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#24

The landscape painting the trio find themselves in really is something straight out of the classic scenery paintings from Chinese and Japanese art. The addition of animals with colour is a surreal touch though. As expected, the fog Byakuya warned them about did manifest phantasms for at least two of the visitors.

Although the episode makes it look like the brothers have reconciled, I don't think it's a sure hold since Ranmaru will only change if he's successful in pulling off the ceremony with the help of the others this time round. Not all of the water is under the bridge, especially as viewers now discover it was Ginji who was set up to fail for the previous unsuccessful attempt at the ceremony.

I'm not sure if viewers will ever get a definitive answer behind Tsubaki Aoi's vision of the Master next to the tree. Come to think of it, he hasn't been around for a while and there's never been a time when he and Raiji appear at the same time. Don't know if that's going to be relevant, but there's not much air time remaining and I'm still wondering what the promise was between the Master and Ginji which was touched on at the start of this half.

The twins have effectively thrown in the towel and asked Tsubaki Aoi for help, but can she pull it off with no sense of taste? Iso-hime would not have tasked her to do the job with no sense of taste, especially as she has the power of foresight. Perhaps there's another twist in the tale to be had in the few remaining episodes.

#25

Penultimate episode by the looks of things. Tsubaki Aoi gets to cook the food for the guest after all, but Raiju's last attempt at meddling with the ceremony brings reinforcements from Tenjin Inn to even out the odds.

I'm not sure if the Master is telling the truth or is putting on an act. If it's the latter, it's no surprise since he'd bring trouble on a lot of people if it was known he was messing around on the Orio Inn's turf. If he IS telling the truth and wasn't involved with Tsubaki Aoi over the second half of the season, someone (most likely Ginji) impersonated him and helped her out in his guise.

Leave it to Aoi to give a menu for the guest to choose. Usually for formal banquets the guests have no say in what to eat since everything is prepared in advance. Although giving Umibouzu (the character design and dimensions are effectively the classical image of this youkai) the choice effectively eliminates the possibility he will get bored of the food like in previous festivals, it puts the chefs on very short notice and limits the repertoire available because of time constraints. Since everything was prepared with all the eventualities in mind, it's down to division of labour to get the food out tasty and with wait time to a minimum, just like the eatery Aoi runs at Tenjin-ya.

Who'd have thought the cucumber-addicted mascot character would be the potential cause for the ceremony's failure? One would think mascot characters didn't deliberately screw up the protagonist's endeavours in other series. With that cliffhanger ending, will viewers get to see the rest of the banquet to be prepared and the conclusion to this series? It would be very anti-climatic if the useless kappa ended up ruining everything, although I doubt that's the case since mascots tend to have plot armour.

God damn it Chibi! Although, I am going to guess he was kind of appreciating the company of Chibi, and probably actually end up helping in realising something else. Actually wonder if Chibi may have even met him among the youkai in the ocean.

They said it was a legend to not look at him, so chances that Umi Bozu is possibly shy, but company might even help, and no curse.

#26

After the cliffhanger end, it turns out the true nature of the Umibouzu is more in keeping with the general tone set by this series. The kappa's greed for cucumbers ends up being the trigger allowing Tsubaki Aoi and by extension the rest of the ensemble to learn what really happens when the gate is opened once a century. Along the way, the animators use their final chance to bring out all of the food dishes they can muster.

So the truth behind the mysterious benefactor is largely revealed in this episode. Ginji and one other Ayakashi took turns preparing and feeding the young Tsubaki Aoi before her grandfather showed up to take her in. There's a lot left unsaid, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to guess that the grandfather only showed up after the Master told him about his granddaughter's plight. The debt contract is definitely real, but the Master's intentions behind it remain as inscrutable as ever. In the end viewers can only guess what kind of agreement he and Ginji had which allowed Ginji to temporarily take a furlough in the Southern Land for the duration of the ceremony. Ougon Douji didn't object to Ginji returning to Tenjin-ya, so she must have tacitly agreed to the arrangement for the sake of the ceremony.

Bar the remaining unsolved questions, the series is wrapped up nicely. It shares many characteristics of other Shoujo works, but the food angle and the largely pleasant ambience are its main selling points. It's been light entertainment and it's been a pleasure watching it through to the end. The remaining unsolved questions might give grounds for a sequel, assuming the source material has room for expansion and the adaptation sells well enough to warrant a sequel.

This has been one of the shows I have looked forward to watching every week I am going to miss it. I guess I figured out quite some time ago that the Ogre king was the true savior of Aoi and also I kind of figured it out that Ginji was sent to carry out his wishes. I really am not a food person but I still found it very interesting. The art and the dialog with just the right amount of suspense that did not detract from the calming quality this show exuded. I believe this will go down as one of the best shows of this year. In the company of the Ancient Magus Bride and possibly (probably just me on this one) Hakumei to Mikochi for feel good shows

I just finished watching one my favorite anime TV shows to date. I was very much invested in finding out about Aoi, the master, and their journey. One reason I throughly enjoyed this show is because....Aoi is a grown woman. Can I say it again. A grown woman. It didn't revolve around gratuitous panty shots and over abundant boobs. It was heartwarming to see the light flirtation between Aoi and the Master. Especially since Aoi was hellbent on being independent which shows her to be a great role model for girls and young women. Be yourself, and if a guy is smart he'll love you all the more for it anyway. Now having said that, I am not happy how it ended. Its too tidy...I want more.

Well, they wrung the right amount of tears out of me for Umibouzu's plight. At least living in the ayakashi realm will probably extend her life long enough to see his next appearance. I also enjoyed Ōdanna threatening Raiju, and they tied up most of the loose ends, so that was a pretty good ending.

So Chibi actually did kind of save the day at the end by making people aware of Umi-bouzu's real nature? Laughing

But yeah, i felt so bad for the little guy, what a cruel fate. Crying or Very sad

Since i've got a soft spot for shows about youkai and/or food, i was bound to like this one and i enjoyed it quite a bit.

I am happily surprised in where they took the Umi-bozu thing, bringing it full circle into Aoi's own past in being lonely and hungry. That even cranky Ranmaru without resentment joined in with the dinner party, because the little guy needs some company, personal also to him and Ginji's past. Really solidified the series theming of being good to others, the power of a good meal, and looking at things from another's perspective. Of course some can be so poisoned that there is pretty much no helping, like Raiju, but even bitter enemies can reconcile, such as it was for the two inns. Almost wonder if the blonde girl planned it all, that Aoi could heal the grudges, and help people.

A show with cooking as a centre piece can be hit and miss, like the trouble of feeling like there is enough to propel the story forward without it just being a slideshow of food critiquing. I think that this show really managed to hit the nail on the head in what food can play a part in emotions, being comforting and a way to connect with others. I can't think of where, but I remember hearing that few things can effect people as a good meal in the company of others. And the show had plenty of situations where it really washed away the preconceptions of characters, and open up to others after sharing some time together.

Transitioning onto characters, Aoi is great. I would be repeating some things I have been going on about Ton in Phantom in the Twilight, that has been going for the second half of the show, but Aoi is a strong independent woman that can stand up for who she is, as well as able to work with others. In ways against what I said there, Aoi is not an action fighter, but the one making tea, or really meals, but I think actually goes to being all the stronger. Arguably just being strong was support in this series, while the care that allowed Aoi to break down barriers and open up to others, was the real driving force. Being someone's hero really can be in just being there for them, helping them not be so lonely, and filling up their body and soul. It is fine and dandy to have that as some catchphrase of why an open atmosphere can be as great as a posh one, but care was put in this series to reach there.

I really like many of the other characters to, including how I might dislike them, but they could really improve later, without it feeling like their characterization was inconsistent. Oryo and Nene, the two hostesses especially come to mind as alternative female characters trying to make a name for themselves, and could come across as hostile, this being a female targeted show, it can be simply easy to just fill it with cute guys. But all the guys also all had their stuff that was not just reliant on being something as base as love interests. Plus plenty of other cute characters like the precious crane twins.

Wrapping up, I have to give a rating, and I will go with Very good (8/10), but a high one in that regard, in that I really think that it should not be missed, and a fine example of how many anime can do better.

This has been my favorite new anime this season. It's not the best of all time, and it's full of inconsistencies and loose ends, but I enjoy the characters and the art and I hope there will be another season in the future. Certainly there are many more stories to be told in this universe.

I enjoyed the food and while I cringed at how often Aoi was kidnapped, I also enjoyed that her character was built to show strength and personal power even as she was objectively the weakest character in the room, and that she handled herself as an adult. The echoes of "lonely and hungry" that went through so many characters, culminating in Umi-bozu, worked well to tie the series together.

And I enjoyed watching the Master woo her as the fish peddler, and giving her the respect to handle her situation at Orio herself.

Just posting to bump it up since a new season is coming up fall 2025.

S2 #1

Seven years is a long gap between a first and second season, I can't imagine the difference in getting a series out then in a pre-Covid world and today's market where the viewer base is larger but the competition for eyeballs fiercer than ever. That said, the gap means there's so much more source material available that the production committee can pick and choose what and how they would like to animate without worrying about spoilers for future story arcs.

A brief recap on why a human like Aoi is in the spirit world working for an Oni innkeeper as a restaurant owner, and the debt she owed to an Ayakashi who gave her food when she was hungry. Then it's straight back into the main story. As before, the Tenjin inn employees flock to Aoi's food whenever possible and unlike the first season she now has help of her own to ease the burden of the job. The Southerners have made a point of flying in on their ship to pay the debt owed to the Tenjin Northeners for borrowing Aoi to ensure the success of their important festival, but they play no further part beyond helping viewers connect what happened in the previous story arc to what is coming next.

I admit I don't remember much about Kasuga besides the fact Aoi won her trust early on and she's now a regular at the Yuugao. Turns out she's the scion of a huge political figure in the spirit world and she has to resign to fulfil her purposes as part of a clan which relies on its wits to survive the Youkai ecosystem. She's also a convenient contrast to Aoi, who started the restaurant to avoid marrying the Master but has dropped her initial wariness and would like to know more about her employer, yet finds herself rebuffed by his reticence. Considering he does frequest her establishment occasionally, knowing more about his preferences would increase the service quality she can offer so it's not entirely about the marriage question. This week's revelation that he knew Ginji was her benefactor when she was younger is not a surprise, but his reticence in answering her question hints something political might be behind his refusal to reveal more about himself despite his numerous attempts in season one to assist her when she had a major problem to solve.

If the OP visuals are anything to go by, there are A LOT of new characters in this season and it'll be hard to keep track of them. There's also plenty of world-building to be had, since the world isn't just North and South (Kasuga's kin are from the North-West). I cannot see how and why Aoi is going to get involved in Kasuga's impending marriage, but that's the fun of watching this series since Aoi doesn't lack pluck and literally bets everything on her cooking skills to overcome the obstacles in her way.

The other notable feature of the first season was its depiction of food. This season is no different and I'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't feel like eating after watching the episode on an empty stomach. Watching this while having a meal is light entertainment to go with food. The only concern is whether the visuals are going to be more of the same compared to the first season, or if the food visuals are going to be more exotic given the scene may change to Kasuga's home region.

S2 #2

The franchise has never been about rapid pacing. The pattern of introducing delicious food, pleasant conversation and deliberate world exposition has been tried and tested from the first season and it never fails to help viewers relax and forget about the outside world while it's airing.

O-Ryo remains the only one who remains upset that Kasuga is resigning for a political marriage. This week explains why, and the grounds behind her discontent are very relatable on a human level. That said, the rest of the staff have resigned themselves to losing Kasuga, and have made appropriate arrangements regarding her workload (knowing she's a VVIP means she is suddenly taken off the rota) and regarding her farewell party and gifts. Kasuga herself was quite the handful when she was younger, and it's a surprise that her current shift was a direct result of the brief fling she had with her future husband.

Besides the main story, the episode takes a few detours to explore other story threads. Aoi's experiments for a snack that can be mass-produced as calling card gifts have proven successful in internal taste tests, all that remains is an imprint on the product before it can be sent for production runs. The passage of time is also marked as the ginko nuts segment indicates it's the Autumnal Equinox and a pumpkin festival is in the works to commemorate it and serve as a commercial opportunity for the Tenjin-Ya to cash in on the occasion.

Aoi for her part meets new people, and learns more about Kakuriyo cooking technology with its geothermal ovens. The Tenjin-Ya R&D line is no slouch either, with talented rats able to copy designs in less than an hour with blueprints.

Bearing in mind how long this adaptation is supposed to be, I don't expect to be seeing Kasuga leaving the inn for a couple of weeks while the ensemble prepares a grand farewell for her. In the meantime, it's pleasant watching this show while eating since it never fails to deliver the food visuals for stimulating appetite.

S2 #3

As expected, Kasuga gets her last day with the inn set for the autumn festival. A good way to serve the guests and enjoy the festivities before she has to leave to prepare for her wedding ceremony. Although this part of the episode has been telegraphed for some time, the scenes toward the end and the big cliffhanger just before the credits (this week's ED song is a duet by Aoi and the Master, worth a listen) certainly sprung a surprise.

Using the long tongued lantern spirits as markers for the festival is a very distinctive touch for an autumn festival. As for the food, watching it never fails to get the appetite going. I didn't know pumpkin could be prepared the way Aoi did for the Master, something new learnt from the show.

Good to see Aoi and O-ryou finally reconcile. It's not the end for Kasuga and her ties to the inn, after all she might well visit again as a customer like she said she would with her new husband in tow. That would change things though since she becomes a VIP if she turns up. But will she visit now that the inn is ostensibly under new management?

Raiju made life difficult for Aoi and the inn staff when he last appeared, and now it appears he's usurped the inn management by order of the king. Not sure what the Master did to lose his political position, but without his backing Aoi is far less secure at her restaurant. That would explain the food truck title for next week, and why she might seek Kasuga's assistance to help the Master reclaim ownership of the inn. The black key the Master entrusted to her might be more than just a storage of his personal belongings, but its significance will have to wait for future episodes.

S2 #4

That's certainly a twist to the tale. Just as it hints the main story is going to centre on the departing Kasuga, what really happens is Raiju usurping the Master's position as innkeeper and feudal lord by unmasking him at court. Ordinarily that would be it for the Master, but the transfer of power is delayed due to bureaucracy so the inn still has time, albeit limited, to do something before Raiju formally seizes authority.

This week's food episode with the food truck hence serves as a transition for Aoi as she moves her base of operations to the capital. Once again the Master is correct in pointing out Aoi having earned her right to work and live in the hidden realm, as it is her cooking which so impressed the VIP visitor in the first quarter of season one which won the inn it's only remaining ally in the royal capital. Aoi may worry she can only cook while the Master is imprisoned, but cooking has brought her this far and will continue to be the key to resolving the central problem for this quarter.

If all of the royals have eyes like Takechiyo, then Aoi might well have made another ally inadvertently with her high calorie burgers. Considering the incognito customer finished everything without any wastage, she might have won herself another fan with powerful connections.

First order of business is winning over the picky royal child with considerable trauma. I consider it a warmup for Aoi has to face next, since the hurdles her cuisine has to overcome are only going to get higher and higher.

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