“My satisfied tummy.”
What They Say:
Murasaki Wakako is a 26-year-old that loves nothing more than delicious food and drink. Wakako’s favorite thing to do for relaxation is to go off by herself after work and go to various places to eat and drink, even if she’s never been there before. The moment Wakako is able to taste the pairing between the food she wants to eat and the perfect accompanying drink, the happy sound of “Pshuuu” leaves her lips. Now, then. Where shall we drink tonight?
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
In a time where anime viewers are bored to tears with the same ol’ same ol’, I’m happy to report that nothing, absolutely nothing, has changed from mid-season until now regarding Wakako-zake. Well, it has managed to defy expectation in consistently impressing via variants of “Pshuuu,” and there was there was that one thing, but that’s just a drop of water in the proverbial bucket under the bridge … right? I’ll say right now: like before, there’s absolutely nothing wrong or extraneous about the adaptation. In fact, the only way it falls short is by not allotting at least a single episode to one of the non-izakaya-oriented chapters in the original manga.
It’s the only point, albeit a minute one, that earnestly gets to me. After all, there is much to be lauded regarding how much variation is given Wakako’s reactions and the details of the izakayas she visits and how that contributes to eternal enjoyment especially considering the ad infinitum repetition of the eleven episodes following the first. But there are grander stages—a friend’s wedding, nights at home, going out with coworkers—ripe for exploitation! If these were just changes of scenery, I wouldn’t much care, but the aforementioned settings actually lend to the opportunity to explore the more antisocial side of Wakako that I find most enjoyable. (Her surprise in agreeing with people sharing her opinions on food is a symptom thereof and equally enjoyable for being so.)
As fixation is a horrible ill and forgiveness a divine cure, all I can really say is that I hope more seasons follow due to popularity. That’s to say I hope the anime’s popular. I’m not sure of the numbers in Japan or if the Japanese live action adaptation did as well or even how well the anime did on Crunchyroll. All I can do is pray that, because Wakako-zake has such a deep well of original content, the show will return for at least a few more seasons. After watching 12 episodes (repeatedly!) and looking forward to new ones every week, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to think of an anime season without more helpings.
In Summary:
I’m not a foodie, and I don’t believe that’s where the strength of this anime lies. What Wakako-zake does so well is uplift viewers’ souls, weary from the daily grind, with a bit of empathetic hope vested in and delivered by the simpler pleasures readily available to our mortal coils: taste and elation it affords when we allow it to overcome the rest of our burdened noggins. It’s cute, it’s colorful, and it’s got just enough context to make the previous two aspects mean something via the contrast. It’s a show where every second counts, just like savoring the nuance of a dish, and more to the point: it makes you feel it.
In case you’re interested in where each episode falls within the manga, I’ve provided a list below. As each episode strictly covers one chapter (with a good deal of beneficial elaboration), there’s a lot more to read! Hopefully, this means the anime will go on for quite some time! Be sure to keep watching it on Crunchyroll, and hopefully more seasons will follow suit!
7th Night: Potato Salad (manga vol 1 ch 9)
8th Night: Goya Chanpuru (manga vol 2 ch 51)
9th Night: Kani Miso (manga vol 1 ch 15)
10th Night: (manga vol 2 ch 29)
11th Night: (manga vol 1 ch 19)
12th Night: (manga vol 2 ch 34)
Grade: Pshuuu
A+ (for the show in general)
A- (for not adapting a wider variety of chapters)
Streamed By: My Anime Lord and Savior (Crunchyroll)
Review Equipment:
Xbox360 running Crunchyroll app via HDMI to Toshiba 40” LED 1080P HDTV. Sony 5.1 home theater system.
