Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
ahmedk
The work clearly feels more aimed at pleasing the fans.
The production is not bad. The work focuses heavily on the issue of hatred toward gay people and society not accepting them, but at the same time, it does not use that as an excuse for everything they do, and I think that is something worth giving it credit for.
My main problem was the editing and the way the story moves from one event to another. It felt illogical and way too fast. Sometimes, it feels like certain scenes are there simply because “the director wanted it that way,” or because those specific scenes help sell the work more than they actually serve the story. Maybe those scenes are also part of the reason why the work became popular in the first place.
Why did I watch it? Only to rate it.
As for the romance, it gave m…
Read at the sourcealdcy
The Stranger by the Beach (5/10)
Title: A mediocre work distilled from a cis-heterosexual female author's incompetent utilization of sexual minority elements and her subtly concealed selfish desires (Without the explicit content, it wouldn't even qualify as mediocre)
First and foremost, I have always had a massive deal-breaker when reading BL (Boys' Love): works that touch upon the real-world suffering of sexual minorities, only for the author to use it merely to satisfy her own sexual fantasies.
(However, my deal-breaker actually does not include pure erotica that uses sexual minority trauma to satisfy sexual fetishes. Erotica is free, even if you are commodifying sexual minority suffering. But whatever you promote your work as, at least don't hang a sheep's head while selling dog meat…
Read at the sourceSrs_man
Beautifully tender and sooo cute omg.
I love all of Mio's cute little moe faces. There were some really poignant scenes here, and the scene of Shun running to Mio contrasted with him running from his sexuality was beautiful.
Some aspects I felt could've used a little more expansion, but at the same time, this was a very comfortable length. The end scene was so tender and intimate I haven't felt this entranced by a scene since Queer 2024's blowjob scene.
Overall, very sweet and an interesting exploration of societal/familial expectations and internal homophobia. Glad they had a happy ending :}
Read at the sourceItseren_iguess
Wasn't my favorite. I liked the soundtrack and the visuals were nice, I especially like the flowers and the water. The relationship between Shun and mio felt hollow and incomplete, there were flashbacks that were confusing and I don't think they added much to the story. None of the background characters added too much and I'm unsure how they fit in completely because things are not expanded on much at all. Was not bad quality but the story was very lacking in my opinion, which is a shame because visually its pleasant. I think if you like boys love this is better than some other stuff we've gotten but I definitely wish there was a bit more substance to it.
Read at the sourceSnuskPrinsessan
The animation and character design are stunning. STUNNING. And it's worth watching for that alone. The story is so chilled, nothing much happens, to be honest, and overall: it's a nice, easy watch. It's also very refreshing, it doesn't feel like an anime because there are few anime tropes and even fewer BL tropes.
BUT The romance really did not work for me. It felt rushed and bland and forced. And that sex scene...
It is the most realistic sex scene I've ever seen in anime and not realistic in a good way. Realistic in the sense that it was awkward, disappointing and nobody seemed to be enjoying themselves... It didn't do anything for the plot and it certainly didn't do anything for me. They should have just left it out. Those who are new to BL and a bit nervous about seeing two dude…
Read at the sourcemiuomi
lovely, heartwarming, and visually stunning movie that i took a great nap after. cute character designs and cats. i thought it was gonna be sadder but it was overall a very relaxing and domestic slice of life. unlike most shows like this, theres no miscommunication tropes. the leads are pretty straightforward, so outside of their complicated feelings abt their sexualities, there's little conflict and everything gets resolved quickly which i appreciate. the love scene towards the end was so tender and well written also, i had to pause so many times to kick my feet kekeke
loved the casual yuri side couple too like yess a world where gays are completely normalized and not even the granny gaf.. thats how it should be!
Read at the sourceAlya_saga
This isn't exactly a bad piece of media, but not a great one either. It is just mediocre, a good person meeting a good person, no conflict sticks in the movie, which may be a plus point for viewers wanting to see wholesome stuff for once, but for those wanting drama, there isn't any. Some plotlines just exist.
The art itself is very good. It is animated beautifully.
Characters are mostly very flat and have a very basic background and backstories. As I mentioned before, there isn't much conflict, so character development is non-existent, which is not a flaw of the movie, as it doesn't require any, but I hoped for more.
Overall, it is mediocre at best and painfully plain at times
Read at the sourceimmosha
In an attempt to make BL less problematic, Umibe no Etranger came up with a relatively wholesome romance plot that is also bad and directed in a manner that is incoherent.
I don't read/watch BL but I am very open to works in other mediums handling LBGT issues, especially as they tackle social issues in increasingly creative approaches. Whether Umibe intended to go down the more modern and grounded take of gay romance or to make a BL that was more palatable than the modern problematic BL... I couldn't really tell.
It gives off the cute, wholesome vibes of say, Josee or Ride Your Wave, but for a short run time (one hour), it somehow decides to tackle abrupt time skips, flashbacks, and a relatively explicit sex scene. This wouldn't be terrible if done artistically, but the direction is horr…
Read at the sourceBee-ku
I have to be honest, I like watching/reading BL stories and with this one I'm in love, with the characters and the story. But if we compare it with the manga, there are scenes or moments where they make more sense in the manga, despite that, I consider that the adaptation they did is very good. I love the chemistry between the characters, from the moment they meet until they decide to be together. Besides, I like how Shun talks about how it affects people's rejection when you are rejected just for loving someone. I'm absolutely fascinated with Mio's personality and her love and loyalty, definitely my favorite character.
Read at the sourceAlice98
Stranger by the Shore's anime adaptation is too short and incoherent. It simply doesn't work as a film, requiring previous knowledge of the material to be actually enjoyed and, to a certain extent, understood. To a viewer unfamiliar with the manga, it becomes a guessing game and ultimately fails to bear any emotional impact, as the plot moves along too quickly to let the dust settle and to allow feelings of empathy with any of the characters to bloom.
The animation is beautiful, though, and there are some truly touching moments. It's just unfortunate that everything's so condensed and fast-moving. This could easily have been turned into a terrific miniseries. As it stands, it leaves much to be desired.
Why 7, then? Well, even if the characters and their relationships are underdeveloped a…
Read at the sourceinternetinfused
Being queer can be such a strange experience.
I've been openly lesbian since I was about 10 years old and I've realized that because of it, I see the world differently from most people. This movie perfectly shows how that can feel sometimes. Yet, despite the recurring homophobia, both internal and external, the main characters aren't ashamed to loudly affirm their identity, and that was so comforting that it brought tears to my eyes.
In truth, despite the BL/GL genres existing, they rarely portray what it feels like to actually be queer, only depicting homosexuality through a lense meant for consumption: It is sexualized and shameful, both to the characters and the readers. This isn't the case for Umibe no étranger. Here, we see reality: the inner conflicts, the external pressure, the lon…
Read at the sourceKanna_4869
This is the most fast-facing thing I've ever seen in years. I could barely understand things as I was watching it but in the end I did.
I can only say the production, the ''cute drawings'', where my only motivation to keep watching, in fact.
The story is... I don't know, it's average.
The characters... they are your lifelong tsunderes. The dialogues are sometimes repetitive and I really can't take much from this movie other than it's cute boys doing cute things in such a flat story, but well...
This is meant to be a short review cause this was such a fast watch (almost 1 hour long) with little to say that I can't take more than this to say.
Not recommended if you are looking for a nice BL watch.
Recommended if you want an eyecandy for a change, idk...
Read at the sourceZu_Kyun
The movie is an amazing adaptation of a very touching story.
Umibe no etranger is a very calm, gently paced story, about lgbtq hardships in a non accepting society, self hate and the deep void of not being able to have someone you can call yours.
The story follows the love story of two boys with very different backgrounds and personalities, and when opposits attract, they can also create lots of arguments and misunderstandings.
Shun is a very complex main character, filled with flaws yet very fascinating in my opinion. His behavior is bad, an attitude filled with sarcasm to hide his most intimate emotions; loneliness and guilt of being different since his youngest age.
Mio, on the other side is much less worried of the hardships that come with being in a gay relationship. He's younger, fr…
Read at the sourceKlabautermann
I don't know the source material, but I do know it's short. No matter its quality, this seems like a poor adaptation. I'm not exactly sure how Umibe no Étranger came into being in the first place, but whoever steered the wheel on its production course either had a limited budget, or conceived this as a series of shorts initially, because the story feels chopped into rather disjointed parts that have clumsily been put together. The plot itself is nothing to write home about, so when you further ruin a pretty simple, straightforward love story by ruining its pace, omitting its conclusion, and rushing through its time skip, everything else, no matter how beautiful the movie looks, ends up suffering because of it. The most satisfying part of this movie is without a doubt how it looks and how i…
Read at the sourcenicole314
The Stranger by the Shore is a movie exploring boy love and its accompanying challenges. Specifically, the stigma of an LGBTQ relationship. There's nothing to hate about it, but it's just... okay. Boring, you could say. The entire movie lasts 58 minutes, which means the relationship's progression is hardly explored. It was just BAM, now they're a couple. But why should I be interested in this relationship? This story? Should I cheer them on just because it's a gay relationship?
The plot is simple and I didn't feel anything for the characters. This is a movie where you can multitask with your phone. Overall, 6/10.
Read at the sourceCrisGH
I had put off watching this for SUCH a long time because this did not get a good reception at all upon release and I feel so STUPID for letting myself be swayed by that public opinion.
It's actually an amazing BL work, and deserves all the flowers. People that complain about it being too rushed haven't had to sit through 12 episode of nothing just to get a mid confession. It's amazing that in such a short runtime they were able to explore so many things and it doesn't feel rushed at all. Some anime fans just need over-exposition and this movie is not that at all, and it doesn't NEED to be.
It's probably one of the few animes that actually dive deep into the realistic issues with same-sex relationships, down to the cuteness and normalcy of the sex, whereas a lot of BLs take a more patria…
Read at the sourcedecco6226
In 2020, The Stranger By The Shore was released, a beautiful gay romance story based on the first book of the still ongoing Seaside Stranger series written by Kanna Kii. Visually beautiful, with an amazing soundtrack, an investing story, and very few drawbacks.
The story, while quite simple, is a very impactful one. Living on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan, Shun Hashimoto is a gay novelist working on his next work. One night, he meets the quiet Mio Chibana staring at the beach one night. After interacting, Mio admits that, while they have some sort of feelings for each other, he has to move back to the mainland for a few years, and that he'll come back. A few years later, he fulfills that promise, and pursues his relationship with Shun, while the latter is a bit hesitant towards it…
Read at the sourcechekkit
I had heard about this movie a long while back and decided to spend one of my evenings giving this a watch, given the premises and the praise I've seen about the BL relationship. After trudging through this 1 hour movie I would say... I'm glad I gave it a watch, but what on earth did I just watch?
This movie is super rushed from the get go. The relationships, the conflicts, the story... everything! There's hardly any build up, no showing of time spent together or truly loving one another. Most of the movie is spent with the two guys arguing and misunderstanding each other in every way possible! It's a chaotic mishmash of scenes and timeskips and a nonsensical conflict near the end that just makes no sense by the time its over. I feel like the story needed much more time to simmer. There w…
Read at the sourceWolfieGrrrl
Mio is right for calling out Shun's creepy eyes (because Shun is an adult and Mio is a child), but uh... Shun should not be so happy when Mio says he's glad to be hit on (because Shun is an adult and Mio is a child). Sure, the time skip happens and Mio ages up to young adulthood, but he still very much acts like a child throughout their entire budding relationship... which he practically is in comparison to their very different maturity levels and we are given nothing to indicate otherwise.
At its core, this is a fairly typical story about internalized homophobia. Nothing groundbreaking. If you like the "repressed gay finally finds love and self-acceptance" trope, this'll hit the spot for you and sometimes that's all you need. The animation is gorgeous, the blue tones really capture the m…
Read at the sourcegiraffenanime
A sweet BL to have a soft cry, laughs and heart throbs too.
We open with Shun Hashimoto, always looking the way of a boy who stays by himself by the water. Although he does hold concern for the boy, he has a lot more interest in him then just his well being. With try and try again, the two end up getting closer and learn about one another. Unfortunately, the quiet boy by the water needs to depart from their small island, but leaving a promise to come back in the future when he becomes an adult.
The years flew by in the flash of an eye, with Shun continuing his work like always not giving a second thought to the person who will be moving into his residence. And would ya look at that, the boy from the water, Mio Chibana, comes back to Shun with full force after wanting to see him for years…
Read at the source
