4.5 stars! This was a really beautiful, comforting story about a middle-aged couple living in Japan. Shiro- a lawyer and Kenji- a hairdresser come together every day for a meal and to talk over their days. I thought that this manga was very funny and well drawn- the art style was very cute and simple which helped make this a very easy read. The only negative thing I have to say is that I think Shiro and Kenji’s relationship comes off as a bit one-sided and toxic. Especially when Kenji is clearly hurt by Shirt’s words and Shiro does nothing to comfort him. But you really do see Shiro’s love for Kenji shine through in his cooking. A lovely read- I can’t wait to read volume two!!

Really lovely slice of life bl manga. Enjoyed the fact that it's characters were older men. The recipes looked interesting and easy to make. The boyfriend who cooks is extremely relatable when it comes to budgeting and spending.

On one hand, this is pretty cute
on the other, I felt kind of bothered by how the main characters and others treat homosexuality. Like, I get Japan is pretty behind on gay rights.. but just wow.
Overall, funny and the food sounds yummy but maybe skip if homophobia triggers you.

This manga is only for people who are interested in learning about Japanese cuisine. The rest was pretty boring. But yes, if you're into cooking this might be for you!
I didn't really like how the manga talked about looks (being fat/skinny, aging, etc.)
I also didn't like how it was just brushed off as something totally fine and standard that your parents will never understand you (or respect your lifestyle) if you're gay.

I really love the foodie aspect of this manga. The descriptions, illustrations and recipes all made me so hungry and want to try them out for myself. Indeed the cover doesn't do the series justice because come on, where's all food?!

I also adored the characters and enjoyed following the couple's lives. There was plenty of humour that made me laugh. In Asia, food as well as the act of cooking for someone is a love language all on its own so I really like how the manga reflects that. Don't expect lovey dovey scenes or grand proclamations of affection here.

Unfortunately, some of the jokes here seem to be in poor taste. I know this is meant to be a light-hearted read, but I'm not sure the remarks about fatphobia and homophobia etc are entirely appropriate. I also felt that certain topics such as domestic violence and coming out could have been handled better.

Overall, a fun and delightful read that's easy to follow and be invested in but perhaps the content could do with a second look.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a
honest review!

Content noted for this book include: mentions of domestic abuse, mention of rape, fat phobia, homophobia

First, the good things about this volume - the art work is really well-balanced and reflects the tone of the story. The description of the food and Shiro's sharing of his process in cooking it hint at a real love affair with food. It's also really great to see an older, established gay couple in a manga, just going about their daily life.

For the things I didn't like: there is a fair amount of fat-shaming and homophobic attitudes in various characters' behaviour, including internalised homophobia from Shiro. I'm aware there's a big cultural difference in attitudes between the UK and Japan when it comes to LGBTQIA+ issues, but honestly, no one in this book seemed to have a single supportive thing to say to anyone.

There's also mention of domestic abuse towards men (from an incidental character Shiro works with as a lawyer) and the way that is treated is a big red flag.

My biggest issue overall, though, was that everything just felt mean-spirited, especially in Shiro's viewpoint scenes. His co-workers don't like him and he doesn't care about them, he doesn't appear to feel a lot of empathy for his clients, and he really seems to dislike being gay.

Worse, Shiro's relationship with his partner Kenji seems to lack any tenderness at all. While it's good to see a relationship not being fetishized, Shiro doesn't even seem to like Kenji a lot of the time and is at points almost emotionally abusive. Kenji, in return, seems obsessively jealous. It's a really odd relationship and not one I particularly enjoyed reading about.

I'm aware this is the first volume of many, so maybe that impression would changed as I saw more of the characters, but I'm not invested in carrying on with the series.

I was so, so excited when I got approved for this on Netgalley! I watched this on Netflix last year and absolutely loved every bit of it. I love Shiro and Kenji’s relationship and also all the food they made. They make cooking look so easy and relaxing! I’d be lucky if I don’t cause havoc in the kitchen when I’m cooking.

This manga follows a middle-aged lawyer, Shiro, who loves his job but enjoys cooking and shopping for groceries at a bargain more! He enjoys making meals for his boyfriend, Kenji who works as a hairdresser. The story navigates around their personal and professional lives, and how they live as a gay couple. Volume 1 mainly touches on the different dinners Shiro makes and introducing different characters that centers around the couple. I love that there are little recipes between chapters for readers to follow if they are interested!

Kenji is openly gay but Shiro is still wary about sharing his identity with people around him which is completely understandable. It’s never easy to come out to a society that does not welcome LGBT community. In here, we can also see Shiro’s family struggling to accept him for who he is but at least they are trying. This is a very mundane story about Shiro and Kenji but despite that, it is not boring at all. I love that their love language centers around food. They may not be openly affectionate with each other but I can definitely see how much they care through their actions.

The last time I read a manga was probably in high school and this one is perfect for me to start again. Now I need to go hunt for the other volumes. Also, if you haven’t watch this on Netflix, what are you waiting for? I highly recommend it!

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the arc.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? Is a story that caught me a bit off guard. I knew next to nothing going into it but was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the storytelling. This slice-of-life manga follows the relationship of Shiro who is a full-time lawyer and spends much of his time making immaculate meals for his boyfriend, Kenji. Shiro and Kenji are very different from one another. Shiro is intense, serious, and private about being gay. Kenji on the other hand is a laidback hairstylist, who is open about his own sexuality.

Their relationship is far from perfect, which I think works in the manga’s favor. If you're tired of reading tween romance puppy love, this story is pretty refreshing. Shiro and Kenji aren’t particularly affectionate with one another, but in a way it makes their relationship feel a bit more real as they aren’t desperate or anxious about getting each other’s attention. It’s clear that they have been together for a while and are accustomed to one another’s personalities and ticks. The very familiar atmosphere they share with each makes it all the more genuine, and I liked the small ways they show one another that they care. Shiro cooks exquisite meals for Kenji and Kenji cuts and styles Shiro’s hair. It’s not much, but it’s intimate. It’s something that people who have been in relationships for a long time know all too well.

There are a few things that to consider before diving headfirst into this story. It was originally published in 2007 and already some of the dialogue is dated as it pertains to being gay, homophobia, and biphobia. That being said so much of the dialogue feels based on reality which for better or worse adds authenticity to the story. While I can’t be the judge on whether or not this story is “good” representation, I will say that I enjoyed reading about these characters and their journey even in spite of their biases.

Slice of life mangas are my fave. Slice of life mangas with food? It’s a match made in heaven.

What Did You Eat Yesterday? is the story of Shiro, a cheap, narcissistic in-the-closet lawyer who loves to cook, and his boyfriend Kenji, a laidback hairstylist who is out at his place of work.

What I really enjoyed in this novel was how it addressed different expectations for different characters, like when it discussed the difference between Eastern and Western Culture when it comes to the experience of being gay, and also when it examined the strain of a relationship between someone who is out and someone who is in the closet. While it did tackle some heavier topics, this manga also really highlighted the lovely and soft parts of being a couple - specifically with Shiro taking the time to make food everyday and Kenji sitting down to cut Shiro’s hair.

It’s not a perfect relationship by any means, lots of internalized homophobia, biophobia, and fatphobia are present but not addressed - however, this is the toxic culture that a lot of gay men do face and it does reflect the age of the characters and the year this manga was originally published. There are also a few moments that hit very hard as a queer person and the one that stands out is when Shiro’s friend admitted that she’s okay with him being gay, but that she’s not sure she would feel the same if it was her own daughter. Yoshinaga summed it up in one really impactful line near the end of the manga:

“Just because they know, doesn’t mean they understand.”

I’ve read some of Yoshinaga’s series before and this first volume has most certainly made me want to continue this one as well.

CW: Homophobia, internalized homophobia, biphobia, outing, mentions of sexual assualt, fatphobia, eating disorders, & graphic depictions of domestic violence.

*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

So this did not quite work for me but I definitely see the appeal.

It's nice to see an established older couple living together and just going through their daily chores, from cooking to budgeting. They have very contrasting personalities and jobs as well. Furthermore, Shiro is not out at work unlike his boyfriend and the relationship to his mother is strained as well. We some glimpses of that.
Other stories focus on clients from work, finding friends through bargain hunting and so on, accompanied with some really funny facial expressions. But you can also tell the manga is over ten years old, both in the vocabulary used and some of the humor. I personally did not mind but I know it's not for everyone and you should adjust your (Western) expectations if you are reading it now.
My main letdown was actual the food aspect - I was expecting a little more than Shiro simply rattling down a recipe while preparing dinner. He doesn't talk much with Kenji (or anyone else) about his process or discuss, I don't know, peculiar cooking habits or favourite appliances or something like that. I also expected the drawn food to look prettier. Since the food plays such a major role, I was honestly unimpressed by the detail, colouring and general look of the dishes.


I received an advanced reading copy from Netgalley and Kodansha in exchange for an honest review.

It's a nice manga, and I love that it had a gay relationship featured in it. It was really refreshing to read a slice of life not centered around a straight relationship. However, the plot is very meaningless and slow. It's not my thing, but I know lots of people appreciate that sort of style!

This was cute, however, not as interesting as I'd hope. I'm glad I've read it, it's been on my radar for a while, but unfortunately I won't be continuing on with the series.

With a title like What Did You Eat Yesterday? I was expecting a food to be part of this story, though not quite to the extent that it is. Every chapter has a new recipe, which is chronicled with Shiro thinking each step through. At first, I thought this was really fun, by the third time I found myself skim-reading those pages.

This manga is a slice of life story that has a middle-aged characters instead of the early twenties I’m familiar with in this genre. I liked different Shiro and Kenji are but how well they still worked as a couple.

I don't know how I feel about this book. On one hand I thought it was going to be a super simple story of domestic bliss between two older gay men which I feel like there is not enough of in this world. What I got was a simple domestic story with 2 individuals who didn't really show much affection physically with each other. No hug or kiss or hand holding or anything close to the sort. And that may be the type of relationship they have but it felt more like 2 gay roommates rather than 2 lovers. Most of the story doesn't involve the two of them together outside of eating with each other. Was it a cute story? Yes. Was it what I wanted? Not really.

3.5 stars. This slice of life sweet manga is very heartfelt, but not much else. The main characters are in their 40's and live together ad boyfriends. Every night Shiro makes dinner for his hairdresser boyfriend. It is nice to see a settle-down couple dealing with everyday life. There is no drama or massive conflict, just them going through their days. I previously watched the live-action version of this manga, and I prefer it. Something about seeing the food he makes live and in color made the story more engaging. On the page in black and white, my eyes glossed over the food parts, and seeing how that was a lot of the book, that is not good. If you want a slice of life, a sweet gay couple dealing with the Japanese perception of gay people, you might enjoy this. But overall, it is pretty meh, and I definitely recommend the live-action way more.

I don't know why this was on NetGalley, it came out in 2014? However, I read it, and it was okay. It's about 50% cooking steps. The domestic romance between Shiro and Kenji was somewhat sweet. Seeing them take care of each other in their own ways and how much Kenji adored Shiro.

But it was very disheartening to see how secretive Shiro was about his relationship and sexuality. I understand part of that may be cultural and the other part may be due to a different level of stigma at the time of original publication, but it made this supposedly light-hearted manga feel sad.

It's one of those comic/manga where very little actually happens and we see the way the characters interact through their day to day life as seen through the beautiful artwork.
It is centred around the MC who is a gay man living with his boyfriend, and keeps his sexuality and relationship hidden from his co-workers. It shows his love language of preparing meals for his partner daily, with a brief insight into his work as a lawyer. He includes the recipes of the food he makes (which I would never make but it's a nice touch).

This series is pretty much the platonic ideal of "slice of life". There is no overarching plot; the chapters are unrelated and episodic; the characters develop in fits and starts. The only consistent theme is Shiro's cooking. For me, that's perfect! I'm not much of a cook, but reading about Shiro in the kitchen and the grocery store feels like tagging along with my mom while she relays her cooking wisdom. It's incredibly soothing. There are even recipes included, so you could try cooking Shiro's meals at home!

Like with many slice of life stories, it does take a little while to get invested in the series when there's no plot to carry it along. Shiro is a very prickly character, and while I love his snarky, secretly lazy, penny-pinching inner monologue, he can sometimes come across as almost cruel, especially in the earlier volumes. He only demonstrates his affection through cooking, which can feel unsatisfying in a love story! If you stick with the series for the food, though, I think you'll find yourself becoming fond of Shiro and Kenji's middle-aged escapades as well.

I've said it before and ill say it again, there is nothing better than a fun, gay story that revolves around food.
What did you eat yesterday? vol1, seems like a light beginning to a long story. My biggest problem is that there is no conflict, there is no storyline to tell outside the obvious introduction of characters. Part of me is interested in it and will like to continue reading this saga, but the other found it deeply meaningless given the fact that I have no clue what the rest of the story could be about.
I'm not sure if ill carry on with the story but I did enjoy this first part.
2.5/5
Maria Lourdes.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga
★★☆☆☆
160 Pages
Content Warning: –phobic remarks towards: gay people, straight people, trans people, the bald/pretty/overweight/skinny people, size shaming, homophobia, jokes about domestic abuse victims, constant use of the word 'homo', constant internalised homophobia



I don't like making comparisons between books, but I really feel that Our Dining Table, by Ori Mita, did this a whole lot better, with a seamless inclusion of the recipes into dialogue and communication between the MC's. I think that's where this one lacked. The constant pages of recipes and cooking ruined the slow of the story, for me.

Honestly, this felt like more than 160 pages. I almost DNF'd it a few times. It felt really negative and rude, at times. The MC – Shiro – is, to me, really unlikeable. He's so stiff, money obsessed, and so deeply in the closet that he wants to drag his boyfriend, Kenji, into it, too. He even has his live-in boyfriend on “pocket money”. It grated on my nerves to see how controlling and unemotional he was throughout the story. Shiro is one of the biggest internalised homophobic characters I've read in a yaoi, yet. His constant use of derogatory terms, like 'we gays', 'breeders' and “whether you're gay or a criminal”, and such, was really off-putting.

When it comes to the execution of the story, between story and full recipes in between, there are 34 pages of recipes. I get that it's about food, but it was WAY too much. And I have no idea why there were so many word cuts? e.g. "I'm la~te." Then there was that whole incident where it went into great detail about a domestic violence case, then switched to “but that was a year ago” just so that it could show us Shiro's narrow-minded view of male domestic violence victims, or generally all victims.

The art was a bit plain, very simple and lacking detail. After what I deem a fairly boring storyline, it suddenly ended abruptly. Then it tells you about Volume 2, but nothing about the plot and only mentions the recipes.

Needless to say, this wasn't for me. I didn't find any plot, in particular, to care about. I have no interest in cooking or reading the recipes, and I felt it lacked a substantial amount of sensitivity editing. I didn't, for one minute, believe that Shiro deserved Kenji. They felt more like two room mates – one enjoys Shiro's love of cooking, and the other gets a free hairdresser – than an actual couple. There was ZERO couple-content involved, not even a kiss or show of affection between them, that could have provided a little grounding for their relationship.