Kimi to Ame to – 04

We’re at the point where the decision on series like Kimi to Ame to is going to be left in your hands, I think. I’m certainly enjoying the vibe here, and I seem to get one or two good laughs out of every episode. It offers thin gruel in terms of blogging, though. Pure slice of life tends in that direction to begin with, and this is about as pure as slice of life gets.

Take the window scene for example. It doesn’t get more pure than that. “Appreciate the small things” and all that. Rain is a common theme here – like being in the tub and listening to it fall outside. Fuji is is so into that she insists Kimi put the rubber ducks away. Now, why the “three wise ducks” thing when there were five ducks? Why does Fuji have five rubber ducks in her bath? I have no more answers for that than for why everyone pretends Fuji isn’t a tanuki. But it’s cute. Dad is cute too, even if a little over the top.

I also thought it was fitting that Fuji-san wound up watching the fireworks alone – or at least the version of alone where she’s with Kimi. It was a nice spot – and believe me, in the real world no such spot would be undiscovered at a Japanese fireworks display. It’s truly cutthroat. But the point was less the view than the fact that she wasn’t with the others, which if we’re honest is how she prefers it. Her family gets that, clearly, and they respect it (especially her mom).

Fermat no Ryouri – 04

The equation is totally different with Fermat’s Cuisine. There’s no question of whether it’s “bloggable” – there’s plenty of meat on that bone. It’s simply a matter of “is it good enough?” I’ve wavered on that over the first four weeks, but I’m absolutely interested in what’s happening here. The execution remains kind of clumsy but I’m finding the episodes seem to find a sort of momentum and improve as they go.

One doesn’t need to watch “The Bear” to understand the special hell that is a fine dining kitchen, but it’s a good reminder. Frankly I’ve always thought anyone who pursued that line of work was crazy. Even if you succeed you work insane hours, and the environment is harsh to say the least. Yet, I get it. I love to cook and to eat both. I love the science and the art of it, and the euphoria of having had a dish come together. I’m not going to argue Fermat no Ryouri is ultra-realistic, but there are elements here that paint a recognizable picture.

This show is working well enough to keep it on my radar, no doubt. Gaku moves into Kai’s house (which is above the restaurant, as if often the case in Japan). Kai assigns him to cook the staff meal, which is a pretty realistic first assignment for a trainee chef. Though of course this being animanga, it has to turn into a test. Get their approval in a week, Kai says, or hit the road. Just how much Gaku is risking here adds an interesting element of danger here. And the mere act of trying to survive as a drudge in a working kitchen is a full-time challenge, never mind thinking about staff meals.

This sequence is actually quite well-done, on the whole the best of the series so far. We meet a bunch more staff members (K has 15 in total), though no one stands out too much. Many are international. Nene actually makes the strongest impression of any of the staff, and one senses she’d make a powerful ally as even Kai respects her. I’m interested to see how the kid copes with all this, and what he comes up with the keep these demanding palates satisfied. Fermat no Ryouri is a work in progress but it’s trending in the right direction.