Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!: The Movie (2022)

Movie as flawed as the original drama: BL romance stays too superficial. Missed opportunity!

The movie (in its first half) is kind of a repetition of the drama with not a lot of progress regarding the relationship between the two main characters. Important questions regarding the couple's dynamic and the power of Adachi are never discussed. It could have been so much more if the writer had took this opportunity to approach topic such as power imbalance and consent in a relationship.

However, the second part of the film get slightly more profound as it broaches on deeper storylines around the treatment of same sex couple in Japan. Unfortunately, it remains quite superficial and reserved on the subject but at least it lays some good foundation before closing the story. Let's say that it is clearly more "baby-steps" than real LGBTQ+ militancy but it has the merit to exist I suppose.

Similarly to the drama, I had some trouble believing in the alchemy between the two main actors. There are very few believable skinship moments and I felt that the romance was progressing in an unnatural way: sometimes really slowly and some other times too quickly. The relationship was depicted as very pure and modest but that does not justify completely the lack of sparks between the leads.

The film-making was quite standard for the genre but given the release in cinema, it would have been nice to feel a bit more the budget when watching the picture and to have some more eye-catching scenes. The soundtrack did not leave a lasting impression on me, maybe because it was not really present.

I would recommend this to people that are fan of the original drama and are curious of the future of the couple. Do not expect something really deep but if you are up for a sweet BL office romance, this might do it for you!

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Too soft and not enough romance!

Nothing special, missing this won't effect you. To be honest the series with the build up before they got together was better then when they were together, it was too soft and not enough romance! I almost see them as friends that are almost too close or that maybe have a crush on each other vs them actually dating. It's TOO soft, I actually want to whine *cries* you can do these things platonically what makes you guys be in a romantic relationship?? A relationship like theirs in real life would be amazing cause I love the simple things but that is different vibe to the series with its comedy and basis on intimacy, I guess I want more when it comes to watching a show or movie.

I wouldn't call this bad, I just didn't feel the chemistry or intimacy (at least attempts at it) that I felt in the series. I couldn't seem to be interested or care about the movie as it was basically us following Kurosawa and Adachi around as if it a slice-of-life anime. I'm all for baby steps and taking it slow, I even prefer it but the movie makes it almost unatural where is the tension or chemistry from the series??

This was such a comfort show for me, I'm glad I didn't wait and anticipate this movie cause I'd be even more disappointed. I think if it was its own season rather than a movie it maybe could have matched up to the series.

Don't let my review stop you cause we like different things, I love Cherry Magic because it hits all my soft and happy spots, its my comfort show though the movie is the same atleast similar vibe of the series I just didn't love it. If you're part of the fandom, I believe you'll enjoy this but if you love the series watch the movie anyways cause I believe a continuation of a show you love will never be a waste of time.

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A very good watch, but...

I adored, absolutely adored Cherry Magic from episode 1 to 12, and when the film was announced, I was ever so excited that we were going to get a continuation. But the very first thing that happens in the film is that we find out that, basically, the end of episode 12 is no longer canon, and Kiyoshi never lost his magic like originally stated. It almost felt like a cheap way for them to write a plot for the film, by saying "let's completely forget about that whole thing about him having lost the magic on Christmas so we can turn it into a film". Early on, that didn't leave a very good impression on me, and it was a little saddening considering the quality of the original series.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad we got a film. It was very well-produced and the acting was stellar not just from the two main leads but the side characters, too. However, the plot felt very thin throughout a large portion of the film, and it dragged down my overall score by a bit, sadly. There were a lot of things that felt rushed, some things skipped that I wish hadn't been because it didn't make sense to cut them out (why didn't we get to see Yuuichi and Kiyoshi say goodbye before the scene suddenly cuts to Kiyoshi in Nagasaki?). It wasn't as if the film lacked direction, but the execution fell short quite a few times and the scenes didn't feel as impactful/meaningful as I think they could have.

I really appreciated the 'angstier' scenes and how they were directed, and by association the acting we saw on screen during them. Keita Machida never ceases to amaze me with his talent; I truly felt for and with Yuuichi thanks to Machida bringing him to life in such a great way. Similarly, Eiji Akaso does a great job of showcasing Kiyoshi's growth in the film which is one of the bigger things I appreciated with this film, the fact that Kiyoshi got to have his flaws and then do his best to work on them for his own and also Yuuichi's sake. They showed affection in whatever way they were allowed to (guessing it might be a similar situation as it was with the series and how that ended on that 'kiss' as the lift doors closed) and you could still feel their love for each other even if it was portrayed kind of tamely at times. The actors did the best with what they were given, and they did great.

Overall, will I still say that this is worth watching? Yes, of course. If you liked the series, then you should watch the film. But I think it's good to go into it with lowered expectations, which is hard to say because I personally went in with *high* expectations because of how great the series was/is. Sad to say that the film doesn't have the same quality and magic (forgive the pun) as the prequel series does.

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Director’s Cut Needed for the streaming release or BluRay/ DVD versions

Contains Spoilers.

What a let down!!!

I have not read the manga so I not sure if the movie is a continuation of the series or an original story, but I wondered if Ms. Okazaki Satoko, the movie scriptwriter, watched the original series or read the manga because the magical essence of what made the show a hit was lacking. It definitely loss its magic - figuratively and literally. What was once a beloved BL series because of its dramedy series became just a dramatic movie with a very few comedic scenes. They could have added more hijinks from Adachi reading his new colleagues’ mind or Kurosawa doting on Adachi. The original script writers of the series, Ms. Yoshida Erica and Ms. Okazaki Satoko, had a better adaptation of the book. (Side note, Ms. Yoshida, was also the writer of “Double” - the series.)

Touching Moments

- The storyboard is good beginning with the Prologue with the summary of the the BL series, then moved to the the 1st scene of Adachi searching through the children’s book section of the pop up van book seller. Then showing that everything is not always HEA (Happily Ever After) when the main leads get to finally be together. I liked how the second to the last scene when Adachi closed the fairytale book and revealed the title to be “The Prince and the Wizard”. ??

- Coming out to their parents - something rarely seen in Japanese BL’s.

- Holding hands at the last scene where Adachi and Kurosawa were fearless in showing their relationship publicly. ??‍?‍????

Huh Scenes

- It was fun seeing Adachi still have his magic in the beginning. I was even excited that he seems to have gained a new magical power when he brought the fire logs to Kurosawa and had gained a premonition power of seeing an upcoming event. It was a wasted scene because if he was not going to have that specific power again, why would it be necessary put on the script.

- Why is the second location in Nagasaki!!! It is fictional company! Why couldn’t they choose the new store to be closer like Kyoto or Nagano. I know the transfer lasted 8 months, but the scenes went by too quickly. The filmmaker should have done a quick montage of the pass 8 months. They should have edited the camping trip and focussed more on the struggles of Adachi and Kurosawa maintaining a long distance relationship.

- When Adachi explaining to Kurosawa his family mentioned that he has a noisy niece, he looked at the camera oddly bent over. I was anticipating a funny scene of his niece next.

- Why did Adachi’s mother and sister-in law giggled when he introduced Kurosawa to them at the home entrance but were stoic when Adachi came out at the next scene. They missed an opportunity to have a funny scene and have the family laughed as an inside joke that they already knew that Adachi was gay a long time ago.

- The last 30 minutes of the movie were coming out to their respective families back to back. It would have been better if there was a break between the two to lighten the heavy scenes.

Disappointments

- Proposal: I am not familiar with Japanese proposals so I found it odd that Kurosawa would kneel on one knee to propose (to be in a steady relationship) with matching pens to Adachi in one of the last scenes of the series, yet would stand to propose (for marriage) with matching rings to Adachi while standing on the beach. It could have been so romantic.

- Kiss: Japanese BL’s have come a long way from 2020 when there is now at least one kissing scene within the series from the two male leads. It is still puzzling that we still have not seen Adachi and Kurosawa kissed from a side view. We watched a supposed kiss when the elevator was closing in the last scene of the show and we saw the supposed kiss from a back view at 45:11. I don’t see why they couldn’t even have a quick peck on the lips within the whole movie even from the imaginary wedding before they opened the doors because this could have been classified as a bromance movie. LOL. I am not sure if it was producers or the director or the actors themselves who were uncomfortable with same sex kiss. I have read that Japan is a conservative country but is it blasphemous to see two men kissing from a side view in a Japanese film in movie theatres?

Even though there were some misses, I still enjoyed watching the movie. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10. Hopefully, there is a re-edit version and have a Director’s Cut of the movie either in digital forms or in a BluRay/DVD versions. ??

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Magic was never lost.

Cherry magic did it again. Most the time series generally get ruined with a sequel but no, this one did great. I was smiling from beginning to the end. I loved how there was no unnecessary drama and it only showed the problems you generally face when you are dating. I loved the character growth of both Adachi and Kurosawa. Adachi became more confident with himself and Kurosawa became more vulnerable in front of Adachi and spoke his mind more often. I loved that they got rid of the magic early and showed us how Adachi can do well and even more without his powers. I loved the confrontation scenes with the parents. The pacing is good in my opinion. And the second couple didn't steal so much scenes cause I didn't like it that they had many scenes in the series. Although we didn't get the kiss scene that we were dying for but it gave us so much more. There may be some mix opinions about this but in my opinion it did really well. The magic is still there and it is stronger than ever.

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fofo, discreto e (novamente) sem beijinho...

é inovador e revolucionário? não, mas durante aquela meia hora cria ali para você um lugar tão aconchegante, tão reconfortante...
não muda muita coisa do cherry magic original, é uma continuação e penso até 'ainda bem que fizeram um filme ao invés de uma nova série', pois ficaria extreamente parado. dito isso, o filme é muito gostoso de assistir e, se você tem alguém especial, te dá uma inveja enorme porque o adachi e o kurosawa são a meta de qualquer um!
talvez não seja do agrado de todos e se você não gostou MUITO da série, pode não ser uma boa ideia assisitir porque é um pouco mais lento e se distancia um pouco do plot original. mas eu continuo a recomendar.

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A Satisfactory Ending

The wait was worth it. The actors still managed to hold the spark and chemistry with each other.

I was completely smitten and excited to see Adachi and Kurosawa back together again.

SPOILER FROM HERE ONWARDS

My favourite scenes from the movie in no particular order

1. When Adachi reached out his hand to feel Kurosawa's real feelings about him transferring, it was heartbreaking to see both of their faces. But I'm so glad they were honest with how they felt and did not keep their feelings bottled up. Communication is important in a relationship.

2. That very cute moment when Kurosawa made Adachi wear all the clothes he'd bought for him

3. That scene in the kitchen when Adachi wanted to let the people close to him how important Kurosawa is to his life

4. The talk that each of them had with their respective parents. I completely understood where Kurosawa's mother was coming from. Living in a society that does not accept people for who they are is difficult

5. I loved the scenes in the office too. Especially the one with Fujisaki and Rokkaku. Even Adachi's scene was Urabe nailed the way people communicate their love for each other.

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Estranho

Esse filme é sem dúvidas muito esquisito. Primeiro que ele refaz o final da série. Adachi havia dito claramente que tinha perdido os poderes na véspera de Natal, mas no filme mostra que ele ainda é um mago, ou seja, ele ainda é virgem e isso é um furo absurdo de roteiro. Segundo que MEU DEUS eles são de fato um casal???? Por que eu não consigo sentir qualquer química entre eles? Tudo parece tão estranho, eles não parecem à vontade um com o outro, mesmo nos momentos de diálogo, eu não consigo sentir qualquer conexão entre eles. E os beijos falsos? São terríveis! Por que você está estrelando um BL se você não tem a intenção de agir como manda o roteiro? O pior de tudo é que são adultos e entregam menos do que um romance teen seria capaz de entregar. A sensação que fica no final é que esse filme não deveria existir, talvez eu esteja sendo bastante extrema, mas não acho que tenha algo bom para tirar daqui, não me surpreende nenhum pouco que ele não seja lembrado.

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A doçura permanece, mas não há avanços.

O filme fez retornar a nostalgia de todos os sentimentos explorados no dorama original. Toda a inocência e novas descobertas de um primeiro amor, as situações inusitadas em decorrência do poder de Adachi, o sentimento crescendo e a relação tomando novos rumos. Isso foi bom, mas também foi ruim, justamente porque já acompanhamos tudo isso, então não há, necessariamente, nada de novo na história.

Mas o bacana foi que narrativa retrata, o que descobrimos ser no final, uma grande situação hipotética. Tudo o que vimos no filme nunca aconteceu. A grande incoerência já denunciava logo no começo que algo estava errado: no dorama, o Adachi perde seus poderes no último episódio, enquanto no filme esse problema persiste. Então, usar esse único elemento sobrenatural da trama para recriar um conto de fadas idealizado veio como um resgaste à essência da história.

Um grandessíssimo revés foi a polêmica cena do beijo. O jogo de câmera/ângulo é gritante. Era melhor que simplesmente não tivesse a cena do que ter feito algo assim. O afeto físico não é o forte de muitos BLs japoneses, então a falta desse aspecto não seria visto com estranheza. Porém contudo entretanto, considerando que não estamos mais tratando de um início de relacionamento, mas a manutenção do mesmo, a rigidez das interações entre os atores é um ponto negativo. Pelo menos isso é abafado com discursos e atos de serviço.

Permanecemos numa zona de conforto, sem nada novo a ser a ser explorado, mas foi reconfortante rever um Kurosawa apaixonado e um Adachi totalmente investido no relacionamento, sem mais medos.

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