30 minutes of pure bliss and tranquility
My first advice for everyone that is planning to watch this on Netflix or everywhere: do not binge-watch this series.Zetsumeshi Road (or in English, The Road to Red Restaurant List) offers a simple story, minimum no-conflict drama: about an average working father who was left alone in Friday nights because his wife and daughter were a fan of boyband and always goes on concert tours, secretly trying a Saturday hobby to discover rare and endangered restaurants in Tokyo suburbs or satellite cities. "Rare" and "endangered" because these classic restaurants were owned by older chefs with no clear descendants or going out of business for good whenever the actual owner died or retired.
The series will tell his experiences visiting the restaurant and his interaction with the owner (and sometimes, other visitors). If they are interesting enough, the visit will also tell the background story of the restaurant, which is (!) based on real story.
The way this series gave the experience is simple, fun, and tranquil. Slow-paced, narators speaking gently and calm, and the visuals are full of bright natural lights to make simple Japanese meals looks really tempting. Unlike all the high stakes drama other TV series can offer, Zetsumeshi Road is designed to have you settle down and relax for 30 minutes (note that in Tokyo, this series were broadcast at Friday 24:52 and always reran on other channels past midnight). Due to this unique approach I have decided NOT to binge-watch this series and have myself enjoying 30 minutes of pure bliss for twelve weeks. It feels much better.
Hope all the viewers of this series (and me, too) could be visiting any one of these twelve endangered restaurants soon, or to have you inspired searching for real hidden gems in your city. Long live zetsumeshi!
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Do I have to even write why this film is just my favorite film of all time?
I've been watching the colored version 3 times, and the black/white version as my 4th time.Of course you can all just ask other reviewers and maybe everyone all over the internet. This movie is a Bong Joon Ho masterpiece that puts the perfection on every. single. part. I really bet the movie will be have a large cult following on many many years ahead, just like Spirited Away, Battle Royale, or 2001: A Space Oddysey. While we can all agree that there are so many good movies, Parasite is perhaps the movie that will "upgrade" your standard for a movie with social-class issues.
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