Ingredients might had been right, but the way they mixed them together wasn't. Too much flour. Too little sugar. The butter wasn't whipped enough. I can't pinpoint what exactly didn't work for me, but I will try. There will be spoilers ahead. As vague as I can make them, but still. So proceed at your own risk.



Issue number one : It's too short.

This one is pretty evident. 5 episodes of less than thirty minutes, so they had to cut some corners. Maybe even more than corners. The pacing wasn't much of an issue, but it felt kinda dry to me. Like they just went through the points they wanted to make in chunks, adding what seemed fitting to that particular scene. It lacked consistency. Some bits were too light and empty (especially the ones when they ate), while others were quite heavy and sticky. It felt uneven to me.

Should this be your usual college BL, it might have been fine. Because the audience is already used to it and can fill the blanks for themselves. They're also more familiar with the heavier stuff and hence you don't have to try so hard to show and provide context. Which leads me to my second point.



Issue number two: It feels too extrinsic.

This is entirely my personal problem, but one I feel a lot of people could share. The premise is quite unique, which makes it interesting at first. But it's also a curse in a way that if you don't do a good job presenting it in a comprehensive way, people might have trouble getting attached to it emotionally.

I couldn't relate to the main leads from the get-go. We just don't share enough of personal characteristics and experiences. So the show had its work set out for it: make me understand these people. See where they are coming from. Empathise with them. Feel for them and feel with them. This is the part where Old Fashion Cupcake failed the most in my opinion. During the whole series, I felt like an outsider spying on strangers. And as such, not only I was not moved by them, I started questioning the validity of their feelings.



Issue number three : Consent isn't exactly put into correct perspective.

I know. Complaining about consent in a BL show. Story as old as the industry itself, and seemingly missing a mark this time. Was there a rape? No. Forceful kissing? Forceful undressing? Not really. So why am I talking about consent?

The relationship between leads is very professional on the outside. They are boss and employee. Ten years apart, living in a society that puts immense weight on hierarchy and customs. Nozue stated that he's intending to keep those boundaries in place, even though he was clearly battling with the issue during the whole season. It was one of the main conflicts in my opinion. Which is why it felt uncomfortable when Togawa overstepped, without the show addressing it properly. I'm sure people that finished it can point out which scene, in particular, I have in mind. Should I go through the whole show again, I could most likely find multiple examples. Keep in mind, I'm looking at it from outsider's perspective, not really sure where each character stands with their emotions and values. If the premise were simpler, or the show longer and with better characterization, I probably wouldn't even stop to think about it. Might even enjoy it. But in this case, I was put off by it.



Issue number four: Message of the story isn't conveyed in a positive (to me) manner.

Starting with 'pretending to be girls'. Anti-aging. Nozue's struggle with technology. And in the end, sexuality. While I understand where they were going with it and align with their intentions, the way they went about it wasn't well-thought-out and could be misinterpreted easily. The gravest offender is, in my opinion, the ending message.


MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING!!! TURN BACK NOW OR WEEP AFTERWARDS!


Togawa says to Nozue after they get together:

"Having an age gap or being a minority is the same as having different hometowns or cheering for a different baseball team.

It's nothing."

NOPE. Just no.

I get that he's trying to say it isn't much of an issue between them. Assuring Nozue that they can work through it. It could also be seen as one of those motivational messages advocating for a better world. An equal one. Our inherent differences shouldn't be a reason for judgement and discrimination. Good message.

But it felt SO DISMISSIVE to me!!! Bad. I'm legit angry about it! We don't live in a fairytale where everything is easily solved like that. Our differences don't all carry equal weight. Don't have equal consequences. It's not nothing.

END OF SPOILERS!!!


Just so I'm not only putting the show down, let's mention some positives. It's still a japanese BL adaptation. So the visuals, music, cinematography and acting are pretty good, as expected. It's very high quality.

The premise itself isn't bad. Quite the opposite. It's very good. Unique. Interesting. Needed to be portrayed in my opinion. The wording is also good, for the most part. I just don't think it was executed well.

It's fairly low-effort to watch, so you can try it even if you have some reservations. It doesn't have any major jumps in terms of quality and overall feel of the drama.

In the end, I don't think it is a bad show. I believe it's worth trying for everyone. And it can surely be enjoyable, if you like your cupcakes old-fashioned. I don't.