Mingkael
The Abyss
"Perhaps I became a magic user so I can touch his heart"
Cherry Magic has to be the biggest surprise for me this 2020. When I first learned that a manga about a guy who gets magic powers when he turns 30 because he is still a virgin would get a drama adaptation, I felt extremely skeptical and wary about it. The title itself and the summary of the plot instantly raised so many red flags in my head; I couldn't help but think that the story was going to be very sexualized and would have a lot of the problematic and toxic tropes usually seen in BL dramas. Because of this, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it, however, after taking a look at the preview of the first episode and seeing that it seemed quite funny, I decided to give Cherry Magic a try. Though I was still a little worried about what would happen, as soon as I finished the first episode, I was surprised with how funny, adorable, and light hearted Cherry Magic was. This gave me the hope that maybe this drama was going to be the complete opposite of what I originally thought... and thank god that was the case.
Cherry Magic is one of the most relatable, fluffiest, and heartwarming (BL) dramas I've ever watched. Every episode is less than 30 minutes long but despite that it is able to tell the story it wants without wasting any second. Though there is a "supernatural" element added to this drama, the story itself is very realistic because of types of problems that the characters face on their daily lives, such as the fear of following their dreams, the fear of disappointing others, and the struggle of loving themselves. That plus the fact that the characters are so well-written, to the point where you are able to sympathize with them even if you don't agree with all their decisions, makes you feel that they are real people.
Adachi and Kurosawa's relationship is one of the healthiest, most wholesome, and sweetest among all the (BL) couples that exist. Even if their personalities are somewhat different, they have things in common. They also support, respect, and admire each other so much that even when they are in the same place without doing anything in particular, you can notice how much they enjoy each other's company. And thanks to the unconditional love they feel for each other, both Adachi and Kurosawa are able to grow as individuals and slowly overcome their own personal struggles and the fears regarding their relationship.
Besides the main couple, there is also a secondary couple: Tsuge & Minato. The development of this couple is much more faster and chaotic but still endearing. Some fans are not that fond of this couple since they find Tsuge's behavior too over the top and, to some extent, cringey, but in my opinion, the way he act falls within the normal range of craziness that Japanese dramas (especially those adapted from manga and anime) have when it comes to comedy. So for me, this secondary couple is also very sweet and cute and I wish they had a little bit more of screen time.
Besides having great characters and dynamics between the characters, another thing that makes Cherry magic so special is the amount of care and thought was put into this drama. Even the smallest details are very important and can serve as symbolism, as representation of one of the characters (and their feelings), or as foreshadowing. The acting is also phenomenal and I cannot imagine anyone else playing these roles. Machida Keita was born to play Kurosawa, and Akaso Eiji was born to play Adachi. They truly understood their characters and even their micro expressions were on point. I'm very glad that Cherry Magic has become so successful and that because of it, both Akaso's and Machida's talent and skills as actors are getting more recognition.
As a final note, I just want to say that Cherry Magic is, in my opinion, the best BL of 2020 and my personal favorite of all time. I literally have no complaints and I know that I'll be re-watching it countless times because of how good it is.
Cherry Magic is one of the most relatable, fluffiest, and heartwarming (BL) dramas I've ever watched. Every episode is less than 30 minutes long but despite that it is able to tell the story it wants without wasting any second. Though there is a "supernatural" element added to this drama, the story itself is very realistic because of types of problems that the characters face on their daily lives, such as the fear of following their dreams, the fear of disappointing others, and the struggle of loving themselves. That plus the fact that the characters are so well-written, to the point where you are able to sympathize with them even if you don't agree with all their decisions, makes you feel that they are real people.
Adachi and Kurosawa's relationship is one of the healthiest, most wholesome, and sweetest among all the (BL) couples that exist. Even if their personalities are somewhat different, they have things in common. They also support, respect, and admire each other so much that even when they are in the same place without doing anything in particular, you can notice how much they enjoy each other's company. And thanks to the unconditional love they feel for each other, both Adachi and Kurosawa are able to grow as individuals and slowly overcome their own personal struggles and the fears regarding their relationship.
Besides the main couple, there is also a secondary couple: Tsuge & Minato. The development of this couple is much more faster and chaotic but still endearing. Some fans are not that fond of this couple since they find Tsuge's behavior too over the top and, to some extent, cringey, but in my opinion, the way he act falls within the normal range of craziness that Japanese dramas (especially those adapted from manga and anime) have when it comes to comedy. So for me, this secondary couple is also very sweet and cute and I wish they had a little bit more of screen time.
Besides having great characters and dynamics between the characters, another thing that makes Cherry magic so special is the amount of care and thought was put into this drama. Even the smallest details are very important and can serve as symbolism, as representation of one of the characters (and their feelings), or as foreshadowing. The acting is also phenomenal and I cannot imagine anyone else playing these roles. Machida Keita was born to play Kurosawa, and Akaso Eiji was born to play Adachi. They truly understood their characters and even their micro expressions were on point. I'm very glad that Cherry Magic has become so successful and that because of it, both Akaso's and Machida's talent and skills as actors are getting more recognition.
As a final note, I just want to say that Cherry Magic is, in my opinion, the best BL of 2020 and my personal favorite of all time. I literally have no complaints and I know that I'll be re-watching it countless times because of how good it is.
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