Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru is manga by Ando Natsumi.
Next August 12th, the manga will be broadcasted as dorama,
casting Yokohama Ryusei and Hamabe Minami.
Sadly before the drama starts, Ryusei is infected by new corona virus.
But I'm sure he will be fine.
According to some news, the dorama will start without delay.
In this post, I will review the manga itself, I read the raw until chapter 57.
I found English translation is only for 10 chapters now.
But I'm glad someone shared the raw until chapter 57.
I mostly didn't read the wagashi project (cause there are so many kanji)
and only read the main story.
Thankfully, the kanji reading in main story is readable,
unlike Kurimarudou, using rare words of everyday comments.
That's why I could finish chapter 6-57 in 6 hours... 😊
Below contains SPOILER to the manga.
Main poster of the dorama.
The main characters are Hanaoka Nao and Takatsuki Tsubaki.
Nao's kanji is "Seven" and "Sakura".
That's why many people called her Sakura as a child, including Tsubaki.
Her mother, Ookura Yuriko, is a wagashi maker worked and lived in Tsubaki's shop,
the famous Japanese confectionery Kougetsuan in Kanazawa.
At those time, Tsubaki's father, Itsuki, was the owner of Kougetsuan.
Tsubaki's mother, Kyouko, didn't like Nao and her mother.
One day, Itsuki was found dead in the garden when Nao visited the shop.
What breaks her heart is when Tsubaki said the killer is Nao's mother.
He was sure to see it so the police arrested Yuriko.
Then, Nao's mother was brought to trial and died.
Nao still became a unfamous wagashi maker, but must lose her job.
Her employer found a mail from someone, saying Nao's mother is a murderer.
After losing her job, she met Takigawa Kaoru on street.
He gave her letter from Nao's mother, saying he must give it when Nao is 20.
The letter said that her mother is not the murderer.
Kaoru claimed he's a fan of her mother then left.
She met Tsubaki while selling her wagashi, and after knowing Nao's hardworking self,
Tsubaki proposed to her.
Even though Tsubaki had a fiancee himself, named Haseya Shiori.
The two who are cursed by Kougetsuan lingers for a few years...
After this, I will create a post according to people's name.
Because it will be long, I guess it will be better to make it as a list.
This might be the first arc, when Nao is still 20 years old and lives again in Kougetsuan.
And this picture depicted three years later.
They look more mature now.
Nao has her long hair back.
Hanaoka Nao
A hardworking girl, whose actual purpose is to get revenge on Tsubaki.
Because Tsubaki brought her mama to despair.
She looked at the DNA test paper in Kougetsuan,
noticed she's the real daughter of Itsuki.
While Tsubaki is not Itsuki's real son.
Means, Kyouko had Tsubaki with another man.
Itsuki, Nao's real father, was found dead in the house garden.
Tsubaki pointed Nao's mother as the culprit to the police.
After getting to know Tsubaki for a while, Tsubaki is attracted to her and confessed
his true feelings (at the time, Tsubaki doesn't know Nao is Sakura).
But Nao's feelings was still mixed with revenge.
Although she opened up her feelings to Tsubaki and got pregnant.
She couldn't tell Tsubaki that she had his child before their marriage.
But at the story where Tsubaki saved his grandfather on fire (it was all Kyouko's doing),
Nao lost her unborn child / miscarriage.
Tsubaki didn't know that Nao got pregnant.
On that day too, Nao disappeared from Kougetsuan, with Takigawa Kaoru.
Tsubaki was mad at Nao for disappearing.
But Nao asked him "What will change if she's waiting for him to come back?".
It seems the future of them will be the same, to be separated from each other.
Three years later, she opened up a small wagashi shop, Hana ga Sumi, near Kougetsuan.
And not long after, Sojurou asked Nao and Tsubaki to have a battle of wagashi.
Because Nao is the winner, Tsubaki loses his shop and goes away somewhere.
At chapter 57, Tsubaki came back after knowing Nao had a miscarriage three years ago.
But don't know the rest for now.
Wagashi battle as an heir of Kougetsuan.
Takatsuki Tsubaki
Tsubaki means "camellia flower".
At first glance, he is the successor of Kougetsuan.
But his grandfather, Sojurou didn't approve of him.
Sojurou knew the truth that he's not blood related to Takatsuki's household.
He became a cold person after losing his father and not accepted by Sojurou.
But after meeting Nao, every worker in Kougetsuan noticed his changes.
He opened up and smiled frequently with Nao.
Here, Tsubaki is making Yuugao.
A summer wagashi that looks like a moonflower floating in the night sky.
Tsubaki didn't know that Nao is Sakura at first, although many chances appeared.
He loved Nao and they actually almost had a child.
But after knowing Nao is Sakura, he doesn't let Nao go at fire accident
before he can save Sojurou so they can talk more.
Actually, while helping Sojurou, Tsubaki was almost dead, if Shiori didn't help them.
After Shiori saved him and Sojurou, she got a scar of her left cheek.
And Tsubaki sometimes can't see well after the accident.
That's why many people realized he couldn't be the successor of wagashi shop.
Because he almost lose his vision.
And think Kougetsuan will disappear after Sojurou's died.
Tsubaki had a chance to meet Nao after three years.
But he couldn't see well.
Shiori then came back to Tsubaki's life, after the trouble of announcing
their broken engagement to marry Nao.
But because Nao left Tsubaki, Shiori had a chance.
Tsubaki ignored Shiori's love and her attempt to have children with him with cold stare.
He still loves Nao even after knowing she's someone he hates.
Tsubaki hated Nao because he saw Nao's mother with Itsuki, his father,
in the night before Itsuki's dead.
That's why Tsubaki told police that Nao's mother is the culprit.
For a child like him, seeing his own father embraces another woman
makes him hate the woman too.
Tsubaki made a scary expression after accusing Yuriko as the culprit.
It always gets reminded in Nao's memories.
After losing the right to be Kougetsuan's successor, Tsubaki left Kanazawa.
Before he left, he told Nao to not crush Kougetsuan.
But he met Yuuko, a woman who had pretended to be Nao's mother on his journey.
Miyabe Yuuko told him that Nao had miscarriage three years ago.
Made him come back to Nao's side.
Even though he knows that if he and Nao meet, they will hurt each other again.
Here, Tsubaki asked Yuuko about Nao's miscarriage.
Tsubaki is shocked at first.
He said to himself "Why didn't she tell me about something important like that?"
Then Yuuko apologized because it was her promise with Nao.
Uh, maybe the first time we see Tsubaki with normal clothes is this time.
After he left Kougetsuan.
He usually wore kimono at home and any occassion.
Upon Shiori told a story of Takigawa Kaoru, that he once was a
boyfriend to her older sister, Yukari,
we also know that Takigawa Kaoru is actually Tsubaki's older brother.
Kyouko had Tsubaki with Takigawa Kaoru's father.
It is when Kyouko met Kaoru later, Kaoru himself knows of it too.
He's wondering why his father goes crazy about Kyouko.
Kyouko thinks Tsubaki can't have Kougetsuan now,
so she might chose Takigawa house instead.
One of wagashi, a namagashi, made on filming.
Wagashi or Japanese confectionery is a pricey food.
The better and unique the shape and taste, the more expensive it is.
The upper from left to right : Takigawa Kaoru, Takatsuki Kyouko, Haseya Shiori.
The two below are the main characters.
Takatsuki Kyouko
She is the main villain in this series.
Tsubaki's mother who had affair with Takigawa.
She numerously did many evil things, from separating Nao and Tsubaki,
attempting to kill Sojurou in a fire, and told Shiori to snatch Tsubaki's love.
But it is not known if she's the culprit behind Itsuki's dead or not yet.
In latest chapter, Kyouko met Kaoru and told him that Tsubaki is his brother.
She had an affair because Itsuki married her without love.
Itsuki never tried to touch Kyouko but she knew the affair of Itsuki and Yuriko.
Takatsuki Sojurou
The late owner of Kougetsuan who lost his one and only successor, Itsuki.
He knows the affair of Kyouko and Takigawa.
That's why Sojurou didn't approve Tsubaki as the heir.
Kyouko knew he wouldn't give Kougetsuan to Tsubaki,
so she stole his succession paper and burn the place.
Upon this incident, Sojurou lived in hospital for three years.
After knowing about Sakura / Nao came back, he gave Kougetsuan to her.
But then, he died, regretting of his coldness to Tsubaki all his life.
Takigawa Kaoru
He knows Nao's mother all these years and helps Nao for three years until she
opened up Hana ga Sumi near Kougetsuan.
Kaoru asked Nao to marry him before the battle with Tsubaki.
It is also known that he is the former boyfriend of Yukari, Shiori's sister.
And his father is the father of Tsubaki, meaning he is Tsubaki's older brother.
Haseya Shiori
The daughter of Haseya Inn.
Kyouko desperately wanted her as Tsubaki's wife.
She accepted Tsubaki's broken engagement easily because she didn't love him at first.
After saving Tsubaki in the fire, she gets a big scar on her left cheek.
She saved Tsubaki and fell in love to him, ran away from her house
then stay in Kougetsuan even until Nao became the new owner.
She once told a lie that she is pregnant with Tsubaki.
But Tsubaki never admitted love to Shiori and she surrendered easily.
Shiori told Nao that she must rely on others in Kougetsuan.
Also to be careful with Takigawa Kaoru because he was her sister's boyfriend 10 years ago.
Joujima Yusuke
Wagashi maker at Kougetsuan.
He first appeared as villain because Kyouko gave him money
to crush Nao and Tsubaki's relationships.
Yusuke once had a wagashi store in his hometown, Shimaya.
And in school life, Joujima dislike wagashi, his story is similar
to the protagonist of Kurimarudou.
But Kougetsuan didn't approve of their wagashi, the warabi mochi his father created.
Shimaya, Yusuke's shop, went bankrupt and lost his father too.
So he hold a grudge to Kougetsuan and Tsubaki.
After Nao helped him creating the warabi mochi, the same taste as his father,
Yusuke opened up to Nao.
And he knows the one who didn't approve of Shimaya until it went bankrupt
is actually Kyouko, not Tsubaki.
Sometimes, he pushes Nao to do her best and gets advice to Shiori.
He told Shiori the only person who can make Tsubaki smile is Nao.
Yamaguchi Koichi
A wagashi maker in Kougetsuan who told Nao that Tsubaki changed because of her,
before the fire in the household.
He already worked for years ago, a senior in Kougetsuan.
I think that's all the main cast.
I don't know if the dorama will follow the story of Nao became pregnant or not.
I think it is inappropriate as a dorama, and Hamabe Minami is a teenager too.
But I'm glad the main casts are visually attractive, Ryusei and Minami.
There is also Mizuki Alisa as the villain.
This manga is very old fashioned.
Miscarriage, revenge but easily wins by love, and affair of Kyouko / Itsuki.
They are very old fashioned, like soap opera.
But I hope the dorama will have better storyline and fast pace.
Not that the manga is bad.
But you can get tired of some conflicts, such as why Nao chose to run away
for three years at the fire incident rather than explaining to Tsubaki quickly.
Nao also didn't get a chance to tell Tsubaki that she was pregnant.
There were many chances but she always missed it.
Their keeping shut must be a continuation from their parents sad story.
How can they don't talk much even if they are living and sleeping together in first arc?
Or why did Tsubaki tell Nao to stay at the fire accident and let her suffer from
the smoke, even had miscarriage?
He should have just told her to move to somewhere safe first.
I like wagashi story and hope the Kurimarudou also can be noticed by many people.
I will post about "Omachi Shitemasu Shitamachi Wagashi Kurimarudou" later too.
It will be a spoiler like this... don't worry for people who like spoiler.
I'm glad if my spoiler can bring people to like wagashi.
But since there are only 3 volumes manga and I can't read Japanese novel,
it is supposed to only contains a few stories from novel.
But I already know what Aoi's problem is.
I have finished translating the 3 volumes manga in almost a month.
Of course I had some days to rest so it took a bit longer.
Translating 1 volume took me a week,
but volume 3 just took 3 days!
Upon translating Kurimarudou, I knew there are three types of wagashi:
1. higashi / dry, often hard candy, a few types of it according to wiki:
- uchi mono
- oshi mono
- kake mono
- yaki mono
- ame mono (konpeitou)
2. han-namagashi, 10%-30% water, example a yokan, monaka,
in a few types according to wiki:
- an mono
- oka mono
- yaki mono (flat, oven)
- nagashi mono
- neri mono
3. namagashi, fresh confectionery of 40% water, in a few types according to wiki:
- Jo namagashi is a very soft and delicate, seasonally varying
in
various, often elaborate, shapes and colors, often reflecting seasonal
plants.
Some stores will have many dozens over the course of a year
- Mochi mono
- Mushi (steamed) mono
- yaki mono : hiranabe (flat pan), oven baked
- nagashi mono
- neri mono
- age (fried) mono
*I know dorayaki is also a wagashi, but I don't know in what type...
Is it han-namagashi in flat pan fried / hiranabe?
What of dango, anmitsu, manju, mochi etc.?
Memorizing them is similar to memorizing history.
The one picked my interest maybe Jo namagashi because they often
have beautiful name according to the maker / season.
By reading Watadou, a competent wagashi shop and maker asked their customer
to determine what kind shape or taste they should create in special occassion.
They must choose, think, create the detail that mostly determined its event,
until customer satisfied by their work.
What a unique and creative way of Japanese people...
I was once purchasing Jo namagashi in Arima Onsen.
The shop is not famous like Kougetsuan in this story.
Just a small shop selling autumn wagashi in a quiet onsen village.
But even though it is small, the taste is excellent.
It contains jelly-like texture inside a dough filling, and
the soft red bean paste or koshi-an is sweet.
Because the seasons is cold, the wagashi remains cold and refreshing too.
Its name is also pretty, but I can't remember exactly.
But I think it contains "moon" kanji...?
The name is like a poem.
My sister bought the round shape but the momiji tasted sweeter.
The dough is similar, but they tasted differently
And in Kisshokaryo Kyoto, I purchased the warabi mochi in kinako.
It tasted very sweet and in peanuts scented.
Kinako is soybean but smell like nuts to me...
UPDATE On September 17th, 2020:
After watching ep 6 of Watashitachi wa Douka Shiteiru dorama,
I realized the dorama is gentler than manga.
In manga chp 35, when Tsubaki knew about Nao's real identity,
he was forcing to kiss her.
He also told Nao to stay at the room (deru na instead of dero in dorama).
But in the dorama, Tsubaki told Nao to go out.
I think the director / script writer realized the weird dialogue I was bringing up above.
I dislike Tsubaki's words to keep Nao staying in the house at fire.
This is the difference in dialogue:
