REVIEW: ‘Gimbap And Onigiri’ Episode 1

Plain, simple comforts abound in the charming if slight Gimbap and Onigiri (Kimbap to Onigiri: Koisuru Futari Wa Nite Ite Chigau) Episode 1. Blending different flavors into a delightful concoction, the series is off to an amiable start thanks to the pleasantries of home-style cooking (there’s a reason we all race to competition series like Culinary Class Wars) and the effortless charisma of the two leads. The Japanese and Korean Netflix series might lack definition, but it’s a cozy selection for those looking to relax and maybe get some new recipe ideas. 

Hase Taiga (Eiji Akaso) works at a small, homey restaurant called “Tanomi” after a stint as a star track-and-field athlete at the local university. While he wouldn’t call his part-time work his “dream,” he’s comfortable and able to adapt on the spot when a customer comes in with more specific requirements. 

As he works with the owner, played by Mitsuru Fukikoshi, to develop a new seasonal menu, we watch him gain some confidence throughout the premiere of Gimbap and Onigiri. Able to dictate how certain dishes will go, he plays with ingredients and styles both at home and in the kitchen at work. 

He’s interrupted one night by a Korean grad student majoring in animation. Park Rin (Kang Hye-won) is dedicated to her studies, seeking to incorporate her professors’ notes into her work even when there are language barriers in understanding precisely what they’re looking for. However, her career aspirations are threatened when she belatedly realizes she has to move out of her student dormitory. As she struggles to find somewhere to live, she discovers Tanomi and Taiga’s cooking. 

Gimbap and Onigiri Episode 1 works due to the cozy atmosphere.

There’s a lot of warmth packed into Gimbap and Onigiri Episode 1, largely due to the universal truth of the wholesome healing that home cooking provides. Rin is struggling mentally due to her workload, the apartment search, and, though only heard from once, a mother who seems eager to critique her daughter’s efforts. It makes sense, then, that this restaurant and its kind employee would provide such a haven for her. 

But it’s not just Rin who is benefiting from Taiga’s kindness. Taiga, too, is gaining inspiration from Rin. In part, it’s due to the evident enjoyment she takes in his cooking. It’s also thanks to the challenge she presents as a foreign exchange student with different tastes and inclinations. Both are tested in the sequence where he uses okra’s slimy texture to make something Rin will enjoy, blending cuisines to do so. 

The production team does well with the restaurant, the wooden interior, and the low lighting, which casts an inviting glow. However, it’s the actors themselves who are the most appealing, even if the chemistry itself still leaves something to be desired. Eiji Akaso, best known for his work in films like Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead and the romantic drama 366 Days, allows Taiga’s gentle nature to stand out, especially as he hesitates about how to act in front of Rin. 

Eiji Akaso and Kang Hye-won are perfectly cast and give the Netflix series its heart.

Kang Hye-won also brings a necessary relatability to Rin, which helps ground a story that otherwise might be prone to flighty fantasy. Rin is talented, but she’s overwhelmed by mundane, day-to-day tasks. One of the best, most well-written moments of Gimbap and Onigiri Episode 1 is when she confesses to her friend that she worries she’s no longer competent as an adult. Things that used to be normal to her, such as checking the mail or riding the bus, now require greater effort. 

It’s such an innocuous, true-to-life moment that it’s almost easy to gloss over. But as someone who struggles with those ordinary activities, the writing hit the mark. Rin and Taiga are clearly smitten with each other, but it’s not just the romance that makes the series worthwhile. Instead, it’s the idea of two people coming together who can inspire each other through their own clear efforts to either chase a dream or discover one. 

There are moments of cringe-inducing, forced drama, such as a slow-motion run through the rain, but, on the whole, the series is largely inoffensive and, to put it simply, cute. Gimbap and Onigiri Episode 1 is a sweet escapist excursion with just enough character introspection to be more than a bite-sized snack. 

Gimbap and Onigiri Episode 1 is available now on Netflix.