Best movies & TV Shows like The Meal with Hokusai

When older man Tsukakoshi asks Unokichi to paint it is of his mistress, the geisha Fumiko. Tsukakoshi loves the feet and legs part of Fumiko's anatomy. The fetishism gives the art student a commission to put his talent to use.

Upon entering college, Narumi forms the Asunaro Group along with four other boys and girls. In time, she starts to date Tamotsu, whom she felt attracted to when she first saw him at the entrance exam. Although the two are happy together at first, their very different backgrounds cause them gradually to fall out and ultimately break up. Immediately following the break up, a member of the group dies a terrible death, and this brings the group to an end. The members go their separate ways, but Narumi and Tamotsu do not forget each other. Four years later, when the group reunites on the anniversary of the death of their friend, Tamotsu proposes to Narumi. The story follows the Asunaro Group members’ growth into adulthood as they struggle with the boundary between friendship and love, deal with bitter experiences, and find love for the first time.

A struggling lawyer, Kenji Sakuragi, takes a position at private school Tatsuyama Gakuen to pay off his debts. Kenji decides to try to turn this hopeless school into one of the elite institutions in Japan to help rejuvenate his career. His barometer of success will be to get five of his students admitted to the prestigious Tokyo University the following year. But rather than cramming them with lots of general information, his down-to-earth class concentrates on unknown techniques for passing the entrance examination and how to live a good life in these turbulent times. His refreshing outlook and strategy may just be what is needed to turn around the future prospects of himself and his students and teach the rest of us a thing or two as well!

Takemoto Yuuta, Mayama Takumi, and Morita Shinobu are college students who share the small apartment. Even though they live in poverty, the three of them are able to obtain pleasure through small things in life. The story follows these characters' life stories as poor college students, as well as their love lives when a short but talented 18 year old girl called Hanamoto Hagumi appears.

A young man who showed little promise while a high school student becomes a master detective, just like his grandfather.

The story is about the daily life of a 30-year-old new wife, Hana, who cooks “Zubora Meshi”, while her husband is on a job transfer away from home. ”Zubora-Meshi” is the corner-cutting and easy cooking people usually cook only for themselves to eat.

Set in the early 1980's, Moyuru is a student at an art school in Osaka. He is full of passion and desire in his pursuit to become a manga writer. He also doesn't lack confidence in his abilities. Morinaga Tonko is Honoo's senior at school and the manager of the badminton team which Honoo belongs to. Right before summer vacation, Moyuru makes a decision. He decides to take his manga manuscripts to a publishing company in Tokyo.

After her grandmother passed away, high school student Ryō Machiko began living by herself. Although she recreated her grandmother's recipes perfectly, she felt that something was missing. However, when a girl named Kirin begins visiting her home, she realizes that company makes any meal taste better. Together with their friend Shiina, they enjoy many different kinds of delicious foods together.

Due to Professor Kita’s suggestion, student Moe Nishinosono and Associate Professor Sohei Saikawa head to Professor Kita’s research institute. There, various experiments have been conducted in a low temperature research room. During the night a murder takes place. Two graduate students are found dead in the low temperature research room. How did the killer enter the closed research room and how did the killer leave the room?

Hanae Aoishi is set to turn 30. She works for a general trading company and has never taken a day off or been late for work. She dresses pleasantly plain and has zero dating experience. She attends a company party and drinks with part-time employee Yuto Tanokura. He is a handsome university student. Through the evening, Hanae becomes drunk and passes out. When she wakes up, Hanae finds Yuto Tanokura sleeping next to her and he is naked. She becomes confused about what happened and takes the day off from work for the first time. To come out of her shell, Hanae decides to date Yuto Tanokura who is 9 years younger than her. At this time Yu Asao, the CEO of a food company located in the same building as her company, begins to have feelings for Hanae.

Koizumi is a mysterious and attractive high school student. But what most people don't know about her is that she's a ramen master who is always on the lookout for great ramen restaurants. Everyday, she goes hunting for real-life places serving the best ramen dishes and delightfully eats the delicious noodles. The way Koizumi downs a giant bowl of ramen–more adeptly than any large man—will amaze and delight you!

The male duo Sanada Nishiki and Yamada Jiro are behind Himekawa Rosanna, the popular girls manga writer. The two of them were cultivated by an editor nicknamed the “Monster” and debuted as a girls manga writer. Despite their popularity, they really want to draw gourmet manga. The bookshelves of the secret library in their home office are lined with novels, essays and manga full of delicious food. When they are under the pressure of manga series deadlines, they would routinely escape from reality and into the “2D gourmet” in the books, forget about their deadlines and end up cooking.

Kisaragi Sumi is a 20-year-old university student. But do not be surprised that she is a 65-year-old inside. Under pressure to help out with the family business from a young age, she could not have a youth. Even afterwards, she devoted her entire life to taking care of first her grandmother and then her father and mother. Sumi finds herself turning 65 without ever having had a boyfriend. She takes a little pride in having lived with integrity. But after her mother passes away, she has the sudden thought of regaining her youth once more and making a fresh start in life. A miracle happens to her. One day when Sumi wakes up, she has the appearance of a 20-year-old. Despite being bewildered by this unbelievable reality, she introduces herself as Sumire and gets another try at youth.

The "cute and soft bread four-panel manga" centers around Minami, an air-headed girl who is starting high school and who loves eating bread for breakfast. Baked goods bring happiness everyday to her and her classmates the reliable Yuu, the pastry-baking Fuyumi, and the independent Noa.

Madoka Tsutsumi is a university student. He rarely expresses his feelings and he has never done an impulsive act in his life. One night, he sees an old man and a pink rabbit struggling physically. The pink rabbit seems surprised and asks Madoka if he can see them. The pink rabbit then introduces itself as the Angel of Death and says the old man is a ghost who died yesterday.

About 150,000 illegal entrants live in Tokyo. They are not recognised as refugees and live in poor conditions. To protect themselves, the illegals create a secret organisation. The organisation has a bank which Japanese Financial Services Agency is not involved with, a hospital that is not authorized by Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare and an illegals police force called "Dias Police." The only police officer in the organisation is Saki Kubozuka. His age and nationality is unknown. Saki Kubozuka does not speak much, but he has a warm heart and strong sense of justice. He takes care of the weak and tries to maintain public order.

Yuka Minami is a university student who has the ability to see other people's deaths. One day, her friend suddenly dies. There are 10,000 yen bills littered around her friend’s dead body. There's also black stains on the 10,000 yen bills. Since then, more people around Yuka die mysteriously. Yuka and Detective Takeshi Wakamoto chase the mysterious deaths together.

University student Wakamizu Ryota (Emoto Tokio), who is the middle of job hunting, gets caught up in a sudden gang dispute. Ryota’s life is saved by Yanagiba Ryuichi (Namase Katsuhisa), the boss of Yanagiba-gumi, and Ryota for some reason ends up harbouring Yanagiba in his own home. Ignoring Ryota who wants him to leave immediately, Yanagiba uses the leftover food in the fridge and starts to prepare a meal without asking. However, the meal is surprisingly delicious despite the leftovers that did not seem possible to combine. This is the beginning of a bizarre communal life connected by meals for a gangster and a university student.

In an otherwise mundane diner open from midnight to 7 a.m., there is no menu – but the chef cooks anything his customers want. Each episode is about different a different customer, as they find simple yet profound connections with one another based on their shared love of a particular dish.

Shin'ichi Sakurai is married to Kanako and they have a daughter named Kaori. Both, Shinichi and Kanako received only a middle-school-level education. Even though they don't have much money, they are a happy family. At work, though, Shin'ichi experiences effects of only having a middle school education. One day, Shin'ichi sees Kaori’s poor score for a national test. He freaks out and decides to improve Kaori's education. Thus, 41-year-old Shin'ichi begins studying with Kaori and instructs her for the upcoming middle school entrance exam.

20-year-old Michiru Amatsuki moved to Tokyo due to a change of career. She decided to live in a woman-only share house Stella House Haruno with people of different age and occupations. It's always fun when there's delicious alcohol and meal!!

Sakurai Taro’s parents died young. His grandmother, Akiko, has been making great effort to protect her struggling candy store, Sakuraya, in the old part of Tokyo, but it's not easy. Taro eats candy with regular customers such as chilhood friend Saegusa Hiroki who aspires to be a scriptwriter, and talk nonsense, like in their youth. However, they realize this unfettered, comfortable existence will end some day with the passage of time. Then Taro’s ex-classmate, Kimura Reiko, comes back home with her son after a divorce. He and his friends start to notice what is truly important to them as they face up to their pasts, dreams and pains.

Koizumi is a mysterious and attractive high school student. But what most people don't know about her is that she's a ramen master who is always on the lookout for great ramen restaurants. Everyday, she goes hunting for real-life places serving the best ramen dishes and delightfully eats the delicious noodles. The way Koizumi downs a giant bowl of ramen–more adeptly than any large man–will amaze and delight you!

A girl (Anna Yamada) is just 14-years-old, but she endures a difficult life. Her parents abuse her at home and she is bullied by students at her school. She doesn't have a place where she can feel comfortable. One day, the girl is kidnapped by a man (Shuhei Uesugi) wearing a mask. The kidnapper names the girl Sachi, while wishing her to be happy. For the first time, Sachi can feel happiness.

People bring their stories of missed lust connections to an objective panel of experts who then judge whether they could have gone all the way or not.

A comical and heartwarming drama about a university lecturer on animal behavior who just loves all living creatures. Once he starts thinking about them, he becomes too absorbed to care about anything else! People think he is quite odd and eccentric! But gradually his attitude, free from restrictions of rigid common sense and social norms, changes the way of thinking of those around him. They can recall a time when they, too, were engrossed in something they loved.

Miyanaga Saki, a first-year student at Kiyosumi High School, lacks enthusiasm for mahjong and plays it so that it will end with neither a win nor a loss. One day, she is influenced by Haramura Nodoka’s genius mahjong tactics and decides to join the mahjong club. Nodoka is the titleholder of the national junior high school mahjong tournament. Together with Nodoka and the other club members, Saki contends for the title against formidable opponents.

A love story between Risa Shiroki and Hiroto Fukami. Twenty year old Risa Shiroki comes to Tokyo from her hometown in the countryside to attend university. Pretty and popular with male students, she has never had a boyfriend and dreams of having a sweet love. One day, thirty year old Hiroto Fukami appears in front of her. He is business man who appears to be gentle and looks perfect. As romance blossoms between them, Risa discovers Hiroto's dark past.

Yuichi Yamada works as a magazine editor. He has recently transferred to Kyoto from Tokyo. In Kyoto, he comes across a French couple who are lost. Yuichi Yamada doesn't speak French and ask for help from nearby tobacco shop owner Yoriko Shindo. Yoriko Shindo speaks French fluently and she is able to help the couple. Meanwhile, Yuichi Yamada takes an interest in Yoriko Shindo.

Riyo is attracted to Kairi, but isn't Kairi a murderer? A love story of a man and a woman carrying the past.

A shy baker tries to reach out to his pretty cake-loving customer.

Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she finds herself making way more than she can eat by herself. And so, she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this impromptu dinner invitation...?

Kazuha Ono is divorced at the age of 35 due to her husband's affair. Despite this, she is trying to live positively but is conscious of other people’s remarks regarding her age and the fact she’s a divorcee. While announcing her divorce to her coworkers she is overhead by Mitsui, a new employee, who happens to be there. Furthermore, Rensuke Hayami, a former business partner, now a popular actor, also appears, and begins to wield her Kazuha?!

After a betrayal, Chiharu moves from Tokyo to Sapporo and discovers a mysterious bento maker who's packed meals magically mend her broken heart.