Love can either build confidence or shred it. And for Suzuki, Serizawa is a good example of building it.

Adapted from Tsubaki Yuzu’s manga Yokya Shudan ni Iru Serizawa wa, Ore no Mae da to Yosu ga Okashii, Japanese BL Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me stars Koizumi Kosaku as Suzuki Hajime and Shisaka Ryoto as Serizawa Haruto.

Suzuki is a quiet loner who secretly spends his time writing a BL novel inspired by Serizawa, a popular and outgoing classmate he admires from afar. When Serizawa accidentally discovers Suzuki’s writing, Suzuki expects embarrassment and ridicule. Instead, he discovers that Serizawa is a BL fan himself and genuinely loves his story.

What follows is an unexpected friendship that gradually turns into something more as Serizawa becomes determined to spend time with Suzuki, and Suzuki struggles to understand why someone like Serizawa would be interested in someone like him.

From the beginning, what stood out to me was the way these two encouraged each other. Serizawa gave Suzuki the confidence to share something he’d always kept hidden, while Suzuki offered Serizawa support and encouragement in return. It was a sweet foundation for a relationship built on accepting each other for who they are.

And now that the series has ended, my thoughts on Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me haven’t really changed. It’s a good series, cute and a simple watch. The acting is good, and the chemistry is decent.

That said, I admit I’ve become a little weary of series with shy leads who are so awkward that it starts to feel unrealistic, especially when it comes to intimacy.

Almost every episode felt like a repeat of Suzuki not realizing that Serizawa was obviously into him, despite being wrapped in his arms, or not feeling confident that he could rattle Serizawa even once they were together.

But threaded throughout all of this, I do like that Suzuki is on the road to finding confidence in himself. All because Serizawa showed him that what he likes and who he is as a person aren’t things to be ashamed of, but things to celebrate. I also truly like how open Serizawa is about who he is with others.

I do realize that in the real world, how you look and how popular you are can sometimes (with a strong emphasis on sometimes) make it easier to enjoy certain things and express yourself without facing the bullying that those who aren’t popular may experience. But confidence can go a long way toward making people realize you aren’t easily rattled.

All in all, I like that despite the redundancy and awkwardness, Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me showed that who we are and what we like are things to celebrate, not hide.

And that’s enough to make it stand out.

For a sweet series about finding love when you least expect it, check out Popular Serizawa Acts Weird Around Me, now streaming on GagaOOLala.

Rating- 4 out of 5