Minato's Laundromat

Really liked this show

The lead characters were great
If you’ve watched Japanese bls before you know they aren’t as racy as the Thai bls are a bit more cuter and offbeat compared to the Korean bls.
They are just a good combination of funny goofy loving and romantic. All good light hearted love. Akira was a little off beat because he wasn’t comfortable with his feeling and used humor to repress what he truly feels. Shin was way more expressive with his emotions and what he wanted making for a good emotion back and forth between the leads. I’ve watched both season twice over and loved them both times. Would love to see a 3rd season where they are more finally more comfortable with their feeling and maybe even get married. Would like to see Kusakawa Takuya & Nishigaki Sho and Oku Tomoya in another show together

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A Japanese Bl series you don't want to miss

Minato Laundromat is interesting with no complications here or there the story moves sweetly and it's just its first episode but it's already trending. The drama is all about Minato and Shintaro. At the beginning it was Minato that seems to be chasing and flirting with shy Shintaro which was quite bold for me. At the end of the episode it's the other way round! Shintaro is now the bold one courting shy Minato! Though I guess 😂 🤣😂 Minato brought it on himself you can't simply tell a hot blooded youth that you wished a hot guy could hold you and escape his "desires" as Shintaro puts it! I love 💕 this series and I hope 🤞 that other episodes are like the first one.

Edit: oh dear now Sensei Sakuma is back will Minato forget about his secret crush since high school? Well we will find out!

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Forcing yourself onto someone to make them love you? Protip! Don't.

If I could, I wouldn't give this series any at all stars in terms of the plot. So don't let the one star fool you—I personally find this series atrocious. If you don't agree, that's your opinion, and this is mine.

I started watching this mostly for the cast, and I thought the premise seemed cute. But in the very first episode, I realised that I probably wasn't going to like this series. I do tend to give shows three episodes, though, to see if they improve before I can allow myself to drop it. This one didn't even after four episodes.

To start off, Shin has a very unhealthy crush on Akira and he's incredibly possessive, jealous, and even controlling- and he's just a high schooler. In Japan, people tend to have respect for their elders, even if they aren't *elders* but still older than them. Shin has no such respect for Akira and his boundaries and privacy, all he seems to care about is that he gets to start dating Akira, who does NOT want the same thing. And Akira has time and time again told him that it isn't happening because of their age difference, among other reasons. Despite this, Shin doesn't give up. Is that romantic? Some people seem to think it is, that Shin has a cute and even admirable determination. I completely disagree. Take a no for an answer, there are terms for that kind of behaviour especially when it gets into sexual territory. Do I doubt that Shin could go that far? I don't, and that's the issue with his entire character. Shin forces himself onto Akira several times, trying to kiss Akira despite having been told many times that Akira doesn't want to kiss Shin. How is that seen as romantic in any way whatsoever? I don't get it.

This is why I'm dropping Minato Shouji Coin Laundry. Coercion is not romantic, it's not attractive, and it's not a good premise for a TV show.

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Wholesome...

While Minato-san is often annoying to watch and scared of his feelings, the story is a wholesome one with some scenes which are bringing tears to your eyes or very fluffy feelings. For western cultures this seems a bit silly, but I guess in Japan this is more reality for denying yourself for whatever reasons and even just being gay is still hard. Also the "side couple" brings lot of enjoyments with an adult who is social akward by any standards which brings its own dynamic with his young would be lover.

I won't spoil anything, so I'm just saying, they did a great job bringing this series to life. I hope after Season 2 there will be another one :)

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It's really enjoyable overall, except for some parts

I really like it for the 1st 7 episodes or so and it just dropped....I mainly love how fluffy and cute they are at beginning, esp when they are bickering and teasing each other. I especially love Shin's attitude. He seems to be way more mature than Minato despite the age gap!

I'm glad eventually Minato sort things out and it all work out, but the drag makes me feel a bit frustrated at some point, honestly. I continued watching bcoz I wanna know the ending, which luckily didn't disappoint

I'll still say its worth the watch overall. I was really really happy for most part, just a bit draggy towards the end, which actually is so common in many dramas. Or maybe, im just impatient lol

Oh, I love the music, its so cute that I didn't skip the intro and actually enjoy watching. I also love the setting where we keep seeing ocean, makes me feel like im healing too. Makes me wonder how it feels like to stay in a town like that where the beach is clean. not overly commercialized, just locals hanging out, like big communal family. Must have been nice

Shuuu sensei is so cute!! Thats a brownie point as to why I keep on watching too

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regarding the adaptation

I was very interested in watching this, as I am a big fan of the original manga, and was curious on how they'll adapt a story that had 3 volumes when the show first aired. My guess was that they would either stretch the plot out or expand the story, and they went with the ladder, which can sometimes lead to the adaptation straying too much from the source material, or in this case, risking the possibility to include any future material in sequel seasons.
While I haven't watched the second season yet, the first one managed to blend the original pieces and side stories wonderfully with the main plot, expanding the overall universe and characters in a way that doesn't ruin the story, but makes the fans of the manga feel like they received bunus content (if that makes sense).
What also helped the show keep that "Minato Shoji" feeling was the main cast's ability to perfectly portray our lead characters, as well as the editing and music that kept the summer nonchalant, slow life type of vibes.
Can't wait to watch season 2!!!

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Unexpectantly nice

When I first read the description for the series, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. I don’t enjoy minor–adult romance stories and was expecting a series following this kind of narrative. And oh boy, I am so glad Minato Shouji Coin Laundry didn’t turn out to be like this! Instead of a weird age-gap, adult-falling-for-minor-though-he isn’t-supposed-to story, we got an adorable series.

Things I liked:

- What I probably liked the most, is that Akira never made a move on Shin before he turned 18. This is a huge deal to me since many series don’t seem to care about legal dating ages in their storylines. It is a huge part of their love story, as Shin feels mature enough to date the 10 years older Akira, who on the other hand did fall for the younger but keeps to his morals of not dating a minor.

- The intro video. A very sweet and cute, simple one that fits perfectly for the story.

- Homophobia is not displayed in this one. Holy shit I love this so much. As a member of the lgbtqia+ community seeing the characters just being able to love whatever gender they want without experiencing hatred is so amazing. The arrival of the ex-girlfriend kind of made me worry about possible homophobia happening, I’m so glad it didn’t go down this road. And though insults never happen, the directors decided to keep the inner conflicts of the characters (e.g., Akira being worried about his former classmates finding out he is gay), which is awesome. Love this.

- The main- and subplot. Both plots are good(one more than the other though), as they all connect and don’t add unnecessary characters. Let’s talk about the Akira and Sakuma-Sensei plot first. When Akira was still a student he fell madly in love with Sakuma-Sensei and even confessed to him on his last day of school. After 10 years of not seeing his former teacher, Akira thought he had overcome his feelings and moved on. But then Sakuma returns to teach, and Akira realizes he still has feelings for him. Tough this messes with Shin’s plans of pursuing Akira, he starts to root for the two, wishing his crush a happy life. Long story short, after nervously avoiding Sakuma for some time, Akira decides to finally tell him that he still likes him but is turned down. Not long after Akira realizes his feelings for Shin. You can feel the inner conflict that Akira has and feel for him since Sakuma is a likable character and lovely person. Also, seeing Shin heartbrokenly rooting for his crush warmed my heart because it shows that he is trying to mature as a person, so he can have a chance with Akira.
The subplot is about Shin's best friend Asuka and his sister Sakurako both falling for Hiiragi, an architect. Sakurako and Asuka have already become good friends when Asuka finds out about her crush on Hiiragi. He doesn’t interfere much with it, as he knows that Hiiragi will reject the girl. The architect and the student share a past as friends, so he hopes that Hiiragi will choose him as his lover. This subplot works well, I enjoyed the scenes with Sakurako and Asuka bonding as friends.

Things I didn’t like:

- This might be an unpopular opinion, but Akira’s character being all immature and goofy was a bit draining, especially when he said himself, that he wanted to be more responsible. At some point his behavior just got annoying.

- Unhealthy start of a relationship. In the earlier episodes it seemed like Shin wasn’t all that much into Akira, but more into the idea of being in a relationship. Later this of course gets explained, still, the first episodes felt weird because of that.

- The inclusion of Akira’s ex-girlfriend wasn’t necessary in my opinion. It was nice to learn about his life before the laundry store, but it didn’t contribute to the series. The ex-GF felt like a character that was only there for explaining some stuff and throwing in unnecessary clichés to make Shin feel intimidated and jealous.

- Shin leaving in the 11th episode felt forced to me as if they felt like they had to throw in another cliché, just for the sake of having one.

- Shin's personality at some points in the series (not all the time!). Oh my god, if he doesn't want to kiss you, take a goddamn hint. Akira always acted reluctant to perform skin-ship with Shin which I, as said before, loved. The counterpart to that is that Shin always seemed to force himself onto Akira, trying to make him uncomfortable BEFORE becoming an adult(!!!). Didn't like that at all.


To sum up, I did enjoy watching it, it’s very sweet and wholesome (The scene when they held hands in bed>>>). Though I wish I would’ve watched it once all the episodes were released because waiting made me forget some stuff about the previous episodes. Not really rewatchable IMO, but lovely for a one-time-experience.

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This is going to make your heart flutter

This is cute and filled with a lot of emotions, with each episode they touch on topics of heartbreak, love, jealousy, self-love, friendship, and family, Now, I would recommend watching if you're looking for a Japanese bl that has that soft melodrama romance with some funny scenes in between filled with all sorts of emotions with a teen and an adult at the center of it all.

The age cap is alright and pretty much valid from Minato's perspective, for reasons I will explain:
Majority of the show (mostly in the beginning cause this is still ongoing) Minato is very reluctant to show any emotions towards Shin regardless of how he feels when he's with him. Minato is more mature and an adult, who's outgrown his teens and is going through that self-acceptance stage in his life after overcoming his past. He's well aware that his actions will have repercussions he'll have to face and live with for the rest of his life and as such he is very cautious with the choices he makes.

(Take my word for it your going to fall in love with Shin's death stare) Shin is super charming yet aggressive at times and somewhat overly protective with his love for Minato-San. I do think Shin will at least wait another year before anything too serious he's still a high schooler after all. Minato-san is not overly dramatic but has super high gay panic with Shin that will make you smile at your computer screen like crazy.

The storyline is short and cute with sad moments here and there. We get to see both Shin and Minato's stories and Minato-san's past with his sensei. Shin's friendship with Asuka is super adorable and their bickering is not overbearing it's cute. Asuka is so precious we also get to see his side story too.

I think you should give it a watch, it's going to make your heart flutter, and who knows this might be the cutest Japanese bl you watch this year.

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There is no relationship of abuse of power...if it has been reversed

In the world there are certain types of taboo around romantic relationships, because the influence of "what they will say" and how they will be seen in society has a lot of weight when making a decision as a couple.
In film and television, love is fertile ground for telling stories that transcend the barriers of time, distance and even the age difference. Relationships between characters that have been going on for several years tend to be a somewhat controversial topic. On some occasions this is evident and criticized while on other occasions the distance does not draw as much attention.
Fortunately, with the passage of time the rejection of this issue has decreased and there are more and more cases of couples who have been together for many years. In fact, some directors have wanted to portray the age difference through romantic and dramatic films and series that show that age is just a number.
The script of the Japanese BL series 'Minato Shouji Coin Laundry', also written by its directors, Kanai Junichi, Eda Yuuka and Hiroaki Yuasa, tells the love story between Minato Akira, the heir to his grandfather's coin laundry, and high school student, Katsuki Shintaro, who despite the age difference, quickly become friends.
The romance between these two young people raises doubts about the appropriateness of their age difference (one of them being a minor), at a time, also, that of Me Too, in which many classics were being questioned by the intergenerational relationships between mature men and young women. With 'Lolita', 'The Idea of You' (2024), 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950), 'Water for Elephants' (2011), 'Magic in the Moonlight' (2014), 'Lost in Translation' (2003), 'Crazy Heart' (2009), 'All That Heaven Allows' (1955), 'The Graduate' (1967), 'Harold and Maude' (1971), 'Bull Durham' (1988), 'Thelma & Louise' (1991), 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' (1998), 'Notes on a Scandal' (2006), 'Don Jon' (2013), 'Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool' (2017), 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' (2022), 'May December' (2023), as the most mentioned examples.
As I explore the 12 episodes of the first season, I wonder: Is there a relationship of abuse of power between Minato and Shin?
I don't believe it. I understand that this is a concern for many people, but that is not the story being told here. Katsuki Shintaro (from now on Shin) is a young boy who is very mature for his age (he is 17 years old), he is the best student in his class.
How should you act if from the age of 7 you fell in love with a 17-year-old teenager, whom you never saw again and whose name you did not even know until they met again when one returned to his hometown to inherit a laundry and the other is on the verge of entering medical school?
That is to say, for 10 years the underage boy in the story has kept a deep love for Minato in his heart when he saved him from drowning on the beach. Shin is a character who knows what he wants and does not hesitate before anything or anyone to get it. He never seems to be in a vulnerable position. Quite the opposite. The "aggressive" Shin is the pursuer, while the timid Minato is the pursued. The dominance and audacity shown by Shin when courting Minato, added to the way he did not hesitate to reject Asuka, his classmate, clearly demonstrates that he is not easy prey for any sexual predator.
Minato is not even his teacher, nor is he stationed like a predator at the school gates looking for easy prey.
Very cleverly, the creators use Shin's direct and bold personality to generate humor, romantic moments, and to lessen the power imbalance in their relationship.
The series gains followers by showing the viewer how there is a genuine attraction and chemistry between our two protagonists in a very natural way through the tension generated by their age difference.
The series quickly eliminates many reasons that will make people worry that Shin is in a vulnerable position as a minor in this relationship dynamic, as the character states that he never feels alone and lives with a large family that supports him in his relationship with Minato. The early appearance of his sister at the laundry in episode 2, the invitation to Minato to come to the family home to celebrate Shin's 18th birthday (in episode 7) and letters sent by the teenager's mother to Minato in support of the existing relationship between the two, confirms that Shin is supported by his family.
On other occasions we can see that Shin is very popular, pursued by the girls whom he kindly rejects, because he is clear about who he loves. Both examples tell us that Shin is not pursuing Minato out of desperation and loneliness.
For his part, Minato, who recognizes the age difference, does not ignore this reality and is scared of Shin's intentions; he did not want any romantic connection, much less sexual at first, he did not even want to talk about it. Shin is the one who goes to his laundry room and basically pushes him over and over to start a romance. Minato could be a predator but I don't think he is at all. This is a consensual relationship between two adult-thinking men who know what they want.
Minato acts like a respectable person who knows how to reject his crush and has never intentionally induced Shin's feelings.
It is suggestive how the series establishes an interesting parallel between the blossoming romantic relationship between the two main characters and Minato's infatuation with Sakuma Takayuki (Fukushi Seiji), his teacher during his high school years. Unlike his teacher, Minato is not in a position of power in his relationship with Shin.
In the same way that Minato invaded Sakuma's space in the past to demand attention, it is Shin who acts in the same way to flirt with Minato and ask him to start a romantic relationship with him.
On the other hand, Akira and Shin's is not an intergenerational relationship, because they both belong to the same generation.

THOUGHTS… DIVAGATIONS

Abuse of power can occur in all relationships. It doesn't necessarily have to do with age. It seems important to me to see what position each member of the couple is in and what type of power game, seduction and even avoidance takes place. You have to see if there is an asymmetry in the relationship and how it is managed, if it is denied, if it is compensated...
It strikes me that many who propose the existence of a relationship of abuse of power in a gay relationship solely due to the fact that one of the members of the couple is a minor, do not show a single symptom of alarm when in other film and television productions an age difference appears when the couple is heterosexual.
What if we made a comparison of all these themes with the classic imaginary between the older man and the young woman? In the heterosexual couples there would be a double asymmetry, one of age and another of power. On the other hand, in an intergenerational gay relationship there would only be an asymmetry, although hypothetical, because it does not always occur.
In any case, gay couples are also plagued by gender stereotypes and myths of romantic love, constructions that society gives us as molds for living love. Until very recently there was no social model of how to be or how to experience love in a gay couple, and it is something that is being built. This makes an important issue such as intragender violence remain invisible. As we see, it is a debate with more questions than answers, but they all point to the same thing: relating better within the gay community.

BACK TO THE SERIES

Luckily for them, there aren't many social prejudices to face. Shin and Minato do not have to manage the challenges of social pressure and other people's gaze. They are not required to normalize any type of external situation that may arise nor do they have to turn a deaf ear to hurtful comments.
The series also shows how both characters seek to have things in common, share joint projects, goals and life expectations.
Although both have different life plans, as one dreams of studying medicine, while the other maintains his interest in working in the laundry, the series offers us details about how Minato and Shin are willing to accompany the other in their respective interests.
Love has no age, they say, and Minato and Shin don't care about the difference between them to let the feelings flow.
Ironically, the age difference between the two lead actors is only four and a half years.
In my opinion, when taking stock of the positive and negative issues that each member of a couple has in a situation like the one Minato and Shin are experiencing, age does not have to be a limitation to continue a bond.
The constructive factors and traits, as well as the virtues that make the person, should have greater weight than the age difference when betting on the couple.
It is known that there are no couples who agree on all aspects of life. However, finding balance in how discrepancies are faced, whether it is the way in which free time is used or the way in which each person expresses themselves, will be essential to overcome any obstacle.
I enjoy the series, and age differences neither in fiction nor in real life bother me, unless there is a clear power imbalance, which in this case, if anything, the power imbalance is reversed.

ONE LAST QUESTION BY WAY OF CONCLUSION

Finishing writing the review, there is a question that floats in my head: Is Shin and Minato's romance comparable to others in popular culture, if we take into account that there are different nuances in the relationships between men and women?

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Heart-Fluttering Moments Ahead in this

I'm not lying when I tell you that this series has made my heart flutter several times within these first 2 eps. And that rarely happens. The acting and dialogue at the most significant parts catch me off guard in the best way possible, just like they do for Minato!!!

Something else I find very charming and unique is the heart-warming moments from Minato interacting with the older adults and everyone else in the town. It's common for BLs to forget that their characters are real people who interact with and live lives that don't solely revolve around their love interest,😭 so this smaller detail is really refreshing. And the story has already progressed so much in only 2 eps that I feel like I've watched an entire season - no need to worry about being bored or feeling like no progress is being made! The only negative I can see is that Shintaro (the love interest) is a minor (17 yr), but I'm hoping the series handles that aspect well.

Overall, I'd recommend this Japanese BL to anyone looking for something youthful, light-hearted, funny, calm, and slice-of-life.

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