Naked Dining: Love, Life and Liberation

Food as sex substitute?

The show production is professional, as the acting of the cast. And the people know what they do. It is not like being made in an assembly line without any heart in.
A BL show deeply steeped in the arty stereotypes of the target audience, with 1 kinky element of eating without clothes, Naked, probably for effect. Waving the sex flag?
Misunderstandings and exaggerated Japanese codes of conduct then provide twists in the plot ... Only in the last episodes, starting with No 8, the story got more and twists. Especially when 1 one of the leads is following the hetero normatives and start dating his co-worker. 'The flashbaks try to expalain actual reactions, but can´t really except for the yearning of the 2nd lead for his beloved.
I personally have not experienced, not even in my environment, that I would have been so in love with my childhood sweetheart that would let me, or others, live celibate lives until I finally found my love again .... Unreal and really, sorry, a sign that I personally cannot develop. Even if this love would have been as here been requitted (most unlikely!) or if they/we had been in a relation. Thinking of this 1st love stays, but never in such a way. Forgott he had 1 love affair ...
And 1 lead is again imaged as hetero in the beginning and does become gay ... You are gay or bi, You don´t become (touched by the fairy) all of a sudden LGBTQIA+ ... This ultra conservative (AlrTight) hetero pseudo narrative is reproduced in the show again ,,, as in so many other BLs. it's so yawn-inducing! Again you LGBTQIA+ or not. You don´t get "poke, fertilized" all of a sudden (BL) gay.
The ending profane and technical, as in an arranged marriage, even if both remove their clothes to eat ... or even food as a sex substitute? Not even an embrace, after a chaste kissing while sleeping ... Where live these writers? Or what picture do they want to promote?

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A genuinely lovely show, despite its flaws

This series belongs firmly into the "beloved messes" category of media I've consumed - it has some glaring flaws but it also does a lot of things so very right, on top of being damn charming and earnest.
I'm a huge fan of food-centered romances in general so I might be a bit biased, but I strongly believe there is a lot more to enjoy about this show than people are giving it credit for.
The editing, visuals, music, and acting are all incredibly solid and the writing is, for the most part, genuinely excellent.
All the characters feel like fully realised three-dimensional human beings and their struggles and emotions are understandable and relatable.
Mahiro's defensiveness and general distaste towards confronting things head-on are almost painfully realistic and his internal struggle and frustration with himself over his shortcomings will likely hit very close to home for a lot of viewers. He's used to preemptively shielding himself from rejection so when his unrequited attraction suddenly turns out to be returned he has absolutely no idea what to do with himself and freezes every time he wants to openly communicate his feelings. How do you deal with suddenly getting what you want when you weren't prepared for it to ever happen?
Souta, on the other hand, has no such problem; he speaks his mind freely and clearly and is actually a pretty good communicator. It just often takes him a while to fully understand his own feelings which, combined with his inexperience, naturally leads to clashes with skittish Mahiro, who isn't interested in being nothing but a convenient opportunity for Souta to experiment with his sexuality.
Over the course of the show these two go through a lot of conflict and misunderstandings which, in a pleasant twist of fate, serve to further plot and character development rather than to string out the story longer than necessary.

Another strong point of the series is its respect and care for its queer characters. Souta's character arc in particular is incredibly well-written, satisfying to watch, and a fairly accurate depiction of discovering and coming to terms with one's sexuality. It's also a very gentle rumination of self-determination vs conforming to expectations and the many different shapes happiness and satisfaction can take, which I personally absolutely love.
Hao Shan is another stand-out character who adds a lot of humour as well as depth to the story.
Specific descriptors like "gay" or "bisexual" may not be mentioned (as is the case with a lot of queer Asian dramas, unfortunately) but the topic of sexuality and identity is explored much more thoroughly and carefully than it is in many similar shows, which is very much a step in the right direction in my opinion.

Unfortunately the writers also make some big missteps which muddle the story and slightly mess up the pacing at times.
The whole sleeping kiss cliche is a good example. At least it's openly addressed and does drive the plot significantly, but it still feels gross and unneeded.
Komachi's role is similarly dissatisfying, in that her story starts off strong but then goes downhill at the end, and certain things, such as the slap, just hugely detract from my enjoyment of her, no matter how important she is to the story.
Likewise the inclusion of Kosuke during the last two episodes just feels unnecessary and adds a weird element to the get-together scene. Don't get me wrong, I don't think a grand gesture or dramatic confession was needed here, but this strange combination of possessiveness and lack of clear communication feels some-what anticlimactic especially considering how much of the story revolves around the importance of honesty and openness in relationships, and the characters growing as people and learning to convey their wants and needs to one another.
The last two episodes are generally a little all over the place, although they do have some great moments and end on a very satisfying note. Personally I found these annoyances tolerable when weighed against the high quality of the rest of the story, though your mileage may very much vary.

All in all, I consider this show well worth your time despite its issues and if you're a fan of tame slow-burn romances with lots of genuine emotion and depth then you'll find a lot to love here.
This may not be the off-beat, raunchy romp the description suggested it might be, but it is an absolute diamond in the rough with a lot of charm, heart, and interesting things to say - and I think it can and should be appreciated just as it is.

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Do not watch when you're hungry...

Honestly, this show (along with other recent BL shows that featured food as a major plot point) makes me want to learn more about cooking in general. Every single thing they made looked delicious and I especially liked how they tied it into the story here. The idea of traveling the world through food is fun, different and challenging, especially when it requires ingredients that are not native to where you live. And the fact that Sota was doing this to honor his grandmother made it particularly sweet.

The smaller stories within the overall plot were nothing new.. office worker bored with his day to day, a coworker with a crush, the MC having a link to each other via past school life and unrequited love. What I liked was that Sota wasn't against being attracted to a man but rather he was confused because it had never happened before. I don't know how old he is supposed to be in the story but sexual awakenings can happen at any point and I liked that he wasn't just fighting against it because it was a man.

They had a lot of cute moments together though the parts that were meant to feel more intimate felt a bit flat to me. And the one kiss you get (if it can even be considered a kiss) was so anticlimactic.

But besides that, I enjoyed the series very much and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys BLs on the lighter, cutesy side of things.

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Hmmm maybe better with another pairing?

The main premise of the show is described to be centred around Souta's love for “naked dining”, and how another person comes to learn about his secret. But the series doesn’t dwell on this too much throughout the episodes.

Perhaps, in reality, the nakedness is intended to be far more profound, going beyond this silly imagery.

As Souta spends more time cooking the recipes in his grandmother’s book, he discovers his grandmother’s world – a world beyond the colourless and dreadful universe of a salaryman, filled with endless potential.

He also discovers another facet of 'nakedness': being honest with one's feelings and learning to live an authentic life.

Zenra Meshi’s point is this: You should be taking chances and introducing adventure into your life, even if you don’t know whether you will like it or not. And yes, this nifty little metaphor applies not just to cuisines, but also extends to love.

Unfortunately, the romance, with its standard share of misunderstandings and jealousy, came off as superficial and formulaic. While some kind of character development was hinted at for Souta, the storyline couldn’t quite capture why or how the change was meaningful.

The questionable chemistry between the male leads – but perhaps this is an issue with the casting rather than the actual premise of the show – also explained why some scenes fell flat.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/07/23/zenra-meshi-2023-bl-review/

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Started good. Got muddled in the middle. Ended on an okay note.

When I started this series, I told myself that 'Maybe this was going to become my first ten for BL's this year!' This was my thought as it started off on an excellent note. But then, the middle happened.

I have said this numerous times- I HATE miscommunication. And that is what happened in this series. When I thought that they were actually going to get together- you get miscommunication upon miscommunication. They see things, but never fully approach one another to clear it up. They (or mostly I guess Souta), takes things at face value and just believes what he sees until it is cleared up later. And by then, it's a wee bit too late for me to feel as happy as I did when I started watching this series for the two ML's. Honestly, I was personally getting annoyed with them.
But hey! They got thier happiness in the end and to see that Mahiro accepted Souta for the way he relieves his stress after working overtime, that's a plus for me.

So! Because of all of that, I am going to give this series a 7. I truly wished it was higher, but I just can't.

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Simple, Lovely, Sweet

Naked Diner is a series that I have been meaning to watch because of its unique concept. I am not sure if I just read Naked and said to myself, I NEED TO WATCH THAT NOW, but what I am treated to is a really good love story and understanding who you are. Our lead character is Ichijo Sota who is a busy everyday working man. He is good at his job and he is very dedicated but he has one Quirk. He likes to eat naked because it is what he considers to be his liberation from the world and I do think that it does makes sense. Personally, I see the appeal of that and that is where the title came from. It is just a really simple concept and this is what this working man is following. He is also very handsome and the scenes where he is taking his clothes of are always the hottest, I must say. It is not the body that I would hope for but I do think that it is very sexy. Then, he received a letter from his grandmother who is already dead. She gave him the keys to her house and I feel like she is now giving it to him but this is where he met Mahiro who is this guy of the same age as his and the person who helped his grandmother when she decided to learn cooking cuisine in different countries. This is where the relationship started. Now, I want to start with the subplot about the grandmother because that is such a beautiful story between a grandmother and her grandson. It is simple but the way that the story is presented really highlights that bond and connection that will truly make you miss your grandmother. It reminded Ichijo that he had been so busy with work that he somehow forgotten why he is working for and this is such a common concept in Japanese shows but I feel like we need to still hear it more often than not because we are all so busy with our lives. It is sad. Then, we have the relationship with Ichijo and Mahiro. I, actually, understand both of them and their hesitations. This is why I feel like this is so good because the characters are both so relatable in terms of the push and pull that is happening. Mahiro is in love with him for a very long time now so it is understandable how afraid he is kissing him again because there are two options to it. One is that Ichijo actually likes him now but there is this other answer where he might not like him and that uncertainty of the situation that really scares him. Me too, I would be scared to be in that position if that will happen because that is such a real thing to happen. Ichijo is confused with his sexuality and is still unsure with how he really felt. This is why Komachi is such a good addition to the cast because she gave Ichijo a different side to the coin. They tried to be together but saw how he reacted. He gave us the female intuition that Ichijo needed so that he can fully understand what he is feeling and that is hard for Komachi but it is what Ichijo needed. I know that it sounds very selfish but I am glad that Komachi was such a professional about what happened. She is such an amazing female character too. She just fell in love with someone who is already in love with another person and he just does not know it yet. I understand the confusion that Ichijo is feeling and he may have never really liked or cared for someone like this before. He was really jealous of Kosuke that he admitted to liking Mahiro when he thought that he will be losing him. This is such a funny scene in the show and it was really romantic to see them finally admit to their feelings. This is a good show because it is challenging the viewers to challenge what they believe and understand. It is not asking them to take a side but instead is asking them to give these characters a chance to grow and they did. The ending is just a beautiful and lovely way to end the story. They are just together and accepting each other regardless of their weird quirk.

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HAVE SOMEONE WHO WILL LOVE YOU AT YOUR WEIRDEST

The Whole show gives a message that, you should have someone for your life a person who will accept and love you even at the weirdest part of your life.
In my Opinion , there is nothing really special about the story, Sota has just this habit of eating naked and Mahiro founds out and lately knows that all the way anyways. I expected something exciting about that eating naked part but it is just Sota's habit.
I was a bit irritated of Mahiro he is so choosy and sensitive and Sota so numb ! If I were Mahiro, I would always choose to be with Sota even if that he has no serious intention to me, coz why would you choose to run away from the person you love when you know they always choose to be with you just like Sota ? right ? The show was good , it was not bad to the point of me having it dropped, I like the spice of life shown in this drama, I liked the characters , it was beautiful in some ways all in all, somehow this is not a waste of time show

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heartwarming and delightful

I am glad Japanese doramas especially can present serious emotional issues in gay romance doramas through an amusing and unusual or even bizarre storyline different from just sweet but formulaic stories、 so here [unlike the more usual story of teen struggle] we have a story of adult confusion about sexual identity in Souta set against Mahiro's obsessive love while struggling with lack of self-confidence and repressing his feelings。Yutaro's acting is especially good。for me this dorama deserves a higher rating I think。some of the comments fail to understand the deeper issues it raises I would say。heartwarming and delightful〜❤️🍉🌈

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this isn’t as bad as people made it out to seem

I’ve watched this twice now, a few months apart form eachtoher. maybe because I like food shows and whatnot but I really enjoyed this. and the concept of the show was pretty unique. traveling the world through food.

plus there were some great life lesson lines in this, “try it is the best ingredient most of the time it doesn’t turn out horrible” and I really appreciate that.

I will say the woman annoyed me to no end from episode one. if she isn’t the walking definition of “pick me” I don’t know what it. like seriously read the dang room. I could have done without her in the series but other than that I loved this travel the would through food. it’s worth a shot to watch it and see for yourself.

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Waiting for it to get better honestly

The premise sounded funny yet the delivery falls short so far. There's nothing funny, nothing different about the story —I know it doesn't even need to be, but the way it is presented like it expects the audience to laugh at the funi.

The acting of the leads are average at best, and since there aren't any side characters that really affects the storyline in a challenging way, it only underlines the two leads' lack of chemistry.

I will keep watching to see where it will be going but I don't have a lot of hope for this series. If you do not go expecting too much, maybe it will be a quick short watch for those who enjoy an easy story.

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Poderia ser bemmmm melhor

Sinceramente, achei esse plot um pouco estranho, com pontos positivos, mas a coisa de tudo girar na problemática de comer pelado é demasiado sem nexo, tendo em vista que Ichijo vive sozinho. Fora isso, a série é interessante até a página 2... tudo é bem fofo, fácil se apegar aos protagonistas, aliás, fiquei muito feliz com a presença de Yutaro, ele é um excelente ator em todos os papéis que se propõe a fazer. A avó era uma maravilhosa, até triste saber que tudo aconteceu por ela ter morrido, se ela estivesse viva com certeza shiparia o casal rsrsrs. A questão da culinária sempre me pega, acho maravilhoso, cultural e respeitoso quando se mostra a culinária de um lugar numa série.
Se eu for procurar pontos negativos, digo que a presença da garota é totalmente desnecessária e foi colocada apenas para criar um enredo de separação do casal como conflito final, mas não faz sentido Ichijo simplesmente depois de ter se declarado e até beijado Mahiro propor um relacionamento a ela, e mais vergonhoso ainda foi ela aceitar, pois sabia que seu rival era outro homem.
Enfim, o plot poderia ser melhor, mas todos os demais aspectos técnicos são ok, inclusive cenários e ambientação me surpreenderam pela qualidade e beleza. É uma série que eu indico, mas não assistiria de novo por não ter me prendido tanto, mas com certeza não é das piores histórias que já vi.

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