Insecurity and a strong desire to succeed in a passion can create barriers between yourself and the world, making it difficult to see the people cheering you on.

In the Japanese BL At 25:00 in Akasaka, adapted from Natsuno Hiroko’s manga series 25 Ji, Akasaka de, the lines between art and life begin to blur for insecure but passionate Shirasaki Yuki (Niihara Taisuke), a struggling stage actor who lands a surprising role in a gay drama opposite a famous actor he knew in his university days, Hayama Asami (Komagine Kiita).

Thus begins a journey of personal insecurity and unrequited love that explodes into a tense and almost bittersweet feeling on screen.

As the cameras roll, Shirasaki seeks authenticity in his role by exploring local gay haunts, only to find Hayama there, leading to a night that ends in a kiss. This encounter leaves him wrestling with his feelings, both on and off screen, as he confronts how he feels about himself while exploring how he could feel about Asami.

And that’s how the first two episodes begin, a fast-paced, fun jaunt into behind-the-scenes BL filmmaking while also being a BL. And yet, like most Japanese BLs, a deeper element makes it easy to emotionally connect to the men on screen. While Shirasaki struggles with being seen, Asami is struggling with evident feelings he has for Shirasaki, feelings that seem to carry over from the past.

Their polar experiences with success and their polar personalities mesh surprisingly well. While Shirasaki’s insecurities about his own talent can be frustrating at times, they stem from an industry that isn’t always kind to its artists, especially those who have to fight harder to succeed in it. The fight to succeed can devastate one’s psyche, not just because of constant rejections but because of social opinion. Being told one doesn’t measure up to someone else or could bring down one’s costars is an overwhelming burden that can color how a person sees himself.

On the other hand, success can also be a heavy burden to bear, something I have a feeling we will see explored more in upcoming episodes with Asami.

From the pacing to the romantic tension building between the leads, At 25:00 in Akasaka does a great job of laying the foundation of Shirasaki’s struggle while hinting at the bottled-up feelings Asami has for his costar.

And that is enough to create building anticipation for what’s to come.

For a series that explores the romance between two people in different stages of success, check out At 25:00 in Akasaka now on Gagaoolala.

Rating- 4 out of 5