Love Is Better the Second Time Around poster
#4811 This Week

Love Is Better the Second Time Around

Love Is Better the Second Time Around  ·  2024, Japan
7.3
1,440 ratings
6
Episodes
0
Watchlisted
● Completed 🕑 2024

Business editor Miyata Akihiro asks successful professor Iwanaga Takashi to write a column for his magazine. When they meet, Miyata realizes Iwanaga was his first love in high school—under a different last name. Iwanaga…

Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Episodes
Reviews (5)

Business magazine editor Miyata Akihiro is thrown into a whirlwind when he's assigned to work with the charismatic university professor Iwanaga Takashi for a new column. To his shock, he realizes the professor is none other than his first love from high school—the boy he once dreamed of eloping with, who broke his heart under a cloud of misunderstanding. Now a decade later, Miyata is determined to keep things strictly professional, but Takashi, now confident and disarmingly flirtatious, has other plans. As they collaborate, old memories resurface, forcing them to confront the painful past that tore them apart and the undeniable chemistry that still sizzles between them. This is a beautifully crafted, slow-burn second-chance romance that explores whether love can truly be better the second time around, especially when both men are carrying the scars of their youth and the weight of adulthood.

E01
1
Love Is Better the Second Time Around Episode 1
Season 1 · Mar 06, 2024
~ min
E02
2
Love Is Better the Second Time Around Episode 2
Season 1 · Mar 13, 2024
~ min
E03
3
Love Is Better the Second Time Around Episode 3
Season 1 · Mar 20, 2024
~ min
E04
4
Love Is Better the Second Time Around Episode 4
Season 1 · Mar 27, 2024
~ min
E05
5
Love Is Better the Second Time Around Episode 5
Season 1 · Apr 03, 2024
~ min
E06
6
Love Is Better the Second Time Around Episode 6
Season 1 · Apr 10, 2024
~ min
7.3
out of 10
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BA
blossoms_and_boys
April 2024
9/10
I am absolutely melted by this drama! The way Takashi looks at Miyata with those smoldering eyes—I had to rewind multiple times. Their reunion gave me butterflies, and the shower scene? Perfection. Yes, the ending felt a bit fast, but I don't care because the chemistry alone is worth a 10. More JBLs like this, please!
LO
logicoveremotion
May 2024
6/10
I wanted to love this, but the pacing kills it. Six episodes are simply not enough to resolve a decade of hurt, especially when you waste time on three love rivals. The main conflict is interesting, but the resolution in the last episode is way too convenient. The leads have chemistry, sure, but the script needed more meat. A missed opportunity.
FB
framed_by_light
June 2024
8/10
Visually, this is one of the most beautiful JBLs I've seen. The soft lighting, the color grading that shifts between warm flashbacks and cool present-day scenes, the way the camera lingers on their faces during moments of silence—it's a masterclass in visual storytelling. Even the simple office sets feel alive. I only wish the budget allowed for more location variety, but the director Yuka Yasukawa knows how to frame emotion.
MV
manga_vs_drama
July 2024
7/10
As a fan of the original manga, I appreciate how faithfully the adaptation captures the emotional core. The younger cast mirrors the characters perfectly. However, the drama cuts a lot of the nuanced internal monologue that made the manga special, and the rushed ending omits a few key scenes. It's a decent adaptation, but if you want the full depth, read the source material first.
CA
consent_and_context
August 2024
7/10
I appreciate that this drama tries to address the trauma of being manipulated in a teenage relationship. Miyata's hesitation to trust again feels real, and the drama doesn't romanticize the 'bet' that broke them. However, I wish they had spent more time on Takashi earning that trust rather than using flirtation as a shortcut. The power dynamic between the confident professor and the still-wounded editor is interesting but underexplored. Still, a thoughtful watch for those interested in consent in rekindled relationships.