"This woman's name is Xiaomei. She came home after a day of work. Instead of preparing dinner for her husband and children, she was waiting for a strange woman to visit..."

"A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat" poster

Using the popular short video to open the atmosphere of NHK's recently finished "Woman Who Wants to Cook and Woman Who Wants to Eat" will be quite suspenseful. "Thinking of a Woman" tells the atypical romantic story of two "alone" women.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

Yuki Nomoto, a 30-year-old office worker, works alone in a foreign land. She loves cooking and has gained many fans on the Internet, but in life, she will get sulky because of the comment of "you will be a good mother" from a greasy male colleague. Because this kind of "compliment" sounds ironic to her, as if she cooks just to get married better.

On the other hand, Nomoto often regrets that the dishes she wants to cook are too large to eat, and she has no chance to use the big plates she likes. Just like the works of artists need to be appreciated by the audience, she also looks forward to the appearance of someone who can make her A well-prepared meal fulfills its mission: to be eaten.

It was at this time that the neighbor Totoko Kasuga, who was carrying a large bucket of fried chicken for takeaway, caught Nomoto's attention, and made her feel an inexplicable impulse in her heart: she wanted to watch Kasuga eat.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

Kasuga is about the same age as Nomoto. She is a big, solitary girl. Her confusion is that she often does not have enough to eat when she is out alone. Once, the owner of a fixed-food restaurant saw her as a girl and took the initiative to reduce the rice for her as a care, but this Instead, Chun Ri, the big stomach king, was embarrassed. That night, Kasuga, who hadn't had enough to eat yet, was invited to dinner by her neighbor Nomoto. The reason was that she had cooked too much stewed pork rice and couldn't finish it. In doubt, Haruhi quickly killed a large plate full of rice and fell in love with Nomoto ever since. craftsmanship.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

Nomoto, who was sitting opposite, looked at Haruhi's feasting and remembered her original intention of learning cooking. She was not for becoming someone's wife or mother, but for a special person, who would sincerely sigh "" delicious" people. Therefore, when Haruhi put down the bowl and chopsticks and said to Nomoto, "Thank you for the hospitality, it was delicious", Nomoto said with moist eyes, "I want to thank you." She was sincerely grateful for Haruhi's appearance. Someone who eats a whole pot of rice.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

The unchanging life of the two fluctuated greatly because of the appearance of the rice partner. When Nomoto was too painful to cook for Haruhi because of his period, Haruhi took the initiative to greet him and brought condolences such as painkillers, sanitary napkins, and even a pot of rice. Hot and fragrant rice makes fried rice balls for her, which is the taste of Nomoto's mother healing her when she was a child.

"If you can't hold on, don't force yourself." Haruhi's words touched Nomoto deeply. The long-lost feeling of being taken care of by others made Nomoto, who had been single for a long time, deeply attached to Kasuga.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

Eating is an ambiguous scene in adult social life. Nomoto and Kasuga went from simple eating at the beginning to chatting and cooking together later. The two of them gradually regarded daily dinner as a date, and the meal went from speechless to speechless. nothing to talk about.

Nomoto likes to chatter about making various dishes for Kasuga, and the taciturn Kasuga gradually opens up to Nomoto. She confessed that she came from a very patriarchal country. Since she was a child, everyone’s fish and meat were prepared for her father and younger brother, but she and her mother could only pick up the leftovers and do endless housework, because she couldn’t eat enough. I often get up in the middle of the night to eat toast.

Kasuga endured such a suffocating life for more than ten years, and finally seized the opportunity to go to a university in other places to escape from his hometown, and he refused to go back for the next ten years. It is precisely because Kasuga has never been "valued" since she was a child, so when Nomoto invited her to eat at home for the first time, Kasuga gained unprecedented warmth and satisfaction from taste to emotion.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

On the other hand, the sensitive Nomoto discovered his special feelings for Kasuga, and gradually realized the reason why he was pregnant for more than 30 years. Long-term sexual repression, forced marriage by her family, and expectations of people around her to become a "good mother"...The appearance of Kasuga made Nomoto realize that he was originally imprisoned by so many shackles.

The belated awakening made Nomoto so emotional that he fell ill on Christmas Day when he was supposed to show his talents. But Haruhi still ignored the danger of infection, and came to the door late at night with a large bag and made Nomoto a bowl of steaming casserole udon noodles. This meticulous care made Nomoto decide to face up to his feelings for Haruhi.

The loneliness of adults often disintegrates in a bowl of rice and a person who cooks.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

In order to spend New Year's Day with Haruhi, she turned down her mother's invitation to go back to her hometown. After dinner, Nomoto and Kasuga watched the Red and White Song Concert together. They originally planned to go to the beach to watch the sunrise the next day, but because Nomoto overslept, they could only welcome the New Year's sunrise on the top of a hill in a nearby park. Satisfied, they went home and made breakfast together. Although the arrangements were regrettable, they were good enough.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

For adults, congenial tastes are a rare fate. A pair of couples who can eat together may last longer than being able to "sleep" together. After all, the latter is a game while the former is daily life; not to mention food between lips and teeth Opening and closing, hesitating and chewing, is full of sexual fun, but the sex here is not sex, but the desire of adults to relieve loneliness.

Just like the two protagonists in the play accommodated each other politely when they first met, and began to demand each other as they should after getting acquainted, this pair of "food and drink girls" shed their lonely hard shells and stretched out in the steaming pot of the kitchen. Delicate and soft folds, let the other party chew and swallow the five flavors inside slowly, life is like this.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

The play is adapted from the manga serialized by manga artist Yuzaki Sakaomi. The original author had received many adaptation invitations before NHK sent the topic selection plan, but she refused because the other party asked to downplay the relationship between Nomoto and Kasuga as "friendship". Therefore, at the beginning of the creation of the play, the original author made two points clear: this is a love story, and this is a story advocating women's rights.

So now we see that although this drama is short, it presents many atypical elements, such as the heroine Kasuga's "non-mainstream aesthetic" bulky figure, the salary ceiling of female employees, and the "single freedom" deprived of by older women... As the original author wished, this is a sincere play that can help 30+ "alone" women find their pain points and comfort.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

Looking at the domestic environment, when it comes to marriage, young people no longer advocate "persuading peace rather than discord". A woman is first of all a woman herself, not someone's wife or mother.

Nomoto is capable, warm, gentle and considerate, and is the "perfect wife" in the eyes of men; Kasuga's character is hard and dull, like a resistance to patriarchy and a replica, it is obvious that she is "unsuitable to be a wife" from the perspective of a straight man, but from another perspective I think, for women, Haruhi is "very suitable to be a husband". Kasuga does not have the self-righteousness, greasy and frivolousness of "straight male cancer", but she has the responsibility and tenacity of traditional male virtues. She can clean up and drive heavy objects. She neither depends on others nor respects others' labor... It's a bit perfect to the point of "a man's silence and a woman's tears".

Nomoto and Kasuga, one suitable to be a "wife" and one suitable to be a "husband", two women who are also not "men" get self-awakening in getting along with the same sex, and clarify their real needs-don't be anyone's wife , to be your own master. Just like Nomoto likes to add sake to mild Kanto soup in the play, ordinary life needs a little "unconventional" taste impact to be delicious.

Stills of "A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat"

What fits the occasion is that "The Woman Who Wants to Cook and the Woman Who Wants to Eat" is still a very suitable drama to watch when staying at home to fight against the sun. When the busy life is beaten back to its original shape by the disease, you will find that the world suddenly becomes quiet as if Only your own painful coughing and moaning are left. If you can calm down and appreciate these two beautiful women running their lives with enthusiasm, and talk about a tepid love at the age of thirty, you will feel The emotions and taste buds are quietly awakened and healed together.

We are so busy that we always overlook a very simple thing. How lucky it is to meet a person who is willing to cook for himself every day like a mother, or loves to eat his own food like a child. The appointment of three meals a day means that someone misses you in your life. But if you haven’t met that meal partner yet, then take care of yourself and eat first, as Cai Lan said: “Eat well, drink well, live a good life, and you will complete your merits and virtues.”

Eat well and that's enough.

"A Woman Who Wants to Cook and a Woman Who Wants to Eat" Based on a Manga