My Favorite Show, Maybe Ever

Right off, I'll admit this isn't a perfect show for everyone, despite my rating - if you don't like ugly (and arguably overdramatic) crying, you might have a hard time with this one - but for me, this is everything I want in a show and more. This is a perfect show for me. Here are some of my highlights:

MUSIC
Having multiple versions of the main song is really clever, and the two leads of this show are both genuinely good singers. The soundtrack is really cohesive and adds to the emotion, pulling you further into the story. I love that they foreshadowed the track at the very end with instrumental versions of it! Overall, a very versatile and well-utilized soundtrack in my opinion.

ACTING/CAST
Honestly, I don't know much at all about acting but I really enjoyed watching the subtle expressions on the actors' faces during emotional scenes. I'll admit some of the crying felt over the top for me but it's not enough of a bother to knock down my score... and I do think I'd rather have it this way than have it not feel genuine. I'm not a very emotional person myself but I have cried just as dramatically, especially as a high schooler, so I don't think it's entirely unrealistic. The thing is, for me, for every over-the-top scene, there are at least ten scenes that had my eyes glued to the screen, that had me feeling more emotions than I have in months. So I don't mind it much at all.

Another note: I was actually impressed with the actor and actress who played Bas and Tarn. Bas didn't have many lines but he expressed a lot in little gestures and subtle expressions.

STORY (big spoilers below, only read if you've already watched!)
You see a character without a father and a traditional mother struggling to even identify his own feelings because in his household, making mom proud is the most important thing. You see him struggling to express his affection in words because that's not how his family communicates with him. You see him giving away pieces of himself that he shouldn't give away because he hasn't learned any other way to give love. And that's my defense of Teh, who is a little bit stupid about what most people view as common sense and also quite dramatic - but consistently so. He's doing his best and while Oh-aew learns Chinese, Teh is learning the language of emotion.

And on the flip side, you see a kid with no ambition, no motivation to succeed, and you see him find a friend, and that friendship leads him to finding a dream, a goal. He isn't motivated by money; he's motivated by emotion, and in a well-off and verbally supportive family, without an older brother to compete against, that's just fine. When young Teh needed a friend, young Oh-aew needed a rival. He learns that he can succeed and flourish, he is enough, and even though he has a tendency to give up, his ability to persevere for the sake of love is almost unmatched. I don't think I need to defend Oh-aew because everyone loves him, but here's me fleshing out the complexities of why he has the privilege of carefree love and Teh does not.

And Oh and Teh have different definitions of rival. Oh doesn't have anything to compare it to, whereas Teh imagines that rivals can only have one winner between them - at home, it's always Hoon who wins, and this is reflected in the glimpse we have of Yongjian's story, too, where there can only be one winner, according to destiny. Oh doesn't buy into that so much. His definition of rival isn't mutually exclusive with friend. In fact, I would argue that Oh needs some rivalry to get the most out of a friendship - he needs someone to push him. For all of Bas being a perfect human being, he can't push Oh-aew the way Teh does.

Anyway. I have an infinite love for Bas and want him to be happy, he did so much with very few lines. If I had to choose a favorite I think it would be him. Having such a mature character in contrast to Oh and especially Teh was a smart decision to balance out the show and ensure that Teh is viewed as an especially dramatic individual, rather than viewing the show as being dramatic as a whole.

If I had to choose a "best character," it would have to be Tarn, who is such a complex and multi-faceted individual. She embodies the balance that Teh and Oh are both looking for: driven to succeed in her individual goals, but refusing to push love entirely aside without a deadline. And you know what? Between her and Teh's mom, I think we get a tiny bit of commentary on gender roles and even sexism. Tarn's hesitance at being forward with Teh, her regret, the feeling like it was her fault, it's reflected in social gender roles. Compare her to Teh's mom, who insists on relying on a man financially - if not her husband, then her sons. There's a generational shift there, but no magical, complete fix. I love that and I love Tarn for being real with her feelings and strong in her support and genuine in her love.

I love that Oh never once condemned Teh for not coming out as gay. They argued, but it was never because of that, not really. It was over Teh's lack of ownership towards his actions. That's important.

The interaction of gender and sexuality. That bra scene really, really got me. 1. I've never seen that very real struggle portrayed in any show before. 2. On a larger scale, it represents so well the triviality of gender boundaries (no, I don't think this was intentional; yes, I still love it with my whole heart). 3. The connections between that scene and the scene when Teh and Oh were driving in the sidecar and Tarn's scenes with her bra gave me chills.

A freaking coming out scene. A vulnerable, raw, sopping-wet-with-teras coming out scene. With a sibling. Can't express how much I was hoping for this, can't express how much it surpassed my expectations.

Sadness as an indicator of love. Bas, Oh, and even Teh, I think, all realize their feelings when the one they love is hurting. This is such an interesting idea, that we know we're feeling real love when we want to do everything in our power to stop another person from hurting. And I really don't disagree with this. It's easy to love someone when things are good and going well. It's harder when they're hurting, even more so when you're the one hurting them. And in the end, that's a big part of what Teh and Oh come to understand: they hate hurting one another. That's what clicks and has them both saying they'll always try to reach out. They won't disappear again. That was somehow more romantic than their deciding to date. To say: I prioritize your happiness over my own pride.

Symmetry. In episode, what, two? When Oh likes Bas and Teh says he'll start hitting on Oh, Oh looks to Bas to see his reaction. And then later, towards the end, Bas confesses to Oh and Oh looks to Teh, to see his reaction. Such a small detail, but magical in its own little way. In episode 1, young Oh asks Teh if he would've given up playing Yongjian for Oh. Later, Oh reproaches Teh for not going through the admission system, and in episode 4. And finally, in episode 4, Teh does everything that he thought Oh wanted him to do. He gives it all up. When his good intentions are rejected, it's like reliving their childhood fight all over again: making himself vulnerable only to receive (what he interprets to be) rejection in return. And on the flipside, Oh's first thought is their childhood fight, too: Teh said "someone like you will give up eventually," and Oh believes that Teh still looks down on him in that same way.

PRODUCTION
It's hard to even separate it from the Story/Writing section because - as it should - all of the production decisions in this show are to support the development and portrayal of the story. An example: going through the massive trouble of filming an underwater kiss wasn't just for the sake of drama or a beautiful backdrop, it's symbolic of the characters' hidden relationship, as well as Teh's reluctance to acknowledge his feelings for Oh-aew, even to himself. It's all about hiding, and shame, and fear. This narrative is furthered when Bas confesses to Oh in public, in front of their friends, and explicitly says (at least twice) that he isn't ashamed or shy about his love for Oh. Oh's surprise at this really drives the point home.

I have less experience and knowledge of production than of story crafting, and people have already expressed a lot of this, so I'll keep this relatively short. I think the production is what really made me feel things as strongly as I did while watching this show. The colors, the framing, and the angles and lighting, it all worked to pull me into every scene, to really convince me that I was right there with the characters on the screen.

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Watch it, especially if you want to smile :)

My favorite thing about this show was how consistently lighthearted it was, without being meaningless. Its premise is very fitting for the overall atmosphere: 30-year-old virgins get mind-reading abilities. At first glance, it is totally absurd (it is), but it's also representative of the kind of stigma that surrounds not just 30-year-old virgins, but anyone who feels distanced from the rest of society because they don't hit the "expected" milestones as they age. This is a very clear theme of the show from early on, not just in terms of sex, but also with romance and even career achievements and ambitions.

Cherry Magic is a must-watch for anyone who feels they are "falling behind" or "lacking passion" or running out of time to achieve their goals/desires.

With all of that, the show carries with it a sense of hope in every episode. There is only one episode that I would call a truly sad one - the rest had me grinning ear to ear, my heart warm and content. The two main characters, as well as all of their friends, are very wholesome. Cherry Magic gives us a good variety of healthy relationships - both romantic and platonic.

For all of its whimsy, Cherry Magic still manages to address some heavy issues, even if very briefly. It acknowledges that homophobia exists without making it the focus of the show in any way, and one of my favorite scenes features a discussion of how scary it is to think you may not live up to others' expectations. Alongside that, we also get a glimpse at a character who explicitly says (well, thinks) that she isn't motivated by romance or sex (possibly ace/aro-spectrum), which I've never seen in any drama before, let alone a romantic show!

Finally, I appreciated that, even though the magic does play into the plot of this specific show, it doesn't detract from the realism. It's not as though a relationship between Adachi and Kurosawa could never have come to be without the existence of telepathic powers; it just happened to serve as a fun catalyst. And ultimately, it isn't the magic that solves the Big Problems (low self-esteem, the objectification of the human body, societal pressure to hit milestones "on time," etc.). It's the genuine love shared in healthy relationships that does the trick, regardless of whether that is expressed through telepathic mind-reading, or just... speaking. Thinking about it in this light, love (romantic, sexual, platonic, or otherwise) is more magical than the actual magic!

Why I didn't give it 10 stars:
The character Tsuge was so over the top that it was overwhelming to me. I get overwhelmed very easily, and get secondhand embarrassment when someone so much as sneezes in a quiet room on screen, so it was somewhat painful watching his parts of the show. That said, I know many people who related to him and treasure his role in Cherry Magic, so this comes down to personal preference. Watch those scenes at 2x speed if you have to (that's what I did), but don't let it stop you from watching this gem of a show.

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No complaints

Oh I adore it. The acting was fantastic, the writing was so creative, realistic, just outstanding all around. The plot is very brave and you can feel that the writers put love into the show because it works so well. The storyline might not seem like something special, but it has a subtle uniqueness to it just by virtue of the nuanced way complex subjects are approached. The characters were relatable and human and there was a lot of growth. It's aware of the seriousness of the issues it delves into and presents sensitive subject matters in a meaningful and thoughtful manner. I can't speak highly enough of this show. The music didn't stand out to me but I didn't mind it either. This show has raised the bar for bl dramas. I have no complaints, truly.

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Very funny!

I spent the entirety of this show wondering if it was funny, stupid, or genius, and I have decided that it's all three. They really took this idea and ran with it and I love that! It was purposefully cringey, which could be almost painful at times - still, I rarely laugh out loud at shows, so I have to give credit where it's due and admit that I was laughing through a good 60% of every episode.

The plot left me wanting a bit more. With such a short series, I think they sacrificed depth for comedy - and I don't really mind, but I hope we get more character development and maybe even more world building in the next season!!

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It's... fine. Kind of.

The Good ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Found family dynamics are nice. That message was nice.

The acting, for the most part, was good. Especially in the earlier episodes, which were more focused on the 4 main characters rather than the larger plot, the acting created a good balance between the comedy and the heartwarming messages about finding family in friendship. The lighthearted vibe of the early story paired nicely with the acting style and dynamics - so when the story was focused on comedy, some of the acting was exaggerated, but they reined it in nicely for serious scenes to make them all the more touching.

The first ~6 episodes were pretty nice, fun, and pleasant to watch!

The Bad ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The writing was really a mess, especially at the end. We have multiple plot holes, things felt rushed at times and slow at others, and while I don't mind a little suspension of disbelief every so often, a lot of this didn't make any sense.

The way serious subject matters (kidnapping, murder, mental illness, and trauma/victimization) were portrayed was uncomfortable at best and disturbing or even harmful at worst. On top of it just being very clumsy, the show actually gets preachy at times, but the messages it sends don't make sense and send damaging messages. An attempt to be progressive gone wrong. Not sure whether the writers just did surface-level research, or if it's an issue with the source material, or if they had limited time and simply misused it, but it comes off very abrasively and makes the show much less enjoyable to watch.

The villains. Their characterizations were super inconsistent. An attempt was made to generate sympathy or pity for them, but it really fell flat.

Is it worth watching? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

... Maybe. If you're sensitive to unrealistic portrayals of trauma, victimization, murder, kidnapping, and/or mental illness, I'd say no. If not, and you've got nothing else on your list to watch, it will probably be an alright distraction for you.

If you're looking for a BL, with a focus on two guys falling in love, this isn't it. If you're looking for a show with some gay representation, this one has it. One of the main characters is gay and while his portrayal isn't perfectly wholesome, I didn't find it bad either. 7/10 for Weir's gayness I guess. I liked that they didn't hide it, didn't love the whole "I make straight men gay" thing but also it was on the tame side of that trope - it was lighthearted enough, not super aggressive, and felt like it became a sort of sarcastic inside joke to some of the characters after a while.

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