Egoist: All That Matters Is Having You

It isn’t wrong to call this a BL movie about two men in love, but it’s definitely more than that. Egoist follows Kosuke, a fashion editor who appears to have it all, but secretly yearns for something money can’t buy. His life takes a turn when he meets Ryota, a young personal trainer who makes him feel alive again.

When wealth becomes the ultimate expression of love.

Their connection initiates in a manner that many might question. Ryota works not only as a trainer but also as a sex worker, carrying the heavy financial weight of his gravely ill mother all on his own. This prompts Kosuke to effectively 'retain' him for one hundred thousand yen a month. It sounds devoid of romance, does it not? However, the movie demonstrates that this transaction is not an act of ownership, but rather the only means through which Kosuke can offer his support.

Loss that comes without warning.

Egoist doesn’t simply mean selfish; it also carries a sense of 'pride and dignity.' Even after accepting the money, Ryota pushes his body to the limit with other jobs, determined to stand proudly beside the man he loves. Yet, on a seemingly ordinary morning, Ryota simply never wakes up. There is no goodbye, no warning. The film doesn’t resort to cheap melodrama or excessive explanations; it merely allows the grief to sit with us—just like in real life, where loss never waits for us to be ready.

Family beyond bloodlines.

In the wake of tragedy, the film uncovers its most beautiful element—the bond between Kosuke and Ryota’s mother. A man deprived of his mother and a mother deprived of her son, both bound by shared grief, choose to sustain each other. This culminates when she addresses him as 'my good son.' A short sentence, yet profoundly powerful. Egoist demonstrates that selfishness is not inherently wrong; rather, it shows that acting for oneself and acting for another can be one and the same. While the film inevitably brings tears, it simultaneously leaves audiences with an inexplicable sense of warmth.

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About Author

Poramuth Weerasakthara

An aspiring reviewer who wants to share stories from the voice within.