Tadaima, Okaeri

 Tadaima, Okaeri (ただいま、おかえり) is a 12 episode slice of life yaoi series based on the manga of the same name by Ichikawa Ichi.  The series originally aired during the Spring of 2024.

    Masaki and Hiromu are a same sex couple trying to raise their young son Hiraki in a world that hangs onto outdated prejudices.  Masaki is an omega, which means he is able to be impregnated regardless of their gender.  Hiromu is an alpha, meaning he is able to impregnate omega's and beta's alike, beta's being standard humans.  The young couple had to move to a different neighborhood to escape societal pressures placed on Masaki purely based on his status as an omega and marriage to an alpha.  Hiromu does what ever he can to protect and nurture his husband and shield him from as much hatred and discomfort as possible.  While the move has allowed them a fresh start in a more accepting environment, they have a harder time removing themselves from the layers of disgust from their extended family.

    Masaki had a difficult childhood due to his omega status, largely sheltered from the world by his parents and shunned by much of his extended family.  After the death of his parents he cut himself off from his relatives but struggles with how little he values himself, relying largely on the support of his husband.  Hiromu, characterized by his alpha status as respected, powerful and authoritative, plays the roll of doting bread earner who has turned his back on his own family due to their disapproval of his marriage to Masaki.  His only concern is the well being of his husband and their son Hiraki growing up in a loving and accepting environment.  It takes a while for them to settle into their new neighborhood but they soon gather a small group of friends who support them regardless of anyone's type.  The world may be becoming less critical of someones type but that doesn't mean reactions from others aren't painful, can the young couple, living in their own way, forge a life together in a way that will defeat the hatred through lover and understanding?

    This series was my first introduction to the literary world of the omegaverse.  In short, its a popular subgroup in net-based erotic fiction that leans heavily into the incorrectly stated concept of wolf pack hierarchical organization.  The stories primarily rely heavily if not exclusively on rigid dom vs sub archetypes.  The whole alpha male concept is pseudoscience at best and deliberately false at worse so I'm not exactly thrilled there is an entire sub genre of erotic fiction that uses this as its focus point.  Beyond the basis of the genre, the story is a benign day to day telling of the struggles the young couple go through living in a world that eyes their union with distrust.  Masaki's personality is that of a lost and bewildered lamb, he is constantly nervous about everything around him, always seeking the reassuring protection of his husband.  Hiromu strides through life with confidence and an easy smile on his face, unwilling to show any trepidation he has, confident everything will work out and all that truly matters if the health and safety of his family.

    The story in general was rather boring, the only thing that kept me watching is was to see how much of the world was going to be explained...which was very little in the end.  The plot lines were sleepy and meandering with very little in the way of an over all plot, beyond the status of the young couple with their respective families.  They gather around them a small group of male friends who are only minimally detailed.  The 11th episode was one of the more interesting episodes but it concluded in a manner that highlighted how damaging the concept the story centers around is.  It reminded me that many stories built in the omegaverse have characters that are closer to animal than human and it just feels like a sexualized power fantasy...something that never sits right with me.  I did not enjoy this series and am hoping a pending yaoi in the 2024 Summer season will wash away the bad taste this series left.  Unless you're a fan of the story style found in omegaverse titles, steer clear of this one.  Its boring at best and insidious at worse.  But the core concept alone doesn't make this an unpleasant viewing experience, the story was really pointlessly boring and meandered too much.

The anime was simulcast on Crunchyroll.