What was the point?

Basically it's just a regular episode where the viewer doesn't really get anything more out of the 10 episodes of the Takara no Vidro series.

You get 23 additional minutes of the same story without really adding much. Time has passed (between 6 months to a year) but you can't really tell by yourself, as the show needs to do so with the "Takara-senpai returns from a long hiking trip" thing. The emotional investment of Taishin himself makes it feel like he went down the convenience store, not to another country.
Even the stalker turned BL fan fic writer felt cringey, despite me being actually curious about her POV in the teaser.

Personally, I think even those who really loved this show should just move on and find something else to enjoy, as this special seemed unnecessary, even counterproductive, as Taishin and Takara felt like roommates, not lovers.

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Cuteness shower couldn't cover all major issues

The story itself was well written and executed most of the time throughout the 12 episodes.
Taichi and Kouhei are so cute together and don't feel like monodimensional characters because their struggles and thoughts unravel throughout the story.
That said, one cannot deny that there were some issues in the story's development, one of them being the character of Maya.
Since Maya appeared, I could sense the story becoming more and more draggy as the episodes passed. Her character, to me, had little to no reason to exist or at least to behave the way it was in the series.
Another major issue was the lack of noticeable progression between the mains regarding their love. This lack of progression made the series shift more like a friendship/school-setting series than a BL with romantic attachment. And I would have been perfectly fine with that if not for the fact that I started watching this, mostly because I was intrigued by the premise of a hearing-impaired MC and his love for a boy who doesn't face the same struggles in his day-to-day life.
I liked how the production decided to represent the daily struggles of hard-to-hear individuals, both visually and with the help of sound effects - or the lack of them; therefore, help someone who doesn't have to face these difficulties like me get a better understanding of it.

I would still recommend it, but I would also suggest not having big expectations for the love progression, as this series takes a very Japanese approach.

PROS:

- A good representation of the daily life of hard-to-hear individuals, which helps the viewer get the MC's POV better;
- Both Taichi and Kouhei are such cute and precious characters. It's impossible not to like them!
- The lighthearted moments with other characters helped ease much of the draggy feeling of the overall progression between MCs;

CONS:

- Lack of progression and development of the love story;
- The ending might be dissatisfying for some viewers;
- The character of Maya fails to have a unique identity in the overall context of the story despite the potential visible in a few scenes.

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Cute and short drama that felt too rushed

NOTES: I'll try to keep the review without too much spoilers, but I might fail tragically. I'll let you know when and where to skip.

I pressed play aware the show had some issues, but I couldn't care less, as I needed something short and cute.

I liked the premise of a vampire trying to become human due to previous issues, but the execution was lacking in many departments. Oh, boi.
The episode length felt rushed in the sense that the plot unravels so fast that seems like the MCs met each other, fell in love, and were ready to die for each other in a matter of days. I get it: ten minutes is not an adequate time to squeeze in an episode, but it is what it is.
At best, the characters seemed dumb doing what they did.
Also, the characterization is, at best, lacking: Junho and Minhyeon are just the "Vampire" and the "Pureblood." Why would they fall for each other? What makes a Pureblood different from an ordinary human being? I guess we'll never know.
Even that joke of a love triangle felt like a waste of screen time that should have been used to develop the relationship between MCs.

!SPOILER!

At last, let's talk about the ending:






The ending is one of the few things that make rational sense: some viewers might not like it, but it was coherent with that tiny information we got throughout the series: Junho had to drink blood for AT LEAST 10-15 seconds, which would most likely result in killing Minhyeon. Junho, having already murdered a lover by sucking their blood, understandably decided to just give up on a 500-year-old life for the safety of his lover, who was only 18.



!END OF SPOILER!




PROS:

MCs are eye candy;
The actors were cute together;
Refreshing perspective > Vampire wants to become human.


CONS:

Not a refreshing setting;
Lack of characterization;
Useless hint to a love triangle;
Worldbuilding had room for improvement;
The ending might disappoint some viewers, but at least it was coherent.

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What was the point of this?

The story felt bland and monodimensional, without tangible character development or a plot. It's a light-hearted and quick drama to watch between darker stories.
My major issue with this drama was the abundance of plot holes and the lack of closure the story—and the viewer—needed. This could have been addressed had they only increased the episode length and put some effort into writing a script coherent with the premises.
And no, I cannot accept that, as a viewer, I had to be left alone with my thoughts, trying to fill in all the holes the scriptwriter couldn't care less to amend.

In conclusion, this drama was a waste of a good and quick-paced story that I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

PROS:

MCs are eye candy;
Respect, communication, and willingness to adapt and overcome issues... Kinda

CONS:

Not a refreshing setting;
Plot holes;
Star-crossed lovers + love that spans lifetimes;
Characters acting out of their characters for no apparent reason

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Good comfort drama, not-so-good love story

The story felt bland and monodimensional, without tangible character development or a love story. It's a comfort drama, very Japanese, where MCs heal their past scars, so the viewer feels almost hugged by the wholesomeness of the story while being entertained by the lighter side of the story.

That said, one cannot deny some issues in the story's development, including the non-existent romance.
I'm all down for a good slow-burn romance, but the problem was that the romance was non-existent until the last episode, so I could sense the story becoming more and more draggy as the episodes passed.
This lack of progression made the series shift more like the story of two strangers who developed a friendship rather than a BL with a romantic attachment. And I would have been perfectly fine with that if not for the fact that I started watching this, thinking I would see some cute and comforting romance sparkling between stoves.
Also, this so-called romance seemed like a one-sided crush to me. The viewer gets only Isumi's POV throughout the story, while Amasawa-san treats him like a little brother or a friend.

I would still recommend it, but I would also suggest not having big expectations for the love progression, as this series takes a very Japanese approach.

PROS:

- Food;
- Comfort drama;
- The lighthearted moments with other characters helped ease much of the draggy feeling of the overall progression between MCs;
- I enjoyed the opening by SUPER★DRAGON.


CONS:

- Lack of progression and development of the love story;
- The ending might be dissatisfying for some viewers;
- The monpa and gamer friends were more present than the love story.

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