'Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories' returns to Netflix with its heartwarming serving of Japan's slice of life in season 2
For the longest time, there was no second season for the Japanese drama 'Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories' (also known as 'Shin'ya Shokudou') – this is not counting the several recurring seasons that were produced in Japan, two movies and even Korean and Chinese remakes of the show. For western audiences, Netflix had only made available the first season – all 10 episodes but just not enough.
All this until Netflix announced that the Japanese drama will be returning for a second season, most likely to premiere in fall. While a lot of other details about the show are still under the wraps, the Japanese drama could easily be deemed as one of the favorites among the upcoming Japanese series on Netflix including 'The Naked Director'.
Based on Yaro Abe's 'Shinya Shokudō' ('Midnight Diner'), 'Midnight Diner: Tokyo Diaries' first aired in 2009. The piece of art has since been adapted into films and foreign remakes that have generated a fanbase across the world.
'Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories', however, is more than a chicken soup Japanese drama. The premise for the show is actually really simple. The Master, played by Kaoru Kobayashi, runs a quaint Japanese diner in Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku district. Master's diner is open from midnight to dawn and the series tells the stories of its odd-ball patrons – the eclectic customers come from varied backgrounds, upbringings, ages and walks of life.
Master's diner not only serves as a quaint eatery in the loud chatter of Tokyo it also offers solace. Most of the time, the Master seems detached and is content in sitting and smoking his pipe as his patrons continue to chat among themselves. But sometimes, he gets involved in the lives and situations of his patrons – offering a piece of advice with a calming voice that soothes arguments and shows people a new perspective.
The Master, by default, only serves pork miso soup, but will make anything his customers wish to eat as long as he has the ingredients. Each episode features a new dish and is loosely based around the dishes. For instance, some of the really good episodes that revolve around the dishes cooked by the Master are Tanmen (E1), American Dog (E2), Omurice (E4), Egg Tofu starring Mr Lan Evo (E5) and, of course, the Erecto Oki episode Sauteed Yam (E8).
'Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories' is equivalent to an oasis in the middle of the desert. The show is warm, feel-good and is a serving you cannot refuse.