cam
Watch it, especially if you want to smile :)
My favorite thing about this show was how consistently lighthearted it was, without being meaningless. Its premise is very fitting for the overall atmosphere: 30-year-old virgins get mind-reading abilities. At first glance, it is totally absurd (it is), but it's also representative of the kind of stigma that surrounds not just 30-year-old virgins, but anyone who feels distanced from the rest of society because they don't hit the "expected" milestones as they age. This is a very clear theme of the show from early on, not just in terms of sex, but also with romance and even career achievements and ambitions.
Cherry Magic is a must-watch for anyone who feels they are "falling behind" or "lacking passion" or running out of time to achieve their goals/desires.
With all of that, the show carries with it a sense of hope in every episode. There is only one episode that I would call a truly sad one - the rest had me grinning ear to ear, my heart warm and content. The two main characters, as well as all of their friends, are very wholesome. Cherry Magic gives us a good variety of healthy relationships - both romantic and platonic.
For all of its whimsy, Cherry Magic still manages to address some heavy issues, even if very briefly. It acknowledges that homophobia exists without making it the focus of the show in any way, and one of my favorite scenes features a discussion of how scary it is to think you may not live up to others' expectations. Alongside that, we also get a glimpse at a character who explicitly says (well, thinks) that she isn't motivated by romance or sex (possibly ace/aro-spectrum), which I've never seen in any drama before, let alone a romantic show!
Finally, I appreciated that, even though the magic does play into the plot of this specific show, it doesn't detract from the realism. It's not as though a relationship between Adachi and Kurosawa could never have come to be without the existence of telepathic powers; it just happened to serve as a fun catalyst. And ultimately, it isn't the magic that solves the Big Problems (low self-esteem, the objectification of the human body, societal pressure to hit milestones "on time," etc.). It's the genuine love shared in healthy relationships that does the trick, regardless of whether that is expressed through telepathic mind-reading, or just... speaking. Thinking about it in this light, love (romantic, sexual, platonic, or otherwise) is more magical than the actual magic!
Why I didn't give it 10 stars:
The character Tsuge was so over the top that it was overwhelming to me. I get overwhelmed very easily, and get secondhand embarrassment when someone so much as sneezes in a quiet room on screen, so it was somewhat painful watching his parts of the show. That said, I know many people who related to him and treasure his role in Cherry Magic, so this comes down to personal preference. Watch those scenes at 2x speed if you have to (that's what I did), but don't let it stop you from watching this gem of a show.
Cherry Magic is a must-watch for anyone who feels they are "falling behind" or "lacking passion" or running out of time to achieve their goals/desires.
With all of that, the show carries with it a sense of hope in every episode. There is only one episode that I would call a truly sad one - the rest had me grinning ear to ear, my heart warm and content. The two main characters, as well as all of their friends, are very wholesome. Cherry Magic gives us a good variety of healthy relationships - both romantic and platonic.
For all of its whimsy, Cherry Magic still manages to address some heavy issues, even if very briefly. It acknowledges that homophobia exists without making it the focus of the show in any way, and one of my favorite scenes features a discussion of how scary it is to think you may not live up to others' expectations. Alongside that, we also get a glimpse at a character who explicitly says (well, thinks) that she isn't motivated by romance or sex (possibly ace/aro-spectrum), which I've never seen in any drama before, let alone a romantic show!
Finally, I appreciated that, even though the magic does play into the plot of this specific show, it doesn't detract from the realism. It's not as though a relationship between Adachi and Kurosawa could never have come to be without the existence of telepathic powers; it just happened to serve as a fun catalyst. And ultimately, it isn't the magic that solves the Big Problems (low self-esteem, the objectification of the human body, societal pressure to hit milestones "on time," etc.). It's the genuine love shared in healthy relationships that does the trick, regardless of whether that is expressed through telepathic mind-reading, or just... speaking. Thinking about it in this light, love (romantic, sexual, platonic, or otherwise) is more magical than the actual magic!
Why I didn't give it 10 stars:
The character Tsuge was so over the top that it was overwhelming to me. I get overwhelmed very easily, and get secondhand embarrassment when someone so much as sneezes in a quiet room on screen, so it was somewhat painful watching his parts of the show. That said, I know many people who related to him and treasure his role in Cherry Magic, so this comes down to personal preference. Watch those scenes at 2x speed if you have to (that's what I did), but don't let it stop you from watching this gem of a show.
Was this review helpful to you?
