Completed
“Abandoned gay novelist Shun falls for orphaned Mio; after 3-year separation, Mio returns to confess love.”
The Stranger by the Shore
海辺のエトランゼ
7.8
1,137 rank · 218,024 viewers · 3,072 favorites
Boys Love
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Netflix
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
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Synopsis
Abandoned gay novelist Shun falls for orphaned Mio; after 3-year separation, Mio returns to confess love.
Shun Hashimoto is an openly gay aspiring novelist living in Okinawa who was abandoned by his parents after coming out to them. Mio Chibana is a reserved, orphaned high school student, often found spending his time by the sea. One day, the two meet on the beach, and Shun is instantly captivated by Mio. The days fly by as they slowly begin to grow closer until Mio suddenly announces that he has to leave for the mainland. Three years pass before a 20-year-old Mio returns to Okinawa to confess his love to Shun. However, in those three years, Shun's life has changed. Will he be able to accept Mio's feelings and make such a commitment?
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 90 sampled reviews
7.2
/10
What 90 viewers settled on.
84%
recommend
Score distribution
median 7.5
mode 8
σ 2.07
Agreement
Polarized
σ 2.07 · split reception
The polarity gap
4.9 pts
Recommenders 8.4 · others 3.5
Yes
No
Score over time
↑ 0.19
Running avg · Feb 2021 → Jan 2026
Snap verdicts
· shortest highly-rated reviews
- 8 “i quite enjoyed this movie, it was so cute, i did think it was confusing because of how it was sped up, seemed the story itself was way faster then needed to be, if it was to take its time a bit...”
- 8 “Loved the story and found the side characters interesting; the concept had enough depth to fuel an entire season. Felt rushed when squeezed into a single one-hour movie, leaving questions like Shus...”
- 8 “The way the story unfolded was quite different from what I imagined seeing official art. At some points it disappointed me, like the timeskip being too long and the way the relationship between...”
Verbosity
Short · 43%
Medium · 40%
Long · 17%
Watch Order & Related
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Cast
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See all credits →Production slate
- Format 1 × 58′ eps × min
- Total runtime 0h 58m all episodes
- Aired Sep 2020 – ongoing
- Source Movie media type
- Rated R+ Mild Nudity
- Ref. BS-15811 catalog
Produced by
- Shochiku Producer
- Half H.P Studio Producer
- Blue Lynx Producer
Licensed by
- Funimation Licensor