A short drama that packs a lot of emotions, nuance, and representation.
There's a part in here that truly represents the whole essence of the show. It's when Taichi would intuitively repeat long conversations to Kohei. It conveyed the kindness that someone like Kohei needed in a world where he has grown tired of being pitied. Taichi taught him to ask if he didn't hear anything because it's not his fault to have hearing loss. It made Kohei happy, and it's the reassurance he needed to feel that he belongs in his world.Kohei, who's quiet and reserved, found himself trapped in a bubble he created. And Taichi, who's naturally and flamboyantly loud, came into his life to burst that bubble - a college boy whose strides resemble his bubbly personality with a heart as big as his baggy pants. Isolated and withdrawn from the world he used to be a part of, Kohei finds solace in Taichi's reassurance. Their relationship progresses so naturally, letting us feel the emotions seep through our body and be fully immersed in their happiness, confusion, frustration, and all the fluttering feelings that come with growing up as young adults.
Kohei and Taichi aren't so good at communicating feelings, especially the latter. Things may not be said in words, and feelings can be lost in miscommunication, which has been the running theme in a lot of Japanese dramas. But in this case, it was buildup and hinted, seemingly wants us to be prepared for the incoming angst. It didn't feel like it appear out of the blue. The angst was given enough momentum to hit you directly right in the feels. Their ability to express emotions through nuance and visual actions is profound and an entrancing sight to watch. And the amorous and yearning glances say so much more than words.
I Hear the Sunspots is a coming of age story that explores the challenges of growing up with disability and as young adults. It's a representation for the hard of hearing people that's not just a mere inspiration porn for the able bodied. It has a commendable presentation of unique perspectives through various likeable and polarizing characters for us to better understand the unfamiliar world. They took the time to let these young adults figure life out, fully understand themselves, and grow as individuals as they navigate their relationship. This short drama sticks to its core and to what it's truly all about.
Overall, the show is well acted by the leads and side characters, and the music choices are so well incorporated. I'd gladly say it's a show crafted with a lot of compassion - a nice blend of heartwarming and heartwrenching moments. The story has a clear romance hints in the 1st half but it is more expressly implied than obvious in the 2nd half and that will really depend on how you see it fit for your own liking. It places more of an emphasis on sentiments, emotional connections and character development. It's not perfect but it's still a whole package well delivered that focuses on the serious topic of disability representation.
Motoki and Tora brought Kohei and Taichi to life. I feel them when they are hurt and confused, I feel their smiles and happiness through the screen. And whenever they show even the slightest hint of affection towards each other, I was moved and convinced. It's their natural chemistry that brought this all together.
This particular line really stuck with me while following the show: "It's harder to deal with people not understanding than not hearing." - Sugihara Kohei
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Definitely better than the 2017 movie.
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.This was such a charming and heartwarming series with a well written script. It did a great job introducing the characters and explaining their backstories. I also think this goes beyond the usual BL storyline. However, you should skip it if you are looking for hardcore romantic scenes. The romance in this series is more subtle with a nice even pace. The only character I found hard to like was Okami Maya, but I think her character added an important part to the story. The cast was awesome and did a great job with their characters. There were only two exceptions to this. The cinematography was great, but had some shacky camera work at times. As for editing, my only complaint is the flash forward and back was a little confusing because they were not clearly marked/indicated.
Random Note:
Although the 2017 movie (Silhouette of Your Voice) adaptation of the manga was cute, everything felt very rushed with an almost nonexistent BL storyline. I actually wrote in my movie notes that this would have been better if it was a series.
The similarities between the series and the 2017 movie storyline ends after episode 5. Episode 6 picks up where the movie ends.
******Spoiler Alert******
Although I’m still salty about the trick camera angle kiss, I still preferred it than the kiss in the movie. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but don’t incorporate a kissing scene if the actors are not going to do it properly.
The only other complaint is the hug at the end looked very awkward.
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Very Demure!
I just finish the series and I am please. I have not read the manga but, from what I hear they matched everything to the T.I'll admit this is not a serie that I would rewatch at least not right now. I felt like some aspects were rushed and some of the characters lack story time. However, the actors were amazing. No doubt in their talent.
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I initially gave this drama a score of 8.5, but in the end, I lowered it to 8, mainly because of the slow pace in the second half. In reality, it's not the slowness itself that's the problem, but rather the broadcast format. With 25-minute episodes released once a week, it took 12 weeks to get the full story. This long wait made the progression feel endless, especially with such short episodes. It wasn’t 25-minute episodes twice a week or even one-hour episodes once a week. This format made the story seem much slower than it actually was.Objectively speaking, the series only lasts six hours in total, which isn't too much time to develop a relationship. In most dramas, it takes at least six hours for the characters to become a couple. However, here, it really is a genuine romantic relationship, but it's told from a slice-of-life perspective, focusing on the challenges of dealing with illness. It’s a different approach compared to more traditional romances, which often emphasize physical closeness or dramatic twists.
The 12-week wait made the viewing experience more difficult, but the real issue lies in the broadcast format, not the story's pacing. I think it's time to move away from this kind of weekly release for such short episodes.
As for the final episode, the confession was truly touching. Kohei’s struggle to believe it made the scene even more emotional. However, the final hug left me unsatisfied: it lacked romance and didn’t have the emotional depth one would expect. Learning that a simple additional chapter could have given us a more romantic kiss only heightens the disappointment.
I completely disagree with those who claim this is a bromance rather than a BL (Boy’s Love). A bromance, by definition, is a friendly relationship without romantic feelings. Here, romantic feelings are clearly expressed several times. Yes, it’s a realistic drama, a slice-of-life story mainly dealing with hearing issues, but that doesn’t make it any less of a romance. It’s a sweet and subtle romance, but since when does a BL need to include kisses or explicit scenes to be classified as such? That’s neither necessary nor enough to define a love story.
As for the actors, I really liked their chemistry. Their relationship was timid, yes, but genuinely sweet. Their performances were convincing, and the music, both the opening and closing tracks, were fantastic. The series also does an excellent job of handling misunderstandings, especially when Kohei experiences hearing loss or tinnitus.
Maya, though annoying for much of the series, becomes more likeable towards the end. However, it has to be said that she single-handedly ruined three entire episodes.
I would have liked to see more physical closeness between the characters, but that’s typical of Japanese productions. By "closeness," I don't mean kisses or explicit scenes, but more affectionate gestures: hugs, tender moments. These touches of softness could have made their relationship feel even more romantic.
I’m still undecided between giving it an 8.5 to encourage this type of romance, which tackles rarely represented illnesses and disorders, or an 8, which better reflects my personal viewing experience. Either way, this drama tells a beautiful story that, despite its flaws, is worth watching.
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I had high hopes for this series
Before I jump into this, I’m just gonna say that I really did enjoy this drama and it was an entertaining watch. There was not a single episode that felt too boring for me either.I’m gonna start with the good things:
The actors/acting of everyone - This story’s acting felt so genuine practically the whole time. Just by the way the leads looked at each other conveyed so many emotions without them saying a word. Something about this factor made the series more compelling and realistic (I’ll talk more on realism in a sec).
The plot - The premise of the story was very good! I really liked how the characters disabilities were portrayed. Not once did it occur to me that these actors can in fact hear because the way both Kohei and Maya acted was so convincing.
Now, here’s where things kinda fell off for me:
What romance? - Come on now, the faked camera angle?! I thought Japan was progressing and yet the actors can’t kiss? I know in the manga the kiss wasn’t exactly shown, but that’s because it’s a damn manga, not a TV series lol! I’m sorry but the actors could not convince me that they were really in love with each other.. not with that awkward hug scene too 😭. They looked more like close friends who cared about each other rather than lovers (just my opinion though)
Next, yes the plot was good, but I’m a bit confused. Like wasn’t Kohei’s hearing declining? Why did it suddenly stop declining? I was really interested to know what was happening to him, but everything seemed to lead up to nothing since I still don’t understand.
I wished they had given more clarity on Kohei’s situation.
Either way, it was still a decent series and I would recommend!
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Pretty faithful adaptation
"I Hear the Sunspot" is one of my all time favorite manga series. It's one of the hard to find BLs that has a complex storyline carried out across multiple volumes where many are just about characters that meet and seemingly fall in love (and lust) within seconds of meeting each other. This adaptation wasn't entirely faithful in my opinion, but that was partially due to limited story time and the romance aspect is pretty much a slow burn that never quite catches fire. However, I think it's pretty clear how Taichi and Kohei feel about each other.Taichi is one of my all time favorite manga characters. He's so passionate, unashamed, protective, and brave. He does his best to understand others and is always looking to make sure no one feels excluded. I think the actor playing him did a pretty great job. I don't know if it was an intentional choice or just the actor's interpretation of Taichi's voice being loud and easy to discern, but I thought he also tried to mimic some of the grandfather's cadence. If intentional, I think that was a pretty cool touch to the character.
Kohei's actor did a great job, as well. Kohei is more of an internal character in the manga and I thought the actor conveyed that well. I wished we'd gotten to include more of the HoH characters he encounters in the manga, but we did get Maya. She's a character that it took some time for me to warm up to in the manga. Unfortunately, some of her development wasn't included in this adaptation with the time limitation, but I am glad they dug into some of her background.
I'm sad we didn't get Ryu or more of Chiba's story. Chiba is one of my favorite characters in this series, but again, time crunch. I really loved the story development between him and Taichi and I really, really, hope that, unlike my favorite live action BL My Love Mix Up/Kieta Hatsukoi, maybe this one can get a second season some how? Maybe? Pretty, pretty please! This adaptation barely scratched the surface of all the story Kohei and Taichi have together.
The romance aspect of his adaptation was not as overt as you'd see in some other BLs. Even Kieta Hatsukoi focused on that aspect more. I don't know if this sort of side step was the actors' comfort level or the production deciding to focus more on the story about a hearing person learning how they can be more mindful of the hearing impaired, but I can imagine someone looking for a BL that's more of a romance might not be super thrilled with how the romance was handled here.
I felt like the runtimes were a bit padded at times with SO many flashbacks, sometimes to moments that literally happened like five minutes prior. It didn't fully take away from my enjoyment, but it was a bit unnecessary at times.
Having watched the film, I personally prefer this drama a lot more. The chemistry between the characters was more developed, the pacing made a lot more sense for the progression of their relationship, and I enjoyed these versions of Kohei and Taichi more.
As a big fan of the manga, I enjoyed this and will be rewatching it. At the same time, I hope they somehow get a second season where the romance is more of a prominent story beat.
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I HATED THE MAYA GIRL
There is so much that is "could've been" in this drama, It was beautiful but not satisfied with how it went through, when I was watching it I felt like this is just teasing me or keeping me waiting for my thirst to satisfy and yet in the end what I was expecting was not given to me.I really loved the character Kouhei and Taichi , they were so bright and lovely people but I did not liked the story, their misunderstanding started from the episode 1 up to the last episode , I feel really bad with how their story was written. The part about understading people with low hearing capacity was good and such an eye opener but I felt like THAT in the story gave more confusion to confused characters.
Adding the girl Maya , she was so annoying I didn't think she was needed at the story , coz she just added confusion and misunderstanding to our boys, I usually don't get annoyed at girls that hinders on BL's that I have watched , but this was the first time I hated g a girl in a BL drama ! HAHAHA , I really wanted to go inside the story and remove that MAYA .. and she turned out to be the neice of Taichi's Boss , what a small world
Kouhei and Taichi together made me feel really good, them together was such a heart warming and it felt really good and the rest was annoying.
There was no romance here only maybe at the last episode when the boys FINALLY able to confess their feelings grrr HAHAH it was annoying that they have been misunderstanding each other all those times, but the rest, it was so dry and the fact that there was no kiss .. waaaa .. why did they even do BL 😵💫
So yeah basically only Kouhei and Taichi colored this drama but the rest was annoying, bad writting of story , and just made my BL heart got thirsty ..
Not gonna re watch this .. I hated that MAYA girl
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Amazing first half, just okay second half
The structure of the series is pretty much divided in the middle. So, we basically have 2 miniseries with 6 episodes each. One is a BL and the other a bromance. Like most BLs, the “first season” is great and the second has unnecessary dramas and new characters.In the case of this series, the first half is an amazing sweet romance. But then comes episode 7 and basically everything is undone. The later half of the season is a continuous set of miscommunications and backpedaling. The main characters don’t talk, don’t see each other and act like acquaintances. It’s almost a bromance series by the end. The second half is also greatly impacted by how annoying Maya is for most of the time. The chemistry between the main actors shines in the first half, but gets waisted in the last few episodes.
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Lighthearted coming-of-age drama with a different take of the hearing impaired.
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25“I Hear the Sunspot” is a lovely and sweet coming-of-age drama. Despite having a male lead with a hearing impairment, this drama focuses more than just his disability. It’s without a doubt that the challenges of having a disability will be part of the plot. But compared to other dramas of a similar topic, this drama has a more down-to-earth and lighthearted approach. It also distinguishes itself from other dramas as Kohei (ML) is not deaf-mute, but can still hear. It’s both a blessing and a curse when you can still hear, and when expectations of you could be somewhat unreasonable.
Additionally, this drama is also about knowing and discovering yourself. The lovely friendship and subtle romance between Kohei and Taichi is sweet. They are both very likable characters, and their interactions feel personable. The little things they do for each other and the quiet understanding of each other are the highlights of this drama. Seeing how Kohei integrates into Taichi’s friends circle so seamlessly, is also lovely to see (that zombie movie is hilarious).
And because the drama is so soothing and slice-of-life that it’s lacking an emotional impact on me. I don’t come out feeling the same angst as when I was watching “Silent” or the more fun and touching moments in “Shizuka-chan to Papa”. The conflicts in this drama could have been easily resolved if Kohei and Taichi would just talk to each other. They had no problems doing that in the first half of the drama, but seemed to forget how to communicate in the second half. Kohei could have been Taichi’s biggest supporter if given the chance, just like how Taichi has been there for Kohei. They just need to talk!
Nevertheless, “I Hear the Sunspot” is a lovely drama. It’s an easy watch with a handsome male lead that flashes a very attractive smile every so often (I’m talking about Nakazawa Motoki/Kohei). I do find Taichi a little loud and over-the-top for my taste.
Completed: 10/7/2024 - Review #496
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A story about love, acceptance and overcoming obstacles
This is a series about how through friendship, love, support and acceptance. It is a story about Kohei who suffers from partial hearing loss and distances himself from his classmates until he finds a cheerful and occasionally dense Taichi who treats him like a friend. Slowly Kohei, through Taichi’s support opens himself to new experiences and what starts as a friendship develops into something more.The strength of the show lies in its genuine exploration of disability and the power of human connection. Kohei and Taichi come from two different worlds but thanks to a chance encounter they begin talking and influencing each other lives. Nakazawa Motoki with his expressions and a sweet smile showcases the inner turmoil of a disabled person in a society that fails to understand him. Kobayashi Toranosuke as Taichi is loud and care-free but ultimately a person who is trying to discover himself. As the story progresses their bond influences them, as they realise what they really need.
The series, however suffers from slow pacing. Certain episodes seem long-winded and showcase nothing new or play as character-development. Also, the introduction of Maya is abrupt and plays no role in progressing the plot, other than increasing the time or creating unnecessary angst between the main characters. The rest of the supporting characters like Kohei’s mom and Taichi’s grandad take the role of guides who direct the main characters towards the right path.
In conclusion, the series is a good mix of emotions, drama and romance but suffers from pacing issues. However, it remains a heartwarming and uplifting watch, offering a unique perspective on disability and the power of friendship.
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Another solid BL from Japan
Sep 11, 2024Another solid BL released from Japan has been made in the year of 2024. It is amazing how, the story line progressed and many have said how accurate it is from the manga. So now, it seems like I will be finding my ways into reading this manga too.
The plot is simple yet the way it was portrayed really kept me interested. Though, I really hated the Maya arc, that girl annoyed me so much that I simply had no choice but to skip some scenes.
I love the chemistry of our leads to say the least. Given how pg and very fluffy, the chemistry is chef's kiss! I need more to be honest but yea.
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I will try to be as objective as possible. Lol.
First of all, I kind of knew this theme from another Japanese movie back in 2017, yet I don't mind repeating the same concept all over again in a series. One thing I like about the story is that the conflict between Kohei and Taichi was honestly heavier than I thought it would be. As a college student, I know exactly how hard it is to save money for college while working part-time elsewhere. I actually had the same thoughts as Taichi; I considered dropping out of college to keep working since I already had a stable job back then.
However, I had some expectations regarding Kohei's condition. But I guess the Japanese are not ready to portray a "bad guy" like the Taiwanese do. Lol.
I don't really mind the lack of (real) kissing scenes throughout the show, since kissing is not really a big deal in Japanese BL. However, I felt Motoki's performance could have been better. In comparison with Kobayashi, he seemed a bit mediocre. Kobayashi really did a good job as Taichi; I fell in love with his character, especially when he was trying to be cute but manly at the same time.
Now, I guess I need to find another series after my upcoming exam. Lol.
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