What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Japanese Series)

You would think that what could a show like this have to offer! A simple drama that depicts the ordinary every day sweet life with funny and hilarious anecdotes of a gay couple in their 40s. Sounds really simple, but I was absolutely amazed by how much I enjoyed the simple yet very very heart warming show. At 12 episodes of around 30 minutes each, each episode features an extended cooking segment showing us some mouth watering yummy Japanese recipes which makes the whole series even better. I know it sounds absolutely weird, but trust me on this one. Also, how come I didn't know about this until now. 

40 something Shiro and Kenji are a gay coupe who live together in an apartment. Shiro is a lawyer by profession, who is not out at work and is not very comfortable with people knowing about his sexuality. In contrast Kenji, is a flamboyant and eccentric hairdresser who wears his heart on his sleeve. They are in a committed relationship. Shiro's way to wind out every day after work is to cook and care for Kenji which we see him do in every episode. He has a habit of saving money when buying groceries , which leads to an unexpected friendship with a neighboring lady when they start getting the deals on larger quantities and splitting them. The neighbor intrigues them to Kohinata (another gay man, whom they know) who turns out o be totally Shiro's type but he also has a boyfriend and they share interesting relationship. The two couple go on couple dates much to the amusement of Kenji. We also meet Shiro's parents who are embracing their son's sexuality more comfortable than their own son is. Kenji is understanding, but not always patient with being the secret in Shiro’s life. We watch the couple as they navigate through life, their thoughts, their love and respect for themselves and each other and most importantly their simple mundane everyday life.

The best part of the show is its simplicity and a lot of novel things. Can you remember last time you saw something centered around a gay couple in their 40s and just seeing their everyday life without any extreme drama. Of course, there are misunderstandings here too, but they way they talk to each other and clarify them and talk makes you feel that relationships don't have to be as complicated as we sometimes make it to be. That aside, the series also tries to capture some of the issues and discriminations that gay couple have to face in general in Japanese culture and society's expectations regarding gender roles, marriage, fidelity, filial piety, old age, etc. The one segment where an older couple comes to take advice of Shiro to handle their wealth in case one of them dies was so sad. But its' true, unfortunately. 

The actors do a great job with both the comedic and dramatic aspects of the show. Both Shiro and Kenji are undoubtedly amazing. Shiro is flawed and has issues but he cares for Kenji very much. Kenji's character adds lot more charm and enthusiasm in the relationship and helps keep the tone of the show light. The chemistry between them is simply phenomenal. They argue and makeup like a real couple. They also made decisions that even straight couples will be able to relate. Yes, we don't get to see any physical intimacy between the two, let alone a kiss but we do get to see this playful, naughty and romantic things they do for each other. They have a emotional connect that you feel too. You enjoy their everyday simple life and you thank the show for normalizing romance between two males. Besides the two, I really enjoyed the interactions with the neighbors and the other characters who keep showing up. They all were really good. Now lets talk about the most important thing: the food. Shiro does most of the cooking every evening and an ample time is spent on showing the viewers that. The dishes don't just look mouth-watering, the procedure on how they are done are also calming and satisfying. If this drama is not a food for the soul, I don't know what is. Also, I had no clue that Japanese food can have so many vegetarian options if you tried to. It was funny to see how Shiro would always try to control Kenji into not eating too much otherwise he will gain weight. Those were funny. And the way Kenji's eyes. Would light up every time he eats those dishes. Priceless!!

I honestly love every bits of this drama. The emotions were done well. There’s a perfect balance between the comedy and drama, where it can be funny in one moment and emotional in the next. The cooking part was amazing. I would have liked to see more physical intimacy between the two men, nothing explicit but sweet gestures like a kiss or hug or something. Those would have made this show even more real and authentic for me. It has been a while since I binge watched a show in one go and this was definitely one of them. You know something is right when a series emotionally connects with you. Highly recommend it. (8.5/10)