Ep. 19 Beautiful Guys, Eat!!!
Written by Cordelia Shan; edited by Grace
In this episode, in this episode, we are going to talk about another food related late night TV Show, イケメン共よ メシを喰え （Beautiful Guys, EAT!!! Or Eat with Handsome Boy).
On March 24, 2016, manga artist Hajime Higashida published their work, Beautiful Guys, EAT!! on Shokudan: Manga about a man who eats. It was serialized until the book was released on August 24 of the same year.
It was made into a TV Show and streamed on TV Tokyo from July to September 2022, starring Miwako Kakei. Miwako is a rising star as she has been featured in many TV Shows since last year. If you are on instagram, I strongly recommend you to follow Miwako Kakei’s account, you will find she is a very interesting and cute person. Even though it streamed last fall, I still have fresh memories about the TV Show.
Listen to full episode :
The Story
Yoshimi loves handsome boys. Anything about good looking boys makes her happy. In the story, Yoshimi is in love with a male character from an otome game, which is a story-based video game that is targeted towards women. Generally one of the goals of these games is to develop a romantic relationship between the female main player character and one of the usually male, secondary lead characters.
Before the magazine she worked at changed from literary magazine to food magazine, she had a column about handsome bookshop staff. For this new food focused magazine, after finding out that eating with handsome boys boosts her appetite, she then starts a column called, Beautiful Guys, EAT!!
A different type of handsome guy appears in each episode of the show. Some are musicians, artistic lookings, labor- muscle lookings, glasses lookings, k-pop star lookings, trans-genders, elite lookings. The appearance of a handsome man eating food makes Yoshimi’s appetite increase. From a light crush to food appetite, she transfers her impulse into finishing the dish!
When Yoshimi sees a good looking person, first of all, she gives them a name. She then imagines a conversation or fantasy scenario with them.
No matter what, Yoshimi is so shining when she is doing the things she is passionate about, even attracting the younger staff members at her work.
Ep.6
Among all 12 eps, ep 6 is one of my favorites. Yoshimi goes to this kissaten she used to go to when she was in highschool. And at that kissaten, Yoshimi sees this good-looking writer who wears glasses, and sits in the coroner of the kissaten.
Yoshimi sits at another corner of the kissaten, and watches him in between plants.
Yoshimi gives this good-looking writer a name and calls him Osamu, an award-winning writer.
Then Yoshimi observes this writer’s hands, his fashion, his face and glasses. Yoshimi is obsessed with the way this writer re-positions his glasses.
Yoshimi orders the same Naporitan and cream soda, and in this next part, let me try to describe the image that Yoshimi sees:
In a cozy corner of a bustling Japanese kissaten, a good-looking writer sat at a small table adorned with a glistening plate of Napolitan pasta before him. His eyes behind the glasses sparkles with anticipation as he delicately rolls the steaming spaghetti around his fork, the noodle strands gracefully dancing in the air. With each bite, a symphony of flavors unfolds on his palate—a harmonious blend of tangy ketchup, sweet onions, and the occasional crunch of green bell peppers. The warm embrace of the sauce coated his lips, leaving a rosy tint that matched the blush on his cheeks.
It is warm, there is sweat on his forehead, and he uses a tissue to wipe them away. At the same time, he takes his glasses off, and here is where Yoshimi lets out a gasp!
As he eats the delectable dish, a tall glass of strawberry cream soda stands proudly by his side, its effervescence whispering promises of refreshment. The cool, carbonated drink dances in his mouth, enticing him to take another sip. As the creamy foam gently caresses his lips, he closes his eyes, reveling in the nostalgic sweetness that transported him to carefree summers and lazy afternoons. The vibrant pink of the soda mirrored the verdant depths of his gaze, casting an enchanting glow upon his countenance.
Yoshimi’s heart is moved with these, she turns back to her dish and finishes the whole thing pulse a melon flavor cream soda.
Ah, how wonderful!
The Female Gaze
In this show, we see another type of gaze, the female gaze. Traditionally, much of the art, media, and cultural representation has been dominated by the male gaze. People, we don’t usually see it in any kind of media in the past, as it is passed over by males all the time. But in recent years, especially, with the growth of the BL manga, we see more and more female gazes being in the tv shows, for example, this show, Eating with Handsome Boys. Yoshimi has no shame to share her interests in beautiful boys both in playing games and also real working/private hours.
Some would argue that the female gaze in this tv show aims to depict women as complex, multidimensional individuals with their own agency and desires, rather than reducing them to passive objects of male desires. The female gaze encourages a shift in narrative and visual representation, highlighting females’ opinions, exploring diverse females exploring diverse female experiences, and celebrating the diversity of women’s bodies, desires, and relationships.
However, some would also say that the female gaze can also be creepy. In the show, the way Yoshimi sometimes stretches her head to look at a stranger, or how she has all the stories made up in her brain, how she is so passionate about borrowing the desire from the relationship to food appetite. Although females have always been cat-called, a female’s gaze can also be abusive from jokes to many serious facts.
Ending
But I'm sure many people can relate with Yoshimi, like how those stories are made in our brain and our mind. I am sure that she is a bit crazy in the tv show, a bit mania-ish. But I really appreciate how Yoshimi is being open about her interests, she is genuine, and honest!
Oh well, I like beautiful boys as well, Yoshimi, thank you girl!
Reference
TV Show website in Japanese: link
