#including our precious pint sized catalyst Tane

[indigostarfire]

Our Dining Table episode 6

Thoughts on why this show has such a hold on me and moves me deeply.

First of all the Christmas holiday is painful for both Yutaka and Minoru. Yutaka never felt a part of his family, and Minoru never had any time to do what normal people his age would do, like go to college or pursue a potential love interest. He was too busy working or taking care of Tane. (In dramas Christmas is often depicted as a holiday that couples go out on dates.)

Tane never really knew his mother so Minoru goes out of his way to cook their mother’s unique recipes—ramen fried rice when you’re down and disappointed, or yuzu udon when you’re sick. This is Minoru’s way of letting Tane know their mother. This is how much he loves Tane and how important the family is to Minoru. There are consequences for these choices Minoru has made but he is willing to accept them.

That’s why it’s so lovely at the end of this episode when Minoru makes yuzu udon for our ailing Yutaka. He gets to share a bit of his mother through her food. And then Yutaka responds by saying that the yuzu udon has a “yasashii aji” which literally translates to “kind flavor” and once again I’m teary-eyed. Yutaka is basically saying “what a kind and caring mother you have and I can tell just by eating her food” which not only validates Minoru’s choices but also he gets to see that his mother’s spirit lives on through her food and can touch another individual…someone who is important and who he just happens to be in love with.

Getting back to Christmas, it was painful but everything changes with with the prospect of Yutaka and Minoru spending this day together. Yutaka is included in a family that enjoys and values his company. And for once Minoru has a “taisetsuna” (important) person in his life and who he wants to go on a Christmas date with. Seeing their happy faces is so heartwarming. It just fills me with a deep joy because they are such a healing presence for each other.

Then at the end of this episode there’s that moment when we see that both Yutaka and Minoru bought each other scarves. I burst into tears when I realized that scarves insulate us from the cold and that’s what Yutaka and Minoru do for each other.

Yutaka is insulated from the memories of his cold past, and Minoru is insulated from his cold and isolating present where other people make him feel bad due to Tane’s interruptions or spilling things; this in addition to being unable to pursue a love interest which is isolating because he’s too busy being a caretaker. But they are each other’s scarf. They insulate one another from the cold and isolation, and provide the warmth of a kind and loving heart.

It’s just so beautiful to see the interlocking dynamics of these two characters. How each of their personal wounds rise to the surface but then are healed because of kindness and understanding. And there’s something about how the mundane things in life like cooking and eating can bring people together. Perhaps this is what is so touching and beautiful—that sharing these ordinary, mundane moments with another, can be surprising and make life joyful, heartwarming, and profoundly healing.

#those scarves undid me #this show #these actors #including our precious pint sized catalyst Tane #all have a permanent place in my heart #our dining table #episode 6 #meta #bokura no shokutaku #mlite reflections