This review may contain spoilers
A Quiet, Tender Love Story
At 25:00 in Akasaka may not have the most original premise, fake dating that slowly becomes real, but what truly leaves a mark aren’t the plot beats, it’s the way the characters carry them. Especially Asami.
Asami is one of the gentlest leads I’ve seen in a drama. From the beginning, the way he treats Shirasaki feels thoughtful and sincere. He never forces his feelings, never backs Shirasaki into a corner. Instead, he stays close in quiet, steady ways, supporting him without ever taking away his space. His love feels patient, not demanding.
One moment that stuck with me is when Asami asks, “What do you like?”
Shirasaki lists the things he likes—
cinema, acting, strawberry shortcake, hamburg,
Asami’s curry rice,
Asami’s hand while drying his hair,
Asami’s child-like sleeping face,
and finally… Asami himself.
Later, during the confession scene in the show they’re filming, it becomes clear that Asami now belongs on that list just as naturally as everything else Shirasaki loves. I really enjoyed the quiet shift from acting to honesty, where pretending stops and real feelings take over.
I love how Asami’s affection isn’t loud, but it’s deep. The actor playing him captures that sense of longing without overdoing it. I know some viewers say there’s no chemistry or that the kisses lack intensity, but for me, the emotion was there beneath every look and small gesture. The kiss in episode 5 is my favorite. The phrase ‘drunk in love’… this must be exactly what it means.
The music also adds so much to the atmosphere, especially the moments when a certain background music is playing, I thought we can hear Shirasaki’s heartbeat. Those scenes made the emotions feel real, like we were sitting with them in the silence between words.
The actor who plays Shirasaki has some of the most expressive eyes I’ve ever seen on screen, it’s genuinely beautiful to watch. I’ve rewatched this series many times, and I still can’t get over the atmosphere of the show. It’s filmed so simply, yet it feels incredibly tender. It made my heart flutter.
Asami is one of the gentlest leads I’ve seen in a drama. From the beginning, the way he treats Shirasaki feels thoughtful and sincere. He never forces his feelings, never backs Shirasaki into a corner. Instead, he stays close in quiet, steady ways, supporting him without ever taking away his space. His love feels patient, not demanding.
One moment that stuck with me is when Asami asks, “What do you like?”
Shirasaki lists the things he likes—
cinema, acting, strawberry shortcake, hamburg,
Asami’s curry rice,
Asami’s hand while drying his hair,
Asami’s child-like sleeping face,
and finally… Asami himself.
Later, during the confession scene in the show they’re filming, it becomes clear that Asami now belongs on that list just as naturally as everything else Shirasaki loves. I really enjoyed the quiet shift from acting to honesty, where pretending stops and real feelings take over.
I love how Asami’s affection isn’t loud, but it’s deep. The actor playing him captures that sense of longing without overdoing it. I know some viewers say there’s no chemistry or that the kisses lack intensity, but for me, the emotion was there beneath every look and small gesture. The kiss in episode 5 is my favorite. The phrase ‘drunk in love’… this must be exactly what it means.
The music also adds so much to the atmosphere, especially the moments when a certain background music is playing, I thought we can hear Shirasaki’s heartbeat. Those scenes made the emotions feel real, like we were sitting with them in the silence between words.
The actor who plays Shirasaki has some of the most expressive eyes I’ve ever seen on screen, it’s genuinely beautiful to watch. I’ve rewatched this series many times, and I still can’t get over the atmosphere of the show. It’s filmed so simply, yet it feels incredibly tender. It made my heart flutter.
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