This review may contain spoilers
And they were friends
*happy ending*
I’ve read and reread the manga countless times long before the live-action came out. But it actually took me quite a while to continue after episode one. I already knew the story — cute, fluffy, but maybe a bit too normal. Nothing particularly new or special, I thought.
Then a few episodes in, I found myself giggling. I was glad they stayed faithful to the manga. The camping scenes weren’t in the original, but it was a nice touch. Overall, the story was exactly what I loved about the source — sweet, light, and true to its roots. They really did the OG justice.
However, Tanaka’s casting felt like a bit of a hit or miss for me. He looked good — he definitely pulled off that baseball uniform — but manga Tanaka was a bit taller and bulkier. Still, I could’ve brushed that off if the acting sold the romance. Unfortunately, it didn’t. He just didn’t look in love. And for a character who’s been pining since fifth grade, that lack of emotion really showed.
He did well in the angry scenes, though — I’ll give him that. But overall, his performance made the series feel more like a slice-of-life about cohabiting friends rather than a romance. It leaned too far into the shounen ai category that I couldn’t even see the “ai” (love) in his eyes.
Ryota, on the other hand, was a delight. He was adorable, expressive, and honestly felt like his manga counterpart. At first, I didn’t quite see the resemblance, but he grew on me. When I reread the manga after finishing the series, I realized just how on-point his acting was. His crying face was so cute, and he looked way more in love than Tanaka ever did.
A reviewer mentioned that Haruna’s actor was more handsome than Tanaka’s, and I couldn’t unsee it after that. I kept comparing them, and then I noticed Haruna’s actor has this habit of raising his eyebrows whenever he speaks — a small quirk, but once you notice it, it’s hard to ignore.
Now, onto the kissing scenes. At first, I thought this was going to be one of those BLs that rely purely on camera angles instead of real kisses — and I was a bit mad about it. But after rereading the manga, I realized... he really did kiss that way 🤣 A sort of floating, cheek-hover kind of kiss. The first one was clearly a camera trick, but the second one was so accurate to the manga that I couldn’t even complain. And that third kiss? When it actually landed on their lips? I screamed. 😂
Anyway, this series is a must-watch if you’re looking for something sweet and easy to enjoy. It’s definitely not groundbreaking, but it’s cute, comforting, and heartwarming — the kind of show you can safely watch on TV with your family around. And as someone who’s loved the manga for a long time, that’s something I really, really appreciate.
I’ve read and reread the manga countless times long before the live-action came out. But it actually took me quite a while to continue after episode one. I already knew the story — cute, fluffy, but maybe a bit too normal. Nothing particularly new or special, I thought.
Then a few episodes in, I found myself giggling. I was glad they stayed faithful to the manga. The camping scenes weren’t in the original, but it was a nice touch. Overall, the story was exactly what I loved about the source — sweet, light, and true to its roots. They really did the OG justice.
However, Tanaka’s casting felt like a bit of a hit or miss for me. He looked good — he definitely pulled off that baseball uniform — but manga Tanaka was a bit taller and bulkier. Still, I could’ve brushed that off if the acting sold the romance. Unfortunately, it didn’t. He just didn’t look in love. And for a character who’s been pining since fifth grade, that lack of emotion really showed.
He did well in the angry scenes, though — I’ll give him that. But overall, his performance made the series feel more like a slice-of-life about cohabiting friends rather than a romance. It leaned too far into the shounen ai category that I couldn’t even see the “ai” (love) in his eyes.
Ryota, on the other hand, was a delight. He was adorable, expressive, and honestly felt like his manga counterpart. At first, I didn’t quite see the resemblance, but he grew on me. When I reread the manga after finishing the series, I realized just how on-point his acting was. His crying face was so cute, and he looked way more in love than Tanaka ever did.
A reviewer mentioned that Haruna’s actor was more handsome than Tanaka’s, and I couldn’t unsee it after that. I kept comparing them, and then I noticed Haruna’s actor has this habit of raising his eyebrows whenever he speaks — a small quirk, but once you notice it, it’s hard to ignore.
Now, onto the kissing scenes. At first, I thought this was going to be one of those BLs that rely purely on camera angles instead of real kisses — and I was a bit mad about it. But after rereading the manga, I realized... he really did kiss that way 🤣 A sort of floating, cheek-hover kind of kiss. The first one was clearly a camera trick, but the second one was so accurate to the manga that I couldn’t even complain. And that third kiss? When it actually landed on their lips? I screamed. 😂
Anyway, this series is a must-watch if you’re looking for something sweet and easy to enjoy. It’s definitely not groundbreaking, but it’s cute, comforting, and heartwarming — the kind of show you can safely watch on TV with your family around. And as someone who’s loved the manga for a long time, that’s something I really, really appreciate.
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