Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (2024)

simple, refined storytelling

I picked this one up on a whim, based on a couple of gifsets that caught my eye, and I really enjoyed it! This story a slow, thoughtful character piece that works with a very simple (though not unimportant) central conflict. The characters were charming and funny, with plenty of good chemistry to propel the story. The story-line was decently constructed and well suited to its short runtime, despite some moments that were a little more awkward than they needed to be. Like most JBL, the production design was nothing flashy, but competent and correct for the story. I enjoyed watching this story circle and am leaving with a great fondness for these characters.

-The Full Review-

STORY:
What I really liked about this story is how pared down the conflict was. One simple decision representative of their characters respective weaknesses, followed by years of silence and a chance to start again. The crafting of the story around this question was masterful, and the staging of the ending really satisfied this arc.
What didn't work so well was the actual construction of these pieces. The pacing was occasionally odd and the story didn't quiet nail achieving a consistent tone throughout. I was somewhat of a let down to see the characters lose some of their humor in the end, and it cause the show to feel more disappointing than it actually was.

ACTING:
I loved these actors. I have nothing but praise for them. The subtlety to Robin's performance that was beautiful, and I truly enjoyed watching him have quiet, sad conversations with because so much was going on underneath. I also thought that he and his younger counterpart built a very believable character arc of growth together.
In contrast, Makoto brought an energy and movement to the story without going over the top or looking absurd next to Robin's subtlety. You could feel his youth, even in adulthood, in his restlessness and lack of confidence. The two styles played very well with each other and revealed the joy in the relationship, even as they were very rarely happy on screen.

PRODUCTION:
The production value of this show was solid, but I think they could have been a bit more creative, even without losing the realism. It often felt like we'd missed opportunities to tell more of a story or reveal characters by maintaining such simple design choices. Despite this, it worked. It told the story effectively and never detracted or caused confusion. I just wish they'd done... more.

INTIMACY:
I liked the intimacy in this show. I think it suited the characters and was used sparingly and when required by the plot to good effect. I also really enjoyed the threat of intimacy with other characters. Characters who know Takashi as an adult better than Akihiro are threatening to him, whether or not that intimacy was sexual. The series handled that distance and struggle well, allowing it to be mature and multifaceted (and not just about sex). I really enjoyed it.

In all, I would easily recommend this show, though I think some people looking for a more dramatic title may find it's simplicity underwhelming.

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Second Chances.

I think it's time to admit that some types of mature romances aren't just for me. This was the case with this show.

Miyata Akihiro, a sincere and diligent editor of a business magazine by chance gets to meet his first love, Iwanaga Takashi while working on an article. However, he is still haunted by his previous experience as a teenager with the untouchable Iwanaga sensei, who had bet on their love. Now, as adults, Iwanaga once again expresses his interest in Miyata-san, who is determined not to fall for the easy-going Iwanaga-sensei again.

The characters, particularly Miyata-san is the reason I held on until the end. He was careful and cautious with his words and actions. I was never once annoyed or angered by his choices.
As for Iwanaga sensei... I have no idea about him even after the end. There was so much more to him than what was being shown, but I just couldn't feel anything for his character at all.
I enjoyed the flashbacks, but they seemed incomplete to the story, inspite of giving some glimpse into their past, particularly Miyata-san.
Both the actors nailed their roles, and the overall atmosphere of the drama was pleasant.
It seems to be one of those dramas, which I feel had a lot of potential, but somehow managed to miss me.

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A second chance at love

"I love you" aren't usually just words to throw around. They have meaning behind it, which is usually to show how you feel about someone. They're words to express your feelings. Sometimes it's thrown around carelessly, but sometimes it has true feelings behind it.

Why did I decide to start it off this way? Well, in the 5th episode, Miyata hesitates so say that he loves Iwanaga due to what I believe is fear. As they rekindled their high school love, it would be reasonable to be scared to be left alone once again. Although this drama has its flaws, it also can show real life situations. Love isn't just something to be thrown around, unless your a player. The fear of abandonment is real and is understandable to why Miyata didn't say he loved Iwanaga.

As Miyata is now an editor for Iwanaga, he must try to keep their personal life from their work life. Iwanaga wants to start over again and have a chance at being with Miyata again, but as said earlier, he is scared to be left again. But when Iwanaga and Miyata share a moment, there is no turning back. One kiss turns into two, two kisses turns into three, and three kisses turns into something more than just a kiss.

What I liked about this series was definitely the chemistry. As always, Japan always has great tension between the two characters. I also enjoyed the background to get a glimpse of the past. Adding details is everything!!!

While this was a great series, there was flaws. The unnecessary characters that got in the way of their love was upsetting. I can understand 1 which is even a lot for a short 6 episode show, but more? Cmon..

Overall, as all series have, it was good with patchy moments. While more growth between the characters would've been better, it definitely wasn't something too horrible. They were cuties?

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A Journey of Reconciliation for Long Lost Lovers

“I love you” aren’t easy words to say. For many, expressing emotion through actions is much easier than putting emotion into words, especially when misunderstandings and miscommunication have colored how you feel about relationships.

In the Japanese BL Love is Better the Second Time Around, adapted from the manga series Koi wo Surunara Nidome ga Joto by Kinoshita Keiko, Hasegawa Makoto and Furuya Robin takes center stage as Miyata Akihiro and Iwanaga Takashi, two men on the verge of starting over after being torn apart in their youth over a misunderstanding.

Short and full of desire, Love is Better the Second Time Around finds editor Miyata Akihiro being forced to confront his first love when he is assigned to university professor Iwanaga Takashi, a confident, suave man he’d once loved enough to elope with. A man who Miyata believed played with his feelings.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/12/love-is-better-the-second-time-around-series-review-ep-3-to-6/

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Beautiful Plot, Rushed Pacing.

This story honestly really truly touched me for some reason. maybe because I had a lot of unrequited love stories in high school myself but everything was top notch. the soundtrack was fantastic, the cinematography was just out of this world and was so beautiful I almost teared up. the acting was pretty good and it was just a really wholesome story overall. the pacing was a bit rushed cause it only had 6 30 minute episodes which is a crime… I need these BL dramas to be longer! I will personally fight for it myself if I have too because we were ROBBED of an even more beautiful story. Nontheless it was a great drama, and I’m glad I had the chance to experience it.

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Coup de cœur pour cette seconde chance laissée à l'amour

Koi wo Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto ne fait pas l'unanimité, mais pour moi, il est un coup de cœur. Dans un mélange de maturité, d'honnêteté et d'intensité, cette histoire a fait son chemin jusqu'à faire s'emballer mon cœur.

Dans une romance, il y a quelque chose qui me prend toujours au dépourvu. C'est à partir du moment où l'histoire me donne envie de retomber amoureuse. D'oublier mes blessures passées pour retrouver ce sentiment unique, de ces papillons dans le ventre et des genoux qui tremblent. Et Koi wo Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto y est parvenu.

J'ai adoré les personnages. Iwanaga Takashi séduit. Miyata Akihiro résiste. Chacun est comme un papillon. Ils sont attirés l'un par l'autre, mais l'un tente de résister alors que l'autre ne cesse de le séduire, ouvertement. En parlant d'être ouvert, l'honnêteté des personnages, la façon dont ils s'expriment et avouent leurs sentiments (bons, mauvais ou incertains). Ils se parlent, ils communiquent, ils partagent. Hasegawa Makoto et Furuya Robin possèdent une magnifique alchimie. Les baisers sont exceptionnels (et pour ceux qui lisent mes avis, j'aime vraiment beaucoup les beaux baisers), quant aux scènes intimes, elles sont toutes aussi belles.

J'ai sincèrement aimé la ténacité de l'un et la résistance de l'autre. Des refus qui n'ont pas pour unique but de faire traîner, mais pour éviter de souffrir une nouvelle fois. Et finalement, les barrières tombent et une seconde chance est laissée. Et c'est beau. Leurs sourires sont d'une douceur réconfortante et d'une chaleur enivrante.

En revanche, il y a quelques défauts. Sans surprise, c'est un format trop court pour pleinement exploiter toutes les intrigues et les personnages. Cependant, c'était malin de se concentrer sur la romance sans distractions. Malheureusement, on peut aussi bouder le dernier épisode qui se révèle le moins bon. S'il est agréable, qu'il fait plaisir et qu'il est mignon, on a perdu la tempête émotionnelle des épisodes précédents, c'est dommage.

Bref, Koi wo Suru Nara Nidome ga Joto est l'une des petites merveilles de cette année, à mes yeux. J'ai aimé chaque épisode et chaque personnage. Ils étaient amoureux la première fois, et ils sont toujours amoureux pour la seconde fois. Et c'est encore meilleur cette fois-là. Coup de cœur !

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Yea.. HARD PASS

The storyline seemed interesting and the first and second episode were okay.. But the actor who plays Miyata Akihiro makes this series extremely unbearable.. He is not even pretending to be interested in his characters role.. He's tense, but definitely not in the way of the characters personality and role.. He tense in a very visible very uncomfortable way whenever their is any male to male contact in the show.. It's pretty clearly written on his face that he was very reluctantly doing this role for a paycheck or perhaps to fill out his portfolio.. The rest of the cast was great and the actor who played the professor seemed to be trying his hardest to bring the story to life, but his co-star was just not a good fit.. Overall I would say that if your interested in picking this show up don't bother..

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Complete package but not totally my type

Categorize this show as an ordinary one especially since I am having a hard time deciding whether I liked it or not. They have the angst, the growth and connection of the romance, the appeal from the cast, the amazing setup of soundtracks, and a nice sequence of the stories from the beginning until the end. Yet, it is not my cup of tea and I am certain that people out there might enjoy this show to their fullest. But, I was hoping as well that despite not my preference in a romantic genre, it’s their job to make things work for everyone.

Aloha is so cute in this series with his sassy and bitchy attitude. However, Makoto devours this show with his excellence in delivering the perfect blend of emotions and charms. The intimate scenes were the best element in the drama; hot, sexy, and fulfilling. As expected with Japanese productions, they always took a lot of effort to create pleasant and arousing scenes for their characters. But not to the point of overly doing it, that mostly happens in Thai BL shows.

The story is dramatic in a good way in that it tackles reconnection and attempting to succeed on the second try. It was a good plot for two grown adults and how they face up against hindrances in their mature ages. It was cool to see them nourish their romance with a happy ending.

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high Ratings....WHY?

Two adults Who had a love Story in their teenage years meet again and start tò Rikindle their relationship.

I always have a hard time rooting for people who loved each other for 2 months when they were teenagers and never seem to forget that love even in their 30s.

the main leaders were good in their respective role but the senpai character war a bit unbearable. he had that kind of "I known you love me so I just treat you like a child" kind of attitudine.
the kouhai basically gives in immediately but still pretends to play hard to get.

their childhood story is not really explained and we gather some elements at the very end without exploring them that much.

I don't know.. I kind liked the "vibe" of the series but there is not really much to talk about. I feel like nothing really happens.

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