Izakaya Shinkansen felt more like a reality show than a drama to me.

I found the the way the protagonist gained joy in searching for & eating local specialties within the short time frame of his everyday train journey very relatable. All of us working individuals are generally short of time. This show is all about finding joy in those small things and how slight changes to your daily grind can make it less grinding and more fulfilling. I liked this takeaway from the drama besides the introduction to all the possible local delicacies and food ‘takeaways’!

There isn't much to the story besides moments where we are exposed to the main lead's professional experiences but this happens rarely. The major part of this show is about food and his journey towards appreciating each morsel. I guess that was the only slice of his (ML's) life that the director wanted to show us. One differentiator between this drama and other food shows is the introduction of alcoholic accompaniments with every meal.

As this show is episodic, you can watch one episode whenever you feel like it. I’d recommend watching it while eating as it makes your average food more palatable. Also, food shows tend to make me feel hungry. A 7.5/10 for me.