There's Love That Starts From Mistaken Identity – Series Review & Episode Guide

Kai is struggling financially. After another gambling loss, he runs out of money and cannot afford the rent at his run-down apartment anymore. As a last resort, Kai contacts his twin brother for help. Riku is travelling overseas and needs someone to look after his home. He allows Kai to stay at the house for free. However, this living arrangement comes with one tricky condition. Kai must break up with Riku's boyfriend, Chiaki.

When Kai arrives at the house, he is greeted by Chiaki with a kiss. Chiaki appears cheerful and affectionate around his boyfriend. He seems oblivious that Riku is planning to break up with him. Kai, feeling overwhelmed by the situation, struggles to end the relationship. He plays along and pretends to be Riku for now. He will initiate the breakup when the time is right.

While living together, Chiaki doesn't notice that Riku and Kai have switched identities. Chiaki continues to dote on Kai as if they are boyfriends. Kai feels conflicted. On the one hand, he doesn't want to keep up with this deceit. On the other hand, he develops a fondness for Chiaki, whose sweet nature has softened Kai's resolve. It's hard for him to proceed with this breakup, especially since Kai starts wondering if they can be happy together.

There's Love That Starts From Mistaken Identity is divided into many short episodes, each a few minutes long. I dislike the format because it shreds the plot into scattered pieces. Some episodes contain a quick scene about nothing, almost like a pointless transition. Other episodes suddenly switch the topic, baffling me with the random direction. A good story should flow smoothly by taking time to develop from one scene to the next. Yet, this series suffers from its choppy and clunky narrative.

The story begins quirkily when the main character impersonates his twin. He must break up with his brother's boyfriend, a scandalous scenario filled with juicy possibilities. The first few episodes are pretty harmless and explore this premise playfully. But then, the series gets icky. The protagonist tries to have sex with the drunk boyfriend, who assumes he's still with his original partner. Their encounter stopped midway, but I was disturbed that it went this far. Using a false identity to trick someone into intimacy feels sinister. Kai is a scumbag for misleading Chiaki and exploiting his consent.

Kai's troubling behaviour isn't just limited to the attempted sex. He continues the phony relationship, taking advantage of Chiaki's trust. Just because Kai looks like his twin doesn't mean he can hijack his brother's love life. And just because Kai develops feelings for Chiaki doesn't justify his misconduct. The series wants to portray their bonding moments as sweet and affectionate, but these scenes are as deceptive as Kai's character. Every interaction reminds me of how this con man is scamming Chiaki. I find it impossible to champion their fraudulent romance.

There's Love That Starts From Mistaken Identity comes from a small production studio. The shorter episode length, the smaller cast size, and the lack of diverse filming locations suggest budget constraints. Despite the limited resources, this series has a polished presentation with clean visuals and an upbeat soundtrack. I also enjoyed the performance of Kai's actor (Takuma Usa), who takes a morally dubious character and adds emotional depth. However, he and his costar (Ryutaro Imai) must work with an iffy script that prioritizes fluff over serious drama.

Midway through the series, There's Love That Starts From Mistaken Identity introduces a plot twist. Since the story has fallen into a tedious slump, I appreciate the jolt of excitement. A new revelation significantly changes Kai and Chiaki's relationship dynamic, making me reassess how I perceived them earlier. Part of me enjoys the surprise. I like it when the narrative isn't straightforward and takes an unexpected turn. Another part of me is laughing incredulously. The plot twist is so stupid and makes little sense. The story's absurd explanation leaves me dumbfounded.

As the novelty of the plot twist fades away, I watch the last few episodes unenthusiastically. I can't immerse myself in the illogical storyline, which insults my intelligence. I'm also skeptical of the dodgy romance, which remains unconvincing from start to finish. The couple's inexplicable attraction to each other seems forced. Overall, There's Love That Starts From Mistaken Identity offers a few gimmicky ideas that may intrigue me initially, but my excitement never lasts long. My feelings waver between distaste, disinterest, and disbelief for most of the series.