This week I’d like to briefly talk about a show that’s become a real staple of evening viewing for me and my wife, a show that I’d originally got into when Netflix aired their first series in 2017. I feel the show is a real hidden gem on the service and want to get more people into it so that they can hopefully enjoy it as much as I have, so without further ado I wanted to talk to you about perhaps my favourite ‘J-drama’, ‘Midnight Diner’.
Midnight Diner or Shinya shokudō is an anthology series based on a Manga of the same name by author Yaro Abe. The Manga began in 2006 and has gained a lot of attention due to its simple yet gripping stories surrounding a Diner open in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district from midnight to dawn every day. The Diner is owned by a character only known as ‘Master’ and each story focuses on a different dish and patron of the diner.
The Manga was successful early on and has had a number of screen adaptations, the first of which is the Japanese TV series which began in 2009 and is still running to this day. It’s interesting that the Manga’s success has allowed adaptations to also be made for the Chinese and Korean markets although I do not know how closely they follow the original story, but judging from the brief scenes I’ve seen online it looks to be a decent enough adaptation.
I found out about Midnight Diner thanks to Netflix, it was around three years ago in 2017 while I was still working a number of night shifts that I scrolled through Netflix the morning after, already sleepy and found this show in my suggestions, It was a Netflix original series called ‘Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories’. At the time I had no idea that this show was not a true Netflix original but a show that had three previous seasons on Japanese television hence the ‘Tokyo Stories’ sub heading.
I was unsure what the nature of the show really was, was it a cooking show? Was it a drama or a comedy? In actuality it is a piece of all of these genres rolled into one to become what I can only describe as the ultimate ‘comfy’ show. I believe I watched the entire first series within two days between shifts and I have to say I adored every minute of it. It was a new type of show for me as It didn’t rely on shock value, an overarching plot or anything like that as it just showed a dish, a person who enjoyed said dish and what that dish meant to them.
It was so simple yet so brilliant at the same time and was a catalyst in me trying out a number of other Japanese shows once I was done with it (Please see Million Yen Women). As much as I loved the first Netflix series, I did not think much of it once it was complete because I thought it was just a one and done show and I’d never see more of it. I did hope that there would be another series but it didn’t seem to arrive for some time and I moved on to other shows.
It was only this year when I got an email from Netflix telling me it was back that I literally jumped for joy. It came at a time when my life was changing quite a bit, I’d gotten married, moved countries twice in the last year and was about to begin a new life with my wife in a new town back in the UK. To say I was a little stressed out the last half of 2019 would be an understatement. However, seeing this show was back gave me a familiar ‘comfortable’ feeling and in a weird way too me back to that calming time before all this stress, I wanted to watch it immediately.
Initially I was just going to continue the show when it returned, but as I couldn’t contain my excitement I began to mention it to my wife (Who is Japanese for those who haven’t read the previous post) and the general concept of the show, while she had never heard about the show before she was familiar with some of the cast, specifically the actor who plays Master (Kaoru Kobayashi). So rather than jumping into Season 2 of the Netflix series I went back and started from Netflix’s first season instead, as a means to refresh myself and also get my wife involved. Instantly she was as hooked as I was and I felt happy to be sharing such a comfortable show with her.
She quickly agreed that it was a calm and peaceful show as well as the perfect sort of show to watch together after a days work in order to unwind. We quickly finished both seasons available on Netflix when I explained to her that it had been on TV in Japan prior to this and we should search out the previous seasons. I found that they were also available on Netflix Japan albeit without any English subtitles (which was understandable) so that was out of the question for us.
I’m perplexed as to why Netflix UK do not have these series valuable to us also unless there is some kind of a rights issues? Regardless I was able to find some fan subs of the first three seasons online and while they were of a questionable quality at times, they did the job. While it was nice to go back and watch where the show began, I honestly feel that overall the Netflix series are a lot better.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the production values or perhaps a change in the staff involved with the show but the Netflix series seem to have much better cinematography, camera quality and generally I feel the individual stories are consistently better.
Don’t get me wrong there are some real stand out episodes in the original series and if you watch the original series you will definitely get certain jokes or aspects of certain characters in the Netflix seasons more, however if you really don’t wish to search the original season outs then you’re still good to go on Netflix. In fact, you could watch any episode from any season as your starting point and I guarantee you’d understand the show.
So with my history with the show out of the way I wanted to talk about some aspects of it that really stand out for me and what I think might resonate with a number of people who would otherwise be none the wiser to.
I keep saying this show is ‘comfy’ but what do I mean by that exactly? Well immediately when you begin an episode you are sung into a state of peacefulness as you find yourself being driven through the nightlife of Shinjuku in the back of a taxi. The beautiful song ‘Omoide’ (Memories) by Suzuki Tsuneyoshi plays and really sets the scene as the Master speaks to you directly explaining what his diner is and what the show is all about, it’s a simple opening and explanation but it’s truly all you need to know what you are in for.
I love that this show as well as many others have brought my wife and I closer together, it’s allowed me to see different sides of the culture of Japan that I had not experienced myself on my travels. I’ve been able to see her connecting with some of the dishes shown in the show and have her tell me stories about certain foods and where she would eat them, who in her family would cook them and what memories that triggers for her.
I think that’s the beauty of food sometimes, we’ve all got those meals that trigger something within us, for me it’s the smell or taste of my mums chilli that reminds me of the first time I tried it and how I’ve always looked forward to it every time I knew it was for dinner that night (by the way I still can’t match her recipe). For others It may be what they had on their first date or perhaps their favourite dish as a child but regardless everyone has something like that in their life and that’s the focus of the show, but I feel the show wants you not only to connect with the characters or the meals but think about what meals stand out to you in your own life.
Although the majority of the show is set in the Diner it does venture out from time to time (however this happens a lot less in the Netflix series) and shows not only the night life of Tokyo but the day to day lives of our characters and their professions from Police officers, to Food critics and even to Strippers. It shows not only the seedy underbelly of Tokyo but the family run businesses, the people struggling to do their best and those that are coming out on top from all walks of life.
I really like that regardless of the people involved and their backgrounds it shows their struggles and that ultimately, they are good people deep down, even when they are people like Yakuza bosses or people fixated on gambling. It almost makes the show feel like a soap drama, generally the characters introduced in an episode are a one and done kind of deal but there is always room for them to return if they benefit another character’s story.
There are however a number of characters that become like a fixture to the diner and are generally there to react to the other characters and input their own spin on things. I really like that they have this because not only does it add a number of characters from different walks of life (businessmen, gay bar owners and mysterious travelers) opinions on things which can at times create a small conflict, it also shows that this Diner has history, regulars that have been coming here for a long time which just makes me feel like I’m going to the same pub all the time and seeing my friends.
A charming aspect of every episode is at the end, once the story is over the characters involved in the episode are shown at the Masters Diner as he prepares the meal the story revolved around. The other characters will then address the audience directly and give them a slight tip on how to make the food the way they would or the way they prefer it. It’s almost as though you’ve been in the diner with them and asked them exactly how they like their dish. I’ve certainly learnt a lot from these small tid bits and feel like every episode just ends with me feeling hungry.
I think the star of the show has to be the Master, while he is never really the focus of the show, he is the constant in every episode. He prepares the dishes, responds to questions and gives his own opinions on the situations that arise. Yet he always has this stoic aura and presents himself as such a likeable guy no matter what happens. I think this is a credit to Kobayashi's acting ability.
As mysterious as the Master is, I do think that mystery adds to his character, I almost don’t want to know about his past or how he got his facial scar, there are brief hints throughout the series but we never get anything concrete. From what I’ve heard in the Manga it’s pretty much the same deal and yet I think it just adds to the elements of the story, this guy with ‘no past’ opens a diner and will cook whatever you want if he can, he doesn’t judge anyone he just does his job and does his best for his customers, the Master and his diner almost become like a local legend to the area.
It's really difficult for me to pick out some aspects of the show that I actually dislike other than wanting to see certain characters again or get a little more backstory shown for other more permanent characters. To be honest it’s a show I’m quite content with.
As much as I’ve enjoyed Midnight Diner I’m in the twilight of what’s available currently. All I have left to watch at this point are the movies but I’m a little apprehensive, not that I don’t feel they will be good but I’ve gotten so used to watching the show in a brief window after dinner and before bed with only a small amount of run time at each episode that I wonder how well it would translate to a longer form like a 1hr 30+ movie. Perhaps once I’m done with them ill add a little follow up!
I hope that this show continues to gain popularity worldwide thanks to Netflix and continue to produce series after series of ‘comfy’ content , I would like to think that this would allow the Manga to be translated into English as I want to see what differences between the print and television is, if any.
So overall can I recommend this to anyone? I feel as though I could, I think its easily accessible with Netflix being in so many countries, without the opening and ending it’s around a nice and easy 21 minutes each per episode and I feel the translations on Netflix are easily understandable and make a good use of spinning a sentence in a way which could avoid any difficult cultural differences that would otherwise be tricky to understand or explain to the English speaking Audience.
On top of that it’s just extremely chilled out even when there is some form of drama happening to the characters involved. Yeah some episodes are just alright but for the majority they all have a decent arc, message and a satisfying ending to them. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you open your mind a little to the differences in cultures perhaps Midnight Diner can be your entry not only into the world of Japan and Japanese TV but world media as a whole.
In any case if you finish an episode, I think you’ll find yourself feeling a little hungry.
