REVIEW: ‘Twilight Out Of Focus’ Episode 2 — “Pick Me”

Twilight Out Of Focus wastes little time getting the story moving, as evident in Episode 2, “Pick Me.” Mao Tsuchiya (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka) realizes in Episode 1 that he has romantic feelings for his roommate, Hisashi Otomo (Yuma Uchida). Now, Mao must confront those feelings after assuming he’d suffer from unrequited heartache after learning Hisashi and his boyfriend broke up. While the episode still ends with miscommunication muddying the story, the speed at which they’re going there with the characters is commendable.

However, not everything about Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 2 works. A BL adaptation is expected to have a lesser budget than a Shonen title. However, while the motions are clunky, the real divisive issue stems from the character designs. In the adaptation, Studio Deen somehow stripped the characters of textural movement, which is evident in the manga panels. Mao and Hisashi, so far at least, are stiff and vacant. Their designs differ drastically depending on whether they’re in a close-up or further away from the camera. It’s not terrible, but it makes certain scenes lose their dramatic edge.

And this is a particular issue because of what happens in Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 2. Hisashi breaks up with the man he was involved with, who, we learn, was once his teacher who groomed him since he was 14 years old. Now 16 and liberated by having another person in his life who cares for his wellbeing (Mao), Hisashi is fine with being dumped, going so far as to brutally lay into the older man who preyed on his vulnerabilities for so long (to the point where it’s heavily censored in the subtitles).

The man hits him before Hisashi walks home, relieved and for once not drawn to looking back.
Mao can’t understand how someone could treat someone they love so poorly and, in somewhat terrible timing, confesses his love to Hisashi. It’s understandable why a teen boy would be so eager to declare his feelings in a heightened moment, especially while vowing never to hurt Hisashi, but it still seems too soon. Hisashi even thinks so, commenting that it comes across like a rebound even though the thought of the two of them together feels natural to him. Mao kisses him but soon after seems to panic, fleeing from their room.

It’s a perfect storm of miscommunication, and Hisashi obviously believes Mao regrets what he did, and we don’t get any closure before the end of the episode. But these moments of intimacy suffer the monster from the stagnant animation. A kiss turns into too prolonged sequences of mouths slowly inching together. It’s looking to emulate romantic dramas, but the animation makes it awkward to look at. The boxed framing doesn’t help, as it hones in on these specific moments and highlights the character’s faces rather than the rooms and world around them. It’s fun when it’s about filmmaking, but it detracts from the character-driven moments.

Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 2 is at its best when it centers on the film club that Mao and Hisashi are a part of. Rooting for Hisashi and Mao’s romantic plight might be the significant engagement of the series, but the details surrounding them are just as charming. “Pick Me” follows the club as they ready themselves to shoot for five days on their 30-minute short film. It’s an intensive process for the group, and we see every little piece of detail that goes into making something from start to finish.

And each step of the way comes with its own issues. The problems run the gamut of severity. The director needs to be confined to one space to complete his screenplay. Elsewhere and less stressful is the realization that a costume is too small or the props department having to make their own effects by shredding up little pieces of paper. The details are where the episode sings, even if the bulk of the narrative is the romance.

And the romance is still good and strong. It will be nice to see just how their bit of miscommunication is handled. Especially considering the extremely rough go of it that Hisashi has endured. But we almost needed a little more time with them as friends who are too comfortable with each other to demonstrate their burgeoning emotions for one another. However, the animation is too stilted in these early moments to convey the magnitude of their emotions in a way that leaves an impact.

Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 2 has some definite strong moments as these characters continue to open themselves up to one another. It is still very much an early installment that works to establish who these characters are and how they feel about others. However, the series’ success will depend on the continued evolution of the character designs and movement.

Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 2 is out now on Crunchyroll.