Love is a Poison, a Japanese tv series on Netflix, has this description: "An elite lawyer with social anxiety takes in a genius con artist." Ok, if they're both men, there may be some gay subtexts.The Episode 1 description: "After meeting a young man named Haruto, elite lawyer Shiba can't stop thinking about him. He goes
camping to clear his mind, but runs into Haruto."
He goes camping. Shiba is a man, and "can't stop thinking about" a man. Either this is a gay romance, or world-class queerbaiting.
Scene 1: High-power lawyer Shiba's partner congratulates him on winning his case. "I've learned so much from working with you." Shiba is upset: "You've learned? If you're still learning, you're not fit to be my partner. You're fired." Jerk
Shiba tells us that he passed the bar with the highest score, and now, at age 27, works in in the most prestigious law firm in Japan. He wants to make the name Shiba a worldwide legal brand. "This is a serious legal drama."
Cut to a young man, sweating and crying, telling Shiba, "please don't leave me," and touching his face. "Or not. This is a legal drama and romantic thriller." This is a gay romance or a seriously excellent job of queerbaiting.
Scene 2: Shiba in a bar with colleage Kotaro Kozama, a caring human rights lawyer, his exact opposite, but he wins cases. Kotaro shows the bartender a photo of his new lover: "He's gay, but I don't care about other people's sexual preferences," har har.
In other news: the big boss won't give Shiba any more partners, since he's chased away 99. Not to worry, Shiba tells him: "I can handle the work load alone."
Scene 3: Shiba runs into the bar bathroom, and accidentally hits a young man, Haruto. He gives him his wallet so he won't sue. Kneeling on the floor, Haruto smiles serenely and says "You're very kind."
Back home, Shiba tends to and talks to his plants, but he can't stop thinking about the guy. "Ridiculous! I'm not interested in him!" The only way to clear his head is to go camping.
Scene 4: At the campsite, Shiba can't start a fire, so he eats an energy bar instead of the expensive beef he brought.
Suddenly Haruto appears. He explains that he's staying with a friend nearby, so it's just a coincidence that they ran into each other again. I'm not buying it.
After insulting Shiba's camping skill, he starts the fire and cooks the best beef that Shiba has ever eaten. Then he gets a call, says that he has to return to his friend's house, and leaves. Curioser and curioser.
Even more curious after the break
Scene 5: Shiba is asleep in his tent when Haruto bursts in and says "Hide me!" A woman's shadow appears and asks if Shiba has seen Haruto. "No." "But I smell him here." "I haven't seen him."
Haruto promises to explain why he has to hide, but not now, he's tired. He climbs into the sleeping bag and falls asleep. Shiba spends the night trying not to become aroused. In the morning, Haruto is gone. Something is definitely off about this guy.
Scene 6: Back home, Shiba showers, limp-wrists, and asks his plants' advice on how to stop obsessing about Haruto. Whoops, Haruto broke into the house and took a drive in Shiba's car! He talks to the plants, too, calls Shiba "cute," and asks if he can move in. Say what? And become his partner at the law firm.
"By the way, I took a video of you earlier, and I have 130,000 followers on social media. If they see it, your career is over." Why, because he's n*ked in his own house, or because he's talking to his plants?
Shiba has no choice: "Ok, you can move in, but here are the rules." They include don't bring guests over, don't make a mess, and don't talk to the plants. "But your plants are so cute..."
Scene 7: Human Rights Lawyer Kotamo Kozara is interviewing a client, maybe the same woman chasing Haruto around the campground? She was tricked into investing, and her money vanished. "It was these people." A photo on her phone -- of Haruto! This spacey guy is a high-power con artist?
Beefcake: Both of the guys take off their clothes.
Gay Characters: I think everybody is gay. Shiba doesn't resist Haruto's flirtation because of the same-sex stuff, but because he disapproves of emotion.
Crazy Guy: In the next episode, Haruto cooks dinner, and forces a forkful into Shiba's mouth! In an American movie, this obsessive behavior would lead to something deadly: "I'm here to take care of you, so you won't need your legs anymore. Let me cut them off." But I think in Japanese culture it's supposed to be endearing.
Will I Keep Watching: Yes. I'm anxious to find out what's going on with this guy.
Bonus: The IMDB cast list has no photos, but I went through it until I found some n*ked guys. I don't know who they play.
See also: Pretty Dudes: Gay Asian erasure, a car hookup, Spiderman, and hamburger s*x
Bullet Train: Eleven assassins, queerbaiting, and Brad Pitt, on the train from Toyko to Kyoto.
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