Duty First, Kiss Later – Series Review

Takoi is a 38-year-old police detective at Yamanomichi Police Station, a quiet precinct in a rural town. Although he officially works in the Criminal Affairs division, crime isn't booming around here. The workload is light enough that Takoi often handles minor requests from civilians. Once, he even heroically rescued a missing cat. Hey, not every cop gets to chase dangerous criminals! Takoi doesn't mind the uneventful cases because he enjoys helping people. He's friendly and gets satisfaction from being useful to others.

Takoi gets along with almost everyone at the station, including Egawa, Hasegawa, and Yagi. Yet, one coworker is much harder to win over. Shu Shiono is a 28-year-old detective in the Community Safety division. He's hardworking and brilliant, earning plenty of praise for solving difficult cases. Takoi admires his younger colleague's accomplishments. Unfortunately, Shiono doesn't return those warm feelings. The two detectives keep butting heads around the station. Most of the hostility comes from Shiono. Takoi has caught him shooting annoyed looks in his direction more than once. What did he ever do to piss this guy off?

Their different approaches to police work become obvious when they deal with Hikari, a frightened child whose father was recently arrested. Hikari's mother is furious and causes a commotion at the station. Shiono bluntly tells them that the father is a criminal, which only makes an emotional situation worse. Takoi steps in quickly to defuse the tension. He smiles at the kid and offers her a juice box. Crisis avoided. Even Shiono seems embarrassed after watching Takoi handle everything so smoothly, although he hides it beneath his usual stoic expression.

Takoi can't even escape Shiono after work. They're next-door neighbours in the police dormitory. Their mail sometimes gets mixed up, forcing them into more awkward encounters. During one conversation, Takoi notices that Shiono always orders takoyaki. Same meal again? Shiono feels judged and responds by attacking Takoi's drinking habits. Shiono warns that Takoi will become a chubby middle-aged man if he keeps coming home drunk. Excuse me!? Takoi walks away convinced that Shiono hates his guts.

After work, Takoi likes hanging out at the local izakaya. He often confides in the owner, particularly about his uneventful love life. The owner encourages him to settle down. Around this time, Takoi meets Haruka, a single woman who seems interested in dating him. The attraction appears mutual, and they start exchanging contact information. Ooh, maybe Takoi's love life is finally going somewhere! But just as things get promising, Shiono appears out of nowhere. He deliberately interrupts the moment and scares Haruka away.

Takoi is furious. He accuses his coworker of ruining his chances with Haruka, while Shiono fires back by calling him a people pleaser. The insult really gets under Takoi's skin. He's fed up with their bizarre one-sided rivalry. Whatever he did to piss Shiono off, they need to settle it now. Takoi drags his colleague into the interrogation room and demands an explanation. Why does Shiono hate him so much? Surprisingly, Shiono reveals that he doesn't hate Takoi at all. Quite the opposite, actually. His younger coworker has been harbouring pent-up romantic feelings for him.

Duty First, Kiss Later amazed me right away. The first episode sets the tone perfectly, introducing two quirky police detectives with loads of unresolved sexual tension. From there, the fast-paced love story keeps the excitement going. Only the best BL dramas have this addictive quality that sends adrenaline rushing through my system. With every episode, I get more hooked on this couple. Their flirting gives me some sort of psychedelic high. I wanna bottle up their chemistry and inject that romantic buzz into my veins!

At first, I enjoyed this couple because they're funny together. Serious Cop falls in love with Silly Cop! Shiono's attempts at flirting are hilariously awkward, while Takoi freaks out over every intimate moment. Eventually, they start to relax and get comfortable. In Episode 5, Shiono and Takoi sit down for a home meal. They chat casually, flirt a bit, and tease each other. Their connection feels so natural in that scene, almost like they've found their own rhythm. I can easily imagine what their everyday life might look like in the future. Just two gay cops with their pet turtle, eating good food while trading inside jokes across the dinner table.

I've seen Takoi's actor (Shu Watanabe) pop up in supporting roles before, so I'm thrilled he gets to lead a BL drama. He has so much charisma, especially during the funny scenes. I love watching his face go through ten emotions at once. His co-star (Ryu Saito) is perfectly cast as Shiono. Oh, this man was born to play a tsundere character! His stone-cold expression looks like he's silently judging everyone. One icy glare and I already know Shiono disapproves. Yet, he knows how to soften his face and change the mood. In an instant, those sharp eyes are filled with warmth.

Detective shows are everywhere. Over the years, TV has given us countless police dramas about restoring law and order. But how many of them have two gay cops as the leads? Duty First, Kiss Later feels refreshing because we love seeing gays in straight-dominated fields! Sadly, the detective work is the weakest part of this series. Whenever Takoi & Shiono do their jobs, the writing feels shallow. That's a shame because the police setting helps this BL drama stand out from other romances. Yet, the investigations barely matter to the story, which feels like a missed opportunity.

The story feels rushed. With only ten episodes, Duty First, Kiss Later must simplify most of its plots. I enjoyed Takoi and Shiono's enemies-to-lovers arc, but it would be even better in a longer drama. Let these men stay rivals for a while! I wanna watch them spend more time together at the precinct and catch feelings day by day. Sadly, the finale is where the rushed pacing becomes a serious problem. It tries to cram too much into twenty minutes. What's happening!? Nothing makes sense! If I'm judging the series as a legit police drama, that last episode is a hot mess.

Despite the disastrous finale, Duty First, Kiss Later is still an enjoyable romantic comedy. The police plots may be a mess, but like, seriously… who cares? In Episode 9, Takoi and Shiono have a heartfelt chat about their future. Aww, they're planning a life together! When a scene is written that intimately, I can feel a romantic buzz even without a kiss. By the finale, I'm too obsessed with this couple to give the series a reasonable review score. Duty First, Kiss Later is going into my BL favourites. I'll look back on this drama fondly and remember how much I adore the relationship.