J-Drama Spotlight: Love's in Sight

#column #review #live-action #sidebar September 20, 2026

by Demelza Ward

Japanese media hasn’t historically handled disability as a subject matter particularly well in its media output. However, there has been a rise in titles dealing with this topic and handling it with the appropriate amount of respect. One such title is Love’s In Sight!, a J-drama from 2021 that made its way to Amazon Prime Video earlier this year.

Key Details

Love’s in Sight! is based on a manga series by Uoyama, which ran for 8 volumes between 2018 and 2022 and is available in print from VIZ Media. The drama aired on NTV between October and December 2021 for 10 episodes and is directed by Shunsuke Kariyama (BL Metamorphosis, Acma:Game) and Hidemi Uchida (The Reluctant Preacher, Date My Daughter!), with screenwriting duties helmed by Yuko Matsuda (Tokyo Tarareba Girls, Babanbabanban Vampire). Heroine Yukiko Akaza is played by Hana Sugisaki (Boy’s Over Flowers, Sounds of Winter), while our secondary lead Morio Kurokawa is played by Yosuke Sugino (Barakamon, Riding a Unicorn).

The Premise

Our story follows Yukiko Akaza, who has amblyopia, which means she can recognise colours vaguely and read large prints with a magnifying glass. After an accident in childhood that got a friend hurt while she was struggling to come to terms with losing her sight, Yukiko has stayed closed off from the people around her. However, on the way to school one day, she meets Morio Kurokawa. He's a delinquent known as the Black Panther and happens to be sitting right in the way of Yukiko’s path when she’s on her way to school. Understandably, she can’t see him properly, and he doesn’t realise she has vision problems, which leads to them getting into a scuffle and her kicking him in the groin.

Now you’d think such an encounter would scare off Morio, but having been floored (literally) by her kick, Morio has found himself besotted with her. And now he’s eager to get to know her, but Yukiko is understandably anxious and doesn’t understand why he’s so interested in her. But his persistence and kind nature eventually wear her down, and the two start spending time together, which may even lead to something romantic further down the road…

Why It’s Worth Watching

As I said in my opening, it’s relatively rare that Japanese media deals with the subject of disability in an earnest and realistic manner. However, Love’s In Sight! spends a lot of time exploring Yukiko’s condition, her daily struggles, and other elements of having less or, in the case of other characters, complete blindness. And while it could have gotten bogged down by exploring this subject, it’s well balanced thanks to the romance and gentle daily life nature of the story.

What I also appreciated is that Yukiko isn’t the only character with this level of depth to explore. With Morio, you have the fact that he’s a delinquent, and because of a scar on his face from a fight with his childhood friend, people make a lot of baseless assumptions about him. This means he struggles to find work, but it also causes problems with Yukiko’s sister, who is really worried about her getting involved with him. But on the other hand, because Yukiko can’t see, her opinion of him is based on actually talking to him and getting to know his real personality. Which is a good message to send in general; we shouldn’t judge by appearances and instead get to know someone for who they truly are.

But perhaps my favourite storyline is Shishio Kanazawa’s. He’s Morio’s childhood friend and responsible for the scar on his face (which he still feels absolutely terrible about). He’s known as the White Lion, and although he’s quit the life of being a delinquent, there’s still a close relationship between the two boys. In fact, Shishio’s feelings for Morio might be a little more than just friendship… And I wasn’t really prepared for this series to have that kind of representation and also handle it so well!

I wouldn’t say Love’s In Sight! is a perfect series. There are certainly times when the story or character actions are a little bit silly, especially when Morio is involved since he isn’t necessarily the smartest guy out there. This is also originally a 4-koma manga, so it’s not too surprising that it can lean into silly.

Yukiko and her friends and family celebrating her sister's birthday

The most important thing is that the series has its heart in the right place. It’s never mean-spirited or makes light of the cast’s struggles. The relationship between Yukiko and Morio is also incredibly sweet, which does help offset any of the drama the story may otherwise partake in. I think especially in the earlier portion of the series, where Yukiko’s sister is being overprotective of her and trying to deter Morio, is where it could have misstepped but thankfully never did.

There’s some great acting from Sugino and Sugisaki, too. Sugisaki isn’t blind, and playing that type of role when you’re fully sighted can be difficult because you have to be so careful not to meet your co-stars' gaze or focus on any specific point for a long period. It is a little easier for a character like Yukiko because she’s not completely blind, but that’s still a very challenging role to fill. I don’t think she did a perfect job, but all things considered, it was convincing enough. Sugino’s puppy-like portrayal of Morio was also very endearing.

Even outside of our two main characters, I think they did a great job with casting. The other standout roles for me were Goro Kishitani (Love Is for the Dogs) as Yukiko’s father and Nobuyuki Suzuki (Kei x Yaku) as Shishio. This is a work that only excels if the actors can bring out the best of themselves in their roles, and that ended up being the case here.

In Closing

Love’s In Sight! can be silly at times, but it’s a heartfelt coming-of-age story between two characters whose worlds would never ordinarily meet. And more than that, it’s a good portrayal of a character living with a disability, which is so rare in Japanese media. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth watching, and this is one of those cases where if you’re looking for a new romance series to watch, this is well worth your time.

Love's In Sight! is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and the original manga is available to purchase through VIZ Media in print and digital editions.