Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
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by ever_green
A Quiet Rewatch That Belongs to Machida Keita Alone
I came back to this series on a rewatch, and funny enough, it landed a bit differently the second time around. A couple of years ago it barely registered — no “wow” factor, very sweet, almost too sweet, and honestly a bit forgettable. Part of that is probably on me: BL as a genre isn’t really my natural habitat. I tend to lean more towards bromance with some narrative backbone — crime, legal, office politics — something with a bit more grit. Pure romance, especially when it tips into the saccharine, can feel slightly artificial to me.
That said, the rewatch had a clear agenda: Machida Keita. And here the series absolutely delivers. What struck me most is how understated his acting is. There’s a particular softness in his gaze — a kind of quiet, attentive tenderness you usually associate with how people look at someone they genuinely care about. It never feels forced. If anything, he carries the emotional credibility of the whole story on his shoulders, and makes it look effortless.
The issue, for me, lies elsewhere — I found myself struggling with Akaso Eiji’s performance. He’s clearly a good-looking actor, very easy on the eye, and there’s nothing overtly “wrong” with what he’s doing — and yet something feels slightly off. A bit stiff, a bit overly constructed. It might be an acting choice, or even a directing decision about how “shyness” should read on screen, but the body language and facial expressions didn’t quite ring true for me. I had a similar reaction to him in Super Rich, so perhaps it’s just a mismatch with my personal viewing preferences.
As for the chemistry — interestingly uneven. Machida seems capable of generating chemistry with just about anyone; he’s that kind of actor. Here, though, it felt somewhat one-sided. I wasn’t fully convinced by the dynamic as a whole, even if individual moments worked.
Still, I wouldn’t dismiss the series. What it does rather well is portray a surprisingly healthy emotional dynamic. Machida’s character is composed, emotionally regulated, respectful of boundaries — in short, an adult. There’s a grounded quality to the relationship that’s actually quite refreshing, especially within a genre that often leans into heightened emotions and idealisation.
So, if you’re in the mood for a quiet, low-stakes romance and, more importantly, if you appreciate Machida Keita’s brand of subtle, introspective acting, this is an easy, pleasant watch.
That said, the rewatch had a clear agenda: Machida Keita. And here the series absolutely delivers. What struck me most is how understated his acting is. There’s a particular softness in his gaze — a kind of quiet, attentive tenderness you usually associate with how people look at someone they genuinely care about. It never feels forced. If anything, he carries the emotional credibility of the whole story on his shoulders, and makes it look effortless.
The issue, for me, lies elsewhere — I found myself struggling with Akaso Eiji’s performance. He’s clearly a good-looking actor, very easy on the eye, and there’s nothing overtly “wrong” with what he’s doing — and yet something feels slightly off. A bit stiff, a bit overly constructed. It might be an acting choice, or even a directing decision about how “shyness” should read on screen, but the body language and facial expressions didn’t quite ring true for me. I had a similar reaction to him in Super Rich, so perhaps it’s just a mismatch with my personal viewing preferences.
As for the chemistry — interestingly uneven. Machida seems capable of generating chemistry with just about anyone; he’s that kind of actor. Here, though, it felt somewhat one-sided. I wasn’t fully convinced by the dynamic as a whole, even if individual moments worked.
Still, I wouldn’t dismiss the series. What it does rather well is portray a surprisingly healthy emotional dynamic. Machida’s character is composed, emotionally regulated, respectful of boundaries — in short, an adult. There’s a grounded quality to the relationship that’s actually quite refreshing, especially within a genre that often leans into heightened emotions and idealisation.
So, if you’re in the mood for a quiet, low-stakes romance and, more importantly, if you appreciate Machida Keita’s brand of subtle, introspective acting, this is an easy, pleasant watch.
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