Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories

Netflix is bloody brilliant. Though it can admittedly turn up some dross (a four-movie deal with Adam Sandler, anybody?), since moving into TV production it's had an uncanny run of success that many networks could only dream of: House of Cards, Stranger Things, Making a Murderer, and far more besides.

Pictured: How I imagine Netflix CEOs survey their digital dominions

Whilst these shows may grab all the glory (and a sizeable chunk of TV awards), I recently discovered a fantastic new series- one of the best in ages- which I'd heard literally nothing about. This is probably why Vice referred to it as a "hidden gem", and Newsweek bestowed it the slightly double-edged accolade of "the best show no one is watching".

The show in question is Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, and it is obscenely good.

To describe it in a sentence: "The show is about a late night diner open from midnight to dawn and the stories of its odd-ball patrons." Set in a nondescript diner in the backstreets of Tokyo, the only character to appear in every episode is the taciturn but welcoming Master, the chef and owner of the diner. Whilst there are a familiar rotating cast of regulars, each episode focuses on a different visitor (or visitors), and is named after the dish they request. The characters come from all walks of life; chauffeurs, gamblers, TV stars, lawyers and many more besides. It's a brilliantly simple premise.

I was hooked from the opening credits. A soft, wistful acoustic tune is played under several long, moving shots of Tokyo at night. The city is bright and busy, but the mood is calm and serene. The action then moves from Tokyo's teeming streets. The camera moves to the small, cosy diner, and follows Master as he makes a soup and begins his narration: "My diner is open from midnight to seven every morning. I make whatever customers request, as long as I have ingredients for it.Do I even have customers? More than you would expect." An old clock chimes midnight, and the episode begins.

Like the diner itself, the show feels warm, welcoming, and quintessentially Japanese. The characters are genuinely intriguing and unique, whilst only rarely veering into stereotypes. The show unfolds at a genteel pace- not that there is a lack of drama- but Midnight Diner seems to take pride in slowly revealing its characters and themes, which is a refreshing change from other shows that seem to compete with each other to be the brashest and noisiest. Everything that takes place is in service of the characters and story.

After watching this series, I was surprised to discover that it had a rather long history. Adapted from a manga novel, this is actually the fourth season of the show- albeit the first to air exclusively on Netflix (similar to Black Mirror, which began on Channel 4 before moving to Netflix for it's third season). The fact that Midnight Diner has already been running for several seasons perhaps goes some way to explaining what makes it such an assured and consistent TV show for a new viewer. I sincerely hope that Netflix will procure the rights to the first few seasons, as it would be fascinating to follow the development of the show and meet more of the characters in its universe.

If you have access to Netflix, I'd heartily recommend digging into Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories as soon as possible. You'll be one happy customer.