They're back, baby!

Even though this review is late and won't probably add much to the already present lineup of recommendations, if there's one drama I will go back to for seconds (pun intended) is this one.

After a bit of a letdown with the movie (I reviewed it as well), this story came back to its drama format, which I think is the best vehicle for it. The episodic nature allows the vibe of it to be as it is, without it dragging and without plot points going around in circles.

This season finds Kenji and Shiro with a common thread of looking for permanence (at work, at home, with friends, with family, especially with each other), which was hinted in the movie but gets well developed here. I do think the movie is a necessary viewing between the two seasons (and special), a bit of a stepping stone into the themes of this season, even though the narrative of it isn't as tight as in this season.

Conversations about middle age problems, about how to find a permanent family with someone you can't legally name as such, about parents and their perceptions of their sons' lives, plus the side characters we know and love coming back, makes this one a great season and a very well written step forward for these two.

The acting is always *chef's kiss*, but this season really goes to emotional territories that allow Shiro to show more vulnerability and Kenji becoming more mature. All of this, of course, with amazing food, as always.

This adaptation came back to where it shines best and I hope this isn't the last we see of them!