Queen Of Lunch Time

Japanese, 12 Episodes, 2002

Starring:

Takeuchi Yuko as Mugita Natsumi

Eguchi Yosuke as Nabeshima Yujiro
Tsumabuki Satoshi as Nabeshima Junzaburo
Tomohisa Yamashita as Nabeshima Koshiro

The love for food and the perseverance to maintain the good name handed down from generation to the next in this small Japanese family owned western food outlet are some of the themes that make this series so attractive. Of course, it is always with good cinematograhy, excellent acting by the main casts and a memorable soundtrack to further deepen the audiences' empathy towards the characters and the situations they are in which actually complete the whole package.

I was particularly interested in the structure and the way the story unfolds whereby lots of flashbacks were used to re-inforce your understanding towards the characters and how they feel in situations. The whole series is very much contained within the food and restaurant side of the story and it does not lose its focus and try to expand beyond what is necessary like some series may tend to end up with towards the end. It is fun to watch partly because Takeuchi Yuko's character is very lovable yet it is also very much grounded when it comes to issues that she needs to come face to face with towards the end of her stay at the male-dominated Nabeshima household. She became the anchor to the story.

If you love food and the passion in painstakingly (but with utmost pleasure and pride) preparing a great meal / lunch, this is definitely a must watch for you!

song titled: Morihana Shojo Hayashi
sung by: Yosui Inoue

Take a listen