Tonari no Otoko wa Yoku Taberu (2023)

Starting off so good only to end with lackluster

Tonari no Otoko wa Yoku Taberu/ The Man Next Door Eats Well starts of great with a good theme of the main leads being neighbours who start to share meals. It's definitely not a "food"-centered drama in the way that some other series I've seen, instead, the food is just a means for the couple to get to know each other.

One of the best things about this drama is that it is fairly short given the 20 min episodes. The short episodes start to be a blessing in disguise since the story turns into a lackluster struggle of the main couples relationship. The biggest flaw in the drama is in fact the relationship between the main leads and their personalities. I got so disappointed in the story and the fact that the writers dragged out the conflict with lack of communication, insecurities and trust in their relationship for so long. Add (various) people wanting romantic relationships with both female lead and male lead (aka "romantic competition") and mix it up with the main leads being disappointed in each other whilst not talking it out and that is the latter part of the drama.

The OST music is nice and every episode ends with a cute montage of the two apartments where you progressively see them get closer and further away depending on the episode. I actually enjoyed the ending montages alot and found them to be a good reflection on how their relationship is going as you watch each episode. The main actors do a good job in their roles given the fact that the writers fail to flesh out their respective characters and if you are a fan of the actors you will probably be happy watching nonetheless.

In conclusion: the drama started off GREAT but as they actually develop a relationship, it gradually starts to sink and at the end its just frustrating. The ending is very rushed and lacked the spark that the drama had in the beginning. It's conclusion does have a happy ending! If you are in the mood for a shorter japanese drama about an age-gap relationship with some struggles this could very much be it.

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Por que?

O casal apresenta uma boa química, pessoalmente eu gosto de dramas em que a protagonista é mais velha. Então porque uma nota tão baixa? Eu simplesmente achei o enredo fraco e porco, um relacionamento cheio de falhas que podiam ser evoluídas com uma conversa simples, mas o autor preferiu enrolar até os 5 minutos finais não vi necessidade até porque os rivais que aparecem foram muito fracos para a historia. Tanta coisa melhor que podia ter entrado no lugar disso: Porque não explorar a protagonista contando para a família? A sensação que fica é que tentaram tanto trazer cenas que "mais quentes" que esqueceram o básico do desenvolvimento.

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I am a huge fan of Kikuchi Fuma, so I was reaaaally excited for this drama. And it didn't disappoint!

+ Kikuchi Fuma is an absolute snack, lmao. I love his acting, his voice (Oh boy, how he whispered some words really took my breath away x) ), his glances and I talked multiple times to my tablet, when Maki-chan was melting because of him, because "Same sis, same!"
+ Usually I don't pay too much attention to the female lead. I don't know, but somehow they are often written in a way that annoys me on the long-term. BUT Maki-chan is absolutely great. She is funny and there were a lot of moments where I could totally relate to her. She's truly adorable. Her parents too, by the way. They only had one scene together, but Maki-Chan was worrying about her parents asking for her relationshipstatus, since she lived alone for so long. She totally panicked inside...while her parents and her brother (+ his wife and child) just devour her food, compliment her and ask her if she wants to buy an appartement (which worried her brother, because she would live alone in a certain area and it seemed like he was worrying about her being uncomfortable around there, so it was not in a negative way against her). :'D Supportive parents are, unfortunately, kind of rare in dramas, so I was suuuuper happy to see how chill and supportive they are. It's a short scene, which isn't really important to the plot or give something away, so I don't really consider this a spoiler.
+ Excuse me, but how relateable is Sakura-chan?! She's a huge drama fan and that shows clearly. I felt like her conversations with Maki-chan could be something I would say, too. :'D Every drama-fan should be able to relate to her. She is a supportive friend and I liked her a lot. I definitely appreciate support characters like her. She gave great advices, comforted Maki-chan when needed and was just badass cool and entertaining. :D
+ Shinohara-san was surprisingly likeable. He is a nice guy from her workplace (I forgot which position he has in particular. Chief Manager, or so? :'D) His daughter is annoying as f*ck, but she's 10, so I just let it slide. :'D But Shinohara-san was refreshing and I always enjoyed his conversations with Maki-chan. There is one scene in the last episode that totally cracked me up. He's the type of guy that is unintentionally funny and I can't get enough if this. :D
+ Overall the humour is totally my thing and I enjoyed this show a lot.

There is nothing that I have to criticize in particular. I would have wished for clearer motives in the beginning, because one character was really hard to grasp, but the story wouldn't work that way, so the things need to be like they were done, otherwise the angsty-plot would just vanish. x)

I wasn't bored at all. I binged it (while getting some sleep in between), I laughed a lot, I had totally wild fangirl moments, because Kikuchi Fuma just ate (no pun intended, LOL - but for real, he ate this role, geez) and overall it was a lot of fun to watch him again. AND I really liked the lead actress - I am usually more interested in the guys in a show, lmao, so it was a nice surprise to get that much hooked by Kurashina Kana. And her clothes were always SO SO PRETTY. I feel like the actors were really perfect for their roles.

The angsty episodes were not soo funny anymore and the humour was also toned down (which is normal in this situations, haha) but I also didn't get emotionally that hooked. Plus, although I really liked the intro song ("Cream" by Sexy Zone, of course) the ending song wasn't that much too my liking. But the ending scenes were interesting and sometimes really adorable! And the little change in the last episode was cute - I always feel intelligent when I spot little changes and think I got the intention of those changes. :D

8/10 Would totally recommend the show, especially if you like Kikuchi Fuma.

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