30Sai made Doteida to Mahotsukai ni Narerurashi (2020)

Kurosawa didn't need magic to read Adachi's mind

I was a bit unsure if I am even willing to bother with this series. Mostly because I often find the idea of virginity giving you some sort of magic (or making you pure) very off putting. It’s my opinion and probably the main reason I have put off watching it for so long. Thankfully, some edits made me intrigued and got me to give it a go.

Kurosawa & Adachi: Adachi might be one of the most relatable characters for introverts I have ever seen. He lacks confidence and tends to put himself down, he doesn’t stand up for himself and does everything to make others like him. He often worries about how others perceive him. Kurosawa is the it guy at the office. He seems confident, outgoing, friendly, and competent. But he also has a more vulnerable side that we get to see later one. I really liked that they added dimension to his character. I really liked their dynamics; Kurosawa was never too pushy when it came to pursuing Adachi and gave him space. He was also very good at reading Adachi and his reaction, and then adapting his behavior. And he wasn’t even the one with magic!

Tsuge & Minato: they were the side couple with a similar premise as the main one. Tsuge was also in possession of magic while Minato was unaware of that. Tsuge is both an introvert and a drama king, he sure knows how to exaggerate. Minato is adorable, very friendly, and quite outgoing. I wasn’t really enjoying this couple and I think it has a lot to do with me disliking Tsuge as a character. I don’t know what it is about him, but I found him annoying.

I genuinely liked all of the side characters. Rokkaku and Fujisaki were an absolute joy whenever they appeared on screen. Even Urabe, Adachi’s senior at work, was not nearly as bad as I thought at first. He really redeemed himself as the series progressed.

I like how they showed that having the magic is not always a good thing nor it’s something that you should rely on too much. It gave us a different perspective from what I expected. They also avoided a lot of cliches – from evil exes to pursuing a reluctant person.

The comedy aspect was nicely incorporated into the series. The visuals and locations were amazing too. I also really liked the intro and outro sequences.

The series might not be one of my favorites, but it was an enjoyable watch. This is a very subjective thing, so just because it was not something I absolutely loved, doesn’t mean it is not something others enjoyed a lot more.

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Fan Girl Screams!

This is fan girl content at its finest! If this craptastic year supplied any happiness it was some amazing BL content and Cherry Magic is NO EXCEPTION! I had been hearing so much about it and tried to hold off until the series was done so I could binge but I kept hearing good things and couldn't hold out anymore. Lol I was in love from the first episode and it just got better and better. Definitely my favourite Japanese BL EVER! You won't be disappointed I assure you. It's fluffy, cute and everything you want out of a sweet BL. It was the first time in awhile I wasn't more interested in the side couple lol (they were perfect too tho) Definitely a good way to start my Christmas. So bitter sweet it's ended but I'll definitely use this as a recommendation for a newbie BL fan and I'll probably re-watch when I'm wanting something NOT basic and all around charming.
Enjoy to your hearts content....

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Oh, this was wonderful. Like a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day, it gave me warm fuzzies. Both the pairings were really cute but Kurosawa and Adachi simply stole my heart - so much so that I bought the manga, available via Kindle from Amazon!

I loved that there weren’t any bad guys in this drama, that it was a romantic slice of life story just, well, just with a smidgen of magic. Gosh, the way Kurosawa loved Adachi! Everyone deserves a Kurosawa of their own, honestly. And it was in no small measure thanks to Machida Keita who played Kurosawa, he gave the character so much loveliness and warmth. And Akaso Eiji lent Adachi such a cute awkwardness! His and Machida Keita’s chemistry was so... *chef’s kiss*

Also, I think that the reveal of Adachi’s powers truly demonstrated the difference in the portrayal of the self in Eastern vs. Western culture. You can bet that if this was an American show, Kurosawa would’ve been more concerned with his privacy, his thoughts, his own self, he would’ve felt furious and betrayed and he would’ve stormed out in a huff. Here, though, Kurosawa was more concerned with with Adachi’s well-being, Adachi’s happiness, Adachi’s self. Kurosawa was secondary in this equation to Adachi. And that was very lovely because I can’t help but feel that the Western focus on the “I” first and foremost and always has gotten quite, well, narcissistic lately.

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Overhyped

At first it was good, but gradually over the episodes nothing much was really interesting anymore. The two characters relationship didn't really build up to anything after episode 3, and honestly I wasn't really feeling their dynamic anymore. The two felt more like friends rather than lovers, even up to the end of the series. The production and the weird editing of certain scenes were very awkward and uncomfortable. Sometimes the music would cut off for 20 seconds and either be silent or have this awkward dialogue. Not a fan of the writing, nor the production. For a BL series, it's lacking in the actual boys love. Mostly due to character/relationship building. Anyways ill give it 7.0/10

EDIT: 5/10 March 10/2023 (Re-Watched)

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Cherry Magic will forever hold a special place in my heart!

Cherry Magic is one of the best Japanese drama I have ever seen in my life. Cherry Magic is a must watch!!! The love story is so cute, it makes you blush so much and then choke you with laughter and then makes you cry. I don't even know where to begin, I started this drama on the day it started aired, I fell in love with this drama in the first scene only. Whenever I cannot sleep, or having hard time, I close my eyes and start dreaming about Kurosawa Yuichi and Adachi Kiyoshi. I start thinking about various scenarios and like that my days pass by. The way every scene made me blush so much, I cannot even express it in words. It's such a cute story. I don't think in reality there will be ever a man like Kurosawa Yuichi. The way Kurosawa Yuichi loves Adachi is just infinity levels infinity. Cherry Magic will forever hold a special place in my heart!

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Started Strong, Ended Too Quickly. Needed More Cherries Lol

This started off as one of the best shows labeled "BL" that I've ever seen. This changed by the end but it was still better than the manga. Which doesn't happen a lot with adaptations. I wanna start off with the goods since I did enjoy this series overall! Just was disappointed with its later half. First off, it's comedic timing is on point thanks to Eiji Akaso's spectacular acting. He's so versatile it's crazy! I remember seeing him in Kamen Rider and crushing on him hard, and then he's in this playing Adachi whose a total mess, but also so freaking sweet and wholesome.. He was also in another series where he played a super confident player too apparently? The man is versatile!

Keita Machida as Kurosawa also does a fantastic job opposite Eiji. He's very charming and the dream partner. But also way more sweetly affectionate, patient and also heartbreaking than in the books. What they did with his character was probably the best decision the screenwriters could've ever made. You fall in love with him along with Adachi and it's so real feeling. Cutos! Super healthy relationship too. One where nothing is forced or pushed, Kurosawa only pushes Adachi to be better and more confident and we love that. Whereas Adachi pushes Kurosawa to be okay with not being perfect all the time. There's a nice balance, even if it gets frustrating at times with how little is actually seen romance-wise.

There are so many moments added into this that make the show so special, because they stick in your head. Some including; Adachi's meltdown on his first day with powers, Kurosawa wrapping him in a scarf, the folder confession, Adachi getting slammed in the elevator door, Kurosawa's side of the love story, them holding hands for the first time, etc. It's all just so well done in the first half. The added side characters are great. Like the office workers, who don't have much of a role in the books but make their presence known here. Tsuge is played perfectly, look and all by Kodai Asaka. Minato is great too, though that wig is a little fake looking lol. The music in the show is beautifully done, I freaking love the theme song in this show and I highly recommend listening to the full version because it is so stellar. It's called "Ubugoe" by the artist Omoinotake. The cinematography is good too. So bright and inviting when it wants to be, or dreary when were meant to feel a characters pain or emotion.

Anddd then we get into the latter off, where it starts to get old. So once Adachi and Kurosawa get together I expected some type of payoff because that's what buildup is for. I'm glad they didn't wait stupidly to have them confirm a relationship until the end. However, it felt like the relationship wasn't even real half the time anyway! I understand Adachi's character is anxious, but my god it got to be overly frustrating! There's various sweet moments, but those only feel like teasing when they don't lead to more development. We make it to the hand-holding stage and then...nothing. Just some missed date opportunities and severely rushed pacing. Eventually Adachi tells Kurosawa about the powers, which I appreciated. But really? They use that for a breakup plot device to create forced conflict? I expected better from you show. Then they get back together in literally the next episode and sleep together too. What!? That was so horribly executed and made zero sense. Even if the scene of them waking up in bed together was super cute. The pacing of this was all wrong, that stuff should've happened before. I get we have under 30 minute episodes, but if that was the problem (which partially it was) lengthen them. Or add on more episodes for plot! The show desperately needed it and it saddens me that I felt let down by the end. There's also the elevator kiss that was of course cut off prematurely. Listen if actors contractually cannot do that on screen fine, but it's still disappointing. It's also confusing to me how they can show those two lying in bed together with Kurosawa's arm around Adachi, but no kiss? Huh? Also, especially since Tsuge and Hinato's characters got 3 on screen kisses. You had a golden opportunity, that turned to bronze by the end.

Also yes I did see the special episodes and they were cute. I liked seeing that Adachi got Kurosawa a thoughtful gift and that they are using their couples pens. However, I actually preferred Tsuge and Minato's added episode. I believed them as a couple more! Which I did not expect and Tsuge got a major courage boost by the end lol that was something. Rokkaku's episode was completely unnecessary and I wish it wouldn't of taken up Adachi and Kurosawa's time in the episode. Especially with its stupid forced joke AGAIN about him "misunderstanding" about their relationship. Ugh.

I hope for a season 2 but don't try to divert completely from being a "BL" and have some fun with it. We need more realistic intimacy between these two, especially if it's significantly years down the line. Everyone goes at their own pace and there's nothing wrong with that. But don't make it completely unbelievable. I felt the love and there is a rapport there, but not enough for it to be 100% convincing me that these 2 would work out forever. I hope to see more though, I really do! Another season has so much promise.

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Cute but the romantic opposite has no personality

Assorted thoughts:

It was very sweet and cute, but when a romance leaves the boyfriend character as shallowly written as "infinitely patient, infinitely in love, and perfect", it's hard to invest much in the story. It's disappointing, too because I feel like the cast proved they could handle communicating complicated and difficult emotions.

We get a glimpse of some interesting side characters in Fujisaki and Minato, and the protagonist (Adachi) has some depth, though it takes time for that to become apparent. However, much of that potential rich character complexity is underutilized. I blame the writing — it wasn't bad! But they wasted a lot of opportunities for fleshing the characters out.

I have other thoughts/ frustrations but those are spoilers, so I won't tell.

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30-year-of-virginity has blessed Adachi Kiyoshi (Akaso Eiji) with a magical power to read people's mind when he touches them. One day, he finds out that his colleague Kurosawa Yuichi (Machida Keita) has a crush on him. How will Adachi handle this situation?

"Cherry Magic" is funny, adorable, and light-hearted. The fantasy aspect might sounds superficial and weird but the story touches upon common problems that most of us might face in our everyday social life, like fear of misunderstanding, or hesitation to express ourselves, or to stay in our comfort zone.

The romance was cute and healthy, but not really memorable, maybe because Yuichi is simply your typical perfect boyfriend, so there's nothing really special within their relationship. The second couple, on the other hand, is a nice bonus. They’re endearing, cheesy and their chaotic hijinks were fun!

What gets me invested is Adachi. Even though he felt uneasy with his mind reading ability, it helps him to pursue his dreams and social skills that he ends up relying on it. At some point, he wants to be independent from this magic, and I wanted to know how he handles this challenge. By the end, I appreciate his character development, but I wish it came much earlier so they can flesh out more of his independence. I think it would make a more satisfying redemption for him.

-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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