Cosmetic Playlover (2024)

Workplace Romance: A Cosmetic Tale

This series is a refreshing addition to the BL genre, offering a mature and nuanced portrayal of adult relationships. It stands out for its focus on workplace dynamics and the importance of open communication.

The series follows the lives of two male beauty advisors, Natsume and Toma, who work together at a cosmetics company. Natsume, a dedicated and passionate employee, finds himself mentoring the more laid-back Toma. As they navigate their professional and personal lives, they both develop feelings for each other, leading to a series of misunderstandings and challenges.

What seriously surprised me was the captivating performance by Okuno So, capturing the character's shy and gentle demeanor with remarkable nuance. His portrayal of Natsume's internal struggles and emotional growth is particularly impressive, making him a standout in the series

The series wasn’t without its flaws. There were a lot of drawn out internal monologing by Natsume describing the scene and his feelings. Would have rather loved to see it being played out rather than feeding it to us. A lot of characters are introduced out of nowhere and leave soon enough, case in point the introduction of Kakizaki Keigo.

In conclusion, this series is a breath of fresh air and away from school rom-coms. With superior acting and a great plot, it never fails to hold your attention.

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I'll Vouch For These Two BAs

This drama gives me fluttery feelings and no anxiety which is a huge win in my books. It is not a perfect drama by any stretch, but it serves its purpose of being entertaining.

Let's start with the bad, because there aren't too many:
- Sahashi's eyebrows. He has such nice eyebrows in real life, I can't figure out why they made it so dark in the series. I have such a huge hatred for his overdrawn brows that this has to go at number one for the "bad" list.
- Some plot points were not properly fleshed out. There were a couple of things that I wish they just don't introduce because they end up not properly resolving it (family stuff and work stuff mainly).
- Okuno So as Mamiya is too beautiful and amazing at his job for the whole lack of confidence thing to be fully believable. Yes, hot and talented people can be insecure too but it seems like external people don't really compliment his looks which is incomprehensible to me because he is just too damn gorgeous.
- I do think they could up the intimacy a little bit. I don't mean sex - but casual touches, close proximity to each other, and stolen glances. I just don't think they do these enough for me to fully buy into their chemistry.

Now onto the good:
- Gorgeous gorgeous men on my screen. I'm sorry that this is my first point on the good list but Okuno So is just ethereal. He is like the combination of TVXQ's Changmin and ZB1's Gyuvin in the best way possible. I am utterly in love.
- Actual character growth! Both characters have their own flaws but the conflicts in this series actually helped develop their characters and relationship. It is refreshing to actually see conflicts used as a personal development moment and not just as a way to progress the plot.
- They are actually decent people. Mamiya is genuinely one of the kindest people I have seen on screen. He is so selfless and genuine, almost to a fault. Sahashi has a prickly exterior but he is never malicious on purpose, which I appreciate.
- Internal/relationship conflicts handled promptly, which is awesome for people who are prone to anxiety like me. I hate misunderstandings and miscommunication - thankfully there aren't a lot of those here. If there are, they are usually handled quite promptly.
- Most side characters add value to the show!

Overall the good heavily outweighs the bad in my eyes and I would recommend if you like mindless workplace fluff.

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The Japanese actor Okuno So is marked in the memory of the universal spectator, not only for his beauty and the splendor of his black eyes or beautiful smile, but, above all, for his extensive command of the stage, for his extensive filmography despite of being only 25 years old.
Of the dozens of titles to which it has given a face, there are several that are sacred pieces of audiovisual heritage, especially for BL lovers. Shibata Keisuke ('Sahara Sensei to Toki-kun', 2024) and Takahashi Yuya ('Blue Birthday', 2023), two of the most exceptional Japanese directors of all time, caught their eye, very early, and summoned him to take part in 'Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka', from 2024, in the role of Nakatsu Mizuki, the ex-boyfriend of Sakae, one of its protagonists.
This series, together, fundamentally, with the film 'The Novelist: Playback' and the drama 'Given', both from 2021, placed it at the forefront of global attention, both from the viewer and the most significant Japanese directors.
His brilliant career as an actor gains strength through the three works included and, furthermore, through the miniseries 'High-Speed ​​Parahero Gandeen', directed by director Tsujimoto Takanori, in 2021.
The young actor's on-screen respectability increases after his collaboration with Japanese director Yamaguchi Junta in the 2022 series 'Koi ni Mudaguchi', in the drama 'Boys! Please Kiss Him, Instead of Me', by writer and director Hiranuma Nohirisa, and in many other series, such as 'Say Goodbye If You Love Me' (2022), 'Joshikosei, So ni Naru', (2023), 'Shufu Maison ', by director Ueda Hisashi, in many of them as the protagonist, or in films such as 'The Setting Sun', directed in 2022 by Kondo Akio and 'Gray Wall Gear', from the same year or 'High&Low: The Movie', from 2016 .
The performer has been pragmatic in balancing his interests on screen. He earned his aura as a magnetic actor, capable of moving on the sets of several demanding filmmakers. Let's not forget his starring role in films such as 'Kamen Rider: Reiwa the First Generation', by Sugihara Teruaki (2019), 'Kamen Rider Zi-O: Over Quartzer', by Tasaki Ryuta (2019), and the series 'Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FOREVER', by director Yamaguchi Kyohei, (2018), 'Kamen Rider Zi-O' (2018 – 2019), directed by a group of filmmakers.
For his part, actor Toyoda Yudai means sure success and a full box office, and the public has supported him since he put a face to so many iconic characters in Japanese film and television, in the feature films 'Red Bridge', 2022, 'Youkai Sharehouse: The Movie (2022), directed by Toyoshima Keisuke, 'Father of the Milky Way Railroad' (2023), by Narushima Izuru, and in the series 'Saiko no Seito: Yomei Ichinen no Last Dance' (2023), 'Fufu no Himitsu ', 2024, 'Renai Battle Royale', releasing in August 2024, 'Sorette Pakuri Janai Desu ka?' (2023), from directors Nakajima Satoru and Uchida Hidemi, 'Numaru. Minato-ku Joshikosei, by director Goto Yosuke, from the same year.
The participation of Okuno So and Toyoda Yudai in 'Cosmetic Playlover' increased the fascination for the two. From director Shindo Takehiro, who has films with LGBT+ themes such as 'Closet' (2020) among his work, he gives us a story that revolves around Mamiya Natsume, a diligent, kind and serious young man who keeps all his problems to himself. She has managed to make her childhood dreams come true, and today, as a beauty assistant, she performs hygiene, care, maintenance and beautification tasks on clients' skin, face and body.
Her great understanding of products, brands and services in the area of ​​cosmetology has earned her fame among Japanese women, who have as one of their main goals to have firm, radiant and extra white skin, based on the ancient tradition of paint their faces with a white powder called oshiroi.
In a microuniverse dominated by women, Natsume (Okuno So) is self-confident in his work life, but not so in his personal life. Her world is turned upside down with the arrival of junior Sahashi Toma (Toyoda Yudai) at the cosmetics store where she works. His new partner, who relies on his beauty to attract clients but does not take his job or Natsume's pertinent advice seriously, manages to outsell and annoys Natsume because he tries to act like a good superior.
But from animosity to love there is only one step. The senpai's feelings of love for his junior appear when Natsume discovers that his heart beats fast, although it irritates him, while Toma recognizes Natsume as the only person who admires him for his skills and efforts in the effort to provide happiness to his clients.
Natsume will soon forget that since he was a child, when he discovered his passion for the work he currently does, he has been secretly in love with Tanouchi (Nakamura Yuichi), his senpai, a heterosexual man, father of a family.
However, the lovers' happiness will be put in danger with the arrival of Nanjo Atsushi (Sono Shunta) at the store where they work, or the constant trips they must make abroad for work reasons. While Natsume's parents and sister come to terms with his sexuality, Sahashi lives away from his family, and will see Natsume as his only family member and the person with whom he wants to share his life.
The conjunction of that pair of faces captured by the camera represents, for some, absolute physical perfection on Earth.
Kanasugi Hiroko, one of the most significant Japanese screenwriters, author of 'Takumi-kun Series 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers' (2007), 'Takumi-kun Series 2: Rainbow Colored Glass' (2009), 'Takumi-kun Series 3: The Beauty of Detail' (2010), 'Takumi-kun Series 5: That, Sunny Blue Sky' (2011), 'Killing Curriculum: Jinroh Shokei Game - Prologue', 'Udagawachou de Matteteyo', 'Sukitomo' (2007 ), and the series 'Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai!' (2022), among many other films and dramas, adapts the manga series "Cosmetic Playlover" (コスメティック・プレイラバー) by Narashima Sachi, to tell us about this gay relationship between coworkers, against the background of the competitive cosmetics industry.
I am struck by the idea of ​​putting two men to work together to attract female clients, as well as making Japanese aesthetics visible, related to the standards of what is considered taste or beauty in Japanese culture. Considered a philosophy in Western societies, the concept of aesthetics in Japan is seen as an integral part of daily life.
Beyond recounting the romantic and work experiences of Toma and Natsume, 'Cosmetic Playlover' serves as a portrait of Japanese aesthetics as a variety of ideals; some of these traditional and others modern or influenced by other cultures, especially Western ones.
The series undoubtedly succeeds in showing the most fascinating face of Japanese male beauty assistants, who, in this case, are not united only by their delicate work in the tasks of beautifying the skin, face and body of Japanese women.
The sensitivity with which it is narrated is evident in the most moving scenes, capable of showing with great honesty and with complete naturalness the relationship between the two protagonists, their evolution throughout the time shared in the workplace and in the Toma's house, where Natsume will move to live the romance with the person he loves.
Despite being a series that seems aimed at a very specific audience, the truth is that its intrinsic quality deserves good consideration by the public and specialized critics.
Okuno So's performance is one of his best works to date and has served to demonstrate that his fame is very well achieved.
For his part, Toyoda Yudai's role in 'Cosmetic Playlover' is undoubtedly a challenge, giving life to a young homosexual for the first time in his already extensive filmography. The young actor manages to successfully overcome the challenge thanks to his fantastic performance, which he gives with the vitality, romanticism and desire to grow professionally and personally that characterize his character.
The chemistry between the two actors on screen gives rise to beautiful scenes of physical interaction that audiences who love romance in general and BL in particular will appreciate and appreciate.
'Cosmetic Playlover' exudes subtlety and good taste. The costumes, both the modern one and the yukata, the traditional Japanese clothing made of cotton that we see worn by the characters at the summer festivals where they come to enjoy the show, are taken care of down to the smallest detail.
Another strong point to highlight is the excellent photography, while the soundtrack has some really beautiful songs with very suggestive melodic themes.
In summary, the series is recommended for several reasons: for its faithful reflection of a reality that is absolutely fascinating for Japanese women and beauty consultants, for its sharp and elegant sense of combining humor and drama, for the strong performances, especially from the two protagonists, and for the honesty of their approach.

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It is an easy watch with sweet moments.

A simple and stressless BL with out too much angst.
Tome is an ex model and he appears to be good at what ever he does. His stand offish personality does not endear him to others and often leads to jealous repercussions. We later find out how his upbringing has enabled him to look after himself from an early age.
Natsume is a lovely flawed character. He tries very hard in his work and at trying to get others to like him. His low self esteem seems to be triggered by his wish to be super successful and the reality that he is very good at what he tackles but not outstanding.
These two are working together and Natsume admires Tome and is very encouraging of his talents. Tome starts to notice Natsume and a romantic link is sparked. He is very direct and steadfast in his pursuit of Natsume. Natsume is the focus as he deals with his insecurities, jealousy and possessiveness. All the other characters are there as background noise or mild diversions.

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Adding this to my rewatch list!

This was a pleasant surprise for me. I hadn't read the manga so I went in not holding any expectations - a story about 2 men who sell make up? I thought this would be just a cheesy drama with the same old tropes.

While it was cheesy and silly at times, I loved the way the story focused on the two main characters - Mamiya and Sahashi - and their relationship. There wasn't any drawn out miscommunication or drama for the sake of it. Instead, they actually communicated with each other and shared their feelings! It was refreshing and sweet to watch.

The main actors were also great and had amazing chemistry together. I could watch them all day 😍 The drama also showcased a lot of intimacy between them which was believable and so enjoyable to watch.

Overall, I would watch for the chemistry and sweet boy love. This is definitely on my rewatch list for when I need a nice feel good drama.

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Vale a pena assistir? Sendo bem honesta, acho que não, mas não é um dos piores bl's já feitos.
Algo que me incomoda em quase todos os bl's japoneses que eu assisto é o personagem principal sempre vai ser muito inseguro e arrumar alguma confusão sem um motivo decente, e parece que em todo ep o Natsume arrumava algo pra ficar descontente em relação ao Toma, em algumas das vezes eu entendi porque foi no começo do relacionamento e ele não tem uma confiança muito boa em relação a si mesmo, então ele se sentir desconfortável com algumas coisas tudo bem, mas no ep em que o Nanjo da em cima dele e ele não atende a ligação do Toma foi a gota d'água pra mim, achei injustificável, eu não odeio ele porque nada realmente aconteceu, mas se o Nanjo não tivesse dado um choque nele e parado, algo teria sim acontecido. No geral eu não odeio o Natsume, mas acho ele um pouco paranoico demais e também acho que ele desiste muito fácil de coisas que era pra ele insistir, como também se envolve em coisas que era melhor deixar pra lá, como no ep em que ele insiste que o Toma tem que fazer pazes com a família dele mesmo sabendo de toda a história, a gente não teve paz nem no episódio final porque ele ficou fazendo birra sobre o Toma voltar a ser modelo (sendo que na minha opinião ele deveria apoiar ele se fosse oque ele realmente quisesse fazer, principalmente depois de saber que ele foi sabotado logo no início da carreira). Já o Toma é um querido carismático que salvou esse bl, ele entregou tudo nas cenas de ciúme com os olhares de louco (me rendeu boas risadas e leves surtos porque ELE É LINDO), acho que ele teve muita paciência com o Natsume e ele merece reconhecimento por isso, porque eu nem estava naquela situação e já teria surtado com ele. O Toma sempre foi compreensivo e desde o início deixou claro que ele é pra casar (quero um Toma na minha vida).
Resumindo, assista se quiser assumir o risco de passar raiva.

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Poderia ser ótimo!

No geral: algo não funcionou muito bem para mim, mas adoraria ver os atores em uma nova série. Isso é baseado em um mangá que li, embora tenha tentado revisá-lo por seus próprios méritos (o mangá tem muitas cenas NSFW). 8 episódios com cerca de 24 minutos cada.
O que eu gostei
- O personagem foi honesto no episódio 1
- Premissa clara
- Vários personagens foram introduzidos, mas não fiquei confuso
- Momentos doces
- Família e colega de trabalho solidários
- Teve uma boa comunicação

O que considero como melhoria:
- O personagem Tsundere manda Natsume “se preparar” e, nessa altura, basicamente não faz nada, eles comem espaguete, dá um abraço, falta intensidade no relacionamento deles.
-O drama de trabalho era desinteressante (mesmo sendo adaptado do mangá)
- O episódio 5 chegou tarde demais para dar a perspectiva do outro personagem/explicar sua motivação
- Natsume confiava em um total estranho em vez de em seu namorado e repetidamente ignorou os limites
- Aquela competição estúpida no episódio 8 sem cláusula
E é isso! 😁😁

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Un gran potencial desperdiciado

el inicio me atrapo, sinceramente adoroo personajes posesivos, y romances en el trabajo. Siento que todo empezo a irse por la borda cuando Sahashi se fue para otra sede, desde alli vimos a un natsume real pero muy muy inseguro (no quiero decir que lo odie pero despues de tantos problemas me canse). Siento que los productores no sabian como hacer un romance, hicieron un perfecto pre-romance pero no pudieron hacer un misero romance decente de dos personas adultas que vivian juntos. No quiero decir que se necesitava escenas spicy pero por lo menos lo minimo para hacerme creer que si eram dos jovenes adultos que se amaban.T ampoco hubieron escenas de ellos siendo una pareja, todo fue voltado al trabajo y sí puedo entender que su foco era su relación era el trabajo pero no hubieron muchas escenas de ellos siendo una pareja feliz
Lo unico que salvo a esta serie fue los protagonitas, si no fuera por ellos hubiera dropeado la serie despues del tercer capitulo.

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