Learning to Love

Manami Ogawa is a strict high school teacher shaped by an exacting family life, and she starts giving private lessons to Kaworu, a warm-hearted nightclub host who cannot read. Their sessions begin as practical tutoring, but a quiet closeness grows as they trade stories and small gestures. Manami keeps much of her past to herself, and Kaworu hides his inability to read behind charm and work. As their relationship shifts from formal to personal, friends, colleagues, and patrons start raising eyebrows. Social expectations, whispers about class and reputation, and raw human emotions test how far they're willing to go without exposing everything about who they are.

Directed by Hiroshi Nishitani and created by Yumiko Inoue, the 2025 drama series mixes intimate interiors with nighttime city scenes, with lead performances by Fumino Kimura and Raul anchoring the production.

As of early 2025, Learning to Love hasn't received major awards or high-profile nominations. It hasn't appeared on major year-end prize lists so far, leaving formal recognition an open possibility for future seasons or wider festival attention.

The show has prompted conversations online about literacy, class differences, and unconventional relationships, especially in Japan's entertainment circles. Viewers have debated ethical boundaries and the show's depiction of social stigma, with scenes and character moments often shared and discussed across social platforms.

Critical response is mixed, reflected in a 6.6/10 average from a small number of votes, but many reviews highlight the series' focus on prejudice, jealousy, and the slow shift of trust between people from different worlds. Themes of secrecy, social judgment, and personal growth run through the episodes, giving the drama a quiet emotional tension rather than sweeping melodrama.