Jack o' Frost is a very pretty drama that simply lacks any real substance. It has an artistic quality to it that is certainly pleasing to the eye but beyond that I just didn't find much to really recommend it. Due to it's short length, it's characters inevitably lack depth and the story itself isn't what it could have been. Even so, it's decent enough for what it is.

On paper the story sounds intriguing. Two lovers live together, but after a fight one night, one of them runs out and ends up getting hurt, the end result being he's an amnesiac, but specifically, he can't remember his lover or anything related to him. It's a promising concept and there's a variety of ways the story could go; I can't say that I love what they did with it. Fumiya decides to take it as a second chance. At least, that's what he says. His actions though, don't match up. Up until Ritsu figures out that they had been together before his accident, Fumiya toes the line between roommate and lover, clearly wanting to step over it, recalling in flashbacks his relationship with Ritsu, but also very consciously NOT stepping over it even as Ritsu begins to reveal his growing attraction for Fumiya. It's a conundrum that's never really fully explained other than a brief mention that leads me to think that fear was the overwhelming reason, fear that Ritsu would regain his memories and the game would be up.

Fumiya doesn't present as the most sympathetic of characters, but I found him interesting in that aspects of him were realistic, particularly his tendency to bottle his emotions and then explode. While I don't think that part of him was well explored, I do think the idea of it at least was relatable. I also can't say that his decision to remain silent about his relationship with Ritsu was the way to go, I think it was quite selfish. But on the flip side, how many of us wouldn't jump at the opportunity for a second chance at certain relationships, events, moments, etc.? Again, this was another aspect that I found made him realistic.

Ritsu was a far more ambiguous character due to his amnesia. Without a past to define his present, he was instead defined by his lack of memory and his uncertainty. And since the story is primarily told from Fumiya's point of view, that added another layer of disconnect. It all added up to make it harder to relate to him. In general, I found him to be rather boring. Perhaps it was deliberate, but I did find the contrast of him having a rather dull character compared to his more vibrant/interesting artwork was the one thing that gave him some degree of dimension.

There is an underlying theme that even if you are given a second chance, it means nothing if you don't fix the problems that were there to begin with. However, that theme doesn't seem to be put into practice as the leads undergo very little character development and seem destined to end up right back where they started.

The acting was hit or miss. Of the two, I think I preferred Suzuki Kosuke's performance. I did like their chemistry overall. It was nothing earthshattering, but a more subtle kind, and I thought it suited the drama.

I liked the progression of the drawing in the end credits. It was a neat way to incorporate Ritsu's talent with drawing.

I really enjoyed the music. The background music was beautiful and was well used. I also liked the opening and closing songs though I don't feel they really fit with the tone of the drama.

Jack o' Frost is not one of my favorite Japanese BLs that I've seen but I still found it to be charming in its own way. If nothing else, it's artistic quality and tone makes it worthwhile and the story isn't bad, I just think it could have been better developed. Given it's short length, it's an easy watch for a lazy afternoon.