Midnight Diner : My Story

Watching TV shows. This has been a hobby for many people since the beginning era of Television. And nowadays, to so many people, binge-watching is an endeavor that has become part of their daily routines.

Watching a TV show entertains us, passes the time and make us forget quite a lot for some short span of time. It engages the eyes, our ears and sometimes it even grasps our hearts and fill us with emotion.

There is this show in Netflix that I have watched just recently that sent me into a melancholic and a solemn happiness. I was so satisfied but at the same time I was hooked that I want the show to be just endless and I just want to watch it and watch the characters grow and interact everyday.

What's the name of the show? Midnight Diner.

What's it About?

As you can discern from the image above it's about a diner and maybe it opens at midnight, hence midnight diner. I apologize for the subtle attempt at comedy and not hitting a mark, I am just way too sleepy to even write anything, but I just have to share this to you.

So back to it, the show is about the lives of the patrons that are coming and eating at this midnight diner. You'd think that every part of the story will happen inside the diner but it's not the case.

Also, it's a bit of a cooking show. Every story or episode of the show begins with a dish. And that dish will be an integral part of that character's story. At the end of every episode, the show will teach the viewers how to prepare or to make the featured dish.

Settings

Set in the heart of Shinjuku Tokyo, this 12 seat Izakaya lies cozily on a street in the red light district of Tokyo. The diner opens at midnight and closes at 7 in the morning or until the last customer leaves.

I have been on that very same town, on that very same street so the sceneries, especially the opening part of it is so familiar to me, one of the reason why I was interested with the show in the first place.

Master, the only employee and the owner of the diner keeps a simple menu but what makes the diner special is Master could cook and prepare just about any requested dish as long as he has the ingredient for it.

The requesting customer could also bring their own ingredients if they are requesting a certain dish so they are sure certain to be served with that dish. It seems that the diner never has a closed day but there are some occasions that it is closed for private function especially when a regular celebrates for some personal reason.

Master

The master's name was not revealed in the episodes of the show and people just call him "Master". And that's what I am calling him too.

He's a timid middle aged man, around early 50s or 60s. That's how he seemed to me, but if my guess is far off, again, I apologize, I'm really sleepy.

I always felt that Master has some dark past before he begun his life cooking and keeping the diner. He lives alone on the second floor of the diner. I believe that he's been a part of the Yakuza before trading that life for a peaceful living as a shop owner.

It also seemed that he has got no family, but there are some instances in the show that some one from the same district has some sort of romantic interest on him and they ended up, cooking together inside of his booth. That was quite a charming story.

What I Love About it

The stories. I just love the stories that they depicted in the show. They were very light stories when it comes to plot but they were constructed in such a way that you can relate to them and everything just clicks in the end.

The characters. As you go along the show, the characters and their personalities will also grow on you and you would just like to see them often. There are regular characters and there are those who appeared just for a single episode but they all have their own unique stories. I guess my favorite character is the samurai there, he's got that magical aura and mystery around him.

Also, that stripper Marilyn-chan. Quite the character. Oh no, I know what you're thinking, it's just not because she's a stripper, she really is quite a good character there. Trust me.

The food. Yep, you can't forget the food. Every dish master serves is quite special and meaningful to the characters. Some of the dishes presented could be easily made in the house kitchen. If you know your way into the kitchen, maybe you can try making some of the dishes there since they are telling you how to prepare and make them. Also, if you decided to... may I please try them?

If I were to choose a favorite food they showcased there, maybe I'll choose the omelet rice. I love omelet rice and the story attached to that food was quite the Kdrama people like. And also that yakisoba with egg, it's stir-fried noodles with a semi-raw egg on top. Exquisite.

Epilogue

I love the overall tone and atmosphere of the show. It's just so laid back, relaxed and heart warming. From the soundtrack to the stories you can experience that warm and fuzzy feeling. I used to watch this while eating and I'm just having my heart full while filling up my tummy. Just the combination of sensations.

Hey there!!!

I would like to send you my gratitude for reading and visiting this page. What did you think of this article? Did I somehow convince you to watch the show or just to even look at it?

Or maybe, you are now motivated to write about a show you like or have seen recently. Really? Why don't you tell me all about it? I'll be waiting for that.

But until then ... I'll be in my chair, sipping this glass of neat whiskey and hey ...

Cheers!!!

#prompfactory

References:

Image 1 : Netflix