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What She Likes

Name: What She Likes
Director: Shogo Kusano
Released: 2022
Duration: 122 min

Representation Score

6.5/10

Good

2022

Director

Shogo Kusano

Runtime

122 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film presents a clear, intimate portrait of a gay teenager navigating dual relationships. Jun’s secret partnership with Makoto creates the central dramatic tension, while his public relationship with Sae highlights the pressure to conform to social expectations. This structure allows the audience to observe the specific stress of concealing one’s identity within a traditional high school environment. Sae’s role as an open fujoshi adds a distinct layer to the gender dynamics. Her enthusiasm for male-male romance manga contrasts with Jun’s lived experience, offering a secondary perspective on how these relationships are consumed versus experienced. This dynamic avoids reducing the story to a single viewpoint, instead showing how different characters process the same social realities. The lack of racial or disability representation is consistent with the film’s narrow, character-driven scope. By keeping the setting strictly within the school and home, the narrative focuses entirely on interpersonal friction and emotional weight. The result is a specific, grounded look at coming-of-age challenges that prioritizes dialogue and character interaction over broader societal commentary.

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Category Breakdown

Does What She Likes have LGBTQ+ representation?

Excellent

Jun is a gay high school student dating a female classmate while secretly seeing a male partner. The narrative centers on his internal conflict regarding sexual identity and social standing. Sae’s perspective as a fujoshi provides a secondary view on male-male relationships.

How does What She Likes portray gender?

Good

Gender dynamics are central, with Jun’s masculinity questioned by peers and Sae’s interests initially misunderstood. The film explores the tension between social expectations and personal identity within a high school setting. Traditional family structures are implied through Jun’s home life but not explored in depth.

How racially and ethnically diverse is What She Likes?

Minimal

The cast is entirely Japanese; no non-Asian characters appear in the provided credits or plot. The film reflects its cultural context without depicting broader ethnic variety. Religious or national institutions are not depicted in the strictly domestic and school-based setting.

How does What She Likes represent religion and culture?

Good

The setting is strictly domestic and school-based, focusing on high school social dynamics like dating and peer pressure. The film does not address economic class or wealth beyond standard high school social hierarchies. The tone is intimate, relying on dialogue and character interaction to convey emotional weight.

Does What She Likes include disability representation?

Minimal

No characters with disabilities are listed in the cast or described in the synopsis. Disability is absent from the cast and plot entirely. The film’s primary focus remains on interpersonal relationships and the specific challenges of being a gay teenager.

Present on Screen

Jun’s dual relationship structure clearly illustrates the internal conflict of concealing one’s sexual identity from peers and partners.
Sae’s perspective as a fujoshi provides a distinct, non-romanticized view on male-male dynamics that contrasts with Jun’s lived experience.
The narrative treats Jun’s sexuality as a source of personal stress rather than a political statement, keeping the focus intimate and grounded.

Limited or Absent

The cast is exclusively Japanese, offering no representation of non-Asian characters or broader ethnic diversity within the high school setting.
Disability is completely absent from the cast and plot, leaving no characters with physical or cognitive differences to interact with the main storyline.
Economic class and wealth are not addressed beyond standard social hierarchies, limiting the scope of social pressures explored in the narrative.

Official Synopsis

An emotional coming-of-age drama centered around Andou Jun, a gay student who is not out. He accepts a confession from his fujoshi classmate Miura Sae and they start dating. However, Jun is also seeing Makoto, but fails to tell Sae about his male lover.

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