Riku Hagiwara is a Japanese actor. He was born on February 18, 1999, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, and made his acting debut in 2008. Since then, he has appeared in a wide variety of films and television dramas, including “Trapped in the Box” (2021).

Riku Hagiwara

Fuji TV

As a standup paddleboard instructor, summer is unquestionably Natsumi Aoi’s (Nana Mori) busiest season. Living and working at a popular seaside destination, it’s only natural for Natsumi to meet people from all walks of life. Little did she know that this summer, those people would ultimately change her life forever.

As Natsumi’s childhood friend, Takumi Makino (Fuju Kamio) has always been by her side. Never leaving his seaside home, Takumi is now a carpenter who still has a knack for being around anytime Natsumi needs him. Kento Mizushima (Shotaro Mamiya), on the other hand, is an out-of-towner who also works in construction. But his major company ties and degree from a prestigious university set him miles apart from Takumi. Joining him on this seaside adventure is Osamu Sasaki (Riku Hagiwara), a second-year clinical resident and Kento’s high school best friend. Enjoying a little seaside escape of their own are Airi Takigawa (Ai Yoshikawa), Mamoru Yamauchi (Alan Shirahama), Lisa Ogura (Sawa Nimura), and Sosuke Hayakawa (Koji Mizukami).

Coming from all walks of life, this group of young people finds their fates slowly entwining during their seaside adventures. Eventually forced to confront their complex feelings and bottled-up emotions, will any of them find the one thing they’re all so desperately searching for?

Everything a seaside summer romance should be, “Cinderellas of Midsummer” is a 2023 Japanese romance drama directed by Ryo Tanaka.

Cinderellas of Midsummer

⛱️ Summer Guys Team🌞

When he was in high school, Hira Kazunari (Hagiwara Riku) was known as the quiet, friendless, loner. Struggling his way through school, Hira might have gone through his entire school career without making a single friend, had fate not decided to intervene by bringing Kiyoi Sou (Yagi Yusei) into his life.

As one of the school’s most popular students, “King” Kiyoi was everyone’s favorite. But for Hira, Kiyoi was so much more than that. Falling in love with Kiyoi the moment he first laid eyes on him, Hira knew his life would never be the same. After graduating high school, Hira and Kiyoi found a way to take their tentative friendship to a whole new level. From strangers to lovers, Hira and Kiyoi have spent the past few years together quite happily.&nbsp;

Now nearing his graduation from university, Hira has taken a position as the assistant to a successful photographer while Kiyoi begins to expand his career as an actor. Working hard to establish themselves in their chosen careers, Hira and Kiyoi begin to drift apart as they turn their attention elsewhere. Has the time come for these high school lovers to go their separate ways?

Adapted from the novel “He, Who is Beautiful” by Nagira Yuu, “My Beautiful Man -eternal-” is a 2023 Japanese romance film directed by Sakai Mai.

My Beautiful Man -eternal-

🥂The Ginger Ale 🥂 Team

Having overcome the obstacles that stood between them in high school, Kazunari Hira (Riku Hagiwara) and Sou Kiyoi (Yusei Yagi) have spent the past few years in relative bliss. Living together, they’ve been able to support each other as they learn to navigate the ups and downs of their adult life. But just because life has gotten better, doesn’t mean everything for the happy couple is perfect.

Currently, in his fourth year of college, Kazunari has spent the majority of his free time following Sou around in disguise. While Kazunari enjoys watching his boyfriend from afar, it has recently begun to dawn on him that with graduation looming, he might need to turn his attention elsewhere. With no part-time job experience whatsoever, Kazunari is starting to see that his favorite pastime may be doing him a disservice. A fact that only becomes more apparent as his classmates, with their impressive array of work experience, begin to turn their attention toward post-graduation job hunting. Feeling a bit left behind, Kazunari begins to wonder what it is he wants to do with his life.

While Kazunari struggles at school, Sou continues to work hard in his acting career. As both Sou and Kazunari learn to deal with some of life’s more harsh realities, will their relationship stand strong or will they find their bond beginning to crack under the pressures that come with adulthood?

Adapted from the novel “He, Who is Beautiful” by Yuu Nagira, “My Beautiful Man Season 2” is a 2023 Japanese romance drama directed by Mai Sakai.

My Beautiful Man Season 2

Often the tenderest – and sometimes the most awkward – of all moments in a couple’s relationship is the 60 minutes before they make love for the first time. This omnibus drama series follows the exploits of different couples of various ages and from all sorts of walks of life as, with a blend of adventure, anticipation, lust, and trepidation, they navigate the often-tense last minutes before they have sex for the first time. Their motivation in each case is not always the same, but we are often privy to their innermost thoughts, fears, and desires as the clock ticks down to zero – and the start of their intimacy.

From young courting couples to people in their middle ages, in each case, the destination is certain, but just how the couples will end up getting there is not always clear. The omnibus begins with the tale of a young, inexperienced couple named Takayama Satoshi (Asuka Kudo) and Aida Michiko (Asami Usuda). They have resolved to make love for the first time, but have no real idea how to go about it. Who should initiate what? Is this really what they want to do? Will nerves get the better of them? They have confined themselves to a small room with the intention of taking their relationship to this next step, but as the sands of time run down, uncertainty just won’t go away!

This drama was based on a 2016-2018 manga series written by Knots.

“60 Minutes Until the First Love Affair” is a Japanese 2021 omnibus drama series that was directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi, Daisuke Miura, Akiko Ohku, and Kohei Taniguchi.

60 Minutes Until the First Love Affair

Wild Hearts Team

With no friends, poor grades, and a stutter, Hira Kazunari (Riku Hagiwara) isn’t exactly enjoying his life as a high school student. With no dreams, and little ambition, Hira’s only hobby is to take photographs of his everyday life. With a new semester now starting, Hira doesn’t really expect things to change but when they take a turn for the worst, he’s caught completely off-guard.

Rescued from a horribly uncomfortable situation by none other than the class’s “King”, Kiyoi Sou (Yusei Yagi), Hira can’t help the feelings of admiration that threaten to overwhelm him. Despite his best efforts to resist, Hira soon finds himself madly in love with the exceedingly handsome Kiyoi, but with such polar positions in the class, his chances of winning Kiyoi’s heart are slim. Or so it would seem. Uncovering Kiyoi’s secret dream, quite by accident, Hira soon realizes he and his crush now have something important connecting them.

Sharing such an important secret, will Hira and Kiyoi find themselves slowly coming together, or will it eventually become the wedge that drives them apart?

Adapted from the novel, “He, Who is Beautiful” by Nagira Yuu, “My Beautiful Man” is a 2021 romantic high school drama directed by Mai Sakai.

My Beautiful Man

Wandering through life with no real goals, Akihito Yoshihara (Yuki Inoue) is barely managing to drag himself through the drudgery of his daily life. Doing his best to move away from a past that has left him terribly scarred, Akihito wants to forget the years that have long haunted him. But no matter how hard he tries, he just can’t seem to shake the memories that continually haunt him. Things for Akihito only get worse when fate brings Eriko Ishikawa (Ayane Kinoshita) back into his life.

Having once harbored a deep high school crush on Eriko, the sight of her suddenly drags Akihito back to the days he’d most like to forget. The subjects of vicious slander and baseless lies, both Akihito and Eriko were tormented endlessly in high school. Unable to do anything but drag themselves through each miserable day, both of them have spent every day since, trying desperately to forget those days of endless suffering.&nbsp;

Reunited seven years later, will Akihito and Eriko find a way to overcome the pain of the past and the strength they need to write for themselves a better future?

A story full of both pain and hope, “Bittersand” is a 2021 drama film directed by Tomoya Sugimoto.

Bittersand

Bittersand Team

TV Asahi

Having living in the same apartment complex their entire lives, Miwa (Sayu Kubota), Motoaki (Riku Hagiwara), Ritsu (Fuju Kamio), Aoi (Natsumi Okamoto), and Satoru (Ayumu Mochizuki) have been friends since childhood. Growing up side by side, the five friends have been a part of each other’s lives for as long as they can remember. But now that they’re in high school, things between the friends are starting to change.

Having developed feelings for Motoaki, Miwa is mortified by the idea of confessing how she feels. Keeping her feelings to herself, Motoaki has no idea how she feels about him; as such, he continues to treat her as he always has: like a friend. Meanwhile, Aoi struggles to hide her own poisonous feelings towards Miwa. Constantly frustrated by her feelings of jealousy and inferiority, Aoi tries to put up a good front, but deep down, her feelings towards Miwa continue to fester. Even with Satoru by her side, Aoi can’t seem to shake her growing contempt.&nbsp;

Fully aware of the constantly fluctuating feelings of his friends, Ritsu decides to keep his distance from them all. But the bonds of friendship keep pulling him back. Will these life-long friends ever find a way to get back what they once had, or has fate decided it’s time for them to move on?

Adapted from the manga series of the same name, by Tomohiro Shinohara, “Trapped in the Box” is a 2020 romantic high school drama directed by Shinji Kuma.

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