Ayaka Is in Love With Hiroko

Do you need a quick bit of GL cotton candy? If so, then look no further. Ayaka Is In Love With Hiroko fits the bill perfectly. This 2024 Japanese GL is Kawaii….honestly, that’s the best word to describe it. You can’t help but smile. I quickly binged these 8 episodes because, like cotton candy, you just can’t take one bite. You need to consume it all quickly.

Synopsis:

Soft and bubbly office lady Ayaka is madly in love with her senior at work, Hiroko! Two lovestruck coworkers who think the other is straight are crushing on each other…

~~ Adapted from the web manga series “Ayaka Is in Love X Love X Love with Hiroko”(彩香ちゃんは弘子先輩に恋してる) by Sal Jiang (サルチャン) (Source: MyDramaList)

Directed by Yasukawa Yuka, the Director of Love Is Better The Second Time Around, and written by the Screenwriter Shimo Ayuma, the Screenwriter of Our Dining Table, Ayaka Is In Love With Hiroko was in good hands. (Source: GagaOOLala)

Cast:

Kato Shiho as Usaida Ayaka

Mori Kanna as Kano Hiroko

Honda Kyoya as Saito Yuya

Yuki Mio as Komai Risa

Thoughts:

We first meet Ayaka as she walks into her office. She struts into the office wearing shorts with a long skirt back and black combat boots. She pairs the bottoms with a crop top peasant blouse. Her long, flowing golden blonde hair flies behind her as she sips on iced coffee. In the office, everyone, men, and women stops to stare, admiring her bold look.

We soon realize this is a transformed Ayaka,. According to her colleagues, her previous image was that of an iron mask. The Ayaka of the past was stern, serious, and unapproachable. This Ayaka is softer, friendlier, and, yes, flirtier with her boss—not that Hiroko Sempai seems to notice.

At the end of the first episode, Hiroko is hanging out at her favorite lesbian bar, lamenting the fact that straight girls these days are dangerous. The Mama at the bar and her two friends mention that maybe Ayaka is approachable, to which they get shot down firmly by Hiroko’s hard and fast rule of no dating straight girls.

As she leaves the bar, slightly drunk, Hiroko spots a woman being harassed by three young men. She charges in, scolding the boys and telling them to get lost. After they leave, she looks up to find that it was Ayaka who she had rescued. I love what she says next. It’s not your fault they harassed her; she should dress how she likes. She is cute. This gives a positive message to women that no matter what they wear, they are not at fault for harassment or assault. It’s their bodies, and they can dress however they want. This message sets a tone for the rest of the show.

There are many fluffy moments of Ayaka flirting and Hiroko trying to keep her cool. These lighthearted and sweet scenes made me smile. But underneath some of the fluff, they tackle issues facing lesbians in Japan. This series touches on issues such as discovering your sexuality, workplace discrimination, gender identity and presentation, coming out, labels, and old-fashioned morality.

I think they could have had more moments like those. But I understand it’s tangential to telling their love story. Ayaka is naive in a way some will find unbelievable. She’s 23, not 13. However, as someone who understands neurodivergent people, Ayaka is unaware of what others expect or want from her. She may be naive but she is also bold because of it. Ayaka doesn’t care what others think of her. She feels a certain way and wants to convey those feelings to the person she loves. That’s all that matters.

The older Hiroko, at 36, has been through some hard times at work due to gossip about her. She feels that she can’t display her true self because she’s worked too hard to get her position and her career to a certain level. These emotions make her hesitant to move forward in her workplace.

The actors do a good job; even the side characters have you rooting for them. I found it refreshing that there were positive male characters who were nontoxic. I think both GL and BL tend to vilify the opposite gender when telling these stories. Yet in Ayaka Is In Love With Hiroko, we have supportive male characters with no ulterior motives.

Give it a watch, and I think you will enjoy it. It’s not groundbreaking, but it will make you smile and warm your heart.