After a workaholic govt employee gets a post-dated letter from his deceased grandmother, he visits her estate and meets a young man who had been helping her compile a travel diary by cooking dishes from different countries together. Saddened that his grandmother couldn’t finish her culinary journey around the world, the man decides to continue her dream by cooking the dishes she planned on making.
Spread over 12 episodes, the Japanese series “Zenra Meshi”/”Naked Dining” Directed by Kato Ayaka starts off as a quirky slice-of-life story about how to men bond over food. Kondo Shori plays Ichijo Sota, who works overtime every day and lets off steam by having his meals naked at home, as he finds it liberating. The background music every time he gets (un)dressed is hilariously apt and adds a fun comical effect each time Sota gets an opportunity to eat alone. Yutaro plays Miki Mahiro, the sweet man who runs a vegetable shop and helps Sota in his culinary journey, just like he did with his granny.
The first few episodes of “Zenra Meshi” were breezy and would appeal to those who like leisurely paced contemporary romances. Food plays a crucial ingredient in the tale and it’s quite delightful to watch two virtual strangers become close friends as they bond over cooking meals. The ancestral property of Ichijo’s grandmother is a lovely traditional Japanese home, serving as a pleasant backdrop for most part of the series. After a hectic week of overtime at his Tokyo job, Sota catches a train to his granny’s village for the weekend and her home becomes a retreat for him.
Unfortunately, the writers make the plot a little messy from episode seven onward. Sota’s colleague from work, called Komachi Shimizu (played by Katayam Yuki), has a massive crush on him and creates unnecessary complications in Sota’s life. While she may seem like a cute little puppy, she is actually a manipulative snake who slithers into Sota’s personal space, despite knowing that he has no interest in her. The subplot involving her doesn’t sit well within the story and could have been developed in a better way.
The creators should’ve ideally wrapped up “Zenra Meshi” in ten episodes, instead of dragging it out with silly misunderstandings between the lead characters towards the end.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me.
