Cosmetic Playlover (2024)

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

It’s nice to have a peek into the beauty advisor world in “Cosmetic Playlover”, since this is not a profession that’s prominently featured in many Asian dramas. I actually would have loved to see a deeper dive but with only 4 hours of playtime, the drama doesn’t have the luxury to have a good business romance. Instead, we get a very shallow look into the industry and the drama focuses more on romance.

I quite like the initial setup of the romance. The leads have good chemistry together and the acting is decent (but not great). I enjoy the straightforwardness of Toma and his brave declaration of love. It’s not surprising that Natsume is taken back by this sudden confession. But Toma’s bravery seems to have subsided after initial episodes. He didn’t really aggressively chase Natsume, but acts more like a lovesick, jealous puppy.

I personally like the development of this short romance and how the leads finally get together. They have some sweet and flirty scenes together, and a couple good kisses (though the camera pans out and you can’t get a closer look). Unfortunately, the lack of a plot with substance affects the second half of the drama. It becomes repetitive when Toma has to constantly fend off guys who he perceives as interested in Natsume. And Natsume constantly displays low self-esteem before and after they get together. I would have liked the drama to have better writing and not dwell on these two issues.

This is a light and short watch. If you need a palette cleanser from a serious watch or want to know a little bit about beauty advisors, this is a good one. But I feel that there are stronger JBLs out there.



Completed: 9/4/2024 - Review #481

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An apt adaptation that spins a pretty satisfying tale!

Love isn’t a competition, but it can be a transformative force that inspires the people we love to reach the happiness they deserve while we, too, find and hold onto that same joy.

In the drama adaptation of Narashima Sachi’s manga series Cosmetic Playlover, star employees Sahashi Toma (Toyoda Yudai) and Mamiya Natsume (Okuno So) are male beauty advisors who start as rivals and end up as lovers, all while coming face-to-face with their insecurities, their pasts, and what each of them wants from the future–from themselves and each other.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/08/31/cosmetic-playlover-series-review-ep-3-to-8/

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A realistic and the most communicative relationship ever

Seeing how there were only 8 episodes, I can understand why it was fast paced but the pace was not a problem at all.

One of the best JBL's to air this year (in my opinion). and I have not read the manga at all.

- A kohai and a senpai relationship is soo cutesy, very demure, very much need for the community.
- Mr. Communicative goes to! Sahashi Toma! this man knows how to use his words and he uses them correctly especially during the times that there was any misunderstanding between him and Natsume.
- The character development though, I love how they always think of one another with each decision they make. They always think of each other and make decisions that one of them would prolly like or think of them highly.
- Sahashi was such a red flag at first but then he decided to become someone better just to be someone that Natsume thinks is cool. I love how his actions or the things that he chooses to do are mostly because he wants to protect Natsume and become someone Natsume can be proud of having.
- Natsume is such a cute and a very selfless character. The only problem with him at first is not being very open with his own feelings that led to some problem that is why Sahashi really was meant for him because if he feels like he can't tell anyone what he feels, Sahashi would already know about it.

All in all it is recommended to watch, although the synopsis is quite misleading, I assure those who wants to watch that it is far lighter than what it seems to be. It's a cute and realistic series about being in a relationship and what could happen for those who are in their early days of relationship. But it also depicts how one can really change for love and how one fights for a love that they finally deserve and also loving oneself.

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A touch of a beautiful BL

One of the best BL series of 2024. I randomly watched the first two episodes and am already in love. Japanese BL shows never disappoint. It has the uniqueness and charm of getting me involved with the characters and story that satisfied me. The male Beauty Advisor profession as a concept was fresh to me and they did a perfect way of revolving the romance into it.

It’s raining handsomeness and cuteness. Every character from this drama has a visual on a god-tier level. Toyoda Yudai topped the list to the point that my news feed all over my social accounts was about him. He nailed every hairstyle he got, his eyes and smiles always got my heart, and he was an excellent actor. He reminds me of several BL actors such as Kentaro Maeda and Tatsunari Kimura. Also, I never expected to see Okuno So’s as a fragile and innocent character. The last project I watched him was the role of a badass ex-boyfriend to a chef. He portrayed Natsume in this show flawlessly, this is my favorite drama from his filmography.

Special mentioned as well to the fluffiest yet clumsy Tomoki as Harukawa. His angel eyes were captivating. Sono Shunta always became a major support role in BL shows and I liked every character he got. The rest of the cast was eye candy and established greatness by being firm in their roles.

The best thing about this drama is that in every episode, they give a plot that is handled swiftly before the end of that episode. It gives the viewers the feeling of comfort that problems are not being prolonged with the joy and excitement of the next things to happen to the couple. Another best part of the show is their intimate and delightful kissing scenes. Indeed, outstanding kisses from a phenomenal couple. Even their Instagram updates were bliss.

Story progression may encounter some flaws but the chemistry of the main couple is more than enough for a perfect ten rating. I’m crying with happiness due to the affectionate and loving characters presented in this BL.

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A Gentle & Genteel Romantic BL

Undoubtedly, this series is one of the warmest and most genuine stories to come out of Japan in a long time. And unique. Not only in its storytelling, but in its overall presentation. And, for once, it was not afraid to show affection. They kissed - frequently. More importantly, it looked like it was authentic and genuine. How refreshing. This is an intensely beautiful love story concentrating more on their weakness and how that helps them see each other’s strengths. What makes it so meaningful is that they were not afraid to show the other what hurts. At the same time, they always take fulfillment in the most basic of human experiences as a joyful pleasure. Eating is not just functional; it is a celebration of the two being together. Sleeping together is the joy of holding each other and being in the presence of one another; not just carnal pleasures. They make being together – a gratifying celebration on so many different levels. And they made the simple act of kissing feel sensual. Without wanting to sound trite, they redefine the term soulmates not in any metaphysical sense but simply as life companions.
This is a great series! You can read my full review of this awesome saga at BLBliss.com.

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OK LISTEN LISTEN!

I was just going to comment under this show but I feel the need to review, because I just have to talk about how off the ratings in MDL are… or maybe I’m the odd one out. How is this show rated lower than Takara No Vidro? Like I literally watched this show after watching Takara and this one is way better in so many ways. Like Takara lacks so many things, it’s not horrible but compared to this one, Takara loses. Idk man, I just feel like this deserves better ratings, it wasn’t even bad. Like I enjoyed it way more than Takara, it’s not the best JBL ever but it’s really good compared to so many JBL’s we’ve gotten this year. It has chemistry, it has action, it’s not super toxic, a lot of the characters are super cute like Taichi, and overall it was pretty good. The storyline wasn’t the strongest but neither was Takara but at least Cosmetic Playlover made it work, while Takara literally gave us nothing. Not trying to be a hater, but it’s just sad/disappointing seeing actual good shows get worse ratings than mediocre shows or just trash shows.

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Natsume might be the main character, but Touma is the heart of the drama.

Cosmetic Playlover is a very wholesome drama. Despite the plot sounding like it will be an enemies to lovers type of drama. Touma instantly throws that troupe out the window.

•❅✧❅✦ Story •❅✧❅✦

Natsume Mamiya and Touma Sahashi work as department store beauty consultants for the cosmetics brand Romy Feerique, where they are known as the "two princes". However, Natsume is constantly annoyed with Touma for not taking his job seriously despite his potential. One day, Touma discovers that Natsume is gay and decides to use his secret to get closer to him.

Soooo...... Like I said, Touma throws that enemies to lovers troupe out the window. He doesn't even give Natsume a chance to even hate him because as soon as Touma finds out Natsume genuinely believes in his potential, Touma starts falling in love with Natsume, acting like his boyfriend.

At a glance, Touma’s love for Natsume can seem disingenuous, clinging to the first person who believed in him, but we later learn that Touma is just a tragic character. His family life is a mess, and everyone always pulled him down. He just desperately wanted someone who believed in him and not let him down. Once he found Natsume, he was just trying his best not to be thrown away because Natsume was the only one who had ever given him a chance.

Touma is such a lover, not even a playboy like the title suggests. He's so in love with Natsume, everyone's just praying for Natsume to reciprocate Touma's feelings.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall •❅✧❅✦

I really have nothing bad to say about this drama. I really loved it.
I hope I can find a lover like Touma because he really set the bar high for what your lover should be.

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Starts Well, Ends Anticlimatic

The start of Cosmetic Playlover have me immediately seated and excited to watch. Except, it starts dipping a little starting in the middle and just completely fumbles the ball at the end. I think I would've liked this a lot more with a little more emphasis on the romance and a lot less, "let's add every single disruptive character ever to get in between the leads."

Let's Dive In.

The beginning of this series was excellent, I loved Natsume, mostly cause he gave off shy vibes, and a tad bit of jealously over Toma, his rival, who looks distressingly gorgeous. Their romance starts off almost immediately, but I didn't mind it too much, cause I think the overall vibe of the series is that its going to be fast-pace, also the series is incredibly short, so there's that too. Like I said, the story starts off pretty well, the setup is good, and I like the dynamic between the leads.

The only reason the score is relatively low is because they had about every single problem come about in almost every single episode. We even have somebody come in in the last two episodes to disrupt the leads, and it's so annoying. I think one to two problems was enough, but they dragged the story just to fill time.

Onto the romance, I think they were great. Not anything I'll remember in due time, but I liked them for the majority of this watch. Also, all these kisses were GOOD. This is me being me, but I needed more Taichi in my life, the towering giant cinnamon roll who was blessed with the best genes ever.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - Intriguing up until the end. Romance is good, characters are interesting. Liked that it was about men in the makeup industry.

Acting: 8/10 - So (Natsume) did a great job! I think Yudai (Toma)'s character was pretty stoic, so not as good, but good enough. Tomoki is beautiful, which isn't about his acting, but I don't care.

Music: 5/10: didn't pay attention to it, but the theme song was kind of annoying.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10 - sure, if you're in the mood to watch a Japanese BL. Also the kissing is actually really good in this, surprisingly, so if you're shallow like that, then go for it!

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Poderia ser ótimo!

No geral: algo não funcionou muito bem para mim, mas adoraria ver os atores em uma nova série. Isso é baseado em um mangá que li, embora tenha tentado revisá-lo por seus próprios méritos (o mangá tem muitas cenas NSFW). 8 episódios com cerca de 24 minutos cada.
O que eu gostei
- O personagem foi honesto no episódio 1
- Premissa clara
- Vários personagens foram introduzidos, mas não fiquei confuso
- Momentos doces
- Família e colega de trabalho solidários
- Teve uma boa comunicação

O que considero como melhoria:
- O personagem Tsundere manda Natsume “se preparar” e, nessa altura, basicamente não faz nada, eles comem espaguete, dá um abraço, falta intensidade no relacionamento deles.
-O drama de trabalho era desinteressante (mesmo sendo adaptado do mangá)
- O episódio 5 chegou tarde demais para dar a perspectiva do outro personagem/explicar sua motivação
- Natsume confiava em um total estranho em vez de em seu namorado e repetidamente ignorou os limites
- Aquela competição estúpida no episódio 8 sem cláusula
E é isso! 😁😁

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Como prometí, hare lo que me gusta.

Umm la vd que no tengo muy claro mi opinión de esta serie, puedo decir que para mi es una serie que simplemente esta bien, ósea es buena pero hasta ahí, ta bonita, ta entretenida etc.
Creo que lo que mas me gusto fue toda esta parte del trabajo que ellos hacen como consejeros de belleza se me hizo muy interesante y en general la serie se enfoca casi por completo a esto y ps también a mostrarnos la relación en el trabajo?.
Mamiya Natsume y Sahashi Toma siento que son de los pocos protagonistas con los que no logro empatizar con ninguno, que ojo no digo que sean malos protagonistas, porque la verdad para mi funcionaron muy bien simplemente como ya dije no logre empatizar.
Sahashi no me caía muy bien en algunos capítulos y digo me gustan los personajes que suelen ser un poco medio bitchy pero había algo en el que nomas no.
Mamiya en otros caps no me caía bien, siento que mi mayor conflicto con el, es que me hubiera gustado verlo mas empoderado de si mismo que dudando cada que vez que se aventaba algo a su propia cuenta, me frustraba un poco su actitud (porque siempre se tenia que hacer menos??).
Ya ellos como relación si bien me gusto, siento que tienen momentos lindos y de apoyo mutuo, también me genera mucha duda del como se da su relación, ósea pq hasta donde entendí Sahashi que es el 1ro que se enamora, al principio no quería tener nada que ver con Mamiya pero nomas cuando se dio cuenta de como era y de la vez que lo escucho hablando positivo de el con la jefa ya nomas por eso le gusto? en cambio Mamiya se deja llevar mucho por las emociones y la vd que no entendía por completo pq se ponía nervioso con Sahashi pq lit pues se entiende que al principio pues no quiere nada con el.
Luego también estoy un poco conflictuado con respecto a cuanto tiempo pasa entre los capítulos o en si en la serie, porque pues no es del día a día pero tampoco son meses pero lo digo mas que nada a cuando se fueron a vivir juntos, la vd que yo lo sentí super rápido ósea de que sentí que no tenían casi nada juntos cuando se dio.
Siento que si falto bastantito por mostrarnos de su relación fuera del trabajo o mas del día a día o como era ya la interacción viviendo juntos idk.
Ahora pasemos a los personajes secundarios que la verdad los que mas se me quedaron grabados fueron Tanouchi, que me cayo bien pero siento que no destaca demasiado, Nanjo Atsushi que se me hizo bastante carismático aunque digamos que al principio no fue mucho de mi agrado y por ultimo creo que mi personaje favorito Harukawa Taichi se me hizo bien bonita persona y muy chistoso, me cayo demasiado bien y en general su interacción con todo era de lo mejorcito.
Se que hay mas personajes secundarios pero para mi pasan sin pena ni gloria, en conclusión una serie sencilla y rápida de ver pero que si bien los momentos pre-relación son para mi de los mejores y la escena final también es una joya, al momento de tener la relación ya establecida me quedo a deber un poco:)
La frase del titulo es del cap. 8.

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Un gran potencial desperdiciado

el inicio me atrapo, sinceramente adoroo personajes posesivos, y romances en el trabajo. Siento que todo empezo a irse por la borda cuando Sahashi se fue para otra sede, desde alli vimos a un natsume real pero muy muy inseguro (no quiero decir que lo odie pero despues de tantos problemas me canse). Siento que los productores no sabian como hacer un romance, hicieron un perfecto pre-romance pero no pudieron hacer un misero romance decente de dos personas adultas que vivian juntos. No quiero decir que se necesitava escenas spicy pero por lo menos lo minimo para hacerme creer que si eram dos jovenes adultos que se amaban.T ampoco hubieron escenas de ellos siendo una pareja, todo fue voltado al trabajo y sí puedo entender que su foco era su relación era el trabajo pero no hubieron muchas escenas de ellos siendo una pareja feliz
Lo unico que salvo a esta serie fue los protagonitas, si no fuera por ellos hubiera dropeado la serie despues del tercer capitulo.

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