was intrigued but I got bored by the end
This is such a shame of a series to me because I definitely did liked the first few episodes but as it continued I kept finding it boring. Especially after he went back to his own world. First of all, I don't like the colours in this series at all. Everything is so gray and dull. At first I though they were doing that on purpose to show that Kana life's was sad and depressing but as it continued they didn't changed it all? it felt like they always filmed this on a rainy day and the office was located in a basement. Next, the plot seems too simple and depended mostly on miscommunication for my taste? Both worlds the problem was that Kano never spoke up and both world Ogami was more or less the same and the only difference was how he supported Kano, Also because of the lack no of episodes I am assuming, I don't feel any growth from Kano's character. Even in the end, he didn't confess his feeling first and it was Ogami that took the lead. Like come on, it is getting exhausting, Finally that kiss scene, like we are almost in the big year of 2025. Stop giving us mediocre kiss scenes for crying out loud. Either do it properly or don't do it at all and the way they included a sex scene after giving that awful kiss scene just blew my mind, cuz it was also mid. Japan always either a hit or a miss with their intimacy scenes. This was really a shame tbh.Was this review helpful to you?
Around i - take me forever to review this title
Alright, I was in episode 4 when I realized that Ogami was the failed guy in More Than Words (2022) whose coldness destroyed Maki by siding with the failed Maki friendship: Mieko.In this series, I am assuming he will not go in the same direction as the previous title, where viewers (me) felt devastated by the outcome.
The most perfect thing about this series is the opening sequence with the 36 km/hour song titled “Around I”; the vibe, the visual mood, and the scoring background are definitely high art. I cannot get over it.
This series is my type. I eat it happily.
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The Series Begins Beautifully And Then Crashes....
The story flowed just so aptly, up to a point and then it – just crashed and burned to the ground. As a gay man and despite how it is marketed, it is a GAY story! We must demand more from production companies, directors, and ACTORS! Stop doing trickery. You took an astonishing brilliant premise and made a sham love story out of it because apparently the two actors were unwilling to represent they were in love with even a modicum of intimacy. I, for one, am tired of watching this over-and-over and making excuses for it. It is time for this to be called out for what it is. A ruse. This would have been an exceptionally good series, but it is again another insulting sham. And it has nothing to do with cultural sensitivities or norms. These are all conscious efforts to present half-stories to look whole, and I am tired of this trickery.Was this review helpful to you?
Wish it was longer!
This show was pretty cute! I liked that he had to go to the other world to figure out what exactly he wanted in the real world. I honestly wish the show was longer, so we got more time in the real world once he came back. I would have loved to see their relationship more! I thought the chemistry between the main two was pretty good. The kissing definitely could've used some work, but it wasn't the worst.Was this review helpful to you?
simple and worth the watch
The size difference here is just so delectable. I have to get that off my chest first and foremost lol. Kano is so smol and Ogami is so god damn big, it's literally perfect.I really enjoyed this show. I have to say I'm a sucker for rivals or hate-to-love type stories so this was right up my alley. Although that sentiment didn't stay true throughout the entire show, I still enjoyed the dynamic changes. I really liked how the story explores Kano's internal struggle and how he overcame that. A good portion of this show is about Kano and who he wants to be, the romance is rather secondary, but that wasn't a bad thing. I think this allows the story to have more layers. This wasn't much of a Ogami story so we don't know much about him, but we do know that he's quite attentive when it comes to Kano. The way their relationship developed was also very nice, as there's a lot of subtlety rather than overt actions and reactions. I'm just a sucker for quiet yearning and this fed me very well. I love the camera shots where one of them is in the front and the other is in the background just watching intently.
In my opinion, the parallel world aspect of this show was just a catalyst to push Kano forward so I didn't really have any lingering feelings for the Parallel Ogami. It felt more like a little sneak peak at what could be of Kano and Ogami, which was later fulfilled toward the end.
The show is very short at just 6episodes and you end up wanting more. This is the first time I went and read on the original source, in this case the novel, because I wanted to know more about these characters and their story. It was very much worth it because we got a nice nsfw chapter that couldn't be shown in the show.
One slight improvement would have to be the kisses. One word to describe those kisses would be: inadequate. They were very simple and delicate, which didn't fit the passionate mood. There should have been just a little bit more oomph.
Overall, this was still one of the better Jbl's I've watched. If you enjoy shows that explore characters, I think you'll enjoy this show.
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solid recommendation
Loved it!!!“what if.” What if you took more time, made different choices, showed up as a more realized version of yourself? The alternate world gives us that polished outcome with more success, smoother love, and fewer mistakes.
But the beauty is that it does not romanticize it. That version feels unfamiliar, almost unearned. In the end, the series reminds us that hardship is not something to erase. It is what shapes growth, reflection, and authentic love.
The ending if somewhat lacking but overall its a solid recommended series. its short and engaging
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ASKING FOR HELP DOES NOT MAKE YOU A BURDEN
I love a show where I can learn a good lesson from - it feels like a fresh new perspective. Personally, I really enjoyed watching this. Though I do agree that it was way too short.I mean with a story like this we could have had hour long episodes but then again maybe that might have felt like a drag. I like that this was short and sweet - just about the length of a movie even but it was a good watch.
It does not have a lot of lovely dovey scenes between the two main characters because most of the attention is directed towards the story and the details of the plot development but I think it is still worth a watch.
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Good, But Missing Something
I really enjoyed this series, but I am a sucker for series with a supernatural aspect. The script did a great job grabbing my attention by having a very interesting introduction in episode 1. The script also did a great job keeping me invested in the story and the characters. As for me, there was something missing in the storyline and not sure what it is. However, this is just a minor thing. The cast did a great job with their characters. The production team did a beautiful job with the cinematography and wisely used their screen time for a 6-episode series. They also did a great job with the sound effects which really helped set the scene mood.Random Note:
The opening credits were mesmerizing.
The series poster on MDL and Viki does not matchup with the series content. The one on GagaOOLala is a better match.
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A parallel world that pulls you in — but doesn't quite make you feel the weight of leaving it
The concept genuinely works for me. A man who wanders into a shrine under a full moon, makes a wish, and wakes up in a version of his life where things came easier — warmer colleagues, a closer dynamic with the person he's been measuring himself against. It reminded me a little of Fringe in the best way: not science fiction exactly, but that particular uncanny feeling of a world that looks like yours and isn't quite. I found that premise more compelling than I expected.The tension between the two leads translated for me too. I believed the pull between Akihito and Ookami, the admiration layered over something more complicated, the way proximity in the parallel world shifts what can't be said in the original one. Akihito's reluctance to return made complete sense to me — I think I would have struggled to leave too.
Where the series loses me a little is in the clarity of what exactly Akihito loves about Ookami specifically. I didn't get enough of that — the particular reason this person, this dynamic. What I would have wanted is exactly what you're describing: small but meaningful differences between the two worlds, things that exist in one and not the other, that quietly reveal what the real world actually cost him and what the parallel world quietly took away. That kind of detail would have made the eventual choice — to go back, to rebuild something real rather than inhabit something already finished — land with much more weight.
The idea was there. The execution just didn't go quite far enough with it.
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This review may contain spoilers
cute but we need like 2 more episodes of honeymoon era romance
This drama is a quick watch. It's super cute and the main couple is visually stellar (also the height difference is *chef's kiss*). If you're looking for something light to binge in one day, this is a great pick. Also, the actor who plays Kano is really fricken pretty, in a brooding and emo kinda way, and he reminds me of Minase Jin from Our Youth.I'm not totally thrilled by the plot, though. I'm usually not a fan of parallel universe dramas—I have a love/hate relationship with Boy Next World—but the characters in this drama kinda make up for it. The main couple has good chemistry! I just wish there were more romance scenes. The ending gives us a really good taste of their relationship dynamic, but it's super short and rushed. I would have loved to see maybe 2 more episodes of sweet, honeymoon-era fluff between the two of them.
Also, one of the ML's is kinda a freak?? It's an interesting and pleasant surprise *wink wink*
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