One of my favorite things about Japanese dramas is their hidden depth. While not all Jdramas are symbolic representations of life, most have a way of delving into two sides of the same story.

The new Japanese BL Jack O’ Frost is no different. Starring Honda Kyoya as illustrator Okusawa Ritsu and Suzuki Kosuke as salesman Ikegami Fumiya, Jack O’ Frost tells the story of two men in a shaky relationship who find themselves starting over when Ritsu loses his memory of them.

I’m not a fan of the amnesia trope. I know it happens, but it’s too often used as an easy out in fiction. But in Jack O’ Frost, it feels less like amnesia, and more like Ritsu’s heart decided it needs a do-over with Fumiya. That makes for a much more powerful narrative for me. It leaves Fumiya with the guilt and negative/positive memories of their relationship while leaving Ritsu with a clean slate. And begs the question, “Who really needs the do-over?”

It’s much harder healing a heart that remembers than one that’s forgotten. It makes the double-meaning scenes like the “Are you mad?” much more potent. The acting is powerful. The cinematography is beautiful.

But can a new relationship be built on déjà vu and lies?

When Fumiya’s friend Miyasaka Tomoko (Inori Kilala) says to him, “You’re the type to keep quiet when you want to say something until it goes beyond your limit,” in episode two, it sets the entire stage for the drama. In one sentence. From describing the past to Fumiya and Ritsu’s present situation to what it may foreshadow for their future.

The amnesia seems like a new start, but it may also go beyond their limits. This drama is as much about Fumiya finding his voice and learning that truth is better than evading as it is about Ritsu needing to regain the forgotten. The double meaning in Jack O’ Frost is beautifully done and intricately woven.

It also speaks for how two-sided each character is. While Fumiya holds things in until he implodes, Ritsu chooses creativity over a moment. By losing his memory, Ritsu begins rejoining an almost-lost relationship. Fumiya gets the chance to speak up. And yet, there are still glimpses of what made them fall apart.

By not revealing the truth of their past, Fumiya is still keeping quiet. Ritsu, on the other hand, is trying as hard to recapture his creativity as he is the memories he’s lost with Fumiya. What happens when being quiet collides with truth and creativity?

Only two episodes in, and I am in love with the journey Jack O’ Frost is taking me on. There is nothing easy about recapturing something you’re afraid of losing. There is nothing easy about facing a problem or weakness. It feels much easier to avoid it, even though that only compounds the issue.

And that leaves us with only one question, “Is love enough to overcome the flaws inside a relationship?”

For a drama that reminisces as much as it explores the boundaries of a relationship, check out Jack O’ Frost now on Gagaoolala.

Rating- 4 out of 5