Old-Fashioned Cupcake is about two corporate guys who decided to act like cutesy school girls to practice anti-aging exercises. Unbeknownst to the senior guy who’s boss, his handsome subordinate has been harboring romantic feelings.
Synopsis
Sleep, wake, and work — sum up the day-to-day life of 39-year old, Nozue (Takeda Kouhei – 武田航平, 36). A routine that eases him, and conversely weighs heavily on him — which worries the hard-eyed but reliable Togawa (Kimura Tatsunari – 木村達成, 28), a 29-year-old subordinate of his. In an unexpected turn of events, the two of them end up visiting a pancake shop bustling with girls. [Manga Updates | My Drama List]
Review
Employing proven drama ingredients like slice-of-life, a corporate setting, and boss-subordinate dynamics, Old Fashioned Cupcake is slow-burn yet filled with unforgettable moments.
There is so much variety in BL. Aside from the tremendous amount of new releases, one can get overwhelmed. I was in that state of ‘shock’ considering watching Old-Fashioned Cupcake. A few days ago, I decided to have a go at it.
What strikes me the most is how smooth-flowing the story is to the viewers. It’s satisfying (and calming) for someone like me who work in a corporate setting. I’m very particular with the language and how employees interact, so I was picky. Yet I see nothing out of the ‘ordinary’.
I like it too that the focus is the main characters. While some commented that a 5-episode series is not enough to show a convincing development of characters, I have to say – in this case, it did. The romantic relationship between Takeda Kouhei’s Nozue and Kimura Tatsunari’s Kogawa is the centerpiece. It did not dwell on the characters’ childhood memories, upbringing, or family values. It emphasizes the development of feelings – from the initial get-together for sweets and cupcakes to staying longer than necessary to some moments of obvious jealousy, and finally the realization of what all their actions are about.
How they realize what they truly feel about each other – that’s the center of what Old-Fashioned Cupcake is all about. And it made perfect sense.
An old-timer BL fan way back in 2007. I started out loving BL after watching the Takumi-kun series from Japan, went on collecting BL manga, and watched old BL anime such as Junjou Romantica and the likes. Love of Siam allow me to transition into Thai, while Amphetamine gave me glimpses of Taiwanese BL magic. I love to write reviews and I’m one of the administrators of Psycho Weird.