“Meshi wo Kurahite Hana to Tsugu” is wonderfully absurd. Each episode follows the same arc: (1) troubled customer is introduced; (2) overly-dramatic cooking is staged; (3) delicious food is served; (4) odd conversation follows. I enjoyed the gentle misunderstandings of the first 3 episodes but thought the repetitive, single-set format would not keep my interest for all 12 episodes… Let me say, you should press on! It somehow gets more goofy without ever crossing into completely unbelievable (I mean, it’s not like space aliens appear...). Some of the guest actors are fantastic – really drawing out the humor with their few minutes on-camera (Marui Wan!). Nakamura Toru as the main actor is perfect in the role. He delivers a great balance of clueless and caring so you continue to root for his character even as he takes it to the edge. Overall, a warm, quirky comedy worth watching. Thanks to Shin Subs for the translations!