25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024)

A Familiar Yet Engaging Tale

While the series boasts strong performances, its familiar plot and drawn-out melodrama hinder its potential. The series follows the well-trodden path of a blossoming romance between co-stars, with Shirasaki's character development taking center stage. Taisuke delivers a commendable performance as the overwhelmed actor, effectively conveying Shirasaki's internal struggles. However, the series leans heavily on misunderstandings and jealousy, stretching the narrative beyond its natural conclusion.

The comparison to 'Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen' is apt, as both series explore the dynamics of on-screen and off-screen relationships. While the former embraced a lighter tone, '25 Ji, Akasaka De' opts for a more serious approach. The actors' chemistry is undeniable, but the script fails to capitalize on their potential. While the plot adheres to well-established BL tropes, the series shines in its portrayal of the characters' emotional journeys. Shirasaki's internal struggles and Hayama's supportive role create a relatable dynamic. The actors deliver commendable performances, bringing depth to their characters. However, the series suffers from pacing issues. The constant misunderstandings and separations become predictable, hindering the overall narrative flow.

In conclusion, this series is worth binge watching thanks to the splendid work of the actors but it falls short of delivering a truly memorable experience

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Final thoughts

Firstly, how the writers used Shirasaki character did not frustrate but rather confused me. It is established that Shirasaki is an awkward character who is very impulsive and candid about his thoughts and feelings regardless of the social atmosphere. We see this in many instances; one example is how back in college he voiced is objections to script changes regardless of who is in charge. Therefore what confused me is how this same individual did a complete 180 turn and became so hesitant in voicing his feelings openly. At first I summed it up to him being in love and its effects but later on I found that I was just making an excuse for this contradicting characterisation by the writers. If I am to stick to characterisation of Shirasaki in the beginning of the series as well as every other instance in the series that does not include romance, I expect him to just blurt out his feelings unabashed. Him being candid and awkward is his whole personality so could liking someone be that substantial that he becomes a reluctant personality? Yes, he thought that Hayama had long lasting feelings for someone else and yes, he is inexperienced in love but again with his demeanour one would expect him to blurt out something of the effect to, "I think I am starting to like you!", the moment he had an inkling that he liked Hayama. Could it be that JBL writers are so dedicated to the penchant of making characters stubborn, hesitant and frustrating that charactersation is bound to bend to its will?

Secondly, while I understood the reason for Hayama being aloof, I felt that its justification could have been explored a little more. His mother's failing modelling career, if I remember correctly, caused her to become depressed which affected how he was socialised. She told him to smile and not show his teeth and how she placed such great emphasis that he was a pretty face that he internalised that he was a pretty face to everyone and no one cared to see beyond his attractiveness. We see where in his adult life in college and even after becoming a celebrity he was adulated to the point that he became a cynosure. However this had an adverse effect on Hayama as it solidified what his mother ingrained causing him to become an eccedentesiast. Now ,what I would have liked to see is an interaction between his mother and him during high school to see how her words on him just being an attractive face affected him. This is his teenage years, a very critical time in one's development into adulthood where a lot of socailisation takes place so I would have loved to see how his mother's influence further ingrained the belief that he is just a pretty face. I also would have loved to see an in person interaction or phone call between his mother and him during the shooting of the series starring Shirasaki and himself to see how her words still affect him.

This all brings me to my major point which is that Shirasaki's personality being the opposite to Hayama's should have been the push towards Hayama defrosting. This patent antithesis was the reason why Hayama fell for Shirasaki in the first place, and the fact that this was established should have been built on to show how Shirasaki broke down Hayama's walls gradually instead of them just showing these walls shaking in reaction to jealousy, but lo and behold in true Japanese fashion Shirasaki had to become this stubborn and reluctant character right up until the very end.

Anyways, onto some minor points (I am rapping it up I promise lol), I did not like the theme song because I thought it did not fit the atmosphere of the series. However what I did like most about the series is that it was original in story-line in how it intertwined the romantic development of the characters with the characters they were acting as in the series they where filming. I also liked how they explored the effects and experiences of becoming an actor and celebrity through Shirasaki, and the fact that it was not only his first big role but he was also paired with a celebrity provided for a unique perspective of things; especially since right now Net is paired with a new actor due to the split of NetJames (Bed Friend) and his new acting partner has been receiving some unwarranted backlash.

yup that's it lol

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Tecnicamente excelente, mas um tanto arrastada

Algo que não pode ser negado é a imensa qualidade que esse BL tem. A cinematografia é impecável, a trilha sonora é perfeita, as atuações são excelentes e a direção realmente consegue trazer esse toque de delicadeza, timidez e o despertar de uma relação cheia de desentendimentos e sentimentos não ditos.

O problema é que esse BL acabou sendo lançado alguns meses depois de I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama, outro BL japonês que foi lançado no final do ano passado e que tem literalmente o mesmo plot. É a mesma história de um ator tímido e retraído que nunca teve sucesso e precisa fazer um BL com um ator famoso que ele teve contato no passado e que é secretamente apaixonado por ele.

E o problema é que o ritmo flui muito melhor lá do que aqui. Os dois maiores problemas que eu tive aqui foram o Yuki, um personagem um tanto sem graça e entediante e a forma como o roteiro decidiu enrolar até o último episódio para que os personagens finalmente conversassem.

E isso infelizmente acaba afetando muito o ritmo da série a ponto da narrativa se tornar repetitiva em alguns momentos.

Entretanto, não deixa de ser um BL incrível e muito bem produzido. Apenas faltou coragem e criatividade em criar um desenvolvimento mais ousado e diferente para os personagens.

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Premises was interesting but characterisations were weird

The premise of this BL is similar to another JBL, BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen (2023). Therefore, I want to see if there are any twists or improvements to the whole 'I love my co-actor but he secretly loves me back' trope.

To preface, I've not read the manga before. Shirasaki as a character is very weird, almost to the point of being characterised as socially inadequate. How did such a person become an actor? Whats his appeal (there is none)? How does he actually improve Hayama, and why did Hayama feel that way? They explained it in the series but I feel the reasons fall flat. I think Shirasaki could have been acted in a certain way so as to show his appeal, his 'worth' as an actor . The character who acted as Hayama fares no better too, as he's always showing that stoic face. I understand that its his character and background, but he could have shown some sort of subtle facial queues to show his interest in Shirasaki, instead of always looking like that. What chemistry or drama could there be when both main leads are introverts who keeps to themselves? I think the story could have been improved if both main leads have trusted side characters that assist them in solving their mental turmoil, like what BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita have. In the end, I can't quite pin the issue on the plot or the actors, so I think its a unfortunate mixture of both.

What I love about this show is the opening music, which is quite catchy.

To conclude I think BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita did this genre better.

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Weird, but good weird or mediocre weird !?

The main plot and the actors are so good , dont get me wrong, but there is something about this drama that makes it a bit less compelling.
Both main characters are a bit weird, but in their own different ways. One of them seems to be clueless and guarded about their own feelings, whereas the other is juggling between being emotionally constipated and being unreasonably in love.
The pacing of the drama is a bit slow for my personal liking, and makes it look a bit boring than it might be or has to be. But the actors are really talented, they just nail the character descriptions to the T. They got great chemistry as well. Despite all of this, it somehow got me really invested into the story.
Nevertheless, its worth a watch, if you are in mood for a different story in a different setting than usual.

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Underwhelming overall... Disappointing as I expected more given the meta aspect of the story

Not going to sugar-coat it, I unfortunately did not enjoy this Japanese BL series. The story was really slow paced and honestly, there were too many episodes for what it was trying to say. The storytelling was super dull with the overall energy of the protagonists pretty low. I do enjoy contemplative show but then I need to either truly enjoy characters and their evolution, or just vibe with the atmosphere of the series...That was clearly not the case here.

The characters were pretty unlikable. I did not really get why they liked each other for most of the series which prevented me to really root for their relationship. I did not believe in the chemistry between the actors, it was quite lackluster. The two main actors have quite meta roles, as they play (talented) BL actors. Sadly enough, the drama they play on screen is even more insipid than the "real" storyline. The only character I enjoyed was a support role played by Nagumo Shoma who insufflated a bit of life to the drama.

The production was okay for the genre. Nothing outstanding. It made me believe at first that it would be a more gritty and dark story but my hope quickly died and it remained very tame until the end of the show. In a few scenes, it provided some interesting insights on how the filmmaking of a BL drama works and I wish they would have developed it much more. The soundtrack was completely forgettable.

I would not recommend this to people as they are more interesting BLs out there. The premise is quite similar to "BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen" (which I overall liked). I therefore expected to enjoy "25 Ji, Akasaka de". Unfortunately, rather than providing a more mature take on the "BL actors falling in love with each other" trope, it featured a super slow and boring story, with miscommunication / non-communication being the focus point of the relationship. I would suggest to watch "BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen" rather than this one.

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Might be better for viewers during a second watch

tl;dr: A simple story told in very subtle ways, with excellent acting and interesting camera work.

The first episodes make this series seem like a more depressing version of "BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita" but it is not -- the dynamics and the background stories are very much different.

It's a slow-burn romance and does have the often used tropes of non-communication, self-deprecation and mutual pining -- so if you're not a fan of these tropes, you might want to give this one a miss.

The narrative choice to tell only Shirasaki's point of view first and to show Hayami's story then only later, in episodes 7 and 8, is something we've seen in other J-BLs (Mr. Unlucky, Senpai This Can't Be Love or the newer Living with him come to mind). Usually, it works fine. In this case though, I think it was not a good choice.
When we meet Shirasaki first, he is at his lowest, full of self-deprecation -- he is not at all a reliable narrator. Hayami, on the other hand, is quite unreadable -- not because the actor is bad at his job but because this is part of the character (Hayami's friend tells him exactly that in episode 7). So, for the first six episodes, we only get one (skewed) side of the story.
Because of real life issues, I had to take a break in episode 8 -- and after that I restarted the whole series. With the knowledge of Hayami's backstory, I was able to see things differently -- and what seemed depressing and a bit flat the first time, was actually just very subtle acting by both main actors.

Regarding the acting, the main actors are, in my opinion, excellent. Minuscule movements and facial expressions show the inner life if a viewer cares to look closely. Quite a few scenes have been taken in one single shot -- which shows the how good the actors really are.

Speaking of shooting the drama: I was intrigued by some camera angles -- we look through windows and through cameras, sometimes we are in vey tight spaces, feelinga bit claustrophobic -- and then some sces are wide-angle shots, and everything is only seen from a distance. Use of hand-held cameras in some scenes show the instability of the actor's emotions. Even just finding out how these choices relate to the character's emotions would make a rewatch interesting.

While I don't like the opening song, I do love the background music -- the piece itself was lovely, melancholic but strangely uplifting at the same time. Silence also played a big part in enhancing the scenes.

Overall, I think this series is not one to watch and forget immediately, rather it is to be savoured, and deserves a close look at its details.

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Flat....

I love Japanese bls, but this one was a dud: flat, boring and chemistry free.

The idea was interesting: a BL drama based on a manga about a couple of actors filming a BL drama based on a manga. But after the initial chuckle, everything sort of went poof! Unfortunately, they decided to keep it serious and that ruined the fun part of the premise. I have not read the manga but the characters were flat and unlikeable in this drama. They are maudlin, quiet but really just lifeless and flat. Fortunately there was the support character who brought in some very much needed entertainment, because the main couple were sleep inducing!

Main characters are very unconvincing. One is supposed to be this pretty, handsome model and actor and the other one a talented actor but he is completely tongue-tied before the "pretty" model he used to worship in college. So the model decides to help the actor out...and one thing leads to another! Very slowly!

I do not know how they film dramas in Japan, but don't they rehearse before filming, read through the script together and things like that? According to this drama, they don't! They get their scripts, they learn their lines at home and then film them the next day! What kind of unprofessional actor is he who does not dare look at his partner because he is so much in awe of him? He may be talented but he is incompetent!

From the first episode, when we discover that they went to same college, it was pretty much obvious that the model has been in love with the actor for years. So of course, the model decided to use the actor's stage fright and get closer to him. But the actor misunderstood everything especially when he overheard conversations he was not supposed to hear!

Another issue I had with this is the main actors' hair: too long, hiding their eyes. I often wonder what is the point of that especially if you are playing actors. Why hide behind long bangs: it is unbecoming and depressing! Aren't actors people who hide behind masks, who pretend to be someone else? But here they seem to be playing themselves since they have the same hairstyle on and off screen (in this drama they play actors acting in a drama so we get to see them on and off the set!)

And of course, if you like fish kisses you are going to be served here: there are far too many of those. Accompanied with little or no chemistry between the leads.

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Amazing

What to say? I’m not a huge fan of JBLs but I needed something short and unfinished since this was airing during my exams time, so I decided to watch this. My opinion? WOW! This was so so sooo good!

If you want to ask why I don’t like JBL, I don’t really know how to answer this question. Maybe it’s because of their distanceness, maybe because of the fact that some BL’s I can imagine as anime but as live action it seems odd to me, maybe something totally different… I really don’t know. But I think you’ll agree when I say JBLs have something which makes them Japanese and it’s not only Japanese actors. I don’t know how to explain it but when you watch JBL, you just know it’s JBL before they start speaking. Does it make sense? I hope so…

This one as well and here I really enjoyed it. Two actors who are going to act in a BL drama? Yes, that seems like something I’d like to see, so I started to watch. Half of the series was already out, for the next half I had to wait every week, After some episodes I wanted to scream and throw things around but then I saw the preview for next ep and I calmed down. Not always, tbh, sometimes it was vice versa.

The first thing I noticed was their chemistry. It was really something. They basically kissed in the first episode. Yeah, it was that dead fish kiss where they just put their lips together but with the music and tension and everything around it made me feel butterflies. Don’t worry, we’ll get to see more than that…

The story is mostly shown from Yuki’s POV but there is one ep where you can see Asami was actually the one who fell first and also harder. And now imagine how he had to control himself… Well, maybe not so much since he was the one who came up with the idea of pretending to be boyfriends so they could get more into their characters. Maybe it was his strategy? Who knows…

They fell for each other really fast, but they lacked communication so everything took more time than it was necessary. Now, when I saw the last ep, I know it was actually a point, not a mistake or plothole. It’s exactly how it’s supposed to be and it makes sense.
They kind of remind me of Sasaki and Miyano. Asami was that cool one as Sasaki and Yuki the shy one as Miyano. Damn, I wish Sasaki and Miyano got a live action drama! It would be so good, trust me.

Ok, back to Asami and Yuki. Damn, when they called each other by their first name, it was so intimate...

During those 10 eps we actually got two bed scenes. First one was shown as Asami and Yuki’s characters and the second one was the real them. Guess which one was hotter? Just kidding, both of them were totally amazing.

The very last scene shown something which is giving a clue about season 2, so there is a small posibility we could see those two again.

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