Sometimes, the security and self-assurance we need is in a person who pushes us to feel secure and needed.

Living with Him, an adaptation of Miyata Toworu’s manga of the same name, finds security in love inside the complexities of friendship and need through the shared living arrangements of childhood friends Tanaka Kazuhito (Sato Ryuga) and Natsukawa Ryota (Sakai Sho) upon entering university. Ryota is reserved and accustomed to responsibility, whereas Kazuhito is outgoing and universally liked. Despite Kazuhito’s popularity and striking looks, his inability to sustain relationships confounds Ryota and sparks a journey of self-discovery. As Ryota probes the reasons behind Kazuhito’s fleeting relationships, he confronts his own emotions and insecurities.

Living with Him is a slice-of-life, slow burn romance that focuses on the palpable, growing tension between the male leads as they grapple with their feelings. There isn’t anything too complex about the plot itself beyond the emotional. Kazuhito has nursed a life-long one-sided love for Ryota while Ryota is working to overcome his personal insecurities while realizing he, too, has feelings for Kazuhito.

Living With Him is a comfortable watch that allows viewers to discover the security Kazuhito finds in Ryota and the self-assurance Ryota finds in Kazuhito alongside them. While there isn’t a lot of action in Living With Him outside exploring what these two young men feel for each other while finding themselves, it manages to invest the heart in its journey, making every moment on screen endearing.

Most of all, I love how integral the two leads’ support systems are in this series. From their family to their friends, especially Haruna Keita, there’s a beautiful sense of “I’m here for you.” Even though both Kazuhito and Ryota bear a lot of responsibility in their families in two different ways, there’s also an undercurrent of gratefulness and admiration that makes what they all are to each other worth the journey, even the hardships.

In Kazuhito’s case, love grew from the care and wisdom he saw in Ryota, the greatness he felt from him even when Ryota didn’t see it in himself. For Ryota, love forms from the realization that he not only loves Kazuhito but also feels special because of Kazuhito. While Ryota has spent his youth taking the responsible backseat in his family, often feeling invisible, Kazuhito makes him feel seen.

And that’s the most beautiful part of Living With Him for me. Kazuhito and Ryota see each other, which helps them find themselves.

For a series that finds itself inside two men’s love for each other, check out Living with Him now on Gagaoolala.

Rating- 4 out of 5