I think it's interesting that it feels like we're lately getting some more toned-down, sincere stuff like this from guys who have more often written lurid Bara manga.
I mean, more broadly, it's been interesting to observe from a medium distance how the relatively rapid de-stigmatization of gayness has been sort of dissolving the hard edges of gay "culture", where I live. Going from most obvious openly-gay people being part of some sort of counter-culture movement involving, among other things, a tendency towards BDSM, to... well, not really much of anything: Just some rainbow flag waving, and eyebrows raised at anyone who turns out to still be openly homophobic. (What a reversal! "Openly homophobic". Hah! But that's besides the point.)
Of course that's about as idyllic as it gets and I'm vastly oversimplifying. And Japan definitely isn't there yet. I have no idea where they are right now, honestly. I get the vague impression that Tokyo-ites are way more cosmopolitan about the idea at least in abstract but not necessarily accepting per se, but what with the whole "we don't talk about problems" thing Japan does, it's hard to get a good grasp.