Six and a half stars. It offers a window into current-day urban Japan, and it's refreshing to look at a culture that has some distinctive quirks and retains some autonomy from the western value system. The series is well led by Kaoru Kobayashi, the Master cook and owner of the diner and its central character, who provides a friendly and steadying influence on his unsettled, sometimes silly clientele. Some are regulars, while a sequence of others provide the changing story line in each new episode. Unfortunately the stories felt too lightweight to me, and the characters lacked depth. It's just appealing enough to keep watching.
Review of Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories
(2016–2019)
Interesting but could do with more intensity and depth
23 January 2023