Youthful and sweet : loved the friendship aspect
This high school BL is quite classical in its storyline : it is all about the budding romance between introverted Hioki Asahi and popular Watarai Tsukasa that start with a school trip in the beginning of their second year of high school. They go together through all the cliche milestones of Japanese school romance but it is done in such a lovely way that it hits all the marks.
The romance was really cute and fluffy : it was a very appeasing watch, devoid of angst and full of green flags. What I loved the most was the group friendship : seeing introverted hero grow in his own skin and feel comfortable with those seemingly unapproachable "F4-type" guys was really satisfying. I loved how the friends acted regarding the main couple romance, it was a breath of fresh air to see them all so open and cool about it.
Acting-wise, I particularly liked Fujimoto Kodai who played Hioki Asahi. He acted well the innocent side of his character with his relatable inner voice. Sometimes that kind of role can be annoying but here, he really found a nice balance, never feeling too weak or wishy-washy. I have more mixed feelings with Kan Hideyoshi who plays Watarai Tsukasa. Sometimes, his fixed glaring eyes on Hioki felt more unsettling than lover like (even if I guess he was aiming for obsessive vibe, it felt a bit forced). Chemistry was alright but not amazing, most of the story is very platonic in itself and sweet but I wish the steam would have been increased as the relationship progressed rather than remaining at a very mild temperature level. Not necessarily because I wanted NSWF scenes but I think the progression on the way they looked at each other peaked a bit too soon and that it never really leveled up as the story progressed.
I enjoyed overall the production value, it was quite standard for high school romance dramas. I liked a lot the opening generic song from DXTEEN, such a earworm.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a sweet high school BL. It is cute and fluffly, while very classical in its story, it hits the right marks and provide a satisfactory viewing experience.
The romance was really cute and fluffy : it was a very appeasing watch, devoid of angst and full of green flags. What I loved the most was the group friendship : seeing introverted hero grow in his own skin and feel comfortable with those seemingly unapproachable "F4-type" guys was really satisfying. I loved how the friends acted regarding the main couple romance, it was a breath of fresh air to see them all so open and cool about it.
Acting-wise, I particularly liked Fujimoto Kodai who played Hioki Asahi. He acted well the innocent side of his character with his relatable inner voice. Sometimes that kind of role can be annoying but here, he really found a nice balance, never feeling too weak or wishy-washy. I have more mixed feelings with Kan Hideyoshi who plays Watarai Tsukasa. Sometimes, his fixed glaring eyes on Hioki felt more unsettling than lover like (even if I guess he was aiming for obsessive vibe, it felt a bit forced). Chemistry was alright but not amazing, most of the story is very platonic in itself and sweet but I wish the steam would have been increased as the relationship progressed rather than remaining at a very mild temperature level. Not necessarily because I wanted NSWF scenes but I think the progression on the way they looked at each other peaked a bit too soon and that it never really leveled up as the story progressed.
I enjoyed overall the production value, it was quite standard for high school romance dramas. I liked a lot the opening generic song from DXTEEN, such a earworm.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a sweet high school BL. It is cute and fluffly, while very classical in its story, it hits the right marks and provide a satisfactory viewing experience.
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