What did you eat yesterday? Vol. 13 by Yoshinaga Fumi (a Neo-Tokyo 2099 Manga Review)

“What did you eat yesterday?” is an entertaining slice-of-life manga series combining relationship angst with cooking that makes this series unique and entertaining. Recommended!

MANGA TITLE: What did you eat yesterday? vol. 13

BY Fumi Yoshinaga (よしながふみ)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Weekly Morning

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: Vertical, Inc.

RELEASE DATE: August 7, 2018

Gilbert invites himself over for a hot-pot made with common-folk ingredients, and Shiro wonders if things will be weird with Kohinata. Kenji tries to put off entering his 50’s for as long as possible, until Shiro reframes the idea of birthday celebrations, just as an old college classmate of Shiro’s passes away. Changes are afoot at both Kenji’s salon and Shiro’s law firm… but the one constant is that there is always good food and great company to be enjoyed.

For those not familiar with our reviews, we refer to names in the Japanese style, so family names first, first name second

Shiro and Kenji prepare for Hatsumode (the first Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year) at Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku. What happens when Gilbert and Kohinata show up for Kenji’s hot pot? Will Kenji accept turning 50? And is Shiro ready to advance in his career at the law firm?

And what delicious dishes does he have planned? Find out in vol. 13 of Yoshinaga Fumi’s “What did you eat yesterday?” from Vertical Inc.

What is “What did you eat yesterday?”

Mangaka Fumi Yoshinaga is one of the well-known Shojo artists in Japan.

Having had written seven manga series including the popular “Seiyo Kotto Yogashiten” (Antique Bakery), her seventh series titled “Kino Nani Tabeta?” (What did you eat yesterday?) is now being released in the U.S. courtesy of Vertical, Inc.

The series is currently serialized in the manga magazine “Weekly Morning” and was nominated for the first Manga Taisho (an annual Japanese manga award for a series that has less than eight collected volumes).

“What did you eat yesterday?” revolves around Shiro, an accomplished home chef and his relationship and doing what he loves the most…cooking and spending time with his boyfriend Kenji.

The manga series features cooking with recipes and how the food is prepared in combination with a storyline involving Shiro, Kenji and friends.

This is the first time I have read Fumi Yoshinaga’s “What did you eat yesterday?”.

It’s a fresh spin compared to other cooking manga that I have read in the fact that while you have a story, you also read through the actual cooking recipes as Shiro makes his dish.

Many other manga focus on the food, the taste of the food and what ingredients were utilized. Sometimes, you get a recipe at the end or at the beginning of the manga but the actual cooking is integrated into the storyline.

But it’s not all about cooking as the manga also explores life of a gay couple.

Chapter 97 focuses on Shiro on a job in the Kita ward which leads him to want to cook tantan udon and nameko-dressed tofu afterward.

Chapter 98 features Shiro visiting Kayoko and Mr. Tominaga for spring rolls.

Chapter 99 focuses on Shiro and Kenji wanting to do Hatsumode at Hanazono Shrine but when Kenji gets sick, what dish will Shiro make?

Chapter 100 features Gilbert and Kohinata inviting themselves in hopes for Shiro to make hotpot.

Chapter 101 features Shiro and Kenji discussing Shiro’s 50th birthday and Kenji not willing to accept he’s getting older.

Chapter 102 features things happening at Kenji’s workplace and Shiro preparing a chicken rice dish.

Chapter 103 features Shiro receiving a call that his classmate passed away from cancer.

And Chapter 104 features a possible advancement in the career of Shiro at the law office?

For the most part, I found “What did you eat yesterday?” to be a charming manga about love, life and cooking. It’s definitely a fresh and unique take on the cooking genre as Yoshinaga does a great job of balancing the cooking and story, but also a different perspective as it deals with Shiro, a gay professional trying to maintain his relationship with Kenji and exploring his life with other random characters which is fun and interesting. And how food and its preparation plays a big part of each storyline.

The artwork has a blend of shojo style but instead of making everyone look glamorous, Fumi Yoshinaga doesn’t do that. It’s more of a natural and realistic take which I enjoyed and her artwork is not too busy!

Overall, “What did you eat yesterday?” is an entertaining slice-of-life manga series combining relationship angst with cooking that makes this series unique and entertaining.

Recommended!

More from my site