Mondai no Aru Restaurant (2015)

I don't usually watch many dramas like this i.e ones that are about friendship and not romance or food but I have to say this drama went through the motions of everything equally,each character grew and developed,the music was simply amazing and the cameo of Pamyu was just the cherry on the cake.

These women are bonded together in a way that makes you as a viewer intrigued,it goes beyond simply being connected through Tanaka Tamako as we find out in the first episode.Each woman has her own struggles and pain which is uncovered and healed somewhat through the comfort of their friendship with each other.They are united in their struggle against what I think all women struggle with,the male hierarchy in the world.They fight against this to succeed but its not a fame thing its more humble,they simply want to produce nice food that warms people.

And in the end I began to realise I didn't want this to a romance because that would simply ruin a good show and break such a beautiful friendship between 7 women..

Ken Yasuda's performance for me was just the best.. as well as Yoko Maki,I couldnt stop thinking about her performance afterwards.I cried when she cried and laughed when she laughed.She is a superb actress

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Before I even get into my pros and cons, I just want to say I am in love with the concept of this drama and it's story. I am extremely glad I came across this and decided to watch it before others on my list!

Story | Sexism in life is the main theme. Several women who are in the work force deal with sexism constantly and due to certain circumstances end up working together at a restaurant started up by the main heroine. Just like the title, it is a restaurant with many problems. Exactly like women in the work force. But the restaurant becomes a safe place and a place for them to work without the prejudice and discriminations that are usually used against working women. These are real life issues that real life women (and even men) deal with daily.

Cast | At first I was kind of "meh" about the cast but as the episodes went on and the characters started to develop, I had zero issues with the actors or their acting. Everyone had great chemistry together and it worked out perfectly. Though there is quite a number of serious moments, the actors were able to also give off comedic vibes to keep the drama going and I loved those moments. Maki Yoko was a strong in this drama. She gave her character the perfect amount of courage, sympathy, anger etc. Can I just add how much I loved Yasuda Ken's character. Best. Character. Ever. Anyways, I believe every character had their own unique color and the actors were able to portray that extremely well.

Music | Instrumentals during scenes and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's OST Mondai Girl was the ending theme. I scored low only because I'm not much into that type of music. The song is ok but just not my style.

Rewatch | Not too sure. I think I'll more recommend this people than actually rewatch it myself.

Overall | It's not a bad drama. I actually think it's quite an important drama because these types of issues aren't usually the main theme of a drama. These are real life issues that happen everywhere in the work place and it's disgusting. So many double standards and the following of Confucianism in the Asian culture is a big issue that I wish was talked about more. Unfortunately, I am only disappointed with this drama because 1. it was only 10 episodes long (which is normal for Japanese dramas) and 2. because it was so short, a lot of situations that should (or I thought should have) have been focused on more were only glimpsed at and a lot of big situations in this drama were opened and instead of being closed completely, they were slightly left open leaving me not feeling content.

I can't lie though, the issues and how things were dealt with and positive things that were said, made me happy. I can genuinely say I liked this drama. It's a nice short drama that you can get through in a couple of days or a weekend. Please give it a chance!

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