Falling in love for the first time is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For Natsuki, it becomes much more than that when he finds himself falling for another man who also happens to be his sister’s boyfriend.

The Japanese BL Your Summer, My Storm stars Fukada Ryusei as Takemiya Natsuki, a high school senior whose summer is already unraveling after a breakup and disappointing entrance exam scores leave him questioning his future. Hoping to help, his older sister asks her university boyfriend, Kobayakawa Sota (Ukisho Hidaka), to tutor him. What begins as reluctant study sessions with someone Natsuki can barely tolerate gradually turns into admiration, leaving him to confront feelings he never expected to have for the one person he knows he shouldn’t fall for.

There’s a lot to love right out of the gate with Your Summer, My Storm, and it has less to do with Natsuki’s growing feelings than it does with the family surrounding him. I have no idea how this drama will end, especially considering the emotional road it’s setting up, but I already love how full this series feels. It isn’t simply a love story focused on two people. It’s about everyone on screen. Natsuki and Sota may stand at the center, but they’re surrounded by an ensemble cast that makes every moment feel warm, lively, and worth watching.

From Natsuki’s lighthearted bickering with his sister, Takemiya Rio (Tanabe Momoko), to his loving and sometimes comical relationship with his parents, his mother’s close friends, the neighbors, Natsuki’s classmates, and everyone in between, this story truly takes a village. Every cast member pulls their weight. It’s easy to become attached to all of them, and I appreciate that even though this story has the potential to end in an unexpected way, it’s built a support system around its characters from the very beginning. No matter what happens, Natsuki and Rio are surrounded by people who love them.

Which brings me to the developing romance. Right now, only Natsuki appears to be falling for Sota, and whether those feelings are ever returned almost feels secondary to what the story is trying to say. I love that the series recognizes first love doesn’t always become forever, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Sometimes first love teaches us who we are more than it teaches us who we’re meant to be with. For Natsuki, that means experiencing love for the first time, discovering those feelings are for another boy, and beginning to realize what truly excites him in life through his growing fascination with weather and clouds. I love that all of those discoveries seem to be unfolding together.

No matter where this series ultimately goes, I have a feeling the lessons Natsuki learns and the people who surround him will stay with me long after it’s over.

For a series that’s just as much about discovering yourself as it is falling in love, check out Your Summer, My Storm, now streaming on Viki and GagaOOLala.

Rating- 4 out of 5