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Heatedo Rivaruri?
Okay jokes aside, this drama was outstandingly mid. Like, 'rich CEO ML hires poor girl underdog FL' kdrama levels of excitingly dull. They built up this tantalising new plot, added orchestral suspension music and the whole shabang, just for the whole shtick to be muffled within a couple of interactions. Exciting, tense, interesting, mysterious, omg whats gonna happen... and then crickets.Aside from the pathetic plot points, I really struggled to understand the characters. I'm used to the whole 'I need to earn my place by his side' mindset, but really? That was the motivation behind wanting the role?? And I'm supposed to root for your passing the audition over blondeski who looks at the script like a devout, God-fearing, Jesus-loving Christian eyes up the bible? Mad ting.
However, as much as I hate on this series, it makes up for in quality. This is no underground BL niche fuelled by £15, a go-pro and a wet dream, this is a Production. Capital P. Say goodbye to the petty romantic squabbles and love-triangle situationships, and konnichiwa to characters with depth, realism and mummy AND daddy issues. The woker in me rejoiced at the sheer quality of this drama, and even though it has the intensity and thrill of a wet wipe, it's a bad GOOD drama. It's an Uncontrollably Fond in a world of Pump Up the Healthy Love's, a Put Your Head On My Shoulder amidst a sea of Lve O2O's, a 2gether: The Movie in an era of Tharntype seasons 1 through 2. It is worth watching and will definitely put a spark in your weekend (however dim that spark may be), so give it a shot and put it on your PTW with medium priority. High priority if you have parental issues or a passion for equally but diversely attractive men kissing on camera.
TLDR: good drama, good vibes, overused tropes, nothing crazy, do watch if you like boys kissing and healthy relationships, don't watch if you're looking for something groundbreaking, action-packed or slightly toxic (but in a hot way). This isn't Heated Rivalry. And watch series 1 first.
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Surprise! a good second season
It’s rare to find a show where the second season is actually good. Most of the time, I feel like season twos are lacking, made only because the first season got a lot of attention, so they are usually made with a weak story. But this one is the opposite imo. It genuinely feels like they put effort into the plot. There’s an actual story to follow, not just filler, fanservice, or made for product placements. Plus, the main couple has great chemistry. I did like it, This show is underrated, and I definitely recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
To Win vs. Not To Lose... What is the Difference?
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25Season 2 brought us less pining and fluff, but gave us more realistic challenges of maintaining a relationship. I was at first a little worried about watching this season, as I am not sure I want to see angst between them just yet. But at the end, I am happy I did watch season 2 and see how Hayama and Shirasaki have matured as actors and lovers.
It was very obvious Hayama and Shirasaki are different actors and people. Hayama is more introspective and quiet, and more famous and experienced. Shirasaki wears his emotions on his sleeves and is a newcomer to the industry. I see a more smitten Hayama who really, really likes Shirasaki and that this season shows us more of his side of the story. He wants to be loved and not to be abandoned, therefore, he pleases others before taking care of his own desires. Shirasaki obviously really likes Hayama, but he is the one that needed the pampering and doesn’t quite know how to give yet. His continued desire to be good enough to stand next to Hayama proudly, might have caused harm to his relationship and to Hayama.
There are times I do want to shake some sense into them. When they are on uneven footing in a relationship, and not wanting to lose to the other could signal danger. But eventually, they are honest with each other and their relationship is stable enough to withstand these challenges. I am most impressed with the improved acting of both actors. They are their usual self as regular people, but when Komagine Kiita and Niihara Taisuke dialed up their acting during the acting and rehearsal scenes in the play and the movie, they become different people. Their posture, their gazes and their aura change to a different person. This is probably what I like best this season. The overall acting for the whole cast is great. However, there are times I wish the rehearsal scenes could be cut shorter and give us more content outside of the studio.
I thought about it a little and I think I like “At 25:00 in Akasaka” Season 2 just a little more than the first season. This is a surprise to me as I was initially reluctant to watch this and I’m currently in a Happy December mood. But I like the growth I see in both characters/actors and the excellent performances they deliver. I still would have liked to see more content but overall, this is a worthy and different sequel. Rating this an 8.25 (0.25 more than the first season of fluff).
Completed: 12/24/2025 Review #655
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I expected a bit more
First of all, I was a huge fan of the first season, it left a great impression and a fond memory to me. For that reason I was excited about the sequel but, as often happens with sequels, this one didn't quite live up to the expectation.I'll be brief:
- Overall it's an enjoyable season, one finds the characters as we left them, and it's nice to see their growth. I was personally impatient to see their life as a couple, now that they both were in the industry, plus all the challenges of the job itself.
- The mood remained the same, and that's one thing I love most about it. That part at least kept me going.
- The characters, I'm sad to say, didn't really (humanly) grow, to my point of view. Hayama had a little change, that looked big for the character but wasn't "visible" enough to me. He stayed pretty much the same in my eyes and wasn't very "active" in pretty much anything, especially in the relationship with Shirasaki. The dialogues were probably an issue, lacking in confrontation and literally more words. I still feel like I know nothing about him, just his face and quiet bearing.
Shirasaki, instead, was a bit unbearable to watch this time around. He felt insufferable to me and way too childish. He just didn't go through any development in my eyes, I was even disappointed several times, like in episode 9, due to his total absence for his partner. I expected him to mature but, even at the end, I didn't see him that way. He still relies on Hayama a lot and doesn't feel like a dependable person at all. Even very self centered.
- The actors were phenomenal, and that's what I admire about this series: every actor did an amazing job, like I said in my previous review, acting within acting is crazy work. The whole part about the play was chef's kiss. THAT got me hooked.
It's just a bit sad to me that this season felt bland, like nothing much happened, even the conflicts didn't really get to a point. I was always expecting more and more but nothing came back. It felt static. Very introspective but still limited. There really was the potential for more exploring, more daring.
Overall it's a pleasant and calm series, so I still recommend it.
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A little better than the first, but still committing the same mistakes
Season 2 was a treat, and I loved that we got more moments between Hayama and Shirasaki as a couple. It was wonderful to see their relationship grow. However, I hoped we wouldn’t see the same mistakes repeated from Season 1.While I understand Shirasaki is grappling with his insecurities and low self-esteem, it would have been great to see them tackle these hurdles together through open conversation. Projecting those feelings onto his partner was not right! The silent treatment and the isolation while living together were unnecessary – why not discuss these issues like proper adults?
Additionally, I didn’t like how some scenes suggested that Shirasaki was beginning to develop feelings for Mihara. That did not sit well, and I was thrilled to find out it was just a plot device – no need for unnecessary love triangles!
Despite these issues, I thought the acting improved, and the scenery and production value also got better. The character dynamics, beyond just the main leads, felt more natural and engaging. I appreciated how the plot addressed the family troubles Hayama faced, particularly the devastating scenes with his mom.
Lastly, I also liked how the drama explored the issue of parasocial relationships that people develop with actors, emphasising the importance of understanding boundaries.
Overall, Season 2 radiated potential and was a commendable effort.
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One really bad actor with a lot of really good actors
Apologies, Niihara Taisuke, but I would be hard-pressed to come up with a worse Be our actor. Add there are a fair number of subparbiel actors out there. What makes it painful, though it is how he's acting alongside a minimum of two extremely talented actors, and as one of the main characters, you see him half the time essentially. I literally had to push myself past any scenes with him in them. And I'd say I'm mostly happy I did. Komagine Kiita and Usa Takuma gave 2 extremely powerful performances, and everyone's acting as actors in their respective plays/shows was phenomenal. As the villain in the play, Usa Takuma was chef's kiss :* perfection, and Komagine Kiita almost moved me to tears with his performances throughout the show. I can't imagine what it would have been like if he had been acting across from someone of equal caliber.(Slight spoiler coming up) I do have one caveat to Niihara Taisuke's acting in that I think he was actually pretty incredible in the play itself (all 3-5 minutes of it). It makes me wonder if he has experience in theater which would make sense, or if he had been receiving bad acting directions for Shirasaki Yuki's character. Whatever it is, he did an incredible job in the play, and I want to give him kudos for that while still wishing they had done anything else with Shirasaki Yuki's character - Whether by choosing a different actor or completely... I honestly don't know what kind of stage directions would have made the character he portrayed; even his smiles and his posture made me cringe.
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Utterly BORING
I found this series as a whole, like the title says, UTTERLY BORING. I honestly do not know why I even started watching the second season because I didn't like the first season. I don't think this series warranted a second season, compared to the many JBLs out there that do. I surprised myself that I wasted my time watching the second season to the end.Asami-kun character was just so DULL. He gave no emotion at all, I found it really difficult to believe what he was feeling and what his emotions were. I really didn't feel any connection between him and Shirasaki. When Shirasaki was struggling I really didn't feel any sympathy for him, I just found him pathetic.
I think the premises of the show was good, it reminds me of the manga Black or White. But I just think they were the wrong actors for it and directed poorly. I got more emotions and dedication from the side characters that we saw very few of. I'm looking forward to the special episode to see how well the side characters pull it off.
I know this review is harsh and probably unwarranted. Many will disagree and that's ok. If you enjoyed it, then truly good for you but it really wasn't for me. I stuck around because I truly love JBL and think it's the best form of BL out there but this, for me, really missed the mark.
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BRILLIANT character work but underwhelming on the romance front
When it comes to the character work, there are very few shows that have done it better. It's truly masterful writing and very realistic, and both Komagine Kiita and Niihara Taisuke did incredible jobs with said writing. Shirasaki's insecurities pushed a lot of the plot in the first season, and it was the same this season — it becomes very clear right at the start of the first episode that he feels like Hayama is too good for him, so Shirasaki is constantly trying to prove that they are equals when it comes to acting. This propels the main plot thread of the season — a stage play that both of them want the lead role of: the director of the play is someone that Shirasaki desperately wants to work with, and Hayama loves the novel that is being adapted and playing the lead is his dream role. This understandably leads to some (minor) friction in their relationship, and as Hayama is a people pleaser, he ends up dropping out — primarily because of a movie role he is being offered that his agent is urging him to take, but also bc he can see how important this role is to Shirasaki. As the first season didn't really get to dig deep into Hayama's people pleasing tendencies, season 2 takes the opportunity to do that. I also thought it was brilliant how their roles reflected where they were mentally — Shirasaki playing a character who murdered someone and inhabited that person's life (the rehearsal scenes harping on the fact that he has "replaced someone" when he feels inadequate to play the part... *chefs kiss*) and Hayama playing a character with a fraught dynamic with his mother causing him to finally confront things he had been avoiding. The interiority of the two characters is just so rich this season and there were so many scenes that knocked the wind out of me.BUT for a show that is categorized as a romance, the writers really really dropped the ball there. The season starts really strong on that front as the first episode is mostly dedicated to showing them in a functional, established (albeit secret) relationship and even when the idea of a breakup is brought up as they are a bit worried about how their relationship being discovered might affect their careers, they reassert that they want to be together and even take the step of moving in together. (Like last season, the metatextual analysis is exquisite — the unflinching discussion about what it's like to be openly out in the entertainment industry was so, so, so good!) But as soon as the stage play becomes part of the plot, the romance takes a backseat to the character work — which, in and of itself is fine! I don't mind romance being more peripheral to the story, but their relationship did not feel very reciprocal to me. Now a lot of people on here (and other social media) seem to have a lot of disdain towards Shirasaki bc of his fixation on trying to catch up to Hayama's career, and I do think a lot of people's responses are a huge overreaction, but it was honestly frustrating and a little confusing to see the direction their relationship took. Hayama is a top tier boyfriend — constantly being emotional support for Shirasaki, constantly reassuring Shirasaki when he starts having his insecurity spirals, being generally supportive. And while Shirasaki's headspace is understandable, he constantly seemed to be oblivious about what was going on with Hayama and was so myopically focused on his own distress. Like (spoilers lol) their argument in 2.09 gave me such huge whiplash bc Hayama is finally discussing how he is struggling with the movie role — something he didn't want to do bc he knows about Shirasaki's stress over the play and doesn't want to put more on his plate — and then Shirasaki immediately starts talking about how he's struggling with the play before returning to what should have always been the focus of this conversation: asking Hayama if he actually wants to do a recent job offer. Idk I don't hate Shirasaki like a lot of viewers seem to — I'm still invested in them being a couple even — but it was irritating to see how Hayama was always thinking about him and constantly prioritizing him and then Shirasaki was just so self-absorbed. Like the appeal of fictional romantic relationships for me is reciprocity!! And season 2 just didn't really give that.
Idk, I definitely think season 2 is worth a watch and I have to applaud the writers for taking me on a ride where I truly had no idea where things were going to go, but I'm nowhere near as likely to revisit this as I am to revisit the first season.
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Not your typical eye candy BL, but does it's job!!!
I understand the absence of yearning for new chemistry but it's composition as S2 is definitely praisable as it details into both positive and negative changes within the same story."It's not about winning against that person but it's about not losing to the other person."
This story overall explores strong love, passion for art, emotional discovery, role of each partner in a relationship and exceptional acting from all the cast.
Hayama figuring out what he actually wants in life, his dream, his emotions and more.
Definately the presence YAMASE and SAKUMA nailed the whole series by giving it a different dimension!!!!! Want them more!!
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Happy for the sequel, but there’s nothing really special about it
I miss them. The prequel was lighter and tender compared to this sequel. It is more focused on the deeper connection between the couple’s individuality and their love for their craft. They went outside the box of delivering a trope of two celebrities getting caught dating by the public. This is commendable; however, the scenarios were too slow, which created a gap between the couple.What happened to my dear Shirasaki? I have adored him from the first season, but he suddenly felt too focused on himself. I understand that it is one of his flaws when he is being driven by his role. I feel pity for Hayama too. Living under one roof but being separated by their own rules was painful. The couple just needs to communicate and comprehend each other more often. The most disappointing part is that we have fewer romantic scenes in their dating era compared to their flirting era.
The additional character in the story was unexpectedly weak. I love his backstory of losing his roles to Shirasaki, but I know they can create a way better spice-up challenge for the couple. Despite the disappointments, I still enjoyed this show on an average level. The confirmation of the side couple having their own sequel was the cherry on top. The OSTs and the arrangement of the opening were the best too.
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Well...
I get now why some shows don’t get a season two. I was so excited like, “OMG, season two!! I love them!” but why did we spend 75% of the 10 episodes on their work and acting dilemmas? I get that it’s part of life, but come on… you’re partners, you’re both actors, you’re in the same industry. Of course you’re going to compete for roles. Sometimes a part you want is going to go to your partner or vice versa — that’s normal. So why were we stressing this hard?Episodes 4 and 5 had me genuinely confused. Yuki made no sense in those episodes. None. At all.
The one thing I did enjoy was getting a bit more of Asami’s backstory — his mom, his dad, their dynamic. That part was interesting. And honestly, I was happy to see the actors again because their chemistry is still really good. They’re always appealing to watch.
But the story? I don’t know. Maybe it’s me and I just didn’t connect with or understand the direction of season two. The acting was great — that’s not the issue — the story just left me thinking “what the hell?” It wasn’t what I expected at all.
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