When it comes to wacky romantic premises, perhaps nothing could be wackier than the Japanese drama,Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!A thirty-year-old office worker, Kiyoshi Adachi, discovers that he has suddenly attained the ability to read minds, including that of his co-worker, Yuichi Kurosawa, who has a huge crush on him. Based on the popular BL manga series of the same name byYuu Toyota, this live-action television adaptation is definitely aqueercomedic hit.
What Is ‘Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!’ About?
In Japan, there’s an urban legend that states that once a person reaches thirty years of age without having lost their “virginity,” then they become a “wizard,” granted magical powers. Average, low-confidence office worker Kiyoshi Adachi (Eiji Akaso) had always thought this was just a legend until the day he reaches his thirtieth birthday and discovers he now has the power to read other people’s minds whenever he has physical contact with them. Suddenly, he can hear what everyone in his office is thinking, including any thoughts about him. In the elevator, when Adachi bumps into handsome and typically confident office superstar, Yuichi Kurosawa (Keita Machida), he discovers that the latter has strong romantic feelings for him. Now dealing with the shock of knowing Kurosawa’s thoughts, he has to navigate his own emerging attraction towards him, as well as routing his new magical abilities at work and among friends.
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‘Cherry Magic’ Tackles the Premise of Queer Love in a Fresh and Funny Way
While narratives centered around mind-reading aren’t exactly new as seen by movies likeWhat Men Want,Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!tackles this premise in a fresh and hilarious way. Love is hard enough without a few supernatural twists complicating things. Yet this is exactly what Adachi gets, as the previously inexperienced man stumbled into his first grand love affair with the help of his mind reading. The show plays around with the contrast between its characters’ outer surfaces and their often surprising inner personas. For instance, the “cool as a cucumber” Kurosawa, who turns out to be a total dork for Adachi, daydreaming about Adachi’s bedhead and fantasizing about cooking meals for him. Or Masato Tsuge (Kodai Asaka), Adachi’s college friend/writer, who claims to be an expert in love as a romance writer, yet also turns out to be a magical wizard with no relationship experience, falling clumsily into love with a younger delivery man, Minato Wataya (Yutaro). The sweetness of this comedy derives from watching these middle-aged men earnestly and awkwardly falling into love.
Despite a Silly Concept, ‘Cherry Magic’ Is a Charming Romance
Aside from mind-reading magic, when all is said and done, the romance between Adachi and Kurosawa is utterly enchanting. Like Adachi, the audience can’t help being touched as they learn more about Kurosawa’s heartfelt feelings for the other man, touched by his sincerity and tenderness. Though initially awkward about knowing Kurosawa’s feelings (wondering why this seemingly impressive person would even be interested in him), the more time Adachi spends with Kurosawa, the more he realizes how genuine and tender a person he is.
As he learns, part of the reason why Kurosawa was so attracted to him is because Adachi was able to see beyond the “perfect” persona he presented in the office, being on top of all tasks and at all times charming, recognizing the instances when Kurosawa was also awkward and needed help. In turn, as someone who constantly underestimates himself, Adachi has a low opinion of himself, not seeing him as the best office worker or the most appealing romantic partner. Yet with Kurosawa’s undeniable feelings towards him, he begins to see himself in a new positive light, with Kurosawa’s love and support allowing him to become more of the active, straightforward man he wants to be. While Adachi’s mind-reading abilities were the catalyst to learning more about the way Kurosawa felt about him, it is their reciprocal attraction forged by time spent together and shared laughter and understanding that cements the two’s bond together.
‘Cherry Magic’ Explores the Tenderness and Growth of Queer Love
The fact that both Adachi and Kursawa are men means they learn how to navigate aqueer romancetogether. As someone who had never been in love before, much less in love with another man, part of the reason for Adachi’s hesitance in approaching Kurosawa is the fact that he’s never considered this love for himself. For Adachi, the realization of Kurosawa’s strong affection is startling in a heteronormative society, never actively considering himself or the other man to be anything but straight.
The show further explores the limiting effects of heteronormativity when Adachi through his mind-reading abilities discovers his co-worker Nozomi Fujisaki (Ryo Sato) is not interested in relationships (many fans have coded her as aromantic asexual) and faces pressure from others to find a boyfriend. Reaching out to Fujisaki, though reassuring her that she doesn’t need a man to be complete or happy as a person, Adachi finds an ally in straying outside heteronormative expectations from mainstream society and finds himself more open to considering Kurosawa’s feelings. Kurosawa, in turn, while accepting his affection for Adachi with little problem, is hesitant in telling him, fearing the idea that Adachi would not return his feelings and that their friendship would be changed, a very common queer concern.
While many of the elements of this show are rooted in the fantastic (i.e. the wizard powers), the show is grounded in its more realistic elements, centering an adult romance between two caring souls who happen to be men in love. The series isn’t afraid tooffer up a queer story that has depth and is thoughtfully written. As the two become more honest in their interactions with each other, with Adachi coming out to Kurosawa as a mind-reader and revealing his own romantic feelings, their relationship flourishes in a wonderfully human way.
