Karafurable (2021)

Colorful Love is everything it needs to be and more

I started watching this because I was looking for more josei manga to read and it was easier to find information about the show than the manga - which was because it was actively airing at the time. I didn't expect much and was blown away by how this show succeeds at every single thing it sets out to do!

MINI REVIEW: Colorful Love is a light-hearted, fun-loving celebration of differences. The 'hook' is that the main male lead dresses and acts without regard for typical gender roles; stylist Meguru enjoys wearing frills and dresses and bright nail-art and makeup, while model Kira prefers long sleek skirts, see-through blouses and an occasional harness. This is not the only area in which the show feels fresh and progressive, and it handles much more than simple romance, without ever keeping you on your toes too much - it mostly remains upbeat and harmless. Besides that, the actors are all skilled and/or charismatic, the characters are all likeable (flaws included!), and the directing, lighting, styling and even the editing are all incredibly well-done and perfectly tailored to the tone of the show.

FULL REVIEW (some spoilers here, but nothing big):

Our main couple is Wako and Meguru. They were two high school besties who have always liked each other but never really said anything. Meguru endured a lot of bullying due to his "feminine" appearance and interests, while Wako thought he was just the cutest thing ever and stood up for him - helping him to become confident in these aspects of himself as an adult. They accidentally reunite at a photoshoot - Wako works as a member of a josei manga magazine editorial team and Meguru is, among other things, a stylist for absurdly self-absorbed model Kira. Kira is half of our secondary couple; Wako's more serious but not unkind boss and editor-in-chief Asahi is the other half. The show revolves around these couples, their trials and tribulations in their blossoming relationships (some sooner than others) and the struggles they face personally and at work.

STORY
The story is clear, set up very well through fun, brief flashbacks and there's nothing wrong with the pacing. One or two episodes may be spent elsewhere, outside of our main storyline (mostly surrounding the characters' jobs and the developments that occur professionally affecting them personally and vice versa), but as they tend to further develop relationships between characters (including platonic ones!), I find it hard to deduct points for that.

It was an incredibly smart decision to add a secondary pairing that was essentially invented for the show (scroll down for some notes on the source material). Firstly, because a fair share of romance drama viewers prefer to see the pre-relationship will-they-won't-they development, and Wako and Meguru's mutual enthusiasm for each other was never going to let them stay apart for more than a few episodes. Asahi and Kira's relationship fills this void, slowly and convincingly developing over the course of 9/10 episodes. Secondly, because this is where this drama, the script, and the performances really truly shine. Kira-"sama" is turned into this confusingly charming clown of a man, so self-absorbed he can't tell he is absolutely 100% embarrassing himself, to the point where you can't even question it and find yourself unironically enjoying everything about this man, even as he winks at the camera and throws his jacket onto an assistant's head to invite more pictures of his chest. Then, having established this bizarre figure, we introduce realistic, older boss lady Asahi who won't allow him to get away with shit-talking staff or trying to flirt with/intimidate her, so she punches him in the stomach and he is immediately struck by cupid's bow. He's not the brightest though, so it takes him a bit to catch up.

CHARACTERS/CAST
- From what I can tell, Yoshikawa Ai (Wako) is the most talented and emotional, giving a very accurate performance of a young working woman who escapes into entertainment media the second she's done with work, without allowing herself to become completely engulfed by it (her apartment, however, is mostly merchandise). Besides that, her comedic chops are amazing, from drooling over cute boys to hissing at Meguru's bullies. I wish every #relatable jdrama protagonist could be like this, instead of the fumbling embarrassing mess they're usually made into.
- Itagaki Rihito (Meguru) is perfect for the role, definitely the standout in terms of how he seems to have jumped right out of the manga.
- Mizuno Miki (Asahi) was perfect for her role too, a very convincing and occasionally conflicted straight man to Kira and a mentor figure for almost everyone else. I just love her. I love cool 40+ year old main female characters in romance dramas. Someone quick rope her into another role like this! Except she's the main character this time!
- Kira's over the top antics stealing almost the entire drama makes it a crime to forget about Kiriyama Ren (Kira) - I have no clue how he kept a straight face during any of that. The comedy alone would have sufficed, but the more genuine moments were completely believable too.
- Oda Oideyasu (Sakai-san) is hilarious and he constantly corrects everyone on language, without being particularly mean-spirited (except towards one character LOL). He gets a special mention for not only being hilarious, but displaying such an earnest sensitive side surrounding his single fatherhood and his daughter. That got to me.
- Nagato Takato (Yuu-tan) is the perfect children's TV show host - his switch into someone who was poisoned by the bullying during his upbringing, who was desperate to see Meguru fail, super believable. I was kind of worried he'd be a gay villain, but he's just gay! A bit of a villain for two episodes, but he joins the gang. I love to see it. Him and Meguru connect over being bullied for being gender non-conforming in different ways! It was handled well imo.

The MUSIC is cute. Does what it needs to. The OST did not change my life. But I don't think this is very important.

In terms of REWATCH VALUE, I have literally already rewatched several episodes multiple times. By accident! I am already planning to make different friends who don't usually watch jdramas watch this one with me - it's so easy to recommend because it's funny and light-hearted but never in a cheap, vapid way.

SOURCE MATERIAL ('My Androgynous Boyfriend').
- The manga has gorgeous art and pretty much the exact dynamic we see between Wako and Meguru. They've already been together for several years when the manga begins, while the show follows their accidental reunion after going their separate ways as close friends in high school.
- Kira exists in the manga, to be beautiful and vaguely arrogant, but not much more. In the show, Kira steals the spotlight everywhere he goes; he's a bizarrely self-absorbed comic relief character who doesn't really care about anyone at first, but changes and grows into someone you can almost take seriously sometimes, because he's so, so serious about initially-uninterested Asahi.
- Asahi does not exist in the manga. Wako has a boss, but she's quite different. Asahi is the closest the show gets to a true straight man, but she never feels like a buzzkill.
- The show's structure, pacing, and the addition of Kira and Asahi, the creative liberties that were taken to improve the show (as opposed to blindly sticking to the manga), really elevate the show, while Meguru and Wako feel perfectly in-character, making it a faithful adaption in spirit AND an improvement from the source material.

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A lighthearted take on gender issues

I wasn't sure what I expected of this show, but I enjoyed it immensely. It's mostly fluffy, sweet fun. If you're looking for a cute romance to brighten your day, this is it! However, I also appreciated the handling of different kinds of gender issues in this show. There is the obvious one of Meguru being androgynous and his journey towards sharing his views on beauty and gender with the world was inspiring. However, there are also other gender and sexuality issues that pop up, like should women have to choose between work and family? Are men held to higher standards in the workplace than women are? Is it forgivable to out someone without their consent? Although it was sometimes a little too on the nose, I really enjoyed the lighthearted way the show approached these topics. My review kind of makes it seem like the show is heavy, but really it's the opposite (sometimes it's VERY goofy...which I loved!)

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