Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

A Quiet Rewatch That Belongs to Machida Keita Alone

I came back to this series on a rewatch, and funny enough, it landed a bit differently the second time around. A couple of years ago it barely registered — no “wow” factor, very sweet, almost too sweet, and honestly a bit forgettable. Part of that is probably on me: BL as a genre isn’t really my natural habitat. I tend to lean more towards bromance with some narrative backbone — crime, legal, office politics — something with a bit more grit. Pure romance, especially when it tips into the saccharine, can feel slightly artificial to me.

That said, the rewatch had a clear agenda: Machida Keita. And here the series absolutely delivers. What struck me most is how understated his acting is. There’s a particular softness in his gaze — a kind of quiet, attentive tenderness you usually associate with how people look at someone they genuinely care about. It never feels forced. If anything, he carries the emotional credibility of the whole story on his shoulders, and makes it look effortless.

The issue, for me, lies elsewhere — I found myself struggling with Akaso Eiji’s performance. He’s clearly a good-looking actor, very easy on the eye, and there’s nothing overtly “wrong” with what he’s doing — and yet something feels slightly off. A bit stiff, a bit overly constructed. It might be an acting choice, or even a directing decision about how “shyness” should read on screen, but the body language and facial expressions didn’t quite ring true for me. I had a similar reaction to him in Super Rich, so perhaps it’s just a mismatch with my personal viewing preferences.

As for the chemistry — interestingly uneven. Machida seems capable of generating chemistry with just about anyone; he’s that kind of actor. Here, though, it felt somewhat one-sided. I wasn’t fully convinced by the dynamic as a whole, even if individual moments worked.

Still, I wouldn’t dismiss the series. What it does rather well is portray a surprisingly healthy emotional dynamic. Machida’s character is composed, emotionally regulated, respectful of boundaries — in short, an adult. There’s a grounded quality to the relationship that’s actually quite refreshing, especially within a genre that often leans into heightened emotions and idealisation.

So, if you’re in the mood for a quiet, low-stakes romance and, more importantly, if you appreciate Machida Keita’s brand of subtle, introspective acting, this is an easy, pleasant watch.

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Simple fluffy cute romance

I love this coz this drama is simple n cute without too many unwanted twists🙃..the actors did a great job in portraying their character. I hate dramas with complicated love triangle so i felt happy as this drama was simple loveline bw the male leads.🥰.If u look 4 intimate scenes then you wont get 🤗but for a fluffy romance go 4 this 😉
I hope it had music ..thats disappointing. For one watch this drama is ok but for rewatch i don't think so..personal opinion 😇
I hope they have another drama together..
And for the second couple..i really love their character..i felt that they had less scenes and i was anticipating 4 their scenes..but no luck .i also felt that female support role was unnecessary. Atleast she should have given more clear storyline
Altogether it was an ok drama

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More than a BL Fantasy series

Honestly, I dropped this series after 2 episodes 2 years ago. I felt exhausted with Adachi character. Rewatching it this time taught me a huge lesson: It will not always be fireworks at first but given the opportunity and time, it may not just be fireworks but dancing beautiful colors along with it.
Best part I love about this series is how it didn't end in just their romance story but it included dealing with their filial responsibilities. I love the bravenes of Adachi of wanting their parents' blessings and fighting for it.
The animation for this is slightly different in few areas but I like it the same. Still turned out satisfying to watch. I did flinch a bit couple of times for the overreaction in some scenes that is typical of Japanese series.
Overall, I will recommend this series and don't stop there. Watch the movie because it has a lot more to offer.

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More than meets the eye

I had 0 expectations with this one. The title isn't really helping and the premise is a bit...strange. However, I was, for the most part, pleasantly surprised.

I don't know the manga this was based on, but this adaptation really smoothed a lot of edges of what "regular BL content" is mostly like. They took a story that could have been yet another one of those, and gave it a lot of heart, polishing some (not all) of the problematic aspects of storylines that play in the edge between representation and fanservice.

The main relationship is devoid of a lot of the toxic tropes you normally get, not only in BL content, but in romantic dramas in general. The premise of the lead being able to read thoughts makes it so that the situation could have gone into a serious dub-con territory and it never did. The relationship progresses in a natural, interesting way and the mind-reading assists in telling the story, rather than provoke unnecessary complications.

The absolute gem for me in this one was the first ever canon aroace character I've seen in a jdrama. I've found ace and aroace characters in manga before (few and far between) but this is the first time that, not only I see one in a jdrama, they are also confirmed by the writing team. I won't spoil which character this is, so I'll remain ambiguous with my description, but it's not one of the two mains, it's a side-character. Not only are they iconic, they're also depicted as loving, caring and a fantastic friend, and that's the kind of aroace representation I want.

My only issue with the drama was the side couple. It made me kinda uncomfortable, I'm not gonna lie. Minato (Goto Yutaro) looked incredibly young and Masato (Asaka Kodai) looked even older than he is. I'm glad Minato wasn't supposed to be a teen, and that at least the actor was older than he seemed, but I couldn't help feeling pretty uncomfortable with their development, especially since they had more physical scenes than the lead couple, albeit nothing major.

All in all, I wanted to leave a review because 1) I was super close to not watching this at all, based on the marketing and title and 2) it has an aroace character and pretty good handle of relationships, for the most part. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

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One of the best Jdramas I’ve watched!

I’ve watched a lot of japanese dramas in the past, but Cherry Magic definitely is the one I will be a fan of for a long time. The story is simple but in a good way, as there aren’t any confusing plot points. The two main characters are great and it’s heartwarming to see their relationship improve and fix, unlike a lot of other dramas. I find a lot of jdramas (even BL) have toxic and unhealthy representations.
The music wasn’t overwhelming or underwhelming, it was simple enough to compliment the show. Personally, the music wasn’t a big part of the main plot so didn’t pay attention to it too much.
One of the main points is the two male leads! Their acting exceeded my expectations. They seemed to have chemistry, even off screen. I really look forward to seeing a season two, although there’s no plan yet. I just want to see Kurosawa and Adachi be happy!! I’m a big fan of Kurosawa’s actor (Keita Machida) he’s amazing. He’s been in many other movies and shows and is very versatile. So if you’ve been disappointed by Jdramas you’ve been watching, please watch this one! It’s super refreshing and nice to watch.

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Kurosawa, the perfect man

Honestly one of the main reasons I love this so much is Kurosawa. Let's give this man a round of applause.
So, he is probably the sweetest and least problematic man I have ever seen in any show ever. The way he regards Adashi and appreciates him when Adashi thought that he wasn't noticed by anyone just makes me so happy. Even his thoughts are all pure. If this was a real story you know Adashi would have caught him thinking something dirty from time to time but I think he respects Adashi so much that his mind just doesn't go there. He worries constantly about making Adashi uncomfortable by being too close.
I've become used to seeing certain things in BLs. Sexual assault, physical intimidation, sexism, so much more. Things like this make me sick and have ruined good shows for me like Why R U. While watching this I was just waiting for him to do something that would annoy me but there was nothing, nothing at all. We need to hold our BLs to a higher standard; hell, we need to hold MEN to a higher standard. The way Kurosawa behaves with Adashi should be the bare minimum.
Thank you Japan for allowing me to see what the perfect man looks like. He can:
1) control himself and keep it in his pants.
2) respect his partner fully and never push their boundaries.
3) read his partner's discomfort from their expression and body language when they seem unable to answer yes or no.
Kurosawa, sweetest man ever. I think I will be fantasizing about meeting a man like him for the rest of my life.
As for everything else: I liked the story, it was a weird but unique idea and was well done. However, I didn't care for the second couple; I thought they were an unnecessary addition. The acting was good as well. I especially liked Adashi's actor, he was really good at being this puppy faced gay panicking baby. Lol. The music was fine. And rewatch value, I would watch this again and again. Such a good BL. Hope everyone gives it a chance.

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Cute Cherry's

I greatly enjoyed watching. And I feel I have an appreciation for how the two gifted characters think and react internally when hearing someone elses thoughts. I have to say the lead charachter and secondary minor leads reaction to being overwhelmed perplexed me (when they hear something through the gift or have a moment of excitement or perhaps initimate). I think I just felt their responses or emotions while real their method of reaction was too much. occasionally, I could feel myself starting to cringe but thats with any movie or show with unneccessary and continual overreactions.

I think while good I will give a rating of 8 as it had some depth, but if it had a little more and creativity with the relationships, there problems and with relationship building beyond the generic I would give a better score. Definitwly worth a watch. No time is wasted enjoying this sweet dish of a show.

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Emotional Depth and Beyond Expectations

It was very hot, enjoyable, and (especially in the first half) rich in passion. The BL series exceeded my expectations. The quality of Japanese BL series in recent times surprises me. I highly recommend it. It was emotional, but the pace was not slow. It had a very appropriate flow.

The lack of focus on the fantasy part was odd. I loved how Adachi's emotions and thoughts were portrayed so beautifully, realistically, and logically. At one point I could only watch Adachi; he could carry the story alone.

In fact, at the end of the series, it seemed like Adachi was with Kurosawa to spare himself from the sorrow of not being loved. After all, his exploration of his gay identity happened entirely because of Kurosawa's intense love for him. I wonder if Kurosawa were a woman, would Adachi have agreed? Probably yes :D. Again, Kurosawa won, and that didn't come as a surprise :)

I didn't like the storytelling of our second couple. It started with great potential but turned out to be empty and developed too quickly. There was no chemistry between them and our author's behaviour was too exaggerated for his age. While the writer's tough and mature side was excellent, falling in love in two days and the absurdities in their actions were very nonsensical. I couldn't feel the love.

Lastly, Adachi's decrease in confidence in the second half saddened me. Adachi should have been cool, silent, and aloof because Kurosawa was outgoing, talkative, and social. They were a beautiful contrast to each other. However, when Adachi became insecure towards the end, it made me wonder why the boy was so fixated on him.
And in my opinion, the reason they presented was insufficient for falling in love with someone lacking self-confidence. If Adachi were confident but cold, distant, and introverted, then the given reason would have been sufficient.

And please, I'll cry, but we NEVER GOT A SINGLE KISS. Well, even if we did, it probably would have been just a touch of lips, but I would have been okay with that, knowingly. 😣😫

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The best, hands down.

This is still so good, this is what I recommend to anyone wanting to ease into BL. This is BL done right, DONE HEALTHY TOO might I add without the toxic bs that is unfortunately rampant in so many still to this day.

I've rewatched this many times and realized I never gave a review. So, here it is. I've been reading and watching BL content for many years and like I said before, the genre is chalk full of shitty stories, shitty characters, and shitty so called "love stories" that is inhumane with little respect.

The cast is amazing, the music is perfect, the story is - well, the cherry on top. Gone are the days where you go "Oh no he's gonna force himself on him" and then be met with disappointment. Not one scene with non-con nor dub-con which is already pushing the bar higher than many and should be a standard already at this point. No more forcing oneself onto the other, it's all respect here between the two and it's refreshing. If you know, you *know* what I'm talking about. This is a world of sweet and caring love and I am here for it!

Give it a go, even if it's not your thing. There's nothing naughty to worry about either for those who don't prefer it (I honestly don't mind it).

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