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Lunch no Joou [ランチの女王]

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Drama Details
Title:Lunch no Joou
ランチの女王
The Queen of Lunchtime Cuisine
Telecast:2002-07-01 to 2002-09-16
Season:Summer 2002



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TV Station:Fuji TV
Duration:12 Episodes
Viewership:18.91%



Synopsis
Here's one restaurant where hunks with distinctive personalities put their hearts and souls into cooking.

Natsumi, who works in a cafe, loves lunchtime. In fact, nothing excites her more than walking down the street thinking where she'll eat lunch at.

One day, a guy by the name of Kennichiro suddenly interrupts Natsumi as she is savoring her favorite rice omelet. He pulls the now furious Natsumi out of the restaurant and begs her to come home with him so that he can introduce her to his family. He explains to her that his father is sick, and since leaving home two years ago after a big fight, the only way he can return home is if he has a fiancee with him.

Kennichiro's father and 3 brothers: Yujiro, Junzaburo, and Koshiro, run a restaurant called "Kitchen Macaroni." The only one in the family that doesn't work there is Kennichiro. Also working at the restaurant are Mamoru, a cook, and Minoru, an apprentice cook.

As Kennichiro and Natsumi approach the restaurant, Kennichiro asks Natsumi to go in alone and check out what is happening inside. Natsumi responds by reluctantly entering alone. As she takes a look around, she sees Koshiro talking to Tomato Shiomi, who works at the nearby grocery store called "Shiomi." Kennichiro's other brothers are working in the kitchen. Next she spots Kenzo, who according to Kennichiro is supposed to be ill. Naturally, Natsumi can't believe how irresponsible Kennichiro is for telling her such a thing. While she is thinking this, the omelet that she ordered arrives. She takes one bite out of it, and as she smiles, the next thing out of her mouth is, "delicious!" A short time after, Kennichiro walks into the restaurant, and his brother Yujiro grabs him and starts lecturing him for coming back. Natsumi breaks them apart, but senses Kennichiro isn't appreciated there.

This is the first day that Natsumi gets a real "taste" of "Kitchen Macaroni," and also Kennichiro's brothers, who are bent on serving delicious lunches to their customers.
Fuji TV

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Soundtrack and Theme Songs (1)
1. 11 11 [552 255]

Actor/Actress Cast (13)
Takeuchi Yuko
竹内結子
Mugita Natsumi
麦田なつみ (23)
Eguchi Yosuke
江口洋介
Nabeshima Yujiro
鍋島勇二郎 (31)
Tsumabuki Satoshi
妻夫木聡
Nabeshima Junzaburo
鍋島純三郎 (23)
Yamashita Tomohisa
山下智久
Nabeshima Koshiro
鍋島光四郎 (18)
Yamada Takayuki
山田孝之
Ushijima Minoru
牛島ミノル (18)
Wakabayashi Go
若林豪
Nabeshima Kenzo
鍋島 権造 (58)
Itoh Misaki
伊東美咲
Shiomi Tomato
塩見トマト (25)
Tsutsumi Shinichi
堤真一
Nabeshima Kennichiro
鍋島健一郎 (34)
Eita
瑛太
Sakai Noboru
Morita Go
森田剛
Shuuji
Takubo Issei
田窪一世
Kawabata Mamoru
Umemiya Masako
梅宮万紗子
Yamashiro Hidemi
Toyohara Kosuke
豊原功補
Egi (epi 5-7)
江木
  

Drama Reviews (38)
!!WARNING!!
The review section may contain spoilers! Please understand
that you may find out about this drama's endings and plots!


1. Very Funny, very Yummy! [Rating: 8/10]
The drama had a great start, and even though random incidents occurred, the randomness could still be forgiven since the drama was light and funny and very entertaining. Well�c to an extent. I found that around episode 7 or 8, the drama began to wear thin. Ideally, the story should have come to a close after the run-in with Shuuji, since he managed to bring out the story of Natsumi�fs past. However, the plot kept going and therefore got out of hand. For example, the Miss Nihonbashi Queen contest.. What was the purpose of it? It was just filling space. The drama got stretched out too thin, and although it was still fun and grand, it could have ended earlier than it did, and thereby making it more of a success in my eyes.

I did like how they managed to close off all the loose ends (i.e. Natsumi�fs relationship with Shuuji, Yujiro�fs relationship/situation with Hidemi, Tomo-chan�fs outgrowing of Jun-kun, etc.). However, they left the actual ending wide open. Perhaps they�fre planning on a second season, or a special. In any case, it would have been nice to see who she�fd end up with, but I found the end nonetheless appropriate.

I also enjoyed the cast quite a bit. I fully understand Natsumi�fs confusion with all those gorgeous boys around. I don�ft know whom I�fd have picked either! Mind you, the acting was even better than the eye candy. The actors matched the personality types perfectly, which added to the success of the drama. This was my first time seeing Eguchi Yosuke in action, and although I spent the majority of the show drooling over Tsumabuki Satoshi, in the end I was cheering for Eguchi-san. Both Tsumabuki and Yamada Takayuki were brilliant, which I expected of them since I consider both awesome actors. Even Yamapi, who was the weakest of all the actors in this drama, pulled through and managed to portray his character well. And lets not forget Takeuchi Yuko. She was the powerhouse of this drama with her charisma and loveable smile. No matter the criticism, this drama is worth watching just for her.

This was an all around fun drama. Regardless of the rather laboured last few episodes, it was still good and a delicious watch.
Reviewed by Wynter on 4 February 2007
2. A different side of Yuko-chan [Rating: 9/10]
Am really glad that I managed to get my hands on this show. Was beginning to suspect that my dear yuko-chan can only act out cutesy or homely role (I want to believe that she is so much more that that:P) but she shows that, yupe , she can definitely break out of her usual casting stereotypes.

Here she plays a spunky ex-gang member, Mugita Natsumi who has gone "straight" for 5 years and is living a life of aimless wandering. But there is one thing in her life that fire her up, that is the thought of "oiishi" dishes, especially lunch.

The show goes on with her putting up with the Nabeshima family (bunch of good looking talented chefs:P) through a series of funny and unfortunate event:P.

One thing I really like about the show its how it talks about the simple pleasure in life (eating) and how it can make someone day. A recurring theme in the show talks about how good taste will never fade or go away especially with people like the Nabeshima family safeguarding "tradition". All this adds up to how no matter what background, troubles one has, there certain things in life (food here) that can help to energise and be a reasurring "blanket"

Lol, only thing that might have put me off was the romance subplot that never really conclude with a satisfying ending. But thinking back I guess this is good enough as this is more a show about life than love. Good job yuko-chan and gang!
Reviewed by dashx on 18 September 2005
3. yummy... [Rating: 8/10]
it has a whole bunch of nice casts, really nice casts. And overall, it was very entertaining. I like the whole atmosphere and pace. Yamada Takayuki wasn't as bad as i thought he would be, but i still think he's an average.

the only thing i don't like about this dorama is that to me, it doesn't have a solid plot. also, they were really late in getting deep into one of the of the problems, episode 8. also, i think the plot isn't solid and deep enough, and a bit absurd.

again, a no no for Yamada Takayuki, very average. And now i have to cote for Satoshi Tsumabuki

I love the food.

Kitchen Macaroni sounds cute but if you were a tourist and saw the name of the restaurant, who would've thought it provides a daymn tasty omuraisu instead of a lasagna?

i looovveee the last episode... hahaha

one thing for sure about this dorama: memorable!

a 7.5/10 but more of a 8/10
Reviewed by monta on 3 March 2007
4. Not the best drama but. (Spoiler) [Rating: 7/10]
It's not exactly the best drama I have seen, but it does have some touching parts. The cast was great and the acting was well done for the most part. If you are looking to see a love story, this isn't the darma you would want to watch. There were too many turns in the plot, and it got a little too complicated. Every episode she would leave and come back for different reasons. Every episode another person likes Takeuchi Yuko's character. The plot got a little too thick to establish much of anything. I thought the ending was kind of empty. There were plenty of things questionable that were left out. Half of the series was about the family all being attracted to her, but nothing at the end made me think that it concluded something. After all that, I gave it a 7.
Reviewed by Supter on 9 October 2005
5. Superb omurice! [Rating: 7/10]
The dishes they managed to concoct, from omurice to their katsu, looked ravishing. Unfortunately, the rest of the dorama didn't quite meet the same standard with the storyline seeming a bit directionless and too much repetition of the notion of all the brothers being in love with mugita. Dorama was quite enjoyable over the first couple of episodes but lost its drawing power in the latter half with the last couple of episodes feeling rather stretched and thin on substance. 7/10 is probably a bit stingy on my part, realistically probably closer to a 7.5/10, but i'm disappointed with how this dorama turned out given its quirky opening.
Reviewed by Shindou on 10 November 2006
6. A nice drama [Rating: 6/10]
The drama is not just about food because it looks deeper into the main character and investigates her past and that made for a more interesting storyline. My lesser rating of it was due to the fact that the story got too complicated as too many people got involved in the one situation so that by the very end of the drama the situation wasn't fully solved.. And so the ending wasn't really an ending?! I'm still left guessing which ticket she chose ><.. But I'm also left with a craving for omuraisu <3
Reviewed by sezling on 18 October 2007
7. Food is a supporting cast here [Rating: 8/10]
From a gourmet point of view, food is secondary here. The drama just happens to unfold in an old-school yoshoku restaurant. There are a few food and dish pointers along the way but nothing documentary or technical like Teppan Girl or Shota no Sushi. The focus is on the tight cast and characters.

However I think it is unbelieveable that 4 men who look nothing like each other, nor their dad, are cast as "brothers".

With this out of the way, just enjoy the story. It's addictive.
Reviewed by gauntlet on 23 May 2007
8. I wanT to eaT omiRice! [Rating: 8/10]
a FantaStic dorama,,,, gReaT caSt,,, gReat Love coMpleX,,,

c'mon, whO wouLd Refuse to be Loved by 3 brotHers at The

saMe time,,,in thE same hOuse,,,, very verY FunnY,,,

GrEaT foOd,,,omiRIce w/ deMigLAce soUce,,,, yuMMy!

buT i Kinda diSlike the EndinG,,,,noT very cLear,,,

WARNING! DO NOT WATCH THIS WITH EMPTY STOMACH
YOU CAN GET VERY HUNGRY
Reviewed by stardope on 13 May 2007
9. fun [Rating: 9/10]
Although i haven't had the opportunity to complete the entire series, I found the episodes I did get to watch to be extremely enjoyable. At first I found the story a bit strange, but it is very funny. And the food that they eat looks super good, making the drama even more fun to watch. I hope that I get the opportunity to complete this series sometime soon.
Reviewed by noodlefreak on 16 May 2006
10. TASTY~ [Rating: 9/10]
a VERY good dorama. it was the first time i seen YamaP in acting, and i was NOT disappointed. ^^go morita was very suitable as an gangster type of guy!! Takeuchi Yuko always had a sunni smile and her story in the drama was very touching and convincing. the whole cast and story pulled off very well. it was really cute wen all the bros were fighting over her.
Reviewed by cola_cherry on 12 November 2003
11. Food for the Soul [Rating: 9/10]
Great drama this.. loved the whole concept of the story..starts off pretty vaguely.. but picks up in the 2nd and 3rd episode.. watching this drama makes u feel hungry by the minute.. nice soundtrack too.. also, stunning performance by yuko takeuchi! the other casts are memorable too ( lots of kakoii ppl here! ) surely one of my top 5 dramas in my list!
Reviewed by sadako-sempai on 8 October 2003
12. Superb! Outstanding! [Rating: 10/10]
Way more dynamic and funny than Mika Omori's previous dorama project, Long Love Letter (the first one featuring the "triad": Tsumabuki, Yamashita & Yamada), in which they play second fiddle this time to Yuko Takeuchi and Yosuke Eguchi. Despite Tsutsumi not appearing for most of the episodes due to his outlaw character, he's very funny too.
Reviewed by UWFShooter on 6 December 2003
13. Quite good!! [Rating: 7/10]
The rice omelette was quite interesting, and the demi glace sauce, made me searching for the recipe. That was what interest me most!! Story wise, if it kept me watching it then it's good.
I did watch it...I like the part where Nabeshima Yujiro made the soup(forgot name) v something... from the potato, was smart.
Reviewed by kekkon on 29 July 2004
14. Lots of FUN! [Rating: 8/10]
Yuko Takeuchi was good as usual! This dorama reminds me of another drama named Antique. Is fun to watch! Yuko's character is such a tom-boy (not girlish) and it is hard too throw in more romantic scenes! If you are looking for a love story, this will not be the one for you. But this is FUN show....
Reviewed by jdfan on 25 April 2003
15. Absolutely Yummy!! [Rating: 9/10]
This drama is funny, touching, sweet and let's not forget all those delicious food shown. And not forgetting How yummy Jun-kun was in the drama. For good entertainment value, do watch it. You'll be envying Yuko Takeuchi for having so many yummy males around her.
Reviewed by lisajayne on 26 May 2003
16. A Surprise hit! [Rating: 9/10]
Yuko was outstanding in this little drama. The food all looked so amazing as well. Really this drama was a bit of a surprise to me and well worth watching. I found I could not stop I really wanted to see the next episode as soon as I finished the previous one.
Reviewed by MonsterZero-65 on 21 October 2009
17. Where are the SUBS?! [Rating: 10/10]
Watched 3 eps raw, great performance by takeuchi yuko, finally got to see her in starring role but NO SUBS, why hasn't anyone subbed this great show. Story is very funny and entertaining. cast is great top to bottom, itoh misaki is so hot!
Reviewed by kikkuman on 18 October 2004
18. Enjoyable [Rating: 8/10]
I bought this set because of Yuko Tageuchi. She is SO pretty and her smile, it is so sunshiny. All the men in the show are SO HHHOTTTT too.

Plot wise - enjoyable, not slow, just the right pace and I love the ending song, Joy to the world.
Reviewed by renni72 on 30 October 2004
19. makes you feel hungry.. [Rating: 10/10]
funny & touching dorama.. watching rice omelette & potato soup makes me hungry.. this dorama got all my fave actors such as yamashita tomohisa, yamada takayuki, eguchi yosuke & tsumabuki satoshi.. highly recomended!!
Reviewed by nieda on 18 February 2005
20. The Food! [Rating: 9/10]
This is 1 of my favourite drama. everybody looks so natural together like a real family. the food look sooo tempting.. i got to have that omurice, sandwich...ah..everything!
Overall this is fun and yummy drama to watch.
Reviewed by annatasia on 20 June 2007
21. like it so far! [Rating: 8/10]
i've just watched episode two, and so far, it seems like a really goofy and light-hearted show. the characters are likeable enough, but i'm hoping yamada takayuki gets more of the spotlight as the series progresses >.<
Reviewed by akiha on 15 March 2006
22. If you love food & Japanese humor... [Rating: ?/10]
Watch this if you share the above! I am a foodie myself who can cry over food so I share the same sentiments as the charac in the show. The humour is also very tickling, a delightful show that makes you happy!
Reviewed by aki_07 on 22 October 2005
23. If you love food & Japanese humor... [Rating: 10/10]
Watch this if you share the above! I am a foodie myself who can cry over food so I share the same sentiments as the charac in the show. The humour is also very tickling, a delightful show that makes you happy!
Reviewed by aki_07 on 22 October 2005
24. Very heartwarming and funny!!!!!!!!!!! [Rating: 10/10]
a nice drama show ever made.......
especially the flying kick part and the flying beetle part...
very funny and stunning.......
look out for yuko's expression when the bettle fly into the house...
haha...
Reviewed by richemon25 on 2 August 2003
25. Yummy drama [Rating: 9/10]
This was a delicious little drama. Not serious not funny but it hit a kind of sweet spot that was just really enjoyable. I looked forward to each episode and thought Yuko did a great job in particular.
Reviewed by MonsterZero65 on 15 August 2010
26. Makes You Hungry [Rating: 8/10]
I really enjoyed this drama. Its very cute and it really did make my hungry. I gave it an 8 rather than a 9 as I felt the ending could have been done better. Worth watching!
Reviewed by ikkin-bot on 10 August 2010
27. Maybe not a queen, but a princess for sure [Rating: 9/10]
"Lunch Queen" is a bit of a device to put a label on this show which is really about a girl with a past who's given a second chance by a bunch of great people.
Reviewed by shari on 21 December 2006
28. makes ya wanna eat more food! O.O [Rating: 9/10]
talk about lunch =.= .. oy~!
<<doesnt take long or much to make hungry *tummy growls*
anywhos i luffles this drama. very funny, very comical indeed.
Reviewed by Rio on 25 June 2004
29. Cast [Rating: ?/10]
One of the most star-studded cast. xDDD;
The drama itself is very touching and heart-warming.
Especially when it touched on the past of Natsumi.
Reviewed by keax on 6 September 2006
30. SUCH Cool drama [Rating: 10/10]
I'm only on episode 5 and i'm already Inlove with this drama. it's so cute. so funny and so Good to watch .hehehe.. Truly reccomend ne~
Reviewed by aibakaneko on 13 December 2005

Read all 38 reviews from users


Comments From Users (272)
!!WARNING!!
This section may contain spoilers! Do not proceed if you
do not want to read about this drama's endings and plots!


1. Comments by Kitsuchi [Rating: 9/10]
This is an exciting story about how Natsumi starts working and living in the Kitchen Macaroni-restaurant.. while this and that happen. I enjoyed watching it all the way and liked it very much. It contains all different sides - love, hate, sadness, cooking, family, whatever you name it. It has an interesting plot.

During me watching the dorama, I felt like, I will surely give this a 10/10. It seemed really good and interesting. Well, all the way until the last episode, the last minutes - the end, to say. That means that I didn't really liked the ending so much. It was good in a way, but it left us viewers with unanswered question and some things were still unclear. One question is; how is it going to end with the love affairs between Natsumi and the brothers? Will Natsumi choose anyone of them in the end, and if so, who would it be? But then, maybe it shouldn't matter that much, because this story is about Lunch no Joo, not any love affairs..

And then about Kennichiro. I didn't really understood why he needed those money he stole and then decides to return them in the end? Where did he go when he ran away those times and why? I think that Kennichiro was a bit confusing at times. But I can't say no if you ask me if he was funny or not. He was really amusing when he plopped up on the screen. I liked his face expressions. He's a really good actor.

Also, at the first few episodes, I was a bit irritated with them not telling us yet about Natsumi's past. She kept having small memories showing us something, but then it was nothing more until much later. It felt like dragging with her past to tell until later.. I kept thinking �hSooo? Can you tell us then what happened in your past? What happened really?�h Maybe I was impatient.. I don't know. I just felt like that..

Anyway, I think that the end would be like showing the restaurant maybe 5 years later in the future. Showing that Shuuji finally came back from prison to eat in the unchanged Kitchen Macaroni-restaurant as promised.. Actually, at first I thought that Natsumi should choose Junzaburo as a lover. But then Shuuji appeared and I changed my mind. I thought that Shuuji seemed really nice. He was just lost and had nothing; that's why he was like that, all wild. I felt kind of sorry for him. I think he still liked Natsumi. So maybe, 5 years in the future, you would be able to see the restaurant with Natsumi still working there and also Shuuji who maybe has joined and working with them too? And it would be those two.. That would be a nice ending, ne?

But however, otherwise it was a really good series. If it wasn't for those few unanswered questions, I would give it a 10. It's definitely worth taking some hours of your freetime. I, who doesn't like food that much, felt hungry and wanted to eat while watching this. So it proves that it touched the viewers really good. They did a really good job to show how a restaurant may be feeling when cooking and serving their food to their customers. It's about Lunch no Joo.
2. Comments by natsume [Rating: 6/10]
When I started watching this drama, I initially thought it might be a bit boring, since everything pretty much happened in the same setting (a small restaurant). But the gradually forming interpersonal connections and the love rectangle between the female lead and the four brothers, made it more interesting, and produced many moments of comic relief. However, if you are one of those people (like me) who hate inconclusive endings romance-wise, this drama is not for you, since it leaves viewers hanging on that front (and don't you hate this when it happens?!). Also, some scenes where accidental embarassing-but-funny things happen (like the kiss between Yun, and Natsumi) seemed forced, and the acting in those scenes was very poor indeed. On the other hand, if the main leads failed to impress, the support actors well make up for it: Yamada Takayuki and Yamashita Tomohisa were great in their respective parts, managing in the few scenes and lines that they had to express their characters wonderfully. All in all, even though the show manages to hold your attention and the dramatic scenes are well carried out, the humour seems forced, and it's overall not too impressive in my opinion.
3. Comments by Sorata [Rating: 7/10]
A beatiful girl starts living in a house just with man, this is a story bound to be funny. And it was really a funny dorama, the brothers fighting for Mugita(Takeuchi Yuko) was helarious and i drool all over the omurice they made all the time.
Junzaburo(Tsumabuki Satoshi) and Yujiro(Eguchi Yosuke) were annoying some times and it was funny too see Yamada and Yamapi so young playing supportive roles lolol.
It was funny how hard they tried to make Itoh Misaki look ugly with that stupid hair cut and loose clothes, but they still fail miserably lol.
Shuuji(Morita Go) was my favorite character and his story was the best(imo), when he was been taken away by the cops was awesome.
Anyway, it was a good dorama overall, nothing bad but nothing outstanding at the same time.
4. Comments by xploring [Rating: 7/10]
Takeuchi Yuko really shines. She was very natural and her expression when Natsumi enjoys her lunch is really something. ^^ Unfortunately, the quality of the script doesn't match the quality of the cast, and apart from Natsumi, I felt that none of the other characters were very distinct or interesting. For the majority of the drama, I thought the little bit of footage at the end of each episodes were perhaps more interesting than the drama itself. They could have taken it to many different directions like Natsumi learning to cook, or tour with her in her search for more great lunches. Wasted possibilities. The first 3 episodes or so were quite good though.
5. Comments by yourasthma [Rating: 7/10]
this drama is highly watchable with the star-studded cast but lacks in the story department. in fact, from start to end, there isn't much progress regarding the characters' relationships. the food scenes are also repetitive so the initially mouth-watering scenes become tedious. i wished there was a better variety with the food, and that natsumi's mysterious background was given more attention. two actors shone in this: takeuchi yuko of course and tsutsumi shinichi as the useless brother. he was a comic genius. the ending was disappointing since nothing was resolved.
still, i enjoyed watching this drama, and there were a few really funny scenes.
6. Comments by dekatrain [Rating: 6/10]
Slow, boring at times, but reasonable as it does bring to the surface a new concept for a drama - food. Yes, this show is all about food, which sounds interesting and it is mostly, but sometimes I just found myself struggling to watch yuko's nagging character - and why she didn't just pick one of the guys. By the way, wasn't it a bit unrealistic that they all fell for her? (especially considering how annoying her character was). But i think the two male leads satoshi and the older son did well to hold the plot together for most of the time...6.5/10
7. Comments by ScrappedShinigami [Rating: 6/10]
It was a sweet drama and good for a first time watch (though I don't see a great deal of replay value). All the actors did a great job, I warmed to all their personalities, even the bad ones. Loved Pi for his part he was just adorable as the youngest of the siblings, loved his personality.
The drama definitely wasn't lacking in comedy, it really had me screaming several times.
Overall not a bad drama, the ending was left a little too untied for my liking, after everything that had happened I thought I'd come out with a more definite finish.
8. Comments by Susan [Rating: 10/10]
If I took anything away from this drama, than it was most definetly a newfound interest in western-inspired food from Japan! Omurice is something that I MUST try! This drama was just so hilairous and interesting. I have to say that dramas centered around a character's love for food usually turn out to be the most interesting. Natsumi really was the Lunch Queen, and the queen of the four brother's hearts! I reccomended this drama to a good friend of mine and she loved it. I reccomend it to everyone! IT's worth watching, no doubt about it!
9. Comments by abelcmcr [Rating: 8/10]
This is an enjoyable drama, however it does have some flaws. The fighting scenes suck because they look unrealistic and sometimes not comply with the requirements of a given situation. Also the behaviour of shuuji toward natsumi feels way unrealistic. Despite that, the drama has a warmth to it, the cuttings of when people are eating really helps to increase the level of hunger amongst viewers of the show. The music accomodates nicely with the easy going environment of the drama. Finally the acting very very good.
10. Comments by outlaws0025 [Rating: 7/10]
A bit of a disappointment to me. It's one of the most star powered doramas I've ever seen... the acting was great of course, but the story just didn't do it for me.
It was too much about the same stuff over and over and it was not really so exiting as I would have wanted it to be. And damn, I got so hungry watching this dorama - not saying that's a bad thing... now I know what I want when I get to Japan!:D

6/10 for the dorama, but an extra point because of it being such a pleasure to watch such a great cast:D
11. Comments by williu [Rating: 7/10]
This drama has a pretty original main story with many un-original elements. What brings the rating down however, is Takeuchi Yuko and Tsumabuki Satoshi - they have both made excellent jobs in other dramas, but here their acting (and their lines, not their fault there) makes the characters seem unnatural. Yamashita Tomohisa is good though, and Tsutsumi Shinichi is of course excellent. Overall, the drama just doesn't have enough chemistry to keep you interested and wish it wasn't over.
12. Comments by aiscess [Rating: 10/10]
This series was shown in 2002 and I�fve watched it in 2006. Look how most of the cast has already starred in their own dramas and already made it big since then. I�fm so happy that I�fve got to watch it. It�fs funny, heartwarming and most of all the food looks so delicious. I was really looking forward to the next dish that they will feature. Takeuchi Yoko did a great job in making me hungry while watching her eat an �eomurice�f. This is definitely a must see.
13. Comments by Shindou [Rating: 7/10]
A disappointment. I couldn't think of what else I could call this given the all star cast - takeuchi, tsumabuki, misaki itoh, yamapi, takayuki, shinichi, yosuke and morita go. The story started out quite nicely but after the first couple of episodes, the stories just seemed to get unnecessarily dragged out and felt rather directionless. The saving grace of this dorama was the splendid looking dishes they managed to create, their omurice looked to-die-for!
14. Comments by kaonashi [Rating: 8/10]
This drama's top notch until the last episode. It's funny & versatile with lots of things going on at the same time. However the final episodes spoil the overall impression a bit since most of the major questions that the story depends on & that captivates the viewer, don't get answered, leaving the viewer with an empty feeling at the end. That's a shame since the drama had all the right ingredients to be remembered as one of the best. Now it's not.
15. Comments by mmyy [Rating: 10/10]
This series has a very nice flow to it. It's easy and interesting to watch and it has such a likable cast! Takeuchi has a way of capturing people's hearts with her acting; I can't tear my eyes off her. Eguchi is just as awesome, and Yamapi is so cute here too. Story-wise, it's heartwarming, touching, exciting, funny and very yummy. It's really different from what little dramas I've seen, and I love every moment of it. Lunch no tame ni~!
16. Comments by uchi23 [Rating: 9/10]
after watchin pride i relly wanted to c another drama with yuko in it.. at first i was a bit surprised with her sort of town-boyish role but i grew accustomed to it because of the warm feeling she gives off.. lunch no joou was a good drama that relli shows how we shud appreciate whtver work we do and always give our best effort.. it was great to c yuko enjoy food soo much n look so kawaii while doing it.. a drama worth watchin =]
17. Comments by ffrostte [Rating: 8/10]
Can I make some complaints first???

Oh...watching this dorama makes me feel SUPER HUNGRY each time. The different kinds of food shot in the series just look soooo very yummy. If only I could also have a "Kitchen Macroni" of my own in the future.

A nice family-oriented dorama, with WONDERFUL song and background music!!

ps- I am not too happy with the ending though...
18. Comments by aki_07 [Rating: 10/10]
I simply love comedys about food so this one is no doubt one of my fav! I love the wacky Japanese humour and share the same sentiments for food as the characters in the drama. This drama has me laughing out loud and crying. A delightful drama that can bring joy to its audience. If your food hasn't been accompanied by your tears, you haven't quite lived life to the fullest!
19. Comments by BijinDatta [Rating: 7/10]
Lunch no Joou is a sort of unconventional spin on the love story, the family story and the story of coming to terms with one's past. I personally found the plot to be a little refreshing and performances were definitely emotional and felt real. There are a lot of tears in this drama but they are balanced with such a warm feeling from watching this story. I recommend this!
20. Comments by Tu_triky [Rating: 7/10]
A rather starstudded cast where food takes the central role in a light-hearted comedy about a misplaced woman and her love for good eats. Fun to watch but not the best work for any of the celebrities acting in this show. The story falters slightly toward the end seemingly due to the fact that the plot didn't have enough substance ~ enough to sustain a 12 episode run.
21. Comments by miriya52 [Rating: 8/10]
This is a really cute and fun drama, and I'm really smitten by Tsumabuki Satoshi. Sometimes the acting falls through but on the whole they look like they're having fun! Plus i one of those that "live to eat food" rather than "eat food to live" so i'm all for a dorama centralized around food! All the food looks so good that I want to try their omurice now!
22. Comments by phoenix_angkasa [Rating: 8/10]
Way more dynamic and funny than Mika Omori's previous dorama project, Long Love Letter (the first one featuring the "triad": Tsumabuki, Yamashita & Yamada), in which they play second fiddle this time to Yuko Takeuchi and Yosuke Eguchi. Despite Tsutsumi not appearing for most of the episodes due to his outlaw character, he's very funny too.
23. Comments by phlargo [Rating: 9/10]
Aside from a last act that went on a little longer than it needed to (read: way too long), this was a really wonderful drama. The characters were fun and rich and sweet. The emotions were high. The novelty value was good. Actors and characters were great.

Highly highly recommended - it goes on my short list of top series, for sure!
24. Comments by gauntlet [Rating: 8/10]
A very engaging story around a Western-style restaurant in a charming Tokyo neighbourhood.

It's been 5 years now since the show aired in Japan in 2002. It's a pity they did not make a sequel as the first season had all the ingredients for a follow-up and largely kept the ending open. It would be nice to have a reunion of sorts.
25. Comments by atheon [Rating: 8/10]
August 2006: Give this 8 mostly because of the cast, who can resist a drama feat. so many hotties and a bijin lead??? And it's about food somemore?! Storywise a bit simple, kinda dragged in some parts, but then the actors managed to pull it off with convincing performance. Wish that my country got a restaurant like this.....
26. Comments by poopiefish [Rating: 4/10]
Sorry, Yuko just didn't do it for me.
Instead of charming and energetic, I just found her plain annoying... which made the series quite unbearable for me.
The storyline wasn't helping either... it's quite typical and boring.
I guess the only thing that helped me trudge through 4 episodes are the food scenes.
27. Comments by sweet_tapioca [Rating: 5/10]
Have to say, i don't really like this drama. I don't know why so many people like Takeuchi, I can't seem to like any of the dramas she acted in. This drama didn't really have a good plot. I was quite disappointed. Only good thing about the drama is the tasty looking food that captivated my attention.
28. Comments by K.T.Tran [Rating: 8/10]
The food looks good, Nat-Chan's smile is cute. Drama started to slow down in the middle of it all. Omurice, Beef Cutlet, and all that...seems like they made it look and sound more oishii then it really is. Maybe the demi sauce makes it all more yummy??? I don't know. Overall, its good drama though.
29. Comments by maeda [Rating: 10/10]
So warm family drama!!! And the story's so touching, meaning and delicious!! lol The main astists, Yuko, Satoshi and Eiguchi interest me. I've watched this drama many time. Exactly this drama will make everyone cry and laugh to it. Should find to watch if you're fan of japanese drama.
30. Comments by Miyavi [Rating: 7/10]
Hmm I'm on episode 10....not sure about this one. It's cute and up beat, but.....I'm getting tired of waiting for something good to happen.
*blush* I personally want Yamapi (Koshiro) and Yuko (Natsumi) to get together.....but then it would be a different story. ehehe>_<

Read all 272 comments from users


Users who voted for this drama (96)
1. aki_07
I simply love comedys about food so this one is no doubt one of my fav! I love the wacky Japanese humour and share the same sentiments for food as the characters in the drama. This drama has me laughing out loud and crying. A delightful drama that can bring joy to its audience. If your food hasn't been accompanied by your tears, you haven't quite lived life to the fullest!
2. AngelXing
I absolutely love this series!!! What more can you ask for? There's laughter, tears, love and friendship all rolled into one whole dough. Not only that, my 3 favorite guys are in it! Tsumabuki, Yamapi and Morita!!! Gosh...they looked great in it although Morita only appeared in 2 disc....want more want more want more!!!
3. renni72
I love Yuko Takeuchi. She acts well and is so pretty. A natural! Eveyone acted very well. The drama made me laugh and it made me cry. It has all the ight ingredients. The characters grew on me....the more I watch, the more I like all of them.
4. .k3NiCHi
Heartwarming story of love and brotherhood. And some damn good looking food that made me sooo hungry every time I watched. Great performances from Takeuchi Yuko, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Yamapi, Yamada Takayuki, and the rest of the gang.
5. Jani
I'm a Yuko Takeuchi fan for ever. Though I would really love for the fruition of their love towards the end of the series (it is kinda hanging), the series is one hell of a Yuko and Tsumabuki treat, a must for any Yuko fan
6. megumi s.
this drama was better than i thought it would be! funny, cute, touching and delicious!! i didn't expect it to be as touching as it was; i expected it to be just a silly comedy, but it's much more entertaining than that
7. yumiryuiko
Junzaburo-kun is KawaiiI!! >w<
that is why i'll search for the DVD NO matter Whatt!! Lunch No Joou!!.............i hope taht somehow they will make it into a manga or anime >w< taht would be like Freakin COol!!
8. maggiekk
Sweet little drama with a bunch of cool looking guys and one cute girl. I became a big Tsumabuki Satoshi fan right after I saw this one. I also went around Japan in search of the "Top 500 Omuraisu Restaurants"
9. tiesw
A light drama with the touch of heaven. Who would have thought one could make a good movie out of 'Lunch'? My first impression of Yuko-chan, superb acting, naturally talented and entertaining to watch.
10. carie_akanishi
A delicious drama... with all the great food and stary cast that makes you hungry.Touching, funny, romantic even some harmless violence.The show which cast some of the most popular young actors now.
11. sugar_pain
pretty good, but was a bit boring sometimes. The end confused me too... I wouldn't have watched it if Yamapi wasn't in it. He makes the drama a bit funny.
And all the food... it made me hungry!!!
12. dashx
A very nice break from romantic drama. Ths show nicely balance the ups and downs of the family with great acting, storyline and music. Of course the really gorgeous cast helped too:P
13. laylowmay
Gotta show my love for Yuko-chan! She is just too cute in this. Terrific acting all around! Yuko, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Eguchi Yosuke, and the rest of the cast. Highly recommended!
14. emiko
I don't why... at first I didn't see anything special about Lunch no Joou but after watching it for like the 3rd round, I suddenly feel that Lunch is totemo suteki na dorama!
15. thtl
This drama has a very solid storyline with nice twists. However I must admit that the high rating was attributed to Takeuchi Yuki's performance, and her infectious smile.
16. aki21
At first, when I saw the title, I thought.. Eeeh.. But after wtching the first episode,(and falling in love with Junzaburo and Yuu-chan) plus Natsumi-chan's so cool....
17. oluap
Wonderful drama, the story is good and the cast is great -specially Takeuchi Yuko-, but the best part is how much I enjoyed and laughed watching it.
18. ema
why vote? cos it got all d hottest young guyz. tomohisa, satoshi, takayuki... n my idol misaki ito. i wanna look just like her. so pretty!
19. idetakun
funny, touching and OISHII... perfectly scripted, plotted and presented... this drama has in fact re-lit the passion of jddrama in me!!!
20. CenturyLover
Love it! YamaP, Yamada Takayuki, Tsumabuki Satoshi and Takeuchi Yuko are doing great job in this. Just waiting to finish watching it
21. json1980
I think Takeuchi Yuko really surprised me in this drama, because I never knew she was that pretty, not to mention a good actress.
22. bettebogart
One of the few truly laugh out loud types of Japanese comedies, but with a heart and wonderful acting by the leads. A real gem.
23. nieda
love this dorama.. it got all my fave actors.. takeuchi was very lucky to have georgeus guys around her.. envy her so much!!
24. aoi_hana
I love this drama! I initially watched it only for Tsumabuki Satoshi, but it turned out to be really excellent! ^_^
25. Dark^3nforc3r
PERFECTO!!!This drama is juz perfect.
The best part is when Natsumi says oishii when she eats.....cho kawaii!!
26. tInoltin
the foods are amazing! i just wish i can get to eat them.. satoshi is super kawaii n yuko is super great!
27. aiscess
With a great cast, good food, funny and heartwarming scenes, who wouldn't want to miss watching this?
28. balflear
Hehehe maybe I'm biased since I love Takeuchi Yuko... but this drama still rocks. I love the food.
29. Iv3_imt
I just love Tsumabuki Satoshi here..He's cool!!
It has a great storyline as well n funny
30. biru_gohan
Great cast. Very entertaining. All the guys played off Takeuchi Yuko superbly.

Read all 96 votes from users