My inspo for this post is my literal need for a cute drama to watch, but I didn’t even know where to start. It is what I call a drama burnout. Everything seems the same, and nothing catches your interest. Everything seems boring, and you need a subscription, but you don’t feel like overheating your laptop (iykyk) mood. Recently, I’ve been watching dramas on Tubi, and my experience has been great (install a plug-in to get rid of ads). You can also find these dramas on Viki. If you’ve been reading my blog (ILYSM), you may be familiar with my criteria for the perfect BL drama;
1. At least one cute or handsome lead(subjective)
2. intriguing plot or some moral dilemma
3. Drama. I’m here for the drama! Chaos, weird situations, whatever, I love it.
However, if I’m not 100% emotionally stable, I gravitate towards fluff and no drama because escapism is real! That concludes my guide to the perfect BL drama.
My first pick in the cutest drama I have seen so far is Takara-Kun & Amagi-Kun (2022). I cannot handle the cuteness! I just get filled with overjoy when I see Amagi. I love the height difference between Takara and Amagi. Amagi’s character is very soft and quirky. He is witty, energetic, and smart. Their contrast in each other’s personalities is what makes this drama great. Amagi is outgoing and does not care to look cool. Takara maintains a close circle of friends and has a laid-back approach to school. Takara is quiet, popular, and well-known for his looks. I must admit, there isn’t much depth to this drama, but I love the simplicity of the dialogue. It’s just two guys who happen to like each other against all odds. And they basically maneuver their relationship and learning to make each other happy. The drama gives the impression of first love vibes and the awkwardness of not knowing how to approach new subjects. It is both of their first relationship; however, Takara is head over heels for Amagi, and I love how clearly it is displayed in the show. I recommend this solely for the characters, the inner monologues, and the lightness of this drama. It’s a happy love story that is refreshing and full of fluff. It’s just simple and cute, and I enjoy the OST too much!
Short synopsis: A secret crush turns into a hidden relationship between quirky and cute Amagi-kun (Oriyama Nao) and the cold and popular Takara-kun (Sato Arata). Amagi-kun and Takara-kun are in the same class, but rarely speak to each other. They have different friend groups and interests. One day, Amagi-kun confesses to Takara-kun. Takara-kun agrees to date Amagi-kun, but they develop a vague relationship that starts to confuse them as they both wonder what it means to be in a relationship with each other.
My second pick is My Personal Weatherman (2023)…And whoa, was I not expecting that! The only fluff in this drama is Yoh. He is about the cutest character. He’s a bit of a loof, and the whole drama is a trip. Every episode has value, and we learn new pieces about how exactly Yoh and Segasaki got together. This is probably the best drama in terms of unraveling a storyline. Every time you think you know what is happening, a new piece is added in the next episode. The first episode really sets the tone of the drama and keeps the audience engaged to the end. Their love was complicated, deep, and full of vague roles of who they were to each other. Simply amazing! Now this is an obsessive love, and I am here for the drama! Segasaki’s behavior was toxic, but his love is genuine. The problem here is that they are both terrible communicators. They can’t express their feelings, and when they do, the other misses it completely. This drama really does it for me and has me giggling. I wish there was a second season!
Short synopsis: Segasaki (Higuchi Kouhei) has always been popular and handsome since high school. Yoh (Mashiko Atsuki) is socially awkward, quiet, and keeps to himself. Yoh enjoys drawing. One day, he notices how Segasaki is perfect for drawing and begins to draw him from afar. After graduation, Segassaki proposes to support Yoh while he tries to become a magna artist, and in exchange, he must listen to Segassaki. Segasaki becomes a successful weatherman, while Yoh is a kept man and struggling artist. A relationship imbalance and misunderstandings are bound to happen when they begin cohabiting.
My third pick is Mr. Lucky Has No Choice but to Kiss! (2022). Essentially, Kota is the cute character in the drama, but if you ask me, it’s Naoya. Kota seems more masculine to me at times, whereas Naoya consistently kept his softness, and I found him adorable. Kota is cute in his actions, and I think that’s where his cute persona stems from, his “innocence”. This drama is more of a moral dilemma because Kota pretends to be gay for his own benefit. Although that is not the case in the end, that storyline of Kota questioning his actions and feelings plays a big part in the story. The storyline itself is fun and new. Kota accidentally asks Naoya out when he meant to ask to be friends. I love that Naoya was down and ready for Kota. Kota was not playing about his bad luck; he chose to be in a relationship with a guy because his daily life was tragic without Naoya’s luck. That is wild to me and got me instantly hooked. Something I really like about this drama is that it showcases how people view us versus our true selves, and learning to overcome the fear of what it means to be our true selves. Overall, the drama is fun, filled with comedic situations, and fluff. It explores sexuality and personal boundaries. It’s a great college-themed BL with a happy ending.
Short Synopsis: University student Fujuhara Kota (Sota Ryosuke) has unbelievably bad luck. He meets Shinomiya Naoya (Sato Yusuke), a handsome guy with amazing luck. Kota realizes his luck improves when he is around Naoya. Kota decided to befriend Naoya, but accidentally asked him to date instead. Naoya agrees, and they start dating. Kota decides the misunderstanding is worth it if he can get some of Naoya’s luck.
All three drams are 8 episode with a time duration of 25 mins. Perfect for binge watching!
All the dramas are great, and this ranking is subjective based on what entertained me at the moment, for the reasons mentioned above. Surprisingly, all these dramas were suggestions from dramas in different genres. The short synopsis provided for each drama was my own interpretation of the original found on either Tubi or Mydramalist.
Do you have criteria for watching dramas? And does it change with genre? Personally, I found my criteria fluctuate with genre and life stages.
CinemaDeJoei 