About JDrama: Ando Natsu (2008)

Your feelings are communicated to your hands, and it shows in the sweets

(Umekichi Yasuda)

Based on manga entitled Ando Natsu by Nishi Yuji

Director: Takemura Kentaro, Sakai Masahiro, Hori Hideki

Screenwriter: Osagawa Chikako

Stars: Kanjiya Shihori, Kunimura Jun, Omi Toshinori, Fubuki Jun

Episodes: 12

Broadcast network: TBS

Aired time: July 7, 2008 to September 22, 2008

Sinopsis: Ando Natsu, whose dream is to become a patissiere, finds herself jobless after the shop owner's sudden death. She goes to Tokyo in search of another job at a confectionery but the recruiting period has ended and there are no available positions. This is when she makes her first encounters with the well-established Japanese confectionary "Mangetsudo". It is run by the veteran confectioner Umekichi, Takezo, and Mitsuko, and they happened to be looking for a part-time worker. A number of chance events follow and Natsu starts working at Mangetsudo. Although her job is to serve customers, Natsu becomes interested in the world of Japanese confection. Having only worked in cake shops, everything is new to her and she is gradualy drawn into deepness and profoundness of Japanese confection. (TBS)

If you're into drama and food, then you're in the right track! This sweet and warmful drama will fulfil you with its episodes which describe you about the life of wagashi chef. Then, who is wagashi chef? wagashi chef is the chef who specialize in making Japanese sweets. Well, for me, the first time I saw this drama, I just find out about the life of wagashi chef. Honestly, at the first time, I didn't think that they had this much dedication in making sweets. You need to be apprentice for years to be the expert in making sweets and you need to learn about some techniques in creating a new wagashi. This drama teaches me well about those things. Actually, that's not the only thing that you can find in the drama, you can also see the life of people around Asakusa Temple and how they are living in that area which is famous as a place which has to be visited for the tourists. The Japanese culture is also something that is highlighted in the drama. Well, you can see how these people carry their culture, preserve their communities, and help each other. Basically, this is a heartwarming drama that will show the life of Japanese people, especially the ones who live around Asakusa Temple.

The casts for the drama are also brilliant, They can reflect the life of Japanese naturally. Well, mostly, most of the JDrama basically are slice-of-life drama which will present you the drama as real as it is. But, this one really feels so natural, no exaggerating conflict and etc. since the drama is all about the problems that you may have in your life. Definitely recommended for the one who loves to see the drama with Japanese culture in it, especially related to the Japanese confectionary.