Our Dining Table – 僕らの食卓 (2023)

This Japanese BL is adapted from the manga “Bokura no Shokutaku” (僕らの食卓) by Mita Ori.  This review will include ten episodes and a special spin-off episode, “Bokura no Shokutaku” (僕らの食卓) by Mita Ori (三田織).  Eating around other people is a struggle for salaryman Yutaka, despite his talent for cooking. All that changes when he meets Minoru and Tane—two brothers, many years apart in age—who ask him to teach them how to make his delicious food! Yutaka soon finds himself having a change of heart as he looks forward to the meals they share together. (Source: animenewsnetwork.com)

—Edited by TheFNGee

Cast:

Inukai Atsuhiro  as Hozumi Yutaka

Iijima Hiroki as Ueda Minoru

Maeyama Kuuga as Ueda Tane  

Impressions:

Occasionally you need something fluffy and comforting to watch. This series fits the bill.  A cute cast, adorable story, quaint setting, and good food make this a lagniappe (An extra or unexpected gift or benefit.)  This is a good choice when you want a sweet slice of life BL. Let us know if you’ve watched or intend to watch it. Yutaka, an ordinary twenty-something office worker, lives alone, keeping to himself. He brings his lunch to work every day.  He eats outside on a park bench close to his offices. While on the park bench, he gets a text asking if he can come home for his father’s 60th birthday next month. He begins to reply yes, then changes the text to say he can’t make it that day. He looks troubled by the request. Yutaka seems conflicted about this, both wanting to be polite but knowing it will make him uncomfortable. 

Yutaka was so absorbed while replying to the text that he didn’t notice the young boy sitting beside him. Startled, he smiles and asks for the boy’s name. There is no answer, but he points to Yutaka’s rice ball. Yutaka offers his rice ball to the young boy, whose whole face lights up in a smile as he compliments Yutaka on how yummy it tastes. Yutaka looks around to see where a responsible adult is, but the child appears alone. The boy says that he has an older brother. When prompted as soon as Yutaka asks where the older brother is, Minato appears, scolding Tane, who wandered off from the supermarket corner.

Yutaka worries the older brother will scold him for giving the rice ball to Tane without permission, so he apologizes to Minato. Instead of Minato being angry at Yutaka, Minato scolds Tane for taking Yutaka’s most favored rice ball. He bows, apologizing to Yutaka for the inconvenience. He scoops up Tane, who clutches the rice ball, looking very pleased with himself. The pair hurry off, leaving a bewildered Yutaka asking himself what happened. They encounter each other at the supermarket, making this feel like they are destined to meet again. The trio walks and talks about the foods they eat, what Yutaka puts into his rice balls, and what Tane prefers. They ask Yutaka to come over to show them how to make rice balls that Tane likes. From then on, a sweet friendship forms between the family of the dad, the brother, and the kid as Yutaka learns how to laugh again. He regains joy in eating together. The boys fall for each other in a loving bumbling way of two awkward youths.  It seems that  Misaki once dated a girl at college, but they lost touch after his mother passed away. He dropped out of school and began a part-time job so he could care for his younger brother alongside his father. He is bisexual, whereas I think Yutaka is gay.

Yutaka doesn’t appear to be romantically interested in any of the female co-workers, and there is no mention of his previous lovers or girlfriends.   Please give it a watch, but make sure you do it on a full stomach. Or have some snacks to munch on, because their meals will make you hungry. The sequel is cute, but there is always room for misunderstanding when you have an introvert and an extrovert. Also, one other bonus to the series is the adorable child actor playing Tane. He is sooo good. I can’t help but smile when he is onscreen too. He steals the show sometimes. Please let us know if you’ve given it a watch if you intend to, and any other thoughts you have. 

Thanks for reading!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. [See our Review Guide]