Junjou Romantica Season 1

This series revolves around three main stories of three couples: Misaki and Usagi, Hiroki and Nowaki, and Miyagi and Shinobu.

It's a fun, naughty and cute series sure to make yaoi fangirls squeal. This isn't just about steamy kissing scenes though. It has explored the different issues ordinary couples go through.

Misaki Takahashi was about to go to college. He has to pass the entrance examinations in order to get into Mitsuhashi University to fulfill his brother Takahiro's dreams. He needed a tutor for the exam and this task fell on his brother's friend, Akihiko Usami, a fiction and Boys' Love novelist. Takahiko and Usami have been friends for a long time and the latter has fallen in love with the former. Takahiko does not seem to notice this although during the first episode Misaki caught Usami clinging seductively to his brother.

Misaki and Usagi

Usami finds out later that Takahiro is engaged. Misaki knew Usami is in love with his brother and felt sorry for him. Misaki cried for him and it was when Usami started seeing Misaki in a new light.

Takahashi and his wife Manami moved to Osaka so Misaki had no choice but to stay with Usami a.k.a Usagi. They became lovers although Misaki tried to refuse - unsuccessfully.

Hiroki Kamijo has been in love with Usami but he knew his friend wanted another guy. This loner associate professor met Nowaki Kusama in a park while he was crying and thinking about Usami. Nowaki, an orphan, asked Hiroki to be tutor but later on confessed that he just wanted to be close with the man. He is studying to become a pediatrician and has to find time for his six jobs as well.

Nowaki and Hiroki

Nowaki became obsessed with trying to catch up to Hiroki's success. Hiroki had doubts about their relationship and was not good at showing his love and support for his partner. The couple always has misunderstandings but they find ways to solve things eventually.

Miyagi and Shinobu

Miyagi Yo is Hiroki's co-worker at Mitsuhashi University. He is haunted by his love for his former teacher who died a long time ago. Recently divorced, he was confronted by his former brother-in-law Shinobu Takatsuki who confessed his feelings for him. Shinobu insisted that it was 'destiny' that brought them together, recounting past events that made him fall in love with the man. Miyagi could not let go of his past yet and he was aware that the kind of commitment Shinobu was asking invited trouble. The Dean was Shinobu's father and they had a 17-year gap. When Shinobu was about to give up and leave for Australia, Miyagi went after him and told him that he will try to love the boy. He finally let go of his love for his teacher.

The rest of the characters are: Keiichi Sumi, Misaki's friend and classmate; Ryuichiro Isaka, Usagi's friend and editor; Eri Aikawa, Usagi's fangirl and editor. Most of the characters in the series are related to each other by blood or are friends with one of the couples.

Misaki and Usagi's relationship in the first few episodes developed too fast and they already started sleeping together. But except for Usagi's perverted ways, they were like normal couples trying to get to know each other. Usagi was the possessive type. Misaki on the other hand could not accept the type of relationship he's having with the famous writer. But he would get jealous though when he noticed how close Usagi was with coworkers and friends. Personally I liked Usagi's aggressiveness because it showed how dedicated he was to Misaki. It was always the source of conflict however. The first season focused on how Misaki slowly developed his love for the man and his struggle to adjust with Usagi's personality. He knew little of the man's past but he eventually had to admit to himself that he could not live without him.

I find Hiroki and Nowaki's story so amusing. They are like children always bickering about different things. They experience problems that workaholic couples sometimes experience. In one episode, they did not have any communication for a year when Nowaki left to study abroad because he is afraid that if he wrote a letter, his feelings will overwhelm him and he might try to get home; while Nowaki was so absorbed with work he could not remember the conversations they had together. Nowaki has a lot of plans and was determined to catch up to his partner so he could stand at his side.

Miyagi and Shinobu had less exposure but it was obvious from the start that the complications that their affair would bring would be worse than the previous couples. Miyagi is trying to learn to love Shinobu. The series tried to explore if this is possible.

Kissing scenes and bed scenes aside, this series focused more on romance and the issues involved in different kinds of relationships. They may be all boys but the problems they encountered were no different from a heterosexual couple.

I wouldn't recommend this to people who are not into yaoi. Usagi is super aggressive too and it might turn off some viewers. Story-wise I think it's one of the best romance series I've seen. I can relate to some of the characters when it came to issues like jealousy and choosing between work or studies and spending more time with a loved one.

I'm giving this series a 10 out of 10 rating.