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Really don’t think those who’ve read ‘Unexpectedly Naughty Fukami’ AKA ‘Yatara Yarashii Fukami-kun’ by Ayaka Matsumoto, or even seen the anime, would’ve expected a live-action series out of it. Because this is very smutty BL manga about marketing playboy Kaji hooking up with I-T nerd Fukami on an office trip together, after they find out they’re both gay and think ‘okay we’re both horny, so why not just do it?’. And then they decide to be colleagues with benefits.
Spanning 10 episodes, ‘Unexpectedly Naughty Fukami’ stars Yu Miyazaki as protagonist Yu Fukami, an asocial, introverted I-T guy, while Atsuki Kashio plays Akihiro Kaji, an extroverted narcissist, who doesn’t believe in serious relationships, and saves the numbers of his dates based on their rating. For instance, he saves Fukami as zero points, even though he revises the score to 10 in his head.
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Despite his outwardly dowdy appearance, with bangs covering his eyes and baggy shirts hiding his figure, Fukami turns out to be anything but timid in private, which is why Kaji keeps coming back for more. Yet Fukami isn’t looking for anything serious either, and as the pair spend more time together, they both become increasingly confused about where things are headed. That’s one of the more refreshing aspects of ‘Unexpectedly Naughty Fukami’: the nerdy, seemingly shy romantic lead is the emotionally distant one, with more reservations about traditional relationships than the playboy character.
Visually, Yu Miyazaki looks perfect as the titular Fukami. He seems ordinarily nerdy in his office outfits, but becomes considerably more attractive with his hair pulled back and his clothes off. In one hilarious episode, his sister gives him a makeover, and Kaji fails to recognize him. It’s genuinely funny because, unlike in shows where characters barely look different after taking off their glasses, Fukami actually does look like a completely different person in that episode.
Atsuki Kashio, on the other hand, is quite comedic as Akihiro Kaji, despite the character’s design in ‘Unexpectedly Naughty Fukami’ suggesting someone with a very different personality. And while the creators pack in plenty of steamy scenes between the leads, some of them hilariously awkward and weird, the chemistry isn’t noteworthy.
So while both actors are individually good in their roles, together they somehow fail to create any real sparks. That turns out to be a surprising let-down for a show so packed with kisses and intimate scenes. Keita Machida and Eiji Akaso had far more onscreen chemistry in the chaste romantic comedy ‘Cherry Magic’, despite not sharing a single kiss throughout the series.
That said, ‘Unexpectedly Naughty Fukami’ (‘Yatara Yarashii Fukami-kun’) is a fairly decent live-action adaptation of a manga that wasn’t exactly overflowing with plot. Here, the creators make an effort to give the characters more personality than simply being two colleagues who can’t keep their hands off each other. It’s trope-y, cheesy, and quite funny in parts.
‘Unexpectedly Naughty Fukami’ Is on TVer and GagaOOLala.
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