A new Japanese BL drama has arrived, and it is already winning over viewers with its sincere take on young love and self-acceptance. “Hold On, Harutora-Kun” (also known as “Chotto Matou yo, Harutora-kun”) premiered in mid-August 2026 and tells the story of two high school boys who become roommates and slowly find their way to each other. The show has been praised for its straightforward storytelling and the chemistry between its leads.
The series adapts the manga of the same name by Amekiri, which was published by Shinshokan under the Dear+ Comics label. It features Tsubasa Nakagawa as Kishida Sui and Masaya Sakuragi as Kurobe Harutora. The drama runs for 10 episodes, each approximately 25 to 30 minutes long.
A Story of Masks and Honest Feelings
Kishida Sui is a second-year high school student who has learned to hide his true self. After his classmates discovered he is gay, he started wearing a face mask nearly all the time and adopted a cheerful, easygoing personality to avoid trouble. The boys’ dormitory, where he lives, has become a difficult place for him. He cannot even enjoy the group bath without worrying about the looks he might get from other students.
Everything changes when Sui gets a new roommate for the new semester. Kurobe Harutora is a first-year student on the basketball team. He is direct, warm, and completely sincere. Unlike everyone else at the school, Harutora does not treat Sui differently or make fun of him. He simply shows up with honesty and kindness, which slowly starts to break down the walls Sui has built around himself.
Sui is “serious, kind, and a little bit quirky,” and he’s spot on.
The drama does not waste time getting to the emotional core of the story. In the first two episodes, viewers see Harutora ask Sui to watch him practice basketball, and the two begin spending more time together. But trouble is never far away. When two dorm mates walk in on Sui and Harutora standing close together, they immediately use it as a chance to mock Sui and tell Harutora about Sui’s sexuality. This moment makes it clear why Sui has been so careful to keep his distance from others.
Production and Creative Team
The production team behind “Hold On, Harutora-Kun” has put significant effort into making the story feel authentic. The series is directed by Keisuke Shibata and Masayoshi Kishida. They brought in lawyer Mimano Kawamoto as an LGBTQ supervisor and Momoko Nishiyama as an intimacy coordinator to ensure the portrayal of the characters and their relationships is handled with care.
The opening theme song is titled “Ichizu no Rinbu” by the group Lienel. The ending theme, “Honeyy,” is performed by Chihiro. A promotional video released before the premiere gave viewers a first listen to the ending theme and offered a look at the emotional journey the series promises to deliver.
Where and When to Watch
“Hold On, Harutora-Kun” premiered on August 13, 2026, in Japan on MBS’s Drama Phil programming block. The show airs on Thursdays. Following the initial broadcast, the series rolled out across several regional networks, including TV Kanagawa, TV Saitama, Gunma TV, Tochigi TV, and Chiba TV.
For international viewers, the drama is available on multiple streaming platforms. GagaOOLala offers the series for audiences outside Japan and Korea. Rakuten Viki also carries the show. In Japan, viewers can watch on TVer.
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Early Viewer Reactions
The show has generated a range of responses from viewers, with many praising its honest approach to a difficult subject. One reviewer on MyDramaList noted that the series has a “caring” male lead and an “easy to understand premise”. They also appreciated how the story realistically shows how smiles can hide pain.
Another viewer shared on MyDramaList: “It’s a pretty good series. I really enjoy it so far, and I’m excited to see more. My eventual rating was 7.5 after the first episode, but I upped it to 8.5 after watching the second episode”.
The BL Xpress gave the first two episodes a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Their review noted that the show takes two characters—one masked and one unmasked—and drops them into a love story where one is closed off while the other is almost completely open.
Trust, once lost, is hard to earn back. Especially when your confidence and sense of security have already been shaken by betrayal and shame.
Some viewers have pointed out areas where the show could improve. One reviewer mentioned being unhappy with something one of the male leads did at the end of episode 1, noting that he could see the other male lead was dealing with personal struggles. Another critic noted that the kiss scenes feel “painfully awkward and disconnected from everything the actors communicate before them”. They suggested that the series might be better off leaving out the kisses entirely and letting other moments of intimacy speak for themselves.
Despite these criticisms, many viewers remain invested in the story. The dynamic between Sui and Harutora—one hiding everything and the other hiding nothing—creates a compelling tension that keeps audiences watching.
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