Cozy Warmth for Cold Days
This show has quickly become a comfort watch for me. Something about the way the beautiful cinematography, the quiet intimacy of the dialogue, and even the big fluffy scarves and sweaters all add together... it's deeply soothing to me.
I really like the concept of the story. So many romance dramas focus on the couple getting together, so having the focus be on an existing couple is plenty unique on its own. Combined with the intimate exploration of one specific relationship as well as reflections on what makes relationships work or fall apart in general, this makes for a truly unique premise.
A premise that is then beautifully executed. The acting is stellar, the pacing is perfect, and the dialogues feel natural and realistic which is important for a quiet show like this that is quite dialogue-heavy.
I also especially love how much sense each individual character's actions make. Fumiya's desperation to preserve his relationship by concealing the past, Ritsu's quest to get his memories back, Shuji's concern over lying to his brother. All these motivations feel logical and realistic. The story as a whole is fairly grounded despite the slightly outlandish setting. The characters inhabit a real world with real issues and face real consequences for their decisions.
But at its core this is not a story about the tragic disintegration of a relationship; it's a story about love. About cherishing the people you hold dear, about openness and honesty, about the deliberate effort it takes to make a relationship work, and about the simple pleasures of spending time with the person you love.
There are no grand confessions, no unnecessarily dramatic fights, no meddling exes, no plot-convenient misunderstandings.
So if you're looking for a down-to-earth romantic drama with a cozy slice-of-life feel and not too much angst, then I would absolutely recommend this one. It is also simply a good queer love story so anyone who likes those will very likely enjoy this series as well.
As a side note - the music is also excellent and I could honestly listen to the opening and closing themes over and over again on repeat if that sways you either way.
I really like the concept of the story. So many romance dramas focus on the couple getting together, so having the focus be on an existing couple is plenty unique on its own. Combined with the intimate exploration of one specific relationship as well as reflections on what makes relationships work or fall apart in general, this makes for a truly unique premise.
A premise that is then beautifully executed. The acting is stellar, the pacing is perfect, and the dialogues feel natural and realistic which is important for a quiet show like this that is quite dialogue-heavy.
I also especially love how much sense each individual character's actions make. Fumiya's desperation to preserve his relationship by concealing the past, Ritsu's quest to get his memories back, Shuji's concern over lying to his brother. All these motivations feel logical and realistic. The story as a whole is fairly grounded despite the slightly outlandish setting. The characters inhabit a real world with real issues and face real consequences for their decisions.
But at its core this is not a story about the tragic disintegration of a relationship; it's a story about love. About cherishing the people you hold dear, about openness and honesty, about the deliberate effort it takes to make a relationship work, and about the simple pleasures of spending time with the person you love.
There are no grand confessions, no unnecessarily dramatic fights, no meddling exes, no plot-convenient misunderstandings.
So if you're looking for a down-to-earth romantic drama with a cozy slice-of-life feel and not too much angst, then I would absolutely recommend this one. It is also simply a good queer love story so anyone who likes those will very likely enjoy this series as well.
As a side note - the music is also excellent and I could honestly listen to the opening and closing themes over and over again on repeat if that sways you either way.
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