A live-action adaptation of food-themed anime Iburi Gurashi will premiere on April 4. The upcoming series will air on the new Japanese channel BS Shochiku Tokyu.
Iburi Gurashi is a romance manga that follows the lives of Yoriku and Meguru, a young couple who have been living together in Tokyo for three years. Due to the bustle of their individual lives, the pair hardly have any free time together. When do they manage to spend time with each other? During the holidays, when they smoke, cook, and eat delicious food together. Through this activity, they connect more deeply and strengthen their relationship in the process.
The manga was first published in 2014 by Tokuma Shoten, and was created by Chiharu Oshima. Since then, the series has spanned nine volumes until it concluded in October 2019. Over time, more than 500,000 copies of the manga have been printed. Oshima has expressed great excitement on Twitter over the manga receiving the live-action treatment.
The two leads of the story, Yoriku and Meguru, will be played by Mirai Shida and Yuki Izumisawa, respectively. Shida can be recognized by her voice acting role as the titular character in The Secret World of Arrietty. She has also been a part of live-action projects such as playing Miki Ichinose in the film 14-year-old Mother. Izumisawa may be known for his work on productions such as Survival Family as Kenji Suzuki and the live-action version of Kyo Kara Ore Wa!! as Satoru Morikawa. This is not the first time the two have worked together. They also played a couple in the 2017 drama Kounodori: Dr. Stork, based on the medical manga of the same name. Both cast members have stated that they are looking forward to working on the live-action adaptation.
Fans of food-themed manga or anime such as Food Wars! may enjoy this adaptation. The heartwarming plot may tug on the heartstrings of viewers. Although, fans of the manga may be a bit hard to please in terms of their beloved characters and plot being treated with respect in this live-action adaptation. Hopefully, this drama will satisfy both romance lovers and manga fans alike.
The live-action drama adaptation of Iburi Gurashi will be broadcast at 10:30 on BS Shochiku Tokyu.
Source: BS Shochiku Tokyu official website, Chiharu Oshima official Twitter account