This review may contain spoilers
I am spellbound by their magic!!
From the opening scenes to the closing credits, this series has woven a spell around my heart. I know it's just the starting and it's too early to make a final judgement, but I am already in love with this series, the characters, the office premises and the slight touch of magic. I am spellbound by their magic.Achi, the Clumsy with an Adorable Charm:
The series starts with Achi talking about him turning 30 and how a standard life of 30 year old should be, only to confess that his life lacks all those elements. But to his surprise, he gains magical power of reading people's mind and that's where everything begins. Achi, he is clumsy, under confident and at the same time innocent, extremely adorable and kind but also relatable. Damn I can definitely see why Karan is so whipped for him- I mean who wouldn't be?
Karan, the Sweetheart with a Crush:
Then we have Karan, he is confident, achiever and has the standard 30 year old life according to Achi. But more than that he is whipped for Achi. He is a walking green flag. He has a secret crush on him and he finds everything that Achi does adorable and I don't blame him because I ain't any different. They both are adorable and so is their chemistry. Damn their interactions, subtle touches, glances, those inner monologues and those visions from Karan's imagination, I am loving and enjoying everything.
The Real magic of Cherry Magic:
Okay, let's talk about the real magic of "Cherry Magic" - those lines that hit you right in the feels. Like the line, 'Sometimes I even feel relieved that in a world where I seem to fade into the background, Karan always sees me.' I mean, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this!! And it's not just the words; it's the way they play it out. As Achi looks at Karan when Karan is passing by his seat in the bus, he remembers all the moments with Karan. More so the moment, in the retreat, when he thought no one would want to pair up with him and he just aimlessly, without looking backward, walks backward and collides with Karan's front. Their eyes lock, Karan smiles and the question, "Do you want to pair up with me?" unfolds like a fairytale. Sounds cliche I know but trust me, that moment felt so magical. I was legit smitten by this scene and it's not just a one time thing. I have so many favorite moments.
Supporting leads have my heart:
Talking about the supporting characters, first and foremost I love Pai. She is so cute and moreover she is a fangirl. Aaaaahhhh my heart!!! Also, she knows how to stand her grounds. I absolutely love the scene with her ex and how she dealt with him. Now, that's my girl. Also, Rock is kind of talkative, funny and cheerful guy and he is a new employee. His concerns regarding work matters felt realistic. Like you know worrying over if he would be able to blend into the environment or not and relying on a kind senior. Moving on to Min and Jinta, I love them no less. Jinta, he is a really funny guy. He also gains the magical power of reading minds and the way he is freaking out about it and trying to avoid people's touch, it's hilarious. Moreover, the cat's thoughts really cracks me. And the confession scene of Min and Jinta, it had me rolling and blushing. They are so adorable.
OSTs ohhhh the soothing OSTs!!!
Also, the ost Loudest love, oh my god I absolutely love it. I have been listening to it on loop. To top it, the ost 'Everything is magic' is Achi's pov and 'Voice within' is Karan's pov , both the mvs are connected and it's so adorable plus ear pleasing. I am absolutely smitten by them.
I can't wait to see the next episode. I am eagerly eagerly waiting for Saturdays.
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Sometimes a Little Bit of Magic Wouldn't Hurt
This is my first series with TayNew, and I'm enjoying it and having fun with it. It is also my first exposure to "Cherry Magic," which means I haven't seen the Japanese original series or the manga version. While I'm hopeful that time will permit me to catch up on those versions, it's worth noting that my perspectives and thoughts on the series might differ from those who have already completed the other versions.Achi (New), an average employee at a stationery company, leads a single and uneventful life. Upon reaching the age of thirty, he discovers a surprising ability to read people's minds through physical contact. Faced with this newfound power, Achi tries to avoid contact with others. Still, his efforts take an unexpected turn when he accidentally reads the thoughts of Karan (Tay), his handsome and flawless colleague. To his astonishment, Achi learns that the generous and always-smiling Karan has developed romantic feelings for him. To prevent complications, Achi maintains distance from Karan's emotions.
It's the first episode, and I love it. TayNew's on-screen chemistry and acting skills have genuinely surprised me, leaving me thoroughly impressed. Their long-standing partnership is evident in the seamless and captivating way they bring their characters to life. The storyline has been a delightful exposure, keeping me engaged from start to finish. Karan's endearing and caring nature, paired with Achi's innocent and adorable persona, creates a perfect balance that leads to smiles. It's heartwarming to witness the essence of their characters unfold early, which could help establish a solid emotional connection with the audience quickly. This promising start has certainly piqued my curiosity, leaving me eagerly anticipating the developments that will unfold in future episodes.
It's a delightful exploration into a new world of storytelling, and while my thoughts may vary from others who have delved deeper into the original Japanese series or manga, the joy of discovery and the anticipation of what lies ahead are thrilling. I look forward to the excitement of uncovering the "Cherry Magic" layers through my fresh lens! (Haha!)
"Love can start from the little moments that impress you. Before you know it, you've already caught feelings."
Edit: I finished watching the original Japanese version and adored it so much! I'm looking forward to seeing how the Thai adaptation creates a new sense of watching!
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High class BL!
The cinematography is gorgeous, they’re doing a wonderful job honoring the manga while still making it Thai, and the acting is spot on. The chemistry between Achi and Karan is fire! So happy to see TayNew in such a quality drama! This is truly their Renaissance era. I love the manga, so I had high expectations, but they’re definitely meeting them. So nice to see a Thai BL about two working adults as opposed to high school or college. I also love that they’re truly building relationships both romantically between the three ships, but also the friendships between all of the characters. I would recommend this BL to anyone!Was this review helpful to you?
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my honest review (kinda story-telling too lmao) ??
i want to desclaimer at the beginning before im continuing this review. i might adding my opinion as a polca (shipper fandom of taynew) but overall this is my honest review as a pure viewers.first of all, this is a comeback of taynew as a BL couple and i'm so excited. no matter what kind of series they'll get, i don't care, as long as i can watch them as a couple on screen again. then, when i know taynew will got a series based on one of the famous BL manga, my excitement doubled and doubled. i know this manga already had a japanese series and ofc, i have to watch it first before the thai adaptation one is airing.
finally, on december 9th 2023, the first episode of cherry magic thailand is airing! i'm very happy and ecstatic but can't helo myself to comparing it with the japanese version. i really like the japanese one but for some reason the thai one hits so much different. starting from many adjustments to the culture in thailand so the series can be more comfortable and acceptable to watched by the native people there, details that are not shown in the hapanese series, the chemistry of taynew and other players that so fun to watched, and much more (you can watch it yourself if you want to know more).
i can proudly say, cherry magic thailand is such a masterpiece and can be one of the must-watch series that you have to see at least once in your lifetime.
the series still on-going so if you want to binge-watching it, you still have time and then keeping up until the newest episode. i'm kinda promoting here but you can watch it live at 20.30 BKK time every saturday on gmm25 channel and rewatch it on viu thailand at 22.30. the english subtitle already available both of the platform. let's feel the magic of cherries by yourself like me, guys! 🥰🍒🪄
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The Magic so far (dated: 04/02/24).
So I have been watching Cherry Magic TH since it came out on 9th December 2023. And honestly this show is hands down one of the THE best series I have ever watched that includes Be My Favorite and Theory Of Love.After what happened with Vice Versa series and an underwhelming performance from P'X (and even Jimmy Jitaraphol too) P'X had dropped out of my bias list to the point I had decided that I might never watch an X Nuttapong series again despite him having my all-time favorite series Theory Of Love under his belt. I was heartbroken then skeptical, worried and nervous when Cherry Magic TH was announced on 22/11/22 under the direction of X Nuttapong but man! With each coming episode I'm so glad that P'X keeps proving me wrong, mind you I'm so picky and choosy with what to watch and criticizing it too even regardless how much my ultimate favorite artist has starred in it.
But these past eight weeks have been nothing but pure delight each passing episode, every new episode tops the previous one, the development and dedication this work has been shown has raised my already high standards for content/series.
I just hope and pray that the ending of this work is stable, likeable and just what every Polca would want 🥹
Every actor of this series has acted so well in every damn cut! So amazing! Let's talk about Mark and Janhae first,
Mark is a rookie actor, I believe so, I first saw him in Midnight Museum and his potential blew me off and he has done the role of Min with the same level of justice, I already like him so much 💖
Whereas Janhae, I was skeptical with her at first because I remember watching Cupid's Last Wish and cringing at her acting but she has improved so much it's so nice to see and even refreshing to see her as Pai 💜
Then comes Junior, there has been so many stale and stiff side characters in Y series be it from GMM or not, but Jinta is a side character that honestly brings light into this series and 90% of the credit goes to P'Junior (with the other 10% being P'X's guidance) 🧡
P'Parn is the ultimate lady boss yet caring as a superior, I love her characterization, even if her screentime is limited, it's enjoyable 🥹
I didn't know that someone significantly older than the newly graduated people aged between 20-24 would look so good on P'Ssing, I honestly thought that he wouldn't be able to pull the slightly childish charm youngsters like me harbour but boy! Did he do justice to it 🩵
Then comes our green forest Karan, P'Tay did SUCH a great job in portraying Karan that I hope everyone who was saying that P'Tay can't do romantic roles got their answers after watching this golden series. Karan is a literal (fictional) human embodiment of love, care and dedication, when I fall in love, I aspire to be like three fictional characters; Sravani, Third and Karan. Albeit the condition (and the prayer) is that I meet someone who is Achi, 💙
Which finally brings us to our main character Achi, portrayed by P'New. I remember reading a review of The Stone Of Affection here on this very website and it stated that P'New's acting was "stiff" (although it was Bua who fit the statement more) but I would like to ask the person to reevaluate their decision because I have watched both Manee Phayabat and Cherry Magic TH and the acting P'New has done is more than just justice to Achi's character 🤌 like words have failed to express just how well P'New (and P'Tay) has acted in this series 🩷
Literally top tier series this of both 2023 and 2024 🥹
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Everyone's chemistry all are so good!
I love all TayNew series, but this is soooo much better than DBK. Dont get me wrong i love dbk, still re-watching it. But a series with so much understanding with each other, No unnecessary drama just.. *chefkiss*. It's a love story that we all can relate in real life. Having a crush, and how excited we'll be if that person is so close to us. Eyeing our crush in the office bcoz we find her/him so cute! lol. There's no outrageous scene we can't relate... Well except their first date probably. lol.And TayNew's acting improved so much! TayNew worked their butt off for the last 2 years for their own solo development really paid off!
Juju, Min, Jan and Ssing all are great. JanSsing is so cute! Their chemistry also on point! The boss, P'Duj. Gosh everyone is so good!
Kudos to their original author, Toyota Sensei for creating such a lovely story <3
Kudos to P'X, for making this happen for TayNew and Polca.
Kudos to all cast and crew for working so hard for this series.
I know, this is not everyone's cup of tea. It's okay. You can try watching it with open mind, and if it's still bad for you it's okay, leave it. No need to spread hate :) thank you.
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A must watch if you are interested in a stable build of a Love story
A thai adaptation to the manga CherryMagic 30yrs of virginity.. i love how they've truely adapted thru the manga without much alternation to the actual story. I loved how the story of Karan & Achi started from being hidden crush of each other to finally being in a relationship. I love how Karan has a crush over Achi for so many yrs yet waits paitently for Achi to accept his love. He won't give up on Achi but won't force him either. Achi being shy timid guy can't imagine Karan the smart sexy top employee of the company to have a crush on him ... has finally accepted his love. I know it took them 9 episodes to finally kiss but the wait was worth it. TAYNEW absolutely brought in all of their feelings and emotions ! Brilliant !!!Was this review helpful to you?
Pillar of BL
TayNew proved to all of us how BL should be, their undeniable chemistry is timeless, indeed they are the pillar of BL series.Cherry magic is a cinema, they have incredible shots on this series, cinematography is serving! This is what TayNew deserves, a series like no other, I know that this is just an adaptation but to be honest, their exceeding beyond everyone’s expectations, from their actings, expressions they’re both killing it!
IINGATAN, PAGSISILBIHAN, LULUHURAN, AALAGAAN, JOJOWAIN, AASAWAHIN, MAMAHALIN HABANG BUHAY, I TAKE THEE TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, FOR RICHER OR FOR POORER, TO LOVE AND CHERISH FROM THIS DAY FORWARD UNTIL DEATH DO US PART, YES PO FATHER I DO.🛐🛐🛐
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Cute and Sweet Pairs
It is a heartwarming and beautiful depiction of how both Achi and Karan fall for each other because of their kindness. There is a warmth to the story’s well-placed humor. And a sincerity in the way it has begun to tell each character’s story. Newwiee is adorable as the fluffy Achi, who despite being a hard-working employee has low self-esteem issues. Tawan is equally good as the dashing Karan, with a blinding smile that has all the office girls weak in their knees. Most of the story unfolds in an office set-up, which was a refreshing change from all the college fluff such series are filled with.Was this review helpful to you?
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This review may contain spoilers
Being a virgin at 30 has rewards: the fairy tale with magical gay romance that will steal your heart
Since Jean Cocteau put on the screen the load of imagination, surrealism and magic, bringing romance even to the gothicism of horror films with the premiere of 'Beauty and the Beast' (La belle et la bête), based on the 1757 story de Beaumont, the film productions in which fantasy and love come together continue to amaze.If in that 1946 film a portrait of the Beast was achieved as a terrifying, erotic and sensitive creature, capable of making Beauty fall in love, since then the cinematographic narrative has diversified, making fantasy, magic and romance go hand in hand. hand.
On that path we have films like 'Somewhere in Time', from 1980; 'Starman' (1984), by John Carpenter; 'Ladyhawke,1985; 'The Purple Rose of the Cairo', 1985), by Woody Allen; 'The Princess Bride', 1987; 'Edward Scissorhands', 1990, by Tim Burton; 'Ghost,' (1990; 'Groundhog Day', 1993; 'Ghostbusters', 1984; 'Mortal Zombie' (Return of the living dead 3, 1993; 'What Dreams May Come', 1998.
Spells to attract love, spells to captivate the perfect lover, witches on their broom throwing magic dust into the air, frogs transforming themselves into princes, mysteries, rituals, spells and magic potions capable of transforming love lives have been used in audiovisual productions whose thread Common among all of them is the imagination in their plot, unaware of limits, an exploration of the impossible that helps - and a lot - to entertain.
BL series also show stories where magical powers are mixed with interdimensional love, musical crystal balls, candies with special powers, travel through time, zombies and ghosts, mutant beings, cats and dogs that become humans and vice versa. In this way, magical visions of love have managed to cross the boundaries of genre to talk about the only thing that truly matters.
'Be My Favorite', 'My Lucky Cat', 'Absolute Zero', '30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii', 'First Love for the Third Time'; 'I Feel You Linger In The Air', 'Tinted With You', 'Love between fairy and devil', 'Cang lan jue', 'Sound candy', 'See you in my 19th life', 'Revenant', and Heartbeat are some of them.
Based on a 2020 Japanese drama, in turn adapted from a 2018 manga series written by Yuu Toyota, 'Cherry Magic' is a tender and fun Thai BL that tells an office romance with a quirky fantasy touch, starring New Thitipoom Techa-apaikhun, as Achi and Tay Tawan Vihokratana, as Karam. The actors bring a natural warmth and authentic ease to their performances. With a relentlessly positive tone, the series achieves the perfect fusion of sensitive humor and touching sentimentality.
It has numerous truly funny moments. Contrary to the opinion of detractors of the genre, there is nothing wrong with a romantic comedy with a hit of solid and sincere fantasy, which is exactly what this series is.
Its director, X Nuttapong Mongkolsawas (who has dramas such as Our Skyy 2, Viceversa and Theory of Love, among many others), achieves one of the best series of the genre. Featuring a charismatic couple, you'll smile every episode as their fairytale romance unfolds. This fun BL drama has a lot of charm, humor, positivity and imagination within it.
This romantic comedy with a creative story, a cute couple and a joyful love relationship dynamic, tells how Achi, a shy and modest man with an office job, acquires a special power that makes him know love.
The protagonist has never had sex. In fact, he is not looking to establish a romantic relationship because he is afraid of love. He, who lived an ordinary existence and on the eve of turning 30, never thought that his life would become magical, nor that an unexpected love would be closer than he imagined.
Our hero admires Karam (Tay Tawan Vihokratana), the handsome, cool and talented office colleague at the Toyokawa company, the epitome of a being who exudes kindness and beauty at every step. In his eyes, Karam is a demigod while he is an inferior being next to him. Considered the company's best salesperson for 7 consecutive years, Karam exudes the image of being popular among women and a successful man both at work and in his personal life due to his immaculate perfection in dressing and his gentleness.
While surfing the Internet with Rock (Sing Harit Cheewagaroon), his new office colleague, he reads that there is a belief that arriving a virgin in his thirties can obtain "magical power." He doesn't think this is possible... but if it's true, how would this kind of magic choose him?
Achi will discover to her amazement that she has suddenly developed a magical power that allows her to read other people's minds every time they touch each other. This new skill completely changes your life and will bring you fun and exciting surprises. Although at first he refuses to have that ability, everything becomes complicated when she reveals to him that Karam is in love with him!
In world cinematography, possessing the ability to read minds is pursued by evil forces to take over and cause evil. Achi, who rarely exploits his powers, only uses them to help others when they have a work problem and they don't know what is happening or how to act in that case, especially Karam, and to read the thoughts of his friends. co-workers and the man she loves. Most of the time you will know what others think accidentally. He is easily afraid of having these powers.
His powers will also bring him misunderstandings, such as initially believing that Pai (Jan Ployshompoo Supasap), his co-worker, is in love with him, only to later discover that she has actually realized the secret and budding love bond between Achi and Karam and supports that relationship.
As in a fairy tale, you develop a magical ability that helps you read the minds of others, only to discover that the most attractive young man in the company, whom you always secretly admired, also has a secret that concerns you: he is crazy in love with you.
The demigod who always seemed unattainable to you because he was light years away from you, is a prince charming who dreams of spending his life by your side. It is you who are truly the prince charming of her dreams. In reality, it is you who have been unattainable for him, since he has wanted to confess his love to you for years and has not dared, and if you know it, it is all thanks to the newly acquired skills. This is the definition of a self-gratifying fantasy like perhaps none other before it.
The fairy tale is not over yet. Imagine that you are a person who undervalues yourself and is full of insecurities and fears in all aspects of life, including love, but by knowing you are loved you will begin an empowering journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Imagine that you will help your loved one to let down his guard, to calm him down without the constant need to be perfect. This is what Achi will experience. On this journey, Karam takes him by the hand and they travel together.
And from the point of view of the person you love, he is willing to be for you the perfect lover, gentle and chivalrous, faithful companion, friend for life. He has silently wanted it since he met you at the company when they started working on the same day, 7 years ago. He will see in you how good you are, even when you don't trust yourself.
In every fairy tale there is a perfect couple. This is because they are kind, empathetic, sensitive and positive with each other. The two complement each other, motivate, encourage and support each other. They are the example of a happy and healthy BL couple.
As a viewer, Achi and Karam immerse me in their pure and tender romance. Perfectly, I visualize how their relationship develops from co-workers to boyfriends.
Although at first glance Karam seems superficial and distant, thanks to the power of Achi we will soon learn that he is in love with his co-worker and has the noblest feelings towards him.
Manow Waneepan Ounphoklang, PingPong Suwanun Pohgudsai and Mook Jarinee Thanomyat are in charge of writing a drama that every BL fan must see, representing characters who are not afraid to express their feelings and for moments full of innocent romantic interactions. On the other hand, it has an extremely fun secondary couple and something that is not seen much in series of this theme: there is no toxicity.
Achi confides in Jinta, her friend from college, that she has magical powers. Jinta, a romance writer with an eccentric personality, doesn't believe Achi at first, but ends up developing the same ability when he reaches his thirties, weeks later. In this way, she will be able to read the mind of Min, a young courier who makes deliveries to her apartment, and begins to fall in love with him.
For complete understanding, I like to divide the series into two parts. The first half focuses on Achi discovering his magical powers, learning with surprise that he is loved, and the rapprochement between him and Karam as she develops feelings for him. Achi will find the self-confidence to open himself to love.
The second half follows Achi and Karam as a couple, how they get along and are happy with each other. Only towards the end will some tension arise that will test the love of the two, when Achi's magical powers become a burden on their relationship and may end it.
You can appreciate his unlimited imagination in 'Cherry Magic'. The original, unique premise allows many fun scenarios to develop. Every time the two protagonists touch each other, Achi can hear Karam's thoughts about his secret crush. These scenes are handled delicately, making them fun rather than invasive.
You will run the risk of ending up liking Karam more because his inner thoughts are so pure and innocent.
In the original Japanese series, the main couple never kisses on the lips. Will they kiss in the Thai version? Will the couple's physical intimacy be left to the imagination? Like in the country of the Rising Sun, in this drama we will only have kisses on the forehead? I confess something: kisses like the ones given by Karam to Achi on the forehead will have a new meaning in our lives after watching this drama. We will long for them. We will dream of them. We will want to receive a kiss with that passion from our loved one. What's more, kisses on the lips will not be necessary as a sign of pure and true love.
Since I read the premise of 'Cherry Magic', several questions arise: Will the shy Achi be able to demonstrate his love to Karam confidently and openly? Will they be able to resolve the conflict that is already occurring in the final moments? Will they be able to reconcile their differences and have a happy ending? Will Achi know how to say goodbye to his magical powers after losing his virginity or will he cling to them so they don't abandon him? Is possessing magical power or love more important? Even though she no longer has the magical ability, will she still love Karam? Will she be able to know what her boyfriend is thinking, even without the magic power?
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adorable and an excellent remake so far
Overall: the first episodes really wowed me with honoring the source material/Japanese series but putting its own Thai touch on it. If the rest of the series maintains this level, it could be my first 10/10 series. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on VIU with English subtitles (you need a VPN first set to Thailand and then click on the link) https://www.viu.com/ott/th/en/vod/2281332/Cherry-Magic-30-ยังซิงContent Warnings: harassment, manhandling, body shaming
What I Liked
- good reference to the manga, followed the original series plot points well
- fun/cute moments
- production value
(neutral) they changed Pai from an ace coded character into a straight character, I did like that she stood up for himself (though she could have made an awesome comeback of losing 170 lbs of her ex), but not sure I like the direction they are taking her character in future episodes
Room For Improvement
- space sound they sometimes have when Achi hears inner thoughts
- cat looked very well fed/taken care of for a stray cat
- overt product placement is a negative as compared to the Japanese series but I didn't take off points for product placements as it funds series
Thai & Japanese Live Action Series (Thai series has double the run time of the Japanese series)
Thai episode 1 covered Japanese episode 1
Thai episode 2 covered Japanese episodes 2 & 3
Thai episode 3 covered Japanese episode 4 and added material from the manga
International Release: on December 20th 2023 after 2 episodes aired on YouTube internationally, GMMTV stated that it could no longer air Cherry Magic internationally. It is on VIU to those in Thailand (has English subtitles). Although it's difficult to know who exactly is to blame for such a huge mess up, I think there's blame on both sides. A Japanese copyright holder (who we know is not the manga author) maybe wants money/more money for international broadcast rights which were perhaps not included in the contract with GMMTV (and GMMTV should have triple checked they had an iron clad contract before production and if they couldn't get one, they never should have adapted it). It's sad all around for the actors and crew who put so much work into this and also I'm sure the Thai series is making more money for the manga and Japanese series/movie as more people get interested and want to check out those. So overall, it's a disappointing situation.
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