We often make love more complicated than love actually is. Love is more than an emotion, it’s a deep look at ourselves.

That’s the journey Stay By My Side After the Rain takes us on. Adapted from the web manga Ameagari no Bokura ni Tsuite by Rakuta Shoko, this Japanese BL drama reunites two childhood friends who stumble back into each other’s lives on a rainy day in Tokyo. Ikeda Masashi plays Kanade Shinichiro, a quiet office worker who has carefully tucked away both his past and his sexuality. Hori Natsuki steps in as Mashiro Kosuke, the best friend Kanade has tried to forget, and the one person who makes forgetting impossible.

When I wrote my first impressions, I was struck by how Stay By My Side After the Rain balanced softness and weight. The pacing was slow but intentional, the chemistry between Ikeda and Hori believable, and the nostalgia never leaned too heavily into sentimentality. It was, and still is, a series that thrives on quiet tension, subtle glances, and the ache of what’s left unsaid.

Now, having finished the full run, I can say that Stay By My Side After the Rain is a gentle watch whose main angst centers on becoming comfortable with openness, openness with oneself, with love, and with family. It weaves together two journeys: one about coming to terms with trauma and misunderstandings within family relationships, and the other about the compromises and fears of stepping into a relationship as two men who love each other must learn what it means to stand together in the world.

It’s a lot to pack into twelve episodes, but the drama carries it beautifully. The acting is strong, the emotions run high, and the story never loses its thoughtful touch. The café where Kanade and Mashiro first reunite becomes more than a backdrop, it’s a safe haven, a space where conversations unfold, relationships mend, and love quietly takes root. And the hint at the end, that this is just one story among many waiting for their own safe spaces and happy endings, was especially moving.

That said, my one critique lies in the intimacy. I don’t need love scenes or kisses for a BL to work for me, but if they are included, they need to feel organic. Here, the intimacy felt forced, more of an interruption than an expression of love. Instead of butterflies, it left me unsettled. In truth, the story might have been stronger without them at all.

All in all, though, Stay By My Side After the Rain is a quiet, heartfelt series that succeeds at what it sets out to do: telling the story of love rediscovered, families reconciled, and the courage it takes to be honest about who you are.

For a series that excels in tenderness and thoughtful storytelling, check out Stay By My Side After the Rain now on GagaOOLala. Just don’t expect fireworks when it comes to the intimacy.

Rating- 4 out of 5