When I saw the title Mid-Day Beer at a Restaurant, I knew I had to sit down and watch. I had just come home from a meeting and was planning on finishing some work before dinner, but Samurai Gourmet pulled me in. Before I knew it, I had gone over four episodes with my son, both of us entranced with glee.

Samurai Gourmet is about a 60-year-old Japanese salary man who had recently retired. As Takeshi Kasumi makes heads and tails of his retirement, he eats his way through his neighborhood, stumbling on personal realizations along the way.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the television because one, it’s about ageing; two, it’s about food; and three, it’s about human nature. Oh and yes, there is a samurai, a figment of Takeshi’s imagination, who pops up every now and then to help him figure things out.

There’s not much in a way of a plot for this 12-episode drop. You can watch any episode in no particular order, and you won’t miss a thing. But you cannot not watch Takeshi, as played by actor Naoto Takenaka. While he is alone in the frames most of the time, he is never boring. As he thinks about what he should do next – whether it’s to confront a noisy diner or take issue with a rude manager – he comes up with these fantastic facial expressions that you are just reeled in.

I love it too when Takeshi overthinks himself to death in social situations. “Should I say a word about these noisy diners who are ruining it for everybody else who want to take their meal in peace? What would they think of me though?” “I like this pen, but it’s too expensive. But the saleslady would think I’m cheap if I don’t buy it because I already told her I liked it.” “The ramen is cold. The ramen is not good. I should tell the lady in the restaurant, but she looks mean. Maybe that’s not a good idea.” “What am I doing drinking beer in a fancy Italian restaurant?! They must think me uncultured.” Mwahahahaha!

I thought it was very Filipino of him to be so patient, so courteous, and so distressed to stand up for himself. I once walked up to the manager at a bank and gave him an earful when the lines snaked all over the premises and waiting time took forever. The others on the line, instead of encouraging me, ended up saying snarky things about me! Mwahahaha!

Anyway, back to Samurai Gourmet. One of my favorites is Mackerel in the Morning, when Takeshi takes his first solo trip out of town, reminding him of a youthful summer he spent with friends by the sea.  Another is Umbrella at the Dinner Counter, when Takeshi faces a health scare and ends up absolutely wasted in a homey, rundown  izakaya.

Okay, I won’t give anymore spoilers. Back to work!