Into The Foodie Realm with Alice Hirose in “Shitsuren Meshi”

There is a subgenre of food-related dramas which, unlike, say a restaurant themed drama which does focus on food dishes but is more about a story, is more like a foodie blog, where the drama PLOT is virtually nil and the entire drama is set up to showcase a certain food dish, specialty, or place...

Must confess how much these kind of dramas bore me- think the only one I really watched with any interest was “Ramen Daisuki Koizumi San” but have since passed up on later ones, which seem to be getting more and more ubiquitous!!!

So when I saw the banner for the new drama “Shitsuren Meshi” and read the synopsis, it screamed “FOODIE BLOG DRAMA” and I intended to steer clear of it. Only after seeing a video preview did I realize the girl in the banner doing the Fujiya Peko-chan imitation was none other than Alice Hirose, it did not look like her at ALL!!!

OK, if Alice Hirose was the girl in the drama, well, I needed to watch it. I LOVE Alice and there’s not enough of her in shows nowadays, so Shitsuren was put on my watch list! 

And after grabbing and watching the first episode, I’m happy to report that Alice’s fun, SPAZZY charisma is enough to buoy the show and keep me entertained and interested, even throughout the expected foodie blather and the waxing philosophical which follows!!

Alice stars as Miki Kimimaru, an illustrator for a free magazine, doing a serialized comic called Shitsuren Meshi in it, dealing with breakups and how a specific meal can cheer you up and inspire you.

Her superior Sato (Asami Usuda)is waiting for Miki’s latest installment but she’s in a slump because she has no new tales of breakup woe. Looking for a scoop, she ventures to a romance-wishing temple and looks over the wishes tied onto the branches of the trees.

While giving offering to the temple, she is joined by a forlorn looking girl (Mugi Kadowaki) who is clearly coming off a bad breakup, at least by the amount of coins and prayers she makes!

Inspired, Miki follows this girl in anticipation of her next story and sure enough, the heartbroken girl makes her way to a hole in the wall eatery!

BINGO!

Now to get that Heartbreak SCOOP!

She ventures inside and orders the same Miso meal the girl does. Through small talk, Miki invites herself to chat with the girl over her love life and hears her breakup tale. 

But when the two dig into the meal, it’s THEN that spirits are lifted and the girl finds new resolve to give it another go!

After the meal is over, Miki offers to pay for it in exchange for her story, She explains about her comic and the magazine, and is given permission to go ahead!

And so it is that that night Miki crafts her latest tale of how food can heal a soul, and even ends with the girl getting a “happy ending” of sorts in her comic!

Was so surprised to see Mugi here, as you know, I’m a huge fan of hers and have been enjoying her performance as the mysterious Raika in the Masaki Suda drama “Mystery to Iunakare” and it was great to see her again!

Looking over the asianwiki Stats, looks like there will be a bunch of great guest stars to come, including Sakurako Konishi, Toko Miura, Karen Omoto and a BIG fave of mine, Mai Fukugawa!

Foodie business aside, looks like I’ll be enjoying this one!

PS: I watched the whole episode thinking one of Miki’s co-workers Kouko, was played by Reina Triendl...Imagine my surprise looking over the credits and seeing Nico Ando listed instead! 

All these "hapa" girls look the same to me, LOLOL

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com