Shigatsu no Tokyo wa... (2023)

Looooooove it

This series omw. I looooooove it. Dont know what it is with these Japanese and korean shows but the story lines does wrapped you in. I watched and had to rematch now am awaiting episode 6. Its the chemistry, the dialogues just has you in your feeelings. This is another one of my favorite bl of 2023. The eighth sense was another one. First time watching these actors and they didnt disappoint. Waiting for that supervisor to get his because he is tooo dutty, but all in all this is definitely a rewatch for me. If anyone knows any good chineese, Japanese and Koreans you can let me know in the comments. Complete and one of my favorite rewatch bl

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Surprisingly mature plotline, well-written and well acted

I really did not expect this series to have such mature themes. But I also expect nothing less from a Japanese series, the industry has somehow mastered the idea of showing sublime stories with mature written characters. Japanese books, films, series have this theme going on where even if there is happiness, a river of melancholia flows underneath of it.

The two young actors have performed their roles very very well. In fact it is their acting that created the bare bones of the future plotline.

The inability to suppress the feelings, the inability to be clear and say what you want, the feeling of guilt, the prejudice of people, even of the near and dear ones, unhelpful society can lead a young mind to self destruction. Ren tried to commit suicide in a feeing of shame and guilt of forcing his best friend into having s*x with him. Unbeknownst to Ren that it was not forced. And Kazuma's illness too was not his fault. But he suffered all the pain and shame alone.

And when the two finally had their chance encounter, both confused, one by the guilt that does not leave him, one by his love for Ren. The plot thickens. The plot heats and bursts out.

The end is okay, it falls a little flat. I guess the director did not want to focus much on the subplot even though it is a factor to bring Kazuma and Ren closer.

The perfect series to binge watch in a short time. Quite well rounded I must say.

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Tokyo in April is lightly confusing at times but good balance between fluff and issues

Falling in love with your best friend at 15 is complicated... Raging hormones, tabus and disapproving parents complicate things further and before you know it you are torn apart and 10 years have passed... Which is where this story takes of, as these two meet again in a not so well functioning office setting we the viewers a thrown back and fourth in time as the story unfolds (both past and present) this drama tackles well known issues in a pretty decent way.

The romance has slightly confusing yet fun to watch development, and the plot of this drama has that too making this that is more suitable to binge than space out (as I did).

The casting of the young versions does not match the older as they look more like the other guy... I would also have wanted to see more from the past than the present as that story was the more interesting one of the two.

Sakurai Yukis acting could have been better, it wasnt bad but there is a noticeable gap between him and the other male lead Takamatsu Alohas acting skills.

All in all an ok watch that could use a few more episodes to fully explore both past and present.

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Explicit sexual tension with a purpose

Another Japanese BL brought something new to the audience. Not your typical romantic drama with an overdramatic storyline. This show wins in terms of uplifting the concept of narrating sexual desires in the mind of a young individual. At first, I was too stunned for having such bed scenes between two students. Yet, I love how they showcase the pros and cons of the main character and how they tackled each of their problems for their respective character development.

Ren is definitely a handsome man and I love his manly yet cute facial expressions. The friend-with-benefits episodes were too hot, especially when they mentioned that they almost have an intimate activity every single day. However, it is not romantically entertaining since lust overcomes love between these two grown men.

I ended up scoring the show not so high but not so low, simply because of its overall impact. It wasn’t the best but I can guarantee they are better than most airing BLs nowadays. I love how the couple ended up being on each other’s side without any of them holding back anymore.

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Like:
+ The story is pretty interesting. I like the plot of childhood friends meeting after a long time period and come closer again. And it's definitely different from the shows I watched before about this topic.
+ The start was really good. I liked the pace in which the story was told.
+ We get enough information to stay interested, but not too much to get bored after revealing everything all at once. It was a pretty exciting show.
+ It's pretty serious. Talks about serious topics and I think it would be important to put a content warning in it, but I guess we are not that progressive that shows have such things like books. ^^'
+ The production is nice. The different color shadings in different kind of scenes were nice to watch.
+ I really like the soundtrack!
+ They choosed child actors who actually fit to the adult version of them!
+ The actors were all good. Imho not absolutely great, but they did an okay job. I was a bit awkward in emotional scenes, but the more intimate scenes were great! Didn't make me uncomfortable at all and weren't overdone. It was sensitive and nice to watch without having to cringe about.

Room for improvement:
- I didn't really feel the chemistry between the actors. The actors were a bit stiff sometimes.. even tough I remember that I liked the actor of Ren more. He was a bit more charming I guess.
- The ending.. I think, after like episode 5 or 6, it was just too dragged with a lot of flashbacks. They should have told more about the story (I still have some open questions..) instead of dragging it for like forever with flashbacks and useless repetitions.
- After a good start it was a bit disappointing that they lost it towards the end. The pace was annoying and the open questions bother me.
- The ending was too rushed.

Overall I liked this drama. It was interesting, exciting, sensual and didn't make me uncomfortable with the scenes with a lot of naked skin. I am a really open person, but shows sometimes tend to make it weird and awkward with intimate scenes. But this one was well done. Although the actors were sometimes too stiff, these scenes were absolutely great (by both actors!)
I even wished for more intimate scenes with some progress in their relationship to show how they come closer and more comfortable with each other.

Normally I am more into fluffy RomComs (at least this is what I watched since I started with asian shows) but I really really liked this show. I didn't expect it, tbh, because I watched a lot of dramas in the last days, which weren't that good. So "Tokyo in April is..." was a great, refreshing surprise, even if it's definitely more serious and not fluffy at all.

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Lovely Interpretation of the Manga

I read the manga a few years ago, and I was not disappointed by this adaptation. I loved the story, and the acting, especially Sakurai, His facial expressions alone would carry me away. They had to censor the manga, but I think they did a great job in the adaptation. It stuck to the main points of the manga, and did not shy away from the heavy parts. The story includes child abuse, child abandonment, homophobia, drugging, raping, and sexual harassment (of women), and teen sexuality. All of these topics were handled in a sensitive, yet realistic manner. Children have no power, but once Kazuma reaches adulthood and graduates from university, he moves back to Japan, wanting to reunite with his first and only love Ren, As usual per BL world, Kazuma ends up being hired by the same company Ren works for, so they reunite right away.


This is the first Japanese BL where I felt actual sexual chemistry, I'm so used to the Ken doll, dead fish kisses. The Kazuma character expresses his love in ways that a real lover would. It charmed me. Except for Ep 6 (too many flashbacks), I enjoyed this series from start to finish.

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Handsome couple, interesting story, odd pacing and acting?

The main reason I was interested in this drama was Ren, he is unbelievably attractive and his acting was pretty good as well. I don't really have any remarks on it. Kazuma's acting was a lot more awkward, escpecially because of his facial expressions. The rest of the characters were decent and provided more of a side role. I did like the French guy at the end, his acting was noticably the best and he was really handsome as well. Overall, this is a short BL with sweet moments and a decently interesting story. I recommend to watch.

I do want to add that I found this BL to be a bit more realistic than other BLs, where one's reputation because of their sexuality could change and how people can deal with it in a realistic way.

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"Follow Your Heart."

Despite the ratings, I think this is one of my favorite short dramas from Japan. I can see why it appeals to only a limited audience -- the leading characters are definitely not the conventional ones. While I'm pretty much accustomed to seeing the 'popular smarty pants' and an introverted silent/chaotic mess, its the first time I'm coming across characters who are both calm and composed. And the overall aura of this series is surprisingly dark/unhappy.

Takizawa Kazuma has just returned from overseas and landed a job in the HR department of an advertising firm. To his surprise, he runs into his former best friend and first love Ishihara Ren, whom he had lost connection with when Kazuma had fallen ill in high school. However, the Ren he knows now refuses to indulge about his past and has changed his surname. They fall back into their old habits and Kazuma keeps his feelings for Ren a secret, even resorting to a friend-with-benefit arrangement, to keep it hidden. But, Ren seems to be hiding something much more bigger than he imagined.

The story has a plot, particularly dealing with workplace harassment. But, the entire journey is worth only for the characters alone -- if they grow on you, per se.
Saotome Ren/Ishihara Ren is one character whom I respect. Not because of how loyal he was to everyone he came across, but how pure he was in his intentions. I can practically hear my parents telling me why I should never fall in love at a young age because that's exactly what happens to Ren.
I enjoyed Kazuma's sunshine like personality; but, I do think that he a bit too naïve when he was young.
[It's lucky that Ren's instincts were correct, otherwise this would be a certain tragedy. ]
I have to say, I was satisfied with both the actors' portrayal of their roles, even if Ren's crying scenes did not have actual tears. But, then again, was it intentional?

The supporting characters such as Ryunosoke and Hide weren't just there to exist, but provided insights about the remaining characters. I liked how we were shown how both Ren and Kazuma saw each other through their own lens'.
The pacing was surprisingly good. The flashbacks from childhood that were interspersed with the current timeline managed to capture my attention and pique my curiosity. Both the child actors were excellent and well casted. I hope to see both of them in bigger roles in the future. [Loved the ending song, One Day, which seems to be more suitable for the darker theme rather than the sunny opening.]

I'm writing this review after quite a long break, so it's already a win that I'm able to recall both the characters' names and their stories. It might not be for everyone, but this was just an almost perfect watch for me.

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An OK-to-watch, not very excellent, as we may expected but it could be done better.

This drama has an epic source material with very deep story that could shake our souls, but unfortunately it is poorly excuted by the production team. They missed so much and instead of becoming another peak melancholic drama of Tunku Shower, its quality fell in the middle. The acting and chemistry in the first half of the drama is not giving and it could be done better if they cast experienced actors instead of idols or new actors because this drama is so heavy in terms of emotions. Crying scenes are bad and dry. What's more, casting 14-yo children in to sensual scenes makes us feel uncomfortable, let alone their weak acting skills.
In addition, the writing and directing is also not satisfactory as they skipped so much tiny yet important details from the source materials and the story seems rushed in some scenes. Color grading is a crime in this drama, that orangey color compromises the aesthetic values of the film frame and of course, affects cast visuals.
In general, it would be an OK-to-watch, not very excellent, as we may expected but I must say it could be done better.
I recommend you all find the manga because it can't be missed.

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Great story, progressive ish content, bad acting in 2/4 MC

The title says it all, but I want to focus on what I found progressive. This is the first time where I watched a show that (sadly still) assigned top and bottom but this time the top took on many of the “womanly traits” like cooking and maybe stronger emotions, though that equally could have been the quality of acting. He was definite The cuter one, but still was the top. It’s bad to say, “oh it defied gender stereotypes,” because it still
assigned top and bottom. Or giver and receiver. But it twisted the “top = man” bottom = woman. Idk. I found it so refreshing in the moment that i wanted to write a whole review about it.
As for the story and acting, the acting was bad, but it didn’t really take away from the overall show other than to make me feel bad/ embarrassed for the actors. I really enjoyed the storyline, and it was compelling enough that I looked forward to the show every day. I would recommend unless you don’t like bad acting. And I mean bass. I have not seen acting this bad in living
memory. But it was cute and fun. Except for that one scene on the subway tunnel by Ren

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A compelling story marred by pacing issues

This series might take its time unfolding, but beneath its surface lies a compelling narrative that captivates with its central themes. While the acting leaves room for improvement, the series manages to resonate with viewers through its profound messages.

The storyline revolves around the two main characters, Kazuma and Ren, who cross paths during their school years. Ren's silent infatuation with Kazuma simmers beneath the surface, driven by the fear of driving him away. A tragic event separates the two, only to reunite them a decade later in the workplace. The rekindled emotions set the stage for their journey, though Ren keeps an emotional distance.

At a concise eight episodes, the series maintains an unhurried pace. It delves into the history of Kazuma and Ren during their school days and the reasons behind their separation through flashbacks. While the pacing leans towards the slow side, certain plot points, like the workplace sexual harassment case, the impact of Ren's separation from friends, family, and Kazuma, as well as Kazuma's life abroad in the US, feel somewhat rushed. However, the series earns merit for addressing important issues, albeit briefly. It sheds light on Ren's traumatic experiences as a 15-year-old ostracized by his parents and blamed for Kazuma's hospitalization, ultimately abandoned due to his sexuality. Furthermore, it introduces themes of workplace bullying, office politics, and sexual harassment, though their exploration is somewhat limited.

The acting performances by Sakurai Yuki and Takamatsu Aloha may come across as amateurish, but the child actors deliver commendable portrayals. Furukawa Tsuyoshi's role as Ren's friend, despite limited screen time, hinted at the potential for deeper exploration of their friendship.

In conclusion, "April in Tokyo" possessed the potential for greatness if it had addressed pacing issues, focused more on character relationships, and perhaps reconsidered the limited treatment of the workplace harassment subplot due to time constraints. Nevertheless, it deserves a watch, as it distinguishes itself from typical BL series by incorporating substance and depth into its storytelling.

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