The first scene in Osamu Mukai’s drama, Hungry!, is of him showering interspersed with making breakfast. Whether there’s a connection between the two is up to the viewer but having Mukai-kun for breakfast is certainly not a bad idea. In fact, not a bad idea at all.

Hungry! is about Yamate Eisuke, a rocker turned chef. His mother owns the charming little French restaurant called Le Petit Chou and wanted her son to learn how to cook so he can help in the business when the time comes. It did look like the young Eisuke was on his way to being a French cook but a childhood experience changed his direction, and he turned to rock music instead, perhaps as an avenue for the angst. Or not.

Anyway, fast forward to 15 years later and Eisuke with his two bandmates are still waiting for that one big break. He’s turning 30 already and there seems to be no future for their bunch. In fact, they have turned into “old”, frustrated dudes who can never make it in the industry and because they dedicated the past 15 years of their lives to their music, haven’t really fully integrated themselves into the rat race.

The first episode quite works it well, setting the backstory and introducing the key characters, including Inagaki Goro of SMAP, who plays the owner of a chain restaurant. He has been wanting to buy Le Petit Chou and succeeds eventually. Goro’s image in SMAP has always been the don’t-touch-my-hair-pretty-boy and he brings that forth here in Hungry!

It’s been reported that Hungry! will be turned into a manga, which is quite a reverse of the usual. TV dramas usually take their cue from mangas. This should be interesting to watch though how the manga will put this into paper.

It’s also interesting to blend rock music with French cuisine. They just don’t normally go together. As Eisuke says in one scene, “you just don’t play that music in a French restaurant!”

Also, it would have been a no-brainer to cast a real singer in the drama instead of Mukai-kun but it’s commendable for Fuji TV not to go for that route.

As Eisuke says:

“As long as I have passion, I should be able to create something, anywhere in any given situation.”

This is the third drama/film with a food theme that I’m watching this week. It’s a good thing you don’t get fat seeing all that food onscreen, though the craving that comes afterwards may be unavoidable.

For sure, this drama will surely whet one’s appetite for Mukai-kun.

Watch Hungry! on Dramacrazy.

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