Perfect Propose

An Intriguing Romance Between Two Long Lost Friends

Whether we realize it or not, we, as humans, are always looking for another person(s) to connect to. A person who understands us. A person who can become the place we come home to. A place to rest. A place to be.

Adapted from the manga of the same name by Tsurukame Mayo, the new Japanese BL Perfect Propose gives its characters a place to come home to—a place to be comfortable being themselves.


For six episodes, the series quickly traverses a seemingly simple but surprisingly profound and compelling story about two men who met and connected as children before reuniting years later. Hirokuni Watari (Kaneko Shunya) is an overworked corporate employee with little time outside the office. Fukaya Kai (Nomura Kota) is an orphan who works in the food industry for an older man who took him in after he tried to dash and dine. They come face-to-face when Hiro collapses from the weight of his responsibilities and finds himself peering up at Fukaya Kai, the face of the man he’d promised to marry when they were kids.

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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/06/perfect-propose-series-review-ep-3-to-6/

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Boring

I was told the show was cute, but it's honestly just kind of a drag.

It's watching a guy who hates his job and is too anxious to make decisions paired with a guy who is monotonous 90% of the time because he "has no expectations" and apparently this means he can never be let down? and he'll say he's excited about something but when it does work out he'll claim he never actually cared. Hiro is supposed to be gaining confidence, but nothing changes until the last 10 minutes or so of the last episode. Kai is supposed to be finding a place to belong so he can start opening up, except he continues to play off any slip of emotion all the way until the very last scene except for the proposal scene in the last episode.

I didn't feel the chemistry, like at all. I saw two guys being comfortable around each other by the end, but there was no romance. Also they framed it like Hiro wasn't gay at all in episode one - they directly call him out on it - but in the last episode he's suddenly ok with gay sex? Listen, I don't buy it. They should have been less direct about his sexuality in the first episode and then actually give me some skinship or something to suggest Hiro had leanings throughout. The way it stands, Hiro just didn't want to lose the best housewife/roommate a working guy could ask for. Definitely didn't believe that either of them had true feelings for the other.

Sorry, show. It's a dud for me.

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A Nice, Simple Tale Told With Clarity and Grace

Well, most of the Japanese BL series that I had watched before this one portrayed a "master - servant" kind of relationship between the leads. Or it was the case that one "submitted" to the "will" of the other. This was very unsettling and put me off completely. I dropped many series due to this.

Thankfully and surprisingly, "Perfect Proposal" did not fall in that category. Instead, it was refreshing, simple and straightforward. I simply love stories where there is little or no confusion, and this is indeed one such story, that is also well-told, and supported quite nicely by the natural acting of all the characters.

So if you want to take my word for it, then watch this one for sure.

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Kai’s cooking and himself made Hiro become happier while this show made me so much happier

I really enjoyed perfect propose it was a nice and soft drama, but it was a different one because it was kind of like they had arranged marriage, but it was a promise that both Kai and Hiro made when they were younger that they will marry each other no matter what. I don’t think I’ve seen a show were the main leads meet each other when one is basically laying on the street like their dead because their so done with their job, but ended up meeting his “promised husband” and then started to live together because Kai is basically losing his job because his boss ended up in the hospital because he’s sick and now is looking for a house, but stays with Hiro because they knew each other before and are gonna be married anyways. I felt so bad for Hiro because his job just looks so boring which is like no wonder he has such a low self esteem because his job sucks and his boss is so rude to him because he makes him do all the work even if he finishes all of his work he suddenly makes a whole new work for him. It was actually sad when Kaneko left because he got a better job offer and because he’s so done with that work place and even encouraged Hiro to leave because it’s basically making him depressed and he could be more happier in another job, but Hiro doesn’t want to leave because he feels like he’s gonna make everyone else mad at him. Also when Kai told Hiro that he never been to a festival before and he promised him that he would take him their so he finished all of his work super early so he can take Kai to the festival, but when his boss saw him done he made him do extra work so he couldn’t leave so when he finally could meet Kai the festival was already shutting down which was so sad. I also loved when Kai gave Hiro enough courage to resign from his job so he can be happier. And Kai should also be added to the list of possessive male leads because he didn’t want Hiro to be near another man and snatched him at their team meeting when Hiro got drunk. Also Kai is definitely madly in love with Hiro because he never really wanted to leave him again and cared for him a whole lot. Also I have to mention Kai’s cooking must be bussin because he made Hiro look from dead tired to looking like he slept for 24 hours in 2 seconds like I need to try it right now. Also the ost is a total bop from OCTPATH like you should Stan them they also sang the ost for Mr Unlucky, but yeah the show was actually a nice and cute one that I don’t think I’ll forget especially their kiss scene were they even wasted water. I do recommend this drama.

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Nearly Perfect Propose

This series is a phenomenally gentle story of two individuals who by happenstance meet as boys in childhood with one becoming his savior and then 10 or so years later, they meet again where in the end the other becomes his savior. The story goes full circle. This is an exceptionally well-acted series, given its short duration. So much had to be accomplished and shown in such a short period of time. Even the supporting performances were so spot on. However, who really steals this series are the two young boys who play the younger versions. Surprisingly, for a Japanese BL, they did a good job of showing a connection and were unafraid to kiss with a certain commitment. It seemed honest, genuine, and realistic.

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Beautiful Series

I loved this series from the very first episode. Love how intimate they were with each other and that level of familiarity allowed for them to connect on an honest and pure level which allowed them to always be direct with their feelings and this is what I loved most about the series; the simplicity of communication while working through complex emotions. Both characters felt disenchanted in life for different reasons but in each other they found purpose and meaning in life. My special 10 scene came in the finale when Hiro ran home to make Kai stay. That whole confession scene was so real between them. "You've already been shaping my life. Take responsibility properly" - Hiro. When Hiro said this it came from a place of love and genuine need for a second half. It tells you that you cannot live your life away from others because you fear your rainy days will only influence other people's lives negatively; who knows there might be someone who will walk into the rain with an umbrella. Hiro is willing to spend the rest of his life holding that umbrella for Kai as Kai holds him close keeping him warm from the rain. "Perfect Propose" is a fitting name because in the end what could make for a more perfect proposal than someone who loves telling you that they will give you the rest of their lives. Well done Japan; you caught my heart this time.

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Truly an (almost) perfect proposal

I wasn't too sure what I was in for when I started this series and you cannot imagine my delight at realising what an absolute gem this little show is.
The cinematography, editing, pacing, and performances are all stellar and create the perfect atmosphere for the somber but sincere tone the script strikes.
For such a short runtime, the story masterfully addresses topics of burn-out, workplace abuse, and even the meaning of life, in a way.
Its central message revolves around reaching for happiness despite life's apparent pointlessness as well as how relationships connect us as humans and tie us together for better or for worse.
Its critique of exploitative workplace culture (specifically in Japan) is perfect in its simplicity and there are several moments in the show which are so genuinely touching and meaningful I found myself tearing up multiple times.

The one thing I dislike about the show are its brief but inexplicable detours into tired BL cliches which happen repeatedly (although thankfully not all *that* often) over the course of the story. Presumably this is due to the source material, but that still doesn't change how uncomfortable and out of place these moments are.
The main instance of course being the scene in which one character forcibly gives the other a hand-job despite repeatedly being told "no" and "stop". Even putting aside how harmful the "predatory gay man" stereotype is, this scene just feels jarring and superfluous. I understand the intent behind it, but this is certainly the wrong approach.

Despite this flaw I cannot deny how wonderful this show is on the whole and how incredibly touching I find its quiet sincerity.
So if you are looking for short, highly character-driven slice of life drama about two people figuring out what's important in life and finding happiness in one another, then I'd highly recommend giving this a go.
Do beware of the SA trigger warnings though.

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A Small Commentary on Working in a Black Company in Japan

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The drama itself wasn’t too special, it’s actually very forgettable. However, topic of being overworked in your job is what makes this drama more memorable than it should be.

Hiro and Kai are also very forgettable characters. There’s nothing great about them compared to other characters out there. Even the plot and execution is bland. However, since Japan has a problem with overworking businessmen and women, the topic is more memorable. Having a “knight in shining armor” come in to help you regain the humanity that was sucked out of your soul at work is a dream come true for most people who are slaves to their jobs.

The drama's storyline is literally about Hirokuni learning to regain his humanity through Kai and vice versa. It's a decent watch, but nothing is memorable at all. Maybe if we got to see more of the character's human sides, like Hirokuni and Kai being more lovey with each other., it would have been different. We don't get any of that until the end, when we get to see more of Kai and Hirokuni’s humanity and them acting more like a couple. otherwise it's just boring. Most of the drama is heavy with the dark subject matter on black companies, so a little more love and humanity would have made it so much better.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

The plot of the manga is very similar to the drama. The drama fleshes out the more essential scenes, like Hiro and Kai’s childhood, but the manga gives more context to the overall story and other minor scenes. There really are no big changes to the story overall.

While both the manga and drama are quite equal, I’d have to say the manga was better. In the manga, Kai feels human, while in the drama he seems emotionless. Kai was a normal guy with childhood trauma in the manga, while in the drama he seemed to be like a cardboard cutout with very little emotions. Kai is supposed to be cool when he reunites with Hiro, but he lacks emotion in the drama so he’s not that “cool” when he comes back.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Perfect Propose wasn’t as perfect as it could have been. In fact, the “propose” aspect was lacking. Kai coming back saying they are engaged was great, but there was no grand proposal at the end to bring it full circle. Yes, Kai mentions that what Hiro says at the end sounds like a proposal, but there is no grandiose proposal to call perfect. Overall, the drama was actually kind of bland and the acting didn’t help make it better. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not a drama I’ll have on repeat anytime soon.

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"Being with people is heavy"

Okay so, do I wish this was longer...? 100%! Do I wish there had been a couple more scenes where Nomura Kota could've shown what a fantastic actor he is? 1,000%! But I have rewatched this twice now (rewatched the last episode a bunch more) and really enjoy it! When I tell you I have replayed the second to last scene repeatedly in my head since I watched it would be an understatement. The emotion, line delivery, and passion are unmatched for me personally. I just wanted more, and I know that's not a valid reason since it's a BL and those are always short, but I still wanted more. Would 100% recommend to anyone, honestly, so good!

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Simple

Perfect Propose is a BL from Japan. The story follows Hiro as he is visited by Kai who is his childhood friend that promised to marry him once they are older. This meeting le to them to reconnect with one another and to slowly learn more about who they are to each other. This is a short BL series with only six episodes and I feel like you will slowly fall in love with these characters as they are slowly falling in love with each other too which does not sound so bad at all. I think that it is a pretty cute story and it had some good ups and downs. The main story is focused of Hiro who is this overly worked employee. I don’t think that he is a workaholic but his job is taking away time from him to do anything else but the job and I feel like it is a relatable scenario to be in and there was this scene where he felt that he is not good enough to be with someone because he is just focused on really working which is quite sad but I felt that too when I was overly worked too. He is such a character that I can relate too and as much as I wanna say that his boss does not exist in the world, that is so not true. There are so many people who are forced to work their asses off for very little support from people around them and it is quite sad to see how universal this issue can be. On top of this, we have the love story with Kai which the storyline that is more focused on Kai and how he developed a sense of accepting bad things happen to him because they always do and that he does not want to be a burden to other people. There is that learned helplessness and not expecting things from people around him that is sad. This is something that they worked together to overcome and I think that is a good part of a relationship. I think that a good relationship is about finding a way to compromise for the things that we do instead of just accepting everything as is and this is what I enjoyed most about this BL, they are trying to be of support to each other and I think that is a nice thing to have. It is not one of those stories that will blow you away but it is simply a story that will make you think twice of how you live your life and decide whether it is good for you or not. I loved it.

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