Minato's Laundromat

Stop I’m so obsessed with this show

I’m so obsessed with this series and them because they’re actually so cute and they’re one of the reasons why I’m so obsessed with JBLs. I love Shintaro so much he’s so cute and adorable and the way he simps for Minato is so adorable it’s insane. Also
Asuka is so adorable and funny also and him and Shin are like an iconic duo. Also that intro is one of the best intros I’ve seen because the song is a bop first of all and second of all each intro has a special part which showcases a character and their always so cute in it. I will warn you there may be spoilers ahead so be aware.
I am obsessed with this plot and it’s so good. Shintaro is a high school boy who goes to a laundromat one day and the owner is named Minato and Shin ends up falling in love with Minato and says that he’s gonna peruse him until he accepts his love. Which was him going to the shop everyday to bother Minato. In the meantime while Shin is at school he keeps on getting bothered by his classmates Asuka and Shin can’t make him stop bothering him until he realizes that Shins in love and asks who it is and when he found out it was Minato he decided to help him get Minato. Since Asuka knows Minato since he was a child because Asuka grandpa owns a fish shop which is near Minato’s laundromat he always sees his grandpa and that’s how he knew him since he was younger. When Minato sees Asuka he’s comfortable with him and goes for hugs and all that stuff, but when Shin wants one it’s not acceptable. Overtime Shin visits Minato constantly and always hits on him until Minato tells him he’s not interested in dating him because he’s a high schooler and Minato’s 30 and it wouldn’t look good to the public and since Minato was in that position when he was younger because he fell in love with his high school teacher. In the end Shin gets a substitute teacher and his name is Sakuma and it’s later revealed that he was Minato’s old crush and Shin starts to hate him so much that he would ignore and treat him badly, but would want all the details about Minato in high school. Overtime Sakuma suddenly wants to be in Minato’s life again and while Minato was starting to get comfortable with Shin, Sakuma had to come and muck it all up by making Minato hang out with him all the time and when Minato promised to take shin to get watermelon shakes he takes Sakuma instead like erggg, I don’t like him he made me so mad for no reason. Once Sakuma backed off Minato was fine with Shin and I’m so happy they started dating because I was getting tired of Sakuma’s screen time. Also Asuka also has a crush on a guy and guess what he’s Sakuma’s younger brother named Shuu and he’s absolutely way better than Sakuma and is actually cute in my opinion he seems like a sleepy dog, but always rants about the world and history. Even though Asuka knew him for a while, Shins sister Sakurako also had feelings for Shuu so it was a battle between them until she got rejected cause Shuu said he has someone already and it was Asuka and good for him he made his man know that he’s taken and stuff also the fact that they already went on vacations already shows that they are together, but don’t actually think they are. Anyways I won’t spoil too much, but it shows how much I love this show and how much I dislike Sakuma. I really recommend this drama and I suggest you skip any scene that Sakuma is in!

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"Minato's Laundromat: A Heartfelt Journey of Love and Growth"

Japanese Drama Review: Minato's Laundromat (12 episodes, 25 minutes each)

Story and Character Development:
The character building in this drama is exceptional. The way events unfold, their sequence, and development is excellent—not too fast to be confusing, nor too slow to be boring. I really enjoyed this balance.

Cinematography, Directing, and Music:
The photography, directing, and transitions between shots are professional and visually pleasing. The music is well-chosen and never annoying. The series provides just the right amount of visual stimulation without distracting from the story.

Main Characters:

Minato Akira (Kusakawa Takuya): He perfectly portrayed a depressed and closed-off character. Watching his journey from a guarded, fearful person to someone who finds his happiness and safe zone was remarkable. I felt every emotion he experienced from beginning to end.

Katsuki Shintaro (Nishigaki Sho): Persistent, stubborn, and possessive. His performance was captivating, showing what it means to break into someone’s heart without permission. Despite their age difference, his love and dedication for Minato Akira over the years were beautifully expressed through his acting and eyes.


The chemistry between the two leads is excellent—they made me truly feel the growth of their relationship.

Secondary Characters:

Sakuma Shu and Sakuma Takayuki: They provided the most comic relief. Especially Sakuma Shu, whose antics and expressions were hilarious.

Hanabusa Asuka (Oku Tomoya): A calm and subtle presence, whose few scenes were impactful, showing quiet and contained emotions of love.


Favorite Scenes:

1. Episode 7: Katsuki Shintaro shows childhood pictures to Minato Akira, expressing his feelings with sincerity.


2. Episode 8: Minato Akira rejects Shintaro’s feelings, yet Shintaro’s eyes and reactions make it clear he will love him forever.


3. Episode 9: A comedic moment where Sakurako confesses to Sakuma Shu, and his off-script reaction made me laugh uncontrollably.


4. Episode 12: The finale—Minato Akira reads Shintaro’s farewell letter, feels the anger and explosion of emotions, and rushes to confess his feelings. Even after discovering he wouldn’t leave, he faces his emotions fully. This scene was deeply moving.



Conclusion:
I highly recommend watching Minato's Laundromat. You will experience a range of emotions—from laughter to heartfelt moments—and the character development makes it a truly memorable drama.

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fluffy but taboo romance

Sep 18, 2022

Minato Coin Laundry is one of those controversial dramas I have finished. I think the age gap between the leads can be concerning. Like I understand what the writers have done by providing past contexts between the leads but it just won't do it for me.

I guess if you can turn a blind eye into this then you should be fine with watching this show. The drama itself is fluffy but we do have a very persistent lead, Shin, and another lead who can be going around in circles, Minato. During the whole time I felt some frustration towards the progress of the story due to some dragging of the plot. However, I guess the casts' acting really made everything bearable to the point where the plot holes became unnoticeable.

So this drama is for those who just want a quick fluff with a persuasive male lead and I guess a contrasting flustered-always-yet-clumsy male lead

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Minato Shouji Coin Laundry: A Soapy BL Drama with Heart, But Could Use Some Spin Cycle Improvement

Alright, let's dish about "Minato Shouji Coin Laundry"!

So, this JAP BL series had been on my radar since it dropped back in 2022, but life kept getting in the way, you know how it is. But finally, I managed to binge-watch it, and boy, do I have some thoughts.

First things first, can we talk about the insane chemistry between the two leads? It's off the charts! And their acting? Top-notch, my friend. They really brought those characters to life.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was totally into this series for the first few episodes. I mean, with 12 episodes lined up, I was pumped. But then came Minato Akira's character arc, and let me tell you, I was left scratching my head. I mean, seriously, still pining after Sakuma senpai? Dude, get a grip! And don't even get me started on Shin still rooting for them after getting rejected. Come on, man!

And what's with Minato playing the whole "I'm in denial about my feelings for Shin" card? It's like, come on, buddy, we all see right through you! And props to Shin for being so understanding, but honestly, it got a bit annoying after a while.

So, I heard there's a Season 2, but I decided to pass after hearing some mixed reviews. Apparently, Minato's still up to his old tricks, and I just can't deal with that kind of drama, you know?

But hey, despite its flaws, I did enjoy watching the series, especially because of the ridiculously good-looking couple. But yeah, the execution and storyline could've been a bit tighter. Here's hoping they step up their game if they ever decide to do a Season 3!

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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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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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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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