Close Your Eyes and Hold Me

The narrative unfolds in contemporary urban settings, with scenes in a hospital, a transgender nightclub, and intimate moments in a car on snowy streets. The tone reflects present-day attitudes toward sex, identity, and guilt. The timeline centers on a single period of intense, rapidly shifting relationships rather than a long historical arc.

The story moves between a clinical hospital setting and a nightclub that serves as a secretive space for Hanabusa. The nightclub scene contrasts with Amane's ordinary life, highlighting the allure and danger of a relationship beyond conventional boundaries. Interludes in Amane's hometown and snowy roadside moments emphasize loneliness and the emotional geography of the characters.

💘 Love Obsession

Amane's fixation on Hanabusa begins as longing and gradually morphs into consuming obsession. The pursuit destabilizes his relationships, blurring consent and trust and driving him into a dangerous dependency. The theme traces how desire can eclipse empathy and rational choice.

⚧️ Gender Identity

Hanabusa's identity and her nightclub world challenge Amane's preconceived notions about gender and desire. The film uses intimate encounters to probe authenticity, vulnerability, and the tension between societal labels and personal experience. It presents a space where gender fluidity intersects with complex romance.

🫂 Loneliness

Beneath physical attraction lies a deep loneliness fueling Amane's need for connection. His relationships with Hanabusa and Juri expose insecurities and fear of abandonment. The ending hints that companionship can emerge from pain, but only through confrontation with one's own emptiness.