TL;DR Version:
Not only has Nekoyashiki driven Issay away, but their date is online news and threatens Issay’s career. The reformed news guy rescinds it, but it’s a bitter victory. With nothing else left, Nekoyashiki finally draws what he loves – Issay and their relationship. When Issay sees it he feels brave enough to announce his love to his fans, and Nekoyashiki.

Recap:
Everything is terrible. Nekoyashiki has destroyed his Issay shrine and driven him away. His breast-clutching cover character asks him why he’s so complicated.

Even though the news guy gave up on following Issay, his co-worker has broken the scoop that Issay is dating a man. It’s trending everywhere and Nekoyashiki, collapsed onto his desk, sees it too.

The idols are freaking out, they’ve lost all their gigs, but Tsubasa is sympathetic to Issay.

The news guy watches as first Nekoyashiki, and then Issay returns to the spot where they first met up again in the first episode. News guy approaches Issay to apologize, but Issay doesn’t need it. But news guy is now a fan and wants Issay to be happy, and he knows he isn’t now. Neither Issay nor Nekoyashiki are being honest.

So our news guy releases his own article debunking the first.

A wilted Nekoyashiki gets meat and encouragement from Yamada but says he won’t draw. She tells him he’s twisted and complicated but knows what he loves, he just isn’t honest with himself. She yells at him to draw what he loves. 

He thinks of Issay. He eats a piece of meat. He gets up. He starts drawing. 

The rescinded article means Shiny Smile is working again, but it’s a pretty bitter victory and the idols know it.

A few months later a sleepless Nekoyashiki is woken by dozens of alarms for the latest convention. Framboise is thrilled because it’s the finale and he can tell Nekoyashiki drew something he likes. Takkun is at the wall with a huge line, and when he yells excitedly at Nekoyashiki, Nekoyashiki tells him to pay attention to his customers.

Tsubasa shows up at their booth, masked with a terrible fake voice. He buys Nekoyashiki’s comic and brings it back to Issay. The cover shows him and Nekoyashiki, hand in hand and the story inside is theirs but full of Nekoyashiki’s love. Issay cries while we see Nekoyashiki looking out his window and into the sun.

On stage, Issay tells the fans that he loves a man. The other idols urge him to go, and after telling the fans that he loves Nekoyashiki and them, he’s off.

Nekoyashiki was finally going to an afterparty with Framboise, but Issay grabs him from behind and runs off with him. He takes him back to their bridge by the ferris wheel. Ignoring Nekoyashiki’s protests he keeps telling him how much he likes him. Nekoyashiki finally asks if he can really be part of his happiness. Issay is thrilled.

Nekoyashiki tells him to let go of his hand, and he does but then twines their fingers. Nekoyashiki says he’s changed his mind and he hates him. Issay says he likes him. Nekoyashiki also says he likes him.

Online the responses are positive. The news guy looks at the latest article. Yamada wants to see what Nekoyashiki will draw next. Nekoyashiki is getting frustrated and balling up drawings again, but now Issay is there with donuts and advice. They race out the door together, leaving behind the picture of them that Nekoyashiki tore, all taped up.

Thoughts:
Aww, that was sweet and satisfying. Nothing shocking and maybe a little too sweet in a sport or two, but that’s not what I want from this kind of show. I’m glad that the characters were able to stay true to themselves. Nekoyashiki did finally reach out to Issay, but in his own way with his heartfelt art. This led to Issay coming back to him. But even having done so, Nekoyashiki is still his gloomy reluctant self. But that’s who Issay is in love with.

I never enjoy romances where one character has to change fundamentally for the relationship to work. There should be change and growth, but the fundamental character should remain the same. As a gloomy, grumpy, often negative person I can appreciate that’s just who Nekoyashiki is most of the time. But he needed to be honest with himself about what he loved, as wise Yamada said.

And I appreciate the honesty about the creative process. At the end of the day, he could only draw what he loved to be happy, he didn’t really control being at the wall. And even having drawn what he loves, doesn’t mean he’ll know what to draw next time..

While the ending was pretty sunny, I’m glad that this series addressed even in a small way what it is to be gay. It was clear rescinding the article left a bad taste in characters’ mouths, because Shiny Smile’s future suddenly depended on whether Issay was dating a man or not, and it shouldn’t.

This is one of the better light, over-the-top jdrama BLs I’ve seen this year.