About KDrama: Lunch Box (2015)

Memasak itu seperti menulis sebuah surat

(Yong)

Cepot numpang mlipir dimari

Kadang wedrama Korea menarik buat disimak dan mini drama ini salah satu drama yang menurutku patut buat dilihat. Bukan hanya karena temanya berkisar tentang makanan, tapi drama ini khususnya menceritakan tentang makanan halal. Wait, tentang makanan halal di Korea? Tumben banget kan. Selidik-selidik drama ini memang dibuat untuk promosi makanan halal di Korea yang diprakarsai K-Food Fair 2015.

Dimakan dong, mbak. Halal kok

Untuk ide cerita, simple aja drama ini tentang cowo Korea yang suka dengan cewe Indonesia dan kebetulan juga, cowo ini anak pemilik kedai makanan. Jadi, dia pengen banget kalo cewe yang disukai makan masakan buatannya. Tapi, cewe tersebut terus-terusan nolak makanan yang saban hari ditinggalin cowo itu di lokernya karena mamanya cewe itu pesen kalo makanan itu kali-kali aja ngga halal, berhubung ada kemungkinan cowo itu ngga tau soal masakan halal. Padahal si cowo diam-diam udah belajar tentang makanan halal, bela-belain latian buat masak makanan halal terus belanja bahan masakan halal di toko yang sama dengan si cewe. Intinya, si cowo mati-matian berusaha supaya si cewe mau makan masakannya, Well, sederhana aja kan ceritanya.

Karakter yang gue suka banget disini

Drama ini juga tergolong pendek banget, cuman 3 episode. Tapi, menurutku ya udah lumayan lah, ngga lebai. Kayak average romance story. Boy meets a girl. The boy falls in love with the girl. The boy struggled to get attention from the girl. Gitu aja. Nilai plus drama ini ya karena bisa liat kalo makanan halal udah mulai diperhatikan di Korea sana. Untuk karakternya, cuman ada lima karakter yang bisa dibilang utama di drama ini. Si cowo bernama Yong yang diperankan Ji Soo, si cewe bernama Yulia yang diperankan Amelia Tantono, bapaknya Yong yang diperankan Kang Suemin, temannya Yulia yang diperankan Anisa Luthflarrahman, dan pemilik toko yang diperankan Jo Jeahyun. Satu-satunya orang yang kutahu cuman Jo Jeahyun, hahaha.

Overall, drama ini asik ditonton. Lagian running time-nya cuman bentar doang, ngga sampe 1 jam kayaknya. Bisa liat makanan halal yang dimasak orang Korea, why not? anyway, the drama could be watched in here

Credits:

K-Food Fair 2015 @ youtube

About JDrama: Mayonaka no Panya-san/ Midnight Bakery (2013)

The midnight bakery, Boulangerie Kurebayashi, will light a little lamp for you every night

(Kurebayashi Yousuke)

Based on novel "Mayonaka no Panya-san" by Noriko Oonuma

Director: Taku Ohara and Takayasu Enokido

Screenwriter: Terada Toshie

Stars: Takizawa Hideaki, Kiriyama Akito, Tsuchiya Tao

Episodes: 8

Broadcast Network: NHK

Sinopsis: Kurebayashi Yousuke is the owner of a bakery that only opens at midnight (wiki.d-addicts.com)

I'm focusing to see the bread here

Japanese and Pan/ Bread has an interesting relationship. I mean, while rice is their number one food in daily life, bread gradually become the second consumed-food in their daily basis. The topic about how important bread for Japanese people can also be seen in the some doramas which often depicted about the dream of Japanese people to be the best baker or to have the best in Japan. This drama, while the focus doesn't show about how to be the best baker or bakery, it talks about the bakery shop which opens at midnght and how the bakery become a shelter for some people who especially doesn't have a place to rest after their day routine. While the topic is simple, this drama does not fail to present the heart-warming episodes which are comforting for me. The conflicts in the drama are also quite various and imaginable. There are bullying, stalking issue, fraud, etc. But, every issue can be solved peacefully.

His photo is killing me

Also, it's been years for me to see Takizawa Hideaki. He's used to be an idol several years ago with the all dramas have him in it. Then, it's kinda nostalgic for me when I saw him in this drama. In addition, I think this drama is quite a 'tame' drama for him since his old dramas seem to have deeper issues. Yet, it doesn't mean that this is bad drama, it's good and nice. And yeah, I feel like the drama give me a bonus with the appearance of Muro Tsuyoshi. How I love him in any of his single appearance, he never failed to amaze me with his character. And, in this drama, he played as Sophia, who has an adorable and cute presence. Sophia is eventually my favorite character in here and I love how Sophia help some characters in here to face their problems. 

Shipping Hiroki and Nozomi real hard

Another thing about the drama, I'd hope that there will be something happened between the character of Hiroki and Nozomi in here because I think that there will be a cute couple. But, nothing's really happened in here. They give you this and that notions but, there is nothing happened or it's just my wishful thinking or it has something to do with the character of Nozomi who's still a minor. If there's another season about this, I'd hope that there will be a highlight about the Hiroki and Nozomi's relationship, haha. Well, it just has 8 episodes and worth to try, imo.The cute voice of Emi Evans in the ending credits is also a plus, for me. 

About JDrama: Gochisousan (2013-2014)

To live is to eat

(Uno Meiko)

Director: Kimura Takafumi and Kobayashi Daiji

Screenwriter: Morishita Yoshiko

Stars: Watanabe Anne, Higashide Masahiro, Takahata Mitsuki, Suda Masaki, Nishihata Daigo

Episodes: 150

Broadcast Network: NHK

Aired Time: Sept 30, 2013 until March 29, 2014

Sinopsis: Meiji 44th year. Meiko is the daughter of Daigo, who owns a western restaurant in Tokyo. She loves to eat the omelette prepared by Daigo, and the nukaduke (pickles) prepared by her mother, Iku. Theirs is a warm, close knitted family and Meiko's love for food grows with age. Even now, when she is in an all-girls' high school, her mind is filled with thoughts of food all the time. Due to that, Yutaro, the university student who is boarding at the Uno's home, scathingly calls Meiko; "a person with no charms whatsoever". However, as Meiko changes from someone who loves to eat, to a person who loves to prepare food for others to eat, she starts to display an inner strength as foretold by her mother and her grandmother, "To crave for food is to have the will to live. The stronger the craving, the greater the will". Those are the words that help to encourage Meiko and her loved ones as they go through all the trials and tribulations in the lives (NHK)

perfect omelette from episode 1

My second asadora after Oshin and this is about the food. Oh, how I love this asadora. For the very first time, this asadora presents you with a feast of food and gradually makes you drool over the food. The story of this asadora is also good. Since the setting is around Meiji era and Osaka, you can see the life of Japanese people in the past and also you will be encountered with Osaka accent everywhere. My admiration toward this accent is also adding up, somehow this accent makes the ones who say it kinda adorable, imo. Oh ya, the relationship between the hero and the heroine in this drama is also cute and it's not surprising that Watanabe Anne and Higashide Masahiro eventually married in the real life. They have a strong chemistry and I'd hope their marriage will be long lasting. Okay, back to drama. Since this is an asadora, then you'll an extra time to watch all of the episodes. 

even raw fishes look so good

But, since the running time per episode is just 15 minutes, then it won't be long to finish all episodes. Then, about the plot, this is basically about the life of Uno Meiko, from her childhood to her adulthood. She's married with Nishikado Yutaro and changed her name to Nishikado Meiko. She has a loving and warm childhood, gathered with people who care about her and filled her with good food and that's what makes her into a kindness and food-oriented person. Then, she meet a young man from Osaka, who later become her husband. Her life is changed, after she followed her husband to Osaka. During her marriage, she is faced by many obstacles but, she can pass them through with her strong determination and support from her loved ones. But then, the war makes everything worse and she has to meet with an unfortunate incident that makes her hated American so much. Yet, this thing is gradually change by the power over food. Food is not only made for eating, but it can be used by uniting people. Imo, this is the message that drama carried on. The journey of Meiko's life is full of happiness, sadness, and love which makes the drama lovable. The conflicts when Meiko started to live in Nishikado family are also heart-wrecking. I'd like to see the character of Kazue in this drama, the relationship between her and Meiko is never good but, eventually she is the one who support Meiko when Meiko lost her house during the war. Then, about Meiko itself, she's famous for being 'Gochisousan'. Gochisousan is taken from Gochisousama which means 'thank you for the food. She's the one who's not hesitate in sharing her food to the ones who need it. Even though, she has some rough situations, she never forget to give food to other people. I imagine how magnificent the character of Meiko, supported by the war situation which can be harsh for some people.

However, the food made by Meiko never failed to touch the people's hearts. Food is the source of life that help us to continue for living and you know for sure, that's the truth. Every single day, we need to eat to keep living yet, in the real life, it's sad that there are some people who can't eat properly, or worse, they died of starvation. This drama shows me the powerof food and not to waste food. In sum, this asadora is definitely recommended for everyone. You can see the Japanese people's life in the past, warmful relationship between Japanese people, and an abundance of delicious food.

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.