First Love

First Love centers on Yae Noguchi and Harumichi Namiki, who meet as teenagers and fall hard for each other. Time passes, and the glow of that romance collides with the silence and duties of adulthood. As the years stretch between them, the pair confronts what remains when youthful certainty fades and the world offers fewer clear paths. The show follows the tug of memory and the weight of choices, as both characters wrestle with what love meant then and what it might still mean now. The tone balances tenderness and realism, showing how a single feeling can cast a long shadow over life. Its storytelling favors quiet, intimate scenes, letting silences carry as much weight as lines.

This 2022 Japanese drama features Hikari Mitsushima as Yae Noguchi and Takeru Satoh as Harumichi Namiki, with Rikako Yagi and Taisei Kido playing versions, and Kaho as Tsunemi Arikawa. The series uses a palette to emphasize conversations and love's truth. The focus is on subtle performances and realistic details that ground the emotional arc in everyday life.

The show has sparked conversations about how early romance can imprint identity, with fans praising the performances and the careful portrayal of memory and longing that lingers into adulthood, resonating with viewers who recall their own first loves. The intimate, observant style invites viewers to notice small moments that hint at bigger questions about what lasts when youth fades.

The show has a solid reception with an 8.1 out of 10 on the platform from 132 votes, signaling steady word of mouth. Themes center on memory, the ache of growing apart, and how a first love can shape later choices.