Love Is Better the Second Time Around

It's alright.

The story is kinda cute I guess. I'm glad Miyata stood up for himself I honestly am. Iwanaga should've properly told him what was wrong and his problems instead of trying to keep it all to himself. I truly don't even know if I liked this or not I'm kinda 50/50 about this whole ting. The chemistry and tension between the actors were good I loved it, but there was hardly any character development and it all seemed too rushed which makes sense we got 6 episodes and all are 20 minutes long. The kisses.... oh they were terrible. they kissed a lot and I truly wanted them to stop kissing I didn't want to see another kiss between the two it was just that bad. The nc scenes were good I don't know why their nc scenes are amazing but not their kissing. The last two episodes disappointed me and the ending of the last episode was cute. It's adorable at best but I don't have high hopes of rewatching this at all.

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Not your average Japanese BL

What would you do if you met a previous love interest after 14 years, when the original affair had ended abruptly in confusion?

The storytelling in this drama alternates between current time (main characters in their 30s) and when they were high school students . Thankfully, they used two different sets of actors for the two time periods which works really well. The current time and flashbacks are meant to gradually explain the history to the viewer and clear up misunderstandings for the characters themselves.

Like many Japanese dramas, the focus is on personal growth / new understanding, not on visible action. While there are distracting side plots that seem to hint at "action", these are only there to challenge Miyata's perceptions/thinking. Miyata seems mired in a mental fog of the past, gradually gaining some mental clarity.

If Miyata's growth happened gradually through the 6-episode series, I might have rated this a 10. While BL in general, trades on extended misunderstandings, and Japanese BL in particular excels at presenting the impacts of the lack of clear communication, the resolution of the misunderstandings in this drama seem uneven and mostly occur quickly in the last episode. However, this unevenness is offset by the subtle comparison between inner and outer strengths/weaknesses of both Miyata and Takashi that adds another dimension to the drama.

Also note worthy is a certain bluntness in the dialog in situations where it wouldn't normally be expected. The spoken Japanese in this drama is mostly normal polite Japanese, yet there are a few times where characters say completely unexpected (and rude) things. Miyata sometimes uses more formal business Japanese as way of distancing, sometimes excessively (sarcasm) which signals his brokenness (and is hurtful to Takashi). While Japanese dramas can have insulating or rude language, it is usually direct, not using bitter sarcasm.

Also note worthy is while showing more "intimacy" than most, the physical intimacy exists to focus on what is happening internally/emotionally for Miyata and Takashi and does not read as fan service.

I don't think this is the masterpiece that "The Novelist" (Pornographer manga) is, but it does seem to carve out a unique place among Japanese BL.

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I LOVE THIS SHOW

Love is Better The Second Time Around is a Japanese BL and, as the title suggests, this is not starting at the beginning but it is starting when two people who were former lovers were forced to meet again by the circumstances. Miyata is working as an editor in a news journal and they have a new writer that they like before he is a professor and he is providing good rates for them. He met him and he learned that it is Takashi who broke his heart when they were younger. He was in love with him but the story was short lived because he learned that Takashi had a bet with one of his closest friend that he will elope with him and he was hurt by this so he decided to not elope with him. This misunderstanding ruined their relationship and they finally got to speak about it when they were adult and this is where their new story begins. This is a good story but it had some interesting choices in between that might not have resulted to a strong finale for story. We got to see them already in love with each other but Miyata is fighting hard to not fall in love with him because he was extremely heartbroken with what happened and he is truly hurt. His main storyline is focused on not falling in love while the main storyline of Takashi is finally facing his mother who did not really accepted who he is. I actually like the stories of these characters because what they are facing are things that we can easily relate to and familiar with. There are so many people who are experiencing the same things that they are experiencing so seeing that it will soon be okay or that it might not never be can still be comforting because they can at least see that you will still find a way to fall in love with someone who will actually love you no matter what. The greatest flaw of the show is that it felt it ended when it is peaking which is what is my problem with Japanese BLs. They are changing the game but they are still quite short and they do not always get to tell the entire story that they want to be. There is so much potential for these two characters because they are so lovable. Personally, I understand the pain of Miyata especially knowing how he really put himself in this relationship and the fact that he might experience that kind of heartbreak again can truly be scary. I get why he is so afraid. At the same time, I get why he is so in love with him. Takashi is super handsome. I will admit that when that guy smiles, my heart flutters. He is a good partner. They are actually good partners here and they did not try to overcomplicate things and faced them up front so we got a really good story out of it which is truly beautiful to see. I wished that there could be so much more of these two but I am still happy with what we got.

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Just Beautiful !

The gorgeous original music by Koyama Erina accompanies a warm color pallet that surrounds the couple with this warm and intimate feeling. The many shots of the two looking at each other and close-ups of their faces portray a longing that comes off as fleeting and effortless (something we saw in Jack O Frost, also directed by Yasukawa Yuka). The acting never feels too forced, and Robin’s face portrays so much subtle detail. Episode four is my favorite of the series when we finally see why Miyata was holding out so much. The scene by the river has made me tearful both times I have watched it but the line, “I may not be able to show the weight of my love, so I don’t know if it comes off as equal, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you” always brings the tears in full force. For me, this scene replicated the feeling I had when I found someone I loved and they said the right words to lift me out of loneliness. Perhaps, my own experience makes me like this BL a lot, or maybe it is truly hitting on something authentic. - EJ Reviews

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Difficulty in liking the main character

It didn't take long in watching this drama to develop a strong dislike for Iwanaga, one of the main protagonists. It was really full of himself and abused people with his business position to get involved in romance, but really just sex, not romance.
Miyata, an extremely likeable character is subject to the abuse, but starts to turn things around as the episodes play out.
That said, You definitely see a bit of a positive change in both characters as their relationship intensifies.
There's a lot of history between these two, so as you realize the depth of their past, you appreciate them both trying to build it back up again ... but as their always is in these BL stories, interference from supporting cast plays a big role, especially Shiraishi, the assistant to Iwanaga. He does a good job toward you wanting to smack him in the face, so Takamatsu Aloha's acting in this definitely worked!
It's a good story and the main actors Hasegawa Makoto & Furuya Robin do a great job opposite each other.
It's worth watching with a good feel ending.

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Second chances come with baggage

The show speaks to anyone who have loved someone, lost that same someone, and now occasionally harbours thoughts of “what if?”

What this series does is to capture perfectly the anticipation of meeting an old flame for the second time. As attraction increases between them, so does the emotional vulnerability.

Takashi and Miyata have to confront the uncomfortable reality of why their relationship failed to work out before and whether there is hope for a second attempt.

After all, second chances come with baggage.

With just six episodes, the character growth of the characters could not be fleshed out fully. But I suspect that this BL is so popular because it mirrors real life to a large extent, revolving around the fragility of relationships and the importance of timing.

Sometimes, saying goodbye doesn’t mean losing someone forever. It means see you next time at another point in our lives.

See more reviews: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/

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An Excellent but Too Short Adult BL Romance

This was very enjoyable to watch. The actors have an amazing chemistry, and whoever the cinematographer was should get an award for how well they made Hasegawa Makoto and Furuya Robin look. There were so many moments where both men were lit with an amazing golden hue that rivals feature film or big budget advertising cinematography. Plot-wise, I must say that there's a nice feeling seeing two men navigating a past shared teenage trauma and trying to figure out if they right for each other as adults. Amidst the drama, there are some nice comedic touches from Takashi's assistant, and Takashi's "brother." It also presents a nice story of gay man standing up for himself in the face of some traditional Japanese conservatism. They did a great job of casting three teenage versions of the adult men, actually finding young actors who looked like the adult actors, particularly the young Miyata. I think that some very talented hair and make-up people also had a big hand in that. Lastly, although there was no explicit nudity, the sex scenes, though brief, were quite frank and passionate.

My only criticism is that six 24 minute episodes felt too short. I could have used a little more delving into Takahashi's psyche and how he was affected by his broken relationship with his family. They explained everything in the final episode, but whereas I felt I really understood Miyata's trepadations about entering into this relationship again, Takahashi was a bit of a mystery throughout the series. I know a big part of the plot was predicated on Miyata not trusting Takahashi's words, and us not completely understanding his motivations helped elevate that plot thread. Miyata's voiceover gave us really clear insight into his character and I think some time could have been added to do something similar with Takashi's character. But this is nitpicking. Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto is an excellent series and very much worth your time if you like adult BL dramas.

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Already loved it the first time!

I've watched this series twice now and greatly enjoyed it both times (but even more the second time around when I already knew what I was in for).
It's an absolute gem of a story - grounded, thoughtful, and surprisingly funny!
The characters are extremely lovable and though their push-and-pull dynamic may have been off-putting in a lesser show, it works perfectly here.

Iwanaga is confident and cocky and pursues Miyata through blatant manipulation, but there are certain lines he does not cross. He does not force Miyata into anything he genuinely doesn't want, doesn't compromise their work together, and is very open about what he's doing and why.
Despite what Miyata believes in the beginning, Iwanaga is in fact entirely honest about his intentions and methods.
Miyata is always offered an out - if he does not want to engage with Iwanaga he can simply leave. Sure, there's a certain social pressure on him because Iwanaga is in fact his business partner, but he absolutely has the option to call their arrangement quits any time without any lasting negative consequences.
Combined with the almost desperate vulnerability that soon begins to shine through the cracks in Iwanaga's facade, this makes his antics genuinely entertaining to watch, endearing even.
Miyata meanwhile isn't afraid to push back against Iwanaga, sometimes by (rightfully) berating and admonishing him, sometimes by gleefully using Iwanaga's own methods against him and taking advantage of rules of social conduct and politeness. It's a highly engaging back-and-forth that made me laugh out loud several times, usually right before hitting me directly in the emotional gonads with thoughtful explorations of the nature of human relationships.

I also greatly enjoyed the side characters - yes, all of them, even Sugimoto. The acting is fantastic, the sound track is brilliant (the ending theme in particular is an absolute banger), and overall the immense care and effort that went into this show is apparent in every single scene.
I simply cannot recommend it enough!

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