REVIEW: ‘Tadaima, Okaeri’ Episode 1 — “It’s Nice to Meet You”

The past few anime seasons have been bringing anime fans more and more queer stories, both in and outside of the BL romance genre. Now Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 — “It’s Nice to Meet You”— takes omegaverse into the anime mainstream. Animated by Studio Deen and directed by Shinji Ishihira and Juria Matsumura, Tadaima Okaeri is ultimately a slice of life that just so happens to be about two men raising their child, and it’s a universe where people are separated into Alphas and Omegas. The series is based on the manga of the same name (published in English as Welcome Home) by Ichi Ichikawa and published by Manga Club for English readers.

To start, the history of Omegaverse fiction is long, and it’s become even more prominent in BL romance stories in Japan and Korea. For the uninitiated, Omegaverse stories involve characters who are either Alpha, Beta, or Omega. For same-sex love stories in the genre, this often serves as a vehicle for the couple to get pregnant and have a child—so long as the pairing is Alpha and Omega (I truly never thought I’d be explaining this to anyone outside of a group chat). But all of this sets the stage for Tadaima Okaeri as a series about two dads and their son.

In Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1, we’re introduced to Masaki Fujiyoshi, a stay-at-home husband and parent. He has fought long and hard with feelings of being a burden to his loving husband, Hiromu, due to his status as an Omega. But when their son, Hikari, was born, the family moved to an area better suited for raising children and hopefully free from discrimination. But Hikari is now nearing his second birthday, and the purpose of Tadaima Okaeri is to show how his parents are creating meaningful relationships around them.

All of this is set up expertly in Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1. When Masaki visits Hiromu’s office, he’s put into an awkward situation when his secondary gender as an Omega is revealed. Instead of being brushed off, one of Hiromu’s coworkers makes a comment, and househusband Masaki instantly turns shy. But what others think doesn’t matter to the family when Hiromu meets his husband and son in the lobby. Set at Christmastime, Hikari becomes fascinated with the star at the top of the tree. This allows the audience to see how the family comes together and views each other.

But it isn’t all rosy. Despite how Omegaverse is used as a gimmick by most, the wholesome way that Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 uses it to set up the family dynamics and societal pressures is one that works exceptionally well. Within this romance subgenre, the series also does things differently. Masaki and Hiromu are opposite second genders, which is actually against societal norms, which is unusual for the genre.

However, it allows their story to raise issues of class standing. More importantly, it gives Masaki more depth as he tries to navigate his own insecurities about how others view his marriage. That said,  does use the standard trope of discrimination again against the Omegas to show what Masaki and Hiromu’s relationship has to go through.

While watching the news, Masaki has a moment where he thinks about what has happened to him in the past. Similarly, Hiromu talks with a friend about why they needed to move to a new place away from people who treated them badly. There is a small undercurrent of drama and regret toward the past that Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 begins to poke at but doesn’t reveal entirely.

That said, the fact that Masaki and Hiromu have a support system is what helps Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 stand out. Masaki and Hiromu aren’t alone. They have couples they can rely on even when life gets rough. They have friends who will protect them, and it helps to show how important it is to raise a child.

Where other BL romance series have taken time to get started on the romance of it all, right from Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 shows Masaki and Hiromu kiss, live their daily life as a married couple, and take care of their child. It’s small, but it also stands as a large move forward in what kind of slice-of-life romances get produced as anime and large distribution in countries outside of Japan. This is a family story overall, and it’s one that hits all of the slice-of-life highs you could want from the genre.

For Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1, the story sets the scene for the marriage and what their society thinks of it. But that’s just the first part. The second is that it makes Hikari into a full character. A cute kid with a sparkle in his eye and still learning the world, when Hikari learns that he’s named after a star, he calls every star he sees “Hi-kun.” He knows that he lights up his parents’ lives, and it’s one of the most adorable things you’ll probably see in anime. When the star on the Christmas tree breaks, Masaki has to explain it all to his son, resulting in an adorable bonding moment for both father and son.

Outside of the narrative, Studio Deen brings the same dreamlike quality it brought to adapting Sasaki and Miyano. The pastel shapes move over the screen at key emotional moments and bring a levity that offers just enough whimsy to the romance to make it heartfelt. Additionally, the animation choices made for Hikari’s character, as he cries, smiles, and generally beams at his parents, aren’t only adorable but also one of the biggest sales of the series so far.

Tadaima Okaeri will need to grow in creating an overarching narrative for the series. That said, as the series’ premiere episode, this is a fantastic and loving start. With a tease of some drama at the very end of Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1, I’m excited to see how this simple story is taken across the finish line.

Tadaima Okaeri Episode 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, and new episodes release every Monday.