Love Begins in the World of If (2025) Episode 1

A year has passed since Kano Akihito was transferred from a technical position to the sales department. Although he possesses strong technical knowledge, his reserved nature makes it hard for him to fit in, leaving him to lead lonely days at work. His relationship with Ookami Seiji, his peer and the ace of the sales department, becomes strained after a certain incident, leaving Akihito torn between admiration and feelings of inferiority. One night under a full moon, Akihito wanders into a shrine and discovers an old mirror inscribed with the words: “Those who gaze into this mirror will see the person they wish to become — and one day, they will truly reach that form.” Drawn by those words, Akihito wishes, “I want to become someone who can stand as an equal and laugh together with Ookami.” Suddenly, a mist rises — and he finds himself lost in a parallel world where his “ideal self” lives! There, Akihito awakens to a workplace where colleagues warmly greet him, and Ookami looks at him with affectionate eyes — a world far more comfortable than the one he left behind. Amid these dreamlike days, Akihito begins to confront his true feelings and gradually realizes the precious things he had overlooked in his original world. A clumsy yet endearing tale of two men whose hearts cross between ideals and reality — a story of rebuilding love. (Source: Japanese = MBS || Translation = MyDramaList) ~~ Adapted from the novel "If no Sekai de Koi ga Hajimaru" (ifの世界で恋がはじまる) by Umino Sachi (海野幸).