This underrated gem, besides Blue Orchestra S1, is my favourite among the anime I watched to catch up for their sequels for Fall 2025. I find it relaxing and love the slow pace.
§ Overview
This girl, Tsubaki Aoi, was taken to the Hidden Realm to serve as collateral to pay off her grandfather's debts. She must marry the master innkeeper of Tenjin-ya inn, an ayakashi (spirit from the Hidden Realm) referred to as Oodanna-sama (literally: master).
Instead of simply accepting her fate, Aoi refused to marry him and promised to work and pay off his grandfather's debts. (Her grandfather was such a charismatic figure who often caused trouble.)
She doesn't allow herself to sound helpless. Her voice acting is on point. (She is voiced by Touyama Nao, who also voiced Ema from Sign of Affection.)
____________________________
§ BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE:
I have to answer a few criticisms of this anime. Some feel bored with this anime. It has a slow pace, and, for those expecting some Earth-shattering plot, it is understandable why some people are frustrated. After all, this season took place in two cours. I contend that its slow pace is actually its strength.
Even worse is the ridiculous notion of some that this is just food porn, a rather reductive opinion. It's not food porn. If it were food porn, a good close-up on such food is expected, and the visuals should induce you to perceive that this food is delicious and mouth-watering. But the anime refuses to make the food so mouth-watering, even if the characters agree that it is. If this were supposed to be food porn, it fails.
It's not food porn by virtue of the fact that preparing such food advances what little of a plot it has. It helps to develop Aoi's relationships with the characters she meets in the story.
Other studios might actually make this into food porn, but I'm glad the studio did not (or perhaps could not) do so. It seems to me that emphasizing the food too much and making it food porn adds noise.
If you encounter such erroneous notions, better ignore these ideas. Such silliness demonstrates limited imagination and understanding.
____________________________
§ Let's talk about the studio and staff
⚫ Kakuriyo's studio, Gonzo, began its operations at the start of this millennium. It has strong titles, such as Full Metal Panic!, Kaleido Star, and the now-obscure Kiddy Grade.
⚫ This is Okuda Yoshiko's directorial debut, but he has been working mostly as support staff since 1998. I love his directing for this anime as it has a slow pace, yet the good vibe is there. Suffice it to say, he is involved in some big titles such as Fairy Tail, Card Captor Sakura, Your Lie in April, and Blue Box.
⚫ The chief animation director is Suzuki Hikaru, who is with a team of nearly three dozen animation directors. This person would later be an animation director in Rent-a-Girlfriend, 7th Time Loop, and Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus.
This anime has some relatively good animation, but not to the point of being sakuga that big-budgeted battle shounen have. It's at least above mediocre animation.
⚫ The colours are handled by Iijima Takae and Utagawa Ritsuko. They don't exactly stand out and wow your senses, but if you look at them, the colour combinations are handled well. (It seems the staff who did Season 2 wasn't as successful.)
⚫ OP 1 is a lovely song sung by the seiyuu of Aoi, Nao Toyama. The TV version has good animation, but the MV for the full version is just as lovely. It assaults one's senses with its good production design.
§ Let's talk about everything else.
This anime is effectively an isekai, even if technically, the Hidden Realm is part of the Earth. There are three worlds revealed so far. The world of humans is called the Apparent Realm. The world of the ayakashi is called the Hidden Realm — a world that's like premodern Japan but with floating ships. Later on, the existence of the Eternal Realm is revealed.
I love how slow-paced this is. Unlike the typical isekai, it took her a few episodes before her eatery, the Moonflower, was operational. Even though Season 1 aired in 2018 and Season 2 is airing this Fall 2025, it reminds me of the pacing of old-school isekai; I'm thinking of Fushigi Yuugi, El Hazard, Magic Knight Rayearth, and The Vision of Escaflowne. But unlike these examples, the plot is secondary.
Firstly, she wasn't transported to the other world through death or reincarnation.
Secondly, this anime takes its sweet time getting you to care about the characters. It has a slice-of-life vibe due to how low-stakes things are, yet you follow along with an event that usually mends misunderstandings.
Thirdly, there is barely any romance, but the direction of the story will lead there. The primary love interest, Oodanna-sama, is what people nowadays call 'green flag.' The third wheel is interesting on his own, and some believe he should be paired with Aoi.
If there's any weakness here, the romance takes too long to develop, and this may or may not turn you off. If you are expecting a strong expression of romance right off the bat, you are in for a disappointment.
But as far as I'm concerned, this is a strength. Aoi is the type of protagonist who wants to take control of her fate. She may be weak in terms of combat ability, but as far as determination goes, she is strong, and that's why she is lovable as a shoujo protagonist. (She is a contrast to Miyo from My Happy Marriage, whom I also adore.)
Those who love slice-of-life anime will love this, and those who don't mind that the romance takes a back seat.
A recurring pattern here is that a certain character would be rude to her at first, and then she would win them over through the food she cooks. A great example of this dynamic is Oryou, who previously was jealous of Aoi for Oodanna-sama's affection, and is transformed into one of her cheerleaders.
Let me emphasize this: The food is not the main attraction, as it is not drawn in a sumptuous manner. The food moves the story. An example of this is Matsuba. A dissatisfied customer of Tenjin-ya inn who was appeased and became one of Aoi's allies. Her fondness for Aoi will prove pivotal in the latter part of Season 1.
The two opening songs and the various ending songs are catchy. They have an energetic vibe behind them.
A supporting character is voiced by Ueda Reina. Her voice is so lovely for such a small, barely on-screen role. Many of the supporting characters are like her: small roles but memorable.
§ Conclusion
When I started watching this, I was expecting just a decent watch. I did not expect to watch a hidden gem. I'm glad to have given this a chance.
NOTA BENE: A grade of 8 out of 10 means that I find this anime is very good and three notches above average. I enjoyed watching it.
My enjoyment spectrum lies from 4 to 10. If I have scored an anime below 4, I actively dislike it.
