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「ジャキジャキ、ずるるっ。 / シャクッ、テリツヤ～。」 (Jakijaki, Zururu. / Shaku, Teritsuya~.)
Chop-Chop, Slurp. / Crunchy, Shining.
This episode couldn’t be any more true. Ramen is truly the food of my university years.
And that’s exactly a good thing. I’ll admit that I love ramen regardless of the amount of MSG and ”plastic” that might be in it. It’s fast to cook, delicious and it gives me this warm feeling that reminds me of my younger days. When I was in school, my roommates and I would buy a giant box of ramen packets and that would last us maybe a month or two. That’s how often we would eat it. And the best part is – you can prepare it in a variety of ways. In a bowl of soup would be the most typical method; with an egg or a piece of SPAM would be considered fancy. Sometimes we would fry it and throw in some pork and vegetables and call fried instant noodle. Nowadays, ramen is actually very popular here and not the same instant stuff. I’m talking about fresh broth with pork fat and handspun noodles, all served with a boiled egg and some pork shoulder (or belly). Mmmmm… Albeit, it’s also a lot more expensive. Going out for ramen is more about the experience to me than the actual value of the food itself. Ramen has become so refined here that people would actually line up and wait for it. Comparatively speaking, (from what I hear) ramen in Japan is truly considered a cheaper meal and people can literally eat in a little cubby to themselves.
We get to hear a bit more about Ryou’s parents this episode which I thought was a nice touch. Obviously I wasn’t expecting the show to reveal what they do because I don’t think the audience is ever meant to know. However, it’s clear that Ryou’s parents do love her a lot and send her care packages of Japanese things that catch their eye. I remember when I was in university and got care packages… it makes you feel a lot less lonely when you’re reminded that someone was thinking of you. Kirin’s character has also grown a lot since her initial visit to Ryou’s. She’s learned to take care of Ryou in return and even prepares meals for the both of them. She can get a little carried away but I let that slide when I remember how young they are. I still think of her as a younger sister to Ryou, just solely based on her maturity level, but she’s also played a big role in Ryou’s development as well.
Next episode will be our last, and we’ll probably hear whether or not Ryou and Kirin made it into the high school of their choice. Cram school isn’t for nothing and since this is a slice-of-life series, I don’t doubt that it’ll be a happy ending. Shiina’s news was a shocker but if she worked hard for it, then she deserves her admittance. Having her prepare katsu sandwiches for Kirin and Ryou was a cute; but seeing her add the “secret ingredient” for success was even more adorable. An hour of good luck wishes? Wow, Tsuyuko must have spent a lot of time on Shiina’s lunches. That girl should be so grateful for Tsuyuko’s efforts now that she has to do the same thing.
Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: One of my favorites… ramen. Nothing has ever tasted so cheap and delicious =3 #koufukug
Preview
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End Card
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Ramen *-*
I’m new to this anime but I guess it’ll be fun (because your reviews, thanks) =)
P.S. No Spring Preview 2015 yet? D:
If I can get one more person to watch this show (or get them hungry), then I have succeeded!! =)
Preview will be posted… when I stop being lazy =(
Planning 14 days in Japan later this year and all I can say is “there’s too much food that I want to eat while i’m there”
No end card?
Yes there is! Forgot to include it. Just edited my post =)
Ramen is truly the food of my entire life, not joking.
So does anyone want to guess what Ryou’s parents jobs are?
Ramen is great comfort food and I used to live near a small ramen place and there would usually be a huge line for the place.
Just had it two days ago!
I tried a few different types when I went to Japan. I had miso ramen while in Sapporo. Definitely not a fan of it as they put in butter in the broth to try and enhance the flavour, which made it way too rich. Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen is alright, but nothing really special. My favourite however is tonkotsu ramen where the main ingredient in the broth is pork bones. Tried it in Fukuoka, and was one of the best meals I’ve had.
Advice for those travelling to Fukuoka or Kyoto. If you ever find yourself at Canal City in Fukuoka or at the Kyoto Train Station, both buildings have areas dedicated to shops selling ramen from all over Japan. I only went to each once, but if I had the chance I would’ve gladly returned to try other types. These shops are branches of top restaurants from around Japan, so you are guaranteed that it will be good. I can’t say the same for another one I tried in Shibuya though. One hint – if there is no-one inside a shop at meal time…run D:
I prefer udon over ramen but… What the heck, ramen for dinner it is. Thanks for helping me decide what to eat every time I watch you, Koufuku Graffiti!
Speaking of which, insipired by the previous episode, I tried making pizza couple of days ago and it was good! Sure it was in the oven a bit too long and ended up harder than it needed to be, but it wasn’t too hard.
And it was surprisingly easy, actually. Definitely recommending you to try it Cherrie!
Kirin imagining Ryou with different personalities was pretty fun, soccer-Ryou was plain ridiculous!