Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Mamiya Natsume is a friendly, cheery, hardworking cosmetic consultant, whose junior, Sahashi, is quite aloof, arrogant, and not as earnest about work as other employees. Despite their vastly different personalities, Mamiya sees Sahashi’s potential, constantly encouraging him in subtle ways, leading to an unexpected relationship between the two.
Directed by Shindo Takehiro, the live-action romance spans eight episodes and is based on the manga series “Cosmetic Playlover” (コスメティック・プレイラバー) by Narashima Sachi. Okuno So stars as the lead character, Mamiya, with Toyoda Yudai portraying Sahashi, a model-turned-makeup artist. Both are standout employees at their branch, known for drawing in female customers with their good looks, particularly Sahashi. While many attribute Sahashi’s high sales figures solely to his appearance, Mamiya is the only one who sees beyond his handsome exterior.
“Cosmetic Playlover? Is that like a kinky series?” a friend who peeked at the working title for this review asked.
“No, it’s not!”
It didn’t even strike me until then that the title generates expectations of a sexy, playful romance, but instead, “Cosmetic Playlover” is surprisingly vanilla. Mamiya and Sahashi spend most of their time working, navigating unexpected rivals, with a few romantic scenes here and there. A lot of the show focuses on the characters either working or encountering problems, some of which feel superficially imposed into the storyline just to introduce some conflict. For instance, a former colleague of Mamiya shows up at his workplace and tries to get him sacked over baseless accusations.
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Okuno So is charmingly bright as the diligent, wide-eyed Mamiya; however, the character oscillates between being a positive cheerleader and an annoying overthinker who often doesn’t voice his views and, worse – jumps to conclusions for others. For example, he chooses to believe a random new character and attempts to push Sahashi into completely overhauling his life without even having a proper conversation about it. Thus, a lot of their relationship tends to feel unrealistic, especially due to the needless communication gaps they have.
I remembered Okuno So seeming familiar, and then I realized I had seen him in the food-themed Japanese series “Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka,” where he played the lead’s ex-boyfriend, a confident, irresponsible, playful, happy-go-lucky guy who livened up the show with his laidback personality. In “Cosmetic Playlover,” Okuno So’s character is completely different, and one can spot his versatility as an actor.
Toyoda Yudai, on the other hand, doesn’t make much of a strong impression as the typical tsundere (tough on the outside, soft on the inside) lead, who tends to be overtly possessive of Mamiya. The chemistry between the lead actors is just about watchable, not the kind of pairing many fans would want to see again. However, what I liked best about “Cosmetic Playlover” is that the romantic moments between Mamiya and Sahashi are organic and do not feature ridiculous scenes of ‘accidental’ kisses.
Yonemura Tomoki as Harukawa Taichi was the only supporting character who was relatable in “Cosmetic Playlover.” Unlike the other more exaggerated personalities, Taichi is a clumsy, cute new employee who is eager to learn the ropes of the trade.
The cinematography is visually engaging, with warm tones dominating the more romantic scenes between Sahashi and Mamiya. Since a large part of “Cosmetic Playlover” takes place at the Beauty Store where the leads work, the creators have done a convincing job of bringing the manga’s vision to life with the fictional brand ‘Romy Feerique.’
The whole makeup industry setting serves as an interesting new backdrop for a familiar romantic tale where two good-looking leads fall in love after facing a series of misunderstandings.
Rating: 6 out of 10.
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