When you didn't see love coming
These are my types of BLs where the one guy didn't know he would be into guys and alas he must give in and fall in love. I can binge on those for days! The acting is great with this series. I love the chemistry between the main leads. I'm held in suspense right now because I still need to see the final 3 episodes. Haruto surprised me with his fighting skills. There was a tear jerker moment there for me when Ryo learned from the kids of his mistake. This will not be a disappointing watch. Japanese started the whole BL genre and I think they can reclaim the top spot. Some comments said this was immature and funny. I do not think so. Maybe if they said invasive, I would agree. Haruto was invasive.Was this review helpful to you?
Can love change people into better versions of themselves?
Boy meets girl, or girl meets girl, or boy meets boy. Boy and girl, or girl and girl, or boy and boy fall in love, overcome some bumps in the road and in the end they are happily ever after. This is, with variations, the structure of most of the portraits of love that films and television series have left us.Although it is evident that the vision of the relationships that world cinematography has, starting with Hollywood, is, to say the least, quite limited, cinema and television have contributed decisively – just like music, novels or advertising – to shaping our expectations about life as a couple. It also leads to frustration when, as often happens, the actual experience does not correspond to those expectations.
Much has been written about the role of television series in consolidating the myths of romantic love. Experts on the subject have identified up to ten myths: that of the better half (which assumes that we all have a predestined soul mate and we will only be happy with that person), that of exclusivity (the belief that we cannot love more than one person at a time), that of free will (which ignores that there are social, biological and cultural factors that influence our choice of partner), that of fidelity (which maintains that all our romantic and erotic desires must be satisfied by a only person), that of eternal passion (which leads us to think that the enthusiasm and ardor of the beginnings of a relationship can be maintained after months or years of living together), that of marriage (according to which, true love necessarily leads to a stable and lasting), that of love that conquers everything (the idea that love always prevails and there is no problem, inside or outside the couple, that it cannot solve), that of jealousy as a sign of true love (very deep-rooted, helps to normalize possessiveness), and the power of love to change people.
And I'm not referring to when we ask for changes that affect the personality of one of the members of the couple by asking them to stop being him or her, which can generate conflicts, when we demand permutations using the pretext that they have to do it "for love".
No. I point out that the way we build our personality, our hobbies and our way of thinking is also influenced by socialization, and depending on our life history there are some people who influence us more or less. In many cases, the person we choose to walk the path of life as a couple makes us evolve to become better individuals.
This is the force behind the Japanese series 'Doku Koi Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru', from directors Maiko Ouchi, Masataka Hayashi, Tatsuya Aoki.
Based on the manga of the same name by Keisuke Makino, the series, in the romantic comedy, thriller and legal genre, follows two young people: one of them is Shiba Ryoma (Shogo Hama), a 27-year-old elite lawyer with social anxiety turned into a the youngest partner of an important law firm. Regarded as the cold and ruthless "Ice King of Law", he is valued as legal advisor to numerous important clients, and Haruto (Katsumi Hyodo), a mysterious genius con artist, talented at disguising himself as another person.
Wearing a high-end suit, Ryoma is a perfect man who never makes mistakes and holds a position as a key member of the corporate legal affairs team of a large law firm, dealing with legal disputes such as mergers, acquisitions, and inter-company resolution. His hard heart has never shown interest in anything other than his job, but one day, at a bar where the president of his advisory board takes him, he meets Haruto, a con mastermind with captivating eyes, and a connection develops snapshot.
From that moment on, both begin to live together under the same roof, since Ryoma needs the work of an assistant to help him investigate the legal processes to present in court. Both join forces to solve complex cases, using unethical methods, while developing feelings for each other.
From that moment on, both begin to live together under the same roof, since Ryoma needs the work of an assistant to help him investigate the legal processes to present in court. The two join forces to solve complex cases, using unethical methods, while developing feelings for each other.
However, as the saying goes, "If you take the poison, it will reach the plate", and Haruto's "poison" gradually seeps into Ryoma's cold and firm heart...!
Produced by TBS Drama Stream and Netflix Japan, and scripted by Kawasaki Izumi, the series describes how two completely opposite people become secret boyfriends and solve legal problems in an exciting way.
If I admire something in Japanese BL series, it is their ability to delve into the psychological complexity of people. In this case, above other considerations, 'Doku Koi Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru' presents us with two very different young people with no initial ties to each other, and the sentimental and emotional repercussions that they will have to assume when one enters life of the other. None of them will be the same again.
Both will be marked not only by their involvement in the resolution of important disputes in a court of law. And in this look inside a shared existence is how the series delves into the depth of love between two human beings so different from each other, and how their lives will change from that moment on. The interpretations live up to the demanding level of this need to show how far love can go, and to what extent it has the power to transform people, for the better.
In his first leading role in a romantic drama, Katsumi Hyodo wins audiences over as her motherless character begins to love Ryoma's sensitivity and clumsiness. His love for Ryoma, his dedication to helping him solve important and complicated legal cases, will open the doors not only to the lawyer's house. When she meets Ryoma and realizes that he is in love with him, he stops being that man who gets into trouble by being part of a gang of scammers, and fully lives that love, opens his heart and tells her story, which is also linked to that of young people and adolescents who, like him, do not have a home and have been despised by society and even excluded from their family.
Despite this being the first time he plays a lawyer in a love story where he falls in love with someone of the same sex, Shogo Hama shows talent by building a strongly tsundere character, inexperienced in love, frustrated by his inability to express the feelings he gradually develops for Haruto. Win with high marks in this new challenge as an actor.
Ryoma, his character, is a fascinating young man who takes the viewer from coldness to warmth. The lawyer is strong, determined, determined and with a strong personality that projects an image of absolute control in his life, especially before his clients and his opponents in court. However, he carries the frustration of having been betrayed by his senior and having lost, for this reason, a trial that he had won.
The construction of this character allowed Shogo Hama to display a performance full of subtleties, in which Ryoma's external coldness contrasts with the moments of introspection and the decisions he makes since Haruto enters his life.
Over time, one comes to modify the other's behavior for the better, as they fight to resolve legal cases.
What will Ryoma do when his bosses find out that his assistant is a known scammer? Will love be stronger than his dreams of being a defender of the law? What will happen when Ryoma finds out that Haruto is the son of his worst enemy? Will Haruto's love warm Ryoma's cold heart? Will Haruto leave his past behind for love?
The toxic and romantic chemistry between Shogo Hama and Katsumi Hyodo, which almost transpires across the screen from the moment they meet, is one of the keys to the success of this unconventional series between an elite lawyer and a con artist, a few years younger.
These types of stories are preferred by the Japanese viewer, so having one of those plots set in the BL universe feels like a dream.
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This review may contain spoilers
A cute quick series to watch
I watched this series on Netflix. So, of course I watched the first six episodes and then had to wait a lot of weeks until the final six episodes were released (with subs) to watch them. I must say, this series was cute and very quick to the point. It was easy to watch. as well as enjoyable.I love the two main characters, especially the character of Shiba Ryoma, who is first described as the cold and merciless Ice King of Law in his workplace due to his mannerisms to his many work partners he has had (Haruto becoming his 100th partner). This gradually changes as he falls for Haruto along the way. This series had some surprising moments that I was not expecting at all, and it was still able to work together with the storyline. Also, the closing song was addictive, and I know that I am going to miss hearing it.
The cast did an incredible job with their acting and being able to portray the story of Shiba and Haruto in such a good way. And although it ended in a way that a sequel can be made, it was still a realistic and happy ending for Shiba and Haruto that did not affect my final score in the end if they do decide to have a sequel to this series.
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Grumpy x Sunshine!
Okay, bear with me, this show wasn't bad, it just was not to my taste. I watched it more as a "time killer" show when doing laundry or something. The plot is just simple and the romance is a bit hard to believe at some points, but I truly think there were many good scenes, and the romance aspects were definitely better the last half. On the other hand, the action scenes were, well, hard to believe, but that sometimes happens it seems in the BL world (definitely talking about "Pit Babe" and sigh, maybe even a little "Jack and Joker," please don't kill me) Outside of those details though, I think this is a wonderful starter BL, that has a touch of Japanese humor I can see folks not understanding if this is their first run-in with Jdramas.Was this review helpful to you?
a thrilling japanese bl
Overall this is a series with an actual good story !!I have to say I liked the first half better than the last one, but its not like having to force yourself through., also it really pays off, because the last episode is just wooow!
I sometimes felt like the acting was a bit.. stiff? I just thought the actors seemed a little uncomfortable sometimes - but still, there are way worse scenes in other series and I'd say it wasn't in a cringey or forced cute way ;)
definitely worth a watch !! ^^
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A wholesome and cute bundle of a series
Wow, this was very cute. I haven't watched a dorama in a long while now, and I glad I decided to watch this one.The leads were so cute together and they had just perfect chemistry. I especially loved Shogo Hama because of how perfect he portrayed his cold character and the subtleness of his expressions when Ryo and Haruto started to get to know each other. I honestly couldn't care less about the other plot elements (like the details in law and such) because I just had such a good time with just focusing on the couple and how their relationship blossomed. I also like their concept of opposites attract, I am a complete sucker for it, so this made me love it even more.
About the story, my gripe if course would be that the pacing is all too fast. At the same time, I understand that we can only do so much with 19 minutes an episode. The melodrama bits were a bit too sudden too, but like I mentioned above, I don't wanna be quite technical with things; I'm suspending my disbelief with the law practices and some points of the story that were a little bit too much/exaggerated. The important
thing about all of this is that I went through everything with a smile on my face, so what else can I ask for?
The rewatch value is also high for me because if the impeccable chemistry. I think I consider this one of my favorite live action BL's so far and I want more!
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This review may contain spoilers
A Legal Thriller with a Romantic Twist!
Boys’ Love may have fallen under the business model of Yaoi, with its softcore porn over plot in many recent Thai series. But happily Japan skipped that memo, continuing to put out thought-provoking series that take the established BL genre to new places. Using pre-existing notions of what to expect from a series where two men kiss, and applying the societal views on the character’s specific circumstances.2024’s “Love is Like a Poison” from TBS premiered on September 10 and aired til December 3rd of the same year. It’s currently streaming on Netflix. The series follows Lawyer Ryoma Shiba (Hama Shogo) who is a successful lawyer coming up on his 100th win. Beside him is the mysterious Haruto (Hyodo Katsumi), a young man who seems to appear ‘coincidentally’ where he shouldn’t. The two become instant confidants (Haruto’s doing) and soon Ryoma is closing in on that 100th win. But with Haruto comes a avalanche of secrets, intrigue, and romance, that could ruin Ryoma.
Read the complete article here-
https://theblxpress.wordpress.com/2025/01/09/love-is-like-a-poison-series-review-ep-4-to-12/
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This review may contain spoilers
Unexpectedly Cute!
The story follows Ryo a brilliant lawyer with a stone face, a harsh manner and no love life. Until Haruto bulldozes his way into his life and home. At first, Ryo is understandably skeptical of Haruto, but he gradually warms up to him, until he finds out Haruto is a con-artist. After kicking Haruto out of his house, Ryo realizes he misses Haruto and has fallen in love with him.I love the comedy relief in this show. From Ryo's awkwardness with affection to his impromptu daydreaming about Haruto, he's such a lovable character. I'll update more once the show ends.
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Season 2
The first season, ended with a thud. Every episode was played brilliantly by the actors. An unexpected ending. Winning in court, lifted spirits. I wanted to ask you all if there is any information about the second season of Love is a Poison? I hope that the Japanese TV station TBS will think about it.Was this review helpful to you?
quirky series with some darker moments
Overall: I enjoyed the quirky aspect though something kept me from fully rooting for their relationship for awhile. This series was adapted from a manga "Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru" by Makino Keisuke which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. Partway through its release in Japan, it started airing on Netflix in some countries https://www.netflix.com/title/81766555Content Warning: manipulation, blackmail, beaten up, past murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, non con picture taking/sharing
What I Liked
- the opposite personality dynamic
- made me laugh a few times
- the friend
- good dreams
- the tie pull
- sweet/caring moments
- the plants/quirky humor moments
- a character stood up for their relationship
Room For Improvement
- it was difficult to root for their relationship because the writers weren't clear about a character/his motivations for a long time, they finally communicated in episode 11
- how a supposed super intelligent lawyer started asking questions at the end of episode 7
- the camera did an odd 360 rotation during a scene
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This review may contain spoilers
A tsundere lawyer and a flirty con artist!
FINISHED IT AND OMG The comedy and plot is really interesting! I was a bit hesitant at first but am not disappointed! Their chemistry and the sexual tension asdfghjkl it got me hiding behind my hands.Not on second did I ever hated an episode because all of it are very fun to watch and relating to the whole plot. And you know what the best thing is? THEY HAVE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP!! COMMUNICATION EVERY SINGLE TIME ONE OF THEM HAVE AN ISSUE!!!! I GIVE THIS STORY FULL MARKS FOR IT! OMG
And i really love the character development of Ryo, going for icy lawyer to fuwa fuwa tsundere hahah
anyway, GIVE THIS SHOW A WATCH Y'ALL!!!
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A Stoic Lawyer and A flirty Con-Artist
This Netflix series, despite its remarkably brief overall duration, manages to engage viewers fully, ensuring that not a second is wasted on unnecessary filler or distractions. So far, I have only watched two episodes, and I must say that it has proven to be extremely intriguing and captivating. I especially appreciate how each and every scene flows effortlessly into the next, creating a seamless narrative experience that feels cohesive and well-crafted, all the while ensuring that no important details are overlooked or neglected. This meticulous attention to storytelling truly enhances the viewing experience and invites deeper immersion into the plot and characters.I have only had the opportunity to become familiar with Hama Shogo through his portrayal of a supporting character in the captivating series 'Zettai BL ni naru sekai,' where he delivered a performance that added depth to the storyline. On the other hand, my experience with Hyodo Katsumi extends beyond just one series, as I have seen him in the wonderful and memorable baseball-themed series titled 'Gekokujo Kyuji,' where his acting was truly magnificent and showcased his remarkable talent, making a lasting impression that resonated with the audience.
So far this series is promising. i cant wait to finish this.
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