Let "Sweetness and Lightning" Warm Your Heart!

From the studio that brought us “Yowamushi Pedal” and “Orange”, “Sweetness and Lightning” was an adorable 2016 slice-of-life show that may have not been on your radar. This show not only brings the heartwarming story of a single father and his daughter, but also delicious dishes often eaten in Japan straight to your TV! 

Kohei Inuzuka lives in a small apartment and struggles with the important task of cooking delicious and healthy meals for his daughter Tsumugi. Not only does his cooking suck, but he struggles to realize the ingredients that, together, would make a good dish! That’s when his student, Kotori, pops into his life and saves dinner from disaster… Kotori’s mother is a nationally loved chef, but due to her fear of using kitchen knives, she does not cook herself. Kohei and Kotori team up to make various delicious dishes with the occasional help – and magical songs – from Tsumugi!

Throughout watching this show, I found that each character introduced was incredibly endearing! Not only are the main trio important, but the side-characters are given very relaxed roles and manage to help make the story even more enjoyable. Each episode features the characters tackling a different problem in one of their lives and a different dish helps bring them all together.

I was incredibly infatuated with Tsumugi. Her voice actress. Rina Endo, did a wonderful job capturing the innocence needed to portray such a sweet and mischievous daughter. Tsumugi’s character is really fun; she is incredibly enthusiastic about food, helping, and magical girl anime. Not only does she portray this pure childish nature, she has times of deeper emotion like worry and even jealousy that helps develop her even more as she works through it.

Her father, who is an assistant teacher at a local school, also has to work through many of his own worries. He worries about Tsumugi’s school life, whether she is eating well, if he is doing enough as her father, and keeping her happy. As a character one of his biggest struggles is the memory of his late wife, who seems to act as imagery for “normal family life” throughout the show. Kohei is voiced by the talented voice actor Yuichi Nakamura, well known for his roles in Fairy Tale, Osumatsu, and Macross Frontier! Nakamura-san does a wonderful job portraying the kind and thoughtful Kohei and really helps bring Kohei’s emotions to life through the power of his voice.

Not only is this show packed with adorable slice-of-life moments, it also features amazingly delicious food! Together, Kohei, Tsumugi, and Kotori make miso soup, filet fish, crepe, gyoza, and more! This show is fantastic for slice-of-life aficionados and foodies alike! If you are interested in a show that will manage to relax you and put thoughts of gyoza dancing in your head… This one is for you!

Overall, this show is definitely one you should go back to watch! With only 12 episodes and a wonderful OST, it will be worth every minute. Want to watch Sweetness and Lightning? It’s available on Crunchyroll here! 

-Swittx