Kitchen

A tender story on grief and loss of one's guardian. Refreshingly honest about the unstereotypical mundanity of real life.

Mikage has just lost her grandmother (her parents had died long before). The grief pauses all other things in her life. She's "adopted" by Yuichi and his mother (a transwoman who used to be his father). At their's, Mikage learns to appreciate the little things in life again, being inspired by the pure love and carefree attitude of Eriko (the mother). Life is good for a while and Mikage finds her way back to the kitchen, cooking ferociously for the three of them. Some time after she's found a new place for herself, she learns that Eriko has died (by the hand of an aggressive patron at the stripclub that Eriko used to run). Now it's Yuichi (but also Mikage, who had come to consider Eriko as a mother of her own) who has to deal with the grief. It drives him into a deep depression, almost pushing beyond the edge of self-harm. Mikage navigates this tenderly, showing signs of affection and care throughout, while encouraging and giving him space to take responsibility for his own next steps.

The true power and strength of this story is the subtle arc from grief to gratitude for the smallest things in life, and how this can serve as a catalyst for healing.