Secret Unrequited Love Review: Warning – ‘Baka’ Takuma Might Make You Cry

Right now Netflix India has very few Japanese doramas in their list. From the options available, I picked ‘Secret Unrequited Love’ because it is short and seemed like a decent drama. It is a teen love story about a girl who is madly in love with a boy suffering from a life-threatening ailment. It is a simple angsty romance where two people want to be together but one of them decides that they cannot be together and thus starts a painful journey of back and forth and multiple misunderstandings.   

Secret Unrequited Love/Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu (2019) (7 Episodes)

Also known as ‘I Give My First Love to You’, this dorama is based on a manga revolving around the lives of childhood besties Mayu Taneda (Hinako Sakurai) and Takuma Kakinouchi (Shuhei Nomura). Takuma suffers from a serious heart condition which can eventually prove fatal for him. Knowing the limited time he has in his hand, he decides to cut all ties with his childhood friend Mayu who loves him dearly. But Mayu is not someone to give up so easily as she clears the test and takes admission in the same school as Takuma. Takuma tries his best to keep Mayu away from him but she is too determined to let go. Will he eventually give in and confess his true feelings for Mayu?

Let’s weigh this sad romance on our drama beam balance and determine it is watchable or no.

Good Weights

I enjoyed watching ‘Secret Unrequited Love’ because…

…the cast acted well. Lead actors Hinako Sakurai and Shuhei Nomura did a good job portraying their respective characters. Especially Shuhei Nomura who played Takuma. I think his acting was controlled and he did a good job expressing complex emotions.   

…it focused not just on the love story but also on friendship and other relationships. I loved to see how Mayu and Takuma’s friends supported them and were there whenever they needed them. From giving advice to consoling this difficult couple they did everything that good friends do.

Then there was the relationship with their parents. Mayu’s father is the doctor who treats Takuma. He is aware of Mayu’s feelings for Takuma and is always there to give her guidance. My favorite is Takuma’s mother who dotes on her child who needs extra care. She managed to look like a haggard housewife clearly because she worries too much about her only son. She is a typical mother who can think of nothing beyond the happiness of her child.  

…the ending impressed me. I’ll warn you the ending is sad but I can assure you it is nothing that you would expect especially the way story shapes up. Had it taken the simple predictable route I would have been very disappointed. But the fact that the writers surprise you in the end is what I appreciate the most.

…its short length of only 7 episodes. Sometimes you manage to get through a slow drama only because of its length. I often found myself distracted while watching this drama and did think of dropping it but I stuck through because 7 episodes were manageable for me.

Bad Weights

I did NOT LIKE ‘Secret Unrequited Love’ because…

…it got a little illogical at times. [[Spoiler]] For instance, Takuma’s friend, Teru has a huge crush on him and exaggerates her condition to be able to get close to him. When Mayu learns of this she slaps Teru and calls her bluff in front of him. Okay. I know she lied about the pain in her chest but that does not mean she does not have heart problems. She is still a patient and needs good care. What if her slap proved to be fatal for the little girl? Later, Takuma decides to tell Teru the truth about his feelings for Mayu and that he cannot be with Teru. This has such a huge impact on her that she dies in his arms. I know she is weak-hearted but was this scene required? Is it even possible? I hope not. [[Spoiler]]

…the story had limited scope for a drama. I felt like even 7 episodes were a little too much for the show. And the misunderstandings or Takuma’s failed attempts at keeping Mayu away from him was a little too much. If he has limited time shouldn’t he be spending every single second with her? I get it that he wants her to feel less pain when he leaves but his death will cause her pain irrespective of the time they spend together then why this stupidity?   

 

This drama does not have anything special for me to recommend it. Its only saving grace is the decent act put up by the cast. I don’t understand why its called ‘secret’ when everyone knows Takuma and Mayu both love each other.  

I give Secret Unrequited Love 2 out of 5 rating. Watch it only if you have run out of dramas and don’t mind watching a short sad story. Also, be ready to keep repeating ‘Baka Takuma’ because Mayu says it a lot during the show and it is surely going to stick in your head.  

 

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