Recommended
Of all the comfy, slice-of-life shows this season, mangaka Rin Asano's story about a family-found situation, meshed with the delicacies of wagashi a.k.a Japanese confectionery sweets, is the ultimate combination of "comfort within your own home" and the genuine loving kindness of a well-knitted family-oriented relationship that's a charm to watch. And despite this manga being out since 2016, I'm surprised that even a few years onwards until today, this has not received an English translation, and even if you do find one, it's hard to come by. Despite this, Deaimon is really a hidden gem that I felt was and is now still underratedand underappreciated quite a fair bit, for a show that honestly didn't garner the reputation that it truly deserves.
As the title suggests, Deaimon is loosely translated as the Recipe for Happiness (I already liked the metaphor from Day 1), which is exactly what the show is going for, despite it being the kind of understated and lowkey introduction phases that foreshadows to us the audience that this is not gonna be something noteworthy. But you would be a buffoon if you'd thought of this in the most shallowest of notions, because the beholder of Deaimon lies in its simplicity to deliver a solid show that is consistent, predictable-yet-unpredictable, and a Hanasaku Iroha-cum-Barakamon mix of feel-good feeling on top of its many obtuse layers that you might be calling out the predictable angle of this, and I promise you that this won't be the case.
Deaimon: Recipe of Happiness's story rests on the never-ending tradition of a "family-found" story, where this girl by the name of Itsuka Yukihira gets abandoned by her lone father and is left towards the kind elderly folk of Ryokushou to be taken in and taken care of. Itsuka's biological father, whom seemingly from first glance, has undergone a divorce within the Yukihira family (though it's never stated), so much that it tormented the only daughter to question about her parents' origins for years while growing up in Ryokushou. Around the same time, the protagonist Nagomu Irino, who's been on a voyage of his own by running away from home to pursue his dream of becoming a musician in Tokyo, this went on for 10 years until word comes back that Heigo Irino, his father-cum-owner of Ryokushou was hospitalized, and the same word demanded that Nagomu pack his bags to immediately come home and help out in the family's wagashi business, and in the process, be the successor to Ryokushou. This is where the similarity to Spring 2011's Hanasaku Iroha comes about with the same ordeals of certain familial traits (like family legacy, succession and intergenerational bonds) where purpose is the premise's core forefront symbolism, and Summer 2014's Barakamon in the vein where both Nagomu and Itsuka meet that kickstarts the tumultuous relationship and thus begins the succession story of who's going to be the next heir to Ryokushou.
One thing that you must definitely understand to experience all that Deaimon is worth in its greatness, is in characterization, because this is a character-driven story after all. At first, it's a given that both Nagomu and Itsuka will be at loggerheads with one another, simply because their tolerance for each other is grinded only on the surface level. It's with the understanding of how the characters work that slowly intertwines the story plot, and makes the watching experience get better with every baby step in the way. Nagomu may look like a carefree idiot who minds his own business, a wishy-washy absent-minded person whom doesn't know how to make decisions, and someone whom plays to the tune of his own gags, but deep down, he's a mature and caring young adult that's learned the hard way after graduating from college and pursuing his failed musician stint dream in Tokyo for 10 years, earning nothing but a girlfriend (Kanoko Matsukaze) in the process, and then again only to dump her without any word heard for a period this long. In all essence, I felt an inkling that some of us are like Nagomu Irino: someone whom prioritizes his own life, makes decisions without thinking of the consequences, but yet can hold our head high and do things the way that is already glued to our character, and still make it through a dark period of our young adult lives experimenting and settling down when things feel right. And all in all, this is what makes Nagomu Irino likable, such that he has a lot of women in his life (not the harem type), from the elderly folk working in Ryokushou, his direct family, his girlfriend Kanoko, the part-timer Mitsuru Horikawa, and much less the central female MC Itsuka herself becoming her foster father figure in the process, to interact with while going through life's daily struggles and learning the different types of wagashi sweets with their symbolisms. I really like that.
On the basis for Itsuka Yukihara, being abandoned at a tender young age does not bode well, especially for children whom parents think that when they do not get their life together, all they can do is to "spare the rod and spoil the child", creating the nightmarish dreams that Itsuka would never see her real parents again. And in the years since she was raised in Ryokushou, she's learned to have both a mature mindset and a strong, but kind heart to serve those in need, just like a waitress in a restaurant. But don't try to trigger Itsuka, for her sharp tongue can sound nasty at times, and most of those times, it's Nagomu whom gets the bulk of the criticism that slowly with time, becomes one of calmness and understanding. That's not to say that Itsuka still harbours hatred for her parents, which when her mother Shinri eventually manages to locate her in Ryokushou, the nightmares come back like darkness looming within a person's being, and Nagomu has to play his part to ensure that the daughter-parent relationship is amended by hook or crook, but all done with heart to ensure that the prolonged years of hatred doesn't amplify out of spite. It's Nagomu's heart of sincerity that slowly transforms Itsuka's character from being a cold to a heartwarming person that's just like him, under his care. To that effect, I really have to give a shoutout to the total newbie VA Kozue Yuuki, for this is actually her very first character casting gig, and what absurdity to land a main character role from the get-go. How she depicted the 10-year-old Itsuka is nothing short of ingenious, the perfect casting voice for how a 10-year-old kid should sound.
The other characters, well mostly folks and friends of Nagomu and Itsuka, whether be it family or kin, are nice and work around carving both MC's lives in kindness and fervour. It's just a literate wagashi (sweet) feeling all around that touches the warmest depths of the heart to make this a show that absolutely needs no filters nor some wishy-washy, over-the-top drama just to spite the audience. It's just a very good show that displays as its warranted, with the family treatment being centrifugal to the overall enjoyment. Plus, it's a guarantee if you have a very talented series composer like Reiko Yoshida, this woman has done decades worth of scriptwriting and storyboarding, so much so that Deaimon adds to the blimp as a +1 to her versatile CV that's an amazing job well done.
I know I give a lot of flak to Encouragement Films for being a low-budget studio, producing existing projects that have been made by other studios (i.e. Symphogear's premiere season which has been since eclipsed by Satelight, or GochiUsa switching studios every season Date A Live style), shows that don't require lots of production prowess (i.e. Fall 2018's Merc Storia) and that one show which absolutely sucked in all aspects (i.e. Isekai Cheat Magician). But for Deaimon's case, it was different: it felt fresh with the watercolour visuals, the change of seasons and the light-heartedness of the character designs which I think blends well with the overall tone of the series, it's just beautiful to look at. And Deaimon to me, just looks like the studio has finally found its Encouraging stride producing light content (that's been done with Merc Storia), and I pray that it stays that way to make anime "Films" with a light coat of paint.
That in and of itself, trickles down to the OST, which I feel is one of the best low-key compositions of the season, and I say that with heart. For the longest while, I felt like Maaya Sakamoto was just gleaming along doing more anime VA roles than actual song compositions for Anisongs, and it's a stark comparison when you compare her VA role to her actual theme song compositions (which aren't many to begin with). The last song that I liked was Spring 2020's Arte's OP, and that in and of itself, almost seems like an exclusivity deal that she'd only be brought back for her songs in the Spring season because she fits the rhythms well. And this is exactly the case here with her OP "Sumire", which the music style hearkens back to her founding years in the late 90s being a growing Seiyuu to the juggernaut that she is today. The song sounds absolutely beautiful with the inner touches of warmth, that I am constantly always anticipating with eagerness with each passing episode. This song is definitely at the top 5 of my best OPs of the season. ayaho and Junichi Soga's ED sounds good as well, though not as immersive as the OP. But overall, it's really well done for its immersion with the anime in totality.
Deaimon: Recipe for Happiness is a show that's worth a recipe meant to invoke happiness from all of the unstable walks of life from people all around. And while this continues to stay underrated, I hope that we can continue talking about this fine little hidden gem that is truly the magnitude of fun and wholesome, in a way that is uplifting the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" in its AniManga form. It's sweetness in a way that you both can and can't explain, and it's certainly an enjoyable series if you give this show the chance that it deserves.
