I accidentally loaded this Japanese Drama called ‘Shinya Shokudo’ and just like any other Japanese shows I’ve seen, it didn’t disappoint me and it was truly worth my time.

The last Japanese food-themed movie I’ve seen was Tampopo (1985), If you’re studying Food Anthropology and want a visual supplement for further analysis this movie is very good and and if you’re not satisfied with just one, take ‘Shinya Shokudo’ as another video inline. The first season comes in 10 episodes, running only 30 minutes per episode, it won’t bore you, promise, each episode has it’s own unique story all connected to the ‘master’ that runs this small and homey ‘Midnight Restaurant’, it was named so as it opens from midnight ’till morning only, and the lives of those who came and dine.

'Shinya Shokudo' - Japanese Drama

I won’t write about the technicalities of this drama, but I’ll deal more on the values of it and how we humans use food to connect with our past, bond with the present and somehow look forward to some flavors we may yet to experience in the future.

Personally, I’m really saddened that along with the development of professionalized restaurants that sprout like mushrooms around us also wear away with it the personalized way of dealing with diners, often we just point, eat and go, we plainly care less about the face of those who cook for us, those who serve for us, they’re just same as the fried chicken they serve all comes in gravy and ketchup, we lose our connection, we’re detached and can’t even find friends.

I got attacked by melancholia watching this series, it wasn’t actually that sad, but I was at some point so depressed that restos of this kind is slowly vanishing, though we can still find ‘carenderia’ at the kanto, it’s not the type where you can be served anything as long as it is possible.

Some reviews of this drama say… plots are inconsistent, oh, well, I’d say otherwise, life in reality is never consistent in the first place, my circumstance may differ from yours and life’s ups and down make it rather bumpy and rough at times and at some point in our lives we use food to deal with this kind of life situation.

Each episode has a unique story and I can relate quiet well each time. Great series. Food Anthro students – you shouldn’t miss watching this I’ve watched it on this link … http://www.dramacrazy.net/japanese-drama/shinya-shokudo/

Enjoy and share your thoughts with me.