There’s nothing more beautiful than loving yourself and learning to accept yourself.

And sometimes it takes having someone beside you who gives you the courage to do both.

Adapted from Amekiri’s manga series Chotto Matou yo, Harutora-kun, the Japanese BL Hold On, Harutora-kun stars Nakagawa Tsubasa as Kishida Sui and Sakuragi Masaya as Kurobe Harutora, two students who become roommates in their school’s boys’ dormitory.

When they meet, they couldn’t be more different. Sui has learned to hide behind a mask and a smile after being shamed for being gay, leaving him wary of trusting other people’s feelings. Harutora, his younger roommate, is much more open. His emotions are easy to read, and there is very little calculation behind the way he cares for Sui. But as the series unfolds, it becomes clear that Sui isn’t the only one carrying something beneath the surface.

From beginning to end, Hold On, Harutora-kun felt very much like its title, two boys trying very hard to hold on in their own ways while clinging to each other.

And what made it even better is that Sui and Harutora are pillars of strength for each other rather than being the type of relationship where one holds the other back. Instead, they give each other courage. And watching each of them grow as characters was inspiring.

From the care Sui shows Harutora to the courage Harutora helps Sui find, there’s such a beautiful give-and-take between them, just in very different ways.

Coming from a large family where he was expected to shoulder more than a little boy should have to shoulder, Harutora grew up too fast. Sui, on the other hand, may have had a quieter upbringing, but he learned to mask himself at school to protect himself from judgment.

Sui allows Harutora the chance to have some freedom from the responsibility he’d grown suffocated by, while Harutora slowly helps Sui take off the mask. And around them, the students who know them are also changed in the process.

I think that’s the most inspiring part of the series. The world may not change overnight. Hate may not be eliminated in an instant. But when it’s faced with kindness and confidence, it can make a difference. And in the process, it can help others learn from it.

There’s more to unpack in Hold On, Harutora-kun than meets the eye. From the internalized homophobia of Sui’s rival and later friend to coming out, family responsibility, and learning to accept who you are, there’s quite a bit happening beneath what initially looks like a very simple romance.

I especially love that Sui’s journey isn’t simply about learning to trust Harutora. It’s also about learning to trust himself enough to stop hiding. The mask that once helped him feel safe doesn’t have to define him forever. And Harutora has his own version of that freedom. He spent so much of his childhood carrying responsibilities for other people that being with Sui gives him a place where he doesn’t always have to be the responsible one.

They give each other room to breathe.

Hold On, Harutora-kun is a sweet and simple coming-of-age series that tackles a few deeper issues and comes out stronger because of it.

And I’m very glad I watched.

For a sweet series that will leave you smiling and feeling good, check out Hold On, Harutora-kun, now streaming on GagaOOLala.

Rating- 4 out of 5