Jaa, Anta ga Tsukutte Miro yo (2025)

Best drama of the year and one of the best ever made

Just finished watching ep 10 on TBS stream (watched it with Japanese sub, the Viki English sub should be released some time next week, usually on Tuesdays) and I can confidently say Jaa, anta tsukutte miro yo ("Then, you try making it" on Viki) is my best drama of the year.

At the core of drama, the message is, everyone can change. The degree to which one can change is dependent on a variety of factor, but I love the encouraging message that no matter how old you are, or how rigid you were previously, change is possible if you put in the effort, and with the help of friends and family.

Jaa, anta is not a rom com, it's only labeled as such. I'd call it more a true slice of life. It is so much more than a rom com (nothing against rom com, and it's rather hilarious, especially ep 1-8). Rather than focusing on the initial fluttery, exciting part of dating, it entirely focuses on the relationship building part after the initial excitement has worn off. Even if Katsuo's changes are rather quick and probably unrealistic in real life, many issues the drama mentions are real life issues, be it gender roles (Katsuo's family and Ayumi's preconceived notion of what a woman should do), workplace dynamics, or (in)compatibility in a relationship. And it brings up these issues in such a lighthearted manner, not once does it feel preachy. Katsuo's family members appear briefly but each has an episode dedicated to themselves, it doesn't feel like they just appear to "make a point".

After breaking up, Katsuo and Ayumi have to learn to be alone, and I think this is such an important concept. Sure, it's exciting to guess who they "end up with", but that entirely defeats the purpose of the drama - which is learning about yourselves and those around you, your family, building friendships, not just romantic relationships, and being ok with just yourself/not settling with a partner just because it's convenient.

Highly recommend this drama to anyone. In fact, for me it's a quintessentially Japanese drama. It is comforting yet bittersweet and realistic. It is ordinary yet daring. It does not need fanservice via physical affection to make us fall in love with the characters and their relationship (though sometimes I do crave it, haha). It does not need plot twists, dramatic moments and reconciliations, hot people showing their hot bodies (save that for Ryoma's other works lmao). Japan did it again, ever so well. For those who keep yapping about how "over-acting" Japanese actors/actresses are, I challenge you to find one instance of over-acting in this drama. Kaho and Takeuchi Ryoma are both very established actors so we know they're capable, but even amongst the supporting cast, there's no overacting here.

This has been a good year for Jdramas for myself, with Hot Spot, Tokyo Salad Bowl, A calm sea and beautiful days with you being my top contenders for the top spot. Even so, Jaa, anta ga tsukutte miro yo, a Tuesday TBS drama not in a "hot" time slot with not a ton of promotion has taken everyone by surprise, myself included. It shows that you DO NOT need a big budget and an all star-studded cast, all you need is a good story. And that is why Jdramas will always have my heart, as long as they prioritize a good story.

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Qui sont-ils, en dehors de leur couple ?

Il n'a jamais cuisiné. Elle aspire à se découvrir. Jaa, Anta ga Tsukutte Miro yo les pousse hors de leur zone de confort à travers l'art culinaire. Un drama entraînant, mais déséquilibré entre les personnages.

Katsuo (Takeuchi Ryoma) connaît une évolution généreuse (et rapide) avec une belle mise en scène. Au travers de la cuisine, il prend conscience que cuisiner prend du temps, que c'est plus difficile qu'il n'y paraît et que les remarques insouciantes peuvent blesser. En particulier après des heures derrière les fourneaux.

Malheureusement, Ayumi (Kaho) devient rapidement secondaire, car l'histoire se concentre davantage sur Katsuo. Avec des défauts plus communs et une aspiration plus universelle (trouver ses propres rêves et se découvrir en tant que personne), son personnage aurait mérité tellement plus de soin.

L'histoire ne se limite pas aux plats qui mijotent. Elle explore aussi les rôles préconçus dans les relations. L'homme travaille et n'a qu'à mettre les pieds sous la table. La femme s'occupe du foyer et prépare de bons petits plats. Des discours qui persistent encore aujourd'hui. Toutefois, la relation d'Ayumi et Katsuo change, pour leur bien-être respectif, pas celui des autres. Pour cette raison, ce drame prend une nouvelle tournure, car plus réaliste et mature.

En bref, Jaa, Anta ga Tsukutte Miro yo pousse les personnages à faire des choix, pas toujours faciles. Apprendre à cuisiner est amusant, mais il faut aussi accepter de ne pas toujours suivre les recettes préconçues.

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