We don’t always realize how deeply our past shapes us until we come face-to-face with the very moments, and people, that left a mark. That’s the emotional pull of The Proper Way to Write Love, a bittersweet Japanese BL drama adapted from the manga Renai Rubi no Tadashii Furikata by Ogeretsu Tanaka and starring Iwahashi Genki as Suzuki Hiroshi and Soma Satoru as Washizawa Natsuo.

Hiroshi is a top hairstylist, confident, composed, and outwardly in control, but underneath that polish lies an old emotional trauma caused by Natsuo, the high school classmate who once made Hiroshi’s life unbearable. So when fate drops Natsuo back into his world, now wide-eyed and clearly smitten, Hiroshi sees the perfect chance for revenge. He plans to make Natsuo fall in love with him and then throw him away.

The first two episodes move steadily between past and present, revealing the layered relationship between Hiroshi and Natsuo. Hiroshi’s teenage years were marked by bullying and betrayal, and his pain became the foundation of his current revenge plan. But even from the start, we get the sense that Hiroshi’s version of events may not be the whole picture.

Despite being filtered through Hiroshi’s wounded perspective, there’s something vulnerable and almost tender about Natsuo. And while Hiroshi sees him as the villain of his past, Natsuo’s present-day feelings seem sincere. He’s openly drawn to Hiroshi now, something that was only quietly hinted at during their school days.

One past moment in particular, the rooftop scene, stands out. When Hiroshi is humiliated and Natsuo appears to reject him, the impact is brutal. But the memory feels layered. Was Natsuo protecting Hiroshi? Protecting himself? We haven’t seen Natsuo’s side of the story yet, but you can already feel the truth may not be as clear-cut as Hiroshi believes.

Pain is a powerful lens. It can blur our memories, distort intentions, and color everything in shadow. What The Proper Way to Write Love does so well is give us space to sit with that ambiguity. It lets us linger in Hiroshi’s pain, but also hints that redemption and healing might still be possible.

I love how the show plays with subtlety, giving viewers Hiroshi’s perspective first before slowly opening the door to Natsuo’s truth. There’s no doubt Hiroshi’s “revenge romance” is going to unravel and hurt, but the question is: will it also lead to something deeper?

I’m certainly invested enough to find out.

For a series that explores love and hurt with quiet complexity, check out The Proper Way to Write Love, now streaming on Gagaoolala.

Rating- 4 out of 5