Kinou Nani Tabeta/What Did You Eat Yesterday - Episode 7 (Recap)

This episode gave us a bunch of fluff, which I think we all deserved after suffering through an episode of awkward Shiro. We don’t get a resolution of any repercussions at work (I’m sure that we will), but we do get to compare/contrast Shiro and Kenji’s relationship with Kohinata and Wataru and some role reversals which causes revelations for both the couple and viewers.

Also, remember that I try to find links to recipes or information about the food prepared on the show. If I find information, I'll include a link.

Episode 7

We open episode with Shiro and Kenji on a double date with Kohinata and Wataru. Kenji notices that Kohinata is handsome and Wataru is exactly as Shiro described, but though he may look like a scruffy-still-living-on-my-parent’s sofa-guy rather than the prince-like Gilbert from the manhwa, he is just as petulant, starting an argument when Kohinata comments on the bath salts that Kenji gave him as a gift of their new friendship. I love the look on our couple’s face as they watch this.

Many of us have been there—awkwardly sitting watching the other couple argue and hoping to the heavens that they don’t get us involved. Kohinata and Wataru only stop bickering when Shiro suggests that they order. 

And just as we get to hear the inner thoughts about the K/W couple from Kenji’s mind, we also get to hear about Shiro and Kenji from Wataru’s perspective. He looks at Shiro thinking he looks really put together.

But Kenji know exactly what he’s thinking about his man!! Hahah

As the evening goes on, Shiro and Kenji learn that Kohinata works for a talent agency. He used to be a manager, the kind that waits for clients outside their girlfriend’s house to help them with a coverup according to Wataru, who seems a bit petulant about it. Kenji is impressed. Shiro is even more impressed when he looks at the back of Kohinata’s card and sees the name of his favorite actress on it. He gets super excited when he learns that she used to be one of Kohinata’s clients for ten years!!

This does NOT make Kenji happy. Wataru thinks it funny and pointedly looking at Kenji as he asks Shiro if he’s bisexual. This makes Kenji even more unhappy. Even when Shiro says that gay men can like female artists and pop groups, Kenji doesn’t feel better.

Kohinata, seemingly oblivious to the situation, says that he doesn’t remember Mitsuya Mami (the actress that Shiro is fanboying over) as a gay icon. Wataru runs with this, telling Shiro that he really doesn’t fit in with gay culture. Kenji concurs saying that Shiro doesn’t use the language either. The group begin to study Shiro as though he's a specimen.

Wataru and Kenji commiserate together about having had to lie all the time growing up about what they liked because of their taste in clothes, celebrities, etc., knowing that for Shiro he wouldn't have had to do any of that. Shiro argues that he can't just become something he isn't just because he's gay. He feels like a minority in a minority. Wataru is positively gleeful at the pain guys like Shiro have when they come out because they've so easily been able to "pass" as straight. Kohinata says this is partly because knows one would’ve suspected that he’s gay, implying that people will be more shocked.

I’d be mad at Wataru’s attitude, so I’m not sure why Kenji smiles at Shiro while he’s uncomfortably sipping his beer.

On the way home Kenji is really happy, making Shiro smile. He’s happy because it’s the first time they have been out together on a double date. He’s doubly excited that they were out in public on this date. I wonder if that is why he was smiling despite Shiro’s discomfort. Shiro did admit at dinner that he’s only in the closet at work. Shiro says that he doesn’t like Wataru—calling him Gilbert Wataru—partly because he thinks he only acts silly so he can be a bully underneath. However, Kenji says there is something about him that he likes.  They don’t get to discuss this anymore because thunder alerts them to a coming storm and they run home.

We get the opening sequence, but it’s an updated one. I wonder about this. Why here do we get a new sequence? Why a new sequence at all? But still loving and warm and food.

We come back to the next day. It’s closing time at the hair salon,  and Kenji’s boss tells him he can go home early because there’s no work left to do. He’s super excited by this because Shiro is home sick. But he doesn’t act worried at all only excited, so one of his colleagues asks. Turns out he is so excited because this means that he gets to take care of Shiro. Shiro usually never lets him help with anything, but now Kenji is going to be the one helping and pampering Shiro. He’s positively giddy.

By the time he gets home, Shiro has just taken his temperature, and he still has a fever. Kenji puts a cold pack on his head and forces him to lay down while he makes dinner.

Shiro knows that Kenji is completely enjoying this whole moment and seems annoyed, but he feels so sick he can't say anything and decides to try to rest.

Kenji practically sparkles with his glee at being able to take care of Shiro. He’s making dinner tonight as well and has already gone to get groceries to prepare.   

What we get next is a hilarious sequence of watching Kenji cook dinner and watching Shiro listen to Kenji cook dinner. Kenji is enjoying himself tremendously, well except when he thinks he’s ruined the omelette, but other than that he happily talks himself through the recipes while Kenji tries to sleep but can’t help but be bothered by and worried about what he’s hearing—Kenji wasting water washing spinach, Kenji almost cutting vegetables on the same board where he cut raw chicken, Kenji putting a whole chicken leg into the soup.

He’s so anxious about what’s happening in the kitchen that he can’t sleep. The contrast between the two of them is striking and funny. Finally dinner is ready, and Kenji excitedly calls Shiro to the table.

Dinner by Kenji is made of tamagoyaki, shira ae and zousui.

When they finally sit down to dinner, Kenji is a bundle of nerves. You can tell he just really wants Shiro to like his food.

Shiro looks tired and a bit suspicious. You know he wants to like the food for Kenji’s sake but is clearly worried that it’s not going to be good. I don’t think Shiro would know how to lie about food. However, after the first bite, you can tell that he is surprised that he likes it. So when Kenji asks him about the food, he does a complete rundown of each dish. He even asks Kenji if he used the whole chicken leg in soup (for which Kenji apologizes, haha), but even remarks that it is a good thing to have extra protein for a person who doesn’t have much of an appetite. He is truly grateful to Kenji.

The next scene opens at the double date restaurant with Kohinata sliding an envelope across the table to Shiro with Wataru looking at them like a bored teenager. Kenji shows up, but interestingly, Shiro says nothing about the envelope only about a bag of ginger that it appears Kohinata is also giving them. They have dinner and once again Wataru with his filterless and petty self makes trouble. For example, he states that he’s there because he doesn’t like Kohinata meeting Shiro alone, which starts bickering. Kenji tries to intervene, but Shiro stops him, recognizing that this is just their couple “thing” they do.

It wouldn’t be so bad if Wataru didn’t feel the need to pry into their relationship. He asks Shiro what kinds of guys he’s dated in the past, which he has to see makes him and everyone else uncomfortable. When Shiro says that he dated quiet guys who were hard to read and weren’t that nice, he laughs delightedly, saying that this isn’t like Kenji at all. He seems to think it funny that Kenji is not Shiro’s type while poor Kenji looks like he might cry. Even Kohinata finally says something about his comments, so Wataru quickly recovers, saying that it just means that Shiro must really love him if he’s with him despite him not being his type. True, but frankly none of your business. I’m with Shiro. I’m not buying Wataru’s silly act when it just appears to cover mean comments.

Wataru asks Kenji about his type, and Kenji admits that his ideal type is Saebo Ryou from the City Hunter manga. They are all surprised. Wataru laughs at him outright, saying you can’t have an anime character. Kenji disagrees. He believes that he’s found his Saeba Ryo in Shiro.

Apparently, that is what he first thought when he saw Shiro for the first time. I remember that flashback when it was so obvious that he fell for Shiro immediately. He’s clearly smitten, and Shiro is shyly happy until he notices the other couple and realizes what they are thinking. Ha.

At home, Kenji is blow drying his hair when he notices a smell. He can’t believe that Shiro is baking! Shiro counters that they had pancake mix that was going to expire and bananas that had turned black. He also was thinking of giving Kohinata something for giving them that expensive ginger powder, but admits that he likes the way the house smells which gives Kenji a hopeful look like maybe there will be more baking—something that Kenji denies by saying that he bought the pans for meatloaf not cake.

When they sit to eat what looks like banana bread, Shiro tells Kenji that he wants to learn more from him about how to treat people. I think he never thought about friends really and maybe never had that many because he knows how to treat his clients well.

Kenji remarks that he likes this new Shiro who shares and does other things besides work and home. He even says he likes Wataru,which practically makes Shiro roll his eyes, but Kenji is thankful to Wataru because of what he said about Shiro loving him since he knows that he’ll never hear Shiro say that to him. Shiro initially thinks to himself that Wataru is annoying until he remembers how that scraggy boy-man got Kenji to reveal why he likes Shiro. This makes Shiro smile and cut Kenji another piece of cake, which clearly he never does. He smiles at Kenji, remembering their first meeting.

Later while cleaning up, Kenji notices an envelope. It’s the same one that Kohinata gave Shiro before he arrived at restaurant. Shiro runs around the counter looking guilty, but still lets Kenji open it.

The envelope contains a ticket for a dinner show put on by Mitsuya Mami, the actress that had made Shiro so excited earlier. Kenji is a bit miffed, asking Shiro if this is really why he made the cake and whether Shiro secretly likes women. When he says he’s only a fan of hers, Kenji gripes back “Would you date her if she asks?”, Shiro hesitates a little too long for his liking.We end episode with Shiro snatching envelop and dashing off to the bedroom.

Comments: 

The two couples are really different but parallel each other visually. For example, in the second double date, Kenji and Wataru are both wearing tshirts with plaid button-up shirts over top of them while Shiro and Kohinata both are wearing black suits. K and W both have rather unruly fly away hair styles while both Shiro and Kohinata look very well-groomed, and they both often respond to their boyfriends in similar ways.  I don’t think this is an accident, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to think of this. Wataru sometimes seems like he’s in competition with Kenji though it’s so clear that Kenji is not interested in anyone but Shiro.

I was mad at the conversation they had during the first double date, putting Shiro on the spot about his taste and making him feel like he's not "really gay" because he doesn't like all the things gay men are supposed to like. But in reviewing the episode for the recap, I understand the importance of the discussion. Shiro's comment about being a minority within in a minority is a very important one. It's bad enough when others outside of your community oppress you, but it'd doubly hard and painful when you are oppressed by your own community. Everyone who falls into a marginalized group probably has experienced this at some point or other. I know I like things that I was told I shouldn't like because of my race and/or where I grew up not by people from outside but from people within my community. Often community members don't consider what they do to each other as problematic.