Ordinary Love – Series Review

Ichiro Fumihara is a senior employee at Space Forge. He's gay, but nobody at work knows it. Around the office, Ichiro is the reliable older coworker who helps out the younger employees. One of them is Kei Higashi, a guy in his early twenties who joined the company two years ago. The women at work have noticed Kei because he's a cutie pie. They assume a guy like him must already have a girlfriend. Surprise! Kei is actually dating Ichiro, and they've kept their romance a secret.

After work, Ichiro likes hanging out at a gay bar. He chats about his love life with his friends, Maa and Ryu, plus the bartender, Sachiko. Everyone is shocked when Ichiro casually drops the bombshell that he has a boyfriend. Not only that, but they've been dating for almost a year! Naturally, the group wants details. Ichiro tells them how the romance began. It all started when he went to the cinema alone to watch an indie movie. Who should he run into there? Kei. Turns out, his coworker wanted to see the exact same film. Since they were already there, the two guys decided to watch it together. That random movie night brought them closer.

Soon, Ichiro and Kei swapped film recommendations and lent each other DVDs. Their little movie friendship became a routine. One day, Kei invited Ichiro to the cinema again. While they were there, Ichiro spotted a poster for a gay movie and suddenly got self-conscious. Later, during dinner, he carefully tested the waters by asking how Kei would feel about having a gay friend. Kei told him it wasn't a big deal. Feeling reassured, Ichiro came out to him. Except Kei didn't just accept the news. Plot twist! He was interested in Ichiro and asked if they could start dating.

Fast-forward to the present, and the two coworkers are still together. Their relationship is so private that almost nobody knows about it. No one at Space Forge has a clue. Kei's older sister, Saya, is in the dark. His best friend, Miku, doesn't know either. Ichiro hasn't even come out to his mother yet. For now, the couple is happy keeping everything low-key. Every Friday, Kei goes over to Ichiro's apartment for a homemade meal. It's their little weekly date night, and the two of them seem content with this quiet routine.

There is one tiny problem. Actually, Ichiro's friends think it's a pretty big problem. After almost a year of dating, the couple still hasn't kissed. Their most intimate move is holding hands. That's it! Ichiro's friends are stunned. Ichiro admits that he's nervous about bringing up physical affection with Kei. Since Kei has never dated a guy before, Ichiro worries his boyfriend might not feel comfortable getting physical with another man. And if that's true? This could become a serious issue for their relationship. His friends tell him to stop avoiding the topic and talk to Kei about what they both want.

Their first anniversary seems like the perfect chance. When Kei comes over to the apartment, Ichiro decides to make a move. They almost kiss, but Kei looks startled by the sudden intimacy. Ichiro notices immediately and backs off. Now his brain starts spiralling. Why would a younger guy like Kei want to date an older gay man like him? What if Kei isn't comfortable with their relationship? What if Ichiro has been reading everything wrong? Those insecurities take over. Instead of talking things through, Ichiro suddenly suggests that they break up.

Ordinary Love introduces us to Ichiro and Kei, who have been dating for a year. The first few episodes focus on how these two fell in love. They hang out, watch a few movies, and do normal couple things. Yup, just like it says in the title, their romance feels blissfully ordinary. And that's what I like about the series. The love story is simple and down-to-earth without any gimmicks. It goes back to basics. The appeal comes from watching two regular guys enjoy each other's company and figure out how to be together.

Ordinary Love puts a lot of emphasis on LGBTQ+ issues. Many storylines revolve around Ichiro's insecurities about his same-sex relationship. Can I come out? Will others react badly? Plenty of gay men share these concerns, which is why Ichiro's character feels so realistic. Some of his anxieties are rooted in internalized homophobia. In his mind, being gay means a harder life, so why wouldn't Kei prefer an "ordinary" romance with a woman? You may wanna shake Ichiro and tell him to stop overthinking. Yet, his irrational thoughts make him painfully human. I like watching him deal with his emotional baggage and find self-acceptance.

Ichiro and Kei get along well as a couple. They treat each other respectfully. Plus, we even see them sneak in a few spontaneous kisses. I also appreciate that their age gap isn't some huge scandal. Ichiro is older. Kei is younger. These grown men are mature enough to make their relationship work. No drama there! However, they behave like such a normal couple that their scenes can be kinda boring. BL is fun to watch because the stories make falling in love feel like a larger-than-life fantasy. Ichiro and Kei are nice together, but they don't have that extraordinary spark.

I like Ichiro's actor (Yuki Furukawa). He does a decent job of playing an anxious character without turning into a nervous wreck. Very demure, very mindful. His costar (Ryota Nagano) is fine as Kei. The issue is that he doesn't have much of a spark with his screen partner. Their chemistry is too mild for a BL couple. Meanwhile, Shuya's actor (Robin Furuya) leaves a strong impression. Damn, he's handsome! I hate the ex-boyfriend character, but I can't stop staring at that dreamy smile and those smouldering eyes. Remind me again why he wasn't cast as one of the leads?

Episode 4 introduces Miku, who comes with a surprisingly interesting backstory. For a series called Ordinary Love, I love that it makes room for an aro/ace character whose experiences fall outside the usual romance narrative. But then, Episode 5 brings in Shuya. Oh no… Here comes the ex-boyfriend who stirs up annoying drama nobody asked for! Do we really need to waste time on a dull love triangle? Shuya's storyline is packed with tired clichés. All his angsty scenes make me wanna roll my eyes. The second half of the series feels far less enjoyable solely because of him.

Ugh… The annoying ex-boyfriend storyline almost ruins the entire series for me. By the time that bastard finally exits, there's only one episode left to clean up the mess. Thankfully, the finale does enough to put me back in a good mood. It ends with a positive message as Ichiro works through his insecurities. Plus, his relationship with Kei feels stable again. That's all I wanted! No messy exes or pointless angst. Overall, Ordinary Love leaves me satisfied. The romance might not be that exciting, but I like seeing a well-adjusted couple. They're two nice guys who make each other happy.