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Dare I say, THE best live-action BL series? Yes, I said it.
I didn't really have any expectations when I went into watching "Cherry Magic"—I've sadly been disappointed by manga-to-live-action adaptations before and I didn't want to get my hopes up that this was going to be a good one, either. But I'm so glad that it was way better than I could've ever expected. This series is almost nothing but feel good. When I say "almost", I'm referring to a few moments that made my heart ache a little, but in the end it's overshadowed by the immense amount of good, positive vibes. Exactly what we need in these times, honestly.The acting is absolutely stellar in "Cherry Magic", for the most part. I must admit that I think Masato Tsuge's acting was a bit over the top for my taste, but otherwise I have no complaints. My favourite moment that really showcased the good acting in this series, where I went "okay, that was NOT acting- this is him straight up just talking from the heart", is in the last episode where Adachi tells Kurosawa that he'll try again and again if he screws up after losing his magic. The way Adachi/Akaso's voice breaks in that moment broke my heart in half and I FELT the emotion there. Wow.
"Cherry Magic" not only changed how I now view live-action adaptations and also dramas in general, but it's also a series I can say, without a shred of shame, that I will continue re-watching every now and then just because of how feel-good it is. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this series.
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It's just so cute!
My headline says it all. This is a very cute series with the ideal actors in place and a very simple premise by which to bring together our OTP.Not to spoil it too much but our main character has his 30th birthday and can suddenly hear what people are thinking if he touches them. He obtains this 'magic' because he turned 30... and was still a virgin.
He notices a colleague of his who is always kind to him and when he touches him by accident, he 'hears' that this colleague actually has a little crush on him. When the colleague starts encouraging him and he becomes more confident in many aspects of his life, he realises that he is also attracted to his colleague and so their romance begins.
It's also sweet that his friend ends up in the same boat as him (hearing the internal monologue of others when he touches them because he celebrates his 30th birthday whilst still a virgin) and he embarks on his own romance with a street-dancing delivery man.
It's such an easy, non-controversial watch that will have you grinning from ear to ear.
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Fellow “Virgin Wizard” Approves!
instantly fell for the style of which this series was filmed/edited. the filter alone was enough to convince me to binge watch all episodes in one afternoon (though my witty heart said “nah, let’s savor this!” and thus extended the binge to an entire week). the genuine nature of both Adachi and Kurosawa made for a great onscreen chemistry and partnership. Adachi’s anxieties most of which were due to his own inexperience in love that pop up throughout the show were relatable. as a twenty-something virgin (in all areas of physical or romantic intimacy) it’s almost bittersweet to hear a character whom i deeply resonate with working towards something they’ve been weary of (i.e. falling in love or being in a relationship). and seeing Kurosawa’s seemingly one-sided crush gradually grow into a sincere connection between the two colleagues was enough to push me to read/buy the manga. all in all, though the side couple story was worked in a bit to fast for my taste, it was still great to see the healthy and practical emotions/interactions between different characters.honorable mentions go to Udon for being a cute cat with a dope name and Fujisaki for being a comforting smile in the face of suffocating familial/societal expectations (i am also uninterested in love atm. you do you!)
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One of the sweetest BL'S !!
The Storyline was so unique that ive enjoyed watching it so much! The Episodes always had a great Ending and made you crazy waiting for the next few episodes!!The Cast was great! The chemistry between the main couple was so natural and totally not over done they seemed actually so close and the way Eiji looked at Kurosawa!!
I also really enjoyed watching the Side Couple! They had such a cute and pure Love!
The Plot was literally so not predictable! I would have never thought thats gonna happen and it was so lovely to see the character handle those things with their own characteristics.
Eiji was such a complex Character since he had a lot of insecurities still worked hard and good.
All in All 10/10. Its such a nice drama its just awesome if you want to watch a true love develop.
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Didn’t do it for me
Having read the manga and enjoyed the anime, I was genuinely excited about the live-action drama. However, I experienced some disappointment.Before I dive into my thoughts, I want to emphasise how wonderful the manga and anime are – truly worth your time! When I first watched the anime, I found it incredibly sweet. It perfectly balanced moments of silliness with relatable themes, and I was wholeheartedly invested in Tsuge and Adachi's journeys to find love.
Unfortunately, the live-action adaptation didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I often found myself wishing the pacing would pick up, as there were many moments where I felt the urge to skip ahead. Additionally, some of the acting came across as overly dramatic, which took me out of the experience.
As for the supporting couple, I was genuinely perplexed. In the manga, their age difference is about 8 to 10 years, but the casting made it appear to be a 20-year gap, which was quite jarring. Minato’s youthful appearance, almost like a high schooler, paired with Tsuge’s more mature look and demeanour, shifted the dynamic into an uncomfortable territory, rather than the charming romance I had cherished in the manga.
Overall, I found myself not resonating with this adaptation as I had hoped. That said, I do believe the actors worked hard and did their best with the material they were given. So, even if it didn’t quite capture my heart as the original did, I’m glad I gave this a shot.
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Very heartwarming!
I watched this series because of the plot I read, but I stayed because of the actors and characters. I just love how wholesome all of them are. Although I have to admit that I really don't like Tsuge since he is having this kind of weird vibe, but yeah, I enjoyed this series! This is the first JBL I have watched and I had a hard time searching for shows that are as good as this. Also, I love the office woman Fujisaki(?) because she is so awesomeeeee. I really like the fact that she has a character and not just someone who likes the Protagonist. She knows what she wants, and she is so nice! Also, Rokkaku my love, I can't help but laugh every time I see you. You've grown so much and now you have a laundromat (lol).Was this review helpful to you?
Classic Japan BL that you need to watch at least once
For me, watching Adachi and his friend Tsuge navigate their newfound power and their growing feelings for another person was an absolute joy. Who cares if some moments were a little awkward and even ‘out there’? I was inhaling the episodes.I appreciated how character development constantly propelled the series: The point of the show is that it is not enough to know what someone is thinking if you want to be in a meaningful and stable relationship with them. Basically, there are limits to how much your relationship can benefit from mind-reading.
With a great premise and likeable characters, Cherry Magic is one of the most entertaining BL shows with moments that are equal parts funny and sweet. It’s the kind of show that you will return to rewatch on a shitty day just because it will make you smile.
Read my full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/02/06/cherry-magic-2020-review/
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Made me giggle in every episode ♡
Soooo... I'll say few words about Cherry Magic :) It was sweet and funny, a good BL. I haven't watched Japanese BLs before, so that was the first Japanese BL for me. And I like it a lot <3 The idea of this series was so amazing and unique and personally I liked it a lot. The storyline was clear well made. The actors were super beautiful and different kind of characters made it more interesting. Rokkaku was so adorable that I couldn't help myself with "aww"s :-) xD Kurosawa looked so handsome (that my heart died) and Tsuge's overreacting and big gestures was so me xD I hope you'll watch this great BL. Even if it doesn't have a lot kisses or skinship, it makes you giggle and feel embarrassment for characters. Watch it, you can't lose anything! ♡Was this review helpful to you?
Very cute little romance
Flash review--THE GOOD
Very cute romance
Pretty fun supernatural concept
Both leads are excellent
The FL is absolutely adorable but also a very refreshing (and needed) perspective.
Once you love this, there is so much more content! There is a movie with the same actors, as well as 2 "bonus episodes" that are great.
THE BAD
Way too much circular angst. Tons of time just spent watching characters living in their own heads and freaking out about their own thoughts. It isn't fun to just watch someone have anxiety for so much of the runtime. And because that is the focus, very little actually happens, other than the main plot.
The FL is not in nearly enough of it.
The BFF is really obnoxious. The overacting is so over the top I nearly started skipping his entire plotline. Weirdly, if you watch the bonus features about his plotlines, he isn't like that nearly as much in that.
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A show that can
(First review) To be honest, I found this show through a BL list of dramas to watch and happened to stumble on this. I’ll start off with the pros and then cons after. The first couple of episodes were pretty good and very fascinating where the main character (Adachi) gains the power to read peoples mind. The concept is pretty interesting and the acting was pretty good. I also liked the comedy in it as it made me have a couple of good laughs and finally I thought that Adachi’s character was pretty realistic where he is an introvert and struggles through the thought of a relationship. Now the cons, There were some parts that we’re kind of unrealistic. I thought that some parts were very confusing especially on how Kurosawa came to fall for Adachi, Like they did mention it in one episode a bit but it doesn’t feel realistic. Not to mention the conflict at the near end where adachi picks his magic over their relationship… I feel like Kurosawa was very forgiving which made the conflict seem unintense.. It would have been better if Kurosawa ends up showing more feelings such as frustration and anger but he ended up just feeling sympathetic. Adding on to Kurosawa’s character, it seems that he loves Adachi too much to the point where he is willing to do anything for him… not to say that loving someone too much is a bad thing but it seems that his life only revolves around Adachi to the point where he doesn’t have his own scenes by himself as he is always seen with Adachi. I barely know anything about Kurosawa since there isn’t a lot about his past. I wished they showed more of their past. Now to the side couple, I thought that the relationship was a tad bit creepy and toxic especially the part where Tsuge takes pictures of Minato WITHOUT consent. He seems like a creepy stalker that gives someone chills. I’m still not sure if Minato is a minor or not because he seems very young. I hope he isn’t because that would be illegal and grooming since Tsuge is like 30 I think. Buying random stuff online just to have Minato deliver it to his house is weird. I am a little confused on how Minato fell in love with Tsuge since they barely communicated and there is a lack of chemistry in their relationship. Overall their relationship was rushed and I wished the directors would allow more time for them to get to know each other and spend time together before having them get into a relationship. That is about it for my review I do still think it’s a good drama if you like comedy and heartwarming scenes. <3Was this review helpful to you?
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Revolutionary, yet a slight setback
I loved this show so much when I watched it back in 2020 as it was being released. It's a very heartwarming story about adults finding love and success with characters that oush past their anxious limits, respect boundaries of others. The music is sweet and has me bopping to it to this day. The visual art of the opening is what really caught my eye and the character presented in each person's house was super interesting and aesthetically pleasing.Although the aesthetics are nice, I do feel like there was some setback with portraying the characters' struggles and how they coped or solved them. That is most likely a fault from the time constraint of 20-30min episodes and a 12ep series. Should it have had a 40min - 1hr timeframe, I feel like they could've gotten more character progression in there, but alas it is complete.
MAJOR FALLBACK THAT KILLED IT FOR ME: The main couple doesn't even kiss. Not once. At all. All we get is a forehead kiss, hugs, the innuendo that Adachi lost his virginity, and an insinuated kiss in the elevator in the last few seconds of the last episode. Im sorry, but even the side couple whose relationship felt slightly rushed had a kiss.
The ONLY kiss in the show was the chaste kiss the second couple shared.
I don't know if that was a discomfort issue like certain actors didn't want to kiss or what, but that kinda fell flat. I'd rather have another forehead kiss or a cheek kiss than an insinuation that you can tell is super fake.
This super fake insinuation also happens in the second special with the side couple and the seem kind of uncomfortable during the kabedon scene. Instead of a passionate kiss to exmeplify the character's words of "not being able to hold back anymore," it just looks like they fell down.
I don't know if that's me being picky and wanting to see two queer men kiss on screen, but that kind of took away the joy out of it. Some hetero couple shows get way raunchier, but a BL show not even being able to get at least one kiss scene with the main couple was slightly disappointing, especially when BLs from other countries have gotten racuhier and multiple kiss scenes in 10min 8ep webdramas (See: Where Your Eyes Linger).
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