Countdown to Yes

Uninteresting characters in a very dull and slow story

I was waiting for something to happen but the show went on as slow as a snail with literally nothing going on.

Just two one-dimention characters going on with Their lives, and that life is very boring.
Maybe if you like very slow and simple stories that has nothing going on you may like it, but I couldn't even like the characters so I was bored to death.

It doesn't even matter if this was BL or not, the story itself is telling us nothing and that's why I was very disappointed.

I wouldn't recommend it at all, there are many other simple stories with more interesting characters than this one ~~

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Cute story idea that was missing something

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a cute series. Unfortunately, the execution was not the greatest.

The positive: All of the characters were very likable which kept me watching. I also like the supportive group and family dynamics. This also had beautiful cinematography.

The negative: The main problem was the pacing. I love slow burner romances, but the script stretched it out too thin. This made the storyline drag on longer than it needed to. However, I did like the last episode (episode 10) and the after story (episode 11).

The in-between: The acting from the main leads was good.

Random Note:

This easily could have been a 6- to 8-episode series.

Episodes 1 – 10 is the actual series, episode 11 (After Story) is a special episode.

This is one of those series you should give a try, especially now all of the episodes are out. However, you can wait to watch it when you’re in between series.



******Potential Spoiler Alert******

This does have a happy ending.

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Passsion... for photography, not much else!

I don't understand why some Japanese boys' love series have the main characters dealing with big adult topics like starting a serious relationship with someone and moving in together, but still has those characters unable to adequately manage even the most basic physical displays of affection. It might be cute in high school, it's not cute after that. I know that touching people isn't done as casually in Japanese culture as it is in many others, but this situation is absurd: Two adult men have been best friends for 10 years, have already confessed that they like each other as more than friends, and yet they can't kiss each other properly or even go in for a hug without it being awkward.

Yes, Wataru in the final episode struggles with being too shy to hug Minato, his best friend of a decade (and now his life partner that he's planning to move in with). Yet, given their history, their age, their mutual affection and how they are both very gentle people, Minato and Wataru should be exceptionally comfortable with each other. Indeed, the show goes to great lengths to show us how very comfortable they are with each other if they're eating, hanging out, laughing, or taking photographs... but then it falls apart in every moment that could be considered romantic. Where exactly are those feelings? The problem seems to be that Wataru is afraid to lose their friendship, but then it seems that the friendship must be more important to him than the romance. and thus it no longer feels like they should be boyfrends.

So, this is a romance story between the two most reserved people I've ever seen in a show (yes, even for a Japanese show). In a new romantic relationship, people are usually eager to show affection. That is why the first stages of a relationship are known to be the most passionate. In a situation where two friends have secretly wanted each other for years, I would think that they would already be comfortable enough with each other to simply find joy in their mutual affection. Maybe Wataru needs therapy for his inhibitive fear and anxiety?

Or maybe Minato needs treatment for his narcolepsy: He asked Wataru if they could finally kiss (something like "can we do what we couldn't do before?" as though he had been craving it for years), and then they pressed their lips together for the least passionate first kiss I've ever seen in my whole life - like, less of a kiss than I give to my cats every morning - and then he simply rolled over and fell asleep. I was in disbelief. How does a scene like that show us the longing of forbidden desire, of so many years of repressed love? Seriously? That was their moment to come together? Well, it was definitely the moment I knew this show would ultimately fail to deliver. Given the scenario of best friends becoming lovers, I expected there to be longing. There is none of that, only stalling.

The pacing: It is slow and often repetitive, with many contrived and overly sweet scenarios that are so often predictable, like in the final episode where Wataru's mother tells Minato about the "truth hotline" to get Wataru to speak more openly, and we can predict instantly that Minato will then use it to get Wataru to open up (and it's weird that it still works on him becuase he isn't a kid anymore). Or the scene where Minato and Wataru are about to text each other photos of the same thing, but then both change their minds and delete the photos, and it turns out they're walking past each other, and then they text each other the exact same message at the exact same second. Always cute to the point of being corny.

It's clear that Minato and Wataru love photography. The intention was to show us that Minato's love for photography was an extension of his love for Wataru (as we saw in not one but two rather cloying scenes showing the "taking photos of the one I love every day for the rest of my life" scenario with Minato's grandparents). However, neither Minato nor Wataru ever seemed to show nearly as much passion for each other as they did for their chosen art form. It felt like a wasted effort.

Still, there was nothing egregiously bad about this show. What it got right: It was pretty. Staging and cinematography and style were good. The music was not bad. Also, I think the actors were capable, even if their characters were so limited. I almost regret giving it a rating of 6, but it failed to deliver the substance of a good romance. I do not understand how the writers and directors thought it was a good idea to make a romance that's as tepid as possible.

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Countdown to Yes — When Friendship Quietly Turns Into Love

Going into Countdown to Yes, I already knew it was adapted from the manga Shinyu no “Dosei Shite” ni “Un” te Iu made, and you can actually feel that origin throughout the drama. It has that very Japanese way of telling BL stories: slow, introspective, built on silence, hesitation, and emotional tension rather than big dramatic events. And honestly, that’s exactly why it works so well. The story is simple on the surface. Two best friends living together, slowly confronting feelings that have probably been there for a long time. But what makes it special is the way it explores that transition from friendship to love. It doesn’t rush anything. Instead, it focuses on the small moments — shared routines, awkward silences, unspoken thoughts — the kind of details that make you realize how deep their bond already is before anything romantic even happens.

Amemiya Kakeru plays the easygoing, cheerful character, but underneath that, you can clearly see someone who is scared. Scared of change, scared of losing what he already has, scared of what it would mean if those feelings became real. That duality is portrayed really well. He feels light on the surface, but emotionally fragile underneath. Yoshizawa Kaname is the complete opposite. He’s distant, quiet, and struggles to express himself, but you can feel how deeply he cares. His love isn’t loud or obvious. It’s in the way he looks, the way he reacts, the way he holds himself back. And that restraint is what makes his character so powerful. You don’t need big confessions to understand him — you feel everything through what he doesn’t say.

That contrast between the two characters is what carries the entire drama. One is afraid of losing the present, the other is afraid of never moving forward. And the story builds tension from that emotional imbalance. It’s not about external conflict, it’s about internal struggle. What I really appreciated is how faithful the drama feels to its manga roots. Japanese BL adaptations often focus on atmosphere and emotional subtlety rather than spectacle, and this one does it beautifully. The pacing might feel slow for some people, but it’s intentional. It allows you to sit with the characters, to understand them, to feel the weight of every small change in their relationship.

The production also supports that tone very well. The music is soft and never intrusive, letting the silence do most of the work. The cinematography focuses on intimate framing, making even the smallest interactions feel meaningful. It almost feels like you’re watching moments of real life rather than a scripted drama. And when the story finally moves forward emotionally, it feels earned. Nothing is forced. Every step they take toward each other makes sense because you’ve seen the journey, the hesitation, the fear, and the longing that led them there.

Final Thought

Countdown to Yes is a perfect example of how powerful a simple story can be when it’s told with care. It doesn’t rely on drama or shock value, but on emotional truth and character development. The performances are subtle but incredibly effective, and the relationship feels real from beginning to end. It’s the kind of BL that stays with you not because it’s loud, but because it’s honest.

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Slow burn without burn.. it's just slow

This should have been a 8 episode drama instead of 10 cz its good till ep 2 or 3 i.e. until watarai and minato confessed. Although i didn't expect them to date right away i was kinda expecting and awkward phase where watarai would hide from minato and minato would chase him. I bit more fox type minato now that he knows his crush likes him but nah they just decided to stay friends and the next episodes are them going on unofficial dates and watarai thinking. Couldn't they just put all the thinking in 1 episode and end it there?

I agree with the other comments the flashbacks come in too often which makes it annoying. I have 0 interest in their flashback cz i think we know what needs to be known in ep 1 we don't wanna know all their sweet moments. They could have combined that and showed it as Minato falling in love for watarai at the end.

It's good but not amazing you would just skip through it. Im hoping i don't drop it

Edit: i finished the 2nd half. Although the number of flashbacks reduced. 90% of the 2nd half was Minato leaving Watarai behind as always. Watarai literally told him the reason he didn't wanna move in and make things official is cz he's scared he'll be left behind and what did Minato do? Leave him🙃. But i liked the last episode it was beautiful although it felt incomplete. I wanted to see Minato fulfilling Watarai's wishes like making him coffee, back hugs etc .Still feel it's okay not as good as other JBLs I've watched idk something just felt missing the whole show.

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Friends to Lovers But With A Little Bit of Twist?

YES!

What a good way to start the BL year! The beginning of this show is solid and has me looking forward to future episodes.

The story is nothing “special” but it feels different than other friends to lovers BL show.

I like the characters and the difference in their personalities. Acting is good too, and the boys will have good chemistry.

Overall, love story is promising and I’m curious to see how it develops.

Should you start it? Absolutely! So, you can join us on this what will be an interesting ride!

EDIT - (done watching, good watch, but could have been better)

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Cute JBL- started off really well!

That whole 'I realised I love you only when I saw you leave'-trope - never gets old I guess 🥰

BL-needle Score: 7.5. Reasonably high BL-ness

I really liked the first episode. Has a simple story line and the execution doesn't feel over the top or comic-ish, which is the case for many cute JBLs these days. Wataru realises his attraction to Minato only when he leaves for another town for his job after having lived together for 5 years.

The way Wataru keeps repeating 'Tomodachi'(just friends) while running to meet him when Minato returns to town exactly on the 10th anniversary of their first meeting, was so awwwwww. And Minato has such deep eyes and stares with such meaning at Wataru that you can't but melt.

The only thing that felt off is that for a friend who is that close, Wataru should have been dropping Minato off at the airport when he was going off, and not said bye outside their apartment.

I love the pent-up longing and the delish tension of unspoken words and desire between them

Definitely looking forward to the next episodes...:)

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Un sì. Piccolo, fragile, importante

Ci sono storie che decidono di non farti del male. Di stare con te in modo morbido, di non alzare mai la voce, di mostrarti che esiste un modo di raccontare la vita che non passa per la sua parte peggiore. Hanno il loro ritmo, sottile, quasi impercettibile. Si muovono per piccole rivelazioni, per dettagli che tornano cambiati e ti portano dentro a quella sensazione strana e buona di stare al caldo mentre intorno c’è solo freddo.
Questa è la storia di un’attesa, non succede niente di straordinario, eppure senti che nella sua lentezza c’è tutto.
L’amore non è il soggetto, è la luce con cui gli altri soggetti vengono illuminati attraverso l’obiettivo di una macchina fotografica, che mostra come appaiono quando qualcuno li guarda senza riserve, senza giudizio, con quella specie di meraviglia tranquilla che è il fondo di ogni amore.
Certe fotografie hanno un calore che non dipende dalla messa a fuoco ma dalla postura del cuore di chi le ha scattate. Chi fotografa la persona che ama ha questa postura. La macchina è solo il gesto visibile di qualcosa che dentro è sempre acceso, sempre orientato verso l’altro come testimone della sua vita, nella sua versione più ordinaria e più preziosa.

Tutto ruota intorno a un sì. Piccolo, fragile, importante, perché quel sì sarà il momento in cui Wataru smetterà di proteggersi.
Quello che mi colpisce di questa serie è che capovolge la logica romantica classica. Di solito viene raccontato l’amore come una conquista progressiva, ci si avvicina, ci si trova, si sta insieme. Qui invece c’è un conto alla rovescia, che è per definizione qualcosa che si esaurisce. Non sta a misurare il tempo che manca ma misura quanto ancora Wataru riuscirà a fare finta che basti amare in silenzio, permettendoci di sentire le versioni di quel si che ingoia per tenere Minato vicino, in un modo che non basta più a nessuno dei due.
E questo introduce una tensione sottile ma potentissima. Ogni episodio, ogni ricordo è un pezzo di qualcosa che potrebbe andare perso.
Il flashback emozionale è la scelta giusta per una storia così. Il flashback che non torna indietro nel tempo ma dentro, dove il confine sottilissimo tra amicizia e amore è un lento logorio, dolce e inevitabile, di chi ama qualcuno così tanto da avere paura di distruggere ciò che esiste già.
Quel “migliore amico”, che Wataru ripete in continuazione, è un limite che si autoimpone, un’armatura che gli permette di proteggersi dal ricordo di essere stato lasciato indietro già una volta da Minato. Per questo preferisce congelare il loro legame in una forma “sicura”, anche se fa male.
Ma Minato ha le idee chiare: “Voglio stare a guardare da vicino Wataru sorridere per sempre”.
E Wataru glielo permetterà?
Noi aspettiamo quel sì, che non è scontato. Potrebbe non arrivare. O potrebbe arrivare troppo tardi.

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