Midnight Diner | |
---|---|
Also known as | Shinya Shokudō |
Genre |
Comedy Slice of life |
Based on |
Shinya Shokudō by Yarō Abe |
Directed by |
Joji Matsuoka Nobuhiro Yamashita Shotarou Kobayashi |
Starring | Kaoru Kobayashi |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original language | Japanese |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 50 ( list of episodes) |
Production | |
Producers | Hitoshi Endo Natsuko Mori Takeshi Moriya Shogo Ishizuka Jun Takahashi |
Running time | 25 minutes |
Original release | |
Network |
|
Release | 2009 2019 | –
Midnight Diner (深夜食堂, Shinya shokudō) is a Japanese TV anthology series based on the manga by Yarō Abe, Shin'ya Shokudō. It focuses on a late-night diner in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, its mysterious chef known only as "Master," and the lives of his customers. It is directed by Joji Matsuoka.
The setting is a nameless 12-seat diner in Shinjuku, Tokyo, open from midnight to 7 am.
When people finish their day and hurry home, my day starts. My diner is open from midnight to seven in the morning. They call it "Midnight Diner". [cut to menu listing "pork miso soup combo, beer, sake, shochu"] That's all I have on my menu. But I make whatever customers request as long as I have the ingredients for it. That's my policy. Do I even have customers? More than you would expect. [1]
"The Master", the main character of the show, is the owner, chef, and bartender. While he has a very limited menu (consisting only of tonjiru, sake, beer and shōchū), he always offers to produce any dish that a customer may want, as long as he has the ingredients on hand. Master refuses to cook any dishes that are beyond his skills or overly complicated. Sometimes, customers contribute the ingredients, particularly if they are out of the ordinary or a very specific craving. [2] Master enforces a strict three-bottles-per-person alcohol policy, except on New Year's Eve when alcohol is free-flow. The diner is frequented by a range of customers, from salarymen to yakuza and prostitutes, all of whom generally get along well; only occasionally is there conflict between the characters while inside the diner.
Generally, each episode deals with a drama focused on a particular customer. The plot introduces the characters of the episode, often using well-known archetypes and tropes, before detailing their personal challenges. Master, although generally reserved, offers help and advice. [3] The plot generally offers a philosophical life lesson as part of the story, be it simple or complicated. The stories are usually lighthearted in tone, but some venture into more dramatic territory with melancholy resolutions.
Most episodes focus on a particular Japanese dish, often the favorite meal of the character the episode is about. The dish also relates in some way to the story, and the episode ends with Master giving a brief demonstration of how to prepare the dish while a character from the episode gives verbal instructions directly to the audience. [4] [5] Master also occasionally breaks the fourth wall, to speak to the viewers, e.g., in the TV series, to announce the upcoming episode or to announce the end of a season. Master cooks everything by himself, requesting help only if he knows he cannot do something or if he is incapacitated, e.g., In the first episode, Master is assisted by a homeless girl played by Mikako Tabe after he sustains an injury.
While the characters are largely transitional, and seen mainly in their own self-contained episodes, some are often seen as minor characters or cameos in one or two other episodes. Several characters are regular customers of the diner and appear regularly. [6] A few stories adopt magic realism overtones, including supernatural elements, while others utilize montages and time skips to fully tell a character's story.
The show has been a success in Japan, [8] [9] with five seasons produced in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2019. The fourth season (released as Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories) was produced in 2016 by Netflix Japan. Netflix Japan purchased streaming and production rights from the original Japanese producers to produce the fourth and the fifth series, which are shown on Netflix internationally. The ten episodes of the fourth series were streamed on October 21, 2016. The ten episodes of the fifth series were simultaneously streamed on October 31, 2019.
While the fourth and fifth seasons were released under the title Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, Netflix began streaming the first three seasons separately under the original title "Midnight Diner" in June 2020. [10]
To date, two theatrical feature films were produced by TBS and MBS: Midnight Diner (2014) and Midnight Diner 2 (2016).
In recommending the show The New Yorker compared Midnight Diner to Cheers and High Maintenance in the way it "finds whimsy in the mundane", adding that its "slow, meditative rhythms" discouraged binge-watching. [11] The show has also been described as one of Netflix's "hidden gems". [12]
Series | Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Network | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||||
Midnight Diner | 1 | 10 | October 9, 2009 | December 11, 2009 | MBS | Released | |
2 | 10 | October 14, 2011 | December 16, 2011 | ||||
3 | 10 | October 20, 2014 | December 22, 2014 | ||||
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories | 1 | 10 | October 21, 2016 | October 21, 2016 | Netflix | ||
2 | 10 | October 31, 2019 | October 31, 2019 |
Following the success of the original Japanese version, Korean and Chinese versions were made. The Korean version, Late Night Restaurant, was mildly successful, and one season was made. [13]
The Chinese television version, also called Midnight Diner, deviated significantly from the original and was poorly received. At the time of its release, it was the lowest rated TV show in Douban history. [14] [15]
A Chinese language film adaptation, directed by Tony Leung Ka-fai was released in 2019. [16]
Midnight Diner | |
---|---|
Also known as | Shinya Shokudō |
Genre |
Comedy Slice of life |
Based on |
Shinya Shokudō by Yarō Abe |
Directed by |
Joji Matsuoka Nobuhiro Yamashita Shotarou Kobayashi |
Starring | Kaoru Kobayashi |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original language | Japanese |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 50 ( list of episodes) |
Production | |
Producers | Hitoshi Endo Natsuko Mori Takeshi Moriya Shogo Ishizuka Jun Takahashi |
Running time | 25 minutes |
Original release | |
Network |
|
Release | 2009 2019 | –
Midnight Diner (深夜食堂, Shinya shokudō) is a Japanese TV anthology series based on the manga by Yarō Abe, Shin'ya Shokudō. It focuses on a late-night diner in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, its mysterious chef known only as "Master," and the lives of his customers. It is directed by Joji Matsuoka.
The setting is a nameless 12-seat diner in Shinjuku, Tokyo, open from midnight to 7 am.
When people finish their day and hurry home, my day starts. My diner is open from midnight to seven in the morning. They call it "Midnight Diner". [cut to menu listing "pork miso soup combo, beer, sake, shochu"] That's all I have on my menu. But I make whatever customers request as long as I have the ingredients for it. That's my policy. Do I even have customers? More than you would expect. [1]
"The Master", the main character of the show, is the owner, chef, and bartender. While he has a very limited menu (consisting only of tonjiru, sake, beer and shōchū), he always offers to produce any dish that a customer may want, as long as he has the ingredients on hand. Master refuses to cook any dishes that are beyond his skills or overly complicated. Sometimes, customers contribute the ingredients, particularly if they are out of the ordinary or a very specific craving. [2] Master enforces a strict three-bottles-per-person alcohol policy, except on New Year's Eve when alcohol is free-flow. The diner is frequented by a range of customers, from salarymen to yakuza and prostitutes, all of whom generally get along well; only occasionally is there conflict between the characters while inside the diner.
Generally, each episode deals with a drama focused on a particular customer. The plot introduces the characters of the episode, often using well-known archetypes and tropes, before detailing their personal challenges. Master, although generally reserved, offers help and advice. [3] The plot generally offers a philosophical life lesson as part of the story, be it simple or complicated. The stories are usually lighthearted in tone, but some venture into more dramatic territory with melancholy resolutions.
Most episodes focus on a particular Japanese dish, often the favorite meal of the character the episode is about. The dish also relates in some way to the story, and the episode ends with Master giving a brief demonstration of how to prepare the dish while a character from the episode gives verbal instructions directly to the audience. [4] [5] Master also occasionally breaks the fourth wall, to speak to the viewers, e.g., in the TV series, to announce the upcoming episode or to announce the end of a season. Master cooks everything by himself, requesting help only if he knows he cannot do something or if he is incapacitated, e.g., In the first episode, Master is assisted by a homeless girl played by Mikako Tabe after he sustains an injury.
While the characters are largely transitional, and seen mainly in their own self-contained episodes, some are often seen as minor characters or cameos in one or two other episodes. Several characters are regular customers of the diner and appear regularly. [6] A few stories adopt magic realism overtones, including supernatural elements, while others utilize montages and time skips to fully tell a character's story.
The show has been a success in Japan, [8] [9] with five seasons produced in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2019. The fourth season (released as Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories) was produced in 2016 by Netflix Japan. Netflix Japan purchased streaming and production rights from the original Japanese producers to produce the fourth and the fifth series, which are shown on Netflix internationally. The ten episodes of the fourth series were streamed on October 21, 2016. The ten episodes of the fifth series were simultaneously streamed on October 31, 2019.
While the fourth and fifth seasons were released under the title Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, Netflix began streaming the first three seasons separately under the original title "Midnight Diner" in June 2020. [10]
To date, two theatrical feature films were produced by TBS and MBS: Midnight Diner (2014) and Midnight Diner 2 (2016).
In recommending the show The New Yorker compared Midnight Diner to Cheers and High Maintenance in the way it "finds whimsy in the mundane", adding that its "slow, meditative rhythms" discouraged binge-watching. [11] The show has also been described as one of Netflix's "hidden gems". [12]
Series | Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Network | Status | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||||
Midnight Diner | 1 | 10 | October 9, 2009 | December 11, 2009 | MBS | Released | |
2 | 10 | October 14, 2011 | December 16, 2011 | ||||
3 | 10 | October 20, 2014 | December 22, 2014 | ||||
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories | 1 | 10 | October 21, 2016 | October 21, 2016 | Netflix | ||
2 | 10 | October 31, 2019 | October 31, 2019 |
Following the success of the original Japanese version, Korean and Chinese versions were made. The Korean version, Late Night Restaurant, was mildly successful, and one season was made. [13]
The Chinese television version, also called Midnight Diner, deviated significantly from the original and was poorly received. At the time of its release, it was the lowest rated TV show in Douban history. [14] [15]
A Chinese language film adaptation, directed by Tony Leung Ka-fai was released in 2019. [16]