Lovely Characters
I really liked the story and how the actors portrayed the characters. Akaso Eiji (Adachi) is an amazing actor and worked so well with Machida Keita (Kurosawa) - their interactions felt genuine and authentic, especially with Kurosawa, who was an amazing character. However, the side character Rokkaku Yuta was a nice addition, and I wish we had more focus on him. And let's not forget the amazing Fujisaki - a true queen, a lovely addition.But the side pair... I'll be honest. I liked the character Tsuge, but when his side story started with his own "crush," I rolled my eyes. He should have remained a supporting character. I found it quite ridiculous, and I mostly skipped his scenes later on unless they were relevant to the main pair's story.
Overall, the story was very good.
As for the music, I'd give it a 7. The intro and ending soundtracks are nice, but there weren't any tracks that really stuck with me. They were mostly just there.
Does this have rewatch value? Kinda? Maybe in 5 years, I'll watch it again for nostalgic reasons, but that's about it."
Please give it a try.
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YAH
The drama was so sweett. I loved every part of, I always wait for it to come. sadly it finished yet I am so happy this bl drama existed. UNFORTUNATELY, NO KISSING SCENE something always blocks them when kissingg. Is it worth it, yes indeed it is, it was cute and reasonable. But like imagine having such power and then finding out that the most popular guy in your department has a massive crush on you and accepts who you are and watch your thoughts are like.... we don't get these here. okay now I have to write 500 more words to send this review. give me a minute. la la l a love love adachi and kurosawa is the best la la laWas this review helpful to you?
I WANT WHAT THEY HAVE ;;~;;
I don't remember the last time I felt so much butterflies while watching a romance drama. It's fluff with a lot of comfort. It's like my teenager self—who is so full of love—finally awake upon seeing the chemistry between Adachi & Kurosawa. No lust, no unnecessary fights, just fluff fluff fluff I LOVE THEM SO MUCHHH!!Kurosawa is so gentle, he always respects Adachi's space. But, also sexy like the way he teased Adachi is so *SMASH KEYBOARD*!!
As for Adachi, despite his lack of confidence, he always gave his best to cheer for the people around him when it is needed. A literal angel and he is SO CUTE like if I were Kurosawa I would be head over heels for him too. They really suit each other ♡
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What a wonderful story!
This is a story of love that triumphs over fear and incomprehension. It leaves you feeling wonderful, and happy. (Very different from some of the other great BL stories being told.) I would warmly recommend this to literally anyone.The plot is constructed around this mythical "magic" device. It sounds hokey, and it isolation it probably would be hokey. But when you suspend your disbelief for only a minute, the other story grabs you -- this is about a young man (Adachi) who is painfully shy and totally lacking in confidence, and how he comes to be drawn out of his shell and into a loving relationship. Despite all that, it doesn't really take itself too seriously -- the various humoristic touches are amusing and enjoyable and they contribute to making the story very watchable.
Strong points: The plot is very good. The acting throughout is also very good. Akaso Eji does a great job of conveying the changes in Adachi as the story arc proceeds -- in the first few episodes Akaso never ever leaves character and makes the viewer really feel Adachi's panic at having his isolation bubble breached. He always looks terrorized. But then, as the story progresses, his face softens and his expressions occasionally light up. When he sheds tears near the end, you know (because Akaso has shown you so clearly) that they are tears of joy. Kudos for a great performance. Machida Keita was also very good as Kurosawa......whose character was not exactly open and spontaneous, either, though he at least recognized what he wanted.
The production values are high, and the outdoor/nighttime sequences are very well done. While there was not a LOT of music, I liked the theme music, and the occasional use of piano and violin solos as background in important moments was excellent.
For me, another plus was just watching the Japanese interactions. I have not watched much Japanese video before and it was fascinating to watch how these guys dealt with each other.
Weak points: I didn't much appreciate the Tsuge character, though he is important to Adachi's journey. I also don't think the story was realistic in any sense in its representation of Japanese society and its acceptance of two guys in love.
But the fantasy is a very nice one, and overall, this is well worth watching.
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SO GLAD I CAME ACROSS IT...
I recommend this series to someone who wants to enjoy a really sweet and heartwarming lovestory, great acting and chemistry between actors and an amazing plot adaptation.Getting to know about what the story was going to be all about, I found it cliched and didn't expect any better from an adaptation, but man was I thrown off!!
Generally in bl series more focus is put on explicit scenes between men rather than the plot and relationship development itself, thats why I never liked watching them that much, but this is like the complete opposite, there is this slow burn and a really beautiful love story and the best part was the way it was portrayed and blended with the main plot. Many may argue that there weren't explicit scenes so it was a let down, but honestly I didn't feel there was a need for that. The chemistry between the mls was soooo good and natural with no cheesiness whatsoever which was surprising considering its a bl series, you could tell how deep and sincere the feelings were without them actually having to show it.
Kudos to the actors, the director and the entire team of Cherry Magic for creating such a beautiful and enjoyable adaptation and I feel so lucky that I came across it .
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Fluff and cuteness.
I really don't have much to complain about with this drama besides the fact that the power isn't exactly explained except that one has be 30 and a virgin to get it, it's one of the most wholesome and endearing BLs I've seen. The humor, the chemistry, the fluff; I loved it all. Kurosawa; best boyfriend, husband material really and Adachi is a clumsy, lovable mess. The side couple were cute as well. It made me cry from cuteness and other certain moments that I won't spoil.I related to characters with their self-doubts as well as with Adachi's and TSuge's anxiety of fitting into crowds they are not used to.
The Ost is *chefs kiss* Only skipped twice cause I binged and wanted to get to the episode quickly haha. So give it a shot if wholesome fluff and cute is your thing.
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I don't watch a lot of Jdramas, so I am really glad a friend made me watch this one, because Cherry Magic is so fun. It's funny, refreshing, and sweet. It's wacky without being annoying. The premise is delightful, and I gave myself an asthma attack (literally) laughing at how tightly wound Tsuge is. I really enjoyed the depiction of figuring out your sexuality as an adult. Sometimes it's just like that!
It would rate higher for me if they actually kissed onscreen. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I know that isn't a dealbreaker for everyone, but it is for me. There were so many chances for it, but somehow it didn't happen. Rude to me personally.
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cute but the idea is better than the execution (critique in review)
I saw other reviews calling this the best BL ever.... I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree.This was a very cute show with an interesting premise, definitely worth a watch & not too long so you won't be wasting your time. The main couple are adorable and the first few episodes especially had me laughing over and over again. The other characters are fun too, with their own traits and quirks, and there's even a whole woman who isn't treated like garbage at any point. On the whole, it's a sweet, fluffy show with low stakes and easy to binge in a day or two.
-- critique below:
But I do think there are some problems; for one thing, the acting is a bit lackluster. To me, Adachi never seemed to like Kurosawa the same amount that Kurosawa liked him, because he was played so straight faced and awkward. Which can be done really well, I love that character archetype but on him, I just couldn't feel the depth of his emotions most of the time. On the other hand, Kurosawa was literally just a love interest robot most of the time. I liked the scenes where his insecurities were touched on, but I wish there had been more depth given to him beyond what we got. As for Tsuge, he was way, way, way over acted. And Minato was barely acted at all.
Also, I just didn't care about the second ship... at all. They felt out of place together--and again, I love the opposites attract trope. But the two of them just didn't have the right vibe. I'm still unsure if they were meant to be like, sort of enemies before Minato found out about the cat? And how that completely changed Minato's opinion of Tsuge? And why Tsuge insta-loved him from that moment on? I was generally more interested in Minato, too, who we didn't get see that much of unfortunately.
(Also also, yes, there was really only one female side character who was important for more than one or two scenes. I loved Fujisaki-san but she was a plot device for the main couple to feel jealousy and then to give them advice. I wish we could've had more for her, or more women.)
Finally, this is my first Japanese BL so I wasn't sure what to expect to see in terms of visual romantic stuff. I really enjoyed the hand holding and the laying in bed scene, but I can't lie, I definitely felt kiss baited. I didn't let that affect my score because I understand it might be normal for JBLs, but... I am kind of sad we never got to really see them kiss except for the forehead kiss.
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The most heartwarming story, not only for BL.
I don't even know where to start. The show just ended yesterday and me, like all the regular users in this page, are still in a mess. Do you know the feeling of having to let go, even when you don't want to? It's exactly like that. I'm feeling empty inside knowing that the drama has ended and we have to bid farewell to the characters. For me, this is definitely one of the best and most precious dramas that I've ever encountered. I'm not exaggerating when I said I highly doubt I will ever find a drama like this ever again, that made me so captivated, engrossed and did all the stuffs I've never done before for a drama and their actors. During each very short episode, depending on the plot, they never fail to make me laugh, smile, feeling all fluffy inside, tear up or heartbroken. But that's the magic of Cherry Magic has done to all of us all over the world. It has become an unexpected international hit, and it's the first Japanese BL drama that ever got this worldwide attention.STORY
The long title might put off some people but the story is actually quite simple. 30 years old virgin salaryman, Adachi Kiyoshi, suddenly finds himself having the power to read the minds of people he touches on his 30th birthday. With this magic, he accidentally finds out that Kurosawa Yuichi, the most handsome and capable sales ace in his company, has a crush on him. What happens after that is their relationship development, which is both hilarious and emotional. What makes this drama special is its careful approach to portray human story, even though it is based on BL manga, it is very gentle and delicate in depicting the feelings and emotions, and eventually it is a story about relationship of two human beings, regardless of their sex. All the fans who have fallen in love with this drama can somehow relate themselves to the story, which what makes it resonate with fans all over the world.
It has the perfect balance of cute and sweet plot, but at the same time also there are also intense emotional plot that literally squeezed the audience's poor hearts.
ACTING
Fans have fallen in love with the two lead actors (Akaso Eiji and Machida Keita) not for nothing. Both of them are not big names in Japan and Akaso can be considered newbie in filming industry. But oh my, their acting and chemistry are top notch. Both are able to portray their characters perfectly, from body movement, subtle facial expressions, their speech, they almost make you believe they didn't act. Their on and off screen chemistry are undeniable, and it literally flowing out of screen. You will smile and laugh at their funny and sweet moments and will cry and hurt when they are sad. Their chemistry is so strong even simple scene like having fun in amusement park can make me smile and grin like an idiot, I sometimes questioned my sanity as an adult female lol.
MUSIC
I fell in love with their music, from the OP, ED and the BGM. I put the OP and ED on Spotify as soon as they came out and been listening to them until now. That's how good they are. In addition to that, the OP and ED are carefully written from the two lead characters' perspective, which adds more meaning to the songs. The BGM also excellent, they fit perfectly with their respective scenes and add more emotions to them.
REWATCH VALUE
If I can give 100 point to this, I would. I lost count already how many times I rewatched all episodes (which is short one, about 24 mins per episode). Everytime I would find a new detail, new subtle facial expressions, new little gesture that I didn't notice before. Everytime I would also still smile, laugh or feel sad when watching it. It is so worth it.
So for all those who is still deciding whether to watch it or not, don't hesitate to do so. I was also not very interested before, since I often find Japanese BL rather cringey (except Ossan's Love), but I tried to watch Ep 1 and the rest was history. So, please don't miss out this rare gem and I'm sure you would fall head over heels with this little drama!
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Funny & Heartfelt
This drama was absolutely stunning. At first, the premise seems kind of strange, but the show executes the idea so well.Adachi is a lovable protagonist who manages to be funny but also has his serious and heartfelt moments. His development with his love interest is beautiful and has appropriate pacing. The side couple may not get as much development in their love story and the feelings can feel a bit sudden, but Tsuga's over-the-top dramaticism really makes all of their scenes extremely entertaining. The side characters were all so amazing as well and are so supportive to the main cast. I genuinely have nothing bad to say about this drama. It's wormed its way into my heart and into my top 3 dramas of all time.
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Set the standard for BLs
After dabbling in a few gay dramas/BLs from different countries and feeling neutral to most of them, I am so glad to have uncovered the delight that is Cherry Magic. Don't be thrown off the the synopsis--this drama is sweet and healing, with an emphasis on self-worth and self-discovery. It's a shorter, lighter watch, but the protagonists (Adachi and Kurosawa) are written so nicely and sweetly, and I especially enjoy how they're both adults. I find a good amount of bls, probably due to lower budgets, tend to be toxic or stiff, but Cherry Magic stayed warm throughout. If you want a romance that's healing, this is definitely the one for you.Was this review helpful to you?
my thoughts
im in love with the actors and the charactershighly recommended especially for new bl viewers
the only thing i hate in this series is the other couple... (Minato and Tsuge)
no wait. i love the couple but.. Tsuge is kinda cringe (my opinion) but i like that Minato accepting him no matter what so thats fine i guess,, well thats it i dont have much to say cuz the series is good, characters, cast and story, of course the acting was a little off but thats fine im not a director to judge rigth>
- thank you viewers,
thank you stuff, directors and actors!
ありがとうございました
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