The Proper Way to Write Love – Renai Rubi no Tadashii Furikata Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Japanese series ‘The Proper Way to Write Love’ (Renai Rubi no Tadashii Furikata) probably has the fastest progression of ‘enemies to lovers’. The leads start dating by episode one. And it’s not even a cliffhanger twist.
Based on the manga “Renai Rubi no Tadashii Furikata” (恋愛ルビの正しいふりかた) by Ogeretsu Tanakam, this live action adaptation spans eight episodes. The plot follows protagonist Suzuki Hiroshi (Iwahashi Genki), a charming hair-stylist, who is runs into his high-school bully Washizawa Natsuo (Soma Satoru) at the salon where he works. To his surprise, not only does Natsuo not recognize Hiroshi, he even asks him to date. Hiroshi agrees, hoping to extract revenge from his former bully. The plan is simple: date for a bit and dump him hard. But we all know how ‘Revenged Love’ stories go, right?
‘The Proper Way to Write Love’ is a great example of how background music changes everything. Flashbacks show Hiroshi’s interactions with Natsuo at school, while broody, dark music plays in the background, adding a lot of tension to their exchanges. Although, in a comical twist, Natsuo was only trying to get closer to Hiroshi and is grossly misunderstood. If the same scenes were played over with upbeat sounds, the interactions wouldn’t look like Hiroshi was being bullied.
Iwahashi Genki as Suzuki Hiroshi is quite convincing in the nerdy high-school flashbacks but isn’t as suave as the older stylist version is supposed to be. Soma Satoru is a lot more entertaining as the straightforward, cheery, impulsive Washizawa Natsuo. Nakai Dai who shot to fame from dating reality show ‘The Boyfriend’, has a small cameo as Hiroshi’s colleague Takumi. Intially, it felt like Takumi might have a significant part in the tale, but the character could’ve been deleted and it wouldn’t make a lot of different to the show.
The onscreen chemistry between Iwahashi Genki and Soma Satoru flits between cute and awkward. Their characters go on lots of dates through the episodes, encounter a few difficulties, and it’s almost bizarre how Natsuo doesn’t recognize Hiroshi until the very end. Natsuo’s character is so naive, he is almost stupid. Meanwhile, Hiroshi’s character development in ‘The Proper Way to Write Love’ is simply frustrating to watch. Even though he wants revenge, he indulges in zero scheming, and is possibly the laziest revenge-seeking protagonist in a drama.
For the most part, ‘The Proper Way to Write Love’ tends to be light-hearted, but it is also peppered with serious, dramatic scenes that often feel jarring. Basically, this drama doesn’t pick a lane, it’s neither a light romantic comedy nor an intense romantic drama. Sure, some shows are able to walk the tightrope between both genres, but not this one. The comic potential of this series is completely under-explored.
I often complain that Japanese romances can be too chaste, so it’s a surprise when ‘The Proper Way to Write Love’ throws in a decently shot steamy scene towards the end. But guess what? It didn’t need one. It’s executed nicely, but considering the overall tone of the show, it would’ve worked just as well without any intimacy.
For instance, Japanese Romantic Comedy ‘Cherry Magic’ definitely could’ve used a long final kiss between the leads, but viewers were robbed. On the other hand, the high-school RomCom ‘My Love Mix-Up!’ didn’t need any kisses, and doesn’t serve any either. A more recent example of a drama that could’ve benefited from more onscreen intimacy between its leads is ‘Futtara Doshaburi’.
Anyway, ‘The Proper Way to Write Love’ does have its merits, it’s a leisurely paced romance that makes for a decent one time watch. Maybe six episodes would’ve been an ideal length for this show though.
Rating: 6 on 10. You can watch the show on TVer or GagaOolala.
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