Sweet, clumsy shy love.
This is a cleverly written and acted slice of life BL that is heartwarming.The young actor Maeyama Kuuga is so natural and spontaneous he also has the important role of bringing the two boys together and defusing tensions. He nailed the role of Tane.
His brother, Minoru, is very relatable as a young man who has dropped out of college to care for Tane and is grieving the recent death of his mother.
The chance meeting of Yutaka sets of a series of small, positive shifts in all their lives. Yutaka is pulled into their caring family dynamic and begins to open up to the world.
We are given flash backs to understand how each of the two boys have been shaped by their past. Their blossoming love is a slow, respectful journey initially broached by Minoru in a shy confession then later firmly accepted by Yutaka.
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A table full of wholesomeness
Full disclosure, I am hardcore fan of the manga. It is one of my go-to feel good reads, so when the drama adaptation was announced I was both nervous and excited, bécause in my experience the adaptations are generally a miss rather than a hit. I am familiar with Inukai but Hiroki is "that guy" for me. I keep confusing him with Shiono Akihisa (I had to look it up) aka Odajima in High&Low franchisee and Inukai's costar in Zettai BL. So, I waited till the the show was 9/10ths over to binge it, so I could directly watch the finale.First things first. With the runtime longer than the actual source it was obvious they would need to add some filler to make up the time. And I am NOT a fan of the changes. Yutaka's whole backstory/phobia about sharing the dining table aka THE MAIN CONFLICT of the drama, rests on the emotional trauma he suffered growing up in a kind-hearted but emotionally cold family and a verbally abusive elder brother. Yutaka was orphaned at a young age, then lived with his grandparents for while before they too passed away, after which he was adopted by a rich/kind-hearted but emotionally distant family. The family already had 2 biological children and another which was born right after Yutaka was adopted. In a large family, Yutaka, a twice displaced outsider, felt like had no "position" of his own, not helped by the fact the elder siblings, especially the brother, absolutely refused to share the dinner table with him.
By changing adopted family into a nuclear family and Yutaka's emotional trauma into "oh, you just misunderstood us and distanced yourself on your own" arc, it felt like the drama was making a light of childhood emotional abuse as well as victim blaming Yutaka for his "imagined" trauma. "If only YOU had done more to adjust in the family", like he wasn't a 6 year old kid who had lost his ENTIRE family and was now dependent on complete and unwelcoming strangers for his physical and emotional well-being. Him reconciling with that family also took away from core message of the manga that "family" is something you CHOOSE, not something you are born or adopted into.
That said, now let's talk about Yutaka's REAL family. First, Tane. Absolute perfection, little pig belly aside. Tane is Yutaka's true love (vice versa) and the biggest connection he has with the Ueda family. I like the end scene where Tane calls "Yukata" his family and Minoru is like "he is not!" I like that Yutaka ignored him and talked to Tane's friend himself. Like bitch, he is *Tane's* family, you are just the guy who carries the bags.
Minoru. Like I said Hiroki is "that guy" for me. But he blew me away. Minoru is one of rare semes who is sweet and understanding of Yutaka's trauma and he helps Yutaka overcome his fear of sharing a dining table without being either judgemental or pedantic. He gives Yutaka the family he desperately needs, and turns his trauma into a warm and comfortable hug.
Yutaka, I have no words. Drama Yutaka is Manga Yutaka, warts and all. Inukai portrays Yutaka's trauma, loneliness, sadness, happiness, love, care everything. Yutaka is a complicated guy with lots of depth that a lesser actor would have easily folded under the pressure, but Inukai exceeded my expectations as always.
Tldr; while the drama is sweet and wholesome, by changing Yutaka's backstory and reconciling with his family, I feel like the core message of the manga was completely overlook ed. That said, the actors and wholesomeness of the drama kinda makes up for it, not enough to give it a perfect 10.
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One of the most wholesome BL series out there
Bokura No Shokutaku serves you great dose of wholesome and heart-warming plot. This series is full of elements that makes it an entertaining watch. We have characters with amazing back stories and their journey of changing each other for the better.This series is about Yutaka who suffers from a childhood fear of eating in a group. He meets Tane and his older brother Minoru and every week he visits their place to cook them a meal. During his weekly visits he learns about Minoru and slowly opens himself up to new experiences including getting over his fear of eating with others. Minoru on the other hand learns to enjoy his life as he is looking forward to his weekly cooking sessions with Yutaka.
This series beautifully showcases the contrast in the family life of Yutaka and Minoru. Yutaka comes from a family who adopted him after his parents death, where his brother dislikes him causing him to distance himself from everyone. Meanwhile Minoru has a younger brother and father who love him. The loss of his mother has had an impact on his life and he has shut himself up. Together, Yutaka and Minoru learn to embrace life through the different delicacies they cook for Tane. While we see the friendship between Yutaka and Minoru slowly developing in to something far more, we also get to witness Yutaka’s apprehensions and his fear of losing something so precious.
Other than the support Yukata and Minoru give each other, we also get an ensemble of other characters that guide the main characters. We have Tane who is the cause of Yutaka and Minoru constantly meeting each other, Minoru’s dad who is caring and understanding, Yukata’s female colleague who indirectly dispenses some good advice to him and Minoru’s boss who is always available to guide him.
In conclusion, this series boasts some great performances from all the actors, a strong story-line, an entertaining plot that will keep you hooked and asking for more.
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"A warming hug whenever you need, a heartful show that heals your heart"
Since this one doesn't have many things for RFI (Room For Improvement), so I'll list the cons first, then end it with what I like about it:+ First, it was too many flashbacks scenes, even though the show was more than enough length to contain them
+ Second, the talk to solve Hozumi's family problem near the end of the show wasn't satisfying enough
+ Third and last, the slowing pace, which usually saw in dramas that have life genre in it, could cause easy to boring feelings when we watch it -> Luckily, this one knows how to solve the plots before it came to boring
Here's what I loved about this show:
+ No twist, no pushy plots, no cringy. Just a peaceful, slow pace life genre drama, and you find love inside it
+ Although this one is adapted from manga, this one splendidly follows the original, even filling the lacks that the original was unable to do that
+ The interactions between the two MLs: based on their respect between them, peacefully and slowly came to each other, especially how Iijima made those eye-contact scenes and Inukai nailed emotional scenes. Most of all, the realistic day-to-day interactions, I truly love romance shows that use day-to-day interactions methods to bring two lead roles together
+ The OST, Andante ni Sunadokei and Tooi Kuni, perfectly fit the show, but the highlight truly belongs to Tooi Kuni, the ending song that roots me every time I watch it
+ Tane, the kid that brings Yutaka and Minoru together. I usually have an anxious feeling whenever I saw shows that use kids as a major part of the show, but Maeyama plays it perfectly, that I really think that this kid was the real-life Tane and he doesn't even need a try to act, he really plays it flawlessly lol
Overall, this one is a perfect show whenever you need something to refuel your heart, but don't overwatch it so many times, you'll find yourself bored watching it due to the slow pace.
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Pretty good, sometimes awkward
I didn't like the long pauses/silence. It felt like they were only trying to hit the 23-24 minute mark and every episode was filled with at least about 5 minutes of pure silence, awkwardness and stuttering.Lots... and I mean LOTS of misunderstandings and being interrupted while trying to say something (Personally I don't mind that, I know some people don't like it so I wrote it just in case).
The acting (especially Yutaka's actor) was sometimes over the top and very awkward/overly expressive. It's not that bad, annoying sometimes though.
The weird thing was that it seemed like they weren't even dating? I watched the spin-off too and they even at one point suggested they weren't dating, I think.
That being said, I really enjoyed the story and the cute moments between the couple, it was enjoyable.
It's not the best BL but it's one of the better ones.
The silence and awkwardness sometimes annoyed me but if you don't mind that, go ahead and watch it. It's not life changing but it's not bad.
And wow... everyone in the reviews gave 8-10 stars and said really good things about it, I feel really harsh... but everyone's opinion is different, take mine with a grain of salt.
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A sweet story about all forms of love
Watched this show by Inukai Atsuhiro. As a big fan of this incredible actor, I couldn't help but follow this beautiful story. A sweet drama about Hozumi Yutaka, a lonely young man who grew up devoid of all forms of love, and who only comes to know the true meaning of that word by living with the Ueda family. The most beautiful message in the manga is that family is something you choose. I thought the entire adaptation was perfect, except for one detail: the way the TV version handled Yutaka's trauma.The trauma of the main character portrayed by Inukai-kun can never be treated as something silly, because a situation that causes emotional trauma cannot be treated with negligence, and in my opinion, that's how the adoptive parents dealt with this issue. In the original, however large the family was (two older biological brothers and a newborn), this is no reason to ignore Yutaka's isolation caused by his older brother's verbal abuse. What really disappointed me was that Yuki didn't even apologize to Yutaka, and had the cynicism to point out Yutaka as the culprit. This is the only big mistake in this work, which apart from this detail, is perfect. You can't call malice and negligence a misunderstanding
The characters are very sweet and deep.
Yutaka is a rare gem. Inukai-kun was perfect in the role. Her cute, angelic beauty face perfectly portrayed all of Yutaka's emotions. Your smiles, your sadness, your insecurities and your fears. Everything was perfectly matched and well done. I've seen Inukai-kun in several characters, but Yutaka is without a doubt the cutest of them all. I love how, although he grew up without love, his nature never corrupted and he became a person with a kind heart and admirable character.
Tane is a precious cutie. The liaison between Yutaka and Minoru. The instant affectionate relationship between Yutaka and Tane is the sweetest and cutest thing to see, and it makes me smile for free. Both are just beautiful!
Minoru was also great with Hiroki-kun. His pain and concern over taking on the role of a "single parent" is also admirable and very beautiful to watch, as well as the development of his romantic feelings for Yutaka through his kind actions towards his younger brother.
In addition, BokuShoku is a beautiful story where each member of the Ueda family makes Yutaka experience all the ways of loving that until then were denied him forever. Tane gave him the love of a younger brother, Koji embraced him with a true father's love, and Minoru taught him romantic love. The dream family that Yutaka found, and if it weren't for the altered part of the manga, it would be just perfect. I loved it so much and will definitely watch it again
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僕らの食卓、最高過ぎる！Our Dining Table, Absolutely Amazing!
An amazing story and series! Highly highly recommend it! Yutaka (Yukata), Minoru, Tane, and the father were amazing! Even Yutaka’s adopted family were not as bad as they were made out to be. This was such a heart warming series. One of the best Japanese BLs of this year. Then again, Japan rarely ever fails to disappoint me. I absolutely loved Tane and the father. They were literally two of the sweetest supporting characters I have ever seen in a BL series. I will definitely rewatch this series. If you are hesitant to watch this series, don’t hesitate. It is well worth it! Like I said, 僕らの食卓、最高過ぎる！Oh, and teaches you how to make a few good Japanese foods too. Like bakudan onigiri and ramen fried rice.Was this review helpful to you?
Sensibility.
A lot of sensitivity. A cohesive beginning, a blossoming friendship. What to talk about this series, with beautiful performances. A story that captivates us from the first chapter.The characters have baggage, they have their rhythm, they have their growth. The series explores the problems and shows resolutions. It is the best Japanese BL ever released, so far in series format. I was missing perfection like that. It didn't seem rushed, like most of the stories we see or it seems like there was a lot missing.
There are many good stories out there waiting for the next great story to be told.
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"Loving someone means accepting the pain of losing them too"
I watched this BL with the idea that it might only revolve around food. Oh my god, I never thought that I would literally cry in episode 10. I was literally bawling my eyes out lol. This is so wholesome and nice in many aspects. Tane plays a huge role in their relationship and I thank him for his existence fr. This feels like a warm hug on a cold evening. I feel like it would be better to watch this on Christmas or Winter break since it has that warm tone that would make you cry under thick covers. I just hope that they would be happy forever in each others' lives. I remembered adding this series to one of our school projects since it moved me so much! There are really a lot of good JBLs. Keep it up!Was this review helpful to you?
Love so warm(≧▽≦)
After 7 episodes came out, i started reading reviews about this show. And it was not good. Most of the people said that it's kind of boring and slow. And that their chemistry wasn't much to talk about. The only promising thing the show provided was the little cute angel kid. I thought it is going to be a pass for me.However after the 8th episode came out I binge watched it and god I loved it soooo much. Yes, some may feel that the story is slow or the chemistry is not overflowing but believe me it's nothing like that. And because it's not like that, it is perfect. It's not that simple to fall in love and just straight up confess, it takes a lot of time. I loved that the pacing was slow but natural and boring to say the least. And when i tell you that the chemistry is so warm, it's true. The way they look at each other and smile when the other is not looking is so ugggggggghhhhh, damn it's too cute. And our little onigiri baby is too cute and adorable actor.
Anyone thinking to pass this show. WATCH IT. IT'S ABSOLUTELY LOVELY AND FRESH.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT♡♡
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Simply Loved It a Lot
Yutaka looks like a little rabbit to me. His smile is so cute. I can feel Yutaka and I am worried about him. Yutaka please accept Minoru. You both are made for each other. Minoru is wise and handsome. His eyes & smile when he is with family especially with Yutaka can make us feel what love can be. Tane is an angel who always gets them together. Tanes father is also good. Yutaka colleague is really good. Every character is perfectly narrated and they own their characters very well. Thanks for the lovely series. Can't you please release those two episodes a little sooner 🥺Was this review helpful to you?
Must Watch
To be honest I was waiting for the series to finish and had put it off even when it had finished as I have a long list of series. Something about this drama just really pulled me in, maybe it’s the acting, the storyline, the leads sweetness towards each other, etc. It just became one of my overall favorite dramas. I know some may think of this as “dry” or “boring”, personally I mainly see those who only watch for spicy scenes say this, but I hope their horizons broaden. This truly is such a heart warming drama. I most definitely will be rewatching this in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
