Futtara Doshaburi (2025)

When it rains, it pours , washing away doubts but leaving behind a storm of desire!

At the heart of this drama is an exploration of longing, love and the complex emotions that arise when loyalty is questioned. The story is an emotional journey of Hagiwara and Nakarai who navigate their changing feelings towards each other while each being in a complicated relationship where neglect and denial have the front seat. In 7 episodes it somehow manages to explore the grey areas where desires conflict with rationality and norms and also focuses on the delicate balance between self-preservation and vulnerability in the right place, to the right people.

The drama in its portrayal of cheating doesn't simply just present it as a plot twist or spicy storytelling tool, but it digs into deeper emotional undercurrents that pushed the characters to take those drastic actions.
Here, it was an expression of emotional turbulence and crisis that stemmed from being disregarded for too long. It felt like a cry for recognition, for understanding.

There is something beautifully tragic in how one person seeks solace in the arms of another, not out of malice, but out of a desperate need to be seen, to feel valued in a world that seems to disregard their worth.

Character Description :

Nakarai Sei was a walking emotional paradox. His character was a mix of emotional detachment and the tragic yearning for something more, something he can't quite grasp but desperately craves. He feels all this stuff brewing inside but he’s also scared of it, building walls to protect himself from emotions he can’t fully understand or accept. He hides behind logic and rationalization, using it like armor to push away the chaos within but it is obvious that the storm inside was only getting bigger. His ability to express conflict without words makes his character all the more compelling.

Hagiwara Kazuaki had a certain duality to him, assertive yet gentle, a man caught between his deepening feelings for Nakarai and the hesitation driven by his own fears. His care goes beyond mere tenderness, it was a constant awareness of how delicate their bond is, as though even the slightest hint of force could break it.
There’s a quiet vulnerability in him, an openness that stands in stark contrast to Nakarai’s guarded demeanor, offering a softness that Nakarai sometimes didn't know how to embrace.

The chemistry between them was both subtle and had a palpable intensity crackling beneath the surface. They had this unspoken tension between them that grew with every glance that lingered a little too long. Hagiwara’s tenderness met Nakarai’s emotional walls, creating this push and pull that felt almost magnetic, yet painfully distant. Their connection is raw, real and messy in the best way, as they tiptoe around what they both want but can’t fully reach.

The side characters Kaori & Fujisawa just didn’t click for me. There wasn’t enough time spent on them to really understand who they were or why they did what they did. It felt like they were just there to move the plot along, not adding any real depth to the character. I didn’t feel any emotional connection to them, like I didn’t like or dislike them, they were just there. They came off more like a plot device than an actual character and honestly, this lack of emotional investment left me pretty indifferent overall. They did give reasons but it was a little too late for me.

The pace was a bit too fast for my liking but I have watched now too many J-dramas to know this is how it is considering the run time.
Also, the last episode felt bit underwhelming but the drama was too entertaining for me to rate it lower!

The performances of both leads brought an emotional battle to life. I can nitpick but overall they served! Cinematography was beautiful and felt very gentle and poetic! It has that perfect J-drama vibe to it , rain serving as main progatanist !

Overall, I would definitely recommend this drama for its emotional depth and its exploration of complex emotions. While this definitely has flaws, the overall story is very gripping, engaging and thought-provoking, with an intensity that lingers long after every episodes end. If nuanced character and emotional turmoil are what you are looking for, this drama is worth your time.

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dreadful and frustrating, but brilliant!

When many people say BLs are fiction, that is not entirely correct. The premise of the show of a sexless marriage is a common problem in Japan. The latest study in 2024 found that 48.3% of married couples are sexless, which is nearly double as many as in most other countires. If one of the partners "don't won't the hassle" and the other do need it, it puts a lot of strain on the mental health. This show depicts this reality brilliantly and I felt how dreadful that must be. I also felt heavy and frustrated as Hagiwara with girlfriend. Kaori does not like to be intimate with him any more.

On the other side we have another sexless gay couple which are a couple for the wrong reasons. I'm not happy with the finale explaining Fujisawa reasons for his behaviour -it does not explain the refusal to be intimate. Guilt is always a bad motivator to be in a relationsship. Of course Sei is not innocent in this too. He let Fujisawa isolate him, he did not force the issue much much earlier and wasted years with a love which could never fulfil him.

After a wrongly sent email Hagiwara & Sei kept in contact per mail and discuss their lives even in sexual matters. As it must happen, they did not know they were co-workers. For reasons they disvover that by chance and have a lough. After another refusal of Kaori Hagiwara felt so deep in a hole, he contacts Sei and they meet and they have one of the most sensual scenes in a BL. I don't mean the touching and kissing, I mean the feelings they convey... I felt how they urge for the touch, to be close, to be one.

Of course there sexual affair did not get unnoticed from Kaori and both of them got in a chaotic situation. While Kaori did scrutinze Hagiwara's phone, Fujisawa went into a jealous rage, raping Sei which was not shown directly but he had the marks afterwards. Sei seems to think it was a deserved punishment which sounds insane for most viewers and left me speechless. While Kaori does not seem to be a bad person per se, she is not able to communicate her desires and problems with her partner. Kaori's talk with Hagiwara ended with the expected breakup because she is unable to comprehend what she has done and how Hagiwara felt. Sadly Sei also pushes Hagiwara away.

At least there is happy end and I'm not happy that we did not get another episode.

Cinematography, direction were on point, the cast acted their roles to perfection, making this drama very special. If you think, they all should have communicated better, don't forget, Japan is different from most countries. Feelings are kept hidden more, problems are often ignored especially in relationsships and due to the work mentality - which is insane for every other country - they often don't have time to do so.

This is for sure a show to binge-watch and I can't tell you how highly i recommand you to do so!

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