Warning: Do Not Watch If Hungry

I'm not sure if this story was supposed to be a drama or if it was created by Japan's tourism industry in the midst of Covid-19, but let me tell you a show/movie/anime/manga/drama/music group/history lesson has never fueled my love and want for traveling to Japan! Also, fair warning as stated above, but: do not watch on an empty stomach!


I really love how this show created such a wonderful story that showed not only each specialty of food, drink, and sweet from wherever region in Japan that Takamiya Susumu had traveled to, the story also was fantastic at showing off Japan itself! The scenery, the people, the local towns/cities were absolutely stunning. I feel like I was taken on a personal tour of Japan itself.


Each town was showcased so perfectly, I really felt like I had been there myself; the food and drinks shown looked so beautiful, and (to someone who is american, a sensitive eater, and has watched Japanese shows passionately for years) the foods and drinks they showed really appealed to a person who has never tried Japanese food before. Everything was simple yet extravagant and even though there were some pieces of food that I probably wouldn't (or couldn't because of personal food restrictions) try, there were so many pieces of foods and drinks that looked so delicious they made my mouth water! There were so many different types of foods that, even though I know I don't like them, made me want to try them immediately! From seafood to pasta, steak to vegetables, traditional sweets to traditional alcohol... this story really captured the spirit of Japan within its 12 episodes!


If you're looking for a calm, simple, comedic, heartwarming, genuine, purely beautiful story that will leave you stuffed and with a feeling of sweet bliss and nostalgia, then this show is definitely for you. An underrated gem of a show that is filled with amazing people, delicious foods and drinks, and will most definitely remind you to take proper care of yourself with good food and "personal time", while also showing you that it's great to step out of your comfort zone and explore the unknown!

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Impossible Possibilities

This story was really nothing like I expected it to be. The synopsis and poster are completely, I don't want to say "misleading", but they are the complete opposite ALMOST of what this show's story truly was. I'm not entirely sure parts of this show weren't all dreams in the first place...


The cast line up was amazing. The story and cast carried this show together in an even balance of 50/50 quite perfectly. I've seen some stories similar to a few cases within this show, however, the cast really made such a compelling and enthralling story. I haven't been able to stop watching since episode one! The dramatics of this show aren't exactly what you would expect, and some stories aren't really dramatic at all, but the intense story itself is ridiculously epic from episode 1 until episode 10!


I think this show may be an underrated gem, but then again, if I'm being completely honest, I almost gave up on watching this story within the first 5 episodes, however, as the story base grew and grew, to lead up to the finale, I changed my mind and was simply swallowed whole by the story itself.


However, and this may be irrelevant and/or my personal opinion, but.... I'm not entirely sure the "sidekick" role was necessary for this story as a whole. Even though the creators seemed to build up the role's importance from episode 1 and as time continued, the role seemed to fit as the last perfect puzzle piece. I feel like Ayano Go could have handled this show (i dont want to say "better" or "best") by himself well enough, but that may just be because of his popularity, too. If you watch a few episodes, if not the entire show, without really paying attention to Takei Emi's role, imagining her not there at all, then this show seems to be lacking something of a "female touch"... whatever that general, old way of thinking is. In other reviews and/or comments, I noticed people calling her a "damsel in distress role", which really only seemed to fit for an episode and a half; please, believe me when I tell you that that way of thinking is only half right. Takei Emi's role is a very smart, strong character and while she does seem to attract trouble, she doesn't seem to fit the "damsel in distress" way of thinking. Though maybe that way of thought is because this show is from 2014 and I'm watching this story in 2022.



Each person's way of thinking is different and wonderful to watch and listen to, so please, watch this show and enjoy... And please leave a review or comment to show your own hypothesis!

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Real Reality Truths

This show really threw me for a loop; after reading the synopsis, I thought I had an idea of what this show would be, but the phrase "do not judge a book by its cover" really do apply here!


The reality and relatable issues this story bravely faced were done with talent, respect, genuine care, and raw emotion(s) that are really rare to see from American television. American's prefer dramatics, explosions, drama, romance, blahblahblah... But this story really served its purpose for being entertaining as well as educational, though not in a scholarly way but more so from a humanity and kindness standpoint.


The cases this show followed were gut wrenching, heartbreaking, scary, emotional, raw cases that one wouldn't expect to generally see for a medical drama unless one is watching a dark-brooding-mystery-crime type story, maybe. I've never once thought of dropping a show yet continuing it so quickly... literally, I thought of dropping it by the end of episode one, but when I started episode two this show swallowed me whole and I binged it within one day! Yeah, yeah, I know; only 10 episodes so "binge watching it should be no big deal" lol


The picture/poster for this show, posted here of course, really misled me as well. I thought it would be melodramatic or too cheesy and those types of shows aren't generally for me, I'll watch them, but I tend to like reality thrown in to my shows (ironic, no?) instead of the cheesy "this could never happen in real life" types. Does that make sense? I hope so! Anyways.... This show really gave me a punch to the stomach, without being too over the top, this show really delivered on the emotions and realities of not only being a doctor within this day and age, but really delved deep in to how a resident doctor feels, acts, learns, shows off their knowledge, how they take care of patients, and even how they take care of themselves. If you're looking for a purely medical show, then this may not be for you. This show really took the 10 episodes and ran with it! A show all about humanity, genuine care, and the bettering of oneself from the perspective and difference of every patient!

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Never Underestimate the Fly on the Wall!

I have never been so terrified of a secretary in all my life. First of all, these women are the epitome of "strength" and I can see why they are all so popular, yet go unnoticed. It's not like they do so purposefully, but that people usually take them for granted so they just don't seem to give them any attention, let alone respect, nor the time of day... Like they don't even exist! Which is just perfect for the seven (or is it 8?..... maybe 9?) "someone who isn't great enough to be identified" persons.


First of all, I was unsure of a couple of casted individuals, but that was dispelled right away! The more you watch, the more you realize that their "invisibility" is actually perfect. Through their hard work, they are all recognized at work but they are also taken for granted and treated as nothing more than servants or a pawn. As each story builds the pressure, I found myself waiting with extreme anticipation on the edge of my seat! The cases were different, extremely different, than anything I've seen before; granted there are a few moments of "ah this is typical for a Japanese police/detective/crime drama", but they go by in a flash! This story really does pride itself on its remarkable originality!


The climax was spread between multiple episodes, which sort of felt dragged out on purpose but really the more I watched the more the building blocks of a fantastic story were being created. I never imagined the outcome, though it was sort of expected in some places; even so, I could never predict what actually happened! The twists and turns within this case seriously threw me for a loop more than once. The music really helped to encourage the cliffhangers and empower the epic scenes. A few times, I cried way too much; a couple of episodes, too, I felt like all the air was sucked out of me.


This show is full of life. Hard fought, grateful, appreciative, raw, genuine, honest, respected, happy, sad, mad, unexpected life!

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Best Legal Team!

It has been a long time since I've seen such a fantastic, strong team within the legal field! The last few legal drama's I've watched (including police/detective) were fascinating as well but, including this show, I've only seen 3 legal dramas focusing on the courtroom (i think it's 3). This story was intense, relatable, genuine, and one of the best I have seen all year... and its only October!


The teamwork between Arimura Kasumi, Nakamura Tomoya, and Akaso Eiji was wonderful to watch; it was as if they had been partners within the business for a long time! Each story had so many twists and turns, I'm glad the legal terms weren't as confusing as I thought they would be because I would have been lost. I never once predicted how a case would end, and the last few episodes had me on the edge of my seat with the wind knocked out of me!


The cases for this show were very unique, I don't remember seeing anything like them before unless it was a specific case focused on throughout the whole drama/movie/special. There were some familiar feelings, but not too strong that I felt like I was watching more episodes of a show/movie/special I had already watched. Mostly, I think, the familiar was with a scene or two that reminded me of another show in its entirety, or a specific moment in a case that reminded me of a certain actor/actress.


The music was really nice. Very calm, clean, and absolutely perfect for setting the tone and mood for either the next moment or the next episode(s). It was also nice to see actors/actresses in roles (good, bad, genius, powerful, weak, etc) that I wasn't used to seeing them as. In America we have the habit of "type casting" actors/actresses in to certain roles for their entire careers, or at least good portions of their careers; so it was nice to see, in Japan, the way these actors/actresses that I am familiar with and follow their careers that they have this strong, raw, beautiful talent of blending in splendidly with their characters and roles during a show/movie/special.


This story was very raw and honest. I could feel the strength of emotion through the screen! It didn't get too dark or overly cheesy with dramatics, which it could have a couple of times so that was surprising! But, please, don't let that assumption persuade you not to watch or that this show is "happy-go-lucky" within the law/legal genre, because that could not be further from the truth. The strength, power, and intensity of this show is insane! A very strong story was brought forth by a very powerful, beautiful, magical story cast, writer(s), directors, and support staff! This show is a powerhouse!

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Enchanting Cinema

Going to the movies always feels like going into a really dramatic daydream for me. Action, heartbreak, suspense, horror, epic drama, the list could go on forever! This story is not at all what I thought it would be, in fact it exceeded my expectations in every way..... and then some!

At first I thought this would be about "the movies", then I thought it would be about "the theater", and it was about both (in a way) but in all honesty, this story was so much more than just what you see on its surface. Watching the "behind the scenes" work was truly fascinating, I've never seen any style like this before or anything similar. I know other shows that go in to detail, but this show really went above and beyond to make sure the customers (and viewers) not only understood the process of theaters, movies, and the behind the scenes workings, but the details of each job. Watching such an attention to detail, thrilling, hilarious, heartwarming show was very charming and left me feeling very warm and fuzzy; especially the last episode.


Going to theaters is sort of tricky right now, considering Covid-19 is still out there, but watching this show made me feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself to create this lovely dream world of movies and stories for the customers to enjoy. Each episode really focused well on the hard work it takes to run a business, but also the importance of taking care of the staff so they can take care of the business and the customers; it was really amazing to see how each staff member grew as a person to better understand how to fulfill their job and as a member of a team. There were not a lot of cheesy dramatics, but the reactions of a few of the staff were absolutely real, honest, and genuine. I love seeing a genuine, hard working climb-to-the-top story!

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The Great Reversal!

This is one of the few times where I have been extremely invested in a story of any kind. It was really wonderful to watch a "behind the scenes" look at how a hotel is always thinking of their guests with consideration! A type of story rarely seen recently, I think, the "behind the scenes" one; but it was amazing to watch how everyone worked very hard to muster up all their courage, pride, motivation, and excitement to create the greatest hotel reversal.


The heartfelt charm and magical skills of each staff member was fantasy like, as if they really went through hotel staff training for their roles. It was really enthralling and exciting to watch them make beds, diligently work hard in their respective area(s), and power through the difficult moments. If you're looking for political or bureaucratic then this is not the story for you.... This is the story of a phoenix of sorts.


The music really added to the charm of the story, creating intimate moments and even suspenseful ones. There was some mystery within this story; episodes 6 and 7 had me on the edge of my seat, and episode 8 was really special! The atmosphere and the sharp attention to detail within this hotel were so amazing to watch as the staff cared for each guest, the hotel itself, and their ally's and coworkers was so sincere and full of respect, admiration, and genuine care that it was almost tangible through the screen!


This story is full of hope, wonder, and magic~ definitely not one to be missed on story alone; I laughed, cried, got mad, worried, and had almost had anxiety a couple of episodes. This story is full of the unimaginable and yet somehow is the most real, unique, and straightforwardly genuine group of people who truly care about their work, their friends, and their guests

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Annoyingly Perfect

Each episode really did it's best to show how even "imperfections" can be absolutely "perfect" in every way!

I really liked seeing how hard each staff member and Owner worked to build up such a marvelous restaurant to be what it is (was?) for themselves and their customers, even if that wasn't Owner's first choice of creating such a fantastic restaurant. Each episode was filled with a lesson on how to become the perfect "service man", though it didn't seem like that was for restaurant purposes... and more so just as a good "human".


There were a few episodes where I was annoyed with how a character acted, but as I watched it all fit together like the best puzzle ever. If you binge watch this show, you may see what I mean because it all flows together like the most amazing movie. A lot of this show, I felt, was left to the imagination -- not who or what happened at the restaurant, though, but more so the "behind the scenes" or the "what happened after" parts of the stories, which I think absolutely helps to create a wonderful atmosphere around the story itself; something comfortable, a little hidden away, and yet popular enough to be so fulfilling and happy!



It was really awesome to see more of a few of my favorite actors in this story, even in smaller roles they all were amazing; and absolutely showed off their skill, talent, and respect for each role and episode. The music really helped to create a building or falling emotion, giving the story the push it needed to be full of suspense and mystery! There were a few episodes where I wasn't sure what was going to happen... and the ending was an absolute surprise!


This show may seem to be underrated, but trust me: it is a gem!

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Beyond Expectations

I'm not really sure what this show was supposed to honestly be about (the history of Kyoto, coming of age story, dramatic relationship(s), family relations, new starts somewhere fresh) but this story really blew me out of the water! I've never been so infatuated with a set of characters; this story is absolutely in my top 15 of favorite shows!


I wasn't sure what I was expecting, or even looking for, and to be honest, I mostly wanted to watch a story with Sasaki Kuranosuke in it; I usually find new stories to watch or new actors/actresses to follow by following other actors/actresses that I already enjoy watching. And Sasaki Kuranosuke did not disappoint! This story is heartwarming and gut wrenching, very raw and relatable, unique and honest, respectful and absolutely beautiful. I saw a brand new Kyoto that I've never seen from other videos or guide books.


I really liked watching the connections between an "outsider" and the community form, it was interesting to watch the relationship between father and daughter grow as well. I think the story did a wonderful job of showing a new relationship between a father and daughter as adults quite well! It can be a challenging thing to see your child as an adult, and to treat them as such; but this story really did a fantastic job of showing how strong, hard, dedicated, fun, and respectful work can pay off in the end... in any type of relationship!


I think the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, nothing too dramatic honestly, but it definitely left me wanting more of Miyano Miyako, Kakinoki Kukichi, and Kyoto! I liked hearing the Kyoto dialect, it was such a strong language yet had it's cute moments, too. I like that this story showed the viewer(s) the history of Kyoto in a fun, modern way while still staying true to their roots! I can't wait to see more!

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Filling -- in Body, Mind, and Soul

Each story leaves the viewer feeling completely satisfied; the emotional bonds of friends, family, colleagues, and general humanity is quite fulfilling to watch from an "outsiders" perspective!


While watching this story it sort of felt like things were building up to the high point, the strong long-awaited climax... however, the show itself didn't really build it up with so many dramatic moments, yet it took them in stride -- slowly, calmly, while building a strong and firm base as if to keep the show moving forward and to build an emotional, physical, and mental bond between the coworkers, friends, owner, and customers of Pas Mal. Each customer had their own mystery, which was really nice to see from a human standpoint instead of from a major crimes/police detective genre. This show itself, I believe, fits the slice-of-life, coming of age, mystery, relationship, lgbtq+, and even familial genres; and a few more, I just can't think of them right now (sorry!).


Each mysteryious worry of the customers was wonderful to watch build a rapport and relationship with the coworkers of Pas Mal, the owner, and a strong respect for their customers; as well as each other! There were not any dramatical, epic twists and turns within the stories, but I still couldn't guess ahead of the plotline. Each mystery was wonderfully preserved until the final few moments of the episode, and the finale episode, too, of course! It was nice to see a show about genuine, respectful, honest, unique, imaginative, and charming people; the cast fit so well together I thought I was watching a live recording of real people instead of a show. The story really flowed impeccably well! Not one moment did I feel lost, confused, or like I was stupid for not understanding any terms of a Chef, French or otherwise.


This show really highlights the ups and downs of humanity; trust, companionship, friends and lovers, colleagues, past and future lifestyles, taking those big, scary leaps forward without knowing what would happen next... While keeping the viewer very grounded, very "close to home" while also being on the edge of their seats! I really hope more people enjoy this fabulous show! Especially if you're a fan of anyone in the cast; it is a very fantastic show!

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Mysteriously Unprecedented

This story is amazing. I'm not exactly sure how though..... It's uncanny how dramatic it was despite only being three episodes long. I'm not sure if he's stupid or a complete genius! The story of how Sunday's grew was really intense and interesting to watch!


A few terms I couldn't understand, but I think that is just a personal problem because of my disability (Sensory Processing Disorder) so I don't think EVERYONE that watches this show will be confused or misunderstand. It was really incredible to watch the journey of everyone involved as they tried their hardest to gather information, tools, and companions within and outside of the company. Watching people grow as the company did was really fun to watch!

As each person overcame their own difficulties and helped the company grow as well, it really was like the show's title!

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Differences in Kawaii

Everyone has their own idea of what cute is and isn't, everyone has their own thoughts about themselves whether that be self confidence, courage, low self esteem, or bravery to try something new. This show really shined a bright light on what people cherish and how they can be a better version of themselves!


This story is something completely different than what I've seen before, but it does have some feelings of familiarity -- like bits and pieces were taken from different dramas and movies, nothing too huge to be obvious but little pieces were oddly similar to other story's I've seen. The dramatics of this show are completely different to normal slice-of-life or in the office dramatics; this story showed a very honest, raw, very genuine human way of living after finding ourselves lost or disappointed, and how we can build ourselves up to try again!


This is a wonderful story that shows how even if you hate where you are right now, you can still make the best of situations and create something new and fantastic for yourself!

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Life Lessons Disguised

I have to admit that this show is definitely not what I thought it would be! And I am so glad I chose to watch such a fantastic show. At the beginning, I thought this show would be something like "management takeover" to create new life in a dying town, but I was completely mistaken... This show is much more than just "creating new" life, or anything else, for that matter!


This story is hard for me to decide if it's about coming of age, slice-of-life, midlife crisis, or human connection.... Or maybe it's a mix of all of those. Somehow creating a life for yourself, no matter where you are - new or old - with new friends or old acquaintances, starting from scratch or building up from the middle... This show is really an honest, raw, genuine, open, unique, and lovely tale of how to pick yourself no matter what the circumstances and to "bloom" no matter what, no matter where, and no matter how.


Each person has their own circumstances, some are painful and some are hard; while some are misunderstood or make other people envious. Life is full of hard lessons to learn and sometimes you can't escape those lessons no matter what, so sometimes a fresh start is necessary! It was really wonderful to see how a "new person" could count as that "fresh start" for many people and somehow even the town itself. It was really refreshing to see a story in a genre like slice-of-life or coming of age not be saturated in romance or cheesy dramatics, but for it to be like "life in general" and to show that yes even in a drama these are issues faced in real life... It was amazing to watch how everyone handled themselves and grew as an individual, friend, family member, lover, and community member. To see how people handled different issues all around them so differently, yet still clinging on to community for help or friends for companionship was wonderful. Especially during these difficult covid-era times!


I think this show is underrated, and with such a stunning cast and fantastic story, I can't imagine why. To watch life like this from an outsiders point of view somehow felt embarrassing, yet I also felt like I gained a few new perspectives and outlooks on life.

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Becoming a Crow

This show itself is a fantastic stand-alone story because it is one, however, the more I watched the show (from beginning to the end) I couldn't help but find some similarities between this story and a couple of other drama's I have seen within the court/lawyer/investigator genre. Which only fueled my interest and admiration for this show!


Some similarities lie within the cast and others within the "feel of the story", and the story itself. I left a few recommendations for this show on the recommendations page, and they may clarify for other viewers what I mean if they choose to look into the recommendations made. Also, if someone has any difference in opinions or shows that are similar, I would like to hear from anyone, if you feel comfortable enough to message or comment to me, that is.


The seriousness and the humor are a perfect balance, with each episode just as the moment became too dark and mysterious, someone within the "Ichikei" team managed to lighten the mood; whether that be with humor, a confident speech, a story that seemingly has nothing to do with the topic at hand, or just a simple "i agree" as a form of "back up" to whatever plan was created or a person in general. It was really nice seeing everyone within the "Ichikei" team as main characters. Even though it is listed that there are only two main characters throughout the show, I couldn't help but disagree. Everyone within the "Ichikei" team seemed to be "main characters" as per my own definition; the spotlight really never specifically seemed to focus on one person in particular, and none of the characters seemed to fight over who would be most important or more involved as the "main person".


The relationship within each case, and each episode, was obviously built with tangible respect, kindness, and honesty. No matter the rank of the actor/actress held in the story: clerk, judge, lawyer, prosecutor, criminal, civilian, victim, defendant, etc. It felt like the show was continuously giving life lessons within each episode, though as very comforting, self-illustrated children's books (you'll know what i mean if you watch lol). Nothing spoken about in the show, and nothing that happened was too cheesy, confusing, or hard to understand; the show progressed at a very even and thorough pace. Not one bit of this story feels left out or left behind; though the end was a bit of a cliffhanger... I, too, would very much like to see what kind of judge(s) Sakama Chizuru and Iruma Michio will become!


I do like that they took this drama, not from a criminal or law perspective, but from the judge's perspective. It was nice to see human issues that I could relate to in a show that I really liked. The weight of judging a person, the weight of having a stranger's life in your hands, their future, is really terrifying! After watching this show I feel like I can see the truth and honesty of humanity with a very raw, genuine, and unique sight. After watching this show, I feel like I can hold myself to a higher purpose; making sure I always tell the truth, and things of that nature. I'm not going out to pursue the job of a clerk, judge, lawyer, or prosecutor. But I do have to say that this show left a very strong impression on me; something very deep, very beautiful, and very honest. This show is a must watch! You will laugh, cry, get angry, worry, and almost become a detective; it is a very enthralling, mysterious, charming, intense, and immensely entertaining show!

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Science and Fantasy

A very unorthodox show, but definitely really interesting! The story is quite original, I can't really say I've seen anything like that, though this show does feel vaguely familiar the more I watched it. The characters were super intense, they all portrayed their roles which sometimes felt exaggerated but when you watch the story from episode one to the finale, their intensity and energy builds and builds until to the climax!


The music really fueled the suspense and mystery of the story. There were so many twists and turns, about 40% of them felt a little over the top and unbelievable but the rest of the show's story was really incredible to watch! The imagination of the creators, director, writers, and rest of the staff and actors/actresses during this show's filming was really wonderful. Everyone did their job so ridiculously well that the story automatically sucks you in from episode 1!


I do think this show is a little underrated, but that's probably because it's "an older show" (2012 is "older" now? lol) so a lot of the filming, fashion, characters, etc may feel a little outdated or may make some viewers see the show as "ridiculous" in some parts; which I can understand, but please do not let that stop you from watching a very intricate, interesting, and imaginative show that is full of the mysteries of the unexplained --- and science, too!

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