Sleeper Hit: Solitary Gourmet
Hey, hey, it’s been a while! While browsing youtube during a lunchbreak, I stumbled upon something unexpectedly interesting, which I thought I could share!
What is this?
Well, what we stumbled upon here is a TV series based on the eponymous manga Solitary Gourmet.
It’s a delightfully slow TV series where we can observe our hero, Goro Inogashira conduct his business as an importer of European goods, eventually getting hungry and stopping for lunch, sometimes dinner at a restaurant. Wonderfully plain, isn’t it? However, there is more than meets the eye.
What recommends it?
The protagonist is charming
Between his quips, his personality and the fact that he is pretty much the main character in the purest sense of the word, with focus placed exclusively on him, I found myself slowly growing attached to him. Most of the “dialogue” is, in actuality, his internal monologue.
Despite being the solitary gourmet, the protagonist is quite observant
Despite how much he enjoys his solitude, he is quite present everywhere he goes. He notices people in their every day life, struggling and quietly cheering for them.
It cultivates an appreciation for the smaller things in life
From helping someone having a small trouble, to observing some old men playing shogi, and then deciding to play for himself, to visiting an import shop, to the way he picks his restaurants : small and off the beaten path.
It really does feel like Goro has a cultivated sense of appreciation for the smaller things.
The humor is simple, but effective
The humor is happening mostly in the contrast between his dialogue and his monologue.
Very simple, but very effective!
Conclusion
I’ll keep watching as new episodes find their way on YouTube. The very simple premise makes for a very enjoyable experience.
If you need something with a more intriguing plot, this is definitely not something for you, but if you find yourself often overthinking, this might just be the show for you. I found myself feeling wonderfully soothed after each episode.
Until next time!