I don't usually pick up titles like this, preferring my dramas to have a little bit more bite than Cherry Magic. That said, I'm glad I didn't give up on this one when it got dropped from YouTube. In the midst of a very dark seasonal line up of BLs, Cherry Magic was perfectly posed to offer a sweet, charming romance that makes you smile.

-The Full Review-

STORY:
At it's strongest, Cherry Magic is a wonderful exploration of stable, adult characters facing a multitude of insecurities, lost dreams, and mundane problems. The warmth with which this show explored these themes and allowed the cast to earnestly support each other through their problems was (despite being a little bit soap-boxy) a really wonderful thing to hear. The romances were sweet and genuine, and built lasting relationships that felt earned. It is, for once, easy to know exactly why these character fell for each other.
That said, it was also just a *hair* too long. Some episodes, especially the finale, tended to drag on so long they dipped from warm and romantic to saccharine. Not *every* lesson needed a long narrated monologue about what was learned, as it really cut up the pacing in some episodes. This show really shined when it kept it simple, and I would have appreciated more moments that were allowed to end before reaching that point.

ACTING:
I wasn't familiar with TayNew before the show, but I was pleasantly surprised with their performances! It's not necessarily a secret that the GMMTV style of acting is not one that I find particularly appealing, but I felt that these two actors managed to reign in the facade to present some pretty relatable characters with delightfully understated performances. There was a wonderful push and pull between their "best behavior" when they are trying to impress each other, and their real personalities when they become more vulnerable and honest. I was particularly impressed with any moment that Achi was given a decently long monologue opening up to Karan (such as confessing he is afraid of heights).
My stand out actor from this show is actually Jan, who gave Pai such a wonderful and exciting warmth and humor. Though her personal character arc was fairly short and largely resolved by the time they returned from the retreat, I always looked forward to her scenes. She brought a really necessary energy to the show, especially when Achi and Karan were dealing with more somber arcs.

PRODUCTION:
All production departments did a wonderful job here. With such a simple framing, focusing on mundane realities, there is not much to say (and that's a good thing)! I did see a post pointing out the costuming departments attempts to make New look smaller through the costuming, and truly it was an admirable quest and I'm surprised how well they did. As always, I wish these productions were willing to put a *little* bit more funds into their idol story lines to make them a bit more believable but, I suppose that's a lot to ask for a side plot of a secondary couple. In general, this show was lovely to watch with well designed scenes and production that subtly enhanced the story without taking on life of their own.

NC SCENES:
Not truly applicable, but no dead fish either! A nice balance between an inherently romance-based plot without falling into sexless bromance tropes.

In all, I'd highly recommend this show to anyone looking for something sweet and romantic, or a pick-me-up when they're really feeling their late 20s/early 30s.