Cinderella Closet (2025)

Inner Beauty can make anyone beautiful

I really love this drama, I stumbled upon it after being disappointed once more by a wishy-washy cliche drama that left me feeling cynical. I was intrigued by the concept of Hikaru and how sure he seemed of himself. What I love about his drama is all the green flags. Judging someone by how they act not how they look, working hard and communicating.

Matsumoto-san, who played Hikaru, made this drama for him. Not only was he an amazing actor that made me feel female vs male Hikaru but his aura was topnotch, I was surprised to find out this was his first main role. I also really like that there was no nasty ex or evil side characters. Everyone communicated and was mature.

I found myself laughing, crying and squealing through different scenes. I binge watched all 10 episodes in 1 day, between work. It made me feel like I was also growing as a person, watching ML and FL character development.

On rewatch value, I'll be re-watching it for that feel-good warm fuzzy feeling it left me with and because it taught me that my Prince Charming or Cinderella doesn't need to look a specific way. Def one of my favorite dramas, looking forward to seeing more of Matsumoto-san!

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A Simple Story About Complicated People

Cinderella Closet is a refreshingly wholesome web drama that fits the feel-good light and fluffy category. The story is simple but heartwarming, there's no melodrama, no villains, just likable and relatable characters. It's a warm welcoming hug after a hard day's work, greeting you at your doorstep as you say, “Tadaima!” Simply put, it just puts a big smile on your face by the time you're done with it. Dramas like these are what made me fall in love with J-doramas in the early 2000's. They're short, sweet, and full of life lessons and adorable quirky characters.

Haruka is a tomboyish young woman who has always felt plain and insignificant among a bevy of “kawaii” girls her age. Her life is transformed the moment she meets Hikaru, a gender fluid cross-dresser who has the looks as well as the fire that she feels she lacks. At the center of this story is their unlikely bond and growing fondness for one another as they manuever their way through life and struggle with their own self-worth.

I devoured this drama in just one sitting. It was as addicting as it was engrossing. The plot is simple but the relationship between the lead characters is anything but. Despite its relatively wholesome vibe, it delves deep into serious and socially relevant issues like gender identity and lookism. There are no bad characters here, just everyday people trying to make something of their lives and that's what I love most about it. The story follows the lives of ordinary individuals just dealing with their own personal issues and that's why they're relatable and you can easily empathize with them.

If you're looking for just a nice short drama that leaves you feeling good about yourself, this is the ticket. I highly recommend it!

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A sweet journey about self-confidence and empowerment!

Awn I really enjoyed this one! I like these types of romances with genderless characters or characters who break stereotypes and here we have that with both main leads. Hikaru likes crossdressing, makeup and have more like a “feminine” trait, while Haruka knows basically nothing about makeup and has more like a tomboyish look. Most characters here are so cute too, even when you think one of them might annoy you, they end up being nice too.

I loved how confident Hikaru was and how he helped Haruka to be more confident about herself too. But a thing I also enjoyed is that although Hikaru is confident, sometimes, like any other person, he has his doubts and he is also still learning about himself and finding more things about himself. After all, we are always learning something about ourselves every day and this is the path.

Hikaru and Haruka romantic scenes were also cute, and the ending was satisfying! My only complaint is that we see Hikaru crossdressing for much part of the drama, but when he confesses to Haruka and they start dating, he kind stop crossdressing. We do have that scene where he introduce himself to Haruka’s mom and Haruka herself says she likes Hikaru in all his styles, but that's it. It was kind odd to see the character who crossdressed 98% of the drama stopping doing that in the moment he was dating but yeah. Still really enjoyed this one!

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A story that deserved to be told.

Cinderella Closet is a story that I feel deserved to be told in this day and age. I was drawn in by the progressive nature of its story-telling; I initially thought it would just be a straight romance story of a cliche girl that can win over her male crush with the aid of a transwoman, but I was glad it wasn't that. It IS a straight romance, but it went beyond stereotypical gender roles. I've never seen a straight romance between a woman and a cross-dressing man before, so I'm grateful I was able to watch it at least once even if it was short.

What I liked:
- Hikaru's actor is great in his role and I think they casted him perfectly as he is beautiful as both a man and woman. As a bisexual, I was being FED.
- Haruka's actress really did nail the role she was given. Whether or not I liked her expressive nature had nothing to do with the acting as the actress didn't once make me feel like I was watching a stilted performance. I'm certain she did her hardest to portray such an unrealistic personality to the best of her capability.
- The makeup was simple, but pretty.
- The ex coming back to town was not demonized nor a homewrecker.
- Breakup on good terms that wasn't caused by a trashy love interest.
- That the cross-dressing character wasn't pushed to the sidelines and was actually a major role in the story.
- Healthy main leads' relationship that still had a few realistic hiccups (slight jealousy, work taking up personal time, anxiety/awkwardness about getting sexual).
- Proposing with something original and not a generic ring.
- The show looked nice.
- Soundtrack was good.
- Hikaru's makeup and girly voice.
- Haruka's supportive mom.
- Treats femininity as a positive rather than a negative.
- Hikaru's straightforward nature.
- Non-judgmental protagonist.
- Creative mini-fashion show theme idea that I found realistic to win.
- Haruka not being a "traditional" female lead (tall, boy-cut hair, not girly).

What I disliked:
- An over-the-top protagonist that talked too loud.
- Central love interest's jealousy could be annoying at times.
- Prior love interest was going to give a tailored ring to their partner after dating for only a month.
- Time skips; especially near the end.
- Hikaru's family drama was never really addressed/resolved by the end.
- Didn't get to see the wedding scene.
- Not a lot of tension except for a fakeout scene in the last 7 minutes that everyone knew wasn't going to be real anyway.
- The prior love interest showing up again in an ugly suit that doesn't fit him well near the end to spark jealousy with main love interest.
- Leads fall in love super fast.
- Blandest kisses ever. Where was the passion?
- Hikaru is not shown to dress feminine after the relationship is established. Why couldn't he just swap between them?
- Hikaru's pushy co-worker/friend that couldn't stop pursuing him even after having been rejected multiple times.

I liked the central couple and how they didn't feel like a cliche romance pairing. There was something sweet and innocent about two inexperienced people with opposite personalities finding comfort in each other's company. I liked how they were good friends BEFORE they got together. I feel like a lot of romances tend to forget that your love can also be your best friend too. However, most likely due to the short episode length, the couple's love for each other developing as fast it did bothered me. I think there should have been more scenes of their friendship growing before they were visibly pining for each other. I can find it reasonable that they would eventually like each other based on their personalities, though. It makes sense that Haruka would like a person that is honest with her, supports her, and has the confident traits she admires. As for Hikaru, him liking a girl who is earnest and completely nonjudgmental towards him would open his soft heart he tries to deny. But when they got together I found their scenes to be a lot more lackluster compared to before they realized they liked each other. I know that isn't anything new in romance driven stories, but I feel there could have been a lot of content they could've written that just wasn't. I believe Hikaru meeting Haruka's family in their hometown would've been really cute, as well as them trying to mend his complicated relationship with his parents. Unfortunately, that is left unresolved by the end.

As for the cross-dressing element, I genuinely loved it. I loved how beautiful Hikaru was as a woman, and the way the story treated it with respect. Characters were generally accepting of him and he WAS regarded as gorgeous by practically everyone that saw him. He wasn't someone that needed to be "lose" his masculinity either; he is a man and is attracted to women. I loved how they didn't force him to be gay (not that there is anything wrong with gay men that cross-dress!), but rather made him being attracted to women seem normal. His character also related to a theme I loved about the story: being feminine is a POSITIVE trait. So many stories tend to demonize feminine characters (especially men), whilst promoting traditional masculinity. This story didn't resort to that. Haruka wanting to look good for her crush didn't diminish her having a personality that could still be found attractive and her crush didn't ONLY like her just because of her dressing girly. Haruka;s inexperience with makeup and dressing-up had nothing to do with her looking down upon those that do, nor the story trying to demonize the acts either. She was simply someone that never really had the initiative nor help to do so; something I myself can relate to. Women don't have to be on one extreme such as tomboy or ultra girly-girl; they can be in between. The only time I didn't like how they handled it was when they seemed to disregard Hikaru's cross-dressing the moment he started officially dating Haruka. It was lovely when he addressed it directly to Haruka out of fear she might be unattracted or embarrassed of him; to which, she asserted that she loves him regardless of how feminine or masculine he dresses. I just wish they would have shown him dressing up feminine again AFTER that scene at some point. It almost felt like they wanted him to appear more masculine so as not to make it look like a lesbian relationship. Though, everything before that was handled in an appropriate way, so I'll try to overlook it.

This show wasn't a masterpiece nor do I think it ever will be, but it deserved to be made at the time it was. It's shows like this one that I think will help promote diversity and acceptance of people breaking out of gender norms. Pairing an almost tomboy with a cross-dressing comfortable in his sexuality is not a pairing you see everyday, unfortunately. As such, I'm glad they decided to adapt this one and that I could be lucky enough to view it, regardless of any flaws it had. Even though it wasn't explicitly LGBTQ, it still felt like a show that is very welcoming of the community, and for that I appreciate it. So, would I recommend this show? Yes, but don't expect it to be a groundbreaking story that will blow you out of this world. It works best if you view it for what it is: a simple romance that breaks away from gender norms and is heartfelt through and through.

(｡・‧̫・｡).*＊♡

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Mulan but reversed

I have never watched a cross dresser trope before so i don’t have anything to compare it to but this was a really lovely show in my opinion. I don’t watch japanese shows often so i’m not used to how overdramatised their acting and reactions are (although korean shows know to be crazy with their reactions too😭) so that bit annoyed me a little and sometimes it was too cringe to watch but i liked the overall plot of it and the development of the couple! I think its lovely how the FL fell for the girl version and the boy version! It didn’t erase the possibility of her being bisexual and it didn’t demonise the possibility of that either! And i like how the ML kept his girly side even after they started dating. Even telling her ‘i can’t be too manly’ and her accepting it wholeheartedly. Such a cute show. And very quick watch! Episodes are very short!

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Obsessed With Their Dynamic

I love their dynamic so much. Both the ML and FL feel like carbon copies of the manga and I am honestly obsessed with their story. It is rare to find a character like Hikaru who balances both feminine and masculine sides so well. The drama is excellent, though I do feel the FL’s acting gets a bit awkward whenever she has to play bubbly and cheerful Haruka. She comes off a little empty headed, loud and shouty, especially in the early episodes. But when it comes to the serious, cool and confident expressions, she absolutely nails it. Other than that, no complaints and I would totally recommend this one <3

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I don’t know about you, but Osaki Ichika as Haruka completely won me over in this series. I love her clumsy charm and how genuinely naïve she is, especially in her friendship with Hikaru. I also love how the supportive male lead helps her pursue the man she thinks she’s in love with. At first, I thought she would only see Hikaru as a girl because of his cross-dressing, but I’m glad their date went well and that she eventually falls for all aspects of him—not just his pretty face.

Because of characters like Haruka and Hikaru, Cinderella Closet ends up being such a light and fluffy romantic series. My only complaint is that Netflix released the episodes so slowly that I had to put the show on hold a few times… and ended up rewatching episodes more than once. But honestly, it’s worth watching over and over.

I won’t repeat the full plot since MDL already has a solid summary, but one thing I’d add is that Hikaru isn’t just a fairy godmother figure, he instantly becomes Haruka’s best friend, someone she treats like family.

Besides the unrequited love storyline, one thing I really appreciate is how naïve yet genuine Haruka is. She even befriends her ex-boyfriend’s ex, Suzuki Mio, a famous makeup artist. Haruka is truly a girl’s girl, and that made me root for her even more.

I also have to mention the makeup and styling in this series. Hikaru’s looks both as a man and in his female persona—are consistently gorgeous. So many times I caught myself admiring his outfits, especially the orange sweater he wore on their first date!

Overall, I recommend this series to anyone looking for a quick watch that’s light, fluffy, and fun. It’s charming, entertaining, and full of heart. And honestly, you’ll end up loving Haruka just as much as I did. I truly wish I had someone like her in my life.

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Overall lighthearted and very charming

This is a lighthearted watch which can sometimes appear to be a bit silly and shallow, but I found it incredibly charming and the characters very endearing. While it is not remarkably deep, it has some good messages, plays with gender stereotypes and conformity, and avoided some of my most disliked tropes in romances.

Before watching this series, I had only seen a clip of a cross-dressing* young man telling a young woman that she doesn’t need make-up, which was enough to get me interested. I loved it from the first episode on and the series continued to put a smile on my face throughout the following episodes. While it might sometimes seem a bit silly with some over the top acting, the characters are actually often quite mature and had some great conversations. I found especially the main characters, who both had their insecurities, and their friendship, but also the supporting characters really likeable.

This avoided some of my biggest annoyances in romance dramas: possessiveness, extreme jealousy, dragged out stupid misunderstandings... instead we got nice characters who are able to communicate.
What I am also not a fan of are makeovers in romcoms, as they usually showcase (at least in my opinion) that a person (usually the woman) needs to get attractive enough and adhere enough to the beauty standards to finally be desirable by a man and only then can she be happy, but they did not go down that route here.
And I usually prefer female characters to be… well, less clueless and naive, but Haruka was in certain situations so straightforward and loyal, that I still really liked her.

Some nit-picky things:
You learn very little about the characters outside of their relationships to each other if it is not relevant for the plot, e. g. I have no idea what Haruka studies as it is never mentioned, nor do I know what Kurotaki does besides working part-time at that restaurant.
And don't expect great kisses, they were quite bad. I don't need characters in a romance to constantly snog, but these dead fish kisses without moving their lips just look weird and uncomfortable. However, I was so charmed by everything else, I was able to mostly look past that here.

This is easy to binge-watch (and easy to rewatch which I have already done) and if you enjoy a slightly silly and lighthearted romcom with throughout likeable characters that also has a bit to say about gender stereotypes, I can highly recommend this.

*I don't necessarily like the term cross-dressing because I believe clothes have no gender and everyone can and should wear whatever they like, but I am aware that in most societies certain types of clothes are often associated with a specific gender, and this drama is advertised with a cross-dressing-tag which is why I use the term in my review.

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20 mins and only 12 eps!???

very wholesome, lighthearted, and easy to watch. havent watch a jdrama in such a long time and im glad i stumbled across this. it's such a classic shoujo without the annoying bits.

ive only read one chapter of the manga but i think it's perfectly cast honestly. especially the main couple!! ichika osaki suits the haruka character and she made it more adorable and lovable to watch. especially her smiles!! i love her smiles. leo matsumoto is perfect for hikaru, he's so pretty 😍 and i love their relationship. love how they communicate and bring out the best in each other.

im just sooo annoyed at the 12 eps and each eps is only 20 mins??? how?? and in what world is this legal??? 😂😂😂😭😭 i want to see more of our couple. i feel like it's soo short. and we never see haruka in a school setting 😂 then 5 years later?? what's with the timing?? this is what happens when you only have 20mins per 1 ep. feels like a speedrun. which means we didnt really get to delve deeper into their background and the setting feels one dimensional.

anyways, that's my only complaint. it's a nice, short watch. kinda like a palate cleanser (watched this after resident playbook and im not over that one too, season 2 when??) or if you dont feel like committing to a longer drama. although i honestly wouldnt mind this drama being longer 😭

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a beautiful frindship, good comunication and emoperment but confusing in rest ...

the green flag:
his masculine side was a great example for woman, I loved every aspect... their communication was great... many relationships advises were very good, I loved that and was the motive for witch I choose to consciously continue not to be programmed trough subliminal messages and programs... Their friendship was so empowering, and I loved watching them grow in each other’s confidence. it was touching and make me watch till the end.

the red flag:
how confusing young people are... this series... a mix of feminine and masculine qualities will simply lead to more emotional, mental, physical, organizational confusion. it is unimaginable that this is an inspiration for new generations... here is another example of why they are on the verge of extinction as a nation. they think that everything is in a skirt or make up... life is more profound than this.

the acting cringe, without any chemistry, the mix of conceptions ... she is like screaming all the time when she's speaking... i cant believe that a girl like her will like like this... or even kiss like this in our days... like keep it so innocent, genuine and childish ... but very open to everything else... the sex scene was so empty without any profound message about making love... but we are contred on skirt, identy etc.. maybe is the time to learn to make love, to connect beyond to look at what life offers us to evolve and connect.

... is pity that everything else is confusing... we force and disconnect from nature... We strive to subliminally impose behaviors as natural and normal..

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