Takara-kun to Amagi-kun (2022)

cute show that could've been more

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun was a cute show that felt very cosy and lighthearted at first but felt a little lost at the end.

Pros:
- Amagi and Takara shined when they hung out and just enjoyed each others company. Amagi was expressing his feelings for Takara constantly and that was so lovely to hear. And whenever Takara showed any physical reaction to Amagi's words or actions it was great, even if it was just him covering his mouth so nobody could see him smile. And Takara going from never expressing his feelings to voicing his thoughts and feelings more and more so Amagi wouldn't misunderstand him all the time.

- I loved the dynamic between Amagi and Katori, their friendship was amazing and to say that Katori is Amagi's platonic soulmate added 10 years to my life.

- The music is great. It didn't stick out too much to distract from the story, but it was not an awkward or repetitive background noise.

Cons:
- Tanaka was very charismatic but his personality was just trash. He constantly asked Amagi inappropriate questions that made him uncomfortable. Even asking Amagi if he had sex with Takara and if he should try as well (I still don't fully grasp what the writers tried to do there). And even going as far as to harass Amagi for days. It was really uncomfortable to watch and the fact that he was never properly called out or "punished" for it just left a sour taste in my mouth. And his constant rapey-vibes he gave off were just the last straw for me. Whenever Takara would say that he'd wait until Amagi was ready to be more intimate he grimased as if that would be something totally unheard of. Just a really weird guy.

- Even though Takara constantly said that he would not force Amagi to do anything and would wait until he was ready as well, I think I can remember like three times Takara kissed Amagi and the latter was not feeling it. Amagi was very clear that he was very inexperienced and didn't know much about the physical stuff and Takara reassured him (and us) that they'd take it as slow as Amagi needed. Only that that was not true. Even in the last freaking episode Takara goes in for a kiss (in public which is another thing Amagi is not too keen about) and Amagi panics and headbutts him. Amagi apologises right away and Takara uses that opportunity to go in for another kiss which is framed as this beautiful thing even though it's just disappointing.

- I'm not really a fan of the small childish boy who always shrieks and panics whenever his boyfriend wants to get a little intimate and the tall emotionless guy who is always the one to initiate physical contact and does so even if his bf is not comfortable with it.

- I expected the last episode to deal with a different kind of problem. It's like we wasted so much time with other problems that we didn't focus on the more important ones. Like, Takara constantly suppressing his feelings and trying to never show any emotion. Or how they will go on to the next stage in life (university and work) and make their relationship work. They never had a first real fight yet and they are already promising to stay together forever. We also don't really know what happened between Amagi and his mother, we only get a few hints here and there but not a real explanation. I did like the conflict of Amagi worrying that Takara would lose all his friends if he kept ditching them for him, but it wasn't like Takara cared about his friends or losing them, so why should we care?

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Another great BL from Japan!

First off. Japan, you are on a roll this year with BLs! This was your typical Japanese high school love BL drama, but it was a very lovable series nonetheless. The acting was very good and entertaining. I will miss all the actors. The first episode was very confusing and the plot seemed like it was all over the place. However once the episodes started rolling on, it became more clear and turned out to be a very good story. This is a very easy show to digest and doesn’t require a lot of thinking to understand. There are no evil characters or unnecessary drama so to speak. Honestly out of all of the BLs that I’ve watched, and I’ve watched a lot, this one had one of the healthiest relationships. There was COMMUNICATION! So often in BL dramas, there’s NO COMMUNICATION and so it leads to unnecessary drama and chaos, but not so in this one. I would definitely recommend this series if you like an easy going series full of fluff and cuteness. Keep it up Japan, you are killing it this year with BL dramas! 😊

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Actually Plotless

I was really bored and didn't know what to watch during a long weekend. While scrolling through the Viki page I came across this and remembered I watched the first episode a while ago but ended up dropping it right after it. I didn't exactly remember what bothered me about it then, so I decided to try to watch it again. Well, maybe I shouldn't have.

Just like I said in the headline, this series is actually plotless. Most of the characters' actions don't even make sense (which we'll get to back in a moment) and it's so ANNOYING to watch sometimes. Most of their issues could be solved if they had ONE proper conversation. JUST ONE. Whenever they have an attempt to talk something out, they still end up not addressing their biggest issues which leads to another problem. And another. Basically this whole series is just made up of miscommunication. Miscommunication IS the plot. It can be a good trope if it's done well. Here? Not even close. There's more miscommunication than actual romance between the main characters. And you know what makes it even worse? The characters do not learn ANYTHING from the conflicts.

Now onto the characters. They're both annoying. Amagi? Ugh. Couldn't stand him most of the time. His backstory was a bit sad and it did hit me a few times, but it wasn't executed well and I think they should've brought it up a bit more for it to work. His actions and behaviour were just so... pointless sometimes. I didn't understand him a lot of the times. As for Takara, most of the time I liked him slightly better than I liked Amagi. I liked his characteristics, but there were still many things about him that just did not work for me. One of the biggest problems I have with his character are his reasons behind why he wants to keep his relationship with Amagi a secret. Like... Really? If I was Amagi, I'd think it's just a really shitty excuse. Again, his actions were so pointless a lot of the time.

Acting was neither good or bad. I can't say much about it to be honest.

If I were to talk about the positive things (there isn't many of them) I definitely have to mention the music. I really like the opening theme as well as the ending. Some music themes were kind of annoying at times, but I could stand them.

Another positive thing - or rather a person - was Amagi's best friend. He's my favourite character in this whole mess. Probably the only person with a braincell in the while show.

In my last words I want to say that despite all of this, the show was oddly entertaining. It doesn't mean I don't dislike it, but at least I got something out of it. But maybe it's just because I was really bored and didn't know what else should I watch.

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ADORABLE

This was absolutely ADORABLE!!!

The story is pretty basic - cute, innocent unpopular boy develops a crush on the cool, cold popular boy without realising that the popular boy is also crushing on him. What follows is eight short episodes that follows the pair discovering more about each other and navigating their new relationship. There’s a lot of secret glances and affectionate smiles - and so much healthy communication!!!

Takara is the greenest flag ever, he is absolutely adorable underneath that cool facade, and he was hopelessly smitten with Amagi, it was SO CUTE.

This whole series just had me kicking my feet and screaming into my pillow, it was too adorable for words.

Also if Amagi’s best friend wants to just step out of this show and marry me, I am absolutely on board with that. He was the MVP of this show, what a national treasure.

Definitely a show I’ll rewatch often.

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It touched my heart

When a drama touches my heart and makes it flutter for its protagonists this much, I'm not able to stay too objective about it. This time in particular, I had very low expectations and was ready to feel bored while watching, yet my opinion was turned upside-down by the end of the first episode.
The relationship between Amagi and Takara is sweet and quiet, and the drama focuses on how the feelings they have for each other slowly change and adapt to their day-to-day life as boyfriends. At the beginning of the story they just like each other from a distance, and they even seem okay with just watching each other from afar and not getting involved with each other more than the bare minimum - even the confession and their decision to start dating seem to happen because of a lucky slip of the tongue. They're not used to express their feelings or even communicate properly with a romantic partner, and they're not even used to being loved like that either. Include the fact that they're both teenagers and you're bound to obtain a story with multiple trial and errors, misunderstandings, and clumsiness when it comes to a romantic relationship. The personalities of both characters were portrayed clearly and I believe that the acting was quite good as well; even though I usually hate misunderstandings and miscommunication in any kind of story, this time it didn't feel annoying at all, because it had a point.
I also really like how Japanese dramas in particular tend to leave a lot of room for introspection and inner thoughts. There's a lot of that in T&A and I loved it.
There is a couple of secondary characters that stood out more than the others, but there was no room for them other than to function as support for relationship advice or devices to stir up things, so I don't have much to say about them.

If you don't like slow dramas and you're looking for an exciting story, this is probably not for you. Other than that, all I can say is that this became one of my favorite BLs.

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A cute and realistic show about falling in love as teens

This was a super charming and cute show. Fluffy describes it well, but it was nice seeing a young couple try to navigate their relationship in secret.

There was quite a bit of intervention by side characters so we are left wondering what would happen if these two didn’t have friends. But it’s also a situation I’ve seen happen so many times. It was still so charming to see the love they have for one another.

Katori and Tanaka ended up becoming great side characters and I wish they had their own show.

Slight spoilers,
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But, we never really find out why Takara loves Amagi so much. Amagi’s side is explained a bit but I wish they did that.

Otherwise, a lovely show that’s fun and relaxing to rewatch, and it has an amazing OST that really sets the mood and intensity well.

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How can people not like this?

I stopped believing bad reviews by now, half the time they are right and the other half I'm rating the low rated show 10 stars.
I really enjoyed this one! It was short, cute, and had emotional depth. It showed how confusing dating can be at first, and how daunting first love, first relationships can be.

I loved Takara's stone-faced attitude, when he did smile or show affection it felt like SO much more because most of the time, he looked serious. It was beautiful to see. The intimate moments were great.

Amagi to some may be annoying but I loved his bubbly care free kiddish attitude. I can see how someone would fall for that brand of cute, and I think anyone saying it was to fake or to animated has never met a truly happy carefree person. He is just full of life. Of course he has some emotional healing to do but that doesn't stop him from being a little bouncy ball of joy. Who can hate on that?

Their relationship was interesting to watch and left me feeling satisfied.

Now the only negative thing I have to point out is the first and second episode and a little throughout the show. Sometimes the timeline will flip flop and in the first and second episode it can be a little confusing. I skipped past the scenes in the blue darkish classroom and then went back to watch that scene in the entirety and it made it clearer. There is also one more time where the timeline jumps to the past, where Takara is talking about his interactions with Amagi BEFORE where the first episode begins. This time jump wasn't labeled but it was pretty easy to figure out what was going on.

Overall this one was a great watch.

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It’s like reading a manga and watching a series in one go.

A no spoilers review. The score 1 to 10 ratings show that this series isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. The series deserves a much higher score. I liked it and really wish for a sequel. It’s Japanese, so it’s different then drama’s from Korea or Thailand. See it for what it is: a simple first love high school series, in a specific Japanese genre. The story is small, but so what - it’s deep love we’re talking about. No real bodywork, it’s real cute and fluffy (holding hands etc.). You’ve got to like and respect that, and the meaning of the series - also in your ratings.

I didn’t read the manga. I also didn’t mind the overall scoring of the series, in the way that it would make me not watch the series. I’m very interested in Japanese series, because the are always unique. There’s no plot, no speed and no surprising action. It’s a series with a main role for the colors beige and blue to set the tone. The voice-overs for Takara and Amagi are great in their worth.

As I wrote in the headline: it’s like reading a manga and watching a series in one go. The main characters seem flat/2D in their expressions - like in a manga book, but aren’t. There’s a lot of room for communication and finding out how a first and also very deep love works between them. They make small mistakes and learn. The 2 boys also look like they stepped right out of a manga book. The lighting on their faces is specific, it suits the manga idea. I ‘fell in love’ with both main characters and their personalities. You see their struggle together and alone on being (not) populair, (physical) needs and finding a balance in that. There’s a process of adjusting going on.

The 2 most importend supporting roles seem like boys who could have been on your school, they are real. Their roles are well written and played. I want to see more series with these 2 guys. The chemistry between the four boys was very good.

The going forward and back in the story is not my thing, but suits the story.

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/⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ⁠\

honestly i don't think i've ever seen anything as cute as them, their relationship was built so genuinely that it can leave anyone enchanted! they live up to the saying that opposites attract

although i don't think they are that different, they complement each other perfectly! i love them and could spend hours watching and rewatching them.

the production of the drama was also incredible, all the scenes managed to convey the feeling they were going through, the whole scenario i believe was thought with great care

i don't have much to say about it, just that i love them so much

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RECOMMENDED FOR FLUFF

Premise: A romance story about a popular blond haired boy and a normal black haired boy falling in love while navigating the ups and downs of school life.

GOOD

+ CONTRASTING PERSONALITIES: I loved the way both leads' personalities differed from each other but at the same time completed each other. The black haired one was optimistic and cute most of the time, which was the reason why the blond haired one noticed him in the first place. The blond haired one on the other hand was cold in nature and didn't like to show emotions. However in order to reasure the black haired one, he slowly learned to express his emotions out loud.

+ CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Black hair and blond hair both learned and grew thanks to each other. Blond hair learned how to become more open with his emotions and black hair learned to rely more on blond hair and trust in their mutual feelings.

+ ENSEMBLE CAST: I loved how supportive the leads' friends were. Without them, the leads would probably have ended things because they couldn't say everything they wanted to say.

+ RELATIVE LACK OF ANGST: This show differed from other BL's in the sense it didn't put in useless relationship drama just for the sake of it. It was relatively angst-free and offered a rather fluffy watching experience.

+ COMMUNICATION: Although the characters didn't always do a great job in communicating their feelings for each other, they still try, unwilling to give up on each other. For example, at the end of the series, black hair was still hesitant about the future of their relationship so blond hair took it upon himself to tell him that he didn't want this relationship to end with graduation and that they should aim to stay together forever.

+ ACTING: The leads did a great job in convincing the audience of the affection they held for each other. They had a chemistry that made it a joy to watch them on screen. The ensemble cast also do a great job in adding charm to this series. Although the acting can get a little too much sometimes, it never got to the point of cringey.

+ INTERACTIONS AND FLUFF: The show is just so fluffy. The leads are adorable together and would do their best to make each other happy. In the latter part of the series, they would also become more used to expressing their love for each other in words which is just heart warming.

+ ENDING: I liked the ending where blond hair convinced black hair that they would be together forever.

BAD

- CLICHE PLOT: This show's plot is cliche and predictable but that didn't it any less enjoyable. However, I would have hoped to have more unique elements or plotpoints instead of going for the cliche high school BL elements. Nothing else seemed to happen other then events that pushed their relationship foward.

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Sweet and funny puppy love story

I finally setup an account so I can write a review because I can’t believe how some viewers rated this drama so lowly. I was pleasantly surprised with this gem. I thought oh another BL based on high school kids . Well yes they’re high school kids but their love story is really so sweet. Yes there were some weird filter thing through out the drama but overall the main leads really made you feel their love towards each other and make your heart flutters. Also the rest of the cast did a great job supporting the leads. Definitely one of the most enjoyable and best BL this year. Hoping for a season 2!

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