LadyLight's Favorite

Like everyone else, I felt super betrayed by Katou's death. Katou x Iwaki are the original OTP of a healthy BL couple and that is why they are so precious to the community. This series was a turning point in BL by showing two Seme-like partners who build an actual life together. The drama centers around their loving and healthy relationship and careers instead of usual BL silliness or angst. So, to kill Katou felt like an enormous punch in the gut. They were supposed to get their happily ever after. After all, if not them, then who? If Iwaki and Katou can't be happy forever in the Yaoiverse then what hope does anyone else have? I think Youka Nitta messed up majorly.

Or did she?
Frankly, I don't know if this was her actual intention, and honestly, I don't even care. If she didn't mean it this way, she freaking should have:

Let me start with the title: Embracing Love. Haru Wo is the story of Iwaki embracing his love for Katou. He begins the series with a lot of shame around being an AV actor and having feelings for Katou. Katou never has this internal struggle. It's important to remember Iwaki's starting point.

I think the ending of Alive is meant to parallel Fuyu No Semi/Winter Cicada. Katou and Iwaki are reincarnations of Kasuka and Akizuki. That was established in Haru Wo. In Fuyu No Semi, Kusaka/Katou became a politician and specifically stated he was doing it to create a world where Kusaka and Akizuki, who were from opposing clans, could embrace their love for each other openly.

In the epilogue, Iwaki also beaome a politician and a gay rights activist. He never took another lover, but for someone who started the series with so much shame, it was MAJOR character development that Iwaki's professional life and legacy became centered around his not-exactly-gay identity. Even without Katou by his side, Iwaki continued to embrace his love for Katou. That's huge.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE. What else happened in Fuyu No Semi? Unfortunately, Kusaka couldn't bear to live without Akizuki and killed himself before making any successful social changes. Well, Iwaki did find a way to live without Katou and actually succeeded in legalizing gay marriage and DID make a world where his relationship with Katou would be accepted. I think this is why Katou expressed gratitude to Iwaki for living his life well. Iwaki achieved something Kusaka could not.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE. Akizuki/Iwaki had that soliloquy about wishing they lived in a world where they could have a happy life together forever and makes the Winter Cicada analogy about how their relationship is akin to hibernating/sleeping. Before Kusaka plunged that knife into himself, he said something about how he believed they would be reincarnated together into a more accepting world and get the time they deserved together. Iwaki and Katou are the reincarnations of Kusaka and Akizuki. This establishes Iwaki and Katou have a relationship that can span multiple lifetimes.

Somewhere along the way in Fuyu No Semi, Akizuki makes a comment about wishing they had more time together. And in Haru Wo, Katou and Iwaki DO get more time together. A lot more time. I think Akizuki and Katou only really had 4 years but Akuzuki was basically imprisoned that whole time. But Katou and Iwaki were together, for what? 10 or 15 years? I'm not super clear on the timeline, but point being, they were happy for the time that they had.

WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE OPTIMISTIC PART: Seeing Iwaki and Katou fly off together, I don't think this was implying they were going to heaven. I think it implies that they're going to be reincarnated again. Because today, gay marriage is illegal in Japan so there was always this undertone of sadness in their relationship. They had social acceptance (mostly), but not legal acceptance. This life was far, far better than the one in Fuyu No Semi, but with all of the parallels, I believe they're going to get a 3rd chance to be happy together forever in a future Japan, that Iwaki helped create.

Iwaki struggled to embrace Katou's love just as Japan struggles to embrace love between two men. While the audience has watched Iwaki's transformation the past 20 years, Youka Nitta has been watching the world's transform.

I think Iwaki and Katou will have peace. Their love has spanned multiple lifetimes and will continue to do so. Their souls have been looking for an era where they can truly be together, and next time, they will. They will be able to 100% embrace each other without political obstacles and without social obstacles. Our boys will be happy. Next time.

I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING. (A total lie. I cried my eyes out 3 different times writing this.)

(I am so so curious to hear anyone's thoughts on this.)