Not your average Japanese BL
What would you do if you met a previous love interest after 14 years, when the original affair had ended abruptly in confusion?The storytelling in this drama alternates between current time (main characters in their 30s) and when they were high school students . Thankfully, they used two different sets of actors for the two time periods which works really well. The current time and flashbacks are meant to gradually explain the history to the viewer and clear up misunderstandings for the characters themselves.
Like many Japanese dramas, the focus is on personal growth / new understanding, not on visible action. While there are distracting side plots that seem to hint at "action", these are only there to challenge Miyata's perceptions/thinking. Miyata seems mired in a mental fog of the past, gradually gaining some mental clarity.
If Miyata's growth happened gradually through the 6-episode series, I might have rated this a 10. While BL in general, trades on extended misunderstandings, and Japanese BL in particular excels at presenting the impacts of the lack of clear communication, the resolution of the misunderstandings in this drama seem uneven and mostly occur quickly in the last episode. However, this unevenness is offset by the subtle comparison between inner and outer strengths/weaknesses of both Miyata and Takashi that adds another dimension to the drama.
Also note worthy is a certain bluntness in the dialog in situations where it wouldn't normally be expected. The spoken Japanese in this drama is mostly normal polite Japanese, yet there are a few times where characters say completely unexpected (and rude) things. Miyata sometimes uses more formal business Japanese as way of distancing, sometimes excessively (sarcasm) which signals his brokenness (and is hurtful to Takashi). While Japanese dramas can have insulating or rude language, it is usually direct, not using bitter sarcasm.
Also note worthy is while showing more "intimacy" than most, the physical intimacy exists to focus on what is happening internally/emotionally for Miyata and Takashi and does not read as fan service.
I don't think this is the masterpiece that "The Novelist" (Pornographer manga) is, but it does seem to carve out a unique place among Japanese BL.
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Both Esoteric and Bittersweet
Certainly, the story is not unique. It is the story of two high school boys who fell in love then, but circumstances did not permit them to follow-up with their relationship then. Time did not diminish the feelings but only created a valley of forgetting one another. The series is so short that it does not allow for any type of character development and frankly this type of story is getting ‘old’ and worn out. The series is so short that it does not allow for any type of character development and frankly this type of story is getting ‘old’ and worn out. Overall, this is a good series. Well-acted and sincere. Screenplay needed tightening up as I found the relationship when they reconnect not dynamic enough and a bit perplexing. But it is an entertaining series. It is simply enjoyable and refreshing to watch. Overall, this is a good series. Well-acted and sincere. Screenplay needed tightening up as I found the relationship when they reconnect not dynamic enough and a bit perplexing. But it is an entertaining series. It is simply enjoyable and refreshing to watch. Overall, this is a good series. Well-acted and sincere. Screenplay needed tightening up as I found the relationship when they reconnect not dynamic enough and a bit perplexing. But it is an entertaining series. It is simply enjoyable and refreshing to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
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Just Beautiful !
The gorgeous original music by Koyama Erina accompanies a warm color pallet that surrounds the couple with this warm and intimate feeling. The many shots of the two looking at each other and close-ups of their faces portray a longing that comes off as fleeting and effortless (something we saw in Jack O Frost, also directed by Yasukawa Yuka). The acting never feels too forced, and Robin’s face portrays so much subtle detail. Episode four is my favorite of the series when we finally see why Miyata was holding out so much. The scene by the river has made me tearful both times I have watched it but the line, “I may not be able to show the weight of my love, so I don’t know if it comes off as equal, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you” always brings the tears in full force. For me, this scene replicated the feeling I had when I found someone I loved and they said the right words to lift me out of loneliness. Perhaps, my own experience makes me like this BL a lot, or maybe it is truly hitting on something authentic. - EJ ReviewsWas this review helpful to you?
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SUCH A COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP AND SITUATION
All in all this Drama is entertaining and in some ways very cute, what I like the most about this is the way the actors portray their characters, they are entertaining and have a very cute interaction, I must say that while most of the Japanese BL always give us very few or one kissing scene only, this drama seems there is a kissing scene in every episode ! how about that !The story is complicated, the situation is complicated, they did not even made it clear why and how they broke up from many years ago .. after watching the episodes, it was revealed that it was all a misunderstanding reason of their breaking up and MIyata suddenly throwing the phone or what was that ? after seeing the picture of his Senpai. I was actually not really impressed with the story, why did it took too many years for Takashi to come back to Miyata ? or maybe he needed to be successful first.
I was kinda annoyed at Miyata, he liked his Senpai but he don't wanna date him , they even spent the night with each other ! he only hurted himself such a complicated situation because of pride. I hated Takashi when he thought that MIyata was an outsider with his family affairs, and yet he wanted Miyata to be with him forever , such a puzzled mind ! whats wrong with him ! It ended okay so that is enough for me, I almost got angry when that guy named Kyosuke who seems the person in charge of Takashi family or someone who convinces Takashi to follow his mother , I don't know who he was , because I thought he was a rival , but thankfully not.
Miyata was Adorable and so is Takashi , the drama is not rushed, only story is complicated, but it was entertaining and cute in some ways. I don't If I will be rewatching this one though.
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Second chances come with baggage
The show speaks to anyone who have loved someone, lost that same someone, and now occasionally harbours thoughts of “what if?”What this series does is to capture perfectly the anticipation of meeting an old flame for the second time. As attraction increases between them, so does the emotional vulnerability.
Takashi and Miyata have to confront the uncomfortable reality of why their relationship failed to work out before and whether there is hope for a second attempt.
After all, second chances come with baggage.
With just six episodes, the character growth of the characters could not be fleshed out fully. But I suspect that this BL is so popular because it mirrors real life to a large extent, revolving around the fragility of relationships and the importance of timing.
Sometimes, saying goodbye doesn’t mean losing someone forever. It means see you next time at another point in our lives.
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An Excellent but Too Short Adult BL Romance
This was very enjoyable to watch. The actors have an amazing chemistry, and whoever the cinematographer was should get an award for how well they made Hasegawa Makoto and Furuya Robin look. There were so many moments where both men were lit with an amazing golden hue that rivals feature film or big budget advertising cinematography. Plot-wise, I must say that there's a nice feeling seeing two men navigating a past shared teenage trauma and trying to figure out if they right for each other as adults. Amidst the drama, there are some nice comedic touches from Takashi's assistant, and Takashi's "brother." It also presents a nice story of gay man standing up for himself in the face of some traditional Japanese conservatism. They did a great job of casting three teenage versions of the adult men, actually finding young actors who looked like the adult actors, particularly the young Miyata. I think that some very talented hair and make-up people also had a big hand in that. Lastly, although there was no explicit nudity, the sex scenes, though brief, were quite frank and passionate.My only criticism is that six 24 minute episodes felt too short. I could have used a little more delving into Takahashi's psyche and how he was affected by his broken relationship with his family. They explained everything in the final episode, but whereas I felt I really understood Miyata's trepadations about entering into this relationship again, Takahashi was a bit of a mystery throughout the series. I know a big part of the plot was predicated on Miyata not trusting Takahashi's words, and us not completely understanding his motivations helped elevate that plot thread. Miyata's voiceover gave us really clear insight into his character and I think some time could have been added to do something similar with Takashi's character. But this is nitpicking. Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto is an excellent series and very much worth your time if you like adult BL dramas.
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This is a more mature BL than usual, where the characters are around their 30's and I'm here for that. I enjoyed the story, although I felt it was quite simplistic and a tad cliche. I would have liked to see the characters a little more fleshed out, but it is a short quick series.
I definitely fell in love with Miyata-san, with his quiet strength and sassy moments. I found I was always cheering him along, I wish we had more characters like this in BL.
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Normal office BL
The acting is not that good and so cringe at times. Many unnatural scenes and unnecessary dialogs.. There's nothing special about their chemistry or how it progress. So many unnecessary intimate scenes just to get attention or to trend.Production is soso ... I don't find it rewatchable at all. The music is not that good and listenable. The story is very predictable and not executed well. Kinda boring for me and not planning to watch the last episode as you know what will happen already. In short, i did not enjoy watching it
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a mature story perfectly executed
I think it’s one of the best Jbls i’ve watched. Ik the trope seems cliché but they managed to make something actually original. It was so satisfying to see the bottom put boundaries to protect his own feelings, cause if u know it’s not something common in the BL world.About the cinematography, it was so good, specially when you notice the parallels between the young and the current couple. The music is really good, i loved the opening, never skipped it.
overall, a more mature bl masterpiece
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Age 30-35+ should find this serie good.
- Pretty tense. quite mature story, and serious in old era (the era where LGBTQ couple is embarassed and hardly to be accepted. But the detail of story is actually not much.- I think Generation X-Y + asian style may like this serie (age30+), while under 30 yr will find nothing much about this serie's value
- There is some production value, but I think I won't rewatch it since there is not much thing in serie
- Chemistry of these 2 main is quite good.
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Smooth, solid, emotional, this drama has everything!
With a runtime of 6 episodes of 20 minutes, this drama is on the shorter side but the story leaves no stone left unturned. Miyata and Iwanagi knew each other from high school and secretly got closer together. Thinking about how it must have been to be gay at that time in Japan makes this realistic. They were supposed to run away together, but Miyata's feeling have been toyed with, and Iwanagi leaves their home town.Years later, the two meet under professional circumstances. With some cat-and-mouse play, they decide to seriously love each other once more. I will not spoil more of the plot but I love the full circle moment at the end. All of the actors are skilled and look great to boot. I wouldn't know how to make this drama any better!
This drama can be serious, funny, intimate, and it does not stop or get boring ever. The acting and visuals in this drama make it a Japanese BL classic for me. Great job on everyone who was involved in this series and thank you for this fantastic piece of cinema. Do not hesitate, watch this now!
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Immaculate
This is yet another one of the best bl series from Japan. They always and will never fail to mesmerized me! From the aesthetically pleasing cinematography, choice of OST, the chemistry, the acting, THE PLOT! Everything is just perfect in an astronomical level! Hands down to the team that made all of this series possible!Was this review helpful to you?
