📺 Watch Life In Smokey BlueEpisode 5 on GagaOOLala (🌏 except Taiwan, Japan & Korea), FOD & TVer (Japan)
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☆ STARRING ☆ Kouhei Takeda as Sakutaro Azuma Kento Shibuya as Shizuka Kuji
Takeshi Masu as Yoshiharu Kuji
Mayumi Asaka as Yoshimi Azuma
Ryuto Yamamoto (ICEx) as Tamaki Morimoto
Mayu Sakuma as Fumiko Morimoto
Koutaro Tanaka as Minoru Kuji
Haruna Iikubo as Hazuki Kuji
Kazuma Sano as Yasuyuki Tajimi
Shun Aoi as Masora Takeichi
YOUNG DAIS as Shinichiro Nukita
Asuka Kurosawa as Tomoka Hara
☆ STAFF ☆
Directed by Natsuki Takahashi (Jack o’ Frost, When It Rains, It Pours), Ere Nakada
Screenplay by Mari Hiraki (I Cannot Reach You, When It Rains, It Pours), Erika Aoki
Music by Tomohide Harada (One Room Angel, Mr. Mitsuya’s Planned Feeding)
☆
SYNOPSIS (GagaOOLala):
Sakutaro Azuma, once a top-performing salesman, now struggles with his career. One night at a gay bar, he nearly finds himself in danger–until he is rescued by his former colleague, Shizuka Kuji. Eight years after their last encounter, Kuji reappears in his life. His sharp tongue remains unchanged, but now he has long hair and works as a translator. As two men who once competed fiercely in the workplace reunite, the one-night connection they buried eight years ago begins to resurface...
☆ Starring BL fan-favorite Kohei Takeda and acclaimed actor Kento Shibuya bringing a mature romance to life
☆ Adapted from Kamome Hamada's million-hit manga, directed by Natsuki Takahashi (When It Rains, It Pours)--a new masterpiece of adult BL
☆
Opening Theme 🎵 「最大幸福度」(“Maximum Happiness”) by Hina Aoki Spotify | Youtube MV
Ending Theme 🎵 “Black out” by CROWN HEAD Spotify | YouTube
The BL manga series “Smoke Blue no Ame nochi Hare” (Sunshine After Smoke Blue Rain) by Kamome Hamada is available in Japanese via Comic Fleur.
I love this beautiful series and the two leads are giving a masterclass in showing how great their acting skills are. Both actors are so good together on screen and their chemistry is amazing. The acting from these actors looks effortless. This is a masterpiece and the direction and cinematography are outstanding🥰
Another fantastic episode. As someone who is working towards a dream later in life this is very relatable. I really hope that this series proves popular so that we see more like it.
I love the realistic adult themes - I also started something new late in life and loved seeing this portrayal, we don't always figure our dreams out in high school / college or stay one course forever. Sometimes we even need other people to give us the push or reassurance to go for it.
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u/DeanBranch Cherry Magic | See Your Love | Shine | Moonlight Chicken27d ago
My sister is starting a whole new career at age 54. It's never too late to do something new.
I love this series sooo much. So beautifully written, flawlessly acted, and the direction is beyond description. It is perfect. I flows like a blues riff - slow and smooth. It's really like being in an old timey jazz bar with that light blue smoke rising to the rafters. It is gorgeous!!!
On the other hand, going with the flow also threatened to have them drift apart. Working together was the one thread keeping them connected. Kuji isn't confident that Azuma shares the same feelings, but he doesn't dare ask about it. Caring for his father till the very end convinced him that it was his fate to always be alone.
Azuma feels like a loser that is unworthy of Kuji's love. What does Azuma have to offer Kuji? He had to pathetically ask for help with paying the restaurant bill. Domestic support through cooking and cleaning is off the table because Kuji is annoyingly good at both. On paper, Kuji is just too good for him.
Just when the lives of these two lonely hearts start to diverge, Azuma's insatiable curiousity kicks the ball to get it rolling again. He calls Kuji just to nitpick over his "Song of Spring" translation choices. Instead of just talking about it over the phone, Kuji drops everything to meet Azuma in person. This eventually leads into Kuji asking Azuma to move in with him while still skirting the issue of their undefined relationship.
How did I miss this yesterday? Anyhoo - thoughts. Doesn't connecting with someone get more difficult once you've passed a certain age? We all assume that age brings security, age brings confidence, age brings wisdom... but age also brings new insecurities and confusions. The level of honesty in the writing is 🤯
I love that Kuji dropped everything and literally ran to meet Azuma. The fear of being alone in midlife is real, but so is the fear of sharing your life "at this stage". All of your habits - good and bad - are locked in, and changing to accommodate someone... 😒
Asking Azuma to move in (albeit "temporarily") is a GIANT step. And I really like how they're handling it.
Did you read the manga? It’s a really judgy character analysis after all and I am wondering where this coming from?
I hate to break it to you, but humans are complex. And I love those characters because they are complex. And unless one does something really unmoral, I would never put persons into categories like „too good for you“.
P.S.: If you read the manga, you also would know that them coming from a social-economic background is addressed and it makes it even more ridiculous to read your judging words „what Azuma has to offer“…
I am talking about how he thinks of himself to explain why he doesn't simply have an open and honest conversation with Kuji. When you are in a depressive state, these are the kind of negative thought patterns that can arise.
I am not making trying to make a moral judgment. I am expressing my thoughts on what Azuma could be possibly thinking. This is part of my writing style.
Ah, thanks for explaining, I didn’t get that you wrote from Azuma’s perspective :). Since I read the manga up to volume 8 (and the JBL is in like volume 2 maybe?), probably I didn’t get it since I personally read their characters totally different and there are many clues in the text that show your analysis is a bit far fetched (from book characters at least…I don’t want to spoiler though). But I agree with you, from just watching the first 5 episodes your analysis makes a lot of sense :)…
It's nearing the end of Golden Week in Japan, and while I may not be physically there, I guess mentally I'm also on vacation mode? 🏖️ So the continued laidback pace of this episode was just perfect. 💖
Best regards for Azuma in his new job and in his endeavor to formally study translation. 🙏
Anyway in other news BINI WILL BE IN SUMMER SONIC OSAKA AND TOKYO AAAAAHHH 💖💖💖
Sadly not on the same date and venue as Jennie or Queen Bee or HANA 🥲 But at least same day as BABY METAL, Ave Mujica and Le Sserafim
BINI debut performance in Japan is important because I can delulu that one of their songs may be used in a BL drama like My Personal Weatherman season 2! Yes! Which will DEFINITELY be announced once the manga volume 2 goes out in physical print late this May! ☔☀️ (Note: Delulu)
This is my fav BL ever I wish I could read the latest volumes. And I think it's the best BL adapatation I've seen. The vibe suits the manga perfectly and the actors have amazing chemistry. So happy to see the manga come to life.
I agree. The manga is my very very favorite and I had so high expectations and I actually was not disappointed. The mood is so perfectly and the acting is so good.
The author published here latest chapters (even for free until the whole physical volume comes out) online, I read with a translation app in my browser. It’s working decent but it does the job until the official translation comes out: https://comic.mf-fleur.jp/manga/cb146_55.html
Totes. Hey! I rmber seeing you in another smokey blue post. Haha. I pm'ed you about the drama recently haha cause I rmb you were a kindred spirit who was obsessed with the series like me😆
And omg tq for the link yes I have been reading the raws and translating using an app. This is one of those mangas where I really want an official translation because the conversations are so meaningful.
Hello you, happy to see you here again :). Yes, I am still in love with the manga and was so thrilled to learn about the live action (thx again for letting me know). Manga always will be my very favorite, but the adaption really catches the mood (while being an interpretation of its own, I feel the characters are a bit different from the manga actually, especially Azuma).
And yes, I also cannot wait for the official translation. In Germany are already 7 volumes translated, so I consider myself lucky, because reading the raws is not the same agree, since the manga plays so much with beautiful language itself. But it helps to feel the void until hopefully soon more will officially be translated.
❣️😎the natural progression of things only fate decides 😉👍azuma in a dilemma finds a friend offering a job😉another dilemma he seems to be out of a home when kuji offers his home😉👍👏only good things azuma cohabitation you know azuma is what kuji needs😎❣️
I wanted to like this so much and the first 2 eps were great but unfortunately I think Im gonna drop it for good after this ep. Literally nothing happened. In this ep. In the 3rd and 4th eps.
Half the time they're sitting silently or talking about books or it focuses on their individual lives and situations. I can tell they like each other but for whatever reason, neither of them are doing anything about it.
I also don't really get the melancholy tone of the show. Like idk I'm happy to have a more serious, grown up series but that doesn't mean you have to make it depressing
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u/DeanBranch Cherry Magic | See Your Love | Shine | Moonlight Chicken28d ago
I don't think it's melancholy or depressing at all, and I think plenty happened this episode.
Azuma is pursuing a new direction in life, getting a new job, quitting his gig with Kuji, and having to move out. This is the catalyst for Kuji to offer Azuma a place to stay, to keep Azuma in his life.
Working with Kuji on translation work also gives them something in common to talk about.
They started out as a one night stand, then reunited and are trying to navigate a new situationship.
Life happens this way for a lot of people.
But if it's not grabbing you, that's fine too.
The low-key pace is a nice balance to some of the other shows I'm watching, so it's working out for me.
don't think it's melancholy or depressing at all, and I think plenty happened this episode.
Thats ok. You aren't required to feel the same way I feel about it.
Working with Kuji on translation work also gives them something in common to talk about.
Yeah but listening to 2 guys talk about books and translations isnt very interesting.
Life happens this way for a lot of people.
Life is pretty mundane for most people. That's why shows don't typically have a completely realistic portrayal of how life is because it would be very dull
But aren't most of serious JBLs just like that? Peaceful with slow progression of things...no dramatic development or plot-twists every episode...🤔
I too have found some Jdramas a bit boring for that exact reason (for example Countdown to yes - which was well loved in this subred 🫣) but for me it's something to be expected of JBLs...
My love for the original manga and the story and also the actors doing an excelent work in Smokey blue is what keeps me hooked on this drama ❤️
But aren't most of serious JBLs just like that? Peaceful with slow progression of things...no dramatic development or plot-twists every episode...🤔
No not really. Some of my favorite BLs are JBLs and they're all more mature, adult themed. Happy of the end, Journey To Killing You, Old Fashion Cupcake, When It Rains It Pours, and my all time favorite, End of the World With You.
I don't really need crazy plot twists or drama, I just need to feel like something is happening. Even the movie His, (which is one of my favorites & one I've watched like 5 times) although it is also more muted in terms of color & has a more somber tone, the couple as a unit are the main focus & everything that happens revolves around & impacts their evolving bond & relationship. Everything is progressing towards a resolution or event. you can feel a story building. In this show, it feels like after ep 2, watching 2 men who hooked up once just sitting in silence thinking about their own lives. A few random moments here & there remind you that there is the potential for something romantic but that's like 1 minute of each ep & the next scene it's like it never happened.
My love for the original manga and the story and also the actors doing an excelent work in Smokey blue is what keeps me hooked on this drama ❤️
And that's totally fine. Everyone will interpret different things in different ways. Unfortunately, for me, something just isn't quite clicking with this show. It might even end up being one of those things where it works better as a binge watch.
I've seen all of the dramas you listed except End of the world with you (that's a plan for future😅) and liked them well enough...but I don't see that much difference from Smokey blue in terms of pace or how boring they felt (not) to me..
You're right.. it's definitely more suited for a binge watch. And I also think people who read the manga can grasp what's going through characters' minds more. Most of their feelings and even the definition of their realtionship is left unsaid.
As you said, everyone has different preferences. I know the feeling of wanting to love a show but not being able to get into it properly. It happened to me with At 25, in Akasaka, Therapy game, Cherry magic and some more (lol, I'm actually quite picky)...if watching it doesn't bring you joy there's no reason forcing it 🤷♀️
It’s a slice of life manga. There are some big life changes shown like changing a job, so nothing happens is not accurate at all haha. I guess you were just hoping for something else? Maybe it’s not your genre then :).
Obviously I don't mean literally nothing happens. Then they would just be sitting there staring at each other and not moving for the entire episode. When I say nothing happens, I mean nothing interesting
Well, but that’s the whole point - it’s your perspective that „nothing (interesting) happens“, because you were expecting what? This is slice of life and it shows atmospheric bits of their daily life through which we as a viewer can be part of their gradual development. It’s the whole deal of the genre and I personally love it, because it feels real (and close to my life so I can identify). But yeah, like I told, it’s probably not your genre then, if you find it boring (and that’s okay, just drop it!).
Azuma is clearly waiting for Kuji to say something!
Like, hey, shall we be in a situationship or something of the sort?
But Kuji says nothing. And Kuji hinting to have sex during the power failure was all to real, that is what happens I'll too. But, Azuma didn't bite, haha.
So, Kuji is now making anothee career choice, good for him. I know that his sister and nephew don't want him to leave their apartment. But it is the best, when his brother in law will be home soon.
And then there is that excuse, finally, to call Azima, who is like, what, do you call me after all this time for this?🤣
And there it is, the excuse that Azuma can say without hinting that he wants his lover near him. Why don't you live here temporarily for the time being?
It is so real to see two almost 40 guys dance around the subject like this.
11
u/Sad-Zebra-9432 Semantic Error 28d ago
I love this beautiful series and the two leads are giving a masterclass in showing how great their acting skills are. Both actors are so good together on screen and their chemistry is amazing. The acting from these actors looks effortless. This is a masterpiece and the direction and cinematography are outstanding🥰