Living with Him (2024)

Cute, simple, fluffy, and kinda unique

So I went into this not thinking much seeing the comments that seem to dislike it more than liking it. But I ended up actually loving this cute and short series.

So we get ML, the popular and nice, Mr. Perfect; and we get MC, the not-so-successful, the cute one with low self-esteem. But what really shocked me was their relationship dynamic was really refreshing, MC is surprisingly straightforward, and there was no beating around the bush with these two. There was no unnecessary drama, just a really heartwarming and realistic story of a boy who loves another, and a boy who learns to accept that love.

There was talk of ep6 being simply a filler episode and wasting time in such a short series, but imo, I really like that episode, and thought it quite necessary too. It gives context and background to ML's story, instead of the series revolving mainly around MC and his pov.

I really like ML's acting, he manages to bring the character alive with his expressions and actions. MC too did very well in his role. And of course, we can't forget our favourite Haruna, boy everyone needs a wingman like him.

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Heartfelt Romance between Childhood Friends

Overall, I thought this show was quite good in relation to other JBLs that we have been seeing over the years.

I thought the story was well-written and really wholesome as I could feel the sparks of love between the two co-stars. The flashbacks of their past really helped to add to the context of show and made it very enjoyable as we got to see how Tanaka's love for Ryota all began. Though, I do think that the flashback we saw in Episode 7 could've been featured earlier just so that not a lot of time was wasted scenes leading up to the confession.

I do not know if this was in the manga but one part of the story that, I think, really needed some tweaking was Episode 7 where we had the running scene and the episode ending with Ryota going home. It would have been a lot better if they decided to extend episode 7 so that there could have been a confession there instead of in episode 8. It would have felt a lot more natural and the last episode would have spent time entirely on the two being together. Moreover, the pacing of the show was far too slow, making it seem more like a story of two best friends than one of a romance (I am sure many will argue with me here but I'd say that this show spent too much time establishing that they were very close (even though this could have easily been done via flashbacks)).

As others have pointed out, Ryota's character was a little irritating but I think keeping in mind that he was written to be a relatively low self-esteem character, it was okay. I wouldn't say it was amazing but it was not bad. It's clear that the actor playing Ryota (Sho Sakai) is talented and did a great job embodying the modest Ryota. The same goes for the actor playing Tanaka though I'd wish that some scenes would be less awkward (e.g., Tanaka's slowed reaction to Haruna in the last episode).

Contrary to what others have said, I do not think the open-endedness of the show was bothersome at all. While some questions were left unanswered (e.g., how Ryota and Tanaka choose to spend the rest of their lives together, whether the girl knows that they are together, how Ryota's sisters would handle their relationship, etc), there were some that were tacitly answered at the end of the show. For instance, the yukata scene in episode 8 where Kazuhito's mom already knew that they were for them was good enough for me to know that Kazuhito's mom supports their relationship. I think the gazes from Ryota's mom also speak volumes on this. Dialogue on that was unnecessary, the audience just knew it.

The music was great, it was catchy and made for an enjoyable OST. The opening theme song is especially catchy and well-suited to the theme of the show.

Given how slice of life it was, I may rewatch the show just because it was fun. It was adorable seeing them together at the end.

In the future, I will likely use bullet-points instead to write my reviews.

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普通の大学生同士の恋愛

私はこのドラマが大好きです。
おそらく、この作品は凄く日本的な作りかもしれません。
本人達の感情の変化に重点を置いたストーリーになっているため、もしかするとペースが遅いと思う人もいるかもしれません。
でも、私はそのゆっくりとしたペースがこの作品に合っていてとても好きでした。

カズヒトとナツカワは、幼馴染で子供の頃からずっと一緒で仲の良い友人だったにもかかわらず、中学校でクラスが離れ、高校では別のところに行くことで、物理的にも離れます。
これは、必然的に距離だけではなく気持ちの面でも全部の距離が離れることを指します。

カズヒトは、おそらく前からナツカワに対し特別な思いを抱いていたけど、離れたことでその気持ちはいったん落ち着きます（消えたわけではありません！）。
日常的に一緒にいることが無くなると、人の気持ちが落ち着くのは普通のことです。
しかし、高校で偶然ナツカワの姿を見かけた時に、自分の中の特別な感情がぶり返します。
そして、一生懸命取り組んできた野球が出来なくなってしまい絶望した時に、ナツカワに会いに行く。
恋人になりたいという想いではなく、そこには純粋な恋心だけがあります。

ナツカワは、性格的には非常に人に気を使い、色々と考えを巡らせるタイプです。
なので、人の変化には気づきやすい。
しかし、その分自分の感情には鈍感なタイプで、カズヒトへの気持ちがどの種類の好きなのかすぐにわかりません。
カズヒトを好きだと自覚したあとも、カズヒトの将来のこと、周りからの目（残念ながら日本はまだ同性愛者に対して寛容じゃない人が多いです）、家族や友人について考え「好きだ」と言う気持ちを伝えることが出来ません。

ここで、カズヒトの友人ハルナが（彼のキャラクターは面白いです）良いアドバイスをします！
８話はとても良いシーンだらけでした。
彼らの想いが通じ合った後の、初々しいキスは最高です。

このドラマには、ドラマチックな展開がそれほどありませんが、日本の大学生の友情や、恋愛模様をよく表しており（少し純情すぎるかもしれませんが）、私には馴染みのあるものでした。
原作が漫画なので、少し漫画寄りのストーリーにはなっていますが、そこもJBLぽくて良いと思います。

カズヒトとナツカワが、これからもずっと仲良くいられることを願っています。

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Not life-changing but a good watch if you're into the friends-to-lovers trope

Mmm. What to say?
It's cute. The actors do a decent job, and they have decent chemistry. Some of their scenes are *adorable*, like I'm talking lovesick stares and forehead touches and all that jazz.
I think the series gets more and more mid as it progresses. I guess it didn't really make sense to me why they weren't communicating properly at the end, when they both knew they liked each other. They kept being dramatic and not talking and I was just like ??? Just fking tell him ??
Maybe this is just a cultural difference but in every Japanese BL I've watched it feels like the main couple don't ever feel fully comfortable around each other -- they keep talking formally and apologizing for everything and walking on eggshells not to offend the other. When they confess, it still feels as if they're both expecting the other shoe to drop. Then again, maybe this is my Spanish ass that's used to couples being wayy more affectionate.
Also. Honorable mention to Haruna, my man, my boy, he was trying to get those two dumbasses together by any means available to him and I love him for that. What a great friend.
I'd like to add that the ending was *so* open. So much so, in fact, that I didn't notice the series was over lmao. I want to know, how do the friends react? The family? The sisters?? This is one of the issues I have with couples getting together at the last minute --you don't get to see them after that, being domestic and all that. It's so sad. And it still didn't fail to give me whiplash, going from Natsukawa being confused to both of them openly declaring their love for each other. It happened so fast, didn't it?
Maybe I'm too cynical. Idk.
But yeah, that's that. It's a light series, easy to watch, and it won't wreck your brain or make you feel uncomfortable. But I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it or watch it again.

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This series is such a delight! Wholesome, sweet and refreshing

This series is such a delight! It's the common trope of childhood friends that have grown apart yet this story is told in such a wholesome, sweet and refreshing way. I think it quite accurately showcases the mental gymnastics and struggles of figuring out your feelings as an LGB person. We are three episodes in as of right now and each episode just keeps getting better and better!

I hope that this series is able to maintain this momentum that they've built so far throughout the rest of the remaining episodes.
My only complaints so far are that ever single week the episodes are too short which makes the wait for the next episode even more difficult. Definitely worth a watch!

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Only if you have nothing else to watch...

Well, this year's japanese bls have been more of a miss than a hit! And this one unfortunately is on the miss side!

It is a cute slice of life, childhood friends to lovers, unrequited long-time crush, an endless string of clichés and repetitive tropes filled drama. Mind you, it was not bad but it was completely forgettable and something we have already seen so many times.

The actors had zero chemistry and the kisses were not even pecks, so why bother? The characters were also clichés: a former baseball player Kazuhito, cold and taciturn apparently emotionless but actually hiding his feelings really well. The other one was the opposite: jumpy, confused and indiscreet. It was so painful to watch when he was prodding the baseball guy about his love life, asking increasingly rude questions and even offering to sort it out for him and get him a girlfriend. Ryota is indeed a very unlikeable character. He seems young and cheerful but is actually immature and impolite and completely unaware of his surroundings: "Read the room, Ryo and shut the fuck up!"

The most interesting character was Haruna, baseball guy's best friend who cunningly pushes the two towards each other, inciting them to finally talk. I want to see a drama where he's a main character.

The baseball guy was too cute (I want to see more of that actor!) the other one was too creapy. Towards the ending, I kept thinking of Cherry Magic, thai version, where Achi accepts Karan's feelings out of gratitude but still very uncomfortable together. I had the same feeling here, less pronounced but still present: Ryo still seemed very uncomfortable...He was also worried for a long time about the acceptability of their relationship and even though Haruna explained some basic truths about Kazuhito, he semed more interested in keeping a roommate than getting a boyfriend. Very ambiguous!

Forgettable plot but well produced without major problems unless you count boredom.

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Mais um Boys Love que não entra no conceito

Lamentável, mas este é mais um BL que não entra no meu conceito, e aqui o motivo é mais simples, existe nitidamente uma falta de conexão entre os atores que fazem o papel principal. Outro ponto que percebi acompanhando a série até agora é a razão é que às vezes Natsukawa age um pouco demais como um gato assustado, como quando ele quase (não) entra no restaurante, quando ele derrama a bebida, etc. Tudo bem não ficar confortável, mas ser tão constrangido ao ir sair para comer algo me parece problemático, e não, isso não faz parte da cultura japonesa, o que poderia ser para muitos uma justificativa. Normalmente, isso é possível conferir nos sites e outras plataformas, os BL’s que mais chama atenção são os que, atores se comunicam muito bem na atuação, uma história bem objetiva (enredo e roteiro), e personagens que conseguem cativar de modo geral seus fãs.

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Living together with my childhood bestfriend

In the first episode, I am capturing the sweet, gentle, and heartwarming emotions of getting to know each other. Tanaka and Natsukawa, once very close childhood friends, are now living together due to their parents' arrangement for attending the same university. They are finding their way to be comfortable in each other's company after growing apart in middle school. The first episode shows how they care about each other despite growing apart.
Sato Ryuga, who plays Tanaka, has impressed me with his acting so far. There is no awkwardness or stiffness in his performance. I appreciate how he portrays his character's kindness and caring through the expression in his eyes. He shows a lot of confidence in his first BL role, especially considering it is his first time portraying a romantic role.
Regarding Sakai Sho, who portrays Natsukawa, this is not his first rodeo in the BL world. Although his initial role in the BL series "Takara-kun to Amagi-kun" was minor as Tanaka's friend, I believe he gained valuable experience from it. He adeptly embodies a cute, kind, shy, and slightly low self-esteem character. I can clearly perceive the innocence in his character's eyes, showing his genuine desire to be of assistance to his friend.
The set stage in the first episode is promising as it shows a lot of movement to different sets in some scenes. However, as always, the first episode is the pilot of the series so the budget for the first episode is much higher. I just hope that as more episodes come out, the variety of the sets doesn't get reduced.
I'm a simp of a good opening or ending song as I discover my favorite artists through them. Unfortunately, this show only has one song for both the opening and ending. However, despite that, the song is quite catchy and I haven't heard of this group before, so I need to check out more of their music.
overall this drama is promising and i have a high hope for this drama.

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