Ameiro Paradox (2022)

Comfort series with introverts in a charming relationship

"Ameiro Paradox" is one of those dramas that are not complex, but even though very enjoyable to watch. There is no extensive network of connections between characters, no digging into their pasts, and no twists and turns. I came across the term "comfort series" the other day, and I think this drama fits the category perfectly.

Yes, I love to lose myself in multi-layered plots and breathtaking frames. But, for balance, I like stories that warm my heart. That's why "Ameiro Paradox" will stay in my memory for a long time.

The main characters are Onoe and Kaburagi, who work for the weekly gossip magazine Dash! - Onoe as the reporter, Kaburagi as the cameraman. They are assigned to work as a duo, which is not convenient for them. Onoe follows ethical principles in life, while Kaburagi has nothing to do with them in case of getting a scoop. Onoe despises Kaburagi's flirtatiousness, and Kaburagi is annoyed by Onoe's naivety.

At first glance, they are different and do not fit together as partners at work, let alone a romantic relationship.

However, as history progresses, it turns out they have as much in common as they differ. Just like the fact they are both introverts. Their dislike for each other is incredibly short. Most of the story is feigned dislike, which only adds charm to their relationship.

Onoe is fascinated to discover that Kaburagi actually has a gentle personality. The hard shell is something that Kaburagi created because of and for the work. Onoe is the only one who manages to break through it. While he doesn't endorse Kaburagi's methods of achieving goals, Onoe also admires that he always gets what he wants.

Kaburagi admires that Onoe stays at peace with himself even in such environment. Onoe appears to him as pure, unsullied in this dirty world. He notices his brilliance, analytical thinking, and ability to connect the dots. Looking at his advantages, even his flaws, such as clumsiness or naivety, seem winsome.

At some point in the story, there is a misunderstanding between them. Onoe is carrying out the action alone, without Kaburagi and it ends successfully. While Onoe is very pleased with himself, Kaburagi becomes cold and distant towards him. Why is he sulking for no reason, is he a hypocrite? After all, he is the one who deceives people to achieve a goal, so why is he so offended when Kaburagi only did his job well? What's this about?

When they worked as a duo, there was a kind of division of blame. When Onoe went on a mission alone, it stripped him of his innocence. Kaburagi always wanted to protect him during their work - not only from direct threat as kidnapping or abusing. He didn't want Onoe to become cold and soulless like him. Poor Onoe, he just wanted to show himself as an independent individual who could be as good at investigating as Kaburagi. It took the opposite turn than intended.

Fortunately, the characters explain everything to each other in the end. Their love is sweet, charming, and this is the warmth in the heart that I wrote about at the beginning.

Coming to the end of my review, I have to mention Masayan, Onoe's friend who runs the pub. The pub is Onoe's contemplative area, and Masayan is the voice that allows him to gather his thoughts, put together mismatched puzzle pieces, and helps him make a decision. In dramas we often deal with a phenomenon - I would call it - talking for talking's sake. Good friends but lousy advisory. I'm not saying there should be philosophical treatises, but I can't stand truisms and pointless advice. Here we have one of the most valuable characters in dramas at all. We need more of them! Such friends in real life too :).

As for me, the drama has the potential for the second season! I'd love to see further adventures in Kaburagi's and Onoe's demanding work and how their relationship develops.

Favorite quotes:

1)
Onoe: - I just thought if you had to do it against your will, I would do it myself. Because I knew you didn't like that kind of task. […] And I didn't want to see you suffering. So I offered to do it instead.
Kaburagi: - But I'd rather do it myself than let you do it for the same reason as you.

2)
Onoe: - You know, you always smell good.
Kaburagi: - Really? But I didn't wear any perfume.
Onoe: - It's probably the shampoo.
Kaburagi: - So… If we live together, we'll smell the same.

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got better as it went on

Overall: this was in the 'close but not quite' category for me, there was just something missing overall. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala, 8 episodes about 25 minutes each.

Content Warnings: attempted/beginning sexual assault, past sexual assault/non con mentioned, manipulation

What I Liked
- clear set up
- bartender and two bosses
- showing how people aren't always who they seem to be
- the funny and sweet moments
- the best insult ever: smutty alien
- that Onoe Satoshi confronted Kaburagi Motoharu about something that was bothering him instead of letting it drag on

Room For Improvement
- wasn't totally sold on their dynamic, I think we needed a bit more explanation about Kaburagi and earlier on
- Kaburagi's words and actions after what Onoe went thru in episode 3 was not the right time/place
- Onoe was a bit too much of a dumb dumb at times

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Typical Japanese BL

STORY:
I wanted to like this to be honest I really did. Japanese BL is what got me into the BL industry to begin with. The problem is I feel like Japan has not kept up with the current BL trends. I know that most of the BL produced in Japan are based off manga but something needs to change.

The entire premise of this show is about two people who are forced to work together and develop feelings along the way. Good concept that I have seen executed well in the past. This show did not. Both of the male leads were emotionally constipated. If they had opened their mouths and said what they thought and felt things would have been better. Further if Kaburagi had taken the time to get to know Onoe's previous work then he wouldn't have had such a freak out near the end of the show.
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ACTING/CAST:
Kimura Keito as Onoe Satoshi - I think Kimura did a good job at his portrayal of Onoe. Like most leads of Japanese dramas he was over the top and loud. That didn't bother me. What bothered me is that they left most of his character development to the last 3 episodes of the show. I would have liked to see what he went through before he was assigned to work with Kaburagi. I felt like the audience would have understood his motivations better that way.

Yamanaka Jyutaro as Kaburagi Motoharu - Yamanaka played his role well too. He is your typical stoic Japanese man who shows no emotion and keeps his thoughts to himself. While it can be entertaining to watch it is frustrating for the common audience. Unlike other shows with this type of lead he didn't really have any micro expression or backstory alone that we saw where he struggled with his feelings.
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RELATIONSHIPS

Kaburagi x Onoe - This relationship was dull. It reminded me a lot of the relationship in SOTUS. Where we are struggling for half the show on a do they don't they have feelings train. If they had been honest with each other then we could have developed into an amazing show of them working and loving each other as they uncovered these scandals. To be honest half the time I felt like I should fast forward through their interactions because it was so slow.
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REWATCH VALUE

I may rewatch again if I am bored on a Saturday and want something in the background.
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The whole show was based on the lack of communication.

If they actually started talking to each other even a little bit, the show would be half of the length if not less. One could think this will be a rivals to lovers type of a drama, but it ain’t it. It ain’t anything.

The plot had potential, but they should have established the initial conflict a bit more. They “warmed up” to each other too fast, but to keep the story interesting we got some random miscommunications. If you want to make your show a full on cliche entertainment - fine with me, but lean into it. It was just too basic. It was not realistic in any aspect to appeal as a slice of life, but it was also not bold and fun enough as a mindless entertainment. It’s half baked fluff.

There was also one side plot that simply made me feel uncomfortable and it's worse the more I think about it.

The leads had a mild and mediocre chemistry and while the acting was decent, no one wowed me, but I also did not feel offended by the performances. Yes, the “nsfw” scenes were cringe and funny, but I blame the directing, not the actors themselves. The way they tried to frame it as sensual, but delivered full on awkwardness…

The production was the biggest clownery. I mean, I was more discreet about recording lectures at university than them acting as reporters. They could have done a better job with props and framing to make it a little bit less ridiculous.

Overall, it’s a show I’ll forget I’ve watched in two days, but I don’t regret watching it. It weirdly grows on you as you watch it. Watching it every Friday became my afterwork routine.

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Fluff with a hint of rivalry [Final Review]

I was not planning on starting this series until later on, mostly because when I saw the trailer I was not immediately hooked. However, after watching these two episodes, I NEED MORE.

I enjoy the cute office setting: one being the photographer and the other being the writer. Onoe, the writer, feels a bit jealous for having his work replaced by the other, which is a bit realistic in my opinion because I have definitely felt that kind of emotion once or twice. However, that jealousy/rivalry does not last long since they are soon immediately paired to work together, resulting in one of them being pouty about it. (i.e. Kawai >.<)

The episodes definitely give you more, or at least, a hint of Kaburagi and how he copes doing his job. Onoe's internal dialogue makes it entertaining and fun to watch.

I enjoy how the characters slowly start to feel their emotions change towards the other as they interact more and more as partners trying to get the next story. The manner in which it is portrayed is entertaining without it being cringe at all. I am so excited for the next episodes and hope it will be cute, especially after seeing the preview for ep. 3.

For now, it is an 8 rate because I have yet to see whether they maintain its cute storyline with a hint of funny scenes throughout or simply start well but let it wine down. I hope the rest of the episodes will pull through so I can rate it higher.

Post-ep 3: The series definitely maintained its current 8.0 rate. There were many cute moments and it continued to be interesting as both characters interact with others and navigate their new feelings.

A cute show overall.

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PLEASE GIVE THIS A GO

This sounds like it could be a rivals-turned-lovers trope, involving 2 reporters who used to compete with each other for scoops. A healthy dose of competitive tension makes for great chemistry. And mmMmmMM yes, it does work perfectly – but Candy Color Paradox goes beyond just that.

The series has many wonderful layers to peel away – the first layer being the romance between Kaburagi and Onoe, the second being the cases they pursue and the interview profiles they meet, and finally, what these cases reveal about their character.

For starters, the story is littered with compelling characters who aren’t what they seem at first glance. 

Even though it only had 8 episodes, I was very satisfied with the pacing of Candy Color Paradox and how the story ended. In chasing these stories and perhaps each other, the show gently explores what it means to be a partner both on the field and in their personal lives.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/02/15/candy-color-paradox-ameiro-paradox/

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Good story

The script & base story was pretty nice, overall the acting was good but I didn't feel any intimacy between the leads. All the kiss scenes except for the last episode seemed forced, like straight guys were asked to have their 1st kiss with a guy.

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Decent

Nothing spectacular, nothing disappointing. Amerio Paradox was simply just a series that existed. It's one of those series that will be quickly forgotten about once I move on to the next BL. However, it did bring on a fun little twist, some pretty complex characters, and a somewhat fresh storyline.

Let's Dive In.

This was my first BL that followed along with journalism and the life of being a paparazzi. It's fun to see the aspects of how being in such a career works, the ins and outs, the ups and downs. I like that Kaburagi has a specific way in which he likes to handle his news rather than other people. I respect this art and craft cause it's obviously not easy knowing that you could be the reason for destroying a person's life.

Moving on from that, the romance between the main pairing is just okay. Kaburagi can be too stoic at times, and Onoe sometimes looks like he doesn't like Kaburagi at all, even when it's revealed he does. They have good moments, and then other moments are pretty dead. This is why I'm 50/50 with this pairing because I liked them, except they barely brought on anything new for me to really like them.

I liked the story more than the romance. I was more intrigued with Jiro (I think that was the guy's name) and his character arc which was pretty complex for a supporting role.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - It was fun! like I said, I like the story more than the actual romance, so I'll take off a few stars since the romance should be more important, but it barely delivers.

Acting: 8/10 - Good! Kaburagi was a little stoic, but that was more of a character choice than the acting.

Music: 6/10 - I didn't pay attention to it so it wasn't distracting. Good.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - Ehh, watch it, don't watch it, it's up to you. It's nothing spectacular, it's okay, a decent watch, but there are better J-BLs out there. This falls into the same category as other J-BLs I've watched - decent, but pretty forgetful.

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Говорите открыто чтобы вас поняли

Закончилась еще одна история любви! Такой чисто японской любви. Почему я делаю акцент на страну? все очень просто. Японцы нереально сдержанные и молчаливые люди. Эмоциональны у них в основном женщины и то не все. А мужчины - вечно думающие и вечно в себе. Видела комментарий, что если бы они начали говорить изначально много, то история была бы еще меньше. Согласна. Но сюжет не об этом. Сюжет о людях, которые были чисты и искренние, но ради работы (по сюжету), а в жизни порой другой повод - мы готовы ломать себя, врать окружающим, тем самым предавая прежде всего себя. В гг-я Оное не возможно не влюбиться, так как таких честных людей все меньше. Про дораму. Игра актеров очень в японском стиле- сдержанно, плавно и красиво. Игра главных героев (а если кто читал оригинал понимает, что это небо и земля) была приятная плавная химия, проигрывание эмоций и игра лицом. все в эстетике Японии. Даже романтическая сцена была нежно завуалирована руками полагаясь на фантазию зрителя. По лайту, очень легкая дорама.

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They really hired good looking actors and called it a day. ? The story is all over the place and only reason I am giving it a 5 is that manga which this series is supposed to be adapted from is amazing. This show doesn't give it justice at all so I recommend reading the manga instead. Writing and storytelling aren't interesting at all and most of the scenes look awkward and unrealistic. Actors are not at fault but it seems like they are not experienced and aren't comfortable enough to have that chemistry and spark. Let's not talk about romance cuz where was it? ? I don't even remember the music so that's that...
Anyway this was a mess but if you're looking for that eye candy then go for it. ? ? I couldn't even watch it without rewinding first time so I am sure as hell not watching it second time. I am kinda disappointed cuz I was super excited for this. I think that's sums it all up. Much love tho ?

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