No need to worry if you don't like heavy drama, it won't be that of a heavy drama at all, the overall cozy ambiance compensates for its heavy subject matter. This is a slice of life/food drama after all, so you can just chill, watch and enjoy. This is very similar to the Japanese movie "Little Forrest", they will show you how they cook the food then proceed to story, but unlike "Little Forrest" where it is 70% cooking 30% story, this drama is 80% story, so it has more plot and you won't lost into the story.
If you think it's already a big deal when Ossan's love uses mainstream actors to a gay drama, then this is more big deal than that. They not only have mainstream actors but established A-list actors. To give you an idea Hidetoshi Nishijima has a reputation of a tough guy in Japan, similar to Jason Statham in Hollywood. I also think it's a genius idea to cast him as the closet gay, his demeanor matches the character very well. Uchino Masaki (Tonbi, Jin), another A-list actor, portrays the more feminine character. Among the two I considered him the better and the more versatile actor, and this character he portrayed just added up to the vast range of characters in his resume. The chemistry of them both is phenomenal, they argue and makeup like a real couple. They also made decisions that even straight couples will be able to relate.
One of the highlights of this drama is when Kakei's mom told him "tell your co-workers you're gay, there is nothing wrong with being gay", and the actress who said this savage line is none other than Meiko Kaji, famous for Lady Snowblood series, the granddaddy of revenge movies which inspired Tarantino when he made Kill Bill. If you just realize what Lady Snowblood represents that time, and how it connects to what this drama represents this time you would also say the casting for this drama is really something, it's freaking genius.
Watch it not because it's a gay drama, watch it because it a very good story portraying a couple having struggles in our society and how they overcome those hurdles to become happy. This is a little gem here my friends.
FULL REVIEW
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/2019/07/drama-what-did-you-eat-yesterday.html
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In the current jdrama and overall Asian media landscape, LGBTQ+ themes aren't the best represented. There are a lot of stories created to cater to fanservice rather than representation, and it's usual to find series and audiences that can't separate the two.
This series is incredibly well crafted, which is not only a credit to the manga that originated it but to the overall adaptation and the great performances by the cast, especially the leads. Each episode is centered on a specific meal (they even tell you how to cook it!), a meal cooked and prepared at home, which connects to the intimacy and the complexity of this couple, two men in their 40s who deal with their daily lives and their very different ways to handle their identities in their respective environments.
Shiro is a lawyer, he is reticent to coming out at work or to not be hetero-passing enough in public, at the start of the series. He is out to his parents, but doesn't speak too openly about things and overall seems a bit unsure still on how to present himself. Shiro could very well be the prototype of "unwilling" you find in BL dramas, in those in which consent is never clear and someone always has to say "no" to no avail. But he is not. Shiro is certain on his feelings and his relationship, but he needs to learn how to reconcile the different parts of his life in order to feel more sure with letting others know. He cherishes his relationship and is actually the one who marks most of the pace, there is nothing in him that isn't consensual, and conversation is a big part of the drama that lets him grow as a lead.
Kenji is a stylist, he isn't embarrassed to be flamboyant and open about his identity and his relationship. He could very well be the prototype of "flamboyant" and "feminine" in dramas, but he is not. He establishes in various instances the misconceptions of gay relationships, the difference between drag and homosexuality, the elements in presentation and gender dynamics. He is very taken by Shiro and isn't afraid to show affection, but he is also filled with self doubt and needs to learn how to communicate them better throughout the series, and how to reconcile his past with his present self.
The series is filled with moments throughout the life of these two, their encounters with other characters that will widen the lens, and you can see a lot of layers of the prejudice and complications of acceptance in Japanese society and the way in which they, and other couples, deal with those. It's a series that isn't devoid of its tear-inducing moments but it's not intending to be sad, dramatic or tragic, it's a happy story, and the leads aren't used for any sort of gratuitious emotional torture.
The food is not only great, and boy do I love dramas with a focus on food, it's also increadibly heart-warming and cozy and it provides a sense of the emotion and feeling you'll see on the episode and complements the story really well. And, meanwhile, you learn how to cook it.
I also immensely appreciate the fact that the couple is over 40, it really serves to discuss things that dramas centered on relationships almost never focus on. I feel that every time a drama focuses on a couple, it's going to be all about confusion and misunderstandings until a grand over-the-top ending. This one, though, is relatable in its simplicity and emotional depth, not only for those in relationships, but also those who are not but are still figuring out ways into adulthood in a couple of generations where the landscape of expectations and reality have changed so much. It isn't just about life in a relationship or life as an LGBTQ+ person, it's also about adult life in a very fast changing social landscape.
Overall, this was a perfect blend of a drama to me, the cast made it a great watch as well (one character has an actor change mid-way because the original had medical issues, but they pulled through really well regardless), and it's definetly great as one of those dramas you can come home to and relax watching, while also having a story that is compelling and emotional at times. I don't even hesitate giving it a 10/10, something I rearely ever do, but this one did it for me.
I can only hope there is a second season or something else from it at some point.
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This is a fairly domestic, slice of life show that manages to never become tedious, and this is coming from someone with the attention span of a toddler. the conflicts that the main characters face are interesting, without being over the top or stupid. it also manages to deal with many important issues that people in the LGBTQ community have to deal with. I feel like this show's handling of these issues is one of the best things about it, in that it shows how the characters are affected by homophobia and prejudice without reducing the characters to nothing but victims. I also really like how the show includes a different dish in each episode. during each episode I was always waiting in anticipation for the recipe, haha.
I feel like one of the strongest points of this show is the characters/acting. I admittedly have not read the manga that this is based on, but I found myself absolutely adoring the characters. the main characters had so much personality. they were both flawed and unique, and I think that made this drama amazing. the actors portraying them were perfect. they were both completely believable, and manage to seem genuinely in love without having to be overly affectionate.
the music was good, I don't always really notice the music in the shows I watch but I liked the songs in this one. they always fit well with what was going on
rewatch value: I'm already wanting to rewatch this show and I only finished it a few hours ago so that has to say something, haha. I want more.
final rating: 9.5/10 (tempted to bump it up to a 10/10) I would honestly recommend this to anyone, especially those that want a sweet/heartwarming watch or someone that is interested in LGBTQ issues.
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Heartwarming and Mouth-watering, LOL
Maybe it was just the right show at the right time, but I absolutely adored this drama. After the difficulties of this year, this show really hit the spot (which is accurate since it's 20% a cooking show).There is light angst and drama, but it's very light. This is fluffy, funny, slice of life at its finest. And the food!! There's something so soothing and peaceful about watching Shiro cook.
There isn't much skinship, so if you are a BL fan expecting that you may be disappointed. But I really didn't find that there was much need for overly physical displays of affection. The love between Kenji and Shiro is palpable in each scene. Each dish Shiro carefully cooks for Kenji is an "I love you."
If you want something light and entertaining that will leave you a bit happier than you were before, this is the show for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
This drama is really good. It's lighthearted, warm, and sweet. You can't help but smile as you watch. The acting is fantastic and the two leads have good chemistry. The story itself isn't anything extraordinary but it's surprisingly more complex than it seems. I like the take of a middle aged man in a long term relationship with his boyfriend but is still struggling with his identity. I think it's really relatable for many. There are some great lines, for example when Shiro talked about imagining his life had he married a woman, saying he'd probably live a life of cheating as he denied who he is. Great stuff. But honestly, the best part about this show is it's really a cooking show with a bit of romance on the side. I need me someone like Shiro who can cook such amazing looking food. I got jealous and hungry every episode lol. I love seeing Shiro slowly open up and loosen up throughout the show. And can we talk about how good looking Hidetoshi looks when he smiles? He has a really nice smile. Can't get enough of it.Although I really like the two leads and felt they did a wonderful job, I was depraved of skinship. Just the tiniest would've been fine, like hugs. Holding hands. A kiss would've knocked me over. Lol when you like these two so much so you can't help but hope for something to happen. Maybe it's cause I'm not super familiar with Japanese dramas so this kind of relationship is normal, but they don't even share a room, let alone a bed (they don't say it but Shiro's bed is too small for them both) and they've been together for 3+ years. I get Shiro's take on the relationship is different from Kenji's but I just find it weird. They're a couple but at times they feel more like really close roommates. I wish they pushed a bit further with the romance. It's shown very subtly and being Asian myself I get that's cultural but a bit would've been nice. Other thing I didn't care too much for was the "you don't behave like a gay" dialogues. I get they were trying to point out Shiro's straight acting front but not all gays act or think the same. I think they leaned a bit too heavily on gay stereotypes, specially with Kenji. I think he overdid it just a bit. I also wished they wrote Kenji a tad more mature. He's in his 40s but at times act like he's in his 20s. Again, maybe a Japanese thing. Anyways, not enough to ruin the show or anything. Overall I really enjoyed it and would love a season 2 (if it's not already in the works/out).
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A Mature BL
While the story revolves around the relationship of an older couple, it is so so much more than that. Kakei Shiro (Nishijima Hidetoshi) and Yabuki Kenji (Uchino Seiyou) are both well into their 40s and are steep in Japanese culture. Shiro is an uptight lawyer, rigid in his thinking, terrified of being overtly gay, certainly closeted, although his family knows. He is frugal to the point of being labeled a ‘penny-pincher’ and sticks rigidly to sets of rules and budgets. Kenji, on the other hand, is a bit more extravagant and sort of ‘open’ in his gayness. He is a hairdresser. Never hiding it and yet does try to fit into the societal norms and desperately tries to fit in with what Shiro wants to keep things orderly. Over the course of their relationship, we see that Shiro changes more so. Sometimes, more subtlety but steadily, into how Kenji thinks and behaves. The two begin to mesh and blend and honestly act more like a married couple than most married couples.Was this review helpful to you?
Quality Writing & Acting But a Bit Too Slow & Downbeat For Me...
I've heard raves about this series, especially since it starred A-list Japanese actors and an older BL couple. It's nice seeing an older couple in their late forties lead a BL series. The story was on point and touching. Light-hearted and hilarious at times. The acting was top-notch. However, I felt that the series was a bit too slow and downbeat for me. I couldn't really get invested in the characters or their lives unfortunately. My heart wasn't in it. There wasn't really any tension or conflict to propel the story forwards. It kinda felt like coasting in a way. I did enjoy the amount of cooking in this series though. It made me want to try cooking for myself.The series showed what it meant to share your life with another person. It gave me a pang knowing that at this stage of my life, being closeted, lonely, in my mid-20's and never having had a boyfriend, I am terrified that I may never be able to experience love and that I may never be able to share my life with another human being. Seeing these grown-up gays with their stable jobs and their passions makes me sad and jealous since I don't know what I like nor what I am good at as I have been forced to study something I hate to become something I don't want to be. And now, I am lost...
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Not a classic BL but definitely worth watching!
This is my first review and English is not my native language, I am sorry for typos and grammar mistakes.I did not read the manga, this is just about the series.
After watching quite a few BL series from Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines I was kind of sick and tired of stories about engineering students, youngsters and first loves. They are adorable and cute, don`t get me wrong, but I was in need of something more mature.
And this is what really did the deed. It is not a severe drama, but it shows a “real life” gay couple in Japan (I am European, therefor some of the behaviour was quite strange for me, but again, another culture, another behaviour, no judgement). I loved that the protagonists are above 40 and this was not another teenage love story. The acting was great, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but still absolutely believable.
This show overwhelmed me in many points because it felt so real. The struggle of still being in the closet and the worries about work. The “need” to explain yourself why not being married to your co-workers. Parents who love you, but do not get you. And of course the daily struggle of a couple not clearly expressing their inner thoughts (I rolled my eyes so many times, thinking “Men!”)
This series is not spectacular like fireworks. It is sometimes like a sitcom (sometimes comedy) I am not sure how to describe it correctly. But it was soothing and it touched my soul. And it is damn cute if you read between the lines. Not to mention it is great for food-lovers! I will definitely watch it again (not only for the recipes), because it leaves me with a good feeling.
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so happy that I re-watched this slice of life series
Overall: when I first watched this series, I was irritated by the lack of verbal and physical affection. However, upon re-watching it, my view changed a bit. Something to note is that just because we don't see much physical romance doesn't mean that it didn't happen with this couple. Both actors are A-list actors and this is one of the first series to feature m/m romance in Japan (Ossan's Love was the first the year prior in 2018). Watched officially on GagaOOLala (which also has the 2020 New Year's special and hopefully the 2023 season 2).Content Warnings: homophobia (mainly internal)
What I Liked
- a realistic portrayal of flawed characters who learn and grow
- support characters, they weren't tossed in and had reasons for being part of the story
- some really funny parts like the shaking in ep 3
- amazing acting especially the emotional scene in ep 11
- that Kenji had effeminate mannerisms but they weren't mocked in the series
Room For Improvement
- the cooking bogged down the pacing a bit for me, though the food looked delicious
- I was so angry at Shiro at times, especially in episode 8, however it is made clear that he has deep internal homophobia and we did see him working on this towards the end of the series
- their lack of communication really frustrated me when I first watched it, but I've heard that not having deep conversations could be realistic even for a couple of 3 years in Japan (added with the fact that they are a gay couple and one is mostly closeted/has internalized homophobia)
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In Asian dramas/movies that have a gay leading couple, I often find myself waiting for them to kiss or show intimacy, and usually they provide, but in this drama there was very little physical intimacy. This lack of physical intimacy really defetishized their relationship and left me thinking only about how cute they are together and took away the shock of them being gay as a whole. Though it might have been lacking a little too much physical intimacy, if they had made them any closer, the message in the show would have been lost to "look at how hot this gay couple is, it's two men kissing, look, look."
The production quality and acting was also really nice in this drama. The actors were not only somewhat attractive, they seemed to handle the story well. In a lot of gay dramas, the acting is bad and you can really tell that there was a really small budget, but in this drama, the acting and general quality of the show never distracts you from the actual content and gives a feeling that care went into the making of it.
In summary, although this drama contains a lot of qualities that I don't generally like in a drama, they were used in such a way (along with some other better qualities) to make an easy-going watch for one of the best dramas I've watched in a while. It does a great job at making their relationship feel just as natural as a straight relationship and the conflicts that arise because of their sexual orientation feel natural and expected instead of forced like in other dramas.
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Such a lovely couple!
"What did you eat yesterday?" shows the day-to-day life of a mature gay couple. I started watching hoping that I would enjoy myself, and ended up loving it.Shiro and Kenji make an unexpectedly good pair. Shiro is very pragmatic and a little grumpy from time to time, and also still not comfortable with being openly gay (especially at his workplace and in crowded places), but after a little while it's very obvious how most of the little things he does day by day are for the sake of Kenji's health and happiness. Kenji, on the other hand, is led by his feelings most of the time and the most comfortable with his sexuality; he wishes he could take care of Shiro more and show him around proudly, but he's willing to give him the time and space to do so on his own terms (well, in most cases).
Rather than a story, this drama is a slice-of-life series and it includes many aspects that aren't mentioned or explored in other LGBTQIA+ shows. I was surprised to see some events of my past in the series, which made it very relatable for me. The idea of Shiro and Kenji being able to navigate through their issues, both the solvable and unsolvable ones, despite their differences and their occasional disagreements, is truly heartwarming to me! I found myself watching with tears in my eyes more than once. The acting of the two protagonists definitely helped with that - they fit so well with each other!
The drama includes many recipies for the different dishes prepared by Shiro (and other characters) in each episode. If you're looking for skinship of any kind, I recommend looking elsewhere - this is not a typical BL and there's no fanservice included!
I had fun, feld moved and ended up devouring the entire series in the span of a couple of days. Absolutely recommended!
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