I had to comment on this even when it was ongoing.

It is a drama about Tokuzo Akiyama’s ordeals and journey in achieving his dream and becoming the chef of the Emperor of Japan. Set in the early 1900s.

I was attracted to the show purely because of Takeru Sato. But the show and plot had been great so far in capturing love and dreams. Very inspiring.

Edit: Finished the show last week. It had been a great 12 weeks. This show made end-of-Mondays worth looking forward to each week.

There are many things worth watching for. First, all actors and actresses were captivating and loveable. There were a few points where you would cringe (like the last episode), but otherwise, you will root and love every single character in this show. Takeru Sato was especially worth mentioning – his acting was varied, and impressive in portraying the growth of a young rash boy, who was easily bored, deemed useful and could not stay interested in any task for more than 3 months, to an respectable old chef devoted to serving the Emperor, the craft of cooking and who loves his wife dearly. Takeru Sato’s character and acting, through in this show, grew definitely by leaps and bounds from his previous idol-type or rookie-type roles. Kuroki who acted as Toshiko (Tokuzo’s wife) isn’t a beauty at first sight, but she was appealing in her own way by the end of the show.

I loved the love story between Tokuzo and his wife Toshiko. I particularly liked how he did not express his love for his wife in a direct way but we all know very well that he loved her very much through all’s that he had done for her. Definitely a couple you will root for (and cry for).

Inspiring plot. Akiyama Tokuzo’s contribution to french cuisine in Japan makes one want to look for that one thing that we hope to devote our entire life to, to excel, to hone our skills, to contribute. Isn’t that what we live for, our value in life.

I wished that producers had given the wonderful dishes prepared by Tokuro a little bit more screen time and some explanation. There was a lot of emphasis on Tokuzo’s cooking skills (there were many scenes of Takeru chopping, dicing, slicing and peeling), but little explanation of the dishes that were served. I suppose if they did that, it would not just be 12 episodes but 20 episodes long.

For the amount of tears shed, I definitely rate this show highly! ♥♥♥♥♥ (My highest rating thus far!)

Actors/actresses to watch out for: Takeru Sato