I've started the manga in April this year and have re-read 3 times already, before discovering this beautiful adaptation. I was beyond thrilled. The Manga is such a comfort read for me, and after having watched the tv show, now it's also a comfort show.

I'm so amazed by... literally everything. The cinematography, the actors, the director, the vibe... it's exactly like the Manga. So, so cozy and heartwarming.

The actors have done an incredible job in bringing the characters to life and especially also the chemistry. How it starts off kinda awkward because they don't know each other at all, then slowly turns into a friendship where the characters are just incredibly comfortable with each other and are able to open up about their difficult past, and then Nomoto slowly realizing she might feel more for Kasuga.
Kasuga too, though. In the beginning, she's quite stone-faced and doesn't show any emotions at all. But slowly, as they spend more time together, she begins to smile more and express her feelings verbally more often, which Nomoto also points out.

Every time they look at each other in the manga, I get butterflies. Every time the actors were sitting at the table, I got butterflies. I'm amazed by how well they could capture the chemistry and channel it in their acting.
There's barely any physical touch between them. Only a little towards the end. Yet still... sparks fly when they're just in the same room and that's genuinely impressive.

The romance isn't in a sense of "omg it's love at first sight, they're so hot and I want to f*** them" but in a sense of strong platonic feelings and fulfilling happiness. Two souls who have finally found each other and found solace in being accepted the way they are (Kasuga by having a huge appetite and Nomoto for cooking because it's her hobby). It's very subtle.
And beautiful, because there aren't many self-discovery shows with characters at that age. But people seem to forget that you don't find everything about you during your teenage years, as the media might suggest nowadays, so this is a really great reminder to you and anyone else, that you grow everyday and if you haven't found your path yet, don't worry, because your time will come – even if you're 50 by then.

~

Season 1 covers Volume 1 and 2 of the manga, and ends the same way volume 2 ends: during the sunrise.
I was often quite surprised how close they kept it to the source material. Of course they added a few scenes here and there or changed little things to fill the time, but overall it is very very similar.

It's a perfect cozy show for autumn, and even winter. It plays around December (there's a Christmas and new year's episode), but gives more autumn vibes for me, maybe because of the lack of snow, lol.

Really recommended for any age group and especially a perfect cozy watch during the holidays. The episodes are very short as well (15 minutes), so you can watch it all in one evening. During the weekend with your family or some friends for example.

Don't forget to have food nearby, though, because the story centers around food – they cook and eat a lot –, so you will likely get hungry during watching. ;D