The Cherry Magic Effect — A Comforting Fairy Tale?

IfI told you that no other show than Cherry Magic ever gave me the feeling of comfort and feeling home would you believe me? I randomly came across this Japanese Drama and it changed me in many ways and I’m not exaggerating here. While dealing with my mental health and my depression to be specific during COVID-19 times — I felt the loneliness and unhappiness inside me growing. The impact and feeling this little drama left in my heart exceeded all my expectations. Even though it did not magically make my problems disappear, it did motivate me to keep trying.

Suddenly I found myself in the comment section, commenting paragraphs and paragraphs of random thoughts, observations, admiration, analysis, random niche memes, and a good dose of crushing on the very talented actor Machida Keita. The comment section was never empty. Someone was always commenting, replying, always talking. The warmth of the comment section felt like the best, never-ending hug. This special community found its way into my heart. I truly think that this series attracted very special people, the best kind of people. This is the truly magical part of this experience.

I started to host watch parties for CM to share my joy and discovered how healing the experience of watching and re-watching this drama actually is. I never enjoyed rewatching anything. It is simply not something that gives me that much joy. So, I never really got what people meant by their “comfort” show. However, it changed with Cherry Magic. Almost every single episode made me feel like a teen falling in love for the first time again — extremely happy, giddy, and butterflies in my stomach. Every re-watch felt like an entirely different experience.

But the fact that this is my first Boys’ Love (BL) drama made me do a lot of research and late-night reading. I never felt comfortable to watch a BL drama before. I did not know why something would be classified as Boys’ Love instead of LGBTQ+. I found out there are many different readings and academic perspectives on this genre. So I came to the realization that in no way Cherry Magic is a perfect drama. I am someone who can love something but still views things from a more critical perspective.

You can read the whole article/essay here:
https://aylind.medium.com/the-cherry-magic-effect-a-comforting-fairy-tale-316ea781796d
I also included academic sources and more information on the BL genre.

The Concept of Romantic (Boys) Love

Up until the Meiji period, homosexual acts were practiced throughout the Tokugawa and Edo periods in Japan. In the Edo period, the writers wrote about the relationships between older and younger samurai. Edo writers' idea of love differed from the Western concept of “romantic love”. During the Meiji period, however, Japan was influenced by the west.

The concept of romantic love which involves self-sacrifice and was particularly popular in the ’70s shōjo mangas has western roots. Those popular shōjo manga’s narratives were melodramatic and serious.

“Sex, for the heroine, is often the ultimate form of self-sacrifice where she must prove the truthfulness of her love by “overcoming” the fear and pain associated with the act, rather than accepting or even enjoying it.
The shift from shōjo romance to BL signals changes in the conceptualization of love, from the surrender of the female body for the sake of love to the mutual exploration of love, sexuality, and erotic desire between two protagonists.” (Saito, 2011)

Reality or Fantasy?

The Boys’ Love Genre originated in Japan and was originally created and consumed by women essentially in response to the Japanese obscenity laws in the 1970s which caused a restriction of representation of male-female sexuality. Thus it is “a fascinating example of (fear of) government regulation leading to self-censorship, leading in turn to the creation of a whole new field of fantasy and desire/identification for countless readers of this new subgenre” (Orbaugh, 2003).

The distinction between fantasy and real LGBTQ+ people is one I personally cannot make. Despite the fact that I can see why people might regard the BL genre as a form of entertainment or escape from norms and society, it feels not appropriate to make this distinction. Furthermore, BL media seems to be the most mainstream media for the LGBTQ+ community in Japan, therefore it does have an influence on how the community is perceived by others. It has the power to empower the LGBTQ+ community and to push boundaries, instead of alienating and dehumanizing them further. The expression of desires and sexuality without the sexualization and fetishization of homosexual relationships should be normalized in mainstream media. This is why media is such an important tool. Most academic research seems to focus on mangas and animes, but with the Live-Action genre, we are dealing with real human beings. It makes things even more complex.

Another interesting aspect would be that we are literally able to see Kurosawa’s fantasy scenarios with Adachi through the magical abilities Adachi possesses. The distinction between reality and fantasy takes another dimension and creates an inner conflict between Adachi and what he wants.

Playing it safe?

After reading an interview with one of the screenwriters, I came to the conclusion that CM attempted to create a romantic comedy that would attract all kinds of viewers, thus they tried to stay away from being labeled as BL. I read that the production wanted to not hurt anyone with this production, so they tried to be careful. The production played it safe. They tried to stay away from labeling CM as part of the stigmatized BL genre. Therefore, by portraying this “universal” and “gender-free” love, they did attract a lot of different viewers. However, while attempting to hurt not anyone, this “neutral” approach might not be satisfying enough for some viewers. Is it possible to not label your work as BL genre but also avoiding to call it LGBTQ+ media?
An accurate representation of the community does not mean that the story cannot focus on joy and positive themes. By depicting a fictional world where the identity of an LGBTQ+ person is limited or censored, it might make people who are still figuring out their (sexual) identity feel like their identity and desires are not “normal” or “impure”. Therefore we have to be more careful about labeling romantic stories of LGBTQ+ people without physical intimacy as “pure”. Those dichotomies of pure/impure imply that that physical intimacy between LGBTQ+ people is not considered as “pure”.

Hence why it is important to ask ourselves, if this approach makes it more approachable for conservative viewers, viewers with heteronormative ideologies and might offer us a more fantasy image on real same-sex relationships — A fantasy image that might offer escape and entertainment or harm real LGBTQ+ people by being stereotyped?
On one hand, this drama might be much better in comparison to other BL dramas where sexualization and fetishization, and non-consensual intimacy, rape happen quite often, but on the other hand, people who usually don’t watch dramas and movies that are labeled as BL, might not be content with Cherry Magic. Not everyone feels strange about the way kisses, etc. were handled because they wanted to see some steamy scenes and fetishize gay men. Some people just want a more accurate representation of minorities.

We should not have to lower our expectations because this is a Japanese Drama or BL drama in general. Change cannot happen in a blink of an eye, but there’s a difference between writing a kissing scene and teasing a kiss into the script. I live by the approach that valid criticism can only be helpful for future production. The unexpected international popularity of Cherry Magic showcases that there is a need for media that is comforting and romantic, without unnecessary toxicity and death. You cannot deny the impact pop culture has on society. One has to recognize that Cherry Magic is a step in the right direction, where consent plays importance. Adachi is never forced by Kurosawa. Adachi does not have to prove his love by having sex with Kurosawa. They both respect each other's boundaries and feelings.

Restrictions, Imagination, and Queer Interpretations

“I like the way he can easily say that there’s more to life than just love.”

One of the reasons why this drama seems to appeal to a lot of people on the ace spectrum seems to be the romantic approach in the drama. The protagonist Adachi seems to want to be only physically intimate with Kurosawa due to the romantic connection he has with Kurosawa. However, even if Adachi is supposed to be on the ace spectrum, the teasing of physical intimate scenes is what makes this drama marketable and can irritate people. I would have been totally fine with no kissing and teasing but a short sentence by Adachi saying that he is just not interested in it would have been sufficient. On the contrary, the second couple; Tsuge and Minato share several kisses with each other. So I guess it is ok to wonder why Adachi and Kurosawa did not share a kiss? There is a scene where both of them are waking up in a bed together. Unrealistically, they are both wearing white t-shirts. This might reflect Kurosawa’s fantasy we saw in the first episode, but it also further removes this scenario from reality.

In contrast, Wood (2012) argues that “…ambiguity and uncertainty is productively queer and open to a wide range of interpretation and fantasy.” Therefore, the censorship might appeal to a wide range of viewers and leave room for the imagination of the viewers. This also leads to also to more fan creations.

Furthermore, the screenwriter confirmed our assumption that Fujisaki — a character which is a Fuijioshi in the manga — is actually on the aero or ace spectrum. It would have been wonderful if we would have gotten more scenes with her. Aero and ace characters are rarely depicted in media. Fujisaki is a supportive character who does not interfere with Kurosawa and Adachi. She offers her insight and advice like a true friend.
I have been reading that this drama is made for the Japanese society in mind, and some Japanese LGBTQ+ people seem to enjoy this drama and some do not. It is only fair to recognize those valid critical voices. TV Tokyo sold the rights for Cherry Magic to various international streaming services — such as WeTV and CrunchyRoll and the Blu-ray/DVD has English and Chinese subtitles. Globalization will continue to play a role in how this genre is viewed and marketed. This “label-free” story attracts different people from different cultural backgrounds — people with different intentions and opinions will watch this show. It is nearly impossible to come to a conclusion on such a sensitive topic. The BL genre is not black or white. One possibility for future adaptations would be to hire another scriptwriter who has the experience and can offer a more realistic view of the LGBTQ+community.

Magical Music — To Build a Home

Something that makes this drama even more special is the magical OST. Every music piece was so carefully chosen. I am pretty sure that music really makes you feel at home with these characters. The way they make use of silence is just so impactful in capturing and emphasizing certain moments. Just like the way, the magic abilities of Adachi were not used as a simple plot device, the silence helps us to focus on the raw emotions, moments, and conflicts between the characters and most importantly themselves.

How to Escape — Run Adachi Run

In this drama everyone is running, running away from their problems, running to confront their problems. Both Adachi and Kurosawa are running away from the possibility of happiness and pain. Adachi is afraid to face reality without his magical abilities, his low self-esteem and self-doubt are stopping him until he physically pushes away the person he cares about deeply. Love is not a permanent way to heal our own wounds. Accepting love when you have a hard time to see yourself as worthy of giving and receiving love, can be really difficult. Cherry Magic also offered us a way to escape from the real world. From a cultural perspective, we are in need of the warmth and closeness this drama has offered us during these trying times. Not everyone likes a hug, but when it has become the reality that we should distance ourselves to feel safe, it feels comforting to see Adachi and Kurosawa hugging each other in front of everyone. They touch each other's hearts.

The Magic of Communication

One of the things I dislike the most is when my beloved characters in TV shows and movies are not able to communicate or all of a sudden magically solve their problems. When I think about my favorite couples, my weakness for good communication and dialogue-heaviness is a characteristic that connects them all. Love does not mean to overcome misunderstandings and obstacles by simply accepting love. It means to be vulnerable and also to understand that sometimes you are not able to speak the same language. We, humans, are very complex beings. There seems to be an agreement that someone with low-self-esteem is not able to give and receive love when they are not content with themselves, while I agree that it is very difficult, the process of gaining confidence can be a life long struggle for a lot of people. Thus, I think we should be able to let people inside our lives while communicating our problems. People with low-self-confidence deserve love and I am not talking about only romantic love. We can independently grow together. But of course, there is a risk of being codependent on each other.
There is an emotional scene where Kurosawa thinks about how he wants Adachi to realize how special he is and how he should be more confident in himself. What I really love about this scene is that Kurosawa is aware that he cannot be the person who saves Adachi from his misery, it is on him. Only Adachi can save himself. Kurosawa loves Adachi for who he is. But can Adachi love himself? Their relationship reminds me of love Rae and Finn’s relationship in My Mad Fat Diary. Rae has a hard time accepting herself and Finn’s love. She sees Finn as an 11 and herself as a 4. Both Adachi and Rae struggle to see what their partners see in them. Rae pushes Finn away and so does Adachi. In both stories, they both deal with their lack of confidence in a different way.

My other favorite scene has to be the restaurant scene in episode 10. Everything about it, the subtle acting, the banter — it’s just perfection. We can see the growth of Kurosawa and Adachi, together and independently in that scene. Adachi wants Kurosawa to feel comfortable around him, he does not have to be perfect for him to love him. The potential of their relationship and growth is so visible in that scene. However, we can also see that Kurosawa still struggles a lot with the way he is perceived by others and seeks assurance from others. Kurosawa mentions several times that he is happy around Adachi and that Adachi makes him happy and that being with him is enough which shows us that Kurosawa needs to learn that he has control over his own happiness. Kurosawa is far from perfection, he has his own struggles and conflicts. I wish we could have more time to explore Kurosawa’s world and him making mistakes and learning to accept the imperfect parts of himself. To be honest, they would benefit from therapy :D All my faves deserve free therapy.

Given that each episode no longer than 25min long, which definitely does not leave a lot of time to show deep character developments and complex storylines, Cherry Magic is still able to touch on important topics and create dimensional characters the viewers care deeply about. I do not remember the last time when I cheered and cried this much for two fictional characters. However, the conflict in episode 11, seems to be timed poorly. I wish the last episodes would have been longer, so the pacing seemed more natural and less rushed. The pen scene in the last episode seems too sudden and not natural enough for me personally.

Despite that this drama is not by any means perfect, it is one of the few really good things that came into my life in 2020. I would recommend it to everyone who is in need of some happiness and clumsy first love in their lives. This show has it all. I hope you can experience the Cherry Magic effect.

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