🎬 Just One More Episode Presents:
🫰 Because I have feelings, subtitles, and no self-control.
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A Story to Read When You First Fall in Love (初めて恋をした日に読む話)
📅 Japan • 2019
Format: Standard Series
Episodes: 10
Aired: Jan 15, 2019 - Mar 19, 2019
Aired On: Tuesday
Original Network: TBS
Duration: 57 min.
📺 Available on:
Viki – Free
✨ Synopsis
Harumi Junko was once a model student in middle and high school but failed to get into the prestigious Tokyo University. Fast-forward to 32, she now teaches at a private tutoring institute, hoping to guide students where she stumbled. Then enters a high schooler with bright pink hair and his father, convinced he’s a delinquent. Junko takes on the challenge—and suddenly two other men appear in her life. Can she succeed academically and romantically?
Adapted from the manga Hajimete Koi wo Shita Hi ni Yomu Hanashi (初めて恋をした日に読む話) by Mochida Aki (持田あき).
👥 Cast
💫 Fukada Kyoko — Harumi Junko
“Thirty-two, sassy, slightly frazzled, and all the heart you didn’t know you needed in a teacher.”
🔥 Yokohama Ryusei — Yuri Kyohei
“Pink-haired whirlwind of teenage chaos who somehow melts your brain with a single look.”
💎 Nagayama Kento — Yakumo Masashi
“Quiet, handsome, broody adult type who makes you go ‘ugh, fine, you’re cute’ even if he’s annoying.”
💎 Nakamura Tomoya — Yamashita Kazuma
“Third wheel alert, but charming enough to steal your side-eye and your heart anyway.”
💎 Adachi Yumi — Matsuoka Miwa [Junko's best friend]
“Relatable chaos agent and comic relief extraordinaire.”
💬 Ratings
🎭 Story: 💖 — 6.5/10 — “Cute idea, but the execution wobbles more than it should.”
💫 Acting/Cast: 🌟 — 7/10 — “Solid performances; cast does what they can with the material.”
🎧 Music: 🎵 — 4/10 — “Not terrible, not memorable—just… there.”
🔁 Rewatch Value: 💖 — 5/10 — “Mildly rewatchable if you’re in a mood, but not a go-to.”
🏆 Overall: 💖 — 5.5/10 — “Sweet moments sprinkled through an uneven package.”
📝 Review (WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage)
Okay, let’s go with the flow. Pink hair? Instantly iconic. Junko navigating her awkward feelings, her career chaos, and two (well, three) men in her life is hilarious and slightly heartbreaking. Japanese age-gap rom-coms have this special charm: slightly ridiculous, comically awkward, yet deeply human.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind older-woman, younger-man stories if the writers would just stop making the woman so damn insecure about it. Like… chill, you’re an adult. The only time insecurity or weirdness should be a thing is if it’s underage. Adult pining over a high schooler? Yeah… a little weird, especially since the typical graduating age is 18. But here’s the thing: on Junko’s side, there’s barely a hint of actual romantic thoughts or crush energy toward Kyohei—just flustered teaching moments. Nothing substantial to worry about, unlike some shows (cough cough Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo), where the FL was 16 and the ML 26. Cringe.
Kyohei is chaotic, Junko is relatable, and Masashi/Kazuma add exactly the right adult energy to keep the love triangle compelling. The series moves fast enough that you don’t even notice the “wait, what just happened?” moments. Scenes with Kyohei are like a live wire: chaotic, flustered, and somehow still adorable. Junko’s combination of competence and frazzled panic is gold. Tiny victories, awkward glances, and comic mishaps kept me more invested than any grand romantic gesture ever could.
This is pure lighthearted escapism: silly, cute, and charmingly flawed. Perfect for a one-off binge if you want to smile, sigh, and maybe cringe at your own blush reflex.
💭 Final Mood
“Cute, quirky, slightly ridiculous—but somehow charming enough to make me grin like a fool. Definitely a one-timer binge, not a forever rewatch.”
🏷️ #JustOneMoreEpisode #EmotionalDamageApproved #AStoryToReadWhenYouFirstFallInLove #PinkHairChaos #AwkwardRomanceVibes #GoWithTheFlowBinge
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