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| Haru Kuroki as Mio |
Starring Haru Kuroki in the Keiko Kitagawa role of Mio, the drama picks up where the last special left off, and though I was unaware that it was the third in the series when I began watching it, so many past events and people were alluded to in the course of the show that I knew it HAD to be a sequel of some kind!
Not that it was confusing or any problem to watch- the show was very keen on making a new viewer very comfortable and informed about what was going on and who everyone was, and I picked up on the storyline easily!
Mi wo Tsukushi Ryouricho tells the tale of a girl without any family who comes to Edo from Osaka and becomes a cook, and though very skilled, her unusual cuisine style (as well as ignorance of Edo ways and customs) makes her journey a slow and difficult one.
She is employed by the kindly Taneichi (Fumiyo Kohinata) at his restaurant where he once served Soba…but with a bad back he has given the cooking reins over to his young charge. Though she is flustering the regular patrons with her unfamiliar dishes and ingredients, Taneichi believes in Mio and always supports her decisions and food choices.
If only they would TASTE her food then they would realize how special her cooking is, but no one wants to give the odd girl and her equally odd specials a chance. It’s only through clever means that she is able to ‘trick” the townspeople into tasting her dishes, and naturally once they eat it, they are fans for life!
Each episode shows her creating a new kind of dish to try, and with the mysterious and gruff samurai Komatsubara (Mirai Moriyama) to critique and guide her, she slowly but surely is able to make a small foothold in the town.
Now, I don’t know how Keiko Kitagawa was in her movies, but I have to say that I REALLY love Haru Kuroki in the role of Mio. I liked her character from the SECOND I saw her, and her sweet and gentle demeanor really soothed my soul and made for a really laid-back and relaxing experience! Now that Tsubaki Bunguten is over, I need a thoughtful and calming drama to watch at the end of my day, and it looks like this is the one!
It’s been awhile since I watched either an NHK asadora OR an NHK Taiga Drama, and Mi wo Tsukushi Ryourichi reminds me so much of those shows. In fact, what it REALLY makes me feel like I’m watching are the old 1980’s “Abarenbo Shogun” series, and I really, really loved those...When they show Mio outside of the restaurant looking out into the village, it takes me right back to those days! Very nostalgic feel!
Also very cute is that after the show is over, they set aside the last few minutes to have a cooking lesson, teaching the viewers how to prepare the meal that was featured in the week’s episode! Such a sweet little show!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
PS: I Suppose I should really try to find and watch the original Keiko Kitagawa movie specials, but somehow I think that Haru Kuroki will always be Mio for me from now on...
