I Hear the Sunspot

totally worth watching

I Hear The Sunspot 2024 was an amazing drama. I really enjoyed watching it. The feelings were so genuine; I could truly feel them. It made me wonder how life can possibly be from someone else’s perspective. I love that it showed us that people don’t want to be treated differently or pitied but instead want to be counted as normal members of society.

The drama didn’t only carry beautiful messages and make us concerned; it also helped us understand what love truly is. I could feel the love. I wish everyone finds someone they want to change this world to a better place for. I hope someone comes into everyone’s life who can show them the way they want to take steps, grow, and glow.

Talented cast, beautiful story. All I can say is that I adored it.

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An Amazing Drama about Overcoming Disabilities with a Hint of Romance

Hidamari ga Kikoeru is a drama about overcoming disabilities with a hint of romance. The drama tackles Kohei’s hearing-impairment and how Taichi gives him the strength to overcome his disabilities. Kohei falling for Taichi is just a lucky bonus.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The drama tackles the heavy topic of deafness and how it’s a spectrum. It discusses how those who are hearing-impaired and considered deaf, but not deaf enough to actually be deaf, struggle to fit into not only the deaf society, but also the able-bodied society. The drama looks into how difficult and lonely being hearing-impaired can be and how there is not enough support for those that are hearing-impaired in comparison with those that don’t have any hearing at all. The best part of the drama is that it doesn’t get too preachy about it. Taichi is used as a tool to prevent the preachiness. He is just straight forward and not interested in learning about the deaf community. His only motivation is to help Kohei, so he doesn’t bother learning about the deaf community, only learning what Kohei teaches him, and only getting involved to help Kohei.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Drama ✦❅✧❅•

While the manga is still ongoing as of writing, it’s so much better than the drama. The drama only covers until the beginning of Taichi’s employment at sign, so right when Kohei and Taichi begin dating. It’s after this where we start learning more about Kohei’s disability and how dark his future is because of how so society is made for those that are only 100% deaf. Taichi starts to play a bigger role in opening up Kohei’s future by learning more about the deaf community. Their relationship also endures some challenges due to Kohei’s deafness, but they also grow stronger as a couple together.
I could talk about the manga forever because it’s so good! Even though it’s not completed yet, it’s so good!

Unfortunately, the manga is still way better than the drama. The drama does a good job in getting most of the plot points, but there are a few plot points that are missing. For example, Maya was brought in as a foil to Kohei. However, the drama didn’t really incorporate her relationship with Yoko. In the manga, Yoko becomes interested in Maya, so he talks to her a lot. She pretends to hear him, but she actually doesn’t. Taichi scolds her saying that she shouldn’t be rude by pretending to hear him because he’s talking to her because he has something to say to her. This scene left an impact on me while reading the manga. It’s sad that the scene and her relationship with Yoko was left out in favor of making it seem like she wants to date Kohei.

Another scene that was skipped was Kohei getting lost while trying to find Taichi’s house and meeting Taichi’s grandpa. It really showed how far Kohei was willing to go for Taichi and showed more of Taichi’s relationship with his grandpa.

•❅✧❅✦ Drama vs Movie ✦❅✧❅•

In terms of plot and romance the drama was better. The movie only had a little over an hour to fit everything from Kohei’s disability to their romance. The drama had 12 episodes to explore all of their issues. However, when it comes to the characters and their chemistry together, the movie was so much better.

The characters in the movie seem to embody more of Kohei and Taichi than the drama. Taichi is more loud and annoying, and literally looks dense, but he shows more expressions of concern for Kohei. Similarly, while movie Kohei is less expressive, he seems to genuinely be in love with Taichi and just wants Taichi to be by his side with no strings attached. It’s because of this genuine side to their characters they have better chemistry.

Overall, while I like how the drama expanded on the story, I personally think the movie was far more superior despite its flaws with the plot. Personally, I think Movie Taichi would fit better with Drama Kohei. While watching this drama I kept wishing Movie Taichi would appear. I didn't think too much about Movie Kohei though... So maybe Drama Kohei is better? What do you think?

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

While I'll sing praises to the story and plot, and even Kohei's actor, I'll have to pull a couple of points due to Taichi's acting.

Taichi’s character is really this drama’s downfall. The drama’s plot is amazing, and Kohei’s actor is also great. However, Taichi and his actor doesn’t really fit the role he is supposed to play. Taichi is supposed to be loud, annoying, and dense. This Taichi, however, isn’t loud or annoying. He does talk with a loud voice occasionally and the way he talks isn’t really annoying, but the biggest issue is that he tends to speak with a normal voice. His voice isn’t different from those around him, so it’s hard to imagine how Kohei can only hear Taichi’s voice. Also, Taichi’s actor doesn’t really come off as dense, so scenes where Taichi can’t pick up Kohei’s cues tend to come off as “doing it for the plot.” Lastly, he seems to have a hard time playing off Kohei's actor, so they lacked chemistry. The whole time I watched the drama I wished Movie Taichi was on screen, which I shouldn't be doing. Kohei's actor was great though!

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Hidamari ga Kikoeru is a nice drama. It has an interesting storyline and amazing characters. It is a little slow-paced, but if you can get past that, it’s a nice drama.
From Kohei’s struggles and Taichi’s straightforwardness and willingness to help adapt to Kohei, it’s something everyone needs to see. It’s really great to see a romance drama on overcoming disabilities without getting too preachy, or too “He can overcome this because of this person.”

As a fan of the manga, I think the manga is far more superior than the drama or movie, but if I had to recommend an adaptation to watch, I would recommend the drama. However, if you’ve already read the manga, I definitely recommend watching the movie and drama. I’d love to discuss plot points and characters with you… Especially which Taichi or which Kohei you prefer!

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Had to rewatch it

I Hear The Sunspots is a coming of age romance story adapted from the manga HIdamari ga Kikoeru. The story follows 2 boys who are in their first few years of college. Sagawa Taichi, a boy who's recently been fired from his part time job. Taichi is known for being a loud person with a cheerful persona. The second main protagonist of the story is Sugihara Kohei, a handsome and intelligent boy who’s hard of hearing. Kohei spends most of the time alone due to his disability, sometimes being a liability. The two males first intertwine when Taichi, who gathered all the coins in his wallet, bought a soda. Unfortunately for him he dropped the soda the minute it was in his hands and it began to roll down a hill. Chasing after his precious soda he spent all his pennies on, Taichi trips and falls down this small hidden hill and takes a tumble before landing straight on his back. That’s when he first sees Kohei, who is sitting on a roof of sorts, and is about to eat his lunch. Taichi apologizes for disturbing his peace before his eyes settle on Kohei’s lunch. Taichi is a big back and constantly hungry so with no shame he pleads with his eyes to have a bite of the delicious food Kohei has in his hands. Kohei offers all of the food to Taichi, and without shame Taichi accepts. Without saying a word Kohei grabs his things and dips. Curious about the mysterious person he’s just met, Taichi asks his friends if they know who he is. Supposedly, Kohei is well known around the school for his handsome looks, and it’s also a well known fact that he is hard of hearing. Then Taichi’s friends show him a flyer to be a notetaker for the hard of hearing which strikes a spark in Taichi’s mind. The next day Taichi finds himself in the place where he first met Kohei. He takes a seat beside Kohei and returns the lunch box that Kohei had left with him the day prior. Taichi shares how he’s heard about him around school and says he’d want to work as his note taker. He soon discovers that you need to go through training to do it officially. That’s where Kohei suggests the idea of not making it official and instead of actually being paid his reward would be a lunch. As the big fatty Taichi is, he accepted the offer with less then no hesitation marking the beginning of their mutually beneficial relationship.
I absolutely loved this series. It wasn't what I had really expected to like much because the first time I saw it I did not feel interested at all. I read the synopsis but my only thoughts were too much plot because at the time I had just wanted a plain and simple romance. I’ve now come to realize that when I think I want a plain and simple romance it really calls for a beautiful, deep, character driven show. This show was perfect in so many ways and it did have its flaws but I believe that they were overweight. The first thing I want to acknowledge is the actors. The actors were perfect for this role and I cannot imagine anyone else playing these characters like they are quite literally them. I have read the manga but I’ve only read it after I had watched the whole entire series so I’d say my perception might be biased but I adore the live action much more compared to the manga. Though nothing can surpass the original, my heart yearned for me to watch the show once more while I was reading the manga which did not fill the void. That is why I’m watching it once again, which speaks millions of words for me because I rarely re-watch shows and if I do it’s usually when a year has at least passed. Back to the actors. They are perfect for the roles and they are splendid actors. Phenomenal. They encapsulated the characters and became the characters like you know and the actor did their job when you cannot dissociate them from their roles. Secondly, what I loved about this show was the slowburn. The show was on such a thin line of romance and a simple bromance that if you had just taken away the scene where Kohei kissed Taichi it really would have passed as a bromance. Watching it again just really shows that this scene really changed the whole plot of the show. It’s like in those bromance series where all you could think is will they kiss or not and they never do, but this time they actually did. I think that’s one thing I appreciate about the story so much because it keeps this lingering feeling of yearning throughout the whole show. Kohei confessed around the middle of the series but even then Taichi is still figuring out his feelings of friendship or love? It also shows such an emphasis that Taichi was Kohei’s friend and a dear friend to him before he even realized his feelings and the same could be said about Kohei to Taichi. I believe that even if this show focused just on the friendship I still would’ve loved it because their friendship and just the chemistry the actors have feel so real. Though there are so many things I love, it does have its downsides. First, would that be the ending, like where’s season 2? It just leaves so much to be wondered and sometimes I enjoy it but I feel like we rarely see the characters together to even make up an imagination of their own. Instead of wondering what their futures together would be like It’s more of a will they even have a future together? Next, I also hate their little friendship break up era or whatever they had going on. I know that it moved the plot forward and it’s also quite realistic because I also believe Taichi would drop out of university, I don’t enjoy the stage where they rarely talked. Lastly, I hate Maya because she caused a riff in their relationship which I believe to be so out of character for them. Their whole miscommunication era seemed so out of character considering Taichi was such an enthusiast for talking to each other and sharing their feelings with each other which was the reason why Kohei told him how he felt. I just think that the characters would have developed on their own without another person making them develop.
I would recommend this show for everyone. I think there is nothing that can go wrong with watching it. You might not be guaranteed to love it, but I can guarantee that you’d at least like it. I also think this is such a good show for a non-bl watcher to start off with. It’s nothing too freaky but the friendship between the leads is good enough to keep you focused the whole time. The actors are also eye candy, and the setting is beautiful. It's just overall a well rounded show.

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AAAAHAAHAHHHHHHH

i have the paperback manga and it's my favorite manga i have ever read, its so extremely good, well written, beautiful artstyle and amazing characters, when i heard there was gonna be a series i was over the moon, they did an extremely good job with the cast and script, so many little details that were in the mamga being transfered into real life and its beautiful, the story and message behind it is just as beautiful as everything else about it

i 100% a reccomend the manga and series for anyone, it's an almost bittersweet story with a good ending and a lot of emotions

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"Unspoken Bonds: Hidamari ga Kikoeru and the Quiet Power of Love"

I don’t usually write reviews, but I felt like I needed to make an exception for Hidamari ga Kikoeru—because this series moved me in ways I never expected. It’s rare to come across a story that resonates so deeply, and yet, this one did.
The way this series captures emotions is remarkable. It’s not showy or melodramatic; instead, it’s thoughtful, genuine, and smart. Everything about it feels natural, almost effortless, yet so real that you can’t help but get pulled in. The love that grows between Kohei and Taichi is understated, quiet, and tacit—but it’s there, and it’s powerful. You can feel it in their every interaction, their shared silences, and the smallest of gestures.

What stands out most is the struggle they both face—not just with the challenges that life throws their way, but with their own vulnerabilities. Kohei’s hearing loss isolates him in ways that are heartbreaking, and yet, Taichi’s warmth and acceptance bring a light into his life. The way the series handles Kohei’s struggles and his gradual opening up to Taichi feels honest and sensitive. Every obstacle, every moment of pain and uncertainty, every resolution—these are all woven together in such a way that you feel as if you’re living this journey with them.

As their bond grows, so does their understanding of one another’s feelings. It’s stunning to watch these two characters connect so deeply, to see their unspoken love grow into something unmistakably real. For me, this series is something truly special, an experience of living love and friendship on a level that goes beyond words.

In the end, I was left in tears, feeling an intense sense of fulfillment. Hidamari ga Kikoeru isn’t just a love story—it’s a story of acceptance, understanding, and the quiet power of human connection. This series will stay with me, a reminder that sometimes, the deepest bonds are the ones that don’t need to be spoken.

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One of the better BL shows but there’s room for improvement

The show started out strong as I love the chemistry between Kohei and Taichi. The plot development was great too considering how their first kiss at the staircase was early in the drama. But it kind of goes downhill from there especially with the appearance of Maya. The story also gets unnecessarily draggy. Some episodes felt like it gives nothing to the story development. I kind of understand the struggles that Maya felt but because the episode was short, it just portrays only her bitchiness, which naturally, lends to more people hating on her.

Acting wise, the one who portray Kohei was stronger in my opinion. The actor who did Taichi did well in the beginning but he kinda falters because his expression felt one-dimension when he tries to do the reflective expressions. And I was also kind of annoyed with his passiveness in acknowledge his feelings, like it takes too long in my opinion.

Music was really good. Love the ending song. Overall, enjoyable watch but also agonizing too.

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this was the most heterosexual bl i have ever seen

this show is so fucking weird man. lets just address my biggest issue with this show right off the bat: THESE TWO MFS ARE SO GODDAMN STRAIGHT ITS PAINFUL. im not of the belief that bl actors have to be queer, though i do think that it would make more sense that way. with that being said though, good lord are these two actors so painfully straight. i get it, kissing another dude is probably hard, but yall are ACTORS, why are we doing a fake kiss in japan in 2024. #embarrassing. its not just the kiss though, i cant tell if its the writing or the acting or both but i felt absolutely no romantic connection between the main leads whatsoever. taichi's actor gives a little bit more of a gay vibe but its still not great. for most of the show i was just bored bc it felt like watching two friends just kinda hang out, but it got real ugly real fast when maya was introduced. im gonna sound really mean here but you just gotta hear me out: MAYA IS GENUINELY THE WORST FUCKING CHARACTER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN A BL PERIOD. somehow i hated her more than i hated yue yue in revenged love. yes she pissed me off that bad. first of all, i hate how taichi acted with her. TAICHI ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT??? shes literally manipulating him so blatantly and taichi just doesn't get it. god she makes me so mad. seeing her trying over and over again to get in the way of the already basically nonexistent relationship between the two leads my god it made me so mad. honestly this show is just not worth it. i haven't read the manga or anything, but the story honestly seems pretty good. i hope in the manga that there is actual romantic chemistry and i hope maya is less of a little bitch because she genuinely ruined every single scene she was in for me (no shade to the actress she seems sweet). seeing maya released like extreme anger to every part of me no exaggeration. anyways, my conclusion here is if you're really interested in this story just read the manga, because this show is just boring a for the most part a complete waste of time. don't let the high rating fool you like it fooled me.

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JUST LIKE READING THE MANGA

No words to explain how much I loved watching this. It's just like reading the manga. I'm so so so glad they decided to make this live action. I've always known about Kohei and Taichi, but really got to know them thanks to this one. I also started reading the manga and it amazed me how similar they're. Thanks thanks thanks. This is so worth it. I wish we could keep seeing more, a second season would be amazing if they keep doing it like this one. Little changes from the manga but still the same. I loved it with my whole heart and fell instantly in love with each character. Would love to see more of Yasu, Yoko, Maya, Chiba and Sai.

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It's worth it, but be patient. Censorship is hitting hard on this BL

Look, this BL is simply wonderful and super sweet! We see the two characters grow together, and it's beautiful to watch. But after watching See Your Love, you can notice some similarities and also see what was missing in I Hear the Sunspot. This BL delivered a lot, but it has more of a bromance vibe than a true romance. There was only one kiss, and in the last episode—which was the perfect time for refreshments, whether it was a direct "I love you" or even more affection if there was no kiss due to censorship—all they gave was a rather awkward hug.

The problem wasn't the chemistry or the script, because they were both great. The point is that Kohei showed his feelings all the time: in his looks, in his speech, in his gestures, in his touches... in short, in everything! Taichi, on the other hand, only realized his feelings at the end, and even then, he was embarrassed and didn't have the courage to show his feelings. In other words, Kohei single-handedly conveyed the feeling that we were watching a real BL series, and that really irritated me! LOL. I love Taichi, he's my favorite, but I can't defend the way the script portrayed him. Besides letting the romance happen only in the last episode, he didn't even say a simple "I love you" to Kohei, nor did he attempt a kiss or anything that would convince him he was ready for romance. Geez, I hate censorship!

Despite this, it's a super cute BL series, full of lessons learned and heartbreaking moments. In fact, it was my second time watching it! And if you enjoy BL series with themes of inclusion and representation of hearing impairment, I recommend See Your Love, Moonlight Chicken, and Blue Canvas.

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A Very Unique BL Series

This overall was a fantastic series, not just an ordinary BL drama, but with so much more added in. From the first time you see Kohei smile in episode two, to Taichi begin to defend Kohei in a very special way, you realize this is going to be a special drama.
The acting matches the story perfectly. Mixing a melodrama with the difficulties in one losing his hearing at the same time of coming to terms with romantic feelings for his best friend, it played out in a very enjoyable way.
Nakazawa Motoki & Kobayashi Toranosuke were a perfect match in front of the camera.
Episode 5 was the real changing point of the series. I think the line spoken by Kohei "Being able to not hear the sounds - But being hated by you is what I'm more afraid of" is just brilliant.
If you want to watch a series with a blend of every kind of emotion there is, this is the one!!

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A must watch Japanese series since “Cherry Magic”

At first I didn’t expect much about this series because the started with Taichi - an aggressive and loud kid which was the type of character that I disliked the most. Nevertheless, the energy I used to bear with him to see how the series going rewarded me hugely! I love everything about this series! If you’re looking for obvious skin ship gestures, kissing and such you should skip this one. The way the love was expressed in this series was really subtle yet it touched my heart deeply. The love between the two character was pure and enormous, it looked as if it was unrealistic but isn’t it the type of thing that we’re looking for in these kinds of series?

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