Minato Shouji Coin Laundry (2022)

Cute and realistic story about a 10 year romance waiting in the wings.

I liked how this series wasn't unapologetic when dealing with the age gap between MInato and Shin. I also felt like the writers dealt with Akira's feelings realistically when it came to Shin. Also the fear of being way older than Shin not being good enough for him and dealing with society hit me hard. I understood where Minato was coming from. Sure the story dragged in those moments and felt like it hit a snag. But, at the same time those were the moments where the actors really shone and their chemistry did too. I feel like their chemistry really saved the series when it got reduntant. Could it have been written better? Yes! But like I said Minato's struggle felt real to me and I like that the writers kept it real.
I also really enjoyed Shin's character. He never once gave up no matter how many times life threw him down when it came to Minato. He fought til the end and got what he wanted.
Minato's character was also realistic in how he dealt with his insecurities, those are not a quick fix so I like how he took his time to learn how to heal himself from past pain & indecisiveness/cowardliness.
All in all I liked MSCL because even when it was angsty, it mostly delivered in the cuteness. The characters were well rounded and the actors were good with their work here.
Overall I give it an 8.0. Not too deep of a series as others but it does make you think and handles some situations well. In the end this series is a good time that leaves the audience satisfied and happy with the conclusion.

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Full of moral character and direction

This BL series tackled a usually taboo subject and that was a May-December relationship. And it handled it with distinction and moral fiber. Not once was there any impropriety and while the temptations were there, the adult did not give in. So many people misunderstood his decision making as indecisive but I completely disagree. Minato always weighted the consequences of his actions against the effects on the other person. I found that refreshing and showed he was moral and upstanding. A good story filled with ethical behaviors. It also has a cast of characters who are quite quirky and I found them to be very entertaining.

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I enjoyed this one for the most part. I don’t think it’s slow paced as some have complained about. I can see Akira’s insecurity and the magnitude o flow it has affected and shaped him as an adult. So him being supper resistant and cowardly despite his attraction is understandable. The relationship dynamic also works for their personality - Akira retreats consistently while Shin is the more aggressive one. Shin said it best, “with you being indecisive I thought I’d wear you down” i’m paraphrasing here but you get the gist. Besides I love the 18 year old Shin making the 29 year old squirm and blush. It was always a delight to see.

The problem with this one isn’t so much the characters but the length of the drama which made the build up and tension fizzle out. Episode 9 was the death nail for this drama which took a strong end of episode 8 and followed it up with a boring filler episode and nothing that came after that one was able to match the intensity built with that beach side conversation. This missed opportunity made the resolution and end fall flat. The remaining episodes weren’t used to give the main characters any additional growth or development but rather was spent on a last minute relationship development for a side couple whom lets be honest, no one was as invested in. Although I liked the side characters individually well enough, their story wasn’t remotely interesting enough to warrant the time taken on their story either. I think this one would have worked best if it was 10 episodes.

Overall, not a bad watch but I felt a little sting from the disappointment since I love age gaps and especially ones where the younger one is the pursuer and while it had potential it failed to stick the landing for me.

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Summer vibes with a lot of waffling about

I am extremely conflicted about Minato's Laundromat. On the one hand, I loved it. On the other, I disliked it.
Let me explain.

There were several things I loved:
* the summer atmosphere at the seaside town
* the sets, especially the cosy laundromat
* the teacher, with his hilariously bad memory, who nevertheless was very good at leading his students towards adulthood,
* the solid acting

I think what the production team was going for was a cute and fluffy summer story. The thing is, the story *also* shows clearly that both Shin and Minato are sexually attracted to each other, and get heart-rate-raisingly close to each other in some scenes (always ended by Minato, who pushes Shin away with a curse and a laugh) -- this part of their mutual attraction is switched on and off, just as the script demands. I would have liked to see Minato struggle more consistently with his desire; but what we got is a man who seems to be quite content with the way things are for the most time.

And a similar personality switch exists for Shin. He is both shown as the young, thoughtful and earnest boy, who has clear goals in life (studying medicine) and who takes care of his younger siblings -- and then, like flipping a light switch, he suddenly is a pushy "seme" who doesn't want to take no for an answer.

It's more these points that made watching the drama frustrating than Minato's endless waffling about.
Regarding that, it was also low-key irritating. We are told two reasons for his rejection of Shin's advances: 1) Shin is a minor. 2) Minato still has unresolved feelings for his old teacher.
The thing is, in the last two epsides, none of them are really relevant anymore. So, why is he still hesitant? (It feels as if he is just because the writer said so.)

So, although most of the series was lovely and nice to watch, as soon as I started thinking about character arcs and motivations, things fell apart. I know that this drama is based on a manga, which sometimes get one or two volumes too many, so that a once tight story loses its clear focus; and I suppose that might have happened here.


Was it good? -- It was entertaining and technically well done. character-wise, it wasn't as tight as it should have been.

Did I like it? -- Yes. No! I don't know.

Who would I recommend it to? -- Fans of fluffy, slow-paced Japanese BL dramas.

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Nice but extended, not exactly slow paced

I liked the series as the director did a great job with the casting, setting the scenes, etc.
The acting was good with a scope of improvement, more emotions could be shown there.
The series was more extended according to me, I don't mind the age gap between them at all since it's more than just consensual and most of the things there are maturely done.
But most of the episodes are just the same things being repeated over and over again, however, it is done beautifully in a calming way.
The ending however could have been better, it seemed a bit illogical if we look at the series as a whole.

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When the Older is More Afraid than the Younger

This was one of my favorite series of 2022. Slice of life, older partner being more afraid than the younger, the younger guy being more bold, all of these appeal to me. Akira Minato took over the laundromat in town from his grandfather. After a disastrous one-sided love affair, Akira decides to move to Tokyo to live the dream. After working for a black company (this is a Japanese term, look it up) he decides to return to his hometown, to run the coin laundry.

Shintaro is a high school senior, tall, handsome, smart and his goals are to win Akira's heart and go to medical school. In this series, it seems to be easier to get into medical school. Akira is doubtful of this relationship because there are two major problems. The first is, the age difference between himself and Shintaro, the second, he kissed his (male) teacher on his graduation day and has unresolved feelings about it. Akira's internal struggles are the main focus of this series. Shin already knows what he wants, it's Akira who has to figure things out.

Set in a beautiful rural town, Minato Shouji Coin Laundry may be too slow for some viewers, but is perfect for me. This series has a great supporting cast, and though rural, town members support the characters, or do not outwardly object. Kisses and intimacy in Japanese BL are not up to par, and that is the case with this series too. I was able to overcome that, knowing that in the future, Japanese shows will improve in this area.

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Good at the start

If you turn this series into a graph, you will see a line going up for a short while before it plateaus until the last episode.

17-year-old (almost 18) Shin is in love with Akira, a man about ten years older. Shin is totally Akira's type, but of course, the age gap and the fact that Shin is not even 18 yet stops Akira from accepting Shin's love. Of course, there isn't really a big issue if nothing happens between them until Shin has turned 18.

Perhaps Akira's attraction to Shin is toned down drastically to avoid controversy, causing his reactions to Shin's advances to seem somewhat silly. But to avoid controversy, why not just start the story with Shin meeting Akira after he has turned 18? The age gap could hold Akira back, but there probably won't be a major ethical issue there.

Instead, the story meanders here and there, even revealing Akira's crush on his teacher when he was a high school student. The turns in the plot are largely pointless, and I think the only significant thing is Akira deciding not to be with Shin so that Shin can pursue his studies elsewhere.

Perhaps the series would have been better if it had only been 4 episodes? The characters are rather cute, but the story drags on needlessly.

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Slow but Wholesome BL! Wash your heart!

I was initially quite hesitant to watch Minato Shouji Coin Laundry. Much like a lot of people, I think the thought of a 10-year age gap with the younger being still in high school worried me. But I have to say that after watching the series, although there were times I was questioning Minato’s inability to outright refuse advances from a 17 year old, Shin’s persistence and the fact that it’s generally a wholesome show in general made me feel much more at ease. I think it also helps that the actors themselves are not necessarily far in age with Kusakawa-san being in his late twenties but Nishigaki-san being in his early 20s in real-life.

If you enjoy really slow romance BLs then this show is for you! With 12 episodes, it’s a lot longer in episode count than the majority of other Japanese BLs I’ve watched in the past, and the episodes are of decent length too! (I’m looking at you Korean BLs)

There were some things that did slightly confuse me however. For example, the episode where Minato’s Ex, Saki, comes to visit the laundromat. It was a slightly odd episode since we don’t really get to know what Minato was like before he took over the laundromat, and so the sudden introduction of an Ex-Girlfriend who promptly leaves by the end of the episode felt a little strange to me. Especially since there was still an overarching narrative with Sakuma-Sensei that was unresolved. To me it felt more like a filler episode more than anything.

Also, although I do enjoy slow BLs, I would have loved to have the last few episodes brought forward and have a final episode (or scene at least) seeing what they are like after Minato confesses his love to Shin.

It’s almost certainly one of my favourite BLs so far, and I would recommend watching it before Season 2 comes out in July this year!!!

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Stress free , country side rom- com Japanese BL

Among all the J BL's I've seen, this one has the cutest romantic moments and the most amusing characters. The series began well, with a promising story and characters. However, after episode 3, there is a little story development, but some good romantic moments.
Character :
Akira had minimal character development from the start of the series to the end. He remained as the hesitant guy till the very end of the series, and he would not have confessed if it hadn't been for the final act of the supporting characters. However, the actor who portrayed this character did a good job playing the character.

Without changing the ultimate goal of dating Minato San, Shin is the character I adored most in this series. He had good character development. The manner in which he is acquitted with Minato's past with Sakura Sensei is noteworthy. At last he got both his first love and his dream career.

Asuka is the most entertaining character in this series, and his presence is indisputable. Perfect tittle as a supporting role, he is one of the key push in Minatos' final confession. Even though they were brief, the interactions between Asuka and Suu Sensei were enjoyable.

Sakuma Sensei was an amazing teacher character. He This character inspired both of his students (Minato and Shin). He does a good job of handling Minato's previous kiss with him.

Sakurako is the caring sister and friend. She supports Shin's crush on Minato. She remains supportive when Asuka likes Suu Sensei, even when she is rejected by him.

Finally, I would recommend watching this series (a must-see). The ending is amazingly beautiful, and the chemistry between the actors is undeniable. Even the costumes are cool. The music is extremely catchy and enjoyable to watch. All the actors did a wonderful job.

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