01 April 2008

バンビーノ! Bambino!


Title: バンビーノ! Banbīno! (Bambino!)
English Title: Bambino!
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2007
Episode: 11
Cast:
  • 松本潤 Matsumoto Jun
  • 能瀬香里奈 Nose Karina (香里奈 Karina)
  • 佐藤隆太 Sato Ryuta
  • 内田有紀 Uchida Yuki
  • 佐々木蔵之介 Sasaki Kuranosuke
  • 北村一輝 Kitamura Kasuki
  • 向井理 Mukai Osamu
  • ほっしゃん。Hoshan
  • 山本圭 Yamamoto Kei
  • 小松彩夏 Komatsu Aya
  • 佐藤佑介 Sato Yusuke
  • 吹石一恵 Fukīshi Kazue



SYNOPSIS
嵐 Arashi - We Can Make It!
Ban Shogo is a college student and a capable kitchen assistant in a small-town restaurant in Fukuoka. The restaurant chef Endo Susumu sends Shogo to a restaurant in Tokyo called Tratorria Baccanale owned by his close friend Shishido Tekkan for the summer. He thinks that Shogo will learn a lot in his stay in Tokyo and Shogo reluctantly goes because he wants to be a chef someday.

Since he worked in a small-scale restaurant, Shogo was able to do everything -- from making appetizers to desserts. He is quite cocky with his abilities as a cook and this does not go well with the staff of Tratorria Baccanale. He failed every major task given to him and was relegated to the position of dishwasher, a lowly job but something that each new staff start with in their stay at the restaurant.

He was given the nickname Bambino or Bambi for short by the chef Shishido Tekkan. Because he is not used in a big restaurant setting wherein there is a huge kitchen staff and lots of customers, he is considered a baby that must be guided through as he navigates his way along.

Shogo learns very quickly how much he is lacking as a worker and an aspiring chef. He is eager to learn about cooking but he soon discovers that the chef intends to make him learn lessons not directly related to cooking.



REVIEW
Bambino! is a great drama, a must-watch for anyone who is just starting out in his job. This drama clearly presents the struggles and emotions of someone who is in the initial phase of following his dreams.

Bambino, shortened to Bambi, means baby or small child in Italian. This is the nickname bestowed on Ban Shogo as he starts out in his journey to be a great chef.

But I like how it was mentioned in the drama that everyone is a baby at some point or another and how it is to be expected that an individual can be considered as a baby many times over in his lifetime. It's just so true.

Bambi had some experience working on all tasks related to cooking in a small restaurant located in a small town. He was a little overconfident  about his skills and experience but he got a rude awakening when he started working in a very popular restaurant in Tokyo.

I think the drama is saying that people should always be aware that there is always room for improvement. Although someone has improved over the years, there are still some aspects where he can improve further. Although someone can be considered as the best he can possibly be in a given situation, he may still need to improve because he is actually still a work-in-progress in other situations.

Because Bambi wants to be a chef, it is inevitable that cooking will feature prominently in the drama. It is quite delightful to see good and sumptuous food being prepared.

I have never worked in a restaurant so I wasn't aware how hectic and demanding working in a restaurant can be. I have greater appreciation for all the working staff in a restaurant -- from the chefs to the kitchen staff to the waiters.




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バンビーノ! Bambino!