We’ve started watching this quiet, charming 2009 series about a little diner in Tokyo. The Master engages in small ways with the lives of his patrons, guiding them with a word or two. I know that at some point, we will learn about his story.
The diner has basically one item on the menu, but Master will make anything you want if he has the ingredients. Sometimes, the customers even bring in their own ingredients. And yes, I think that’s a metaphor. Based on a manga by Yaro Abe, the series doesn’t take itself too seriously; after some episodes the characters turn toward the camera smiling, and wave good night like a stage play.
His diner is a hole in the wall in a side alley – you would never know it was there, unless someone told you. He narrates; “Do I even have customers? More than you would think.”
Just one of those little treasures you find occasionally, I guess. You can watch the series on Netflix, and I think on YouTube, where there are also many reviews and analyses.
georgewiman 