Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Sota Ryosuke is such an adorable squishy dumpling! He is the lead star of the 2022 Japanese series ‘Fukou-kun wa Kiss Shuru Shikanai!’ (Mr Unlucky Has No Choice but To Kiss) which is based on a manga of the same name. Sota plays Fukuhara Kota, an extremely unlucky college student, who ends up dating the popular Shinomiya Naoya who is incredibly lucky, so much so that his mere presence cancels out Kota’s misfortunes. Can the two last? Especially since their relationship is based upon a misunderstanding.
Eight episodes long, the series is an exaggerated romantic comedy, which hinges on the chemistry of the two leads. Luckily, Sota Ryosuke and Sato Yusuke (who plays the lucky Naoya) have an easy onscreen equation. Sato’s Naoya is handsome, calm, poised, intelligent, kind yet aloof, while Fukuhara Kota is a clumsy bumbling bum, full of energy and smiles. Together, they make an endearing match.
Told from Fukuhara’s perspective, the makers dive into the main plot twist right in the first episode – how the two vastly different protagonists end up dating each other. So, viewers get a bunch of first dates, innocent/comical interactions between two people who barely know each other but are already in a relationship. There is no serious conflict in the tale, and it makes for a fluffy, funny campus romance, complete with bizarre incidents that can make sense only in a Japanese manga!
I love how except for the first misunderstanding between Kota and Naoya, the two are quite communicative with each other; Naoya is very straightforward and does not beat around the bush about his feelings. The plot has an interesting take on luck – constant fortune is not necessarily a good thing, sometimes you just want to have a regular day, without people flocking around you over your incredible luck.
The last episode felt slightly random and the conclusion to Kota and Naoya’s romance felt too childish and cold. And unlike the title’s suggestion – there are very few kisses and disappointingly so. But overall, the series is a cute breezy watch for the weekend.
It is an 7.5/10 from me.
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