Old Fashion Cupcake (2022)

Short, sweet, full of fluff yet realistic

To have a BL series featuring characters who are older than the typical characters in BL may be a risk, but it also offers opportunities for something realistic and moving. The fact that the leads are colleagues, that the older one is 39, that there's a ten-year age gap between them, are not just glossed over but nicely used to highlight realistic concerns in a sweet love story.

The love story itself does take some time to develop. While the two leads are attractive men in the story, it is not really the main focus (unlike some series that spend too much time on how attractive one of the male leads is) or even necessarily the main cause of their attraction to each other. Some flashbacks effectively highlight the development of the feelings between the two men.

Despite the sweetness, the series also features genuine concerns like ageing (though neither of the leads is really old) and social isolation. The issue of masculinity and what society expects of men and of people at different ages is also brought up. When the two leads agree to pretend to be girls, it's more like they are pretending to pretend--I think they genuinely want to be expressive and share their emotions with someone rather than to behave the way society expects grown up men to.

The obstacles that are in the way of their relationship are also quite genuine. When the older guy thinks about their relationship, he thinks, "He's a man, and I'm a man". I don't think he's unable to come to terms with a same-sex relationship but is worried about people's reactions and how it may affect the both of them. Even when they are about to kiss at the end of the series, they stop upon hearing people nearby.

While we have a sweet love story in Old Fashion Cupcake, the realistic treatment of the problems that can come in the way of the romance enhance the story. An awareness of these problems makes one appreciate the love the two leads show each other more.

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Heartwarming And Profound

This is my first Japanese BL show. Recently I've watched a few Korean BL shows and got used to their humour and acting and brutal honesty. I knew that a Japanese show would be different. Here, we got a lot of unsaid things and things said through saying other things, as is more typical in Japan. I adored the use of language. I don't speak Korean well, so I could not appreciate the language aspect of Korean dramas, but I do speak Japanese and I adored every word in this show. I adored how the script was delivered, the intensity of words that were said, and the nuance of all the words that were left out.

I absolutely adored the message of this show: no age is too old as long as you don't give up on yourself and your happiness. I'm at a very precarious point in my own life and I needed to see this show. The romance part as well was very sweet and gentle and genuine. I can honestly say that watching this show made my day.

Will 100/10 rewatch!

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best bl with limited episode

It sad but true that best bl always end to soon. But this drama full file everything. Dominant, younger but taller seme is at its best. Togawa is the best husband in the world. he is very dedicated and patience and only care about nozesa happiness. but he is not perfect he sometimes fail to control and show his emotion brutally and that make him human. but be sure he is not toxic at all. He make mistake acknowledge it and admit it and also feel guilty about it.
and noze sa is another way of perfect husband material you can find in life. their pair is the the best in j bl. and the kiss scene is beyond expectation .

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ONE OF THE BEST SERIES ♡

Positive:
Obviously an opinion haha, everybody's likings are different.
I cannot begin to think of how much I LOVED this serie. I found it so adorable and cute, the build up to their whole relationship was wonderful. Definitely my comfort serie. The whole concept is so cute. I love how this serie shows that no matter what age you are you can still fall in love, it's never too late to still feel that spark. I love how Nozue is able to feel happiness in that way even if he is considered "old." It's like he is reliving his childhood, trying things he hasn't tried in a long time. Big thanks to Togawa for giving him that push. ?

(Loved the aesthetic as well ?)

Negative:
I don't have much to say other than the age gap...10 year age gap didn't really sit right with me. I'd say at least 5 would be alright. Another thing is I would've loved to see more of them at the end in their relationship :(

I'm hoping for a season 2..!!

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You must watch this (and you will finish it in one day)!

I loved this series and I found it very relatable, as I am sure many other viewers did. It actually made me reflect on myself personally to work on trying new things outside of my comfort zone. The OST is fun and addictive. Having 5 episodes is perfect, as there is enough in each episode to keep you interested and wanting to keep watching (I often find myself skipping through other series when it feels like is dragging on too much and there are too many episodes). Coming from mostly Thai BL series, I am really impressed and will definitely be on the lookout for more Japanese BL shows in the future.

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Fluffy and deep at same time!

I don't get the title name but I like it.

Except for 1st episode that's a little slow, once the story picks up, its really good.

I love how it shows us truly, that love is love, transcending age and gender.

It's really cute how they play "pretend game". It depicts real life challenges people face, so its pretty realistic show.

Love how it also teaches us about happiness and life lessons generally

It's lighthearted yet bring deep meaning all at same time

It made me very happy watching them. I learnt a lot from both characters.

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A sweet tale about mature men finding happiness. It's a quiet and calm story with no big upheavals and little drama. Sure, there are a few hiccups there, on their way to happiness, but it's more of a "let me think about it first" rather than "oh no, whatever we'll do, the world is against us!" thing.

It was actually quite interesting that Nozue was more worried about what would people think of him eating sweets and taking photos and being openly happy rather than stoic and whatnot than he was about what everyone might think of him dating a man. I wonder if that was intentional?

Seeing Takeda Kouhei play Nozue was kinda a whiplash thing for me because the only big part I've seen him in so far was in Kamen Rider Build where he played Grease who went back and forth between a stoic soldier and a fanboy, there was no in-between. And Nozue was neither so it was intriguing to see this side of him as an actor.

Also, I really loved that Takeda Kouhei decided to try out this genre after seeing that his Kamen Rider Build friends - Akaso Eiji & Inukai Atsuhiro - both played in BL dramas already. Nice.

Overall, an understated slice-of-life story. Recommended to those who are fed up with big roller coaster dramas.

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JUST GO FOR IT-U WILL LOVE THIS

I wonder y this kind of best dramas always rated low , and hyped low. This one surprised me hugely with just 5 episodes and 20 minute long .(I must say i was disappointed with a 14 episode 45 min long most hyped bl drama in the meanwhile)
I cant describe this drama just with a word cute.It has everything -the lovable tension bw leads,jelousy,caring, life lesson,cute moments,bestest conffession ...everything
only miss is a kiss in the end.But thats fine for me.Thanks for the comment section which made me found this gem.

I want to take the life lesson from this drama that 'Try something new everyday'

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Beautiful, anti-aging, appreciating the small things in life.

Old Fashion Cupcake follows Togawa and Nozue, Togawa being 29 and Nozue being 39 years old. They're coworkers, but Nozue has always been a huge inspiration for Togawa. He has followed his boss's advice and is close to him. To return this favor, Togawa makes Nozue enjoy his life more. Nozue mentions that girls have more fun, and so the two do girly things like having girls talk, going to cafes, and eating sweets. They become closer and closer, the two can feel the tension as their relationship becomes more than boss and employee.

This drama is a great new addition to BL dramas. It is rather short, which is a little disappointing to me. The five episodes make it more like a movie, which is fine but I would have liked a bit more time to flesh out the characters and the relationship. The music is good and the acting skills are strong. The setting, while being explored in other BLs like Cherry Magic and Life: Love on the Line, is still unique. Older people deserve fulfilling love lives too. I love how Nozue feels like a shy person even though he is portrayed as 10 years older than his lover. They have great chemistry. I would recommend this BL to BL fans in general, as well as anyone who likes silly slice of life movies.

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Try for a fresh experience!

I opened an account just to write the review for this piece of art! Old Fashion Cupcake is a clear distinction from the other Japanese drama works in the BL/Yaoi genre. As someone who has read the manga innumerable times, and loved it every time, no less, this is the first time I'm finding the live action actually better than the manga. Mostly adapted dramas are either a far throw from the manga and good, or they're just bad (this observation is as per my experience only!) . This one here has exact lines from the manga (in some places) resulting in an enjoyable, thoroughly flirtatious dialogue throughout the series. The best part of the drama for me, was the settings and the aesthetic involved. Other than the obvious attraction of getting to see the ultimate kawaii dessert parlors that the protagonists visit, the coloring, props, even the side cast are all on point. Muted colors give off a comfortable, relaxed vibe that the show carries consistently, the character's homes, the office all appear natural and lived-in. That's a plus point for me as mostly dramas involve clean, tidy living spaces that seem very unnatural. But that was not the case with this one! The actors deserve kudos for being able to play their characters with the essential feels involved, not at any point did I feel any discrepancies with what I've understood about the protagonists from the manga, in the drama portrayal. The drama on the whole feels surreal, yet extremely simple and warm.

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A love story that are just as sweet as newly cooked pancakes despite their age and gender

This is a short yet amusing ride of witnessing mature men engrossed in deep romance. The establishment of the protagonists’ life accomplishments, in the beginning, was such sensing subject to tell. Some people are content enough with their daily life cycle between eating, sleeping, and working. Adds the idea that even when a person gets old, it is still hard for some to know what they truly wanted to achieve in life. These kinds of topics are rarely included in the BL shows nowadays, which mostly revolve around the adolescence stage. Realistically good!

The story is giving me a new version of butterflies. The anti-aging activities that the main characters decided to try are the cutest. Their sweet food dates and playing pretend as teenagers along with their girls' talk are the fluffiest. Togawa works hard to accomplish his flirtatious efforts to invite his one-sided crush on an indirect date. His punchlines, jealousy over the harem lunch and mix-up, the jerk off-topic, and implying that exercising to build stamina is suitable for sex; all of these are just hilariously applaudable.

Mr. Nozue’s innocence despite him being in his late 30s is adorable. The misinterpreted no email reply due to his unfamiliarity with switching from a keypad to a smartphone was a memorable scene. At long last, maybe he decided to change his phone so that he can also document both their sweet dines by means of video recording both the food and Togawa.

The moment they finally finished testing each other’s water and began breaking the ice in a forceful way was a difficult scene to portray but both actors played the climax naturally and perfectly. I love the tension and emotion that runs throughout their facial expressions, gestures, and voice intonation. Specifically, Togawa cried so hard in this scene that he unintentionally split out the nasal liquid in his runny nose.

My only desire is that they should offer another intimate kiss at the finale, after becoming boyfriends for real. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the whole 5 episodes successfully manage to bring a certain amount of enjoyment and value to the viewers. Along with the soothing and captivating OST. I want more and hopefully, they will give us another season because it was worth it to spend time binge-watching.

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Very Light Romance Yet Heartfelt Life Reflections

Realization slapped me so hard while watching this five-episode series. I watched this without being mentally prepared. I may not give this an emotional 100% appraisal for their romance since I was too focused by their situation as a near 30 and 40s aged men. Living life without new challenges only begets a stale life. Everyone wants a Togawa that could bring the light to life.

The story focused on the two main characters. All supporting characters made their justifying roles for a 2-hour entire series. This series doesn't give any side stories which I really want for a short-length series.

A must-watch for viewers who want a share of slice of life.

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