Cherry Magic! BL Drama Review – Mind Reading, Office Crushes, and Gentle Queer Joy

Sebastian Hart

From Viral Premise to Global Comfort Show

If you spend any time in BL or MM romance spaces online, you have probably seen screenshots or gifs from Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! The title sounds like a meme; the premise—turning thirty as a virgin grants you the ability to read minds by touch—sounds like a joke. But the Japanese drama adaptation has quietly become one of the most beloved comfort shows in queer media.

The magic trick is simple: the series uses its ridiculous concept not for crude humour, but as a tool to talk about anxiety, self‑worth, and how terrifying it can be to believe that someone actually likes you.

Plot Setup: Mind Reading Meets Office Crush

Adachi, the protagonist, is a painfully shy office worker who has drifted through his twenties assuming he is mediocre at everything: career, social life, romance. On his thirtieth birthday he gains the ability to hear people’s thoughts when he touches them.

It is a power he absolutely does not want. For an anxious people‑pleaser, knowing exactly what everyone thinks of you is a nightmare. But the ability comes with one unexpected discovery: the company golden boy, Kurosawa—handsome, competent, universally liked—has been quietly in love with him for a long time.

The drama unfolds from this single crack in Adachi’s worldview. Every handshake, shoulder bump, and shared elevator becomes a moment where we—and Adachi—hear Kurosawa’s inner monologue: his admiration, his worry about overstepping, his delight when Adachi laughs. It’s pure mutual‑pining catnip, except that one of them can literally read the other’s pining in real time.

Why Cherry Magic Works So Well

1. Fantasy Premise, Emotionally Real Core

The mind‑reading gimmick could have been used for cheap gags or voyeurism. Instead, the show keeps bringing it back to a few grounded questions:

  • What happens when you realise your crush thinks you are far more wonderful than you think you are?
  • Can you trust those thoughts when you’ve spent decades assuming you’re unlovable?
  • How do you confess feelings when you already know the answer?

Adachi’s arc is less about whether Kurosawa likes him (we know he does) and more about whether he can believe he deserves to be liked. That shift—from “no one would ever pick me” to “maybe I can let someone pick me and not ruin their life”—is catnip for anyone who enjoys slow, internal character growth.

2. A Rare Depiction of Kind Masculinity

Kurosawa might be one of the healthiest male love interests in mainstream BL:

  • He never uses perceived power (seniority, popularity, looks) to corner Adachi.
  • He checks in, backs off when asked, and treats “no” as a real answer.
  • His crush expresses itself through thoughtful acts—remembering preferences, defending Adachi at work—not grand gestures.

In a genre that can lean heavily on jealousy and possessiveness, this depiction of gentle, respectful desire feels refreshing.

3. Comedy That Never Punches Down

Cherry Magic is genuinely funny, but the humour rarely comes at the expense of queerness or vulnerability. Laughs come from:

  • the absurdity of navigating office life when you can hear everyone’s inner panic,
  • Adachi’s over‑dramatic self‑monologues,
  • Kurosawa’s contrast between polished exterior and soft, dorky inner voice.

The show treats Adachi’s anxiety with empathy. His fears are exaggerated for comedy, but never dismissed as stupidity.

How It Fits into the LGBT Novel Atlas Trope Map

From a trope perspective, Cherry Magic is a buffet:

  • Workplace Romance – shared projects, overtime, and office politics as backdrop.
  • Mutual Pining – Kurosawa pines openly in his thoughts; Adachi pines in clueless panic.
  • Slow Burn – it takes many episodes for Adachi to accept that confessing is even an option.
  • Magic Realism – the mind‑reading acts as an emotional amplifier rather than plot‑break gadget.
  • Found Family – side couples and friends add texture without stealing focus.

For the Trope Encyclopedia, Cherry Magic is an excellent case study in how to stack tropes without clutter: the fantasy hook gives the show its branding, but the emotional beats are pure office rom‑com.

Lessons for MM Romance and KDP Authors

  1. High‑Concept Hooks Plus Cozy Execution Sell.

    • “Thirty‑year‑old virgin becomes a mind‑reading wizard” is click‑bait; “gentle office romance about self‑worth” is what keeps people watching. Pair a wild premise with a soft tone and you can stand out in a crowded market.

  2. Internal Conflict Can Be Enough.

    • There is no evil ex, no homophobic violence, no catastrophic career sabotage. The main obstacle is Adachi’s belief that he is not good enough. The show proves you can drive a whole story on internal stakes if you commit to them.

  3. Kindness Is Hot.

    • Kurosawa’s sex appeal is not just looks; it’s how consistently he chooses Adachi’s comfort over the drama of confession. Translating this into prose—through small, repeated acts of care—can make your heroes unforgettable.

  4. Side Couples Can Expand Your Universe.

    • Cherry Magic introduces other queer and quirky characters whose arcs hint at spin‑offs without overwhelming the main romance. For a site like this, such characters are opportunities for future trope essays and book tie‑ins.

Should You Watch It?

If you are building a reading or viewing list for cozy, low‑stakes queer romance, Cherry Magic belongs near the top. It is particularly suited for:

  • readers who like Workplace Romance, Mutual Pining, and Slow Burn without heavy trauma,
  • viewers curious about Japanese BL who want something kind and accessible,
  • writers looking to understand how to balance fantasy hooks with grounded emotional arcs.

If your taste leans heavily toward gritty realism or explicit content, this might feel too gentle. But as a model of how BL can handle anxiety, consent, and queer joy with a light touch, Cherry Magic is close to ideal—and a perfect candidate for the “comfort watch” section of any LGBT fiction atlas.