This review may contain spoilers
Hooked - Light and Heartwarming
I'm shocked by how I was really hooked on this series. I guess I just really prefer stories with a light and heartwarming storyline. I really love the chemistry between the main leads. But I also have to give praise to the side characters who also brought good acting to the show.However, I'm a bit saddened by one specific scene. I'm referring to Episode 6, (SPOILER!!!!!) when Yamato tried to force himself on Kakeru. Kakeru told Yamato that he's lacking and messing up most of the time they are together ("Someone like me doesn't have the right to fall in love with you. I have nothing to offer."). And then Yamato brought up the fact that for him, that is not the case, because no matter what Kakeru does, Yamato still likes and treasures him. Furthermore, Yamato forces himself on Kakeru, not just a single time, since Kakeru said no immediately the first time, but Yamato still proceeds to kiss and caress Kakeru. Stopping only until Kakeru said no in a scared and shocked manner.
I'm just a little bit sad that the story between the main leads lacked the "consent" factor when it comes to their intimacy. Yamato will be the superior BL main character if somehow "consent" is included for him as a whole.
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Its cute
Cute coming of age story about a guy in love with his best friend and said oblivious best friend. This show appears as a rec for beginners in a lot of bl circles online, but I think its slightly over rated. Still good tho, I just think there are other shows that do the secret crush and pining thing better.Was this review helpful to you?
Nothing New
Pretty basic BL story—two childhood best friends fall in love in high school.I was a little bit annoyed at the overuse of tropes in this, mainly the thing where someone's about to confess something or say something important and then all of a sudden they get interrupted. At first it was fine, but then it felt like it was happening almost every episode lol.
The romance was cute, although it was a little plain and, once again, very trope-y. This show is just really formulaic, and I can't really find anything particularly special about it when comparing to other BL's (or romance dramas in general).
The production was pretty alright, but not quite as good as I want from a show that was hosted on Netflix. I really liked all the actors—the main characters were great, but I also really liked the one blondish wingman guy, and Yamato's sister.
Overall, it was alright, but brought nothing new to the table for me. Fine, but pretty forgettable.
The Hi-Fi Un!corn song was good though.
6.5/10.
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Cute
This was a cute drama about two chilhood friends coming to terms with the fact that their feelings evolved into love.I love the fact that Hosaka Yui and Toyama Akane saw what happened and pushed them in the right way.
This drama had beautifull music. The acting was good, not spectaculair. Chemistry was also good.
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Endearing easy watch
While this series as a whole does nothing new it ended up being one of my favorite things to watch in 2023. I think what sets it apart is the sincerity of the acting. The leads have great chemistry that shines throughout the series, I especially enjoyed the more tender moments of touches and hugs, Japanese shows really struggle with these kind of moments and they usually end up feeling too stiff and unnatural.The highlight of the show for me personally was Haru's (Kakeru) expressions and physically comedy, it's incredibly funny without going over the top. I found the character very endearing and human, so while the show definitely relies heavily on tropes it didn't impact my enjoyment and I found it a very smooth watch with no bad parts.
I would recommend this is to pretty much anyone who like fluffy romance, I can't speak to the subtitle issues some had since I watched it in Japanese, hopefully one of the streaming services for English speaking viewers picks this up at some point.
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Unveiling the Beauty in Simplicity
In a realm saturated with BL series set in school environments, few manage to captivate with genuine moments and heartfelt narratives. This particular series falls into that distinguished category, offering a storyline that is straightforward yet engaging.At its core, the series revolves around Yamato, an exceptionally talented and attractive student who harbors a secret affection for his childhood friend, Kakeru, known for his clumsiness and academic struggles. Yamato, cautious about jeopardizing their existing friendship, conceals his true feelings, while Kakeru grapples with confusion over Yamato's peculiar behavior.
The narrative wastes no time immersing viewers in the angst experienced by the two protagonists. Conversations between them are riddled with complexities, distractions, and misunderstandings, sustaining tension until the series' end. Each episode intertwines sweet moments between the leads, only to cruelly pull them apart. Viewers become emotionally invested in the journey of Yamato and Kakeru, hoping for their mutual understanding.
Kentaro and Haru deliver commendable performances, breathing life into the characters of Yamato and Kakeru. Yamato's reserved nature contrasts beautifully with Kakeru's outgoing yet hesitant demeanor. As the story unfolds, both characters undergo significant development. However, a standout performance comes from Leo, portraying Yui, the wise friend guiding Yamato and Kakeru towards self-discovery.
In conclusion, the series stands out for its simplicity and the actors' commendable portrayal of the characters, creating an emotionally resonant and captivating viewing experience.
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Carina
Molto dolce, molto easy, però con una discreta pronfondità. Negli step che devono prendere prima di decidere di dichiararsi, nel comprendersi e nel capirsi. Alla fine dei conti questa è una storia di un giovane amore che cresce e si sviluppa nel tempo fino a diventare inpossibile da nascondarsi. E da li cominciano i primi misunderstanding. I primi momenti dove non si sa cosa dire e cosa fare. Per poi arrivare a quando i personaggi decidono di lasciarsi andare e di accettare l'uno amore dell'altro. Una serie carina e leggera adatta ad intervallarsi a cose magari più pesanti. E che ti lacia con un bel feeling dopo.Was this review helpful to you?
This was a quick and good series yet…
The series don’t beat around the bush for sure lol. they straight up started into the plot !Btw I’m really pissed off right now because this is the fourth freaking time I’m starting over this review cuz MDL keeps losing track of what I wrote ugh.
SO. It was a super cute and quick series to watch.
The music were on point ! The casting is good as well !
I loved blondie (btw am I the only one who thinks that he looks like haechan ?) because without him, these two would have been at the same point rn !
Mikoto is such a good character as well ! She is so carrying and thoughtful to her brother. You can clearly see they grew up relying on each other!
Then kakeru’s first kinda crush (the girl) is so genuinely kind and nice ! She and mikoto really deserve the world !
Kakeru’s other friends deserve also a shoutout because of how supportive and open-minded they were !
Tbh I would have liked to see their reactions as well as the boys’ parents after the announcement of them dating.
Then a few things that really made me drop the ratings of the series would be :
- The acting
I might be harsh on this but for the two ML’s actors I really felt sometimes that they were doing too much. They were being too dramatic especially kakeru, always falling. Like I obviously know there are really clumsy people in the world and that’s not a problem ofc but here it was way too unrealistic…
- The series was going back and forth at the end. I felt like writers were just trying to make the series longer sometimes. For example (between all those I could have quoted here ngl) the fact kakeru said he was confused about his feelings for his best friend and more likely his crush at that point (I totally understand don’t get me wrong !) then proceeded to say he ´liked him’ right after had me. Or when he kept asking Ohara about his feelings for him eventhough he confirmed him like a thousand of times. But for that one, I know he was being really insecure due to ohara’s popularity among girls and feeling not at his level but still…
-THEN. The worst thing was ohara’s character sometimes at the end! Like he tried a few times to kiss kakeru without taking in count he was litteraly staying repeatedly ´No.’ or ´stop’ or ´wait ´. Like where the consent have been boy ?? 💀
The first time he might have apologized but it doesn’t take away the fact he did it one or two times a little longer after…😭💀
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Super cute, worth a watch if you dont know what to do!
So its a pretty basic plot friends-to-lovers nothing crazy. Its set in a High school setting. It is very light and super cute🤭 a few lil kisses and cute moments. It is worth a watch! i give it a 7.5 bc it is good but not like amazing/shocking or smth new but i wouldnt give it a low rating just bc of that, i enjoy light little BL's.The acting is okay/good, the MC is just very dramatic with his expression but that okay. A lot of time me and him said "HUH?!" at the same time hahahhaahah
So if you have a bit of time and want to watch a BL, defintetly worth it! ☺️
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A well-made classic school rom-com with childhood friend trope
This is a bittersweet classic school rom-com with childhood friend trope but Maeken and Haru make it work so well. I can feel the tingling sensation like a cat rubs her tiny nails on my heart, it hurts but i would pay every thing to experience it again. Maeda Kentaro is so pretty and Haru is always cute. They both have good acting and lovely chemistry both onscreen and offscreen. They always seem to have fun behind the scene. Regarding the drama, it has a good story flow, making us long for next week. The side characters are also cute and play an important role in their relationship development. It has a beautiful theme song too.But I HATE THE COLOR. The green filter makes every color disappear and it's so ugly.
Overall, I wish this show will have a second and even a third season (but pls change the green filter)
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First I have to say this gives a huge "old school Japanese BL" vibes, where your heart goes "Kyun" whenever the leads even look at each other lovingly, so this definitely for old school watcher or the younger audience who appreciates the light fluffy shy romance, aside from that, you definitely gonna get pissed off ~~
But despite having my "Kyun" moments I also had my "bloody hell" moments too, the interruptions were a tad too many here, I was watching while thinking "ok something is gonna happen now" ... *Thunder strikes* ... "See, I knew it" It gave me trauma, I believe they were cursed or something but I'm glad it ended well ~~
Yui was a king lol he had a very VERY huge and annoying bad timing problems and I give him credit for almost 80% of the interventions between the leads the other 20% is the teacher lol but him and Mikoto are like the audience who want to nudge the leads a bit to get closer ~~
Generally, it's a good one, but be prepared for some "screen punching" moments ~~
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Eh, I finished cause I didn’t have anything better to do
I have to say I really didn’t get into this one. The acting was pretty bad for the most part, except for some scenes towards the end maybe…The story was pretty standard but not delivered in any particularly exciting or enticing way..
In the end I finished it cause I didn’t have anything better to do, I did have some moments I enjoyed towards the end. But overall I don’t think this is a must watch.
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