Is there truly a proper way to love?

Love is a language that isn’t spoken the same way by anyone, which means it’s an unspoken language that’s the hardest to translate. For me, that’s precisely what The Proper Way to Write Love was all about: two men learning to read each other’s hearts, even when their pasts made it almost impossible.

Based on the manga Renai Rubi no Tadashii Furikata by Ogeretsu Tanaka, the series stars Iwahashi Genki as Suzuki Hiroshi and Soma Satoru as Washizawa Natsuo. Hiroshi (Iwahashi Genki), a confident hairstylist still scarred by high school bullying, crosses paths again with Natsuo (Soma Satoru), the very classmate tied to those painful memories. What begins as Hiroshi’s revenge plan, to make Natsuo fall in love and then cast him aside, quickly reveals itself to be far more layered. Even early on, there were hints that Hiroshi’s version of the past wasn’t the whole truth, and that Natsuo’s feelings might run deeper than Hiroshi ever realized.

I may be in the minority, but I found The Proper Way to Write Love deeply compelling. It’s not just a romance, it’s an emotionally driven narrative that explores how bullying, misunderstanding, and self-doubt shape us, and how confronting those wounds can change everything.

What I loved most were the subtle symbolic threads running throughout. From Natsuo’s difficulty with reading to Hiroshi’s difficulty reading himself, the series wove metaphors about language, perception, and love. Hiroshi let his high school pain redefine him, while Natsuo stumbled through embracing his sexuality and learning how to give of himself in love. Both men carried their scars differently, yet they met in a space where growth was possible.

Psychologically, it’s complicated, but that’s what drew me in. As someone who was bullied and reshaped by it, I understood Hiroshi. His stubbornness was sometimes hard to watch, but it was also painfully real. Facing the person you thought defined your suffering, only to realize they weren’t who you believed, is a hard reckoning.

And yet, the series offers healing. Hiroshi comes to terms with the truth that the biggest change in his life came from within, while Natsuo gives everything he has, learning to stand in his love openly. Their intimacy later in the series is especially telling. The final love scene is quiet but powerful, showing both the vulnerability and the joy of being loved by the one who has always mattered most. It spoke louder than words ever could about the power Hiroshi has over Natsuo, the power Hiroshi has always had over him, and the joy Hiroshi takes from being someone Natsuo seeks love from.

Much like the furigana mentioned early in the series, The Proper Way to Write Love asks us to look between the lines. To pay attention not just to what’s said, but what’s felt. To watch how love is nurtured, replanted, and given the space to grow.

It may take time for this story to root itself into your heart, but once it does, it blossoms beautifully. For me, it’s one of the most thoughtful and memorable Japanese BL dramas I’ve watched this year.

For a series that blends pain, healing, and the quiet power of love, check out The Proper Way to Write Love now on GagaOOLala.

Rating- 4 out of 5