They share the same core setup… an ordinary, socially uncertain protagonist gets thrown together with a popular, good looking boy through a random school circumstance. In the seat-swap story, Haru finds a confession note from Kosei, the class's most popular boy, and gets swept into Kosei's persistent affection. In School Trip, Hioki is unexpectedly placed with the school's popular boy group the four heavenly kings where he becomes close to Watarai. Both use a chance reshuffling (seats vs. group placement) as the catalyst, feature a “why me” shy/ordinary boy opposite a charismatic love interest. School trip is more friend group dynamics, while after moving seats is more one-on-one.
Dangerously Sweet and After Moving Seats, the Boy Behind Me Has a Crush on Me are similar BL stories because both focus on the unexpected development of romantic feelings between two male classmates. The stories combine school life, friendship, and romance, with the characters gradually becoming more aware of their attraction to each other. Both feature a sweet, youthful atmosphere while exploring the nervousness and excitement of having a crush. Their relationships develop through everyday interactions rather than dramatic circumstances, making the romance feel intimate and relatable. The appeal of both series lies in watching friendship slowly transform into mutual affection, with plenty of cute, awkward, and heartwarming moments.
Both are Japanese BL school romances centered on a popular and good looking boy falling for a quieter, ordinary classmate, with a mix-up or accident sparking the relationship: Haru discovers a confession note from Kosei, the class's most popular boy, and gets swept into Kosei's unwavering affection. In Takara-kun & Amagi-kun, a shared task leads Amagi to confess, and cold, popular Takara agrees to date him despite his standoffish nature. Both explore secret relationships and emotional insecurity, but Takara-kun & Amagi-kun leans more everyday life with quieter, ongoing relationship drama, while the seat-change story starts from a more comedic misunderstanding.
After Moving Seats, the Boy Behind Me Has a Crush on Me is similar to Popular Serizawa Acts Weird around Me. A change in situation happens in the class and is the beginning point of the crush and the way that closeness leads to nervousness and indirect attempts to show interest.
In both titles—the “cool/popular” guy acts strangely around a less popular seemingly quieter boy signaling something emotional without immediately stating it.
Both are essentially “special treatment / odd behavior from a popular guy who’s clearly affected by the less popular boy with the romance revealed through behavior rather than direct confession. The difference is that one starts with forced proximity from a seating change, while the other starts with a found notebook causing out-of-character behavior.
In both titles—the “cool/popular” guy acts strangely around a less popular seemingly quieter boy signaling something emotional without immediately stating it.
Both are essentially “special treatment / odd behavior from a popular guy who’s clearly affected by the less popular boy with the romance revealed through behavior rather than direct confession. The difference is that one starts with forced proximity from a seating change, while the other starts with a found notebook causing out-of-character behavior.
Japanese BLs in high school settings, one guy is popular, attractive, and has been harboring a serious, longtime crush on a less popular guy with relatively low self-esteem. Acting and production are both pretty typical for a JBL, with the kinda cute and awkward chemistry. Other than that, I'd say I Cannot Reach You is somewhat more upbeat and cute while After Moving Seats kinda has a weirdly vague suggestive vibe? Either way, they're very similar.
