Cherry Magic – Series Review & Ending Explained

The ability to read minds is a powerful talent that can be exploited in many different ways. In a workplace setting, you can read the minds of your boss, your clients, or your competitors to get ahead in your career. However, Adachi doesn't have that ruthless ambition to misuse his secret power for nefarious gain. He reads the minds of his coworkers either accidentally or to help them out in a pinch. It's what makes Adachi so endearing that he has this incredible power and never uses it with ill intent.

Adachi doesn't use his mindreading ability often, because he's unwilling to find out what other people are thinking. There are very few instances where he takes the initiative to touch someone and read their minds. Most of the time, he can stave off the curiosity and respect other people's privacy. It's a massive strength in Adachi's character, indicating that he doesn't need other people's validation to lead his life.

Of course, even Adachi has his fallible moments. In Episode 11, he accidentally reads the mind of an executive, then uses his knowledge to boost his chances in the company competition. Many people might have easily exploited the mindreading power to gain an advantage, but not Adachi. He is overwhelmed with guilt afterwards, thinking he didn't earn the praise with his own merit. Such remorse shows that Adachi is guided by a strong moral conscience, and treats his power as more of a curse than a blessing.

The moment that I'll always remember about Adachi is his conversation with Fujisaki in Episode 4. When the topic of Fujisaki's love life comes up, Adachi shares a refreshing insight that you wouldn't expect from the main character in a BL drama.

"I know everyone talks about romance, but it's not like that's all there is to life. Even if I don't have love or romance, every day is fun in its own way."

That's a surprisingly enlightened view on relationships, coming from the lead in a BL romantic comedy no less. Adachi can go against the prominent belief in mainstream society that he needs a romantic partner to be happy. Instead, he's able to find joy and fulfillment even in solitude. Much like Fujisaki, I started admiring Adachi after he made this statement and thought he had such a heightened philosophical view on life. Like whoa, this guy gets it! 🤯

Even though Adachi doesn't have much confidence in himself, he shows a strong sense of self throughout the series. He knows himself well, understands his personal limitations, and doesn't try to change his personality to fit in. This thirty-year-old virgin doesn't give in to the peer pressure of dating or having sex, rising above it all. Again, it ties into the recurring theme that Adachi doesn't need other people's validation to be happy. He doesn't seek a companion, can lead an enriched life by himself, and remains unaffected by what others think about his lifestyle.

Of course, Adachi ends up betraying his life's philosophy after falling in love with Kurosawa. However, Cherry Magic still maintains its message with the Fujisaki character, who remains single throughout the entire series. Like Adachi, she firmly believes that you don't need a relationship to be happy. Although her family and the rest of society believe she needs to find a man, Fujisaki is perfectly content on her own.

Cherry Magic resists the temptation to go the conventional route and pair Fujisaki with another side character (Rokkaku, for example). Instead, Fujisaki begins pursuing a personal passion as she studies labour law. She puts all her energy into enriching herself instead of trying to find a romantic partner. Cherry Magic sends a positive message with her character's ending, showing that you can achieve happiness alone, even without a traditional relationship.

Fujisaki also stands out because she's a rare portrayal of an asexual or aromantic character in a drama series. She's portrayed in a sensitive and sympathetic manner, helping you understand the mindset of somebody who doesn't necessarily want a relationship. Her character contributes to a positive representation and meaningful message that makes Cherry Magic a bit more special than your average BL series.

While Adachi and Fujisaki show an aversion to romance, we have Kurosawa on the opposite end of the spectrum. Here's somebody who desperately wants love and romance, so much that it consumes his every thought. Okay, I'm sure Kurosawa doesn't think about Adachi all the time, but it really feels like his crush preoccupies 99% of his headspace. You know you're obsessed with a guy when you care about what shampoo he uses!

Kurosawa is an interesting character because of the discrepancy between how he presents himself on the outside and what he thinks on the inside. Based on his appearance, he seems like the golden boy of the company, who exudes confidence and composure. Deep down, Kurosawa is actually giddy and excitable, always gushing over his schoolboy crush. If Adachi didn't have his magical power, he'd never know the real Kurosawa beyond his professional persona.

There's also a discrepancy between Kurosawa and Adachi as characters. One is completely lovesick, while the other doesn't prioritize love. When we first meet Adachi, he has kinda given up on finding a partner. Over the course of the series, Kurosawa's powerful feelings moved Adachi to the point that he reassessed his original stance on romance. Kurosawa loved him so much that Adachi felt compelled to give their relationship a go.

Interestingly, Kurosawa didn't intend on confessing to Adachi at first. It was only meant to be a secret crush, one that Kurosawa kept to himself as he observed his coworker from afar. Primarily, Kurosawa never imagined that Adachi would reciprocate his feelings. According to his ~research~, Adachi supposedly liked girls who were neat, which kinda ruled Kurosawa out of contention.

However, I'm sure the sensitivity of their relationship played a factor in the secrecy as well. Confessing to your colleague is already tricky enough, let alone a coworker of the same sex. Even though Kurosawa might seem like such a confident guy, he has reservations as well. For somebody that meticulous, he wouldn't confess to Adachi on an impulse, not without thinking over his decision and the consequences carefully.

Without Adachi's magical ability, I don't think the two of them would be together. Bless his heart, but Adachi doesn't seem sharp enough to observe that somebody has a crush on him. Kurosawa also hides his feelings too covertly and wouldn't go far enough to make a move. In the series, their relationship progresses because Adachi read Kurosawa's mind and then gave strong signals like "I DIDN'T HATE WHEN YOU KISSED ME, HEHE~ 😘" Otherwise, Adachi and Kurosawa weren't on the same wavelength, and it was the magical power that brought them together.

Even after they get together, Kurosawa and Adachi don't become an out couple. They continue their covert office romance, exchanging secretive glances and sly little smiles at each other. Only Fujisaki knows they are dating in the workplace, but their relationship is kept on the down-low with all other colleagues. Rokkaku remains oblivious even as Kurosawa and Adachi blatantly flirt in front of him.

The secrecy of their relationship is interesting. I can imagine the complexities of being a gay workplace couple in a corporate office setting. There could be gossip, others might pass judgment, and their careers might even get affected. A spotlight would shine onto the two of them, something that wouldn't make Adachi feel comfortable.

Of course, Kurosawa and Adachi aren't obliged to tell anyone they are dating. Frankly, it's none of their business. As long as they're happy together, nobody else has to know the two of them are a couple. Adachi and Kurosawa can keep having a secret workplace romance until the day they retire.

Kurosawa is introduced to us as the image of perfection. We meet Kurosawa based on how Adachi and everyone else sees him: handsome, popular, charismatic, and successful. He's the top company salesperson for five consecutive years, won numerous athletic awards at school, and did we mention he's a culinary master too? If there's a hierarchy in life, then Kurosawa would surely be in the top tier.

Although Kurosawa makes perfection seem so effortless, his many achievements don't just come naturally. On top of being handsome and talented, he is also a hard worker. Kurosawa puts in a lot of work to excel in everything he does. He spends time cultivating relationships, does a ton of research, and prepares all his projects in meticulous detail. His successes aren't just accidents, but the result of giving 100% effort into every facet of his life.

Kurosawa is the ultimate perfectionist, working tirelessly to maintain the appearance of flawlessness. Being perfect all the time isn't easy though. When you set such a high bar of excellence, it comes with incredible pressure and expectations. There are people with high hopes for him and he doesn't want to disappoint any of them. Most importantly, Kurosawa doesn't want to disappoint himself.

Kurosawa's biggest flaw is that he can be too much of a people pleaser. He needs their validation to feel reassured about himself. Earlier, we discussed how Adachi has a strong self-identity and won't change his personality just to fit in with any subculture. In contrast, Kurosawa is more adaptable and bases his feelings on the other people in his life. He cares about what they think of him. Otherwise, he wouldn't try so hard to maintain this perfect persona in front of them.

Kurosawa masks his insecurities beneath a confident persona, so you might not identify his character flaw right away. However, this codependency is sometimes evident during his interactions with Adachi, because Kurosawa seems too eager to accommodate him. Kurosawa constantly dotes on Adachi, puts his boyfriend's priorities first, and never challenges him on anything. It's good to be agreeable, but is it normal for Kurosawa to make all the compromises in their relationship?

Of course, the ability to think of others before yourself is also a positive trait. His eagerness to make other people happy comes from a good place. It's what makes Kurosawa such an endearing character, because he's considerate, supportive, and sensitive to Adachi's needs. As it turns out, his personality flaw is just as much of a personality strength!

Here it is, the section where we analyze Kurosawa's beauty in an academic way. 😘 Yes, in case it isn't blatantly obvious, Kurosawa is a gorgeous guy. Going beyond your run-of-the-mill handsomeness, he is the type of good looking that comes with many extraordinary privileges in life. All those Valentine's Day chocolates, the endless love confessions, and the gaggle of office groupies are only some of the perks.

Surprisingly, there are some downsides to being too good looking. It becomes Kurosawa's defining feature, overshadowing all his hard work and accomplishments. People turn to him not because of his capabilities, but they think of him as a superficial pretty face. Even worse, some assume that Kurosawa's successes are attributed to his looks, assuming his achievements had not been earned through actual merit.

These misconceptions drive Kurosawa to work harder to validate himself. It annoys him to be solely reduced to his physical attractiveness, as if he has no other remarkable substance. Kurosawa doesn't voice these frustrations though, for he knows that complaining about his beauty will foster resentment against him. He keeps his feelings to himself and pretends to appreciate all the attention. But deep down, he doesn't like being judged by his looks.

In Episode 7, the series switches to Kurosawa's point of view. We see an extensive flashback that describes how Kurosawa first fell in love with Adachi. It started at a company function that both lead characters attended. The client made a predatory pass at Kurosawa, who rejected the advances quite aggressively. His bosses were upset and chastised him for being nothing more than eye candy, a stereotype that Kurosawa had worked so hard to prove wrong.

At his lowest moment, the heavily intoxicated Kurosawa was accompanied by Adachi in the middle of the night. Adachi offered gentle consoling words to make his coworker feel better, praising his work ethic and attention to detail. Then, Adachi mentioned that he liked seeing this different side to Kurosawa, who's more vulnerable, not as polished, and less than perfect.

Adachi didn't say too much, but his words resonated with Kurosawa deeply. All his life, Kurosawa only ever got recognition for being handsome, popular, and successful. Yet, here was somebody who still appreciated him with all his imperfections on display. While Kurosawa felt insecure over his failures, Adachi told him it was okay not to be perfect all the time. You don't always have to be the best, because I think you're good enough even when you're at your worst.

Kurosawa fell in love with Adachi after this moment. As he said himself so elegantly, "For the first time, I felt that my heart was touched." Adachi's encouragement stands out in a modern society where everyone always strives to be the best. What Adachi said was refreshing and it must've lifted a massive weight off Kurosawa's shoulders. Finally, he no longer feels the burden of perfection from this one special person in the world.

Adachi has noticed Kurosawa from the start. Kurosawa's achievements are so prominent that he isn't the type of person you can ignore. Adachi is familiar with who he is, understands what his colleague has accomplished, and admires him from afar. It should also go on record that Adachi commented on Kurosawa's blinding smile more than once, a physical attribute that he subconsciously finds attractive. 😙

Although Adachi was acquainted with Kurosawa, he didn't know his coworker that closely. He takes Kurosawa at face value, idealizing him as this perfectly competent employee who can do no wrong. Adachi would often compare himself to Kurosawa and point out his own inferiorities. Although this version of Kurosawa is pretty perfect, Adachi doesn't fall in love with him because of his successes. The way he speaks about his coworker comes from a place of awe instead of attraction.

It was only after Adachi read Kurosawa's mind that he saw a different side to his colleague. The actual Kurosawa would've never let his guard down around Adachi, whereas he's more authentic and sincere inside his mind. In his thoughts, Adachi saw through the pretenses to find a more vulnerable Kurosawa, one who isn't solely defined by his successes. He learned about his hopes and aspirations, fears and insecurities, as well as an unwavering love for Adachi.

Kurosawa's inner thoughts humanized him, making him seem more relatable and well-rounded. Despite Kurosawa's best efforts, Adachi didn't fall in love with the perfect version of him. Instead, he was more attracted to the flawed Kurosawa, packaged with both the good and the bad. Yes, he likes the guy who recites mushy romantic poetry, who giggles uncontrollably at a silly joke, and who might have hair coming out of his nostrils in the morning. These little quirks complete Kurosawa, and that's whom Adachi ultimately falls in love with.