Smells like Green…

There’s an interesting Japanese BL title, Smells Like Green Spirit, which is scheduled for release this June as a full-length feature film. Smells Like Green Spirit (スメルズ ライク グリーン スピリット) is a poignant boys' love (BL) manga by Saburō Nagai. Set in a rural high school during the 1990s, the story follows Futoshi Mishima, a quiet student who is bullied for his appearance and perceived sexuality. Secretly, Mishima finds solace in cross-dressing, often using his mother’s lipstick. His life takes an unexpected turn when he catches Kirino, the leader of his bullies, attempting to apply the same lipstick — an encounter that sparks a complex exploration of identity, acceptance, and the longing to be one’s true self.

Last September, Smells Like Green Spirit was also adapted into a live-action television drama. The eight-episode series, each episode running about 30 minutes, aired on networks including MBS and TV Kanagawa, concluding its run on November 8. Directed by Ikuko Sawada and written by Yuka Arai, the adaptation starred Towa Araki as Futoshi Mishima and Shunta Sono as Makoto Kirino.

Regarding it’s international release, right now, there’s no information available as to whether any international distribution had secured the license to distribute the series outside of Japan.