INDEX
Prompting Reflection Through Depictions of an Ideal World
Nomoto and Kasuga listen carefully to each other. They listen carefully to what the other has to say, think about it, and then respond with their own words. They try to be as honest as possible in their discussions. They consult with Sayama, Nagumo, or Yako if something is difficult to discuss in person. Sayama, Nagumo, and Yako respond politely to such consultations.
There are no bad or unpleasant people among the main characters. Even the aggressive men who are portrayed as faceless in the original manga are neutralized, for example, by the comedian Shuhei Nakano playing Keita Morioka, a co-worker who makes a biased comment about Nomoto’s homemade lunch boxes, saying that she would definitely make a good mother, and the father who forces Kasuga to take care of his wife only by phone The father, who forces Kasuga to care for his wife, appears only by phone. Nomoto’s co-workers Mikami and Sawada, who are among the few men in the film, also make sure that Nomoto does not work too hard. Although the world depicted in She Loves To Cook, And She Loves To Eat can be said to be an idealized, kind world, the voices on TV and radio throughout the film indicate that there is indeed a world outside of it that is not so kind.
Even in such a situation, depicting an idealized gentle world is meaningful. Listen carefully to what the other person is saying, take it in, and respond politely. Viewers can see and imitate these attitudes of Nomoto, Kasuga, Sayama, Nagumo, Yako, and others. In this way, as more and more people imitate them, a world like the one in the film may never cease to be an ideal.
