25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024)

Mild angst, major miscommunication.

Can I even call it miscommunication? Was it not just a reverse delulu - Shirasaki Yuki truly lived in his unfounded convictions and denied any possibility of mutual feelings between him and Hayama Asami. The only thing left for me to do was keep watching and keep sighing - little guy was chickenblocking himself.

Truth to be told, I actually loved the plot itself. I'd just tweak how Shirasaki Yuki was written to make him a bit less frustrating. His character effectively lowered my rating with each action he made. Dude kept acting as if he was rejected without being rejected. At some point his explanation of Hayama’s actions became so illogical all I could do was laugh. What the drama failed at was convincing me there was a valid reason for him not even thinking there is a chance Hayama might like him.

I do appreciate how it led to a nice pinning and angst from Hayama Asami tho, which was in fact the highlight of the show for me. With just two episodes focusing on his point of view, I somehow believe I understand his character and reasoning far better than Shirasaki’s. His hesitation made sense. How cautious and at times passive his behavior towards Shirasaki was - it was well explained and it was the most fun part of the drama to watch. I’m a connoisseur of mild angst and I was quite pleased with what I’ve got from 25 Ji, Akasaka de.

How about the chemistry ( which is undeniably important in romance driven shows)? Depends on which scene we are talking about. The first kiss the part shared was atrocious. It was not even a dead fish kiss. It was not a cute peck, they literally just put the lips together, barely touching, and stood there. The context of this scene made it even more ridiculous and I almost dropped the show when it happened. Luckily it only gets better from that point, so don’t give up hope (not that it could get any worse).

For the acting - it was good, just not my preferred style. I did not quite connect with Shirasaki Yuki’s character and Niihara Taisuke’s acting did not help either. I would not even say Komagine Kiita did an outstanding job either, but I just prefer the subtle ways emotions are shown, and that’s how the character was written and the performance directed.

Production wise I did like the drama a lot. Not only they wanted to present a cohesive story, but they wanted to do it in a visually pleasing way, that’s always a plus in my book.

Overall, it’s a nice show, but it’s not something I’m going to talk about and recommend after some time. I enjoyed it as it aired, and will have no issues quickly moving on to other new titles.

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Lost in the Monologue Mayhem !?

The plot started strong but unfortunately *a long sigh* it lost its way in the second half and picked up in the finale. But a little too late!
The concept of two BL actors starring together and falling in love - This isn't new. Feels like the ongoing trend in J-drama BLs. But this series didn't quite live up to expectations, at least for me.

The characters, Shirasaki Yuki and Hayama Asami struggled with a FRUSTRATING lack of communication throughout. The fact that they both pinned on each other as they sipped coffee in the penultimate episode just pissed me off.
There were many times when I found myself shouting, "JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER !!" While I do under this can be a cultural nuance, stretching it to the finale was a bit much.

They relied 'too much' on internal monologues, that after a certain point felt distant and unclear especially Shirasaki's reflections on his self-esteem and feelings for Hayama. I expected a good/some character development where I could see his confidence building slowly and gradually but I got none.
Hayama's reserved nature, despite publicly expressing his affection for Shirasaki, was equally frustrating and confusing at times.
Honestly, individually both characters were well-acted and had potential, but together they seemed "too similar", creating a somewhat repelling dynamic.

The finale was sweet. I was glad finally one of them decided to break the ice and be brave!
The intimate scene was shot to utter perfection! *_*
I liked how Shirasaki became a bit too bold and brave after the confession. Honestly, it was a treat to watch him happy. Lol.
I wish this could have happened in one or two episodes prior so that the ending wouldn't feel rushed (They didn't even sit for the coffee! That rushed xD) and we at least could get a deeper exploration of them being in a relationship for more than 10 minutes!!
Talking about the standout scenes, The Gnocchi-making scene tops the hall of fame!! It was sensual and kept PG-13. (WOW!)

The acting by both the leads was another positive for this drama. I found it simple and sincere. They did their best with what was given to them!

In conclusion, If you ride and thrive on angst, frustration and introspective inner monologues, I would recommend this!
I could have rated it higher if I had binge-watched it!

Overall, 7.7/10!

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