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Simple but i like the pacing
Didn't read the manga, so this review is based purely on the series.It may look like your typical enemies-to-lovers trope because it is. But I think what made me enjoy it was the pacing. Everything moved at just the right speed without feeling dragged out. We got to see the root of their rivalry, how they slowly started liking each other, their relationship, the usual conflicts that come with dating, and, of course, a happy ending.
If you really analyze it, there's nothing that makes you go, "Wow." But you know what? I still liked it. 😂 I enjoyed the jealousy scenes and even the misunderstandings. Just a simple series to season my week.
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Perfect starter drama.
Starts great, but my interest started to wane around episode 7.They somehow believably made this ridiculous bet work, and I think a lot of that had to do with how obvious it was that Ryo was down bad from the very beginning.
Acting was good, and they really embodied their characters. They also don't act over the top like in a lot of Japanese dramas I've seen, which is a major plus. Our leads also had good chemistry, and the cuddles were good. I love a good cuddle.
The stress relief scene in episode 2 is what made me want to watch the series. It's so cute! Zen also looks small and adorable in that moment. Sad to say, but besides this part, I'm probably not going to remember anything from this drama in a couple of months.
I love a good rivals-to-lovers trope, and this one was done really well; however, It's not memorable. I'm not going to be thinking of it at all now that I've finished it. I don't really care if we get more, even though if we get more, I do feel it's deserved.
Futami's actor was done dirty with that bowl haircut. I've heard he is really good-looking in the manga.
This is an easy drama to recommend to anyone, especially beginners, because it has good acting, production value, the chemistry between the actors is good, and it isn't too in your face with the NC scenes. It also has just the right amount of drama for someone who wants to watch a drama, but not be stressed out.
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A Gentle, Grounded Romance
I loved the leads in this. I also thought it was well directed, for the most part, and the conversations felt organic. The photography was nice, as were the locations. It was nice that, while it did resort to the bad communication and third wheel tropes, they weren’t dragged out, and were resolved without melodrama.Did I mention that I love the leads? The music was exactly what I’ve come to expect from J-dramas, and while that’s not a bad thing, it’s also nothing to write home about. Call it “suitable.”
In case I haven’t said so, the leads are fabulous. Neither does the cartoonish overreaction thing that one of them, naming no names, did in a prior role. Oh, and both can act, together they have chemistry, and are believably comfortable getting intimate in NC scenes. They’re also very pleasant to look at.
This is a safe, pleasant, engaging love story, centred on an office workplace, but with distant past roots. It’s not alienating with homophobic tropes like gay for you only, or internal conflict over trying gay for the first time, and the one outsider who learned they are a couple was supportive and unshocked that there was gayness going on. I find strong reactions to queerness incredibly repellent, and the WTF reaction this character showed was that these two people were together, which was understandable, given their apparent relationship.
I do hope that being out of the closet professionally becomes more of a norm in Japanese dramas one day 🌈
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A Rivals-to-Lovers Done Right
Even though the rivals-to-lovers trope is practically everywhere in the BL universe, this particular Japanese series holds a genuinely special place in my heart.What makes it stand out so much is Zen’s consistent character development from their high school days all the way to their adult years working side-by-side. One thing I consistently admire about Japanese productions is their casting dedication: When a story spans decades, they actually cast younger actors who look convincingly like the adult versions, rather than keeping the exact same actors across a 20-year time jump like so many Thai dramas often do. That attention to detail paid off brilliantly here. The younger counterparts didn't just share an uncanny physical resemblance, they captured the exact mannerisms and soul of Ryo and Zen, making their transition into adulthood feel authentic, grounded, and thoroughly earned.
So why can't I give it a top-tier rating? There are still narrative flaws that hold it back from perfection. I haven't read the original manga, so I can't speak to how faithful an adaptation it is, but the writing around Futami felt noticeably weak. If Futami was supposed to be an established high school friend, the show really needed to introduce or foreshadow him earlier in the story. Instead, he just suddenly drops into the plot out of nowhere to trigger conflict that ultimately felt rushed and overly simplistic.
Despite those structural hiccups, the emotional core between the leads is undeniable. The chemistry, nuanced character dynamics, and grounded tone make this an easy contender for one of my favorite BL series of the year!
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Good, zany fun
This was a really entertaining watch! I think JBL is best at these ridiculous premises, in this case rivals-to-lovers on steroids, and this was elevated by perfectly cast leads and a fun OST. Sato Yusuke is quickly becoming one of my favorite BL actors, and I love how he played a completely different role from his character in Mr Unlucky. Admittedly my excitement waned a bit in the later episodes as the story loses steam, but there was still solid chemistry throughout. The intimacy was also very well-done. Overall Fake Fact Lips is just a good old time, and I hope to see more JBL series like it.Was this review helpful to you?
Your new favourite binge of the day
Rather wholesome and entertaining. This whole thing.I wish to see more from these actors so I could judge their acting separately from this drama. Because these two molded right into their roles and I had zero doubt about who they were. I would not believe you telling me they are, in fact, not Zen and Ryo in real life.
I did like the story overall, especially when it tried to explore characters' insecurities. But I cannot escape seeing that it was rather superficial and only in service of the relationship. These actors could have done more because they are legitimately good. Which is at the same time the reason why gaps in the story are not blatantly obvious. Like random perturbations to move the plot beyond seven episodes.
But nothing can change the overall impression -- Short and sweet!
Thank you for reading,
RXP
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This review may contain spoilers
This was probably one of the best Japanese BLs I have ever seen
Overall, I am really sad that this was not 10 episodes, but it was a true joy to watch. I would give it an 8 (7.8) out of 10. And then I am going to say what I liked, what I did not like, and then do an episode overview!Starting strong with the plot. This was really good by BL standards overall, not just by Japanese BL standards. I thought it was really fun. It was really straightforward, not convoluted or weird, and it filled the episodes perfectly. So, basically, the plot is enemies to lovers, or rivals to lovers technically, but they are also enemies (?), there are levels to this shit. They were high school rivals, and now they are at the same company together, and they are still rivals, but it turns out one of the guys had a crush on the other one the whole time. Then they start dating on a weird whim, and their feelings for each other are pretty unsure. By the halfway point, they are both in love. Then they deal with what many adult relationships deal with: communication issues. For men specifically, or Japanese men in this case, they are either overly communicative or not good at it, and for these two, they were not very good at communicating, and that is where most of their issues arose. Overall, I thought this was really good and a fun and interesting plot.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the actors. Starting off, they were both really sexy, like, oh my God (like, old man sexy too). Not even like, oh, you’re Japanese, and you look like a little boy sex, NAH THEY WERE OLD MEN SEXY. Especially the one with the black hair. He was old and fucking sexy. Anyway, I thought they brought this to life really well, especially with all the emotions, and I think the acting is really good and brings their characters to life. They also had really good chemistry. Even though I felt like it started off kind of awkward, but then we had a sex scene that opened us up to the show, and that basically sold me lmao. They did that so well, and then they just kept delivering in everything.
Regarding criticism and stuff I did not like, I think my main criticism is the whole plot with the guy with the Dora haircut and the pointless micommuncaition that came with it. That felt really irrelevant and came out of nowhere, and I feel like it didn’t really add anything to the plot and took a lot away from our main couple. I think it was trying to show communication issues and stuff in real relationships, but it didn't really have much meaning, and I think they should have gone back to the other thing where they miscommunicated on their own, without the help of a weird third party that was introduced really randomly. Like we gave a halfway background thing on why this guy is here now, and he’s like I am going to ruin your guy’s relationship for the straight love of the game and I am going to have a fuck ass haircut while doing it, like what? So episode 7 and 8 really pissed me off, but other than that, this show was good and not a lot of complaints besides kind of empty episodes (not a lot happening), but looking back at it, it flowed pretty nicely.
Okay, some of my favorite quotes from episodes, let’s go. Episode 1: “WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? WHO WAS FUCKING AT THE START? WE ARE TOO OLD TO BE ACTING LIKE THIS, I SWEAR. ALSO HOLY JUMP, HEY, WHO CAN LAST LONGER? YALL GAYYY. AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE CHEMISTRY, WHICH IS SO NICE TO SEE. I AIN ‘T NEVER WATCHING A JAPANESE BL EVER AGAIN. FUCK IQIYI FOR RECOMMENDING ME THIS. 18 MINUTES IN. WHY ARE WE GIVING HIM BACKSHOTS AND WHY ARE WE JUST TAKING IT? LIKE HOW DO WE EVEN MOVE ON FROM THIS? We are just having face-offs for the love of the game bc whatttt????” Episode 3: “Hopefully we get some fucking in and not playing in my fucking face.” Episode 4: “WHY ARE WE PLAYING IN MY FACE? I KNOW YOU LIKE HIM BC U HAVE A BUNCH OF BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT HIS ASSSSS. DONT PMO. AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE SHOULD CALL IT OFF, BRO I KNOW YOU LIKE HIM. COMPUTA PLSSSS MAKE THESE GUYS FUCK RIGHT NOW.” Episode 6: “BRUHHH. I LOWKEY LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH STOP., THEY ARE SO CUTE. WOULD HAVE BEEN A 10, BUT I HATE MAN CHEEKS IN MY FACE, I SWEAR. ALSO, SOMEONE DEFINITELY CAUGHT THEM KISSING OUTSIDE, BECASUE THAT ANGLE WAS GNARLY. ALSO WHO THE FUCK IS THIS FUCK ASS NIGGA WITH THIS GOOFY AH HAIR AND WHY DO WE NEED 50 DIFF SHOTS OF HIM.” Episode 8: “They pissed on my grave with this episode.” Episode 9: “Also, I love the part that was like in the final couple of minutes where he is in his high school form, and then he looks back, and it switches to him. That was the cutest goddamn thing ever, and that was such a nice touch.”
Overall, I thought this was a fun watch, and I would recommend you check it out. Okay bye!
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This review may contain spoilers
Addicted to japanese bl its crazY
Always leave it to Japanese to create some of the most interesting and captivating yet extremely cliche show to ever exist.One of the biggest critic about Japanese bl that i usually read is that they are way too short, which i completely understand, but i also think it’s their strength. I don’t remember the last time i watched a thai bl (so usually longer in runtime) that made me want to watch the entire show in one night or that didn’t bore me somewhere in the middle. Japanese bl (ad kbl) are way different, cause giving how short majority of them are, they manage to become so engaging and so interesting, there is never a dull moment, there is always something going on.. idk i love them so much for that
However, this to me was.. in the middle? Not the best but most definitely not bad. I watched so many BL in my life that i saw bad, and this is not it. So imma describe point by point what i liked and what i disliked about this:
- As dumb as he origin of their fight was, i loved how well they builded up their “episode 9 curse”. Like i could genuinely feel by myself that tings were going wrong for them, but in such a. Beautiful build up that i was genuinely amazed by the writing. I loved it, i loved how well the actor played especially with their expression, how you could feel the vibe getting tenser and tenser. Simply chef kiss.
- I love yearning men, so no wonder why i liked this show. Ryo is just so in love with zen that it was so amazing, i am so obsessed with those types of man in shows, they are so in love but not selfish at all, they are actually more like in full devotion mode towards their partner and omg i am obsessed.
- I liked how even after their enemies to lovers they didn’t stop being rivals. There are way too many instances in which they sell you a story as “enemies to lovers” and after they become lovers they lose everything that made them intresting as enemies, so the rivalry, the playful hate among them. Yet here they kept their rivalry from episode one all the way to episode ten (yes I am counting the extra episode as well), which made it way better to watch
- Might sound weird, but their small kisses made it all so real. Like hell yeah, a couple does not kiss only when they are about to eat each other, so those small kisses were so freaking cute and made the whole vibe way more familiar
There were also some things that I didn’t like:
- Futami haircut was monstrous, terrifying.. I’m sorry if it was the character’s design in the manga, but pls, make it at least look realistic. Whatever it was a stylistic choice but i guess…
- WHEN YOU ADAPT A MANGA PLEASE MAKE THE DIALOGUES MORE REALISTIC !!! I am so freaking tired of watching any show that is taken from a manga and hearing character some of the most “written” words ever. People don’t talk like this please its lowkey a turnoff that could have made the show way way better if it was adjusted. Actors are way more dynamics than drawings, they are able to transmit emotions without having to word them out in a very unrealistic dialogue. Idk it just gives me thick so much, and in this show for some reason i felt it even more then the rest
- Let’s say, episode 1. Well not the entirety, just the premises of thei relationship. I don’t know the whole thing about the challenge, the fac that they were drunk, the slight psychological pressure… it felt very iffy and pretty borderline, compared to what i like ad what i think should be accepted in a show. Whatever, for the rest everything was on the line but the first episode man………….
The budget was like 2 dollars and a dream, so we unfortunately didn’t have amazing scenery or good coloring but whatever we gotta work with what we have.
Overall it was a cute show that i reallly really enjoyed and liked, it was very addictive and pretty interesting, even if there were some things that i would have changed but whatever.
Ps. I discovered while writing this that the actor that played Zen was the main lead in Mr unlucky has no choice but to kiss ????????
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Honestly, the plot and characters are way too manga-like and fake for my liking. While I did enjoy the acting some of the time, the exaggerated acting made the characters feel empty and I quickly didn't care if the couple ended up together or not. When Ryo suddenly confessed his love for Zen, I thought it would be another prank to trick him into falling for him.
For some reason all the intimate scenes also fell flat for me. The actors are definitely lookers, but perhaps the angles conveyed the idea of passion rather than actual longing and lust. Overall, this drama is unique and could be enjoyable for some.
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The chemistry between the leads was amazing and felt very natural. Ryo especially stood out to me. His facial expressions were so good, whether he was happy, sad, or emotional. Sometimes he reminds me of Ji Sung, but most of the time he looks like Jung Il-woo. He expressed every feeling naturally, and his performance really made my heart flutter.
If you're looking for something light, cute, and heartwarming without too much angst, I definitely recommend this drama. It's a simple but enjoyable watch with lovable characters, great chemistry, and a romance that will leave you smiling.
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The drama was okay, short but don't feel rushed.
I kinda like it tho. It's was good, but I did not enjoy as much as I thought I would.
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