The Blossom Review
The Blossom Review
  • 13
  • 13 788
The Blossom [Book] Review: Is The Kamogawa Food Detectives series the right series for you? 😉
Hello, everyone! 😊
Happy Thanksgiving! 🥧🍂
After a lot of J- and K-dramas, it's time for some literature! So today, we're talking about Kashiwai Hisashi's The Kamogawa Food Detectives 🍛 series (so both the first book -- The Kamogawa Food Detectives -- and the second -- The Restaurant of Lost Recipes)!
Let's talk about food and Japanese culture together! If you have read the books, tell me in the comments if you've enjoyed them. If you haven't, would you like to read them?
Our review is spoiler-free today! But if you'd rather read this review, you can find it here: theblossomreview.com/the-kamogawa-food-detectives-series-review/
Have a marvellous day and I'll see you soon! 😉
Here are the chapters for you:
00:00 Intro
00:50 Why I think The Kamogawa Food Detectives series is a special read
01:53 A bit about the series in Japan and Kashiwai, the author
03:29 What's The Kamogawa Food Detectives (series) about?
05:23 Why has The Kamogawa Food Detectives series been so successful?
06:34 The sensorial experience of The Kamogawa Food Detectives series
08:10 Food as a protagonist
10:07 Beyond food: Kashiwai's love of Japanese cities
11:57 If you haven't read The Kamogawa Food Detectives series yet, remember this!
14:56 Final thoughts
17:13 Updates from The Blossom Review
You can follow me on:
pinterest.com/theblossomreview
theblossomreview
You can find our newsletter here too: theblossomreview.substack.com/
*Disclaimer:* All photos, stills, posters, and book covers used are not owned by The Blossom Review. They are owned by their respective management, production and publishing companies (as noted in the video) and used with review, commentary, and reporting purposes. No copyright infringement intended.
Переглядів: 66

Відео

The Blossom [Book] Review: Is Kim Ryeo-ryeong's The Trunk: A Novel Really a Feminist Thriller? 🤨
Переглядів 5112 годин тому
Hello, everyone! 😊 Happy Thanksgiving! 🥧🍂 With Netflix's The Trunk coming out tomorrow (after a really long wait), we're discussing Kim Ryeo-ryeong's original novel, The Trunk: A Novel, today! The question is: Is The Trunk: A Novel really a feminist thriller? Can we expect Netflix's The Trunk to be a faithful adaptation? If you prefer to read this review, you can find it here: theblossomreview....
The Blossom [J-drama] Review: Beyond Goodbye Breakdown -- Did it live up to our expectations? 🙃
Переглядів 518День тому
Hello, everyone! 👋 As promised, today, we're reviewing Netflix's Beyond Goodbye, starring the incredible Sakaguchi Kentaro and Arimura Kasumi ✨ My eternal and unconditional love for this cast couldn't save the show, though. The first few episodes are fantastic but the plot loses track of its objective at the very end 🫠 After eight episodes of Beyond Goodbye, I could only wonder: what's the poin...
The Blossom [K-Drama] Review: Is Netflix's Mr. Plankton Really Worth Watching? 🤔
Переглядів 93614 днів тому
Hello, hello, beautiful people! 👋 How are you today? This Thursday, we're reviewing Netflix's Mr. Plankton, starring Woo Do-hwan, Lee Yoo-mi, and Oh Jung-se. The show has its strengths and weaknesses but the question remains: is it worth your time? Let's talk about Mr. Plankton! Let me know in the comments if you've watched the show and what you thought about it! 😊 If you prefer to read this re...
The Blossom [Film] Review: Food, Friendship & Motherhood in Little Forest (Korea x Japan versions?!)
Переглядів 17521 день тому
Hello, everyone! 👋 Today, we're reviewing Yim Soon-rye's marvellous Little Forest (2018), starring the one and only Kim Tae-ri. This is such a incredible watch that I decided to break down the most important aspects of the film and explore the script a little bit with you. But, besides reviewing the Korean version of Little Forest, I'm also talking about the differences between the Korean versi...
The Blossom [K-Drama] Review: Why What Comes After Love Is The Romantic Drama We Need ❤️
Переглядів 10 тис.Місяць тому
Hello, everyone and happy Halloween! 🎃 Your weekly K-drama review is now out! This week, we're talking about Coupang TV (or would it be Coupang Play 🤔?)'s What Comes After Love, starring Lee Se-young and Sakaguchi Kentaro. Genuine and wistful, What Comes After Love offers a realistic yet hopeful take on the complexity of love. An incredibly well-made piece of television that I'd strongly encour...
The Blossom [Film] Review: Three Japanese Films from Three Different Periods of Japanese Cinema!
Переглядів 123Місяць тому
Hello, everyone! Since I've been watching a lot of Japanese films lately, I thought that I could talk to you about three of these films as examples of different periods in the history of Japanese cinema (: So here are our very first film reviews in The Blossom Review UA-cam channel! We'll be talking about three of my all-time favourite filmmakers: Ozu Yasujiro, Koreeda Hirokazu, and Hamaguchi R...
The Blossom Review Answers: Are ALL K-dramas rom-coms? (+ rom-com K-drama recommendations!)
Переглядів 718Місяць тому
*YES, I KNOW. I had my Cumberbatch-penguin moment this week: I said "troops" instead of "tropes" a bunch of times. I wasn't very eloquent this week either so I guess it was one of those days... T-T* But I gathered my courage and decided to post this video despite my (recurring) gaffe. So, hi! How are you today? Last week, I had a lovely human ask me what my top 10 rom-coms were. I'd been thinki...
The Blossom [K-drama] Review: Complete Analysis of Love Next Door Leads to Major Heartbreak
Переглядів 395Місяць тому
Hello, my fellow K-drama fans! Today, we'll be analysing and reviewing tvN's latest rom-com/slice-of-life/melodrama, Love Next Door. Get ready for a long chat... I couldn't really hide how disappointed I was, unfortunately ): If you prefer to read our breakdown, we have a complete article on Love Next Door, which came out yesterday: theblossomreview.com/love-next-door-netflix-tvn-review/ I'm re...
The Blossom [Book] Review: Why Dallergut Dream Department Store Should Be Your Next Read
Переглядів 1652 місяці тому
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to The Blossom Review 🌸! Today, we're talking about a book that has recently given me a ton of solace and joy: Lee Mi-ye's Dallergut Dream Department Store! If you're looking for a new book to read, here's my (fairly long) book review of Lee's debut novel before the sequel comes out in November. I wonder if you agree or disagree with me? Share in the comments if yo...
The Month In: New K-dramas? Films? Books? Here's Your K- and J-media News Report This Month!
Переглядів 582 місяці тому
Hello, beautiful people! This week, I'm updating you on everything you need to know about the Japanese and Korean entertainment industry this month. New K-dramas, new film releases, and new books what else do we need? I tried to compile the most important entertainment news out there and I'd like to thank The Guardian, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Japan Times, The Korea Times, The Daily...
The Blossom [Book] Review: Should You Read (More) "Days at the Morisaki Bookshop"?
Переглядів 1842 місяці тому
Hello, beautiful people! This week, we're talking about Satoshi Yagisawa's "Days at the Morisaki Bookshop" (and of course, its sequel, "More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop). In this video, I wanted to discuss the themes of these books, their importance, and their impact on my life (and, since this is a book review after all, whether or not you should read them!). 00:00 Quote from "Days at the Mo...
The Blossom Review Halftime Show: Has the first half of Love Next Door delivered?
Переглядів 3702 місяці тому
Hello and welcome to The Blossom Review very first Halftime Show! This week, we're talking about tvN's latest rom-com, Love Next Door! After watching the first eight episodes of this highly anticipated K-drama, the question is: has the first half delivered? I apologise for my terrible Korean pronunciation T-T I promise I'll work on it! 00:00 Intro 02:06 What's Love Next Door about? 03:30 #1 Cha...

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @FigmentForever
    @FigmentForever 4 години тому

    I’m a huge fan of the female lead in this as Alchemy of Souls was my last winter binge. I had this in my queue to watch but had kept putting it on hold - and watched My Mister instead. My Mister was so incredible that I forgot all about this until I came upon your channel. Wondering if it’s worth the 16 episode binge 🤔

  • @FigmentForever
    @FigmentForever 4 години тому

    Thank you for the precise picture of the novel without giving anything away. I loved the series & fell in love with the chemistry of the two leads. I’ll snag a copy of the book if I come across it in my local bookstore (they usually carry books if there is an adaption coming out/within last 6 months). 😊

  • @marissaramos1050
    @marissaramos1050 20 годин тому

    Excellent review👏👏I watched WCAL over & over again.For me it's a masterpiece.🥰😍❤️

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 19 годин тому

      Thank you so very much! 🥰 Same -- we've been rewatching it over here too! A little masterpiece for sure ❤

  • @suekim8673
    @suekim8673 4 дні тому

    Thank you for your commentary! I agree with your idea and analysis on young couples's immature but innocent love story.

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 3 дні тому

      Thank *you* so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! 🥰🙏

  • @mkmvdrm
    @mkmvdrm 12 днів тому

    i still rewatch my favourite scenes from what comes after love 😂😂 and I noticed also that Kentaro is reallllyyyyy popular now in Korea. I hope he can play in another project with Lee Seyoung. Btw, for this beyond goodbye, I just not feeling it, so I probably not gonna watch it. I also notice jfilm and jdorama really like to make one of the main character dies from a disease. So…. 😅 Thank you tho for the review ❤

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 11 днів тому

      @mkmvdrm Me too! Some scenes are so heartwarming that I keep going back to them 🩷 I really hope What Comes After Love opens more doors for Sakaguchi -- he's amazing and deserves it! I get it wholeheartedly 😂 There are so many Japanese films and shows in which the protagonists die indeed! It's a sorrowful watch of sorts so it might not be what you're looking for at the moment! Let's wait for another Sakaguchi project then 😊 Thank *you* so much for stopping by! Have a lovely day! 🥰

  • @TheBlossomReview
    @TheBlossomReview 12 днів тому

    For a completely different perspective on the show, make sure to watch Netflix Japan's feature with Sakaguchi, Arimura, Ikuta and Nakamura here: ua-cam.com/video/Oyx3uu-Cm1s/v-deo.html They focus on love and fate and discuss different scenes of the show. English subtitles are available! 😉 Guuuys, let's all be honest: aren't they the cutest cast? 🥰 Aaaand, have you noticed the amount of comments from Korea? I guess everyone loved What Comes After Love (hallelujah! One of my absolute favourites, for sure 🌟) I'm thrilled that Sakaguchi is finally receiving the attention he deserves, the cutie-pie 🩷

  • @아지매-x8e
    @아지매-x8e 17 днів тому

    Thank you very much for liking the things that come after love and for your sincere review.

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 17 днів тому

      @@아지매-x8e Awwn, thank *you* for your lovely comment and for stopping by! 🩷

  • @totingting11
    @totingting11 19 днів тому

    Hi, a new subscriber here! I really like this drama, it has a rather simple storyline, but it makes me feel different emotions. And I really really love your explanation on running. I was weeping seeing them finally running at the same pace. Love is actions, it's continuous. At the end they don’t even say I love you to each other. The ending scene just shows both of them running happily :)

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 19 днів тому

      Awwwn, I couldn't agree with you more! It's really a show that makes your heart feel all sorts of emotions 🥹 Thank you for your wonderful words, for subscribing, and for stopping by! 🥰 Have a marvellous day! ✨

  • @devim4940
    @devim4940 21 день тому

    The best drama of the year ❤❤❤

  • @holiainbusan
    @holiainbusan 24 дні тому

    ua-cam.com/video/rsZkYHV3rX4/v-deo.htmlsi=kpRTFEHTu2ZgDwfs

    • @holiainbusan
      @holiainbusan 24 дні тому

      두 사람 화보 촬영❤😂 아직도 사후오 후유증에 시달리고 있어요😢

  • @mkmvdrm
    @mkmvdrm 29 днів тому

    Me too! I really love this drama because it relates so much with everyone. I also love that this drama only focus on our main character only. The chemistry is AMAZING. Cinematography and Music are beautiful! Agree with you that only love is never enough, but communication is the key. I relate so much with Jungo that it is so hard to say what I am feeling, and I also understand what Hong faced that she's lonely. Communication is the key. Thank you for the solid review, really love how you explain everything well that I have in mind. ❤︎❤︎

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 28 днів тому

      @mkmvdrm What a wonderful comment! 🥰 Thank you so much! Completely agree -- I also related to Jungo and Hong quite a bit. I've always struggled to convey my emotions to others too, but I've been lucky enough to have people around me who were patient and encouraging -- and they were the ones who helped me express myself. So, it's like you said: it's the kind of story that really resonates ❤️ And let's keep trying to express ourselves no matter what! Thanks loads again -- your words mean the world to me ☺️

  • @우2앤민
    @우2앤민 29 днів тому

    저도 정말 재미있게 본 시리즈에요!!! 해외팬분들 반응이 궁금했는데, 리뷰 올려주셔서 감사합니다.❤ 리뷰 재밌게 보겠습니다!!!

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 29 днів тому

      감사합니다! ❤ I'm so happy to hear you also enjoyed it! 😊 Thank you so much for stopping by -- and I promise I'll work on my Korean so I can reply to your message completely in Korean next time 😉 Have a lovely day! 🥰

    • @우2앤민
      @우2앤민 28 днів тому

      @TheBlossomReview 🥰🥰🥰🤩😍

  • @mutesgraveyard6733
    @mutesgraveyard6733 Місяць тому

    This is like a proof that simple love story could work well, if supported with good direction, beautiful cinematography(japan always look magical in lens), great acting, music, etc.

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      @mutesgraveyard6733 Absolutely! 👏 A complex narrative doesn't necessarily equal quality (just like a simple narrative doesn't necessarily equal a lack thereof), right? It all depends on how that story is developed and portrayed! 🥰

  • @사이다-y1r
    @사이다-y1r Місяць тому

    Thank you

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      @@사이다-y1r Thank *you* for stopping by! 😊 Have a lovely day!

  • @victorine4147
    @victorine4147 Місяць тому

    This film-like drama is excellent! Acting, storytelling, musical score. The best of 2024

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      I know, right? Stunning through and through ❤

  • @sungwonsim1833
    @sungwonsim1833 Місяць тому

    I also really enjoyed this drama❤

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      I'm so happy to hear that I'm not the only one! 🥰 What Comes After Love for the win! 🎉

  • @Groovebuster333
    @Groovebuster333 Місяць тому

    Very lovely review! The last japanese movie I watched was Onibaba by Kaneto Shindo. Next I want to watch Kuroneko by him .

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      Thank you so much! 🥰 Those two are perfect Halloween movies -- so 'tis the season! 👻I really hope you enjoyed Onibaba, it's an excellent film. And I actually wrote a review for Kuroneko the other day too! If you want, you can check it out here: theblossomreview.com/10-must-watch-japanese-korean-horror-films/ 😉 Thank you for stopping by and happy Halloween! 🎃

  • @mazvitaKufa-w9e
    @mazvitaKufa-w9e Місяць тому

    Can you please make a video recommending your best 10 romcoms

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      @mazvitaKufa-w9e Of course I can 😊✨️ Keep an eye out -- I'll post it soon! 🥰

  • @gorgonfish
    @gorgonfish Місяць тому

    I really liked Seonghyo's ex-girlfriend as a character, but maybe it would have made for better pacing if her "arc" of episodes was given to Seokryu's ex-fiance so that his part is finished earlier in the drama. He could be the catalyst for Seonghyo realizing his own feelings instead of being used to extend the friction after his confession. As much as I liked Moeum as a character, once she confessed to Danho things became weird. The show doesn't really tell us how much time passes (except the two weeks before Seokryu confessed), so it's really strange that Moeum tells Danho her feelings and in the same sentence says she wants to be Yeondu's mom. And I still don't know what happened to change Danho's mind about dating Moeum, like you said everyone fights and then stops fighting just to move the plot along. Seokryu's brother had one of the only actual arcs in LND, but it's odd that half his scenes were interacting with Nayun (the architect lady) and it didn't really end up going any place even after the time skip. LND would have been better without the cancer plotline. There was already enough to work with between workplace burnout and depression, the cancer story feels like it was used because that's a popular trope this year (Queen of Tears, Marry My Husband). It's the same way a lot of kdrama are perfectly fine, but the writer has to add a murder mystery plot for some reason.

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      @gorgonfish Oh, that's wonderfully written! 🥰 I agree with you wholeheartedly. Yes, exactly. With both the ex-girlfriend and ex-fiancé at different instances of the narrative, the conflict between the characters was dragged for longer -- but without any actual growth for any of them. As much as I adoooore Moeun and Danho, I also found it odd to have her confession be a... marriage proposal, pretty much. It would've felt a lot more natural for her to just confess her feelings. She could then ask his daughter for her "permission" to date him and let them develop their relationship step by step. I also didn't get why he lied about his past at first just to have Moeun overhear the truth later. If she hadn't, he would've never said anything? It would've also been nice to see him actively making the choice to tell her such an important thing -- if he likes her so much. But that was the "obstacle" between them that had to be cleared as soon as possible (as we were reaching the end of the show). And it felt like there was some sort of "unseen skip" between the rejection and the scene with her mom. I swear to you, while watching that scene where he confesses to her mom, I was super surprised -- because I didn't know where that had come from! About her brother: absolutely! His screen time is so little! And used badly, unfortunately. That's why I found it curious that he was the only that had some sort of arc at the end (please bear in mind that I'm stretching the idea of "character arc" for him just because we had so little of it throughout 🥲). And your last point is perfectly valid. I also thought it was unnecessary considering all the other problems Baekryu already had -- with her career, her own life, and her family dynamics. We had so many things we could've explored instead! It's better to focus on a couple of things and explore them well instead of having "shocking plot twists" for the sake of the "shock factor", that's what I think. Thanks a million for stopping by and for taking the time to write such a fantastic comment! 🩷 I was really happy to hear from you! Have a lovely day!

  • @mazvitaKufa-w9e
    @mazvitaKufa-w9e Місяць тому

    I also didn't like that much 😅

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview Місяць тому

      @@mazvitaKufa-w9e I'm a bit relieved to hear I wasn't the only one, then! 😅 Thank you so much for stopping by 🙏

  • @TheBlossomReview
    @TheBlossomReview 2 місяці тому

    The complete list of new K-dramas coming out in October is now out on The Blossom Review! Check it out here: theblossomreview.com/9-new-k-dramas-in-october/ 😉

  • @ReginaCasagrandi
    @ReginaCasagrandi 2 місяці тому

    I agree with you. I already read this book. I loved! I would like to have another suggestion. I think great literature can teach and help us to see and understand life, people and relationships better. Thank you very much! ❤

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 2 місяці тому

      Absolutely! I'll try to bring some other suggestions for you soon ☺ Thank you so much for stopping by! 🥰

  • @odettedublin1937
    @odettedublin1937 2 місяці тому

    I am planning to read it. Thanks for review

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 2 місяці тому

      I really hope you enjoy it! Thank *you* for stopping by! ☺

    • @odettedublin1937
      @odettedublin1937 2 місяці тому

      @@TheBlossomReview hope you can review more books too😊

    • @TheBlossomReview
      @TheBlossomReview 2 місяці тому

      @@odettedublin1937 Thank you so much🙏 I will!☺