Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (2022)

Perfectly Complementary Character Growth in a Cozy Backdrop

Japan just has a way with these food dramas that few other productions can match. It just feels so down-to-earth, real, and cozy. It puts the small details into focus like nothing else can, and somehow manages to soften any societal critique messages and story stressors.

I wouldn't say this is a GL drama, but rather a lesbian adult coming-of-age drama. There isn't that same focus on the *need* to enter into a romantic relationship. Instead, we get to navigate the slowly shifting dynamic between these two women who find their perfectly complementary half. We get to see how the small comments and practices (what has often been coined as "micro-aggressions"), seemingly insignificant to the masses, can have a longstanding impact to others. They can become a source of insecurity, dissonance, and wariness. Things that make you feel "other." But this drama does it in such a way that it feels almost conversational, in such a way that we actually see every day and with responding messages that, while feeling unnatural at times, weren't drawn out and hung up for continuous reference).

I loved seeing the progression of these characters through the work. From shy, uncertain, and insecure, to understanding, to irreplaceable. From a dynamic where one ate and the other happily watched, to a dynamic where they both ate meals together, to a dynamic where their relationship was no longer limited to meals. I really hope that we get a season 2, and I don't say that about many dramas.

And the food looked delicious. I am so glad that the producers included recipes on the drama's website for the key dishes - because I'm definitely going to be trying some of these.

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Successfully satiated my craving for a calm domestic romance!

A woman who loves to cook and a woman who loves to eat find the perfect arrangement with each other, and their relationship starts to blossom just like that.
I believe that the best point of this drama is its simplicity. The plot is very simple and even the events in each episode aren't anything too elaborate, which allowed the feelings of the characters to truly shine on the screen, and it also let the most important moments have a much bigger impact on me. I've seen other shows that revolve around food and show the most delicious, mouth-watering dishes, but I had never watched one where the food made me feel as touched and moved as this one.
The two main characters have good chemistry with each other, and I loved to see how they always reached to each other through their meals. The episodes were short and not so many, yet their personalities were well detailed and I was amazed by how well they fit together despite being so different.
The series is mostly free from angst, but this didn't stop it from including multiple important themes, such as heteronormativity, harmful traditional values, discovery (and acceptance!) of self, and more. This drama also isn't afraid of being openly about the LGBTQIA+ community, rather than staying away from the theme and leaving everything in the subtext.

It was a cute watch that surprised me in the best way. I've heard that the season two is coming and I'll make sure to watch it. I recommend this drama to whoever enjoys slice-of-life stories and meet-cute romances!

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She Cooks,She eats

I just finally watched it!I again made a mistake.Went in expecting too much.It was cute.It was a different story.But the wlw storyline,it was mostly at the 'surface'.Nomoto didnt even confess to Kasuga.We found out through Nomoto's flashbangs that she was indeed lesbian after all,but what was the point of those flashbangs evem though she didnt confess to Kasuga.If and I say if,we get a second season,which I am sure we WILL NOT, they must finally tell each other their true feelings.For them and us.I understand that the whole concept was the cook and eating thing,but still.They should have done something.A confession.Not even a proper hand holding or a cheek kiss.Pffff

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So cozy and heartwarming

I've started the manga in April this year and have re-read 3 times already, before discovering this beautiful adaptation. I was beyond thrilled. The Manga is such a comfort read for me, and after having watched the tv show, now it's also a comfort show.

I'm so amazed by... literally everything. The cinematography, the actors, the director, the vibe... it's exactly like the Manga. So, so cozy and heartwarming.

The actors have done an incredible job in bringing the characters to life and especially also the chemistry. How it starts off kinda awkward because they don't know each other at all, then slowly turns into a friendship where the characters are just incredibly comfortable with each other and are able to open up about their difficult past, and then Nomoto slowly realizing she might feel more for Kasuga.
Kasuga too, though. In the beginning, she's quite stone-faced and doesn't show any emotions at all. But slowly, as they spend more time together, she begins to smile more and express her feelings verbally more often, which Nomoto also points out.

Every time they look at each other in the manga, I get butterflies. Every time the actors were sitting at the table, I got butterflies. I'm amazed by how well they could capture the chemistry and channel it in their acting.
There's barely any physical touch between them. Only a little towards the end. Yet still... sparks fly when they're just in the same room and that's genuinely impressive.

The romance isn't in a sense of "omg it's love at first sight, they're so hot and I want to f*** them" but in a sense of strong platonic feelings and fulfilling happiness. Two souls who have finally found each other and found solace in being accepted the way they are (Kasuga by having a huge appetite and Nomoto for cooking because it's her hobby). It's very subtle.
And beautiful, because there aren't many self-discovery shows with characters at that age. But people seem to forget that you don't find everything about you during your teenage years, as the media might suggest nowadays, so this is a really great reminder to you and anyone else, that you grow everyday and if you haven't found your path yet, don't worry, because your time will come – even if you're 50 by then.

~

Season 1 covers Volume 1 and 2 of the manga, and ends the same way volume 2 ends: during the sunrise.
I was often quite surprised how close they kept it to the source material. Of course they added a few scenes here and there or changed little things to fill the time, but overall it is very very similar.

It's a perfect cozy show for autumn, and even winter. It plays around December (there's a Christmas and new year's episode), but gives more autumn vibes for me, maybe because of the lack of snow, lol.

Really recommended for any age group and especially a perfect cozy watch during the holidays. The episodes are very short as well (15 minutes), so you can watch it all in one evening. During the weekend with your family or some friends for example.

Don't forget to have food nearby, though, because the story centers around food – they cook and eat a lot –, so you will likely get hungry during watching. ;D

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Creepy not cute meals

I started watching this only knowing that the episodes were 15min long and I needed something short to watch.

She loves to cook and she loves to eat is the self explanatory english title (thank you Furritsubs!) about two 20 something young women, neighbours and who bond over food. One likes to cook huge amounts of food for the other one to eat under the fascinated smile of the first one.

And that is what I found creepy. Maybe it is a cultural thing so I should not pass judgement but when someone invites you to a meal, wouldn't you expect them to eat with you not just watch you eat? I would but I do not know about Japan!
But it was fun to watch them cook, go grocery shopping and have fun together. Was there a need to bill this as a romance? No!!! Both characters (backstories told) seemed like persons who have never been interested in romance or for that matter ever understood the meaning of being attracted to another person. At one point the cook looks up the meaning of attraction and love between women as if she had never heard of the concept before.

The drama also manages to insert a slight criticism of japanese society and the way the women are viewed: tiny appetites and there only to satisfy men's needs. Both of these women never felt comfortable in such roles and therefore they always felt excluded by friends and family. They found the understanding they needed in each other.

There is deep friendship and understanding between two women but romantic love? I am not so sure! They have no chemistry and I really could not imagine them being more than just friends.

This is the third food love japanese drama I've watched and it left me with feeling confused: where is the romance here? The love of food not the love through food!

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A sweet story told in bite sized pieces

The story of a working woman who lives alone, pressured by her parents and peers alike to get married, loves cooking. She always cooks too much food unconsciously. But then she meets her neighbour who loves to eat big portions of food.
And the two find friendship building together.

The story is sweet and slow burn. I love me some slow burn in my literature and my visual media. The casting is perfect , the acting is great too.
I love how the show criticises casual sexism and discrimination thrown around about women. It also discusses how women are generally less paid in professional world. I liked the discussions that the story not only focuses on the relationship but also glossses over real life problems faced in the society.

As for the romance, one might be slightly disappointed. But the season 2 is supposed to come. I will be waiting.

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La magia de encontrar a la persona indicada para compartir tus pasatiempos, sentirte cómoda y deleitarte con las pequeñas cosas de la vida.

Este cálido drama desarrolla la relación de dos mujeres que conectan a través de la comida y se complementan a la perfección.

Las historias que enaltecen la cocina tienen un encanto especial (sólo hay que evitar verlas con hambre) y esta, además de ello, transmite un confort doméstico muy agradable.

Yuki y Kasuga crean un vínculo precioso, te hacen sentir felicidad y añorar algo como lo que tienen. Es una relación que cocinan a fuego lento, sazonada con suavidad. Poco a poco, existe más familiaridad y cariño entre ellas.

En medio de comidas compartidas, conversaciones casuales y la creciente cercanía de las protagonistas, el drama también hace un comentario respecto al machismo, el trato diferencial y las expectativas que se ponen sobre las mujeres.

Para la tranquilidad que te genera, no es justo lo poco que dura cada episodio. Sería ideal tener una segunda temporada para seguir contemplando el día a día de Yuki y Kasuga, mientras siguen descubriéndose mutuamente y a sí mismas.

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A Phenomenal GL Romance With Stellar Casting

Adapted from the manga of the same name, “Tsukuitai Onna to Tabetai Onna/She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat” is a queer drama which focuses on the relationship of two women. More than relationship, it focuses on how a neat and genuine bond can be developed by friendship that progresses to a romantic inclination.

I have always admired the Japanese way of showing any relationship with so much simplicity yet leaving a message so deep that it affects you genuinely and this is not the first Japanese queer show that revolves around food as we all know. We all have already loved and watched “What did you eat yesterday?” and this show is on the same level as it. Because it is not too flashy or filled with unnecessary or complicated situations.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/22/she-loves-to-cook-and-she-loves-to-eat-season-one-series-review-ep-1-to-10/

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A simple story of two people finding happiness in good food and in each other

This has to be one of the coziest dramas I have ever watched. It's calming and slow-paced without ever becoming uninteresting or boring. It also made me incredibly hungry every time I watched an episode, but that is only to be expected from a Japanese series centered around food.
I also really enjoy the was the show emphasises the importance of female friendship, of finding companionship and building a life that makes you happy despite the myriad of little rules society loves imposing on its members, specifically on women.
Furthermore, I find Yuki's slow realisation and exploration of her feelings towards Kasuga incredibly well done and I'd love to see their relationship evolve further.
I will never get enough of love stories (be they romantic, platonic, or otherwise) told through the medium of good food and I simply can't wait for season 2.
Do yourself a favour and watch this show. Do prepare some snacks first though, you'll probably need them.

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A história gira em torno de Yuki (que adora cozinhar) e Kasuga (que adora comer), que encontram uma combinação perfeita. O roteiro se concentra em aceitar a sexualidade e as expectativas em relação às mulheres, com os protagonistas tendo química satisfatória e boa atuação. O drama não é um drama GL, mas um drama lésbico adulto sobre a maioridade, com foco na dinâmica de mudança lenta entre as duas mulheres que encontram sua metade complementar. Os pequenos comentários e práticas, muitas vezes denominados “microagressões”, podem ter um impacto duradouro sobre os outros, causando insegurança, dissonância e cautela. O drama parece coloquial, com mensagens de resposta que não são prolongadas e penduradas para referência contínua.

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If you enjoyed titles like What Did You Eat Yesterday? and Our Dining Table, this is the drama for you (and me).

The cozy cooking genre (is it a genre?) is one of my favorite things ever and when it's paired with wonderful stories and characters, all the better. I haven't read the comic this is based on but this drama does what it needs to spark my interest.

Higa Manami (stellar performance, as usual) is Nomoto Yuki, a woman living alone who enjoys cooking but doesn't have people around her to share her cooking with as much as she'd like. She is burdened by the social expectations of what being a woman her age means to those around her and what enjoying cooking as a hobby and not a profession seems to imply to them: that she could be a good wife or a good mother. Nomoto san wants to cook because she likes it, for someone who appreciates it, away from the burdens of social expectations.

Nishino Emi (I just met her but I love her) is Kasuga Totoko, a woman living alone in the same apartment building as Nomoto san, who loves to eat. She eats with relish and with respect and awareness of the food she has, enjoying it with presence. She has lived a life in which she is expected and demanded to eat less, because she's a girl and should have smaller portions, consider her figure, and other nonsense that Kasuga san doesn't care about.

Like the red thread of fate, these two meet and magic happens. They connect, not only through food but through each other and it will be a meeting that will set in motion re-thinking what they think they know about themselves.

A wholesome, cozy, food-filled queer jdrama to add to the list of its predecessors and that I hope continues because we need more of these.

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Cozy and Heartwarming

As someone who loves the manga this was a great short watch!

I do have to say I wish it had was more episodes. They wrapped it up nicely and pacing was great, but I would’ve liked to see Nomoto and Kasuga develop more like they do in the manga. I also went into the drama hoping to see Yako since I loved her in the manga. I love that Nomoto has an asexual lesbian friend who also has a passion for food, and I was sad to not see her.

Otherwise though, I really like how this was done! The cinematography was great. I enjoyed all the acting. They stayed pretty close to the original source material and I had the same feelings watching it as I did reading it. I will forever love the simplicity of the plot and the commentary on women and our relationships with food. I definitely recommend checking this out — and the manga too!

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