Kieta Hatsukoi (2021)

Melted my cold, cynical heart

When I started to watch this series, I didn't expect to love it this much. This series may not be perfect, but it definitely becomes one of my favorite series this year.

[Story]
The plot is actually very simple, you can literally summarise it in one sentence lol. This series is more on character driven rather than plot driven, so some people may find it frustrating at how slow the development was. However, I love how this series portray (almost) realistically the inner struggle of gay-teen couple in conservative country. The other strong point of this series is how lovable all the characters were, even the supporting roles, that I ended up care for all of them. It is the first time that I love both main leads equally, usually one of them will annoy me at some point. Ida and Aoki are truly the bestest boys.

[Acting]
Surprisingly, I love the acting in this series. Usually the acting in Japanese drama bother me a lot as it's kinda 'anime-ish'. Kudos for Aoki for having so many silly expression without making me cringe. I also love Ida's acting, his character is actually the one that more tricky to be portrayed. I am glad he wasn't just a stoic, one-dimensional calm character. The acting of all supporting roles are also superb. Shout out for Rumi and Hiromu, the first het cp that I truly enjoy in BL lmao.

[Music]
I love both the OSTs, and how fitting the lyrics are. Wish there were more OSTs, though

[Rewatch value]
Man, the number of rewatch that I have done is sickening lol. I am usually the type that move on so fast to another series, but this series managed to make me rewatch it so many times without skip.

[Overall]
I gave this series full score for how much serotonin it gave me. This from a person who is usually very picky and cynical about romance drama as I am easily cringe at sappy romance. I do hope there will be season 2 for this series, but for now I am satisfied with how this series end.

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It's cute but repetitive

When this started, I loved it - the characters are interesting, with Aoki having cute freakouts and Ida being this sexy clueless overserious guy, and a series of misunderstandings cause them to accidentally draw together, and not the usual way where one trips and the other catches him and they stare at each other until they turn gay.

But then it bogs down into an endless cycle of very similar breakdowns in communication that reduces the story to running in circles to prevent the couple from getting together. The problem is that the crises are all so similar that I lost all sympathy for Aoki and wanted Ida to find someone less mentally unstable, and frankly stopped caring about whether or not they'd end up together. Either way would have been equally fine to me. I was actually more invested in the straight couple, which at least had a progression in their relationship.

TBH, the avoidance of affection starts to feel homophobic - I realize this is aimed at younger audiences, but similar stories with a straight pair don't have the same pathological aversion to depicting romantic interaction.

The quality of the production is high, the dialogue is cute, the acting is excellent, and the music is fine, if not particularly notable. I can't imagine rewatching any of it, since it already feels like I watched the same episode ten times. I'd recommend it if you like cuteness, but not if you think romance should be more than holding hands for about 10 seconds.

Story: 6 - too repetitive, although the starting premise is clever and the first few episodes are really engaging.
Acting: 9 - very good all around.
Music: 7 - it's appropriate and never annoying, but there's nothing extraordinary about it.
Rewatch: 5 - I doubt I'd rewatch it, although I might want to go back and stare at Ida and listen to him speak.
Overall: 7.5 - the "suggested" rating is lower, but I don't think it deserves less than a "C". It was cute and well-done, but it's just not memorable and I'll likely forget about it fairly quickly.

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Is is worth watching??

I don't want to spoil you guys and I just want to say that the drama will convey and relate to the societal problem regarding to the genre and relation which will make you attached to the drama. The track of the drama is a perfect match to the atmosphere which adds spice and spark to the story. When it comes to the actors, they play their role as if its them, its suit to them especially Michi ;) he is so cute and funny at the same time.

In addition, the drama will make you kilig all throughout because the chemistry between the two protagonist is perfect and skyrocket. Also, the second couple is a good addition to the story. All in alll the drama is worth of watching. I recommend it so watch and grab your food and pillow.

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One of the better High School BL Dramas - cute and sweet

Completed - 12/18/2021

I can see why this drama has so many good reviews. It's a somewhat realistic high school BL drama with a lot of cute and fluffy content. It's really short that you can binge watch in a few hours. It's a good palate cleanser in between more serious dramas. Let's start with what I don't like about this drama.

What I don't Like:
1. Over-dramatic acting - This is personal taste as I don't usually enjoy the over-dramatic manga/anime style of live acting. I felt that our male lead, Aoki, is a little too much and I get annoyed with him at times. I understand he's made out to be a contrast to our other male lead, Ida, who is a little more serious.

2. Repetitive doubting - For such a short drama, Aoki doubted his relationship with Ida too much. After his confession and they started "dating", every episode following that, he's been questioning whether Ida likes him or not, or if Ida really wants to date him. I understand the uncertainty but it feels repetitive after a while.

What I Like:
1. Ida - I enjoy Ida's character. It's nice to see a quieter and more serious character that is not the traditional cold and mean male lead. He's just different and expresses himself different. He's serious in considering his answer and cares about others. I enjoy watching his slow discovery and realization that he does like Aida. I like how he protects Aoki through quiet actions.

2. Ida + Aoki - They do make a very cute couple. Their contrast in personality makes for a very enjoying and fun experience (albeit the Aoki's overacting). You can't help but smile when you see the together and they have great chemistry.

3. Supportive Friends - How nice it is to have such supportive friends of their relationship. It's a stress-free drama where you don't have to worry about jealous and mean-spirited friends.

4. Realistic Concerns - Even though this is a sweet and fluffy drama, it also addresses the issues facing a young same-sex couple, esp. a couple who never thought they could be attracted to someone of the same sex. Aoki is concerned about others knowing they are together and that is very real, not just in high school but in life. We have a teacher who is conservative and doesn't know how to deal with the knowledge of Aoki being with Ida. All these issues were handled well in the drama.

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So sweet you'll get cavities

"Kieta Hatsukoi" depicts a 'puppy love' type relationship between two inexperienced teens struggling with their feelings and insecurities. This drama had me smiling from ear to ear every episode. Its simplicity made it so easy to enjoy the cuteness, and the cast, despite being mostly rookie actors, did an incredible job at portraying their characters and the awkwardness that comes with a new, unfamiliar relationship. Michieda Shunsuke is literally the perfect Aoki; he nailed this role and made me fall in love with the character alongside Ida (played by Meguro Ren).

With a lighthearted vibe, great character developments and interactions between characters and good music, "Kieta Hatsukoi" is a perfect pick-me-up show and I'll definitely be rewatching it if I ever need a bit of cuteness to lift my mood.

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Recommended, and you will probubly love it more than I did

Foundational Romance Tropes: mistaken identity, love triangle, secret crush, friends to lovers, ace/demi rep

There’s something about this show that pushes absurdity to its cartoon limit but stays genuine to the high first love school experience. Kieta Hatsukoi ended up being kind of Cherry Magic + Light On Me X Make it Right with good pacing and so many unexpected twists in angst and miscommunication that despite it being classic live action yaoi it felt fresh and new to the BL world, also a touch frustrating. Clearly Japan is back to reminding us WE STARTED IT ALL, SUCKERS!

Aoki is the drama queen to end all drama queens, the meme fairy to end all meme fairies. While Ida is ace spectrum demigod rock we all leaned on to survive Aoki’s madness. And they’re surrounded by truly awesome friends (a hallmark of, and my favorite thing about, high school BL). All the characters were so endearingly awkward, earnestly sweet, and desperate to do the right thing and not hurt each other that the show became utterly lovable while still being teenage angst incarnate. Japan can get pretty over-expressive and childish in their yaoi adaptations and this is no exception - Aoki is SUCH A SPAZ, the biggest chaos-baby drama-llama to ever bizilla his way through a BL. SO EXTRA. I suffered quite a bit of second hand embarrassment that was, occasionally, too much for me. Maybe because Ida is so obviously demi, I could see all along it would just take him more time, it’s annoying that Aoki couldn’t and made no effort to understand Ida. So while I very much enjoyed this BL, it kinda lost me to frustration at the end, even as the final episode left me smiling. I think these aspects will work against it for me in rewatch potential, which is one of my main ways I rate BLs, so... hence my 8/10.

But i honestly think most BL fans will like it more than that.

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Warm, cute, and sincere, this tale has a great message for LGBTQ+ Youth wrapped in a BL coating.

Here on MDL I have come to find certain terms thrown around with WILD abandon. One phrase "Light and Fluffy" is maybe used more than almost all others collectively. Unfortunately most of the programs given this badge, do not deserve it. So many shows have their comment boards decorated with these adjectives but then upon viewing, you come to find storylines of suicide, misogyny, violence, crime, death, loss, betrayal, on and on it goes. Sometimes it is even all of the above, cough "Dali and the Cocky Prince," cough. But because there are a handful of cute scenes, or funny moments, the entire show is labeled "Light and Fluffy," when it clearly is not.

Kieta Hatsukoi however, is the exact definition of what is meant when a show has the right to be deemed "Light and Fluffy." There is hardly a moment that isn't written to bring warmth to the viewer. There are not convoluted over-the-top overly dramatic plotlines. There are not vile evil characters working to destroy the leads. There aren't toxic people acting against the story. Everything here is made sweet, endearing, funny, joyful, and above all easily digestible.

For the most part, this works wonders, and created a Saturday viewing pleasure that was an easy break from the more soapy and overwrought tales found almost everywhere else. KH is in itself, an antidote to the humdrum world, the covid plagued reality, depressing news cycles, and heartbreak that makes current day reality. It is the purest of ventures in the art of escapism.

Our leads Aoki (Played adorably by Michieda Shunsuke) and Ida (delivered silent and sexy by Meguro Ren) are both winning in their juxtaposed personalities. Aoki is geeky, insecure, dramatic, and in-touch with every emotion that runs through him. Ida is contemplative, popular, sporty, and lost inside his stoic world not understanding a single feeling that is awakening in him. As the two comicly fumble their way through finding possible romance with each other, the viewer get to delight themselves with cute gags, silly interactions, and heartfelt moments of self realization.

Helping our leads along is a straight side couple Hashimoto and Aida. This possible couple seems to be a heterosexual version of our male leads. To a certain extent they face the exact same obstacles as our male male story. Fukumoto Riko as Hashimoto is cute as a button and a perfect ally and friend to our Aoki. Suzuki Jin as Aida is playful and cocky, while remaining kind and sincere.

The choice to have the "homosexual" storyline followed almost exactly by the supporting "heterosexual" couple seems to be an attempt for the story to normalize what is happening as much as possible. To show viewers, hey, see, these boys really aren't that different than anyone else. Look at how they face the same issues as the guy and girl. This was welcomed, and also effective, as you will enjoy this side couple just as much as our main male leads.

Now, you might ask, MJ but you are giving it an 8 but only saying great things about it. Trust me, an 8 on my scale is a very solid score. While, I do have mostly only positive things to say here, the show isn't perfect. There are some acting choices along the way that I didn't enjoy. There is a feeling of some filler episodes and spinning in place plot repetitiveness, though still HIGHLY enjoyable to watch, shows that the story could have had some stronger plotting and pacing as it is only 10 30-minute episodes. The story itself is also very simplistic. It works, so this isn't really a drawback per say, but it does keep me from awarding it a higher score since it keeps itself always in easy-town, not matter how fun it is being there.

In the end this tale is winning and wonderful. It closes with a great message for everyone involved on how love can blossom if you allow it, how being open can breed happiness, and how living truthfully can bring companionship. "We don't have to be like everyone else." our leads tell each other. No truer words have been spoken no matter if they come from a "Light and Fluffy" tale. I just hope the audience watching is also listening.

8.0 = B+, 4-Stars. A solid all around entry that will likely not disappoint.

May we all have a day of such beautiful illumination!

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A Great Series that Left Me Feeling Empty

This is unquestionably a great series. The acting is superb. The story is good. The humor is spot-on. At times it is even hysterical. Both the gay and straight relationship developments were entertaining. BUT, I felt nothing for the gay characters. I wanted to but the story got so much into developing a story that they forgot what the story was about. It was supposed to be about love and connection. I felt it missed the mark on both counts. I so wanted to love this series but for me, it never got there. That does not take away from its brilliance. I just did not feel it even though I desperately wanted to. Something seemed missing to me. A spark? A deeper connection? Even some sexual tension. There just was none of that.
If yo want to read my full review go to BLBliss.com

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SEROTONIN BOOSTER❤️

Kiekoi is the single most adorable fluffy emotional beautiful ride of a series I have ever had..Never have I in my 26 years of life been this excited giggling and happy because of a series
The entire show screams positive vibes..I have never seen such an accepting tolerant loving bunch of people in my life..the way the show and each individual in the show handled a delicacy topic like homosexuality in this conflicting time that we are living in most heartwarming and precious.
Aoki is such a bliss.He was never hesitant to root for the happiness of his first love or in accepting his feelings for Ida..he never imposed his feelings for Ida which is evident when he said it is weird to go out with him if Ida does not have feelings for him( ep 7)

Ida ( swoon)has become my ideal type🥰..he is not perfeCt but he is the perfect boyfriend..the way he always puts Aoki first and asks what he wants🤗the way he didn't outrightly reject Aoki even though he was shocked..hi is super kind hearted stands up to protect and comfort aoki🤗he is the kind of tsundere i would love to meet😍🥰

Hashimoto is the definition of a strong female character and not the steroetopical girl villian in most bl series . The value Aida gives towards his friendships and his unconditional support to Aoki is admirable..Both of themare solid support leads..

Taniguchi sensei is the impersonation of what a teacher really should be 🥰 Ida's friends are pure gold😍

I hope more people watches this series with an open mind because it is silly fluffy show and everybody deserves such fluff in their lives with al the crap that we are going through theses days.. sincerely thanking each and everyone that made the series happen and hoping praying and manifesting a seaon 2 because I would love to see how their relationship progresses❤️

If you are thinking whether to watch or not don't think so much and just go watch it
This is me signing of
Arigato😁

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I LOVE THE DRAMA AND THE MANGA

I absolutely loved this drama, the moment I heard that Kieta Hatsukoi was getting a live adaptation I knew I had to watch it. I recommend everyone to watch this drama AND to read the manga. The casting was PERFECTION, each character's personality was perfectly resembled by each actor. The actors have caused me to fall in love with this story once again!
Another thing I love is how the two lead actors are both part of J-pop groups, and their groups sung the intro/outro for the drama. (Michieda Shunsuke is part of the group Naniwa Danshi and Meguro Ren is part of the group Snow Man). I just thought that was so cute! I will for sure follow each of their group activities. Sad to see that it has ended but it's definitely become one of my favorites. Watch it or you'll be missing out!

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Do Boys Like Their Girls, Do Girls Like Their Boys , Or Do Boys Like Their Boys?

Based upon the manga ‘My Love Mix-Up!’ (消えた初恋) and adapted onto the small screen by screenwriter Kuroiwa Tsutomu and directors Kusano Shogo and Horai Tadaaki, ‘ Kieta Hatsukoi’ will likely put off a lot of mainstream drama watchers by its bizarre setup and seeming cataclysmic conglomeration of outdated cliches and tropes.

The premise revolved around high schooler and main male lead Aoki Sota ( Michieda Shunsuke) ‘s initial crush on supporting character and female lead Hashimoto Mio ( Fukumoto Rio). Mio gives him her rubber during an exam and Aoki is left to believe that Hashimoto has a crush on popular classmate Ida Kousuke ( Meguro Ren). When Sota drops the rubber by accident Kousuke picks it up and misunderstands that Aoki has a crush on him instead . Aoki decides to protect Hashimoto’s feelings by pretending that the rubber was his, yet rather than Kousuke deriding Aoki after rejecting him ( as Aoki expected), he finds himself in a sticky situation when Kousuke wants to “ get to know” Aoki more personally. However Aoki soon finds himself developing real feelings for Kousuke as they begin to spend more together.

Against the fear of the drama being a parody of itself ‘ Kieta Hatsukoi’ surprisingly does not reimburse the typical tropes and writing cliches in predictable ways. Diverged screenwriting takes on classic tropes will likely surprise viewers by sudden “ predictable screenwriting decisions” being changed by the decisions of characters and the route towards the developed relationships onscreen.

From an acting perspective ‘ Kieta Hatsukoi’ is fairly solid. There are admittedly some line deliverances throughout the drama which felt a little enforced or poorly delivered, but overall our main cast did help to present a charisma for their onscreen personas.

Michieda Shunsuke helped to present a sense of awkward charm as his onscreen persona Aoki Sota; a laidback high schooler, who finds himself involved in an awkward position. As a main character Sota has his strengths and weaknesses; authentically he’s your typical “ awkward teen”- misunderstanding scenarios and hates getting into awkward social situations whilst having only one truly close friend through “ Akkun” ( Suzuki Jin). On the other hand one of the biggest problems at times with Sota’s character drive was that whilst we were supposed to understand his “ conflicting” feelings for Kousuke, there never really felt like they were moments where we were able to see thus transcend gradually onscreen.

To explain this further and without major spoilers one of the greatest character-drives for Aoki surrounds his initial feelings for Hashimoto before seemingly falling for Kousuke despite their “misunderstandings”. Whilst it isn’t out of the question for individuals to be ineffably attracted to someone, it seemed odd that as viewers, we never truly reached a more emotive epiphany in the series for Aoki’s feelings for Kousuke being explored in more depth. Additionally there’s the issue surrounding Aoki truly feeling like an actual “ teenager” in the series aside from sometimes being shoehorned into the cliche of the “ whiny teen”; we rarely get to understand more about Sota’s background and family and whilst we are presented with a little indication into his fairly casual-bickering relationship with his mother in episode 2 ( the voice belonging to actress Mitsuishi Kotono) , we didn’t have a lot of opportunities to explore or understand more about Sota’s family dynamic.

Of course this isn’t to critique Aoki’s character entirely. Whilst some of his flaws felt more enforced than others ( not least of all often being the root-cause of conflict between his potential chemistry with Kousuke), Aoki coming to terms with his feelings for his classmate was surprisingly sweet as well as his friendship with his former-crush Hashimoto. Upon the former character mentioned Hashimoto and Aoki’s friendship surprisingly did not play on overt stereotypes or cliches- Hashimoto did not hold “ contempt” for Aoki , just as the male lead did not hold a grudge against his former-crush either. Admittedly whilst it’s understandable that the series didn’t want to draw-out Aoki’s initial “ feelings” for Hashimoto, it often felt as though the topic was swept under the carpet for a major proportion of the seriesm rather than being used as a plot-drive to present a greater growth between the friendship of Aoki and Hashimoto.


This naturally brings us onto the main love interest of the series and main lead Ida Kousuke. Played with a stern yet laidback charm by Meguro Ren, Ida Kousuke is the archetypical “ all-round-ace ” student. He’s a popular classmate, academically smart and sporty. Initially this leads Aoki to believing that he is Hashimoto’s crush and seemingly his “rival in love”. Kousuke is admittedly shoehorned for a major proportion of the series as the “ polar opposite” of Aoki; rarely flustered, sociable and suave. Aside from Aoki’s seeming initial misconceptions of Kousuke being slightly aloof, Kousuke proves himself to be a genuinely good person both within his brief yet insightful relationship with his mother ( Matsushita Yuki) in episode 3, as well as his childhood friend Todoya Shun ( Mochizuki Ayumu).

However admittedly where Kousuke often felt as though he could’ve been explored in more depth revolved around his seeming “ hero’s complex”. It’s revealed that Kousuke’s initial inability to say “ no” to others made him struggle with turning down Aoki’s feelings. However consequently Kousuke often struggled with elements of understanding Aoki’s anxiety or stress in different scenarios which naturally could put a rut in their onscreen relationship. Whilst this personality trait was briefly explored near the ending of the series it felt as though it could’ve allowed more opportunities to see symbiotic and mutual growth for both main leads; Aoki struggling to grasp his feelings for Kousuke, and Kousuke finding himself attracted by Aoki’s kindhearted actions. The relationship between both characters admittedly is drawn upon “ misunderstandings” and “ plot tension”, but the ending helped to present a heartwarming outcome for both our main leads.

The main side characters of the series are Hashimoto and Akkun; both of whom provide themselves to be good friends in need to Aoki. Whilst no major spoilers will be given towards the direction taken with both characters their arcs and development time admittedly did give way to some underdevelopment by the ending of the series, whilst whilst sweet, lacked a satiable build.

As a consequence of the diverged attention between only two plot lines in particular ; our main characters and then the subplot, the series would often fall into a staid and cyclical pattern of rarely diverging in episode formula; a new “ obstacle / climactic conflict” to “ get in the way of the main leads”, and then suddenly a “ quickly thrown-in solution ” to “ resolve” matters. Admittedly it isn’t entirely uncommon for dramas to fall into a status quo episode structure the series rarely used opportunities to explore a more dynamic buildup. This led to some episodes’ pacing ( especially by the latter-half of the series) often feeling anticlimactic and lacking sound-resolve.

The cinematography of the series is admittedly basic at best- whilst minimalistic shots did arguably help to capture the simplicity of Aoki and Kousuke’s overt onscreen relationship against warmer palettes and shades adding a romantic tone, it felt as though the series could’ve facilitated camera angles more towards conveying the characters’ emotions openly or invoke pathos through the captured scenery of the series. Certain tracks of the OST were admittedly a little generic in between scenes but during more emotive scenes the lack of lyrics and emphasis on instruments, did help to convey the characters’ feelings during certain some of these moments onscreen.

Overall ‘ Kieta Hatsukoi’ was a heartwarming and sweet drama. The second-half up until the finale was admittedly on a slight downwards slope in comparison to the first-half with certain writing elements and characters failing to meet dynamic buildup. However it’s undeniable that decent acting by our main cast as well as an intriguing main couple helped to present a charismatic charm towards our main leads which for those looking for a fairly sweet and heartwarming romance storyline, then ‘ Kieta Hatsukoi’ is perfect for lighting up your mood.

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Started for the romance, stayed for the friendship.

When I start any BL, I am in for romance. I am not expecting an amazing plot, complex characters and any meaningful, well built relations between all the characters. So imagine my surprise, when half way through the show, I cared more about all the friendships, than the main romance.

Does it mean the romance was bad? No. For me, it was just really basic. It got me with “aww, that’s cute” a few times, but overall, I was not that invested. Maybe because there were no real stakes, and all the problems and conflicts were similar to each other, but I barely felt anything.

On the other hand, I adored every scene between Aoki and Hashimoto. I wish the focus of the show was on them building their friendship that started from a misunderstanding, and the romance was more of a side plot. Watching them support each other was delightful. That duo is probably the best thing that happened in BLs in a long time.

I even cared more about Hashimoto and Aida more than the main couple, thanks to Hashimoto’s bubbly, but also brave personality, which made their scenes that much more interesting.

The cast did an amazing job portraying the characters. Michieda Shunsuke aced the over the top, but still somehow realistic reactions Aoki had. Meguro Ren portrayed the gradual change in Ida’s feelings, and initial unsureness in an excellent manner. Fukumoto Riko made Hashimoto the fun real life version of “looks like cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll, but could still kill you” character and Suzuki Jin made Aida fun, even if at times frustrating character to watch.

Overall, it was a fun watch. I do believe it would be more entertaining as a binge watch type of deal, since it did not have the plot that made me anticipate each new episode every week. It’s just a fun, cute high school romance that will make you feel happy, but might not amaze you.

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