6/17/2023. Veggie month continues in Okinawa -- the first visit to the Kingdom in nine years! It's an all-star cast of Okinawan produce, including the classic Goya bitter melon and apple banana. Actress Sakurai Hinako joins Daisuke. Champuru, apple banana spring rolls, and stuffed goya with tarter sauce are among the dishes.
6/24/2023. Part two of the Okinawan adventure. Nakajima Yuto of Hey! Say! Jump arrives to the set via zip line. Two Okinawan classics are featured: umibudo (sea grapes) and "snack pine" pineapples. Umibudo acts as a good garnish but the mini pineapples are used well in pork kakuni and baked pie.
Sadly.. the ending is just like lost.. aka POINTLESS lol
Got it. I get the impression that a lot of drama conclusions are ruined by meddling from non-creative upper management types. Too bad: it’s a helluva all-star cast.
Sadly.. the ending is just like lost.. aka POINTLESS lol
I’m only two episodes in and yeah, I already got bad vibes. My usual policy is to watch a drama to the bitter end once I finished the first episode. I have only broken that rule one or two times. Maybe one more. Maybe…
I began watching this on the recommendation of a long-time connoisseur of J-dramas. SEIGI came out when I wasn't watching but a couple shows a year so all of this is brand new to me, despite being familiar with almost the entire cast.
Yes, the whole ijimeru aspect can be a tired cliche and at times I was rolling my eyes at the extremes of the torture. But man, Shida Mirai is a REVELATION here. I've only seen her in supporting roles, most of them brief and straight. She's an absolute pistol in this role. I can NOT believe the amount of energy she expends in almost every scene -- ahh, seishun!
5/27/2023: Chigasaki, Kanagawa-ken. It's Italian-style tomatoes with (are you ready for this...) another comedy duo, Tensai Pianist. These tomatoes aren't the usual round kind but more slim and compact. Dishes are the usual comfort variety: poke (!), pork wraps, and toasting with a pasta pescatore dish.
6/3/2023: Goka, Ibaraki-ken. Daisuke and frequent guest Kaneko Takatoshi visit a small honey farm. The menu includes ginger ale, honey cheese toast, honey mustard chicken (my vote for most valuable dish in this episode). Kanpai dish is honey simmered spareribs. The meat looked nice and tender here.
I had great trepidation with Fuwa-chan at the helm in Episode 8. But gotta say: some of those “streaming channels” were terrific. Stoopid humor at its most stoopid.
New Aozora Restaurant: 5/20/2023. In scenic Shirakawa village in Gifu. It's tofu, a rock-solid type that looks like cheese. Guest is Jinguji from one of them Johnnys groups (King & Prince) that still feel new to me but has probably been around for more than a decade. All kinds of stuff -- I think the one I'd like to sample the most is the tofu katsu, followed by that mabodofu, provided it isn't spicy to the point of death.
New Aozora Restaurant: 5/13/2023. Daisuke is in Kashiwazaki, Niigata. Making another appearance is comedy duo (aren't they all??!) Ginshari. It's off to the mountains to forage for Sansai "mountain vegetables."
What's the name of the actress that played Maririn? I didn't find it in the cast list :/
Asami Mizukawa. She first appeared in Episode 3 and credited as "mystery lady." She was the one dressed in black watching A-chin/Miipon/Nacchi/Rena drive away from the conbini (https://www.ntv.co.jp/brushup-life/images/story/03/05.jpg). Assume the cast list is kept that way due to spoilers in later episodes.
4/29/2023: Utsunomiya, Tochigi. Another comedy duo, Mitorizu, gets to dig up takenoko in the mountains. You have to strip several layers before getting to the edible part but it does look pretty good, even just plain ol' "sashimi" style. Other dishes look pretty good too: tempura, stuffed with hamburger, pork menma stir fry, and concluding with a varied chirashi sushi.
5/6/2023. Episode #700 is in Susaki, Kochi. Guest is Mizuki Nana, who has been narrating Aozora Restaurant episodes from the very beginning. Asked a coworker about her seiyu bona fides -- apparently she's a legit yokozuna of the genre. Nana and Daisuke visit a place that farms Kanpachi. Looks like she had good fun at feeding time. Of course the sashimi looked fantastic but I would like to have tried the kama shioyaki as well. Mizuki also made a chowder soup. Kanpai dish was Kanpachi Daikon teishoku. Overall, a really appetizing episode!
Low-key hilarious detail: Maririn's 4th-gen airplane dashboard in grade school was far, FAR superior to the one constructed by Fukuhara Haruka in MAI AGARE.
New Aozora Restaurant: 4/22/2023. Shiro Hiratake mushrooms in Yamagata, Nagano. Guests are (according to J-wiki): "Lotti," another comedy duo. The guy with the glasses was just in Miami for the World Baseball Classic and had no voice due to what must have been extended screaming during the Japan-USA championship game.
The main expert, a retired J-League soccer player, gave "oyster mushroom" as another name for hiratake. A good variety of dishes in this episode: basic grilled, karaage, stir fry, and ending with a fancy pasta dish.
New Aozora Restaurant: 4/15/2023. Komatsuna in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo. Wiki has this as "Japanese mustard spinach." Also looks like bok choy. Guest is Matsushige Yutaka, one of those old-skool character actors whose image appears all over the place. In fact, he's featured in one of the CMs for the program.
Today's veggie is grown in a greenhouse in Tokyo -- where do they find the room in the city??! Of course both Matsushige and Daisuke sample the stuff right out of the soil! Dishes include stir frys, a rolled katsu, gyoza (!) and a pretty tasty-looking fried rice. I've had takana cha-han so I'm sure this tastes just as good.
4/1/2023: "Pakuchi" in Takeo, Saga-ken. Guest is another one of those Yoshimoto comedy duos, Shisonnu. Pakuchi translated to cilantro, the closest relatable thing I could find. These crazies just dug up bushels of the weed and just began crunching away at everything, including the roots! Not a whole lot to do after that, past salads and stuff. Kanpai dish was something with boar meat. Gotta make do.
4/8/2023: Clams in Tahara, Aichi-ken. Guest is Kazama Shunsuke, who I only know as the sign language sensei in "silent." In fact, I totally forgot he was on the show, several months ago. Been a while since we've had good seafood on the show. Just the grilled variety looked good enough but props to the sake steamed dish and pork with garlic tomato stir fry.
March 11: Seri in Yuzawa, Akita-ken, a big onsen town. Wiki pegs this veggie as "Chinese celery" or "Japanese parsley." Winter veggies gotta be strong. Doesn't look like much on its own but of course when you add pork to the mix... Guests are another comedy duo -- I'm sure Miyagawa isn't lacking for those types! https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913zqs1d3aru96u25z6.html
March 18: Mekabu in Kesennuma, Miyagi-ken. Two members of Snow Man check out a seaweed farm. Mekabu looks like a pine cone or a enlarged green Slinky toy. Like regular wakame or nori, the health benefits seem to evaporate when mixed with regular ingredients. Another product is also introduced in the second half, oyster pâté. Don't know about you but I'd rather have the regular oysters... https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/19137jlgy3cabtysoxor.html
March 25: Fukutachi in Ugo, Akita-ken. Freelance announcer Uga Natsumi braves the cold for another leafy green veggie that resembles Hakusai (Napa) cabbage from the exterior but has weird flower buds inside. I'm sure all that green is good but man, deep-fried spring rolls. Mmm! They even got Sapporo drafts in the middle of the program to "prove" how well the food matches with the suds. Other dishes include a nice stir fry and ended with... lasagna? Hey, it pairs with Sapporo! https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913ghpefq29tlvgc6by.html
6/10/2023. Chinese vegetables in Tochigi. A variety of leafy greens harvested by another comedy duo. Bring on the stir fry!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913d05hqmvmc56cupze.html
6/17/2023. Veggie month continues in Okinawa -- the first visit to the Kingdom in nine years! It's an all-star cast of Okinawan produce, including the classic Goya bitter melon and apple banana. Actress Sakurai Hinako joins Daisuke. Champuru, apple banana spring rolls, and stuffed goya with tarter sauce are among the dishes.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913g7y8v88zmqg04tde.html
6/24/2023. Part two of the Okinawan adventure. Nakajima Yuto of Hey! Say! Jump arrives to the set via zip line. Two Okinawan classics are featured: umibudo (sea grapes) and "snack pine" pineapples. Umibudo acts as a good garnish but the mini pineapples are used well in pork kakuni and baked pie.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/19137s336vsxc0m7w695.html
Well, that's a wrap. Gonna be a while until I tackle another asadora.
I've never seen a second of LOST and have no reason for making such a comparison but... This drama sure looks and feels like LOST.
Please don't be like LOST...
Yes, the whole ijimeru aspect can be a tired cliche and at times I was rolling my eyes at the extremes of the torture. But man, Shida Mirai is a REVELATION here. I've only seen her in supporting roles, most of them brief and straight. She's an absolute pistol in this role. I can NOT believe the amount of energy she expends in almost every scene -- ahh, seishun!
5/27/2023: Chigasaki, Kanagawa-ken. It's Italian-style tomatoes with (are you ready for this...) another comedy duo, Tensai Pianist. These tomatoes aren't the usual round kind but more slim and compact. Dishes are the usual comfort variety: poke (!), pork wraps, and toasting with a pasta pescatore dish.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913n9vf7yes0p78bb2s.html
6/3/2023: Goka, Ibaraki-ken. Daisuke and frequent guest Kaneko Takatoshi visit a small honey farm. The menu includes ginger ale, honey cheese toast, honey mustard chicken (my vote for most valuable dish in this episode). Kanpai dish is honey simmered spareribs. The meat looked nice and tender here.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913429otx8z3wqvq8tx.html
https://twitter.com/NGN_TV/status/1664015098137169922
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/191388q6fbojqpn1k8nj.html
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913eem3bpmqzettogr8.html
4/29/2023: Utsunomiya, Tochigi. Another comedy duo, Mitorizu, gets to dig up takenoko in the mountains. You have to strip several layers before getting to the edible part but it does look pretty good, even just plain ol' "sashimi" style. Other dishes look pretty good too: tempura, stuffed with hamburger, pork menma stir fry, and concluding with a varied chirashi sushi.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913myv6d1yuhh831nm0.html
5/6/2023. Episode #700 is in Susaki, Kochi. Guest is Mizuki Nana, who has been narrating Aozora Restaurant episodes from the very beginning. Asked a coworker about her seiyu bona fides -- apparently she's a legit yokozuna of the genre. Nana and Daisuke visit a place that farms Kanpachi. Looks like she had good fun at feeding time. Of course the sashimi looked fantastic but I would like to have tried the kama shioyaki as well. Mizuki also made a chowder soup. Kanpai dish was Kanpachi Daikon teishoku. Overall, a really appetizing episode!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913phztxk9xjtr32xqg.html
The main expert, a retired J-League soccer player, gave "oyster mushroom" as another name for hiratake. A good variety of dishes in this episode: basic grilled, karaage, stir fry, and ending with a fancy pasta dish.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913wvuwatnp1jct1wh6.html
Today's veggie is grown in a greenhouse in Tokyo -- where do they find the room in the city??! Of course both Matsushige and Daisuke sample the stuff right out of the soil! Dishes include stir frys, a rolled katsu, gyoza (!) and a pretty tasty-looking fried rice. I've had takana cha-han so I'm sure this tastes just as good.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913j6o5s8za5q0nscvn.html
4/1/2023: "Pakuchi" in Takeo, Saga-ken. Guest is another one of those Yoshimoto comedy duos, Shisonnu. Pakuchi translated to cilantro, the closest relatable thing I could find. These crazies just dug up bushels of the weed and just began crunching away at everything, including the roots! Not a whole lot to do after that, past salads and stuff. Kanpai dish was something with boar meat. Gotta make do.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913rjwhiaccukkj40r4.html
4/8/2023: Clams in Tahara, Aichi-ken. Guest is Kazama Shunsuke, who I only know as the sign language sensei in "silent." In fact, I totally forgot he was on the show, several months ago. Been a while since we've had good seafood on the show. Just the grilled variety looked good enough but props to the sake steamed dish and pork with garlic tomato stir fry.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913rinffbcdnc4why22.html
March 11: Seri in Yuzawa, Akita-ken, a big onsen town. Wiki pegs this veggie as "Chinese celery" or "Japanese parsley." Winter veggies gotta be strong. Doesn't look like much on its own but of course when you add pork to the mix... Guests are another comedy duo -- I'm sure Miyagawa isn't lacking for those types!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913zqs1d3aru96u25z6.html
March 18: Mekabu in Kesennuma, Miyagi-ken. Two members of Snow Man check out a seaweed farm. Mekabu looks like a pine cone or a enlarged green Slinky toy. Like regular wakame or nori, the health benefits seem to evaporate when mixed with regular ingredients. Another product is also introduced in the second half, oyster pâté. Don't know about you but I'd rather have the regular oysters...
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/19137jlgy3cabtysoxor.html
March 25: Fukutachi in Ugo, Akita-ken. Freelance announcer Uga Natsumi braves the cold for another leafy green veggie that resembles Hakusai (Napa) cabbage from the exterior but has weird flower buds inside. I'm sure all that green is good but man, deep-fried spring rolls. Mmm! They even got Sapporo drafts in the middle of the program to "prove" how well the food matches with the suds. Other dishes include a nice stir fry and ended with... lasagna? Hey, it pairs with Sapporo!
https://www.ntv.co.jp/aozora/articles/1913ghpefq29tlvgc6by.html