Cosmetic Playlover – Season 2 Review

Natsume Mamiya is a beauty advisor at a Romy Feerique Japan boutique, a famous make-up brand. He helps customers with make-up treatments and product recommendations. Recently, he was promoted to Chief and now runs the small team at his boutique. His coworkers Aizawa, Sasaki, and Takano enjoy working under his leadership and appreciate his strong work ethic. Clients adore him too, drawn in by his polite demeanour and impeccable customer service.

Natsume is dating Toma, his former coworker at the boutique. When they first met, they couldn't stand each other. Toma thought Natsume was an insufferable workaholic. After working together for a while, they grew closer and started dating. Now they're living together. Toma has since left the boutique, He wants to gain experience as a make-up artist and rise to the top of his field. His boyfriend's work ethic has rubbed off on him, and Natsume is happy to support him.

Toma is training under Emma Lauren, a famous make-up artist with her own brand. She's one of the best in the industry, and Toma is eager to learn from her. The two bicker a lot, but Emma sees his potential. One night, she makes him an offer he can't ignore. It's a great opportunity for his career, but there's a catch. Moving forward with it would put his relationship with Natsume at risk. Toma has no idea how to bring that up with his boyfriend.

Cosmetic Playlover 2 is… surprisingly enjoyable? Is this the biggest shock of the year!? I didn't like the first season, so I went into the sequel as a full-on hater. Somehow, the series actually won me over. I barely remember the original drama from two years ago. In my head, I recognize it as "That BL with So Okuno". Fortunately, Season 2 doesn't require me to go back and catch up on the story. It starts with the couple already dating and living together. The rest of their romantic arc is simple, relaxing, and quite sweet.

Back in Cosmetic Playlover 1, I would never describe this couple as sweet. Hell no! Toma was the poster boy for toxic behaviour. I hated that douchebag with a passion. Somehow, he behaves himself in Season 2. Toma is far less problematic and manages to be a half-decent boyfriend. It isn't a full personality makeover. He still has some rough edges and can be a grumpy bastard. While Toma annoys me at times, at least he won't get coal from Santa for Christmas. The other lead, Natsume, is as likable as ever. He's a total sweetheart with adorable reactions to everything. Toma's changes probably came from Natsume's positive influence.

A huge chunk of Cosmetic Playlover 2 focuses on working in the beauty industry. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the workplace plots this season. Each storyline is simple to follow, yet interesting enough to make you wonder what happens next. The low-stakes drama is cozy! Instead of stressing over life and death, the biggest crisis is whether the make-up matches the dress. I particularly liked the subplot about Natsume mentoring his junior employee. It's a well-written story arc with character growth and positive messages. This series gets the feel-good vibes just right!

At work, Natsume is always professional and perfectly competent. The downside is that his workplace scenes can get overly serious, which you may find kinda boring. Also, Toma isn't Natsume's colleague anymore. They aren't always together, so it may piss you off that the couple must spend some time apart. Luckily, Natsume's actor (So Okuno) has so much charisma that he could charm your pants off. Every scene becomes more interesting just because he's in it. He also has great chemistry with his co-star (Yudai Toyoda). They gel really well as a pair.

The couple's relationship scenes are remarkably ordinary, but that's why I enjoy them. Just like in real life, they talk about trivial things. Toma asks, "How's your day?" Natsume tells him what happened at work. Toma gives his two cents. It may not sound exciting, but I love how they listen to each other and pay attention to the small details. They also bicker playfully and get snarky. For example, Natsume reacts to his boyfriend's light teasing with "You're so annoying. 😑" He seems exasperated, but he says it in an affectionate way. I find these exchanges super endearing!

With each episode, Natsume & Toma's relationship grows stronger. We see them talk and listen to each other. We see them get mushy and share intimate kisses. We see them handle conflicts with grace and maturity. By the end, their relationship feels almost unbreakable. Even the usual finale drama doesn't scare us, because the series has already proved this couple can survive anything. Overall, Cosmetic Playlover 2 delivers a very solid love story. As someone who was lukewarm on the original series, the sequel exceeded my expectations and converted me into a fan.