"Hungry" is like taking forever to get interesting. Maybe I am too demanding but the pace is seriously boringly slow.
For those who still have no idea what I am talking about, I am refering to the currently airing Japanese drama starring Mukai Osamu. The Tv station will need a better script to boast its efforts to make him a bigger idol star because whatever they are doing, isnt doing its magic on me.
Storyline Summary
Eisuke (Mukai) is the son of a female chef who excels or known for her French cooking known as Le Petit Chou. While he is talented and has a gift and palette to succeed his mother, yet an unfortunate incident when he was still in primary school set him off in a completely new path towards becoming a rock musician and turned his back on being a chef (despite winning a prestigious French gourmet competition). However, he had promised his mother that if he still achieved nothing in the music industry by the time he turned 30years old, he will go back to his cooking roots. Unknown to him, at the same time, a boss of a chain of fine dining establishments, Tokio ((SMAP's Inagaki) was eyeing on his mum's restaurant and turning it into one of his own.
One day, after learning that his band had failed another scouting audition, Eisuke went to his mum's restaurant desponded and finally thinking that he should make good of his promise since he is turning 30yr soon. After a meal his mum cooked at the end of a working day in the restaurant, he wistfully told his mum perhaps its time for him to give up music his love. Instead of forcing him to live up to his promise, his mum instead told him not to feel pressured and just stick to doing music if that he what his heart truly yearns for. She told him she will always wait for him. Eisuke was touched by his understanding mum but yet as fate has it, his mum suddenly collapsed and passed away. To add salt to the injury, his father not knowing that Eisuke had decided to carry on with his mum;s line of work, had unilaterally sold his mum's restaurant to the very guy who had been eyeing the place before the mum's death. The father, who is an aspiring artist and so called amateur "magician" had no idea that the restaurant businessman Tokio would only retain the "front" and yet completely tear down the old place to rebuilt with a new name Gastera!
Meanwhile, Eisuke’s older girlfriend Maria (by 3 years), who works at a bank was shocked to find out that Mukai has abandoned his music to devote himself to becoming the chef of a new restaurant at the converted warehouse he had started with his bandmates. His long hours and "uncoolness" led to her uncertainty about their relationship since she had always known him to be a musician.
At the same time, Chie, a 20-year-old college student who is the daughter of a small family owned vegetable farm, who had saved up to dine at Eisuke's mum's French restaurant was shocked to find the place with the "same name" was run by Eisuke whom she had a really bad initial impression of. Yet at the very first bite, she fell in love with his cooking and she became a regular diner despite being a "poor" student. Her family also starts to provide the fresh produce for Eisuke's restaurant.
Nothing went smoothly for Eisuke. Firstly, they couldnt make ends meet with very little clients or virtually none at some days. They tried to advertise and their start up got the attention of Gastera resturant owner Tokio. He challenged Eisuke's cooking with intention to shut him down, that he would only allow them to continue using the name Le Peitit Chou if his cooking can satisfy him. Unfortunately, Eisuke "failed" the challenge and Tokio fault his cooking comparing it to bistro food, and also the informal half hearted put together dining setting which resembles nothing like a proper French dining. With that, Eisuke was forced to change the name and despite having some regular, he reckoned Tokio was right and tried to set about new changes. Unfortunately that move led to much unhappiness and disgruntle for his 2 buddies and in the end, they both left him as they felt Eisuke was too influenced and bothered by Tokio's words as they felt nothing needed to be changed.
Despite Tokio's curt and harsh critic, yet he couldnt forget Eisuke's fried rice. He had to admit to himself that Eisuke was an unpolished gem as a talented chef and tried to get him to work under him instead.
Overtime, Chie realised she was falling for Eisuke though she tried to hide it as she knew of Maria's existence. Taku (Miura Shohei), who is also a bandmate and working as the Matire'D started to also fall for Chie unknowingly. As Taku was a "playboy" and flippant usually, his feelings were not known. As a friend, he told Chie he would help her by getting her to work at the restaurant. However, one night when he was listening to Chie talking about Eisuke, he couldnt hold himself back and hugged her, telling her that his heart felt cold just hearing her talk about Eisuke the whole night. Chie was shocked at the move. Knowing how innocent Chie was, Tayu passed it off as a joke and left leaving Chie wondering what was happening.
At the same time, Eisuke had patched back with his teammates after helping one of them cover up his departure from his potential inlaws visiting the "workplace". Also, Eisuke came to realisation that he is where and who he is only because of these friends who had been through up and downs his life since they were youngsters in school with their shared love for music.
Just when they thought things will get better with increased in patrons, to their shock, the landlord of the warehouse returned informing them to wind up as she had intention to tear down the place and convert it to some other commercial building. No pleading will move her and so in the end, after 3 months of hardwork, Eisuke was forced to close shop.
During this time, Eisuke also made his feelings known to Chie that he only viewed her as a sister. While crying and in great sadness, Tayu finally made his move and told her he would protect her. he announced his relationship to everyone in the restaurant. Eisuke appeared in conflicting emotions. Meanwhile, Eisuke was offered a plane ticket from Tokio to France to a proper French cooking school to polish his cooking. After many failed attempts to look for an affordable spot, his friends urged him to accept the 2 years offer while they will work hard to wait for him as Tokio also offered his friends job at Gastera. Eisuke told Tokio he accept after much deliberation."
~TBC (after more new episodes are aired)
I am still waiting for the final episodes to conclude my summary. Cannot believe it takes so long for them to cover such a simple plot.
I really like Shohei as Taku here, he has that cheeky playfulness which is probably partly him in real life to be so convincing. lol! Other than him, the rest were a little boring for me with very little depth in their characters and the script plot is also kinda shallow. It doesnt tug my heart strings, neither does it make me laugh. It's so far, in those "mindlessly watching" category because i am lacking a more interesting drama to watch...sigh.
