My most recent and actually completed one is Kieta Hatsukoi or it's english name My Love Mix-Up! I think I initially saw this one on Instagram reels as an edit of the scene in episode 2 where Aoki is trying to mentally map out the unfortunate predicament he had gotten himself into.
I never really thought of myself to be one for incredibly complicated love triangles, but this drama really hits the spot! In this blog post I am going to analyse the final 23-minute episode and give my thoughts on the series as a whole.
NB: This blog post will almost certainly contain spoilers. However, I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible for anyone reading this that decides to watch the J-drama
NB#2: This story was originally a manga turned into both a J-drama and a Thai-drama. This review is only accurate to the J-drama. Please bear that in mind.
What is the premise of Keita Hatsukoi?
Souta Aoki (first name last name) finds himself caught up in a horrible lie an love triangle when an eraser he receives from classmate and crush Mio Hashimoto has the name of his other classmate Kousuke Ida written on it!? Watch Aoki, Hashimoto and Ida navigate this mix-up of first loves filled with laughter and lots of misunderstandings.
Mind you: this is all because of an eraser.
I realise now that the way I write my story summaries is quite funny, isn't it? Even if you don't regularly consume shows with love triangles or squares or other shapes with more than four sides, PLEASE give this one a go. It's funny, wonderfully written and ends up being sweet when you wouldn't expect it.
I think it's also good to note that there is another highly important character named Hayato Aida. He is Aoki's best friend and together with Ida, Aoki and Hashimoto they form a little friend group together. It's sweet and really lovely seeing everyone interact with each other.
The J-drama contains 10 episodes with a length around 20-23 minutes. It was quite interesting to me because out of the four dramas (including this one) that I have watched, this one was the only one with episodes that were only 20 minutes! If length matters to you, then you might prefer this one if you don't like watching stuff with really long episodes.
There is little to say about the plot without spoiling it, but it was highly enjoyable! It had me side-eyeing Ida when Aoki did too and feeling dejected when Aoki and Hashimoto were too. The characters are lovable and have their own distinct personalities that don't come out as just trope characters. Considering that Kieta Hatsukoi is a BL, I'm really happy that Hashimoto isn't disregarded or treated as a disposable obstacle for the development of former class strangers Aoki and Ida.
I feel like a lot of mangakas or BL creators tend to treat the women in their stories as just obstacles or remove them entirely with situations like all boys schools (NO SHADE towards this trope at all I just find it quite funny to use in order to get rid of the possible female competition for the main couple's story). I'm a girl myself, so seeing women who aren't just treated as bratty obstacles and are instead given relatable or understandable personalities is a win for me!!!
In the end it was really hard to pick a favourite character. I really like all of them though I am inclined to choose Aoki and Hashimoto. Their struggles and joys are very entertaining to watch. If you end up watching and getting a favourite character you can definitely say in the comments!
Episode 10 - A Review
The finale is my second favourite episode in the whole series. Why am I talking about my second favourite? Because it's the one I have most to say about. It was really pretty.
Kieta Hatsukoi was the first time I had seen a different confession scene trope in all of my time of watching anime. It wasn't at a beach or graduation ceremony or a date or a summer festival. It was at something called a Christmas Illumination festival. I was intrigued. A christmas light show? Perfect for a confession or something similar!
Alas! Things between Ida and Aoki versus Hashimoto and Aida were VASTLY different.
Ida and Aoki were going through it. On the verge of never sharing a kiss together! Meanwhile Hashimoto was making significant progress with Aida. It's such a funny comparison considering the speed of Aoki and Hashimoto's progression. Why is this information relevant however? Why should you care?
Because of the symbolism of the lighting.
The lights used at the illumination party were cool and warm lights. Blue and orange. It was really pretty and the production team could have left them as just that: lights. Yet those lights? There were a beautiful way of showing Aoki's confliction with the choice he told Ida. When speaking to his other classmates he looked warm and the laughter emmanating from the screen kept it light and casual. But when Aoki was alone and not speaking, he was blue. Cold agaisnt the warmth of the background. It's quite easy to spot, but it's such a lovey detail. This blue lighting is ony used with Aoki's feelings, however.
But does it stop there? Nope.
Hashimoto's sorrow isn't shown with blue lights. It's just amplified when she sits alone on the staircase. And when Aida accepts the cake she baked for him, it's warm. It was always warm. The lights look even prettier in that moment.
Hashimoto's baking helps too!! ╰(*°▽°*)╯
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That's all I can say about Kieta Hatsukoi without spoiling it. I hope this blog post convinces at least one of you to watch it, and I hope you found this blog post entertaining.
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Fun fact! I try to write most of my blog posts in one sitting or at least in the same day!! (。﹏。*)
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