Cosmetic Playlover
Cosmetic Playlover is a Japanese manga series by Sachi Narashima. It is serialized in the monthly boys' love manga magazine Magazine Be × Boy from December 7, 2017, to November 7, 2025. In addition, two spin-offs, Bitterness Playlover and Twilight Playlover, were also serialized in Magazine Be × Boy.
A live-action television drama adaptation premiered on Fuji TV on August 6, 2024, and ran for 8 episodes. A second season is scheduled to broadcast in January 2026.
Plot
Natsume Mamiya and Touma Sahashi work as department store beauty consultants for the cosmetics brand Romy Feerique, where they are known as the "two princes". However, Natsume is constantly annoyed with Touma for not taking his job seriously despite his potential. One day, Touma discovers that Natsume is gay and decides to use his secret to get closer to him. After the two begin dating, they navigate through a myriad of obstacles in their relationship, such as rivals, misunderstandings, and their long-distance relationship once Touma begins working as a make-up artist for Romy Feerique's French headquarters.In addition to Natsume and Sahashi, there are two side stories focusing on the relationships of other characters in the story: Bitterness Playlover, which focuses on Keigo Kakizaki and Yukito Saionji's relationship; and Twilight Playlover, which focuses on Atsushi Nanjo and Iori Kosaka's relationship.
Characters
;Natsume Mamiya;Touma Sahashi
;Atsushi Nanjo
;Tanouchi
;Tenma Sahashi
;Harada
;Aizawa
;Taichi Harukawa
;Keigo Kakizaki
;Risa Yumihara
;Emma Lauren
;Yukito Saionji
;Iori Kosaka
Media
Manga
Cosmetic Playlover is written and illustrated by Sachi Narashima. It is serialized in the monthly boys' love manga magazine Magazine Be × Boy since the January 2018 issue released on December 7, 2017, to the December 2025 issue released on November 7, 2025. The chapters were later released in eight bound volumes by Libre under the BBC Deluxe imprint.The manga is licensed in English by Animate International and distributed digitally. The English version also includes the limited edition comic booklets from Animate and digital bonus comics.
Narashima created the concept of Cosmetic Playlover after hearing from a beauty consultant friend mention that there were men who also worked as beauty consultants. A challenge she faced in drawing the series was drawing make-up products, which she soon got used to.
Spin-offs
Aside from Cosmetic Playlover, Narashima wrote and illustrated two other side stories focusing on other characters in the series. Bitterness Playlover is serialized on a yearly basis in Magazine Be × Boy from the August 2018 issue released on July 6, 2018, to the December 2025 issue released on November 7, 2025. The series was later compiled in the main Cosmetic Playlover volumes. Twilight Playlover was serialized in Magazine Be × Boy from the November 2020 issue released on October 7, 2020 to the August 2021 issue released on July 7, 2021.Audio drama
A series of audio dramas adapting the manga was released onto CD by Marine Entertainment. The first volume was released on November 26, 2021. The second volume was released on May 31, 2024.Television drama
A live-action television drama adaptation of Cosmetic Playlover was announced on July 1, 2024. It was broadcast on Fuji TV since August 6, 2024 with a total of 8 episodes. Fuji TV On Demand, the channel's online streaming service, is also releasing two episodes per week with uncut content. The series is directed by Takehiro Shindō, with in charge of the script and in charge of music. The drama adaptation is produced by NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. The theme song is "Wagamama Only Mine" by Urashimasakatasen, of which the CD jacket illustration was also provided by Sachi Narashima. It was streamed internationally outside of Japan and South Korea through GagaOOLala.The series stars So Okuno as Natsume and as Touma. Additional cast members include member as Nanjo, as Tenma, as Harada, as Aizawa, and Tomoki Yonemura as Harukawa.
A second season was announced on August 21, 2024, and is scheduled to broadcast in January 2026.