Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

I’ve been meaning to mention this series for a while now, that I’ve really enjoyed on Netflix. Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories is a wonderful series that sees a rotating cast of characters (with a few regulars, and fun cameos by Jo Odagiri) as they pop up at a bar/diner that only opens from midnight to the early morning. The stories are fun — and sad — and so very Japanese, to a point where I wonder how the show is taken in by a non-Japanese audience (it’s available on Netflix around the world). For example, one episode revolves around an old comedian and his kohai (disciple), and the story revolves around the relationship between the two (expectations by the sempai, or master). There were seasons of this (or at least one, under the name Shinya Shokudo) done before it was picked up by Netflix, and I really want to watch those as well.