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Plot overview: Ryota Natsukawa looks forward to living a carefree, independent university life, away from home, chores, and babysitting his younger sisters. However, he is in for a surprise when his mother suggests he share a flat with Kazuhito Tanaka, a childhood friend, to save costs as they get into the same university. Not as close as before, the shy Ryota isn’t sure what living with a popular athlete will be like, but not only do the two rekindle their friendship, Ryota begins to face an identity crisis when he realizes Kazuhito has romantic feelings for him.
Based on a manga of the same name by Miyata Toworu, the 2024 Japanese romantic-drama “Living with Him”/”Kare no Iru Seikatsu” (彼のいる生活) stars Ryuga Sato and Sho Sakai as leads Kazuhito Tanaka and Ryota Natsukawa respectively. Directed by Kato Ayaka (Taikan Yoho / Zenra Meshi), the series spans eight episodes and is a standard “friends to lovers” tale, with a lot of familiar ingredients that make it borderline bland after a couple of episodes.
“Living with Him” (“Kare no Iru Seikatsu”) maintains a steady pace as a slow-burn romance filled with pining, misunderstandings, and a few funny moments. Ryuga Sato and Sho Sakai earnestly portray new university students navigating the uncharted territories of first love. However, the series lacks memorable moments between the two characters. Their chemistry fluctuates between awkward and cute, despite numerous flashback scenes intended to illustrate their warm childhood friendship and why Kazuhito intensely crushes on the down-to-earth Ryota.
The cinematography is simple, though sometimes the daylight shots are too bright, as if the cameraperson forgot to adjust the white balance. This might have been deliberate, but it doesn’t always look visually appealing. Since many scenes take place in Ryota and Kazuhito’s shared flat, much of “Living with Him” (“Kare no Iru Seikatsu”) achieves a domestic-intimate tone, though this doesn’t necessarily reflect the proximity between the characters.
The show lacks youthful energy, except for the few scenes where Ryota’s sisters, Saki (Arai Miu) and Mana (Akitani Mone), interact with him. Saki and Mana both have a huge crush on Kazuhito and don’t hold back from displaying it, constantly cheering for him whenever they are around. The climax is laid-back, cheery, and avoids descending into a clichéd sentimental ending. One just wishes the characters could have had their resolution a little earlier.
Director Kato Ayaka should’ve made this into a smaller 5-episode show like “Old Fashion Cupcake”, as things feel dragged out by the last three episodes. Regardless, “Living with Him” (“Kare no Iru Seikatsu”) is a decent one-time watch for those who enjoy a cute, slow romantic drama exploring the “friends to lovers” trope.
Rating: 5.5 on 10.
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