Wakako Zake

Murasaki Wakako is a 26-year-old office worker who treats food and drink as a private hobby and a balm for bad days. After work she slips into small bars and local eateries alone, sampling simple dishes paired with sake, beer, or cocktails. Each episode watches her pick a seat, order, and savor the flavors while letting the world slow down for a little while. The show stays focused on those quiet rituals, showing how a solitary meal can lift the mood, reveal small comforts, and offer a space for reflection without any big plot twists or dramatic finales.

Released in 2015, the TV drama was directed by Shinji Kuma and created by Kumiko As o. Rina Takeda leads as Murasaki Wakako, supported by Yoshihiro Nozoe, Kenta Kamakari, Mizuki Watanabe, and Nagai Kyo, giving the series a steady, understated cast presence.

It hasn’t been decorated with major international awards, and it didn’t make headlines for prize seasons. Instead the series has found a modest audience that appreciates its steady tone and the way it highlights everyday pleasures, earning quiet appreciation rather than trophy cases.

The show fits into a wider cultural interest in solo dining and relaxed restaurant scenes, tapping into how eating alone can be framed as self-care rather than loneliness. Viewers who like food-focused television often point to its careful attention to menus and the etiquette of small establishments, and it’s become a comfortable reference for that niche.

Critically and among viewers it holds a middling to positive reception, with a 7.0/10 average from a small number of votes. Themes center on routine, small comforts, and the pleasures of food as a personal ritual. The pacing is gentle, the focus is intimate, and the series rewards patience and attention to culinary detail rather than fast plot movement.