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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