The title of this show sounds kind of silly, but the story actually takes a real look at gay identity and changing values. That contrast alone makes you curious, right?
It’s easy to watch and even funny at times, but before you know it, it gets you thinking about what you’ve always considered “normal.” Stories that explore gay themes this naturally and effortlessly are, honestly, pretty rare.
It’s not heavy, but it still hits. Doesn’t that sound like something you’d want to watch right now?
Ossan’s Underwear Doesn’t Matter! started streaming on Netflix in 2025.
You can watch it on Netflixおっさんのパンツがなんだっていいじゃないか! – Netflix
As a Japanese drama centered around gay themes, it quickly caught attention and found an audience among people looking for gay content and those interested in LGBTQ+ stories.
A Gay Student Meets A Very Old-School Man
At its core, this is a story about an older man shaped by outdated social norms and biases, and how he comes to slowly change after encountering new perspectives.
The main character, Makoto Okita, has always believed his way of thinking was “correct.” Without realizing it, he’s hurt people around him with his rigid mindset.
Everything starts to shift when he meets Daichi, a gay college student. Through Daichi’s honest way of living and speaking, Okita begins to realize just how biased his thinking has been. It’s not an instant transformation, but a gradual and very human process of self-reflection and change.
That change doesn’t just affect him. It spreads to his family, too. Each member begins to embrace their own “likes” and identities more openly, and for a moment, it feels like the Okita family has finally found peace.
But the story doesn’t stop there. The past doesn’t just disappear.
A former subordinate, Sato, who once suffered under Okita’s borderline power harassment, reappears as a business partner. Now, Okita has to face the consequences of who he used to be.
Can people really change? And even if they do, can the past be forgiven?
At the same time, Daichi faces his own struggles. He enters a long-distance relationship with his partner En, dealing with loneliness, distance, and emotional uncertainty. Even as someone who helped Okita grow, Daichi himself has to confront what love and connection mean.
Original BL Manga
The story is based on a manga by Nemarajimu. It gained attention on social media for its realistic yet approachable portrayal of gay themes, which eventually led to its drama adaptation.
Main Character: Makoto Okita
Okita is basically the definition of old-school.
He fully believes in ideas like “being normal is best” and “men should act a certain way,” without ever questioning them.
He’s not a bad person, but that’s exactly the problem. His lack of awareness makes him difficult. When it comes to gay people, he doesn’t hate them outright, but he keeps his distance, treating it like something unrelated to his life.
Meeting Daichi forces him to confront those blind spots.
He’s stubborn, has pride, and doesn’t change easily. But that’s what makes him feel real. Sometimes frustrating, but still hard to hate.
He’s basically the poster guy for “needs a serious mindset update.”
Key Character: Daichi
On the other side is Daichi, the gay college student who plays a key role in the story.
He lives openly and honestly, without hiding who he is.
Importantly, he’s not written as “the gay character.” He’s just a young person navigating love, life, and his future. That’s what makes him feel so real. His words don’t come off as preachy, but they still hit.
Even when dealing with someone like Okita, he doesn’t reject him aggressively. Instead, he keeps a calm and balanced approach, which is exactly why Okita starts to change.
Daichi isn’t there to “explain” what it means to be gay. He simply exists as someone living his life. And that’s what makes his character so strong.
How The Drama Portrays Gay Themes
One of the most impressive things about this series is how it handles gay themes: it doesn’t treat being gay as something special or dramatic. It’s just part of everyday life. Daichi isn’t defined only by being gay. He’s a fully realized character first.
You see gay relationships, gay struggles, and gay daily life presented in a completely natural way. Instead of making you feel like you’re “learning about gay people,” it makes you realize they’re just living their lives like anyone else.
That’s why this show works not only for people interested in gay stories, but also for those who haven’t really engaged with LGBTQ+ themes before. The way it shows bias changing over time is especially well done, making it easy to relate to and reflect on.
Gay Is Not Just Content
This isn’t just a simple “people change, and everything is fine” kind of story. It shows the discomfort, the awkwardness, and the pain that come with trying to change.
Real change isn’t just about learning the “right answer.” It’s about realizing you may have hurt people without even knowing it. And that’s not easy to face. This show doesn’t shy away from that.
At the same time, it treats LGBTQ+ themes with a lot of care. It doesn’t overdramatize them, but presents them as part of everyday life. There’s no clear “us vs them” divide, which makes the story feel even more genuine.
What stands out the most is how realistic it is about change: people don’t suddenly become perfect. The past doesn’t disappear. But through relationships and encounters, they can slowly move forward. There’s nothing overly flashy about it, but it leaves a lasting impression. It sits somewhere between hope and reality, and captures that balance really well.
It’s the kind of story that makes you think, yeah, this is something we actually need right now.
