The long-awaited Frenchie and Kimiko kiss has finally come, and The Boys stars Tomer Capone and Karen Fukuhara break it down. After much of season 4 was spent on Frenchie’s relationship with Colin, he and Kimiko finally embraced after learning to communicate their love. The Boys season 4 ending was filled with consequences and tragedy for the couple, but the kiss offered some sweetness to a bitter finale.

While the long wait for season 5 begins, Capone and Fukuhara spoke to TVLine about the new development for their characters. Fukuhara described it as “magical“ and praised showrunner Eric Kripke for his direction. Capone described the difference between the unwelcome first kiss that the couple shared and this more touching display of love. He also explained why it works so well for Kimiko and Frenchie now. Check out their explanations below:

FUKUHARA: Such a magical moment because it’s been multiple seasons of speculating. What made it even more special was working with Kripke because he directed that episode, and I didn’t realize how he was going to shoot it. I saw the shot after a few takes, and it was, like, backlit, silhouette, beautiful … I just feel like it was the perfect way to do the kiss .

CAPONE: Each one [of us] said the word ‘cool’ approximately 15 times. It had that feeling where something is going to change, and it will never be the same again — for better, for worse, who knows? It’s like 50 people around you, and you can hear the sounds of the ‘ Aww ‘. It was like one of those moments where you know you delivered something the fans wanted to see for a long time. It’s not inside of Kimiko’s brain. It really happens… She imagined everything, and then she imagined starting [to kiss] Frenchie on the beat of the dance, and then it kind of came into real life, where she just moves her head down and let it happen. It wasn’t, like, a kiss-kiss, you know? [The second kiss] comes from both of them. It comes at the same time. It comes with both of them letting it happen. Those characters are putting behind them all their traumas and pain from the past. So they’re starting to write their new chapter in life , and it’s exciting.

Kimiko And Frenchie Have Been Set Up Since Season 1

The Kiss Simply Cemented Their Relationship

Frenchie and Kimiko met in season 1, and they have shared a strong connection ever since. While there has been some serious conflict between the two, especially in season 4, they always managed to maintain a strong bond. Kimiko, especially, remained tied to Frenchie, though she admitted that she pushed him away out of a sense that she was unworthy of his love. After his disastrous relationship with Colin ended in a short stint in jail for Frenchie, he reignited his love for Kimiko, and the two shared a passionate kiss.

Tragically, Kimiko and Frenchie were separated shortly after their kiss, as Homelander began targeting the members of the team. Kimiko was so horrified that she screamed aloud, breaking past her trauma to speak after several seasons of silence. She will need to fight if she hopes to reunite with Frenchie in The Boys season 5, which will serve as the final season of the show. If they are ever going to have their happy ending, it will need to come in the upcoming season, as they will not have any relief in the gap between episodes.

Much of their relationship was forged through shared trauma, so this separation is only likely to make their connection stronger. Kimiko was tormented as a child after she was forced to serve the Shining Light Liberation Army. Frenchie was an assassin, and his crimes horrified him after being forced to confront his history with Colin. They managed to find love through their pain. Frenchie was the only one who could relate to Kimiko, and it was what made their bond so powerful. After their kiss, Kimiko will undoubtedly attempt to destroy Homelander to reunite with Frenchie in The Boys.

FUKUHARA: Such a magical moment because it’s been multiple seasons of speculating. What made it even more special was working with Kripke because he directed that episode, and I didn’t realize how he was going to shoot it. I saw the shot after a few takes, and it was, like, backlit, silhouette, beautiful … I just feel like it was the perfect way to do the kiss .

CAPONE: Each one [of us] said the word ‘cool’ approximately 15 times. It had that feeling where something is going to change, and it will never be the same again — for better, for worse, who knows? It’s like 50 people around you, and you can hear the sounds of the ‘ Aww ‘. It was like one of those moments where you know you delivered something the fans wanted to see for a long time. It’s not inside of Kimiko’s brain. It really happens… She imagined everything, and then she imagined starting [to kiss] Frenchie on the beat of the dance, and then it kind of came into real life, where she just moves her head down and let it happen. It wasn’t, like, a kiss-kiss, you know? [The second kiss] comes from both of them. It comes at the same time. It comes with both of them letting it happen. Those characters are putting behind them all their traumas and pain from the past. So they’re starting to write their new chapter in life , and it’s exciting.