BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen (2023)

An Actor & His Fan

The bl drama about a couple of actors filming a bl drama could have been a hit or a miss. Either you take it the slapstick comedy cringe way, or you make it into a sweet romcom! Fortunately, they chose the right way, the romcom way!

Frankly, it is a perfect ,light watch for the first day of the year. The story of two actors: one , a former child star, trying to have a grown up's career and the other one a huge star and secretly, the other actor's huge fan. The first one has a big self-confidence issue while the other is so impressed to bi in his presence which of, course, leads to many misunderstandings. Since the drama has only three episodes, all misunderstandings were sorted out relatively quickly, the plot progressed at a steady pace and there was no time wasted. And still it did not seem rushed!

The actors were excellent. The support couple (the actors' managers) were deadpan and interesting, sneakily observing the main couple and scheming to get them together. Deliciously twisted and cute!

Of course, it is full of tropes but here they have taken advantage of them and I really did not mind it (fujoshi producer!). They managed to find the right balance between the comedy and the romance: trying to get together but being afraid to speak up, so they decided to pretend to practice being in character which led to a number of funny (interrupted kisses were many!) and sweet moments (date). We are also privy to their inside monologues which contradict so funnily with their actions: they are cool on the outside but falling to pieces inside! They also toned down the often exaggerated comedy they use when adapting mangas!

Cinematography is great, misty and dreamy. This is going straight on to my feel good list! Just the first best romcom of the year! Last year has really been the japanese bl year! They outdid themselves with a string of amazing and different bls! Hope they continue into this new year!

Read More

Cliched fun and fluff

An entertaining mix of comedy, cringe and cute. There were some parts I enjoyed, but it left me wanting more. I don’t think they used the cohabitation trope to its full potential, and there wasn't much character growth. There was also a big and easily avoidable misunderstanding.

They should have taken more time and thought when developing the characters, dynamics and pacing. When they first moved in together I wished we had more moments of them adjusting to each other. Some of the best parts of this drama was the time they spent cohabitating and Akafuji’s hilarious inner monologue. Instead the two main characters kind of just bounced between cliches. The script was constantly moving between fluffy moments and drama/misunderstandings, and I just wanted a little more depth. The story overly relies on Hajime being the “orange juice boy,” and a lot of the scenes about his trauma came off as cliche and soapy. In the end, the level of depth they went into with their characters was lackluster, but appropriate for a slapstick romcom.

Overall, the delivery was not as strong as the hook. I loved having an otaku main character, and I have a soft spot for acting stories. I also really enjoyed the two managers. They had great chemistry, and were both confident and appealing. The chemistry between the leads wasn’t that great, but wasn't horrible. Again, I wished they had kept the focus on them growing closer and their inner monologues while together. Still, it was a nice light-hearted watch to help me unwind while on break.

Read More

A Heartfelt Journey Through Love and Self-Discovery

A light-hearted look at love and relationships interspersed with humor and dark elements like parental neglect, childhood trauma, pessimism and mockery are what makes this 3-episode special so compelling and captivating.

The story revolves around Aoyanagi Hajime, a childhood star who suffers from self-confidence issues who gets an opportunity to work alongside an upcoming actor Akafuji Yuichiro on a live adaptation of a famous BL manga. In order to improve the chemistry between the actors, they decide to live under the same roof. Akafuji being in love with Hajime, falls short of making his true feelings known all the while hiding behind his persona from the BL manga. The characters try to navigate through these misunderstandings and hidden feelings to make the series a success.

The story is a series of misunderstandings between the two leads while they hide the respect that they have for each other as actors. This makes for some interesting and humours conversations between the 2 leads. However, as the story progresses you realise this isn’t just a series of comedic misunderstandings but shines light on some real-life issues through the point of view of actors. Through Hajime’s characters we are introduced to the expectation of manga fans from actors playing their beloved characters. This can easily build or break the series and he is acutely aware of this fact. Second, is the issue of self-confidence triggered through the comments from fans and general public about the actors. The cause of this issue is the childhood trauma caused by parental mistreatment. Through Yuichiro, we learn how people are quick to judge on the basis of you likes and hobbies. In all this, we also find that everyone needs a support system in life to help you push through your inhibitions and build yourself up.

Although the series does dwell in to some really dark elements, not much time is spent on explaining or expanding this due to limited episodes. Also, there is limited character development in the series and the secondary characters are relegated in to the background just to push the main plot points forward. The series also adheres to a common trend in Japanese BL by skirting explicit kissing scenes, a choice that, while not detracting from the narrative, may leave some longing for more authenticity in portraying romantic relationships. There are examples of some great BL series like “Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!” and “Kieta Hatsukoi” succeeding with no kissing scenes.

In conclusion, this series stands out as a compelling addition to the BL genre, skilfully blending romance with authentic portrayals of the challenges faced by its characters. While some aspects tread familiar ground and secondary character depth is desired, the series succeeds in delivering a charming and emotionally resonant viewing experience.

Read More

Delightful rom com cleverly executed.

Nichika as Aoyagi- imbues his character with the right amount of introversion and angst as he fights his low esteem issues to try and make a success from this BL drama opportunity.
Aran as Akafuji- on the surface a successful, experienced actor dedicated to improving his acting until he actually meets his stan Aoyagi and has to try very hard not to be a gushing fan.

Lots of lovely comedic scenes as each ML misunderstands the motives of the other, Their inner world is given to us as inner dialogue and this highlights the inner and outer conflict each is feeling.

Despite the briefness of only 3 episodes the story is cleverly plotted and unfolds at a good pace revealing their feelings and growing romantic interest,

Read More

Meta and cute, wish they would have developped more the side story which really intrigued me

This special drama is made of three episodes of 45 minutes (which is quite a sizable duration for a Japanese BL). It is about the encounter of a very trendy actor at the peak of his hype and a former child actor not really known as much to the public. They are both hired to play a couple in the live-action adaptation of a popular BL manga.

I love the premise of this story: it is super meta to have BL actors playing BL actors hired to play in a BL series. I really enjoyed the series but I wish they would have taken the concept even further. It stays very light and fluffy with a lot of comedy. Doing so, it feel a bit limitative in the emotions the main actors are portraying. They are doing a suitable job with the fun and goofy parts, as well as when they are playing characters but I wish I would have felt a bit more the attraction between them in their "real life" arc.

The secondary roles were very nice. There are no crazy woman part used to antagonize the main characters, which is always a good news. I found the two secondary female roles pretty good and wish I would have seen more of them. My biggest regret is coming from the fact that the most interesting relationship in the drama (the one between the two managers of the actors) was not developped enough. The scenario hinted a complicated romance with those two characters and I really would have loved if the show had elaborated much more on that.

The production value was standard for the genre and the songs were not memorable but suitable to the pop and manga atmosphere of the show.

I would recommend this to people looking for a fluffy, cute and fun BL with some interesting meta references and a cohabitation trope. I wish it would have been more angsty and complex but it was clearly not the objective of the story. I would have really loved for the series to develop much more some of the sides characters (especially the secondary romance) but it was still a very easy and pleasant watch pretty entertaining.

Read More

A Hilarious, Over Dramatic Romcom

Adapted from the manga series BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita by Suzuri Machi and starring Abe Aran (Akafuji Yuichiro) and Akutsu Nichika (Aoyanagi Hajime), I Became the Main Role of a BL is precisely what its title implies. It follows two actors in two different stages of their careers–one famous, the other a child actor waning in popularity–cast in the leading roles of a BL series.

It’s fun. It’s over-dramatic. It’s full of heart-fluttering tropes. It resonates deeply.

Japan’s romcoms rarely fail me. They pull off over-the-top comedy in a way no other country has quite yet mastered. While the trope-filled comedy scenes in this series could come off as cringe, it somehow doesn’t. The secret but not-so-subtle crush that popular actor Yuichiro has on child actor Hajime is sweet and endearing, full of giggles and warmth, which makes each scene a delight to tune into.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/01/02/i-became-the-lead-in-a-bl-drama-crank-up-edition-series-review-ep-1-to-3/

Read More

I became overwhelmed by the main characters’ cuteness

What a good way to start the year with a fluffy BL! This is extremely fun and I was already mesmerized by the charm of the main couple right after watching the first half of the pilot episode. Both of them are indeed good-looking actors with acting skills that are genuinely adorable.

The story is likable with almost no sign of cringey scenes. With only three episodes, this is enough for a worthy time to binge-watch such an entertaining show. Overflowing with cuteness and excitement. I have no major issues regarding the overall production of the show. It's just that I somehow feel disappointed or specifically demanded a lot more intimate scenes like hugging, kissing, and cuddles from the main character. Yet, there is no doubt that I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama set the bar higher for rom-com-inspired BLs. They did it properly without too much drama and a fine execution of scripts.

With this, I was once again blessed to get to know another new face in the world of BL that I will be going to stan from now on. Abe Alan, as the man running in the first place, really got my whole attention. The face card never declines but the great thing is this man knows how to act, plus he is wearing a strong sizzling aura that makes you fall in love with him. His character has an adorable personality that I always feel so fueled with happiness for his loveable nature and gestures. Akutsu Nichika is also an actor to look forward to. I like his acting and the role fits him. I was shocked by the way that the series confirmed the obvious relationship between the two actors’ managers -by showing their own bed scenes moment which were too hot and fancy.

I wanted more but I could not demand more. They already gave us a lengthy duration per episode but since the drama is so good, I am hoping for more. This is exactly the kind of feeling I want to experience each time I finish a good drama -the feeling of joy from a good watch.

Read More

Hilarious Satire

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

This series was hilarious, cute, and heartwarming. This is a good example that you don’t need a lot of episodes to tell a great story. The script was very well written and didn’t take things too seriously. It had a lot of components that you think shouldn’t work, but it somehow did. The cast was awesome and did a great job with their characters. It also had great cinematography and graphics. I will have to say there is only one negative aspect about this series.

Random Note:

What an awesome way to end this year.

There was a few times when there are no English subtitles in the 2nd episode, but I was still able to figure out the overall mood of what was going on.

******Potential Spoiler Alert******

The one negative aspect about this series was the one kissing scene. We see the standard dead fish lips. If they are going to show this, I would have been fine with them not even having a kissing scene. However, this was only a minor negative for me because the rest of the series was just too funny and cute for me to care about it.

Read More

A sweetly comedic story

Upon initial read of the synopsis of this BL, the likelihood for the 'cringe factor' to be off the charts is really high. But instead, what we find here is great chemistry between the leads and believable acting. The comedic timing in certain scenes had me wheezing with laughter. It was a perfect balance of funny and sweet.

I really loved how this series subtlety addresses the people who are watching the series and how being a fan / stan of something doesn't necessary make you a weirdo / loser.

The only thing that would absolutely make this better, is if it had more episodes or a s2.

It's just too good for it to be this short.

But what a fun and easy watch to start off 2024!

Read More

Half rom-com, half meta-comedy, all charm

Aw hell they really got me with this one. I wasn't expecting to be so thoroughly charmed by this little show, but they truly won me over.
The balance between incredibly clever meta-comedy, classic rom-com shenanigans, and genuinely emotionally impactful scenes is absolutely pitch-perfect. The writing is consistently excellent, the editing is tight and precise and enhances both the comedy and the more serious moments perfectly, and the acting is frankly phenomenal.
This kind of over-the-top humour can be really hard for me to get into but here it feels weirdly natural and grounded and made me laugh out loud quite a bit.
And even if the humour isn't quite your thing you'd be hard-pressed not to fall in love with the characters. Not only are our two mains absolute sweethearts whose dynamic is highly engaging and honestly a joy to watch, they are backed up by a wonderful cast of supporting characters who are all uniquely weird but equally lovable.
I won't claim this is some sort of cinematic masterpiece which has revolutionised the genre, but for a relatively straight-forward romantic comedy, this show sort of has it all - I honestly can't think of anything they could have done better.
In short, this story is funny, sweet, feels oddly real, and is incredibly fun to watch. I highly recommend you go check it out for yourself.

Read More