しんや しょくどう

 

This weekend, I watched しんや　しょくどう, also known as Midnight Diner, on Netflix.

Midnight Diner follows the background stories of guests who go to a diner that is only open from midnight to 7 AM. The owner of the diner listens to their stories and what leads them to a place like this. All the characters are special in their own way and the show highlights aspects of Japanese life that are not so glamorous. I would encourage everyone to watch it because I think this show encourages empathy and a sense of humanity from its viewers as the characters are in some ways just normal people going through their lives as best as they can.

One of the great parts of this show is that after every episode, there is a mini-tutorial on the recipe that was incorporated in the plot in some way. For example, Miyuki is one of the guests in Season 1 Episode 2 and she always ordered ねこマッマ so, at the end of the episode, they explained how you could make it yourself at home! It is very interactive and I want to try out some of the recipes when I go back home!

日本の CM

 

I firmly believe that Japanese commercials are much more interesting than American ones. They may see "weird" but I think it is a great marketing strategy because it sticks in your head. I remember my mom showing me a タケモトピアノ commercial when I was younger and it is still stuck in my head years later. The commercial itself is way more entertaining than the regular commercials on American television, plus it has a catchy jingle. 

I did acquire some cultural knowledge through the commercials that were centered around daily life. Even the normal daily routine in Japan is different than in the states. The biggest aspect I noticed is just how many commercials incorporated さくら in their mini-story lines.  

                                                    

ペッパピッグ !

 

I watch Peppa Pig in Tadoku class so I figured I would talk about it in my blog! I used to watch Peppa Pig when I was younger so it is fun to watch it again in Japanese. This show has a lot of casual speech and the plot is simple so I really enjoy watching the show! 

It is a great show for a mini-study break! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY56xIlSiGI

ブリーチ The Movie!

 

This weekend, my friend introduced me to a Japanese movie on Netflix: Bleach. This movie is based on ブリーチ the anime. The plot is fairly similar to the anime. However, the only major differences are that this movie is live-action and it only highlights the story of the first season. The special effects were so cool in this movie! I really liked how the Soul Reapers' costumes were based on old Japanese kimonos. 

I was not so reliant on the subtitles in this movie which let me enjoy the movie even more. I think I understand the lines in the movie, it is just that some of the actors speak very quickly, especially in the scenes that are more high stakes.