Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo (2023)

A beautiful short series about teenagers high school love; left me wanting more

The whole thing was very soothing to the eye, this be what reviewers say "realistic" cause it talks about the struggle of a gay teen in a society that is not open-minded then meeting a person who is open-minded cause not everyone is the same even if there's a majority, someone out there will understand. So refreshing to see a bl made in japan that is not about being in-doubt when in a same-gender attraction or relationship and wanting to become "normal", this series finally went out of their way to put this out and get the stereotypes away.

Whole cast & film was *chef's kiss* beautiful! it was not hard for the eyes to take, don't have scenarios that makes me wanna keep pausing to take a moment to either get my anger out or stay away from the second-hand embarrassment. lol the only thing that was bad is that it only consists of 5 episodes, I really wish for a continuation cause there's a lot of things that they haven't figured out yet!!

What I like about the series:
1. True Love(?) - they say a lot that love at first sight is real but in here it definitely shows the cliche of it, showing Amane first seeing Ryuji as his type and someone to sleep with. No one can fall in love that fast, it's really quite the lustful thought that puts the interest first when it comes to "love at first sight". Progressively, him spending a lot of time together with Ryuji actually made his like turn to love, it was understandable cause I would also fall in love from the way Ryuji treats Amane, he was seriously just someone who understands and you can trust would be there for you till the end from the way he always reassures Amane to stop putting-on a fake smile that only hurts himself and not judging him cause he's gay. The same goes for the way Amane treats Ryuji, he lifted the pressure and pushes him to become a better person of himself when he made sure to not worry anymore about his dad and helping him with studying. They complimented each other well.
2. Nothing forced - The chemistry was very good but not that much, it's very understandable since they did give me friends vibes but not till the end, I think it was on purpose since Ryuji didn't see Amane the way Amane does at first until the end. Even without that much intimate scenes, their chemistry carried the show. No awkward interactions or second-hand embarrassment.
3. Relatable - Amane's struggles as a gay teenager is soo relatable! it's very hard to trust anyone cause of judgement so we put on something to hide it which amane does by joking about it all the time

What I don't like about the series:
1. Purpose - Some things that are there were there but like for what purpose? Amane's side guy who he sleeps with didn't become anything till the end other than being Amane's fulfillment when it comes to being lonely for being gay. Amane's grandmother is just his caretaker nothing else, shouldve shown what she and ryuji talked about while amane was sick and ryuji's family, which ik the purpose was because amane's family is broken it welcomed him to another home but like hello?? it's ryuji's first time bringing someone over and talking about them a lot but they had like 0 idea about the possibility that he might be liking amane but i guess if it's a girl then they would've. I wished these characters had like a role or play when it comes to their love life if there's a second season.
2. Ending - it really do just ended with their first day being together.. I wanted to see more like the shyness and first time going out and things to do as a a couple and maybe.. their way to become a stronger couple by getting through their judgemental society and to see if their family would accept their relationship.
3. Sexuality - One thing that didn't sit right with me is that Ryuji only accepted the confession cause he thinks it's okay if it's Amane, it's giving "I don't have interest in anyone but you" which is cringy lol. It's another reason why I want another season cause Ryuji hasn't fully looked to Amane as someone he would sleep with- not that it's important but yk it kinda is, it's like he hasn't fully "loved" him yet as much as Amane loves him. Also seems like he hasn't figured out his sexuality since he had no interest maybe on any guy or it's just amane at first then progressively liked him, there's no background about it which makes me question if he's willing to sacrifice everything for him.

I really love this series and really wishing for a continuation cause that was sooo short!!!!!

Leggi di Più

Warm and earnest, short summer BL

A story between an earnest Enoshima local and a bubbly transfer student. This BL is rather short but it achieves everything it needed to. The pacing is good and all of the screen time is focused on the couple. The setting is enoshima, which felt personally enjoyable to me since I have been there and I was able to combine this BL with my own memories.

I am giving this a high rating simply for the enjoyability of it. While there are minimal skinship scenes and the kissing scene is a bit lacking, it is commendable how well the actors and team were able to convey deep and relatable characters and the forming of the bond between the two in the short 5 episodes. I recommend this BL. It is short and sweet and I dont have any gripes about it to lower the rating, other than comparing it with all the other amazing Japanese BLs out there. Enjoy!

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Japanese BL are very different from other BLs.
I'm glad I watched it. It's a very sweet story. I stared watching this hoping the same. A very light and calming ending.
If you are looking for a refreshing series go for it.
Actors have done a good job. I personally feel that they have done justice to role. A high school romance.
The only drawback is that the series ends very suddenly. It leaves you wanting for more or may be this is the intension of the writer or production team.
But I wish that they would have written it for at least 8 episodes.

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Simple, sweet, and lighthearted

A simple story about a boy who had a crush on another and fell in love as they got closer and became friends. There's a little backstory about Amane as to why he acts like that. I understand Ryuji's struggle to express himself and how he feels.

I like how Ryuji handled Amane's confession. He takes the confession seriously and gives it a lot of careful consideration. He never ran away and always took Amane seriously and listened to him. They have good communication and no misunderstandings throughout the series. Their love story is so simple yet lovable.

The actors did a great job portraying their characters. I'll definitely be rewatching this.

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Deceptively simple, but astoundingly mature and nuanced!

I was so surprised to see something jump to the top of BL rated dramas on MDL after what has felt like a year (2023) of less than great BL productions, but after watching it I believe it deserves the accolades. I’ve always gravitated to the BL dramas that prioritize a sense of realism and emotional heft, over the shenanigans and illogical misunderstandings that many BLs try to pass off as legitimate plot points. Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo stands head to toe with many of my favorite BLs, like Eien no Kinou, Fujoshi, Ukkari Gei ni Kokuru, Gameboys, I Told Sunset About You, Like in the Movies, More Than Words, Otto No Otto, Bokura no Shokutaku, The Eighth Sense, Mood Indigo, Kinou Nani Tabeta?, and Blueming. So if you like any of those, you will likely also enjoy this. The plot of Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite mo seems very simple, but hidden inside is a very relatable story, engaging characters, plot tension that emanates from believable human emotions. This show made me tear up (happy tears) many times. It’s incredibly refreshing to see characters be so honest with themselves about what they want. The drama hinges on actual human desires, without any “gotchas” like the forced under-explained misinterpretations and missed connections that many BL dramas unfortunately rely on as plot devices. this show was incredibly well written, and well acted. My only criticism of the may be that it might be slightly unbelievable that these two high school students would be able to communicate with such maturity. A bonus of this show is the amazing theme song, and closing credits song, which both perfectly convey the emotions of this series. I’ve watched over 150 BL dramas and this was one of the best!

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