Love Is Better the Second Time Around

Yea.. HARD PASS

The storyline seemed interesting and the first and second episode were okay.. But the actor who plays Miyata Akihiro makes this series extremely unbearable.. He is not even pretending to be interested in his characters role.. He's tense, but definitely not in the way of the characters personality and role.. He tense in a very visible very uncomfortable way whenever their is any male to male contact in the show.. It's pretty clearly written on his face that he was very reluctantly doing this role for a paycheck or perhaps to fill out his portfolio.. The rest of the cast was great and the actor who played the professor seemed to be trying his hardest to bring the story to life, but his co-star was just not a good fit.. Overall I would say that if your interested in picking this show up don't bother..

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Unexpected gem of a story!

This is one of the best written BL stories i've seen in ages. There is coherent adult characters that behave like logical sentient human being with relatable reasons for why they make certain choices. Plot line is simple but very well done and dialogues are incredibly well written and engaging, they actually make you want t listen to what they have to say and see ho things will evolve (and yes characters DO talk about things instead of having ridiculous misunderstandings that makes you eye roll so badly you're scared your eyes will fall out of your head).
Acting is great too, for all the characters form leads to secondary actors, all perfectly chosen. Differently from some comments i've also felt the chemistry and the sensual tension between the main characters from start to end, to me it was expressed perfectly and was on point. The contrast between their younger self with puppy love and all the uncertainty of a first relationship and their adult self with acquired confidence and experience is evident and again very well presented. An unexpected gem of a story that it's worth watching and rewatching too

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Complete package but not totally my type

Categorize this show as an ordinary one especially since I am having a hard time deciding whether I liked it or not. They have the angst, the growth and connection of the romance, the appeal from the cast, the amazing setup of soundtracks, and a nice sequence of the stories from the beginning until the end. Yet, it is not my cup of tea and I am certain that people out there might enjoy this show to their fullest. But, I was hoping as well that despite not my preference in a romantic genre, it’s their job to make things work for everyone.

Aloha is so cute in this series with his sassy and bitchy attitude. However, Makoto devours this show with his excellence in delivering the perfect blend of emotions and charms. The intimate scenes were the best element in the drama; hot, sexy, and fulfilling. As expected with Japanese productions, they always took a lot of effort to create pleasant and arousing scenes for their characters. But not to the point of overly doing it, that mostly happens in Thai BL shows.

The story is dramatic in a good way in that it tackles reconnection and attempting to succeed on the second try. It was a good plot for two grown adults and how they face up against hindrances in their mature ages. It was cool to see them nourish their romance with a happy ending.

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Solid Second-Chance BL With Intense Mature Chemistry!

Love Is Better the Second Time Around (2024) is a highly engaging, fast-paced, and mature Japanese BL drama that delivers a solid entry into the reunion-romance genre. It stands out for its realistic workplace setting, high emotional tension, and compelling main lead dynamics.Story & Pacing (7.5/10):The plot follows a business magazine editor who unexpectedly reunites with his first love from high school, who is now a successful university professor. What makes this story so entertaining is the intense psychological tug-of-war between the leads. While the pacing can feel a bit rushed and certain side plots could have used more depth—which prevents it from being a perfect 10—the overarching narrative about overcoming past heartbreaks and learning to trust again is genuinely good and highly addictive.Acting & Cast (8.5/10):The main duo delivered very strong performances with an undeniable, sizzling on-screen chemistry. The absolute highlight is the professor—embodying a confident, charming, and fiercely possessive male lead who refuses to back down until he wins his lover back. Their intense glances, mature arguments, and the deep vulnerability beneath their proud exteriors create a fantastic, high-tension dynamic that keeps you completely hooked.Overall:Despite its minor flaws, this drama is a very solid 7.5/10 watch that every BL enthusiast should check out. Driven by an attractive cast, a great mature tone, and a passionate romance filled with tension, it offers good entertainment value. Recommended!

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a chance that will dictate the rest of life

The live rivalries were too much for me as if seemed when 1 decided to give up the next came up so seemed like everyone was taking turns. Now the past incident, I found heartwarming as it really captured high school romance and what first love truly is.

The acting I felt everyone was a bit over the top when trying to achieve their goals as manipulative behaviour was being used and they had no consequences for them.

I don't quite believe the first rival just giving up as they've known each other for a while and know him quite deeply. The second one is more believable as if makes sense he was going nowhere

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Pretty good, could be better

i enjoyed this drama, it was relatively light and nicely done. the main couple’s casting was good, too. they’re both beautiful. i liked the dynamic between them, their banter felt pretty natural and their scenes together didn’t feel forced, though i have few things i didn’t like.

i felt like the story would have been more naturally paced had there been more episodes, but i know bl dramas outside of thailand aren’t quite there yet.

despite miyata liking takashi deep down, it felt like miyata came around to admitting he liked takashi ahead of the plot a bit and he discarded that girlfriend rather quickly, too. she was more of the token girl that gets dumped for the boy, no real characterization on her part. could have done without that. but he played hard to get with takashi, then all of a sudden he warmed up and went all in and they sleep together, but the scene was still noticeablely chaste (i’ll forgive this since miyazaki says it’s his first time) and that push and pull felt a bit odd to me, especially in a limited time frame and especially because i felt like for two people who were once lovers and haven’t seen each other in over a decade, i expected a bit more passion and fire but idk. i also felt two love rivals in such a short amount of episodes was unnecessary and the second love rival was rather random, too.

we actually got more kisses between miyata and takashi than i expected going into it, but that being said, they were far more chaste than they should have been for two men in their 30s. not that we needed NC scenes left and right, but a few kisses more than the “press and hold” would’ve made sense. i mean, i’ve seen some pretty passionate scenes in japanese series, i know they can do it. but overall, it was a decent series and still worth the watch.

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