Japan's next BL drama “Duty First, Kiss Later” premieres July 27 — I’ve read the original manga, so let me tell you what you’re getting
“Am I… hated?” That’s what Takoi honestly believes, because his junior officer picks a fight with him every single day. The answer he finally gets is — a very passionate kiss.
I read the original manga (Kiss wa Sousa no Ato de by Suu) when it came out, and it lives on my “comedy BL” shelf. Here’s the shape of it, no spoilers beyond the premise:
A sharp-tongued, sulky junior in his late 20s × a soft-hearted detective pushing 40. Age-gap workplace romance at a sleepy countryside police station.
Takoi is the guy the whole town loves. That’s his charm — and, if you’re the one in love with him, your problem: he’s kind to everyone, so there is no “only you.” And he’s dense to the bone. Nothing progresses. Enter Shiono, who decides none of that matters and goes in with brute force.
And Shiono is… so good. Low-energy, twisted, very much a modern kid. He can’t say “I like you,” so he snaps at Takoi instead. But when it counts, he throws a fastball — clumsy, dead straight, right at your heart. That gap between the sulk and the straight pitch? Extremely nutritious.
His approaches backfire so spectacularly that it turns into comedy. That’s the show you’re about to watch.
Where to watch, honestly: for now it’s only on TVer (free, but Japan-only). No international streaming announced yet — I’ll post here the moment that changes.
But you don’t have to wait. The original manga is one click away, and it’s all legal. Vol. 1 sits at 4.7 stars from 1,500+ readers on Amazon Japan — the Japanese readership has already voted on this one:
BookWalker (Japan store — no region lock, overseas cards & PayPal work): bookwalker.jp → search “キスは捜査のあとで”
Renta! (vol. 1): renta.papy.co.jp
Cmoa (vol. 2 “Again”): cmoa.jp
Amazon JP Kindle: vol. 1 · vol. 2
It’s Japanese-only, yes — but manga plus a machine-translation app honestly gets you 90% of the way. And the last 10% — the nuance the app can’t catch? That’s what I’m here for. Ask me anything.
I’ll be watching live in Japan every Monday night, and posting what happened plus the nuances subtitles can’t carry. If this one’s on your list, stick around. 🦉
