Love can be hidden in darkness; it just takes a little dedicated digging to find it.

Adapted from the manga series Happy of the End by Ogeretsu Tanaka, Keito/Haoren (Sawamura Rei) and Kashiwagi Chihiro (Beppu Yurai) are both broken men whose only experience with “love” has been abuse, rejection, and pain.

Each comes from different circumstances. Chihiro is raised in a world that rejects him because he’s gay. He’s been beaten down by the love he desperately tries to hold onto until he believes he’s worth little more than the garbage he steals. Keito is raised in a world full of abuse and anonymity, a world that has stolen his identity, his body, and his heart.

They meet in a bar and randomly live together after Keito beats Chihiro up.

The first two episodes are a whirlwind of sad realizations, from the pasts these two have endured to the present world they’re stuck in to a wholly unsure future. It’s sad and hopeless, yet a simmering spark flares between these two men that suddenly gives rise to possibility.

They talk to each other. They open up. They care for each other in subtle ways.

And yet, they also hurt each other. Building flawless love is impossible when the two men building it only know how to give and take pain.

It’s the pain keeping me glued to the story, the pain that these two men must face to move forward.

Overall, Happy of the End is a compelling blend of chaos and tenderness that explores the unlikely fragile bond between Chihiro, a man adrift in his own life, and Keito, whose questionable character only adds to the intrigue.

I’m here for the intrigue, the obstacles they will face, and the solace I hope they find in each other.

For a series that wakes viewers up to a hazy recollection before throwing them into a tale of two flawed souls who might just find happiness together, despite their troubled pasts and uncertain futures, check out Happy of the End on Gagaoolala.

These two men are stumbling through a darkness full of pain, but maybe they’ll find the light they’re looking for while there.

Rating- 4 out of 5