Going into "His - I Didn't Think I Would Fall in Love", I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, as the reviews were certainly mixed, waning negative. I even considered skipping it due to some of the criticism that I heard, but having watched it three times now, I'm so incredibly thankful I didn't. This series is a true, true, gem. The feeling I was left with after I watched it for the first time was something I don't think I'll ever forget, it just struck such a profound chord with me that I just can't fully explain.

Before I delve specifically into the story, characters, etc., I'd like to give a few disclaimers for those planning to watch this series:
1. "His - I Didn't Think I Would Fall in Love" is a coming of age story first, and a romance second. If you're looking for a story with tons of gooey romantic fluff and lovey-dovey scenes, this series may not be fully satisfying to you (that's not to say there aren't plenty share of sweet moments, but it's definitely not the focus). However, if you're looking for a beautiful coming of age story about courage, growth, and self acceptance, you've come to the right place.
2. I have NOT seen the sequel film to this series, but from what I've heard, the characters and story bare essentially no similarities, so if you've already seen the film and you're anticipating this series as a prequel to that story, I urge you to look at this as a separate project.

Now that that's out of the way, here are my individual thoughts!

Story - Definitely a little slow at first, but once it gets going, it really hits. There's not too much to say here, as the story is definitely not the driving factor with this series, especially with the length being so short. In fact, I personally feel like this drama would've worked much much better as a film.

Characters/acting - This is where the show really really shines for me. Most of the criticism I saw prior to watching "His" was that the characters, especially the two leads, where bland and one dimensional/unrealistic. Personally, I couldn't disagree more. In my opinion, Nagisa, Shun, Chika, and Ako are some of the most realistically written and acted teenage characters in any drama I've seen thus far. I really loved the conclusions they were all able to individually reach by the end of the series, particularly Nagisa's, which, without giving to much away, resulted in one of the most genuinely heartbreaking representations of internalized homophobia I've ever seen on screen, but I'll go into that more later.

Rewatch value: Although watching this series for the first time is really something else, the rewatch value is also extremely high. The simplicity of the story paired with the genuine emotion of the characters creates make this series absolutely timeless. You're unlikely to get anything new on rewatches with this one, but if you're looking for a nostalgic cozy feeling, you will most certainly get that.

FINAL VERDICT:
If you can't tell, I'm absolutely in love with this drama. The atmosphere, the characters, the score, the acting, it just all works for me. Not to mention the honest and genuine representation of young queer individuals, whose sexuality is not only acknowledged, but openly discussed and explored. Based on the comments and reviews I've seen, it's clearly not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but to those of you looking for a well-acted, nostalgic, queer coming of age story, I personally cannot recommend this series enough!