Kamisama no Ekohiiki (2022)

Perhaps..... one of my favorite Dramas. Ever?

I think part of my enjoyment of this drama was that I had NO idea what I was getting into, all I knew was that there was some sort of body-swapping going on with very light queer undertones in the form of WLW. I really wasn’t expecting this show to fully embrace bisexuality in the beautiful form that it does. It explores what liking someone is, what gender means within a romantic context, and whether we fall in love with someone’s appearance, their soul, or both things at once.

This show has so much heart, absolutely every single character - even including minor ones - is extremely well characterized. They’re not perfect, there are times when you just wanna smack them in the head, but they’re real, and they’re human and they’re trying their best. The two main leads do an excellent job at making you believe there are different souls within their bodies, both characters with distinctive personalities. Sakurada Hiyori as Yashiro has to be the standout for me, she absolutely kills this role. The rest of the cast is really lovable as well, all with different personalities. I believe some people do not like Kenta for a few episodes and you might feel like this as well, but just know that there is growth in his character (just like with the rest of the ensemble), and I personally thought his prickly, sometimes greasy, personality added so much dimension to the main cast and diversity to how they reacted to situations.

[PLEASE SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO KNOW THE ENDGAME COUPLE - a great part of my enjoyment was going in completely blind.] I never expected a gay couple to be the main focus of the story, not only plot-wise, but thematically as well. It is so easy to fall into bisexual stereotypes, and this show could’ve easily gone that route, but Yashiro is still explicitly shown to be attracted to girls (like Rin), yet his love for Kenta is the one thing that remains unwavering through it all, no matter the circumstance. For a few episodes, I was unsure of who the endgame was going to be - I watched this show thinking it was going to be a straight romance. I thought maybe Yashiro and Rin were going to end up together, maybe Yashiro was going to stay in Kagura’s body and be with Kenta - honestly, the whole cast had amazing chemistry with each other, so I wasn’t opposed to these couples (even the ex-couple had amazing chemistry!). It was still so heart-warming and beautiful to see the male/male couple be the endgame and I was so happy for them. The whole theme of them wanting to change the world was so wholesome and I loved that they reached that conclusion for themselves. This isn’t really a flaw of the show, but Kagura and Rin had unbelievable chemistry with each other as well. I was really rooting for a lesbian couple here, which sadly doesn’t happen, so please be aware of that. Last thing, it was nice that there were queer characters sprinkled throughout the show, not just amongst the main cast - most notably the student who has a crush on Rin (I believe he is implied as bisexual/pansexual), the man in love with Kami-sama, and, I was left unsure, but maybe Kami-sama as well.

Is this show perfect? Well, technically no - I was left wondering whatever happened to certain characters like Ami and Yukihiko - although I’ve come to the conclusion that Ami’s story just ended and there wasn’t much more we as the audience really needed to know. And I wished we could’ve explored Kami-sama’s story a little deeper. And YET - it does feel near damn perfect to me, from the acting to the story, the themes, even the cinematography. I am really glad that I found this gem of a show when I wasn’t looking for it, and I wish more people watched this silly little thing with so much heart and appreciated it as I do! Thank you from the bottom of my little bisexual heart.

Leia Mais

Sometimes you can't appreciate the value of something until you've lost it

Recently, I re-watched this drama. Something I didn't think I would do and have not done for any other drama before, much less a 40+ minutes show. That's how much I really appreciate this drama, if you can't tell from the score I've given. So if I'm going to review something anyway, I want this drama to be my first one.

Now, let me preface that I've read the source material for this drama. And while I don't think it's one of the best BL manga, it's still charming enough to be able to nest itself somewhere in my mind. So, I already have some high expectation from this drama, and boy did they deliver that and some more.

Story: This feels like your typical gender-swap/body-swap romance at first, until it's not. Not that I know a lot about the genre, however. Anyway, the premise is fairly simple: Yashiro, the main protagonist, was in love with his best friend, Kenta, so he confessed and got rejected. He then wished that he could be reborn as a girl, a wish that was granted by Kami-sama after he died because of an accident just after the confession. He then woke up as a petite and cute girl named Kagura.

But that, of course, was the beginning of a whole new world of problems. Now living another's life, Yashiro was forced to face a lot of struggles that he wouldn't imagine having before. Things started to get more complicated as the people around him were affected by his simple wish.

The story is loosely based on the manga, and I really think that that's a really great decision. So, thank you to all the staff that's worked hard for this drama. By doing that, they could sprinkle more depth and thought provoking moment, which is the best part of the story for me.

Acting: This maybe is the highlight of this drama for me. All the main character's acting are solid, but I have to give the trophy to Sakurada Hiyori (Kagura/Girl Yashiro) and Fujiwara Taiyu(Yashiro/Boy Kagura). They both did such an amazing job portraying each other, especially Sakurada as the main protagonist. One thing that I don't necessarily enjoy is their sometimes comical expressions, but that's just a very minor issue.

Music: I feel the music here perfectly help creating the tone of each episodes. They showed that they really know how to maximise the usage of it. It's not really something I'd search for or listen to in my free time, but it served it's purpose really well. And the theme song is pretty good, too.

And that turned out to be longer than I expected. Anyway, if you've decided to watch this drama, just have fun and enjoy the ride.

Leia Mais

Beautiful, must-watch, truly amazing drama!!

This drama is so beautiful, that I do not know if I have enough words to describe it. It has serious moments, funny moments, romantic moments, and cute moments, it truly is a great story and the actors have done an exceptional job in portraying the character. This drama is sure to be a standout for years to come.

Yashiro and Kenta are childhood friends when Yashiro realizes he has romantic feelings for Kenta. After making 100 shrine visits, Yashiro builds up to courage to confess his feelings to Kenta. Unfortunately, Kenta does not see Yashiro the same as he has only ever dated women but still wants to remain best friends. An accident happens and Yashiro, in the heat of the moment wished that he was a woman so that he and Kenta could be together. The shrine God grants him this wish and his soul is now in the body of another girl, Kagura. Later on, Yashiro in Kagura's body is doing his best to get close to Kenta, as he does not know that Yashiro is in Kagura's body. As Yashiro is getting closer to Kenta, Kenta's ex-girlfriend, Rin, is keeping an eye on the two.

This all plays out in Episode 1 and I will not spoil anything longer as the series does an insanely good job at making the viewers watch on the edge of their seats all throughout. The way the characters' relationships grow steadily is satisfying to watch and I really wish there was more of it as I just love them all so much, even though there are already 8 episodes of 40 minutes. No stone is left unturned, there are no unnecessary side characters that eat up time, and the story is complete in its run time.

The acting of all characters was amazing, Yashiro is natural in his own body and you really feel like he is in Kagura's body when they are two different actors. Kenta is steadfast in his friendship with Yashiro, and as a flirty handsome student, he is truly a treat. Rin is insane, maybe my favorite of the show. She starts off super intimidating with her overly friendly cool and pretty popular girl aura, but you discover the substance really of her character quickly. A wonderful friend, I need her in my life. Lastly, Kagura is friendly and kind, but a little quirky and was seen as a weirdo for most of her life. In the story, she is a kind soul that asks a lot of questions, has big dreams, and has few worries.

Do yourself a favor and watch this as soon as possible. You will not regret it. It has a great mix of BL, GL, bisexuality, and friendship themes, as well as a variety of values that are portrayed. One small regret is that there are no kiss scenes (apart from one in the end which is from a mile away), but as they are high school students in the drama and they are 18 in real life, I can understand it. It's not about the kiss, it's about the feelings and bonds, which you can truly feel (but I do love a good kiss). I am personally looking forward to seeing more from all of the actors and from Japanese BLs in general. Thank you to all the staff and creators of this drama, it truly was extraordinary.

Leia Mais

This will expand your heart three sizes. IT'S A MUST WATCH!

I laughed and cried so much with this show. And now that its over I am at a loss for words. This show is beautiful. Probably one of the best shows I have seen in my entire life. None of the things that I guessed were going to happen happened. And the love and care put into this was purely amazing. You can tell the writers and directors wanted to really make a beautiful impact on the world going forward and that they put great weight into the show.

There were moments where I sat there and went where can we go from here iwth the characters. Why are they doing this to them. But the way the ending came together had me sobbing, had me having goosebumps all over my whole body and at the same time made my heart dance with joy and excitement.

I have never seen a show be so loving and accepting of everything. And above all to carry a message of hope and acceptance for all of us out there who are clinging so desperately in a world that seems scared to face us.

I am a LGBTQ writer and this inspired me to write better. So that one day I can bring hope to those who might need it too.

This show will not disappiont you. The music is awesome. The acting is genuinely brilliant at moments. The directing writing and story are all sepctacular. The watch factor is 100% and rewatch I would gladly watch this 100 times more alone or with friends.

Please if you take anything away from this review. Watch Kenta and Yashiro's love unfold. It will change your life for the better.

Leia Mais

FUN AND METAPHORIC AND FRESH AND INTERESTING AND INDEED MEANING FULL. 101% RECOMMEDED

If anything this drama presents in the most authentic form of love is love and the importance of self acceptance. This drama not only touches sensitive issues both which are most talked about and some that are not part of the mainstream discussions but also did a very commendable job . they talked about issues like self acceptance, homophobia, women safety and very "generalised" women issues, authenticity, young love, how its not just the person who gets rejected but also the person on the other end and LOT more. I will list my favourite takeways:-
1. your feelings are your feeling , even if they are not reciprocated they are still very autonomously yours because at end of the day when you say you love that person its mostly about giving than receiving but of course you have be a true judge of the situation and measure for yourself weather or not that love is worth it . prime example is rin chan.
2. i personally was of the mindset that its the inner you that is your authentic self and never really thought of the contribution how the physical body plays an integral role in completing YOU as a person inside out.
3. we as a generation has to be more and more open minded of stuffs. as much as we like people who we relate to we have to equally accept differences.
4. a rare discussion on friendships of romantic and platonic kinds
now if i talk about characters ( im trying to write it spoiler free) EVERY character is reasonable, there is no villanisation of any one character but rather it shows and portrays reality and talks about real villains and ills of the society we live in and how we can strive to be better. just watch this show you wont regret.

also i really love how this show very subtlely represented trans people( SPOILER when the yashiro was in female body and the male washroom incident and the other guy from other school who like torri rin talking about his former love interest who became trans )and ace (the spectrum)people( just how the real yashiro talked about his love for ken), i might be wrong but as an ace i felt good .

Leia Mais

RECOMEND

One od the best bls ive watched, i really liked this one. The characters and actors were so good and i never disliked anyone. The story was so good and i feel like you could understand everything thats happening. I would deff rewatch thiss! it isnt the normal cutesy bl but the ending was so good!





!!!!!SPOILERS!!!!!
Im mad that they didnt kiss thoo, i was waiting for that kiss and it never happened, but its fine. Also about Kagura, i dont get why she wanted to change into another person, like her parents are so nice and supportive, i get that she didnt have alot of friends and stuff bet ye. Also what she told her friend in 5th grade was very selfish. And and really liked God why did he have to leavee:(((
About them changing bodys and Kenta wanting the old Yashiro back, i understand where hes coming from. I woulnt like my old friend/person im in love with changing into a completely different person, like its would just not be the same as before.

Leia Mais

Our hearts have always been free

A beautiful beautiful story. I usually don't like body swaps because they lose the BL element but this was still definitely a BL while also sending some of the most beautiful messages ever. messages of self love, equality for gender and sexuality, what it is to be "you", life, death , choices, love

all of it
beautiful

I also loved the OST and the acting was amazing especially from the two that switched!!
it only loses 0.5 stars because I wanted a bit more time with Kento and Yashiro as themselves in love and some more skinship in that form but it honestly doesn't take away from the story that's just my personal taste.

watch it! genuinely my favourite Japanese BL and one of my favourite Japanese shows in general

Leia Mais

One of the Best!

I was remiss in not reviewing this in 2022. If I had, I would have picked this as one of the best BLs for that year. This was an astonishing well-thought-out series, unique in its approach and so beautifully acted. Well done and memorable! So, this series ends uniquely. Both as a GL and a BL. Which is as it should be. I do believe this series got overlooked, perhaps because of its overt fantasy theme but it is so well blended together that It completely mesmerized me. It almost fell into the trap of 'falling for the person and not the gender' nonsense' but did not and righted itself which was commendable. I applauded this series for being honest. You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.

Leia Mais

MUST WATCH

The other day i was watching reels on IG and stumbled across to this series. At first i was reluctant whether should i watch it or not. I thought i should give it a try and boy😭 IT WAS WORTH WATCHING.. The story kept me hook actors were too good. RIN is my favorite character 💜 she was so selfless. Yashiro & kenta were adorable. I kinda liked it when sent kenta to the alternate universe. I knew he was also in love yashiro but he didn't realize it until he went to that alternate universe. God story was also painful 🥺 i can relate to him.. Regret was eating him alive. This series different aspects of love❤. I'm really that i decided to watch this series. I know Japanese bls are gems but this one has different love in my heart❤. There's something bittersweet and nostalgia feeling about kamisama no ekohiiki.

Leia Mais