(Jdrama Review) Mr. Kurosaki's Pure Love Never Stops (2026)

 

 Original title: Kurosaki-san no Ichizuna Ai ga Tomaranai

 (黒崎さんの一途な愛がとまらない)

Based on manga by Okada Piko

Synopsis: 

A high school student, Shirase Koharu, helps out at an onigiri shop that was opened by her mother, who passed away three years ago. While assisting her father in running the shop, Koharu also takes care of her two younger brothers, leading a hectic and demanding daily life. One day, Koharu receives an unexpected proposal from a regular customer of the shop, the novelist Kurosaki Ayato. Out of nowhere, he says to her, “With these one billion yen, please marry me.” Faced with this sudden and unconventional proposal from Kurosaki, who has zero experience in romance, Koharu finds herself gradually shaken by his completely unpredictable approach and her heart beginning to waver little by little.

The blurb for this drama kept popping up on my Reels timeline with the scene: "With these billion yen, please marry me." The comments section, of course, varied; some immediately agreed because they saw Kurosaki-san as so handsome and, of course, rich, while others found it creepy. If that scene were in a manga, readers would probably melt, but in real life, many speculations would arise about the guy (Kurosaki-san): Is he sane enough to propose to a high school girl with an offer of millions of yen without even knowing her first? Is he the type who likes younger girls, considering Kurosaki-san looks mature?

Kurosaki manga cover vol 1

Indeed, there are some shoujo manga that make readers melt more when reading them than when watching their live-action versions. Romance in manga often feels cringe when brought into a drama. The comedy, too, sometimes feels strange. I was initially happy with the arrival of live-action dramas from manga I had read. But the more episodes there were, the stranger it felt to watch their relationship – Kurosaki-san and Koharu-chan. From the start, I didn't feel much chemistry between them. I kept watching because the manga I read back then wasn't finished. Are they getting married in the end (as soon as Koharu-chan finishes high school)? Is Kurosaki-san going to wait for Koharu-chan to finish school/university? Will there be any third party who will disturb their relationship?

I felt the same way when the manga Living with Matsunaga-san became a drama. I used to love this manga, but when it became a drama, my excitement simply evaporated. The main male and female actors didn't seem as enjoyable as when I read the manga. I watched it because I had read the manga. That’s all.

Kurosaki-san is depicted as a bestselling and famous novelist under the pen name Curo. He can describe captivating love stories for his readers, but his own love life is dry. He even proposed to a girl without introducing himself first, undergoing character immersion before deciding to ask her to marry him. Fortunately, Koharu-chan's reaction was not like the manga readers who immediately became hysterical as if they were being proposed to. Koharu-chan was more realistic, suggesting they get to know each other first.

The appearance of a third party in the middle of the drama felt too annoying. It seemed that Kurosaki-san's love wouldn't waver even without a third party. Especially from an overly familiar actress. The third party near the end of the drama felt acceptable enough because it also introduced Kurosaki-san's family background and how he became an introvert. Meeting many people seemed to drain his energy. Io-san, Kurosaki-san's younger sibling, became like him due to pressure from Kurosaki-san's stepmother, who didn't want her biological child to be outdone by Kurosaki-san. Hmm... This seems quite natural and common for mothers who want to see their children more successful than others.

But it comes back to preference. I feel this drama is enjoyable enough in manga form only. The drama is OK, but it won’t stay long in my mind.

Casts:

Toyoshima Hana as Shirase Koharu

Yamanaka Jyutaro as Kurosaki Ayato

Rating:

Cast: 7/10

Music: 7/10

Story: 6/10

Re-watch value: 5/10

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