Japanese morning dramas, or asadora, broadcast daily at 8AM from Monday to Saturday on Japan’s national public broadcaster NHK and brings bursts of joy into your life. Asadora series have had amazing viewer ratings since 1961 and it’s definitely not due to luck.
Asadora:
asa (朝) = morning
dora (ドラマ) = dorama/drama(s)
Kodoku no Gurume (The Solitary Gourmet) appeals to the food-lover in all of us. It features food from real-life eateries all over Japan…BUT with a twist.
Other than the restaurants and their food, everything else is made-up—from the people to the stories—and establishes Kodoku‘s format as a Japanese drama. The director and screenwriters even control every movement of the eating scenes!
Why does Kodoku no Gurume take this unique approach to presenting food?
The simple reason: Kodoku is adapted from a manga series.
My take: the fictional set-up showcases food in the best way possible.
What do I mean by that? There’s a certain type of joy that can only come from watching a middle-aged man eat out alone and hearing his thoughts on delicious food.
East Asian TV 