Samurai Gourmet (2017)

If you don't already enjoy good food, this show will teach you how!

Samurai Gourmet follows Takeshi Kasumi (Naoto Takenaka), a man in his later years who has just begun his retirement. With his workaholic, desk life gone, he is left to fill the time with a craving for culinary adventures. Unfortunately for Takeshi, he is very shy and afraid to try new things, thus he seeks the help of an imaginary Samurai (Tetsuji Tamayama), who teaches him how to be confident and how to enjoy the life he's been missing out on. 

There is heartwarming, there is beyond heartwarming and then there is the realm of Samurai Gourmet. This series relates to the soul and gives a warm, relaxing glow to anyone watching, be it with a cold beer on hot day, grilled fish that reminds you of a beach holiday or even some fried snacks from your childhood. Each episodes tackles an experience with a restaurant or a food establishment that isn't legendary, they're not michelin star, they're just familiar and comfortable but when visited at the right time, can form a memory that will last forever.

The first episode, "Mid-day beer at a restaurant", completely encapsulates the aims of the series. We're introduced to Takeshi and his new boredom overload, he attempts to rid himself of this feeling, as everyone does, by taking a walk. He soon discovers a small restaurant for lunch but questions having a beer in the middle of the day, very refreshing but surely it's irresponsible? But with his new freedom from the daily workload, he's free to expel the heat of the day with a cool, crisp beverage. It's in these little moments that Samurai Gourmet draws it's inspiration. Whereas other food shows may draw pleasure from eccentric gimmicks or expensive once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Samurai Gourmet meets the audience where they live and show them how to enjoy an everyday meal out.

Although Samurai Gourmet may not demonstrate groundbreaking production values or a star-studded cast, I believe that really lends itself to what they're trying to achieve. By giving an experience that's as close to realistic visually, you can enjoy every meal like it's right in front of you, the same with the music, it's used purely to enhance the experience Takeshi is enjoying, but to levels that similarly still feel realistic. With the amount of over-the-top shows about the supernatural and superhuman currently filling the channels and streaming sites, something like Samurai Gourmet is greatly appreciated as something that provides easy viewing, no over-complicated stories and a boost to the audience's outlook.

I believe the overall lesson of Samurai Gourmet is to enjoy the time we have and appreciate the little things rather than simply struggle for the big things.

4/5 - Tasty little morsels of freedom.