10 Things I Want to Do before I Turn 40

It was a fluffy feel good drama, until it doesn't.

In the beginning it reminded me so much of Old fashion cupcake, the boss - subordinate relationship, the age gap. I thought this drama would have the same feel as OFC

20+ minutes per episode, mostly focused on Tojo's life and his overthinking.
It was perfect how Keishi and Tojo finished one thing from the list every episode. Their relationship build up was perfect. It was slow burn and i liked it.

But on episode 8 everything's ruined. Somehow that episode was focused on some side character we barely care about. Also there's barely any sight of the main couple together.
Then episode 9 happened. We only get the main couple together last minute..

Anyway the last minute romantic moments of the main couple is cute. Ngl i kinda expected the kiss to be just a quick peck, but it wasn't.
The things they haven't tick of the list was; Eating parfait, Kiss, Spend birthday with lover. Somehow they were able to do that in that last minutes.

I really like the OST, especially 菫 by chevon, i already added it to my playlist.

Overall it's a good drama. I probably won't rewatch it, but if i do, I'll skip ep 8.

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Fluffy and almost a head-turner kind of story

Good start. Despite the common to-do list type of story opening, it still manages to make the show interesting. Most people, especially those who are single for a long time, can relate to Suzume’s emotions; both enjoying their own company and experiencing loneliness sometimes. It was a good storytelling of the life of a 39-year-old corporate worker.

Tojo Suzume is still as cute as ever, even though he is already in his late 30s. It is also adorable how he loves to collect plushies. The boss-coworker relationship is interesting. Yet, I wish we could see more lovely scenes from them after they became an official couple, before it ended. I must say that the chemistry is just average. Age gap does not affect my enjoyment of watching them. Maybe, if they can present more light intimacy, it might look better.

The office scenarios were okay, too. That one particular EP, when the team needs to put in an all-nighter to complete a project, was a fresh breath of air EP from the show. I like the side stories too, but they tackled these during the vulnerable times of the MCs. I feel like the negative aura from the MCs was pulling the side-stories to put side. Overall, the story was okay, the actors performed good, and the pacing just needs some improvements.

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Lukewarm Suzume

I went into this with the hope that I would be thrilled like I was with Old Fashioned Cupcake. Same premise. Older boss, bolder subordinate. Fairly attractive and likeable cast. The first few episodes did deliver. The last didn't. Mainly because of Suzume-chan. Its expected that in the beginning he would be completely opposite to Keishi and over time they would grow closer together. In the story line they did, but visually it never clicked. The directors allowed them to check off the list but forget to check off them visually complimenting each other to finally be a couple.

The script lacked the charm past the awkward stage. Suzume remained in that stage to the end. Wardrobe was lacking with Keishi who didn't look the part outside of his suits. It's a given that Suzume would be conservatively dressed as he was on the threshold of turning 40. Keishi didn't have the finesse in casual clothes which was a bit offputting next to Suzume.

Their conversations were base level with nothing outstanding or humorous. The entire feel of the series was hindered by 11.5 episodes of Suzume's reclusiveness and self denial. It's as if they lifted the blueprint of Old Fashioned Cupcake and left the majority of the good bits behind.

The office environment was shown to be hectic but very complimenting and helpful. So, we are left wondering, how self deprecating a person can be with so much positivity and good will surrounding him. It stands to reason that he would have opened up to at least one person without putting up any walls. Here Keishi fits in. Though he was triggered by Keishi impromptu response at a certain point, he himself was not ready then to open up to everyone around him. He knew he loved him but was choosing to stay alone for what reason? It shifted from safeguarding his heart to protecting Keishi's reputation and finally to desperation.

It was enjoyable to a degree but so less than what it could be. I appreciated the part where Keishi refrained from pushing the sexual part of their relationship due to Suzume not being ready. The numerous stuffed toys gave insight to his desire to create his own world. The cute plushie speaking reminded me of Love is Poison but without the humor. Still was cute. The entire staff offering assitance and rooting for each other was a welcome change. Especially Keisuke who was genuinely concerned for his happiness. This was a pleasant enough watch. I just expected more.

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10 Things to Do Before Turning - 40 Review

Well, first thing: I absolutely did NOT want to watch this, and I'll be frank why. I felt it would hit way to much "home", being a older gay guy. I was... afraid to watch it. I could SO related with Suzume, feeling old and average and rather not making someone younger unhappy by having ME. It was as if I could feel inside of him.

Well, but how was it? Japanese BL series are often known for their more goofy approach, mimicking the funny acting of the manga their BL series often are taken from. Something I did not mind. But this... this was serious. I felt the "dramatic episode 11" was really always looming over it, because I so knew how I would have felt in Suzume's place. But there is something someone wise a long time ago, when I was a young gay man with full hair and Berlin was a village with a well: That YOU do not like to be your ideal partner is normal, it would be narcissist if it were so, but that doesn't mean you cannot be someone else's type!

Well, this was a fairy tale and reality is reality. But every good fairy tale gives a bit insight into what can be, and in that good storytellers are important to life. And this was a story of value and meaning. To not give up, to allow life to surprise you and ultimately, to dare to make a leap. I had consciously stopped at Ep. 10, wishing to watch 11 and 12 back to back, and I did not regret this decision, so I avoided the sad night after the usual sad 11. All in all it was a beautiful series with just the right balance of speed and depth, and the only thing I had wished was a 13th episode to see them being accepted. But that, maybe, is a story for another night. :)

Daring to go into a somewhat risky area, as such finding no flaw as the aforementioned, I can give it it good conscious a true:

9/10

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A Deeply Redemptive Story

While I have no way of scientifically testing my theory out, I am guessing that this series will be way more poignant for individuals OVER 40 than under. Moreover, its cogency will also be greater for those of us who are way, way over 40, even if it takes 12 episodes to get there. This is one time when the belaboring to get to its efficacy is worth the wait. For the journey to get to the moment of love is the ethos and thus worth watching: it is reflective, pensive, wistful, bittersweet, yet so astonishing fulfilling. Indeed, this is one of the best BLs to come out of Japan in a long time. This is an astonishing and touching love story that is more deeply discerned by those of us over 40. Yet will be understood – someday – by those under 40. Give it time. You may eventually see yourself as Suzume. This does end up being a redemptive story. You can read the full review of this fantastic series at BLBliss.com.

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Strong start, weak end

First 6 episodes was easily a 9/10. Next 6 unfortunately was a 5/10.

First 6 epi:
+ establishes chemistry between the couples
+ shows character motivations
+ shows cute scenes with cuter plushies
+ warm and cozy like my favorite JBLs: Old Fashioned Cup-cake and Cherry Magic

Last 6 epi:
- random insecurities shows up with one of the leads. basically stunts character development
- the main characters don't even interact with each other in 2 full episodes
- Divorce era before even establishing a relationship
- whats the title of this show? 10 things... yeah they completely forgot about that
- after 5 episodes of gloominess they make up in the last 5 minutes of the last episode. needed more cohabitation scenes
- better kiss than KBL, but you won't notice because its over before you're done blinking

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What a lovely... second version of Old-Fashioned Cupcake!

And so we will not avoid to draw comparisons between old-fashioned cupcake and this one for obvious reasons: there is an age gap, office romance and both are japanese series.

In my personal taste, Old Fashioned Cupcake still rocks it miles in comparison with this one. And I am a little bit sad for saying that maybe because I would love to see at least something on the level of Old Fashioned Cupcake.

I mean this one had the biggest hopes because the age range is very similar, the topic is very similar. It's as well again Japanese boys love genre series. When I was trying to discern why is that, maybe one of the things that play significant role in it is I am a fan of age gaps, I am not a fan of height gaps. But before you accuse me of anything, listen, it's not I hate it, it's more I don't care about it so I don't see why would anyone do a thing of it. Now when this one is out of the way, another thing I think plays a significant role in why I still love Old-Fashioned Cupcake way better than this one is because the tone of the series of Old-Fashioned Cupcake was much more serious (+ heavym, yes) in comparison to this one. So to explain it in reversal, I am not a target audience for this specific type of behavior of the male leads, I mean of the characters of course.

You see, I can imagine adult people behaving like adults did in Old Fashioned Cupcake. I don't see them behaving the way it was in this series.

It is not that it is something bad, I love that someone experiments with sweeter, lighter tones. I love that there is such a representation in series. But it does not change the thing that I am personally more on the darker side of spectrum and so I appreciate more the darker things than is this one and I came into watching this not knowing what is it about or who is gonna do what. I did not know the original material for this.
After all of this is said, I just want to note here that no matter how much I love Old-Fashioned Cupcake more, there are definitely moments and instances where this series and the story shined. I did appreciate, stand above, and in the context of the whole series I did not expect them, which is a praise.

If we avoid the comparison itself, it's a nice, cute, sweet, light-hearted comedy with deeper moments, topics of self-doubt and self-value. Introspective one, where one of the things that stand above in comparison with Old-Fashioned Cupcake (haha, we haven't seen that coming, right?) was, of course, the final kiss. I mean, there was this rumor that there is no kiss scene in Old-Fashioned Cupcake, which is not true, because there is a kiss just the episode before the last one. kone-sided (which is very doubtful, that it was one-sided, but like "kinda one-sided"). But there is not a kiss in the final episode, nor in the additional episode that came out later. But there is this final, rounding kiss of these two male leads. And that one kiss is basically like five kisses in one, which was very nice after all of this, after one not-necessary episode filler, after all of the complaining, coming to this thing and expecting nothing, paid off in rewards, and we have got the official final, you know, final episode kiss of the two characters, then bed scene (just sleeping what you thik aobout?), annd then again 1:1 parting Old-Fashioned upcake eating scene. Nicely enough, the kiss was nice, and it was a proper kiss, not the dead fish kisses we so frequently see, if the team don't want to do it in the first place. So I greatly appreciate the actors' efforts and the storytellers' and creators' creative decision about this.

From my viewer's perspective, it is a nice attempt and try at Old-Fashioned Cupcake number two, with its own merits. And now I would love to see another one where it's again darker, deeper tones with more of the good things from this series (and i don't mean only the proper couple parting kiss).

- I am up to no good.
Nox.

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