“Ramen Loving Girl,” also known as “Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san” (Koizumi-san Loves Ramen) is a four-episode Japanese drama based on a manga written by Naru Narumi. These episodes can be watched on Viki.
The main appeal of this show is looking at and learning about all of the different kinds of mouth-watering ramen available at real-life restaurants in Japan. The main character, Koizumi (Akari Hayami), often starts off her day with a morning bowl of ramen, makes herself a ramen bowl in the science lab for lunch, and goes off in search for special ramen for dinner after school. For enjoyment, she uses her earbuds in class to listen to the sound of water being drained from ramen noodles. She has made recordings of these sounds from different ramen restaurants she has visited. Yes, I think it’s safe to say that she is a little too obsessed with ramen.
Koizumi is your typical over-the-top manga heroine who is introduced as the beautiful, mysterious, high school transfer student with few words to say to others. She even has signature moves that she uses every episode, such as pulling back her hair and tying it before eating her ramen, and breaking out into a wide, beautific smile on her usually expressionless face after truly enjoying a good bowl of ramen. She even has a group of skeptical ramen otaku who observe her at each ramen restaurant she frequents. This group consists of older men who cannot believe a schoolgirl can finish or properly appreciate a huge bowl of specialty ramen. They are often surprised by her expertise, such as knowing to pull the noodles away from the soup at the bottom of the bowl, piling them over the toppings, and eating the noodles first, before they start to swell or expand.
She also has a fellow schoolgirl who is her stalker/admirer, and another friend who is more interested in boys than ramen. She is fond of them in her own way, without outwardly expressing it. For example, instead of going with her original plans to try healthy ramen, she takes the girls to a super spicy ramen place instead, to help one of the girls get over her recent breakup with her boyfriend. She also sticks to her own principles when that same girl shows up at the last minute after Koizumi has waited for hours on line to get in to a popular ramen joint, and decides to go all of the way to the back of the line.
Overall, “Ramen Loving Girl” is a short and amusing watch, though not very deep or original. If you are looking for romance or drama, this is not the show for you. But if you like ramen and light comedy, this might be your cup of tea. Be sure to have a bowl of delicious ramen on hand when watching!
If you like this show, you might like:
Kodoku no Gurume (J-drama)
Osen (J-drama)
Tampopo (J-movie)
God of Cookery (Hong Kong movie)
Flower Boy Ramen Shop (K-drama)
Manga Drama 