Kino San

I just wanted to say after watching the 1st episode of Kei x Yaku I am in love with Inukai's Shirou. Inukai bought one of my favourite characters in the manga to life, I never thought that Inukai could act out serious and tough roles like Shirou. I have so much respect for Inukai now he's played Shirou I've now kinda a Inukai fan now.

(It's so odd watching Inukai play such a tough but charismatic character like Shirou and then I go back and watch him play a dork like mob-kun in Zettai BL VS but I am still exicted for season 2 of Zettai BL VS.)

I don't really know much about Suzuki Nobuyuki, so this is the 1st drama I am watching him in. But his looks and acting does match Shirou.

It seems that NTV have put a lot of budget into this drama series, there's already a recap video and a better preview for episode 2. Makes me think if they are going to do this for every episode.

There's spoilers for episode 2 though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLz3dzjlOHc

For this drama adaptation bromance, there might be a bit of BL bait scenes. They changed a lot of events from the manga (the manga had even more BL bait scenes)

I don't think dramas are rated anything in Japan. But I would rate this drama like 15+ because there a bit of violence and blood

That's not really it, Shiro does'nt have a lover he has to sleep/have sex with older men because it's a part of his job.

It's very dark drama if it involves the yakuza. But not too dark and gritty. It's more like a serious investigation drama.

It's honestly hard to tell if there is romance, the answer is not really because this series is more about the investigation. You have to read between the lines to see if there is any romance between the two main characters. Even the manga is like that.

Yeah spoilers time!

The begining of the episode was a flash forward and maybe the gayest thing that I've seen so far. With Ichiro and Shiro on the fake date with dialogue from their time together. It was a cute scene and good enough to hold on to the BL fans for now.

The rest of the episode is a crime thriller. Now watching this episode I like the changes they made compared to the manga. The idea of a fight club and Ichiro going undercover to track Shiro I thought was a great idea. They managed to tie in a lot of plot development early with the whole Ichiro fight they showed his parents died and Rion getting "murdered". But it was just chapter 1 spread out into a 45 minute episode I wonder if they will pick up the pace next episode.

They also introduced Osu Kimiaki (that was clever) super early and the introduction of an "original character" I don't know how he will fit into the series but I think he's the baddie snice he's in Jail.

Oh yeah that omake at the end of the episode credits was great, with Ichiro asking for Shiro number and shiro not giving it to him lol, I am gald that they are going to include them from the manga.

Came rushing back here after watching episode 1. watched the NTV live stream on AQ stream.

In summary: IT WAS FREAKING AMAZING (in a non gay way lol). That OST is GOD TIER I wish the website told us who the composer is because that OST was great. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole episode, the atmosphere and directing was beautiful. Really great start for the series in general.

No, this song Tay sings for Enchante is new and original. I heard that Third from Tilly birds wrote the song and collabrated with Tay.

This trailer dropped when I did'nt expect it, but I REALLY love the directing and cinematography from the trailer it was so beautiful!

That theme song sang by Tay was freaking beautiful and catchy that's it's stuck in my head. I don't really know about the Forcebook paring or the novel the drama is based on but I am looking forward for this series! I am watching this drama series as a regular viewer.

Volume 7 is going deep into the investigation lore. Remember these 4 high school friends. I called them university friends but it was high school friends oops

Osu Masashi (Osu Kimiaki son, Alive)
Azuma Yukiko (Azuma Takashige daughter, Alive)
Morikawa Daiki (Died in a car crash)
Sawaguchi Minoru (Died by being pushed in front of a train)

As you can see out of the 4 friends two are dead and two remain. There's a flashback of the 4 in high school, how they became friends and they all became interested in making exposives (for some odd hobby). Osu Masashi one day decides that it would be fun to leave one of their exposives in a toilet of a building for fun. What he did'nt know is that the bomb acutally blew up and caused the bombing incident (that killed Ichiro's parents).

So basically the 4 are dead guilty that they indirectly caused the building bombing incident, the killers they hired now seem to be the ones that want to kill them. Azuma Yukiko is so gulity of her actions that she planned for herself and Osu Masashi to get themselfs killed by the killers they hired. Osu Masashi does'nt know about this.

Anyway Ichiro, Shiro and the gang are trying to stop Azuma Yukiko's plan and save everyone. It's a bit of a mess because Yamada Satoru wants them all dead and locks Ichiro, Shiro, Osu Masashi, Azuma Yukiko and Azuma Takashige in the house and sets it on fire. Volume 8 I assume they are still going to carrying on with this development with no signs of who is the big baddie of the investigation. How in the hell the drama's going to resolve this investigation arc?

Anyway set aside the investigation arc, this volume showed something kinda important in Ichiro and Shiro romantic development. In volume 3 we saw that Shiro might have feelings for Ichiro because he thought of Ichiro a lot and wanting to see him again before he almost got killed.

Volume 7 showed things from Ichiro viewpoint. Before Ichiro and Shiro go into the house to save Azuma Yukiko. The two were outside looking at the night sky, Ichiro thinks that it was beautiful and bought these feelings he has never felt before. Ichiro sees Shiro in the night sky and he remembers that fake date in volume 6 and he was looking at shiro. He admits when he's with Shiro he never felt these feelings before with anyone other then him. I don't know if it was romantic of not but maybe Ichiro might be awakening his feelings for shiro maybe (lol or not I don't know)

Another part is when Ichiro was about to loose it and was about to kill Osu Masashi but Shiro is there to stop him. Ichiro again thinks that only Shiro can be his emotional anchor and he felt like no one else could do that for him. Romantic or not you decide!

Anyway this manga series is such a slow burn, I am sure by volume 20 (if it the mangaka can go that far) Ichiro and Shiro will still have not admit their feelings for each other, the investigation arc would go on forever. I would laugh if by the end of the manga Ichiro and shiro go their separate ways and Ichiro marries Chika in the end, that would be such a troll ending and a waste of money I spent in this manga series.

It's the 13th in Japan, which means the 7th volume is out. I bought it.

In summary: Even more lore into the investigation arc and less into Shiro and Ichiro relationship BUT I think the devlopment between Ichiro and Shiro is going forward and going at a direction where we want it to go in (but at a snails pace, this couple romantic pacing is 10x slower then in Cherry magic)

To compare volume 3 of Cherry Magic is when Adachi and Kurosawa admited their feelings for each other and start dating volume 4 onwards. We are at volume 7 of Kei xYaku and I still don't know if Ichiro and Shiro are going to admit their feelings for each other LOL.

This does'nt really matter for the drama version because I really think the drama version is going to be a bromance version only. Unless the director, promotion and actors were lying to us. But we really don't know unless we watch the drama ourselfs.

The manga is not translated in English (fan or offical) but if you have a bookwalker jp account you can download the 1st volume for free (the offer still stands as of now it may not be free for long).

Sigh that's the problem with japanese dramas, it's so hard to find a way to watch these dramas unless you use a vpn and use TVer to find a legal way of watching it.

I am sorry I can't help with the subs it sound too much of an hassle to do. I am fine watching the drama without subtitles.

I am planning to try and watch the drama on livestream on the day it airs and if not find the episode on some chinese website.

Judging from looking at the preview from episode 1, the drama is going in a different direction.

I don't think Ichiro is going to seduce Shiro like he did in the manga. It seems he's going to try and arrest Shiro in the bathroom, but Shiro catches him. Then Shiro dares Ichiro to take part in the fight club, if Ichiro wins then Shiro will get arrested/co-operate with Ichiro.

But the fake lover contract is'nt going to change I agree (it's too important to alter), the question is how bromance or gay the drama version will be.

I mean if the drama keeps it at the bromance then I understand, and I would still watch this series because I love Shiro as a character and want to see Inukai act him out. I think that if the drama series stuck to the bromance then it would loose a bit of the essence that the original manga had, but not make a big impact on the story.

I mean the mangaka can do what she wants right? I think she intends for Shiro and Ichiro to get together in the end of the manga series after what the both have gone through together. There's no way that Shiro and Ichiro are going to remain friend when the investigation and manga series ends. It would be waste if the mangaka did that lol.

I really wanted to see Ichiro try to seduce Shiro (it's not going to happen) but the drama is going in a different direction with the fight club so I guess it might be bromance after all. Who knows.

I freaking LOVE Shiro, he is my favourite character and you are right Shiro does remind me of Ash Lynx from Banana Fish.

I hope Inukai can do his character justice, I will love Inukai more if he could do it. I am more nervous for Inukai rather then Suzuki because Shiro is a challgening character.

Yeah I agree from watching the promotion videos they kept promoing their relationship as "forbidden buddies" and pay attention between the "bromance" between the two.

It would be a shame it the drama kept it at the bromance only, because the developing romantic development between Shiro and Ichiro ties in well with the story. From Shiro's side he always thought of Ichiro and wanting to survive to see Ichiro again before he was about to die. It's going to be hard if they removed that element, I don't think the power of friendship is going to be a good motivation for Shiro to wanting to stay alive lol.

No not really because the manga does'nt tell us a lot about the characters. I think Ichiro has'nt found his ture love yet, but when he does he wants to experience his 1st time with them, that's what I think.

I want to point out that the kisses that Ichiro and Shiro have so far are situational and not romantic I think.

In volume 2 when Shiro and Ichiro were in the Onsen they got caught by one of Shiro's co-worker who does'nt know their fake relationship. So Ichiro had to take the lead by kissing Shiro and force that co-worker to leave. He did it because it's his job and part of the cover up. He did faint in shock after doing it maybe realising it's his 1st kiss something like that (no idea honestly)

In volume 5, Ichiro knows that Shiro always gets himself into a life and death situations all the time. When Shiro was going to leave to see Ono, Ichiro was scared that Shiro might just die for real. So Ichiro held on to Shiro preventing him from leaving. Shiro who wanted to protect Chika decides to kiss Ichiro to surprise him and that leads to Ichiro letting Shiro go. It may also of been like a "goodbye kiss" because Shiro was also prepared to sacrifice his life if he was going to see Ono.