Do you enjoy comedy gags with little plot but focuses on the elements of its genre? Want to watch a show that features over the top humor related to ramen? You’ve come to the right place! Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san is as straightforward as it gets. The show is about a girl named Koizumi-san who is in love with ramen. She’s a ramen hunter and never ceases to explore the world to develop her interests. I have to admit, watching this show feels almost like a journey of discovery.
The first few episodes establishes the principle cast. Koizumi san is the main superstar and has a reserved personality. However, that all changes when she eats ramen and indulges on the thrill of its taste. There’s all types of ramen in this show and her reaction always sells its value thanks to its larger than life humor. It shouldn’t take long at all for the audience to realize that Koizumi is an expert at ramen. Not only does she enjoy ramen but she also knows a wealth of knowledge about them. After being discovered by her classmate Yuu at a ramen shop, we learn more about her and the length she goes to obtain ramen. Watching her climb mountains and sail the high seas to get ramen in her stomach is popcorn entertainment at its finest. Furthermore, Koizumi-san is a brave girl and never shows fear when going into a ramen shop, something that other girls may feel intimidated at first glance. As a student, Koizumi-san is known for her beauty and politeness. She rarely speaks and hardly interacts with others. However, when it’s about ramen, Koizumi-san can talk day and night about it.
Of course, there are also other characters that Koizumi-san happens to bump into throughout her journey. The three prominent ones are Yuu, Jun, and Misa. The character chemistry between them ranges quite differently from each other. For instance, Yuu can be seen as borderline obsessed with Koizumi-san whenever they are together. On the other hand, Jun often questions whether Koizumi-san is normal because of her behavior. Throughout the show, Koizumi-san’s influence changes her in ways that she probably didn’t even realize herself. Finally, there’s Misa, a girl that strives to be popular at school. In her eyes, Koizumi-san is a rival and she seems to have a one-sided rivalry with her. While I can’t say none of these relationships are generic, they are entertaining enough to always turn an eye towards Koizumi-san when she gets involved with them.
I’m not an expert on ramen but the show almost feels like it’s selling itself as a product. Every episode features different ramen with different flavors whether it’s chicken, beef, shrimp, spicy, sour, and among others. There are even some ramen you’ve never heard of like the blue ramen from one of the later episodes. The majority of the show also features info dump with explanations from the ramen master, Koizumi-san herself. That being said, the story itself is lazily written and seems to never been the intention. Every episode will feel the same and there’s no complicated plot about the show from start to finish. Unfortunately, Koizumi-san is more of a one dimensional character that never seems to develop more than what she is on paper. There’s also hardly any background story about her. Instead, the show fully dedicates on getting her over with the audience through her ramen expertise. The other cast members are no better either as they lack depth or mostly exists to bring out the best from Koizumi-san. Finally, the comedy at times can be questionable. It can get old pretty fast after you’ve seen it a few times and it really never tries anything different. It’s hard to stay focused on this show if you fancy for something more than ramen.
Adapted by Studio Gokumi, the show doesn’t lie when it comes to expressing the tastes of ramen. Every time Koizumi-san puts ramen in her stomach, she reacts in a state of ecstasy. To put it simply, it’s foodgasm. The show sells her reactions to make the ramen themselves look good. Character designs for the main cast are very feminine especially the case with Koizumi-san. It’s hard to ignore her with that dazzling blonde hair and gentle face. Surprisingly, the ramen in the show is animated with great detail. From the texture of the toppings to the shape of the ramen, everything about it feels right.
This version of foodgasm needed a diverse voice cast and thankfully, the VA in the show pulls it off. The main voice to pay attention to is Koizumi-san especially when she narrates the info details about ramen. Then, there’s the way other characters react to her that amplifies their personalities in particular Yuu and Misa. The theme songs for the show is colorful and focuses a lot on the ramen theme more than you should expect.
Honestly, I don’t even like ramen that much. They’re not good for health and serves more as a guilty pleasure meal than anything else. However, this show opened my eyes ramen in a way that I didn’t realize before. It’s not the plot that impressed me nor is it the popcorn comedy. Rather, the show was able to sell what it had intended to and I’m a satisfied customer.
