Ameiro Paradox (2022)

Heavenly blend of cute and fluff

This series is so cute and FLUFFY, and the ship is absolutely adorable. The plot is very fun, and I loved each and every episode of it.
The sex scene was very unexpected from a Japanese BL, and was executed exceptionally! The character dynamics and development is also very good (we love you Masayan <3).

There were many unnecessary lines, in the sense that they often pointed out things that were obvious, or had already been resolved in the previous lines. Many lines also ruined the mood of the scene, and could easily be solved with body language. There were also a tad too many flashbacks and repeated scenes. Some scenes were shown up to five times throughout the series, which is just unnecessary.

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Better for me

I read in a book once that Candy Colors stimulating the appetite and makes you want more. This series for sure WILL makes you want MORE. I think it is obvious that a lot of people are used to or they tasty are affected by the most Bls that start and end in 2022 and of course won't like this one. But I can guarantee that this Bl right here is for sure one of the best for 2022-2023. The story is simple but is catchy, the main point is of course the whole world behind the main line and still serve a lot. The actors are amazing, I mean, they make mistakes? I rewatch a lot times before writte this review so the rewatch value is totally 10. The soundtrack is P E R F E C T, man billy rock it. I understand for sure that we have to pass for a lot of bad bls, but Candy Color is better for me in every line. Like i say before I want them to make others Bls and a second season, I mean, if they have money from amazon, netflix or HBO they will make a AMAZING and more explored, I really really really hope they can make others storys together they have that chemistry that is rare to see.

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Their own take of the manga

*happy ending*

This manga is one of my most favorites to reread of all time, that is why it took me a long time to finish it. There were some points in the series that did not match the manga, so I suggest manga readers to not re-read or read the manga before watching this.

Differences:
- first of all, kaburagi here is a bit different from the manga. There, I saw kaburagi as a sleepy, perverted man who only sees onoe in his eyes. In the series, I did not see much of the similarity with his live action counterpart. (he is very handsome though)
- the bits and pieces of the manga are rearranged to fit it in 8 episodes. So, as a manga reader, it became a bit weird for me, but still flowed naturally to the end.

What I loved:
- Onoe. He is soooo similar to the manga character he is portraying that I loved the great casting so much. He is very adorable just like his character. I really love the way he melts in Kaburagi's embrace everytime.
- other casted characters. Everyone is perfectly casted. Down to their lines, actions, mannerisms, even their looks perfectly fit their manga counterparts.
- this is one of the best Y manga adaptation I have ever seen. and I am very thankful that they didn't use the white background japanese bls always use when having NC scenes.


To everyone, this is highly recommended to watch. Also, to read. Just keep in mind that this is based on an old manga that is still being serialized right now, so to people of today, they might see some topics as a big nono. But this is very cute, I promise. Well directed as well.

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Easy Filler Drama

Despite having a lukewarm response from viewers, I found the couple to have a workable dynamic that wasn't too "lovey-dovey" or overbearing. Onoe is a typical shy/reserved man who is passionate about the work he chooses; Kaburagi is the "playboy" who apparently has the sexual swagger (I had a hard time being convinced). But bring them together and there's obvious sexual tension that entices you to keep on watching. Yes, that sex scene was... safe but the line from Kaburagi saying that Onoe can "smell like him" if they live together was good.

A wonky story but I think it works to help J-BL watchers prepare for the real main events of 2023 or for newcomers of BL to dip their toes in the water before going big. Think of it as a good binge-watch while you wait for your main shows to release their weekly episodes.

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so, so sweet!

Oh, I loved this one a lot.

The characters are all super likeable, the relationship development is sweet and to be honest, it is just very typical japanese BL, which isn't bad! I like to resort to the more uncomplicated series, as they bring me much more comfort than the overly serious shows. Tho I hate the miscommunication trope, it surprisingly didn't bother me as much as it usually does. Probably because the miscommunication happened late on and didn't stretch as much as it normally does in other shows.

To keep things short, this series is very wholesome and just the right one for a nice and comfy weekend, so check it out!

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not the healthiest relationship..

I have read the manga and reluctantly watched the series as well, hoping the story would be improved upon. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The story and characters struggle with the same things as the source material.

Given are two coworkers who absolutely cannot stand each other, always end up having really awful arguments and never communicate. As they are placed on more projects together they slowly learn a bit more about each other, and realize that they make a really good team even if their morals and the things they are willing to do for a story do not match. Through sheer guessing - since once again, they barely talk properly - Kaburagi figures out that Onoe finds him attractive and the two start sleeping together. One of the worst BL tropes is the one where one of the characters acts like they hate their love interest but "secrectly" likes it when the love interest manhandles them - which seems to be the entire personality of Onoe.

Realistically there is no way for Kaburagi to know that Onoe is just "pretending" to dislike him (unless this was a supernatural story and he was a mind reader, which is unfortunately, not the case here) or if he actually just hates his guts. Like he has already said so, several times. Yet, he keeps making advances and pursues him. Later, there is a scene where they confess their feelings to each other, but since this is during another one of their agressive shouting matches, it doesn't really make up for the terrible communication they have.

The setting, characters, actors would have been interesting enough if only just the relationship was better handled.

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Short BL, but wanted more of everything.

This review is based solely on the drama, as I have not read the manga or seen the anime (but I might just do that now).

LIKES:
Acting:
The chemistry between the male leads was great. You could also really feel the anguish of Onoe, when he felt hurt by Kaburagi. Even the supporting characters were well done.
Location shots were all well chosen.
Production:
Considering how short the episodes were and that the number of them were also limited, they got the story of each mission completed. Also the attraction between Onoe and Kaburagi was also finalized.
Writing:
The storyline was interesting, but needed more episodes.
Music: was okay, didn’t really notice it. It never overpowered the voices of the actors/actresses.

DISLIKES:
Production:
Ending was rushed, due to limited time for each episode. That also took away from the development of Kaburagi and Onoe relationship and growth.
Shaky camera syndrome (happened a few times, that it got annoying). For the love of film, please use a film stabilizer!!!
It was so obvious that there was too little funding for this drama.
Writing:
The plot was under developed and felt choppy at times, like there were missing scenes or moments.
Editing/Directing:
Some moments dragged on that could’ve been shorter. Also it’s a boy love drama, but not much kissing and a very limited amount of skinship. Even the relationship of the Male Leads was too short.

OVERALL:
It’s a short, easy watch. I’d recommend it to anyone starting out in the boy love genre or someone looking for a quick BL drama. It’s so short I would watch it again. But because it was so short, I was left wanting more, so I plan on seeing if there is an anime or if the manga has been released in English.

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It's a Filler Drama, so Don't Watch with Any Expectations

All I can say about this drama is to watch it without any expectations. It's not too bad if you watch it without any.
However, if you are going to watch this after watching other Japanese dramas like Utsukushii Kare or Cherry Magic, you're going to be very disappointed. It's a decent watch, but it's not anything spectacular.

Similarly, if you are coming to watch this because you've already read the manga, then you will also be disappointed. I think you need to watch this as a standalone drama without comparing it to the manga. Don't worry, I'll explain below.

That being said it's not a terrible drama. However, it is mediocre and definitely a filler drama. Don't bother to watch this if you want a good quality drama. Do watch this if you need a filler drama with good looking men falling in love.

•❅✧❅✦ STORY •❅✧❅✦

Onoe gets transferred to the stake-out team of the weekly gossip magazine he works for. His new partner is Kaburagi, who is the magazine's best cameraman. While Onoe is very serious and well mannered, Kaburagi is notorious for being a lady's man and Onoe finds him to be very rude. At first they don't get along, but the more cases they take on together, the more closer they become. Onoe learns there's more to Kaburagi then meets the eye.

Honestly the story is not too bad. It is based on an older manga so it is a little bit cliché, but it's not terrible. I personally found myself interested in the antics that the two were getting into. The only part of the drama that was strange was the bed scene that the screenwriter's crammed in at the end. Honestly, we could have gone without that.

While not the best drama, the biggest issue with this drama isn't really the story, but rather the acting. Honestly the acting wasn't great, but at the same time I preferred how they portrayed Onoe and Kaburagi in this drama rather than the manga.

ONOE X KABURAGI

Onoe is a very serious writer for the weekly magazine. He is more of a bookworm that's not really good at lying. He also doesn't seem to have much luck with the ladies. In contrast, Kaburagi seems to have a double personality. Usually he's stoic and doesn't seem to care about others, but other times he suddenly becomes a lady's man. He also is very good at lying and manipulating people. At first, Onoe hated Kaburagi because of his seemingly twisted personality and his lack of care when lying and manipulating people. However, once Onoe learns that Kaburagi actually hates lying and is actually more sensitive than he lets on, his whole perspective of Kaburagi changes. He also ends up falling in love with the sensitive side of Kaburagi.

•❅✧❅✦ ACTING •❅✧❅✦

Even though it's not that bad, the worst part of this drama is the acting. Every actor, from the main to the side characters, is on a different wave length and it's just a mess.

Kimura Keito, who plays Onoe, unfortunately is very stiff when acting. While not terrible, it is obvious that he's acting and it doesn't look natural when compared to Yamanaka. It looks like his acting is forced and that he's putting on a show. Again, it's not bad, but it is obvious that he needs more practice. (On a small note, Kimura is part of Exile's FANTASTICS with Yagi Yusei, who plays Kiyoi in Utsukushii Kare. It makes me wonder if Kimura's management is trying to ride the BL wave that boosted Yagi's popularity. Also, I can't help but compare the two. I haven't seen Kimura's other works, but I wonder if Kimura actually wanted to do this BL or if it was the management's choice.)

Yamanaka Jyutaro plays Kaburagi. Now, some people might not like his acting and say he's non-expressive, but I beg to differ. There are times where his acting is a little stiff, but for the most part I thought it was okay. As a character, Kaburagi is stoic and non-expressive, so I liked how Yamanaka played him. His acting felt more natural as I have met guys like Kaburagi in Tokyo and they do act like how Yamanaka plays Kaburagi, so I had no problem with his acting. Again it's not perfect, but it is hard to play a stoic and non-expressive character so I will give him some credit.

Lastly, the side characters. All of the side characters were on different wave lengths as well. I found that the older cast were better at acting than the younger ones. All of them are not on screen for very long so it's not too noticeable, but they are stiff. The actor who plays Masayan was probably the worst offender out of all of the actors. While his acting wasn't terrible, it was very exaggerated. His acting might be more suited for comedies, but I just couldn't watch any scene he was in because it was overly exaggerated.

•❅✧❅✦ DRAMA vs MANGA •❅✧❅✦

Something to note is that I had read Ameiro Paradox as a manga a few years before this drama came out. I didn't fully remember what the story was about, but I had a basic knowledge about the plot before watching. After watching the drama I went back and I reread the manga. This is how I am analyzing the drama, so I might be a little less biased toward the manga than others who read the manga first and went into the drama with the manga in mind.

As a drama, Ameiro Paradox is completely different from the manga. While the drama adapted most of the storylines and changed some aspects of the plot to fit the drama, the biggest change made was the relationship and personalities of the Onoe and Kaburagi. This change made the drama completely different from the manga as the manga fans might not like the new version of Onoe and Kaburagi, and their relationship.

The manga has more of a cat-dog relationship between the Onoe and Kaburagi, while the drama is more romantic. In the manga, Onoe is more feisty and stubborn, while in the drama he seems to be more innocent and just putting on a strong front.
As a character, Kaburagi also is different. In the manga he is stoic and non-expressive throughout their whole relationship. Even after they begin dating, Kaburagi doesn't really show many facial expressions aside from getting angry. On the other hand, in the drama Kaburagi is stoic and non-expressive only until they begin dating. Once he is in a relationship with Onoe, Kaburagi begins to show more emotions. Even then Kaburagi gives off a more softer, sensitive, and sympathetic vibe compared to the manga where he is never sensitive, always horny, and acts like an old man trapped in a 21 year old's body.

All of these changes made to the characters' personalities change the dynamics of Onoe and Kaburagi's relationship, which in turn might throw off fans of the manga. The manga is all about the fighting and weird antics that the cat and dog relationship brings to this couple. The drama however, is all about Onoe learning about Kaburagi's sensitive nature and how love with make a stoic man more loving and emotional.

Now, I personally like the drama version of Ameiro Paradox more than the manga as I do like my men to be a little more sensitive and mature. To me, Kaburagi in the manga is just an old man in a young man's body and he doesn't really express his love to Onoe. I don't understand how Onoe can love someone that doesn't really act like he loves him back, but again the manga is all about the antics that they get into. I prefer storylines where the characters grow to love each other based on what they learn about each other and their personalities rather than storylines where it's all situational, which the manga is situational.

•❅✧❅✦ OVERALL •❅✧❅✦

I didn't really hate Ameiro Paradox. It's not bad, but there are better drama's out there. It's definitely a filler drama and a one time watch.

Also, if you liked his drama don't bother reading manga since the characters' personalities are different and the relationship between Kaburagi and Onoe are completely different as well.

Similarly, don't bother watching this drama if you are a fan of the manga and want to see the weird antics that Onoe and Kaburagi get into in the manga. This drama is all about their relationship, so if can't watch this drama with an open mind, then you should probably skip this manga.

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Cute but it´s not very longlasting feeling

Very nice and cute story about two coworkers. Maybe a special episode in the future would be great because the story itself was really basic. I feel like if there were maybe more dialogues it would be better. I get that it needed to be basic, cute, and short but that's all it was - basic, cute, and short.
Acting was accurate. The story itself wasn't bad either but I wouldn't call it drama or a series. It was a nice short story, which could be easily portrayed in one film. And I think, that then it would be more acceptable, that the scenario was this light and basic.

I feel like it´s that type like when once you watch it, it loses your interest.

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This series was a decent watch overall. It had its moments of charm, and the chemistry between the characters was evident. However, I wouldn't label it as anything extraordinary. It served as a pleasant, albeit unremarkable, quick binge that I still found enjoyable.

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