Drama Digest
Meet Ikeda Yoshimi, a 28-year-old literary magazine editor with a passion for otome games and a fondness for handsome gentlemen. Surprisingly, she’s been assigned to oversee a gourmet magazine, despite her struggle with tiny portions. Intriguingly, Yoshimi discovers that her appetite miraculously blossoms when dining with attractive men, inspiring her quest for what she calls “handsome cuisine” to elevate her dining experiences.
The Feel-Good Part
This show is an absolute delight to watch, offering a carefree and entertaining experience reminiscent of manga. It’s a wonderfully lighthearted drama that I find it hard to believe some folks can take seriously – it’s just that enjoyable! I particularly appreciated the diverse range of handsome characters (ikemen) it showcased.
The Disappointing Factor
There were a few stereotypes that were portrayed in the series, which the viewers did not like.
In-Depth Analysis
This show belongs to a unique category of Japanese scripted dramas where people eat food, somewhat similar to a mukbang but with a bit of a story. In this series, Miwako plays Yoshimi, a single woman in her late twenties who’s obsessed with a dating simulation game called “otome.” She works as a writer for a magazine and doesn’t eat much. However, in the first episode, she discovers that watching an attractive guy eat makes her hungry (not just for food, but the show hints at more without getting too explicit – it’s family-friendly). The episodes follow a repetitive pattern: a scene at the magazine office, then lunch with Yoshimi noticing the handsome guy of the week, daydreaming about a romantic encounter, getting inspired to eat heartily after watching him eat, and finally, a scene with her alone at her apartment playing her otome game. Most of the acting involves Yoshimi staying quiet and expressing her thoughts through voice-over narration.
Star Power
The cast was cool to watch. Kakei Miwako played the role of Ikeda Yoshimi, Inoue Yuki played the role of Hosomi Kento, Takenaka Naoto played the role of Koji Shin, Akiyama Yuzuki played the role of Hori Mizuki, Nishime Shun played the role of Katagiri Katsuhiko, and Nishina Takashi played the role of Higuchi.
Overall Opinion
It’s a harmless and cool show.
