#koi nido

[mondstalgia]

He's saying "クソ ビッチ" (kuso bitchi), calling him a shitty/fucking slut 😧 With that smile too 😂

[troubled-mind]

LOVE IS BETTER THE SECOND TIME AROUND [EP1]

BL gods said, let there be softly lit hands close-ups, and there they were.

[springjjjj]

FAVORITE JAPANESE BL [PART 2]

Writing this as an excuse to list the amount of Japanese BL I fell in love with.

Listing 5 series per post because life is too busy

Random rambling. I just need to let some thoughts out my chest.

Link for: Part 1 Part 3

6. Smells Like Green Sprit

Disturbing in a lot of ways. Everyone felt uncomfortable and it made me anxious but Mishima remained unbother. She was true and confident of herself.

Kirino and Mishima should've just crushed me, it was one of the most heartbreaking friendship breakup in media. And the fact that they have to see each other again in school, ignoring each other as if they've never bonded after declaring what future they'll take and how they ended up will always bother me.

The drama didn't focused or made the romance a glamour but I still can't believe how Mishima chose someone who used to hurt him. Even with character development, it didn't felt right (I promise Yumeno had a great redemption arc). And I always thought deeply about it until I concluded that it was her unsettling expression in the end that bothered me. It was as if she was unhappy. She's doing what she wants but why does she looks like she's stagnant somewhere? It has to be Kirino's absence.

This drama is grey and I gave it a full score because it delivered what it's supposed to. Yanagida was traumatizing. It was meant to be agonizing and I felt it in every fibre of my bones.

📍5/5

Genre: Bullying, Homophobia, Coming-of-age, Youth

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 8

Website to watch: ??

7. Our Dining Table

The warmest drama to have ever existed. Every single episode will surely put a smile on your face. And Tane is the cutest baby in the world, even if he ruined a lot of moments for our leads, he is forgiven because he brought them together.

There's a hint of blue because of Yutaka. He lost his parents, had been adopted and fears eating with other people. Tane & Minoru was his healing, his family.

It's a really simple drama so the chemistry is very important and Yutaka, Minoru and Tane blended well together that putting them together was perfectly wholesome. Yutaka and Minoru romantically too looked really good that somehow its unsatisfying to not have much of their scenes alone so it would really be nice to have a S2 and maybe see Tane grow up as they take care of him and Minoru graduating from college. Even the manga didn't really gave them a lot of chance but still, the warmth of this drama spread to heart.

📍5/5

Genre: Gourmet, Found Family, Slice of Life

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 10 + 1 Special Episode

Website to watch: Gagaoolala

8. Love Is Better The Second Time Around

Yearning or longing, how ever we call it, this two have it all. Senpai's straightforward confession gets me all the time and the way Miyata always avoids the burning passion of his youth return to him and gets mad as he remember how embarrassed he was, always kept my attention. Curiosity heightens at the mystery of Miyata's reasons, Takashi's return and how they broke up in the past.

Their plan as teenagers was not on my bingo cards.. because what did they mean when they were trying to ELOPE & leave their families behind? But this also means they saw future with each other. But even if I watched this drama couple of times, I'd never be convinced that they'd last forever as teenagers. The possibility of disaster was higher so reuniting as adults felt reassuring.

I feel like if they want to put the entire plot into details, this could make up longer episodes. I was honestly speechless of what Takashi's family did to him. I wish Miyata was given more time to process Takashi's past and how he was no longer scared to love Takashi again. 6 episodes was not enough for this kind of plot with this kind of chemistry.

(I was so obsessed with this drama when it was released, I will write a longer one someday dedicated for them. The funny thing is among the shows I picked for this round, KoiNido is my #1 but I gave it a logical 4 because their kiss scenes ruined my mood the first time I watched it.)

📍4/5

Genre: High School Lovers, Second Chance, Workforce

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 6

Website to watch: Gagaoolala, Viki

9. I Became the Main Role of a BL

This felt like Ossan's Love baby in chaos level, Kabe Koji or Utsukushii Kare's twist and Akasaka's bestie in BL-partner-turned-to-boyfriend level.

Yuichiro really did well in pretending to be a suspicious calm guy at the start only to learn that he's a hardcore Hajime fan. He's probably the leader of the fandom if he's not an actor. I love that he has a record of being an otaku before becoming a Hajime fan, it felt like it comes naturally just like every otaku.

The best thing about this was the process of Yuichiro reflecting about his feelings, if it was still a fan's or romantic emotion. He questioned everything he felt when he was with Hajime so when he finally made his confession, it was really cute and all fluffy like cloud nine.

It's hilarious and sweet how Hajime just accepts his boyfriend the way he is. Sometimes it was like having a private fanmeeting, sometimes it was like having a perfect boyfriend. It was cute. It's like he is loved twice and it will grow more the more time they spend together.

Slapstick comedies can only work if the actors are great and they didn't fail. It's too early to score this as S2 is still on going but S1 was just one of my favorites and S2 look promising. Their chemistry makes me feel squishy, they're too cute! I pray to all gods that Yuichiro will no longer faint so Hajime can have what he wants with his boyfriend.

📍5/5

Genre: Comedy, Entertainment Industry

Seasons: S1, S2

Episodes: 3 (S1) + 6 (S2)

Website to watch: Gagaoolala

10. Old Fashion Cupcake

They were oozing with charisma. Wherever they walk, it looks like watching two sweet tooth supermodels trying to find new places to eat desserts together.

What's great about this was how obvious Togawa's feelings and desire for his boss. He was always looking for a way so they can spend time together, not knowing Nozue was also doing the same thing for him. And knowing it, tugs my heart all the time.

Nozue embracing and defying his beliefs at the end felt so warm. "Nothing is ever going to happen if you don't do anything about it" is such a great message for everyone who remains at one place or is stuck at a routine caused by conformity, it sounds like "Surviving but not living".

It should've been longer, their chemistry was too good for only one amazing iconic kiss and 5 episodes. May S2 fall down the street to pick up.

📍5/5

Genre: Workforce, Age Gap

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 5

Website to watch: Gagaoolala, Viki

[ctl-yuejie]

KoiNido ep. 5: a break-up episode done well

Over the first half I was busy being happy about how this show doesn't go the tropy route without considering the characters (Miyata confronting this newly appeared "rival" with confidence, mild annoyance towards Iwanaga's popularity and possible past hook-ups and possessiveness) so when he show ramped up to the break-up I was in denial. At that point an impending break-up felt at odds with their characters.

Until Miyata couldn't answer the question of whether he loves Iwanaga and then posed the suggestion of a break-up.

As soon as Iwanaga in return suggests to take a break with the relationship, we can see in Miyata's eyes that he doesn't really feel good about this. A break-up, a break, none of it feels like the thing he wants but it is still better than his state of not knowing what exactly he wants with all the revelations around Iwanaga's family situation unfolding.

Without the interference of Sugimoto or the sister, the topic of his family might have come up at some point (I don't think Iwanaga would be as reluctant to tell Miyata that he got kicked out if he could still consider the family issue a closed matter, sans maybe trying to hide it as long as possible lest Miyata feel guilty or bad about it) but the world around them really decided to come at them at the worst timing.

While they are dating - it is still not a full committment to each other (understandably so) since Miyata wants to date Iwanaga but still has a possible break-up etc on his mind.

And while his reasoning is that he got hurt before, the argument that he loves Miyata more than Iwanaga does him might not hold true afterall.

We got to see a bit of that in last week's episode when Iwanaga - indignantly challenged by Miyata - confessed to loving Miyata in many similar ways. This is also the reason why Miyata feels confident about these past flings: he might be jealous, but he feels secure enough to show it and actually believe that Iwanaga loves him. He might be uncertain about the depths of these feelings, but at least he isn't anticipating getting cheated on.

Slowly we get the reveal that there are several levels to them trying out their relationship. For one, they haven't seen each other in a very long time and while it is very sweet how they just fit together (them going on dates, having conversations, sexual compatibility etc) while visibly not being the same people as they were in highschool, they are taking their time to get to know each other. Iwanaga thinks he can take his time now that Miyata at least decided to date him and is convinced he can make him stay - but he is withholding a lot from Miyata.

And Miyata...realizes that moving in would be too quick for them. And that he doesn't know how to handle Iwanaga wanting privacy ("outsider") while trying to shield him from something he doesn't tell him about. He gets to learn important information about Iwanaga's life from someone that is not Iwanaga, not only making it so that his image of Iwanaga was somewhat false (there actually was a lot at stake for Iwanaga to try and run away with Miyata) but in way that he has to feel embarrassed and bad about it.

He made Iwanaga out to be this villain and player in his mind and treated him that way, but now Miyata might blame himself for being fooled. The embarrassement he felt in highschool just came back to haunt him. And it might be easy to talk about hurt feelings (he does communicate that a lot to Iwanaga after warming up to him) it is much more difficult to communicate when you haven't sorted your own feelings out.

He went from thinking that Iwanaga might actually love him despite himself being in love with Iwanaga in a way more inevitable way that felt unfair to him, to realizing that his love might not be enough for this.

His hesitation was solely focused on reasons that started and ended with them as individuals. But being in a relationship might now also entail hurting Iwanaga while being held at arms-length about his "insider" issues. How the outside will react to them being a couple. And that is a lot to put on something you are in the process of "figuring out". Miyata's reasons for not moving in are understandable, also as a gut-feeling I get it. But within the context of these changed parameters Miyata might now questions the extant for his love for Iwanaga and his ability to commit to a long-term relationship, to be family to Iwanaga in face of his inability to even move in with him.

That logic is warped, but this disturbance seems like that catalyst of uncovering where Miyata hasn't quite realized the extant to which he feels unsure in himself and inferior to Iwanaga. From highschool to know this uncertainty has stayed with him and it is coming to haunt him now. He might have to figure out how he's good for Iwanaga to come to truely trust himself in this relationship.

Which leads me to Iwanaga not letting him.

Rather than relying on Miyata he has decided to resolve the family matter on his own and in his dramatic romantic way (that is hardly every visible to Miyata, but always simmering beneath - we can see it in his eyes when Miyata isn't looking) he'd rather separate Miyata from all his issues and sacrifice himself.

And while there can be conflict in a relationship because not everyone has the same idea of privacy (e.g. withholding family issues, illnesses, debt etc.) his reluctance in sharing his pain with Miyata also seems to come from a place of self-loathing. The ease with which he flirts with Miyata (which annoys Miyata to no end and makes him questions how sincere Iwanaga is) seems to stem from fighting alone for a very long time. When in highschool it migh have come from a place of privilege induced obliviousness, him detaching himself in this way now seems like a survival strategy.

His desperation and want makes him pursue Miyata, but he does so in a seemingly unserious manner, toying with Miyata just in case this won't work out. Just like he gives the huge bouquet to Miyata: if Miyata likes it all is well, if he detests it he can make a joke out of it and still win (the bouquet strategy obviously took an estimation of Miyata's character into account, but no one can tell me that Iwanaga didn't actually want to get Miyata flowers and have him move in. Even when he is somewhat aware, he always leaves himself a way out).

To him this family issue was resolved, maybe only a question of whether he ever wanted to tell Miyata how he isn't actually a rich kid anymore (see above). So suddenly he has to actually treat something seriously (his family, his sisters wedding) and come to terms with his family issue not being resolved entirely as he thought and having to possibly burden Miyata with something. And he hasn't had the time to figure out how to do this while leaving himself an out, so when Miyata proposes a break-up he is quick to change it to taking a break in order to resolve this issue detached from Miyata but with the opportunity to get back with him.

Which resonates with how Miyata is very astute of but also consciously puts an effort into not making the same mistakes. Whereas Iwanaga has been fighting on his own for so long, he hasn't really changed that much since high school. It is now on him to learn how to actually let someone in (the degree might still be different to what Miyata wants) and feel precious about himself.

We get a similar situation to 10 years ago, both feeling unsure of themselves and devalueing themselves while the outside world does the best to interfer. And I'd chance they'd stood a better chance if this happened further into their relationship, but alas...they get thrown into a very similar situation and now it is on them to proof to themselves that these 10 years made a difference.

Obviously this is the plot device timed for the halfway point, but I enjoyed the build-up and going from "oh no" to "oh.....I get where they're coming from and how this will be a catalyst for a new beginning" because it all was set up well within their characters (Miyata not being able to say publicly that he loves Iwanaga after refusing to move in with him, Iwanaga being playful about his feelings for Miyata while having a hurt look in his eyes everytime they get to the topic of their highschool romance, Iwanaga getting kicked out does tie the lose ends together from where the show left them during their highschool days).

They are both very suddenly confronted with a barrage of struggles so it made sense to me that their weren't able to communicate what they actually wanted to say. Because Miyata doesn't know it quite yet and Iwanaga is putting himself down by making assumptions about what Miyata is thinking - sth only Miyata has learned to no solely rely on since high school.

The idea that history repeating itself wouldn't be so bad, if it didn't happen when the protagonists weren't quite ready yet, is a very entertaining thought to me. And I am interested to see how these two will muddle their way through it to challenge the repitition.

This feels like it is getting off the rails so I'll stop here

tagging @bengiyo since I promised more substance (although this got way longer than i expected)

[cephalopistol]

i did not have storious and haruto soma potentially kissing on my 2024 checklist but alright bro thanks koi nido

[mondstalgia]

Robin: I was talking all arrogantly about being jealous of Mako-chan flirting with his members (Makoto is part of The Rampage from Exile Tribe ♡). But now after really thinking about it, for Mako-chan, his members are true partners and I'm the affair. It's kinda like spouse and lover.

Makoto sending hearts 🤧

[troubled-mind]

Oh my oh my, I haven't been this enchanted by the first episode since forever it seems. Love is Better the Second Time Around is everything to me as of now.

Both younger and older versions are fantastic. I love the banter and tension between the older couple. Hello slightly bitter 30-somethings. That's the demographic I actually needed.

The potential triangle actually looks intriguing? Like, we know it's not gonna be a problem but I bet Shiraishi would bring something to the mix (even if it's just evil looks in Miyata's direction) and I actually look forward to it(?!).

The hands, THE HANDS!!!

The actor who plays Iwanaga looks like an older version of MPW's Yoh and I'm here for it.

The music is SO GOOD. The way the soundtrack marries classic piano/violin duets with retro/jazzy edge, the way it carries humourous moments - chef's kiss. What stole my heart was that country-like guitar before Miyata and Iwanaga's first meeting. Bonus points for the opening and closing songs, they deserve a separate post.

I want more. Now. Please do not disappoint me after such a fine start.

[mondstalgia]

The crispy sexual tension between these two!!!! They want e/o so badly help.