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What Did You Eat Yesterday?
I'm so behind on all book/movie reviews and other blog posts I've been planning to make, but I wanted to at least take a moment to rec Fumi Yoshinaga's manga What Did You Eat Yesterday?, which I also briefly mentioned here. I recently read that US publisher Vertical is losing money on this series, although they remain committed to continuing it. (Apparently the adorable cat manga Chi's Sweet Home is a big hit that helps to fund their less profitable titles, for which I am eternally grateful.)
But it breaks my heart that more people aren't buying this series! The food descriptions and drawings are mouth-wateringly delicious, but what I love most about it is that it's a slice-of-life story about a 40-something gay couple (Shiro and Kenji) that portrays their relationship in a mature and realistic manner. They deal with problems at work, and worry about aging parents, who in Shiro's case, are trying to be accepting of their son, but still aren't entirely comfortable with him being gay. They often argue over petty issues (and occasionally about more serious ones), but at the same time, it's obvious that they love each other very much and remain committed to each other. So much BL manga deals with high school romances, and being closer in age to Shiro and Kenji, it's really refreshing to find a story about an adult couple dealing with typical adult issues.
I don't know, maybe that's why it's not more popular, because it's different from the typical BL/yaoi fare? Because it's not really BL, it's more like a foodie and slice-of-life manga about a couple that just happens to be gay. Perhaps the older characters and the lack of smut and melodrama don't appeal to the fans who normally buy BL manga? And conversely, perhaps non-BL readers who might be interested in foodie/slice-of-life manga see that the story is about a gay couple and don't bother picking it up because they think it's just another yaoi manga?
I'm just guessing about that, though. What I do know is that I've seen some online reviews of readers complaing that they often find the recipe sections of the manga to be a bit tedious. Personally, I enjoy reading the cooking sections because I'm interested in Japanese cuisine, but I admit that I sometimes skim through the recipes to get to the Shiro/Kenji interaction (though I always go back and re-read it later). So I can see why non-foodies might find those parts boring, and since the concept of the book is that each chapter revolves around a meal cooked by Shiro, the format isn't going to change. But I swear, the story is great and worth reading even if you aren't interested in the recipes! (I haven't tried making any of them yet, but I have a few singled out for future reference.)
I've noticed that many reviewers of the first few volumes tend to like Kenji, who is very likeable and easy going, and dislike the more uptight Shiro who is practical and pennypinching and too repressed/closeted to indulge the more sentimental Kenji's desire for PDAs, or even more private romantic gestures/declarations. However, a large part of what I enjoy about the series is seeing Shiro's character develop and change over the course of the series. At times, he does come across as being insensitive towards Kenji, but he's in a much more conservative profession (he's a lawyer) than Kenji (a hairdresser), who is able to be more open about his sexuality with his coworkers and customers without endangering his job. Gradually, we see how much Shiro really does care about Kenji, and how he makes more of an effort to show it, even bringing Kenji home to meet his parents in one of the later volumes. We also eventually learn the reason behind his extreme frugalness, and while I don't want to spoil it for new readers, it goes much deeper than just being cheap or stingy.
In a way, it reminds me just a little of the Harudaki/Embracing Love manga in that it deals with an adult gay couple in a committed relationship: while the premise of Haru isn't very realistic, the way that Iwaki and Katou's relationship grows and matures does feel real, as does the way that their family members vary in their acceptance (or lack thereof) of the pair's relationship. Of course, Shiro and Kenji are ordinary people not movie stars, so What Did You Eat lacks all the showbiz glamor and melodrama, not to mention the porn star background and the smut! But they are both awesome stories in their own unique ways, so if possible, please buy both titles and support the manga-ka and the publishers so they can produce more awesome manga!
And since I brought up Haru, this is a good opportunity to mention that the latest SuBLime omnibus edition of Embracing Love just came out! It contains volumes 5 and 6 of the manga--vol. 5 was the last one that BeBeautiful released in English before they went out of business. So when I have time, I'll do one last comparison post of the SuBLime and BB versions.
But it breaks my heart that more people aren't buying this series! The food descriptions and drawings are mouth-wateringly delicious, but what I love most about it is that it's a slice-of-life story about a 40-something gay couple (Shiro and Kenji) that portrays their relationship in a mature and realistic manner. They deal with problems at work, and worry about aging parents, who in Shiro's case, are trying to be accepting of their son, but still aren't entirely comfortable with him being gay. They often argue over petty issues (and occasionally about more serious ones), but at the same time, it's obvious that they love each other very much and remain committed to each other. So much BL manga deals with high school romances, and being closer in age to Shiro and Kenji, it's really refreshing to find a story about an adult couple dealing with typical adult issues.
I don't know, maybe that's why it's not more popular, because it's different from the typical BL/yaoi fare? Because it's not really BL, it's more like a foodie and slice-of-life manga about a couple that just happens to be gay. Perhaps the older characters and the lack of smut and melodrama don't appeal to the fans who normally buy BL manga? And conversely, perhaps non-BL readers who might be interested in foodie/slice-of-life manga see that the story is about a gay couple and don't bother picking it up because they think it's just another yaoi manga?
I'm just guessing about that, though. What I do know is that I've seen some online reviews of readers complaing that they often find the recipe sections of the manga to be a bit tedious. Personally, I enjoy reading the cooking sections because I'm interested in Japanese cuisine, but I admit that I sometimes skim through the recipes to get to the Shiro/Kenji interaction (though I always go back and re-read it later). So I can see why non-foodies might find those parts boring, and since the concept of the book is that each chapter revolves around a meal cooked by Shiro, the format isn't going to change. But I swear, the story is great and worth reading even if you aren't interested in the recipes! (I haven't tried making any of them yet, but I have a few singled out for future reference.)
I've noticed that many reviewers of the first few volumes tend to like Kenji, who is very likeable and easy going, and dislike the more uptight Shiro who is practical and pennypinching and too repressed/closeted to indulge the more sentimental Kenji's desire for PDAs, or even more private romantic gestures/declarations. However, a large part of what I enjoy about the series is seeing Shiro's character develop and change over the course of the series. At times, he does come across as being insensitive towards Kenji, but he's in a much more conservative profession (he's a lawyer) than Kenji (a hairdresser), who is able to be more open about his sexuality with his coworkers and customers without endangering his job. Gradually, we see how much Shiro really does care about Kenji, and how he makes more of an effort to show it, even bringing Kenji home to meet his parents in one of the later volumes. We also eventually learn the reason behind his extreme frugalness, and while I don't want to spoil it for new readers, it goes much deeper than just being cheap or stingy.
In a way, it reminds me just a little of the Harudaki/Embracing Love manga in that it deals with an adult gay couple in a committed relationship: while the premise of Haru isn't very realistic, the way that Iwaki and Katou's relationship grows and matures does feel real, as does the way that their family members vary in their acceptance (or lack thereof) of the pair's relationship. Of course, Shiro and Kenji are ordinary people not movie stars, so What Did You Eat lacks all the showbiz glamor and melodrama, not to mention the porn star background and the smut! But they are both awesome stories in their own unique ways, so if possible, please buy both titles and support the manga-ka and the publishers so they can produce more awesome manga!
And since I brought up Haru, this is a good opportunity to mention that the latest SuBLime omnibus edition of Embracing Love just came out! It contains volumes 5 and 6 of the manga--vol. 5 was the last one that BeBeautiful released in English before they went out of business. So when I have time, I'll do one last comparison post of the SuBLime and BB versions.
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I'll make another post later, but I was skimming through the Haru manga and had fun re-reading the chapters where Katou and Iwaki meet the Casino Lily guys--I'd forgotten how bratty Magira was! And now I think I need to go read your White Lilies fic again because the manga made me all nostalgic, and I'm craving some Shu and Shouji to go along with Carlo/Magira.
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I've been planning for some time to read the entire Haru from the beginning, but I really want to take a weekend off to do so so I can indulge in fanfic after. Magira is the brattiest brat to ever brat; Carlo has to be the most patient man alive. Except maybe Mochimune who has to deal with Miyasaka outside canon. :D One can say a lot about Magira, but he's not stupid like Miyasaka.
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(Antique Bakery was a lot easier in that regard, since we do have a couple of bakeries around town. *g*)
I do love the slice-of-life aspects, though, and how the story just sort of wanders along. It makes the series kind of a comfort read for me.
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It's a comfort read for me, too--I find all the delicious food and Shiro showing his love by cooking to be very comforting, and I just really enjoy watching them live their day-to-day lives together.