What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 2

きのう何食べた? [Kinō Nani Tabeta?] #2

by Fumi Yoshinaga

In this second installment of Fumi Yoshinaga's deliciously charming slice-of-gay-life, we delve into the beginnings of Shiro and Kenji's relationship.

Shiro continues to expand his culinary creativity while dealing with problematic clients and his well-meaning but misguided mother, who comes to rely on him when a health scare hits close to home.

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Comics, Food, Graphic Novels, Queer, Slice Of Life

158 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2008

About the author

Japanese: よしなが ふみ

Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.

Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.

In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."

Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.

She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.

Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.

Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, Shiro does not understand his parents very well. No wonder there seems to be something missing in his relationship with Kenji. I wonder if this will be addressed in the long run, or if it is simply a feature of the set-up.

The food looks good, but I haven't tried making any dishes yet because it would involve buying a lot of things, and because this volume had a lot of soup and baked dishes and it is 100 degrees where I am.

[Aurora Serenity Sildatke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it's just the translation I'm reading... but Shiro can be a bit of a jerk sometimes. Other than that, I love this manga because of all the recipes in it, and I can't wait to try vegan adaptions of some of them.

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our protagonist keeps his emotions bottled up, reserves his emotional energy for his clients at work, and is forever distracted by plans and prep for dinner at night with his live in boyfriend, who he loves to feed but who he’s also ambivalent about.

But also. Recipes! That I would actually make!

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, Shiro is a jerk.

[Noora · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
just so slow, but lovely

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shiro's not the most emotionally observant person in the world. First he completely botches things in a scene where Kenji just wants to be heard rather than lectured to*, and later in the book he has no idea his mother loves his father (?!) when his father contracts a serious illness. Later on, Shiro apologizes to Kenji in his own way, and I found that scene rather moving. Even though he's in his 40s, Shiro's still learning to human. Heck, I'm older than Shiro is and still have trouble figuring it out sometimes.

* so relatable! my partner and I went through a sequence like this ourselves, where he tried to engineer solutions to situations that I only wanted to vent about. and just like it happened here, some upset feelings, and then some communication, sorted out the disconnect. we joke about it now. :)

Amazing-looking food accompanies each episode, just as before. I'm enjoying how food and its preparation is so fully integrated into this couple's life as a source of companionship and stability. I really do think cooking for Kenji is a large part of how Shiro shows he cares. This and other subtleties makes their relationship, and its long standing, more believable for me.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as much story in this one, but the recipes all sound delicious.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this series, even if it makes me hungry and almost willing to try tofu.

[Eressea · Rating 5 out of 5]

20220403 2nd read
--
20191209 1st read
睡前看這個真是要命~

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need Kenji to have more courage to confront Shiro

Maybe he just needed time...

[Paola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are they roommates?

[Nathalia★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 muy bonito por 2 ☹️☹️

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first volume of the series, What Did You Eat Yesterday? volume 2 meanders a bit from chapter to chapter, with a loose theme and a focus on Shiro's cooking. The loose theme in this volume is relationships. First we're treated to how Shiro and Kenji first met. We also get to see other past relationships that Shiro has been through (including one where he was rather taken advantage of), uneven friendships of Kenji's, the relationships of divorced couples (and their new partners), and even Shiro's parents. Yoshinaga doesn't hold any punches when it comes to making choices that the reader might not like. When a divorced mother watches her son from afar interacting with his stepmother, the son doesn't notice her and run to her for comfort, but rather is shown basking in the glow of his new mother. At least as a Western reader, I felt an urge that biology (and his biological mother's love) would trump that of a newcomer, but it didn't. On the other hand, I was soothed by scenes of Kenji taking care of household tasks (without being asked) in contrast to one of Shiro's previous boyfriends who left everything to him. There's this sense of give and take in the series--sometimes you get what you want or expected, and sometimes you get something else. It helps to keep a bit of intrigue in a manga that is very much just a slice out of the life of an amateur culinarian.

[Ajdesasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

All my issues and praise from the first volume remain in this one. It's a sweet, though mostly completely weightless piece of fluff with little to no story. One problem, that I've seen others point to as well, is I'm increasingly not sure why the two characters are together. Their relationship seems to have serious communication problems, they seem to have little in common, and honestly aren't even very affectionate with each other. I am curious as to whether or not this is purposeful on the mangaka's part, and whether the story will address this further. But as for now, their relationship simply isn't developed enough, and - each chapter containing such long cooking scenes - what development there is happens so slowly. 16 or so chapters in, and their relationship is basically reduced to Kakei being annoyed by having to listen to Yabuki's problems and Yabuki being constantly jealous. I'll probably give it another volume or two to pick up, but I worry that the mangaka is simply happy having such a slight story with the recipes being the main focus.

[Aidan]

I really believe this series will become a comfort read for me. I’m going to clear my star rating because of that and my opinion on rating single volumes.

I just keep wanting to read this series, and I’ve never been one to reread books, so I find it weird that I’ve been on this kick to reread certain manga series.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review on volume 1.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Volume 1, but still enjoyable.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

TWs: cancer, body shaming, fatphobia, medical content, blood, mentions of a character being institutionalised for mental illness, misogyny, sexism.

3.5

Shiro and Kenji's relationship is a puzzle to me that I'm still trying to put all the pieces together too and figure out. It seems that Shiro is kind of unsure how to react around and what to say to Kenji and this may stem from a previous relationship that was not so healthy and from his perception of his parents' relationship, that they were not in love, even though they obviously were.

The recipes in this all sound so delicious and I would love to try some of them at some point. I think it's so unique and charming that Fumi Yoshinaga includes them throughout the volumes of this series and even adds little hints, tips and suggestions at the end of every chapter. I would love to try some out one day.

Shiro's relationship with his mother was further explored in this volume as his mother comes to rely on him for support whilst she is obviously nervous and distressed during her husband and Shiro's father's operation for his esophageal cancer. Although he is not the best at comforting people, as seen previously with Kenji, but he does reassure her when one of the surgeons explained whilst the surgery has to be extended, a rather tender scene.

I still think that Shiro has a lot to learn about romantic relationships, listening to his boyfriend and not to judge people when it comes to the amount of food they order, such as with his coworker Shino. He has already proven that he has a rather big heart through asking Kenji to move in after his house was flooded, confiding with Kayoko about his father's cancer and helping his client's ex wife see her son every Sunday. It seems that as he has changed a lot now he is in his forties, he needs to relearn the world around him.

The conversation between Shiro and Kayoko of how they would prefer their fathers to get sick than their mothers since their mothers were capable of living and doing tasks on their own and their fathers were not was raw and very interesting. The pair share the thought that their mothers could get alone as long as they were financially stable whereas their fathers would maybe be able to get by alone but could not handle day to day tasks such as chores. It was honest and rather vulnerable and I would love to see more scenes like it in later volumes where Shiro is free to voice his opinions and discuss such matters. Later on, he even asks Kenji to listen to him if he ever wants to talk about his father and his condition, a wonderful development.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this goes against the grain of the series, but I really think this could be such an interesting story if there was less cooking.

I'm not sure if I'll keep going for the entire run, since it's very long and my shelf space is already well past capacity, but I did enjoy this.

I like our main characters; I liked that we got to see how the two of them first met, and glimpses of Shiro's past relationships. I saw people calling him indifferent about Kenji, but I don't think that's true. Kenji isn't his type, physically or when it comes to personality, which would have prevented Shiro from giving him a second or third look, or inviting him to live with him, when he was in his 20s or 30s. But those past relationships weren't good, and that's why they didn't last.

The differences are very clearly pointed out, with Kenji being a part of the household, always cheerfully jumping in on chores and expressing appreciation for everything Shiro does, whereas Shiro's ex simply expected things from him...and was physically attractive enough for Shiro to let it go. He definitely has things to work on when it comes to his communication with Kenji, but it's clear that he's trying; he does listen to Kenji's feedback and tries to cut back on his impulse to help/judge when all Kenji wants is a sympathetic listener. And he even reflects that back in the final chapter, when he tells Kenji he might need to talk to him about his dad - just venting, no advice or input needed.

Shiro's relationship with his family is a bit odd, and I wonder what the deal is with his parents. Why would he assume his mom didn't love his dad? Did he grow up without any demonstrative affection? Did this impact how he is in his relationships? He cares, deeply - you can see this in his interactions with his clients. But when he gets home, much of that emotional energy has already been tapped out, and that may be part of why he struggles to give Kenji the same level of attention.

Very interested in a lot of these dynamics, and while the cooking does have its soothing elements, I have to keep myself from my skimming those panels. It's not boring, exactly, but I'm not sure how many of these I could read in a row without starting to glaze over. I suppose they're meant as more of an appetizer in between more substantial meals.

[Mauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The vignettes continue: Shiro cooks a special Christmas meal for Kenji and we learn how the two met. Shiro learns a new recipe that uses celery, because apparently “wtf am I going to do with the rest of this celery?” is an international problem. He also deals with his father being treated for cancer (as a side note, his father seems to not really “get” Shiro being gay, while his mother is almost overly supportive...though Shiro mentions that she joined a religious cult when she first found out and had to be extracted by her husband and son).

There’s also a more subtle story from Shiro’s past that reminded me of Yoshinaga’s other work: while making a particular dessert, Shiro remembers a day he spent dealing with a broken washing machine while living with his former partner. Yoshinaga doesn’t point out the difference in words, you just see Shiro struggling with doing the laundry while prepping food at the same time, whereas in the present he’s focused on cooking something delicious for dinner while Kenji folds the laundry. Certainly a more equitable arrangement.

The translator seems to have regained their command of English, though they still can’t cook and haven’t familiarized themselves with common food and cooking vocabulary.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I say this without any pun intended, but this series is a lot like comfort food. It's not anything terribly fancy or elaborate, but it hits the right notes, after a long day at work. The blend of delicious-sounding recipes and light character studies just makes for a pleasant read. Part of me wishes the vignettes about Kenji's and Shiro's lives carried a more lasting impact (family members falling seriously ill, and cases that place demands on Shiro's free time seem like they should be more than one-off chapters), but they serve as functional backdrops for the recipes at least.

On the subject of the recipes though, I'm starting to think What Did You Eat Yesterday? would really benefit from a glossary at the end of each volume. While it's entirely possible to google what konjac is, or what chikuwa are, having even a one-page list on hand to refer to would be helpful.

Overall, it's still an enjoyable read. There's not as much social commentary as in volume one, and thankfully, Kenji seems a lot less insecure about his and Shiro's relationship. If you liked the first volume, you'll probably like this one, too.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second volume of What Did You Eat Yesterday? continues the major focus on the various meals that Shiro prepares for him and his live-in boyfriend Kenji, but not too much else. Beyond the final story about his father needing an operation, the rest of the book features very light slice-of-life stories and a heck of lot of pages dedicated to the recipes and metrology for preparing the various dishes.

This is definitely meant to be a more relaxed title to enjoy as an experience and not necessarily follow closely in the hopes of a stronger plot. And when I compare what had been covered in the TV series versus what the manga had touched on within a similar "time period" as it were, the show has included a number of additional storylines on top of what was deemed relevant to this volume.

It's still not a bad series to follow, but you do need to temper your expectations for what you hope from the series. This is not a BL book, but really a food-focused manga where the lead character just happens to be gay.

[Namratha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read Vol.2 because it tells us how Shiro and Kenji met…and predictably enough, it was practical, low-key and quite mature by BL meet-cute standards.

The real pull for me of course are Shiro’s elaborate recipe descriptions and meal preparations. Chef's kiss, as always.
Shiro always comes across as a clinical, emotionless ML and more so in this volume which involves his parents and a health scare. But as you understand Shiro more and more, you realize that he is nuanced chap with many layers. He exhibits his kindness and even his love in his very very Shiro way and I think somewhere, the affable and outgoing Kenji understands his poker-faced partner very well.

Engaging in a subtle way.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got the Humble Bundle which included various manga including this series. I did enjoy this volume but at points it felt more like a cooking/recipe book, yes, I do love getting recipes (and some I want to try), but I want them to be a bit more integrated in the story. There were random bits with Shiro in it and well Shiro is a prick. I still don't get why these two are living together, I mean, does Shiro even like Kenji? I don't see any spark between them. It feels like they are just brothers or acquaintances rather than lovers/best friends.
I will give it another volume, hopefully things get better. Maybe more Kenji x Shiro see their relationship a bit more, less cooking or better integrated in the story, and more fun stories so it is not all about recipes.

[Anthony]

Some brief thoughts...

- There are too many cooking panels included. I have a feeling that those panels have some purpose other than being recipes, that show Shiro in a different light while in his element. It's a shame that you'd opportunity is wasted because I just skip thru them.

- Shiro still comes off like an asshole to me. He asks Kenji to be there for him and listen to him while his dad goes thru surgery related to his esophageal cancer and once Kenji asks how it went, all he can say is "Ah, yadda yadda, went great, thanks"?!

- The revelation about Shiro's coworker's real age laugh out loud funny. This series is slice-of-life but wacky at the same time and I love it for that.

[nitya · Rating 4 out of 5]

this volume is soooo much better than the first holy shit it so clearly explains and lays out shiros personality and thought process and the small revelations he has. when he finds comfort in kayoko over their selfish thoughts and when he genuinely has to sit and reevaluate for a sec when his mom says she loves his dad. the moment where shiro thinks that yes kenji really isnt his type. pauses and then. hes glad he met him after growing up a bit. that moment has really defined my love for this series its so sweet and charming and we're nowhere near how much bolder and understanding shiro can get later on

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga series is my perfect place to hide from the world. I buy a volume whenever I feel I deserve a treat or accomplished a big thing.

I loved the recipes in this volume and would like to try a few of them. In this case, I was introduced to Nikujaga (肉じゃが) and I want to have this dish ASAP. It sounds like the ultimate comfort dish for the coming fall nights.

I also enjoyed learning more about how Shiro and Kenji met and how they came to live together.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how it has recipes with the character explaining how to execute them; I just feel maybe one recipe per volume would be nice. I feel this way because I want to cook some of the dishes mentioned, but sometimes it gets a little confusing with all of the dishes happening at once. Also, I just want a little more information on the characters relationship because they interest me in their history

[Noms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't capture me as much as the first volume, but I love that we are now starting to know the backgrounds of the main two. Another one that I'm excited to keep reading, just waiting for the third volume to be back in stock at my local!

Love that this series continues to include recipes for its readers. Shiro has inspired me to really be mindful of the prices of ingredients, and how to use the rest of my vegetables in more innovative ways.

[carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

nesse volume algumas coisas me incomodaram mais. eu sei q esse é um mangá de comida mas agr eu só vejo uma repetição, n vejo a comida sendo utilizada como um meio de comunicar afeto, pq parece q o shiro nem se importa com isso :( queria mais do desenvolvimento emocional dele, na cirurgia do pai dele ele praticamente n sentiu nada durante o tempo todo sla achei estranho...... enfim vou aguardar os próximos capítulos