A Quirky Japanese Program With Quick Cooking Lessons
The Ingenuity of the Househusband is oddly delightful
Netflix knows that I enjoy watching shows from Japan, so it suggested another one last week. The Ingenuity of the Househusband, which dates from 2021, is the live action version of an anime series, and the episodes, which only run about five minutes each, are oddly delightful.
The main character is Kenjiro Tsuda, and the episodes take place in his traditional Japanese home. It has a pretty garden, an open living space outfitted with tatami mats, and a small but functional kitchen.
In the anime, Tsuda was a retired gangster, a member of the yakuza. (There is an animated version based more directly on the comics). He is called a “househusband” because he is married to a woman who works, and leaves the home each day.
In this one, Tsuda is an actor, who has other acting friends, and sometimes performs voice over work. You occasionally see him reading scripts, but there is no sign of a wife. Whether acting, or cooking, Tsuda is clearly obsessed with any task he takes on.
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