Kimi ni wa Todokanai. (2023)

Good Starter Japanese BL ??

I just discovered this show a few days ago on Netflix and I got hooked as soon as I watched the first episode ! The story is nothing special it’s two best friends in high school who eventually fall in love. Things get complicated through miscommunication so nothing new is really brought to it, but everything else is cute. It’s cute seeing the ups and down of trying to go through close platonic relationship to romantic. The leads especially the guys who play Yamato and Kekeru have such ease with their relationship on screen. The only Japanese BL I’ve watched was Cherry Magic and this made me wanna check out more Japanese BL. This is a good starter BL to get that is light fluff and the story is on the lighter side

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Wasted Time

I'll start with a positive - the actors are really cute, and the guy playing Ohara is talented, with good subtlety of expression, and his eyes are beyond stunning. The guy playing Yamato is less impressive, although I doubt that's his fault as he was clearly directed to act like a manga character, which didn't work in live action. It rarely does.

The writing is abyssmal, stuffed with every possible cliche, and lazy beyond belief, with EVERY SINGLE important conversation or almost-kiss interrupted, often by the very people trying to get them together. This happened several times per episode, to the point I stopped caring and wondered where Godzilla is when you need him.

When everything is driven (or rather tha brakes applied) by ridiculous, contrived external events, some unbelievably coincidental - as if Tokyo is so small that you can't go anywhere without running into someone that wil ruin your relationship - there is no character development or organic development of the relationship, which was already there because of the childhood friends cliche. The only thing about this that I liked is that Yamato knew Ohara liked him, but consciously tried to deny to himself that he knew because he was afraid it would mess up their friendship.

I get that this is a chaste high-school drama, but there's a point where something is so devoid of heat that it's hard to understand why they should change their status as best friends. There are a couple of kisses, which were awful and destroyed by the obession with cliches, so that Yamato always had to have his eyes wide with shock, even when he was expecting to be kissed, which made it come off as vaguely non-consensual - not so much so that it was disturbing, but it left them totally without any quality that made it something I wanted to watch.

This is frustrating and ultimately boring and is the last JBL I will ever attempt to watch. I would pass, altough most otherpeople seemed to like it.

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IT’S LITERALLY BEAUTIFUL Y’ALL

[DISCLAIMER]

My ratings are not overrated, I mean them. Based on what have been released so far and compare to all previous Japanese BLs I’ve seen.

My ratings could still change since it’s ongoing… but so far, this is my cup of tea! I’d definitely recommend it!

[ACTUAL REVIEW]

Ep. 1-3

This is by far, the most satisfying Japanese BL series I’ve seen. Like considering the “entirety” of the drama (Acting, Actors, Script, Music, Setting, Videography, Location, Plot, etc.)

And I think it just makes sense, cause it’s a new one. I mean, they probably have learned a lot from the previous Japanese BL releases or BL in general. Here you could see them do things better when it comes to acting, script, and so on.

I’m not gonna talk about the “what could’ve gone better” (just yet) cause honestly I couldn’t think of any on top of my head right now. And I want my reviews to only focus on what’s good as much as possible, cause sometimes the imperfections could make something perfect the way it is.

But if it’s really lacking that it’s need to be voiced out so they could improve in the future (constructive feedback) then that’s the only time I tend to say something. So far, this one is really good that I’d recommend it and would rewatch it. (I actually have seen all three episodes twice while waiting lol)

They picked the right actors for the right story in the perfect timing!

I like it so much that I don’t get frustrated for having to wait every week and only get 1 episode released. In fact, I don’t want it to end yet. It only has 8 eps which is sad. And it’s not even completely out yet but I’m already hoping for a Season 2!

[UPDATED REVIEW AFTER EP. 4]

I’m afraid this would top all the Japanese BLs I’ve seen… or BLs in general (?) I mean, hear me out. We’re only at Ep. 4 but the amount of BUTTERFLIES and SATISFACTION I receive was ALREADY MORE than from watching an entire series ? I think the best term to decribe it is it’s “BEAUTIFUL”. It may sound cliche or like an understatement, but it’s literally the epitome of a beautiful feel-good drama.

Beautiful story. Beautiful portrayals. Beautiful acting. Beautiful faces. Beautiful cinematography. Beautiful script. Beautiful directing. It checks ALL THE BOXES.

If only I could pay to watch all the episodes ahead of time, I swear, I’d gladly do that.

The rewatch value of this is still HIGH for me. I could already see myself watching it again in one go once it’s completed.

**Please come back here every week for updated feedback**

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Very fluffy, comforting BL, would recommend if you're done watching Eternal Yesterday

•Story
Very simple but adorable BL about a popular but anti-social person inlove with his bestie, an unpopular but outgoing sunshine. This story focuses on the confusion and flutters they feel inlove with someone for the first time.

•Acting
I've seen many people that I know that says that the acting in this drama is shit, awkwardness is off the charts and they dont have chemistry. Y'all have never watched J-dramas or something? They focus on realism and they're meant to be that awkward. It's how we act in real life. It's an incredibly rare occurrence in this daily life to see some kind of boss and secretary have THE sexual tension that K-dramas be showing. The male leads in this drama are still highschoolers, they're still young and innocent. So don't expect them to be the most seductive couple ever.

•Cast
Kentaro as Yamato and Haru as Kakeru is perfect! It's accurate(especially the height difference lelelel) Also love how they made Leo as Yui, the role suits him well.

•Music
The OST is so ?? I hear it like all the time now. The meaning is also really sweeeet(like 'I want to draw a colourful world and an expanding future together' AHHHHH) also is it just me or are their voices are like the PERFECT Japanese band voice?

•Rewatch value
I would totally rewatch this anytime I want. It's good to watch when I'm feeling sad or something.

•Overall
Would totally recommend if you're into these type of dramas!

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And It Did Not Quite Reach Me

It is so well written and so well produced and has such adorable moments, I just wondered why I was not more moved by it. And ironically, who captured my heart were two individuals that were supporting characters, both showing more personality and more gravitas than the two main actors. In addition, with the theme of this story having been done so frequently, it has lost its mojo, so to speak because it just did not stand out enough. The friends-to-lovers-in-high-school is so overdone, that there is nothing creative about the premise anymore. I was only entertained at the beginning and at the end of this saga. I loved the two supporting characters the most as they gave this story a sense of purpose and direction and they filled the middle of this story. However, the theme of this story has become too trite to be interesting anymore. I really wanted to like this series more. Sigh.
You can read my full review of this series at BLBliss.com

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The Must Watch Young Love Story

I normally steer away from school romances, but this one took me by surprise with its chemistry and I have since rewatched it 3X. Outstanding production, pacing, direction and acting. The two male leads, while fairly new in their acting careers, display maturity and natural talent well beyond many peers. Haru in particular is extraordinary for his first acting role at age 18, and promises to be both a well regarded comic and serious actor in the decade to come. Maeda showcases a full range of intensity from anguish to complete joy, constantly a sheer delight to watch, and this reviewer believes he is destined to become one of Japan's Thinking Actors, akin to Satoh Takeru or Watanabe Ken.
Special mention for Leo Matsumoto, who elevates key scenes and adds depth to his support role and Itakura Toshiyuki who brightens the show with humour, as the teacher who relishes handing out detention to bright but lazy students.
Music: Fast paced, lively soundtrack and a gentle acoustic score that lifts the beautiful moments, based on J-pop and performed at times in carefully curated half and quarter tempo. Keep the Shazam nearby and you'll have some wonderful additions for your Spotty!
Translating manga faithfully to live drama is always tricky and there are a couple of overused tropes but the entire series, just 2.5 hours, makes for magical viewing. Enjoy.
Well done Netflix Asia, for promoting this series and please keep syndicating the fantastic Japanese content.
Thank you for reading! Follow to be notified of future reviews! ~ Fumiyawagi

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Soothing and Memorable.

The trope of childhood friends falling in love is definitely out of vogue and dramas with recurring themes (often including the same scenarios) fail to impress, and rather irritate viewers instead.
Kimi Ni Wa Todokanai falls in the same league, but with that magical Japanese touch of making the simple seem the most beautiful, this has become one of my favorite dramas ever.

The seemingly quintessential, popular and well loved, yet introverted Ohara Yamato has a deep secret: he is head over heels for his less bright and extroverted childhood friend, Ashiya Kakeru.
He refrains from confessing, but when Kakeru expresses his wish for ‘having someone special’ and actively seeks company along with his friends, Yamato begins to lose control of his carefully guarded feelings.
The shift in tone of their friendship confuses Kakeru and the two best friends are forced to grapple with their emotions.

The trope might be a cliché, but I loved every single episode.
Its concise storytelling, excellent performances and chemistry from both the leading actors, coupled with adequate runtime made this a simple, yet memorable watch.

Also, the BGMs which were ridiculously spot on, aesthetics and a sprinkle of comedy, friendships and sibling relationships made this wholesome.

All in all, I will be definitely revisiting this little journey with the characters once again.

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Romance entre amigos de infância gays

Amei como eh mostrado que o Yamato sempre soube o que sentia, mas quando sente ciumes ou é correspondido ele não sabe lidar, como o Kakeru entendeu que o Yamato gostava dele e percebeu que tava tudo bem gostar de volta, tudo tão leve e bonito, um dorama fofinho. Além de mostrar que a Mikoto aceitou o irmão de primeira, porque amor de verdade eh isso

Além de ser extremamente rapidinho de ver, fácil de entender e bem distribuído! Eles fizeram história com apenas 2h e pouco e um sonho! Se o dorama foi bom assim, nem imagino o mangá!! No aguardo da segunda temporada!!!

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Uma história simples que entregou tudo!

Na verdade assisti esse em 2023, mas só vim fazer uma resenha hoje. Também enrolei pra assistir, fiquei um tempão esperando mas decidi ver quando saiu na Netflix. Assim que assisti fiquei apaixonada, vi tudo de uma vez.

Pensa num bl bom de assistir, esse bl é i can't reach you. A série traz um romance colegial muito reconfortante de acompanhar, sobre um garoto apaixonado por seu melhor amigo de infância. A história simples mas muito bem desenvolvida.

Vemos a relação deles evoluir aos poucos. Ambos temem perder a relação de amizade que construíram ao longo dos anos, e por isso não conseguem expressar bem as emoções complexas que sentem. De um lado temos Yamato, que se vê cada vez mais ansioso com seus sentimentos, e do outro temos Kakeru, tentando compreender o que realmente sente pelo melhor amigo.

Tudo é muito típico de um romance adolescente. Assistimos os personagens passando por todas as fases do primeiro amor, desde as inseguranças, a falta de comunicação que termina num grande acúmulo de tensão, as reações exageradas (o famoso gay panic), e também muitos momentos delicados e carinhosos. Tudo isso me fez vibrar com cada pequena interação do casal.

O drama dos personagens muito palpável, realmente dá pra sentir o desespero emocional deles. Senti muito isso principalmente com o Yamato, tinha momentos que eu ficava completamente vidrada nele pensando "meu Deus, esse menino vai ter um ataque". A atuação dos atores contribuiu muito pra isso, todos foram muito bem e me cativaram demais.

Acho que vale muito a pena assistir. A execução foi tão boa que transformou um enredo simples em uma obra que se destaca entre os clichês. Muito divertida e rápida de assistir, eu recomendo demais. Com certeza vou rever em algum momento.

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Hooked - Light and Heartwarming

I'm shocked by how I was really hooked on this series. I guess I just really prefer stories with a light and heartwarming storyline. I really love the chemistry between the main leads. But I also have to give praise to the side characters who also brought good acting to the show. 

However, I'm a bit saddened by one specific scene. I'm referring to Episode 6, (SPOILER!!!!!) when Yamato tried to force himself on Kakeru. Kakeru told Yamato that he's lacking and messing up most of the time they are together ("Someone like me doesn't have the right to fall in love with you. I have nothing to offer."). And then Yamato brought up the fact that for him, that is not the case, because no matter what Kakeru does, Yamato still likes and treasures him. Furthermore, Yamato forces himself on Kakeru, not just a single time, since Kakeru said no immediately the first time, but Yamato still proceeds to kiss and caress Kakeru. Stopping only until Kakeru said no in a scared and shocked manner.

I'm just a little bit sad that the story between the main leads lacked the "consent" factor when it comes to their intimacy. Yamato will be the superior BL main character if somehow "consent" is included for him as a whole. 

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