Have you watched...? Food for the Soul
A short review for a short and sweet anime that I watched some weeks ago.
So from time to time I like to watch something that’s simple, heartwarming and unassuming, just to feel a little warm and fuzzy inside, especially while having lunch. I found out about this show when Crunchyroll clips showed up in my YouTube recommendations, and I was intrigued by this series about college girls and cooking.
Food for the Soul is a slice-of-life series that follows Mako, a timid freshman starting college. She has had difficulties making friends since middle school and is trying to get on with life. At university, she’s reunited with her old childhood friend Shinon, who befriends her and invites her to her newly formed culinary club. Mako likes to cook, so she’s happy to find like-minded people, though Shinon’s hidden plan was to actually use the club to slack off. The show then focuses on the small group of girls in the club, their relationships, and the delicious food they make and eat together.
Mako is a foodie, and I related to her on so many levels: she feels happy when eating a nice meal, just like I do. Her timidity and social anxiety also hit very close to home. I feel like she’s my spirit animal π. She felt so very relatable. For example, in the first episode she doesn’t feel comfortable ordering food and eating alone in a restaurant - been there, done that.
Visuals and animation are well done, and all the girls are very cute. One thing I appreciated in this anime is that there’s almost no fanservice. Overall, it was one of the most wholesome shows I’ve watched in a while. Voice actresses are great, though sometimes their acting is a little too high and loud.
Warning: don’t watch this when you’re hungry! There’s a lot of food porn here, particularly if you like Japanese food. Good thing I watched this while eating lunch π
The opening and ending songs are nice, but I especially liked the ending one (though misoshiru and butter don’t sound like a tasty combination).
It’s a great show to unwind and just feel warm and fuzzy inside. Food for the soul, indeed.
Details
- Name: Food for the Soul (ζ₯γ γ―ιγγγ©ι£―γγΎγ - Hibi wa Sugiredo Meshi Umashi)
- Year: 2025
- Studio: P.A. Works
- Watch on Crunchyroll
Post revised with ChatGPT