The main premise of the show is described to be centred around Souta's love for “naked dining”, and how another person comes to learn about his secret. But the series doesn’t dwell on this too much throughout the episodes.

Perhaps, in reality, the nakedness is intended to be far more profound, going beyond this silly imagery.

As Souta spends more time cooking the recipes in his grandmother’s book, he discovers his grandmother’s world – a world beyond the colourless and dreadful universe of a salaryman, filled with endless potential.

He also discovers another facet of 'nakedness': being honest with one's feelings and learning to live an authentic life.

Zenra Meshi’s point is this: You should be taking chances and introducing adventure into your life, even if you don’t know whether you will like it or not. And yes, this nifty little metaphor applies not just to cuisines, but also extends to love.

Unfortunately, the romance, with its standard share of misunderstandings and jealousy, came off as superficial and formulaic. While some kind of character development was hinted at for Souta, the storyline couldn’t quite capture why or how the change was meaningful.

The questionable chemistry between the male leads – but perhaps this is an issue with the casting rather than the actual premise of the show – also explained why some scenes fell flat.

Full review: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/07/23/zenra-meshi-2023-bl-review/