Senpai, This Can’t Be Love!

 

Senpai, This Can’t Be Love! – 6/10

Japanese BL • Office Romance / Slow Burn

A short and lightly packaged Japanese BL, Senpai, This Can’t Be Love! (original title: Senpai, Danjite Koide wa!) tries to offer a slice-of-life workplace romance, but doesn’t quite hit the mark emotionally.

The story follows Yanase (Yuki Sakurai), a cheerful and experienced CG designer, and Kaneda (Sho Nishigaki), a younger, cold but talented junior. While the setup had potential—especially the office mentor-mentee tension—the delivery feels a little underwhelming. The pacing drags, the emotional payoff feels diluted, and the chemistry between the leads is uneven, bordering on awkward in key scenes. One of the leads struggles with line delivery and subtle emotional expression, making some moments feel a bit flat or forced.

It’s not a bad watch per se—it’s polished and has sweet visuals—but it lacks that spark or tension needed to truly engage. A few soft moments of connection and awkward vulnerability shine through, but overall, it falls into the “just okay” zone.

Rating: 6/10 – Not terrible, but not memorable either. Watchable for completionists, but don’t expect strong emotional beats or sizzling chemistry.