Latest Aozora Restaurant: 7/22/2023. It's a rainy day in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture. And another first-time guest: Fuwa-chan, my number-one nemesis. I may have predicted otherwise but she is NOT going away for some time.
Anyway, this week features wasabi. No idea how they can ingest that much freshly ground from the root and not melt into goo. That shit's spicy! Lotta good stuff: condiments for meats and all. The wasabi tartar sauce mayonnaise is something as the topping for chicken nanban.
New Aozora Restaurant: 7/15/2023. Pork in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka-ken. And it's another first-time appearance for one of them comedy duos! Too lazy to do a search on them -- they all feel the same to me.
A much-appreciated break from veggies, btw. A big ol' pig farm with Fujisan looming about is a helluva image. And you can't miss with pork: stir fry, cabbage wraps, xiaolongbao, capped with sausages for the kampai feast! BTW the campsite employee is real cute cooking with the guys.
Latest Aozora Restaurant: 7/8/2023. The show took a week off but we're back again! Daisuke returns to Nagahama, Shiga-ken for Biwa trout. Returning guest is Kendo Kobayashi, who I swore was a former pro wrestler but is actually another one of them Yoshimoto funny guys. His wiki said he played rugby in high school, which also fits.
It's Biwa trout once more, but farmed. Has that salmon color, curious as to its taste. Whole lotta fried stuff here: korokke, a fried diced potato, and sushi.
A new special item debuts: the Kampai Set, featuring items in previous episodes. Not as ostentatious as the Osechi box -- "only" one layer and nine items total -- but at least everyone gets their own to eat with their glass(es) of Sapporo beer.
6/17/2023. Veggie month continues in Okinawa -- the first visit to the Kingdom in nine years! It's an all-star cast of Okinawan produce, including the classic Goya bitter melon and apple banana. Actress Sakurai Hinako joins Daisuke. Champuru, apple banana spring rolls, and stuffed goya with tarter sauce are among the dishes.
6/24/2023. Part two of the Okinawan adventure. Nakajima Yuto of Hey! Say! Jump arrives to the set via zip line. Two Okinawan classics are featured: umibudo (sea grapes) and "snack pine" pineapples. Umibudo acts as a good garnish but the mini pineapples are used well in pork kakuni and baked pie.
Sadly.. the ending is just like lost.. aka POINTLESS lol
Got it. I get the impression that a lot of drama conclusions are ruined by meddling from non-creative upper management types. Too bad: it’s a helluva all-star cast.
Sadly.. the ending is just like lost.. aka POINTLESS lol
I’m only two episodes in and yeah, I already got bad vibes. My usual policy is to watch a drama to the bitter end once I finished the first episode. I have only broken that rule one or two times. Maybe one more. Maybe…
I began watching this on the recommendation of a long-time connoisseur of J-dramas. SEIGI came out when I wasn't watching but a couple shows a year so all of this is brand new to me, despite being familiar with almost the entire cast.
Yes, the whole ijimeru aspect can be a tired cliche and at times I was rolling my eyes at the extremes of the torture. But man, Shida Mirai is a REVELATION here. I've only seen her in supporting roles, most of them brief and straight. She's an absolute pistol in this role. I can NOT believe the amount of energy she expends in almost every scene -- ahh, seishun!
5/27/2023: Chigasaki, Kanagawa-ken. It's Italian-style tomatoes with (are you ready for this...) another comedy duo, Tensai Pianist. These tomatoes aren't the usual round kind but more slim and compact. Dishes are the usual comfort variety: poke (!), pork wraps, and toasting with a pasta pescatore dish.
6/3/2023: Goka, Ibaraki-ken. Daisuke and frequent guest Kaneko Takatoshi visit a small honey farm. The menu includes ginger ale, honey cheese toast, honey mustard chicken (my vote for most valuable dish in this episode). Kanpai dish is honey simmered spareribs. The meat looked nice and tender here.
I had great trepidation with Fuwa-chan at the helm in Episode 8. But gotta say: some of those “streaming channels” were terrific. Stoopid humor at its most stoopid.
New Aozora Restaurant: 5/20/2023. In scenic Shirakawa village in Gifu. It's tofu, a rock-solid type that looks like cheese. Guest is Jinguji from one of them Johnnys groups (King & Prince) that still feel new to me but has probably been around for more than a decade. All kinds of stuff -- I think the one I'd like to sample the most is the tofu katsu, followed by that mabodofu, provided it isn't spicy to the point of death.
New Aozora Restaurant: 5/13/2023. Daisuke is in Kashiwazaki, Niigata. Making another appearance is comedy duo (aren't they all??!) Ginshari. It's off to the mountains to forage for Sansai "mountain vegetables."
What's the name of the actress that played Maririn? I didn't find it in the cast list :/
Asami Mizukawa. She first appeared in Episode 3 and credited as "mystery lady." She was the one dressed in black watching A-chin/Miipon/Nacchi/Rena drive away from the conbini (https://www.ntv.co.jp/brushup-life/images/story/03/05.jpg). Assume the cast list is kept that way due to spoilers in later episodes.
4/29/2023: Utsunomiya, Tochigi. Another comedy duo, Mitorizu, gets to dig up takenoko in the mountains. You have to strip several layers before getting to the edible part but it does look pretty good, even just plain ol' "sashimi" style. Other dishes look pretty good too: tempura, stuffed with hamburger, pork menma stir fry, and concluding with a varied chirashi sushi.
5/6/2023. Episode #700 is in Susaki, Kochi. Guest is Mizuki Nana, who has been narrating Aozora Restaurant episodes from the very beginning. Asked a coworker about her seiyu bona fides -- apparently she's a legit yokozuna of the genre. Nana and Daisuke visit a place that farms Kanpachi. Looks like she had good fun at feeding time. Of course the sashimi looked fantastic but I would like to have tried the kama shioyaki as well. Mizuki also made a chowder soup. Kanpai dish was Kanpachi Daikon teishoku. Overall, a really appetizing episode!
Low-key hilarious detail: Maririn's 4th-gen airplane dashboard in grade school was far, FAR superior to the one constructed by Fukuhara Haruka in MAI AGARE.
Anyway, this week features wasabi. No idea how they can ingest that much freshly ground from the root and not melt into goo. That shit's spicy! Lotta good stuff: condiments for meats and all. The wasabi tartar sauce mayonnaise is something as the topping for chicken nanban.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913423p9f95mow2mzeq.html
https://twitter.com/NGN_TV/status/1673762174546882562
A much-appreciated break from veggies, btw. A big ol' pig farm with Fujisan looming about is a helluva image. And you can't miss with pork: stir fry, cabbage wraps, xiaolongbao, capped with sausages for the kampai feast! BTW the campsite employee is real cute cooking with the guys.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/191349c5jyurmnqi5jyt.html
It's Biwa trout once more, but farmed. Has that salmon color, curious as to its taste. Whole lotta fried stuff here: korokke, a fried diced potato, and sushi.
A new special item debuts: the Kampai Set, featuring items in previous episodes. Not as ostentatious as the Osechi box -- "only" one layer and nine items total -- but at least everyone gets their own to eat with their glass(es) of Sapporo beer.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913cb131slz6tt37rct.html
6/10/2023. Chinese vegetables in Tochigi. A variety of leafy greens harvested by another comedy duo. Bring on the stir fry!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913d05hqmvmc56cupze.html
6/17/2023. Veggie month continues in Okinawa -- the first visit to the Kingdom in nine years! It's an all-star cast of Okinawan produce, including the classic Goya bitter melon and apple banana. Actress Sakurai Hinako joins Daisuke. Champuru, apple banana spring rolls, and stuffed goya with tarter sauce are among the dishes.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913g7y8v88zmqg04tde.html
6/24/2023. Part two of the Okinawan adventure. Nakajima Yuto of Hey! Say! Jump arrives to the set via zip line. Two Okinawan classics are featured: umibudo (sea grapes) and "snack pine" pineapples. Umibudo acts as a good garnish but the mini pineapples are used well in pork kakuni and baked pie.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/19137s336vsxc0m7w695.html
Well, that's a wrap. Gonna be a while until I tackle another asadora.
I've never seen a second of LOST and have no reason for making such a comparison but... This drama sure looks and feels like LOST.
Please don't be like LOST...
Yes, the whole ijimeru aspect can be a tired cliche and at times I was rolling my eyes at the extremes of the torture. But man, Shida Mirai is a REVELATION here. I've only seen her in supporting roles, most of them brief and straight. She's an absolute pistol in this role. I can NOT believe the amount of energy she expends in almost every scene -- ahh, seishun!
5/27/2023: Chigasaki, Kanagawa-ken. It's Italian-style tomatoes with (are you ready for this...) another comedy duo, Tensai Pianist. These tomatoes aren't the usual round kind but more slim and compact. Dishes are the usual comfort variety: poke (!), pork wraps, and toasting with a pasta pescatore dish.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913n9vf7yes0p78bb2s.html
6/3/2023: Goka, Ibaraki-ken. Daisuke and frequent guest Kaneko Takatoshi visit a small honey farm. The menu includes ginger ale, honey cheese toast, honey mustard chicken (my vote for most valuable dish in this episode). Kanpai dish is honey simmered spareribs. The meat looked nice and tender here.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913429otx8z3wqvq8tx.html
https://twitter.com/NGN_TV/status/1664015098137169922
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/191388q6fbojqpn1k8nj.html
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913eem3bpmqzettogr8.html
4/29/2023: Utsunomiya, Tochigi. Another comedy duo, Mitorizu, gets to dig up takenoko in the mountains. You have to strip several layers before getting to the edible part but it does look pretty good, even just plain ol' "sashimi" style. Other dishes look pretty good too: tempura, stuffed with hamburger, pork menma stir fry, and concluding with a varied chirashi sushi.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913myv6d1yuhh831nm0.html
5/6/2023. Episode #700 is in Susaki, Kochi. Guest is Mizuki Nana, who has been narrating Aozora Restaurant episodes from the very beginning. Asked a coworker about her seiyu bona fides -- apparently she's a legit yokozuna of the genre. Nana and Daisuke visit a place that farms Kanpachi. Looks like she had good fun at feeding time. Of course the sashimi looked fantastic but I would like to have tried the kama shioyaki as well. Mizuki also made a chowder soup. Kanpai dish was Kanpachi Daikon teishoku. Overall, a really appetizing episode!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913phztxk9xjtr32xqg.html