s unwavering love for photography and authenticity. This antithesis leads the first to feel jealousy and inferiotiry amidst his attraction to the latter. As the two grow closer, Hayakawa begins to confront his complicated feelings toward music and the reasons behind his decision to give up on his passion. Konno, on the other hand, gradually becomes someone who encourages him to face the parts of himself he has tried to leave behind.
Story Review
As someone who gets really excited yapping about photography, this show felt really nice to watch. The title being a photography term was the reason the series caught my attention, to begin with. It’s always kind of refreshing to meet characters who are passionate about art and express themselves through it.
Some dialogues felt a bit unnatural from time to time, but I’m not sure if it could have been a translation issue since I watched the series with English subtitles.
The hidden analysis contains spoilers. Click to read.
It’s probably one of the first times I see such a shocked reaction to a confession in a bl. Konno was straight-up dumbfounded – and Hiranu Koshu portrayed the feeling very convincingly. Props to the director, too, for choosing this front angle to showcase the expression and adding Hayakawa’s childhood friend as a parallel.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of scenes that felt uncomfortable to watch. Hayakawa forcing himself on Konno in episode 3 was unacceptable and I believe it wasn’t addressed properly. Neither was him apologizing later only to kiss him while he was sleeping – without his consent.
The romance felt one-sided sometimes and the ending was left a bit open and, in my opinion, was a bit rushed. There were a lot of questions left unanswered about their post-high school lives. Possibly removing the drama with Konno leaving abroad and instead focusing on introducing us to the characters’ current situations would’ve saved this.
Furthermore, the couple’s relationship didn’t get to develop much. While I’m not a big fan of fillers and might end up skipping them, I’d appreciate it if there was at least one more episode to further dive into characters’ relationship.
Cinematography
The cinematography is simply breathtaking. The direction creates a serene atmosphere, matching the romance’s slow pace throughout the first four episodes.
The director has used a wide variety of framing techniques and angles to highlight feelings, including shock, disappointment and emotional distance.
I love the fact that the lighting isn’t studio-perfect, but casts shadows that make the setting appear more natural. When coming from light sources such as windows, the light is soft, hazy, giving a dreamy look to the scene. The sunlight, on the other hand, sometimes appears in the form of orange sunset hues, adding a comforting, romantic vibe.
The color grading is soft, low-contrast, with warm and nostalgic tones.
Music
The soundtrack is soft, with occasional more upbeat tracks that amplify the atmosphere created by the visuals. Mostly consisting of relaxing piano and guitar, the music is kept at an appropriate volume, allowing the actors’ voices to remain clear but without going unnoticed either.
Characters
Hayakawa: Musician who lost his passion for his beloved art after a friendship breakup. Afraid of criticism and peers’ opinions, he puts up a happy facade on a daily basis, avoiding to accept his true identity and confront his trauma.
He’s driven by emotion and usually acts on impulse. As his relationship with Konno develops, he begins to envy him for unapologetically being his authentic self.
Konno: Photographer with an undying love for his art. He maintains a calm demeanour throughout crisis – almost too calm. His understanding behaviour is characterised by willingness to support his friend. He is forgiving to a possibly annoying extent – still sticking with Hayakawa after the third episode. I wish he had taken the matter more seriously and properly adressed it.
While in the beginning he looks unsociable, we eventually learn that he does have a few classmates he’s close with. He’s willing to help and enthusiastically gives photography advice.
Overall, is ‘Depth of Field’ worth watching?
Personally, I found ‘Depth of Field’ very comforting – thanks to the direction and music, because the writing was partially disappointing. If you watch dramas mainly for the plot, maybe this isn’t the best match for you… But if you consider cinematography to be a game-changer, you should definitely give it a go.
