Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro-Biyori is a bit off an odd duck – something of a cross-demographic project, it seems to me.  It’s listed as a seinen, and the four main characters are indeed adult men – four guys who are at the very least bidanshi and, let’s face it, probably ikemen.  As such it seems as if the target audience here is primarily women, especially given the premise and overall feel of the piece.  But it lacks the overt pandering (at least so far) we often see in so-called otome works.  Maybe it’s a Jousei at heart?

Whatever you call it, Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro-Biyori is certainly very warm and fuzzy, just like the four hunks and the adorable cafe in the midst of a bamboo grove they run.  In fact, there’s a bit of a more straight-up Shirokuma Cafe feel to this series – a beautiful cafe in the midst of nature serving organic treats and coffee and tea, run with wry philosophy and a warm smile all around.  Hell, there’s even a cat wearing a bandana to complete the mood.

All of that warmth is probably a bit much, if I’m honest – diabetics should beware here, and not of Tsubaki’s desserts.  But it’s packaged with such sincerity that it was impossible for me to hold a grudge long.  Plus, the food is gorgeous too – if you like traditional Japanese cafe cuisine, this show is a feast for the eyes.  The story in the premiere revolves around a young woman who wanders is while stuck on her first big solo project at work, and she wiles away a day there on latte art, matcha parfaits and spring salmon while receiving a bit of inspiration and falling in love with the tea expert, Sui, in the process.

Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro-Biyori seems to lack the acidic bite that made Shirokuma Cafe a full set meal and not just a one-bite sweet dessert, and while it’s possible we’ll get some backstory on the four leads (there’s hints of wistful memories involving children) I don’t see this as the sort of series that goes dark (I’ll hope for bittersweet).  More likely we’ll get the cafe helping out customers with their problems every week, which should be fine in an easy-listening sort of way.  The cast is pretty much who you’d expect in this sort of show, but it is kind of interesting to hear Yamashita Daiki in this group (as Tsubaki, the pâtissière).  It’s a step up for him in terms of demographics, and he’s definitely the “which one of these is not like the others” in the main quartet of seiyuu…