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Wakakozake
Cover of first manga volume
ワカコ酒
Genre	Cooking, iyashikei
Manga
Written by	Chie Shinkyu
Published by	Tokuma Shoten
Magazine	Monthly Comic Zenon Web Comic Zenyon
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	September 2011 – present
Volumes	13
Anime television series
Directed by	Minoru Yamaoka
Studio	Office DCI
Original network	Tokyo MX, Sun TV
Original run	July 5, 2015 – September 20, 2015
Episodes	12
Manga
Taishū Sakaba Wakao - Wakako-zake Betten
Written by	Nenzu Nyanbara
Published by	Tokuma Shoten
Magazine	Web Comic Zenyon
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	January 2019 – present
Volumes	6

Wakakozake (ワカコ酒, lit. 'Wakako Sake') is a Japanese manga series by Chie Shinkyu. It has been serialized by Tokuma Shoten in the seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Zenon since the September 2011 issue; it is also available on Web Comic Zenyon. The series has thirteen volumes so far; the first volume was released in May 2013, and the latest release in August 2019.

It was adapted into a Japanese television drama by North Stars Pictures starring Rina Takeda, and a short-length anime television series by Office DCI aired from July 5, 2015, to September 20, 2015. Season 1 of the live action adaptation was aired April 3, 2015, followed by the second season, released on January 8, 2016, and the third season, released on April 7, 2017. After a year's hiatus, the fourth season aired on January 7, 2019. On October 24, 2019, TV Tokyo and Monthly Comic Zenon simultaneously announced that the Season 5 of the live-action adaptation would air in January 2020.

All adaptations, both anime and live-action, were broadcast on TV Tokyo and BS Japan. The anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, with the platform also streaming two early seasons of the live-action adaptation; both are distributed by SPO Entertainment. As of 2019, it is unknown when Crunchyroll will release Season 3, 4, and 5 of the live-action Wakakozake.

A spin-off manga written by Nenzu Nyanbara titled Taishū Sakaba Wakao - Wakako-zake Betten has been serialized in Tokuma Shoten's Web Comic Zenyon since January 2019 and will end with the release of its seventh volume.

Plot

The series follows the daily adventures of Wakako Murasaki, an ordinary 26-year-old salary woman. After a tiring day's work, she goes off alone to explore various local restaurants, pubs, food stalls and the like and tries out random Japanese food that she usually pairs up with an alcoholic beverage.

She is said to be a drinker girl with a taste for liquor. Whenever her drink compliments her food, Wakako shows her contentment with a sigh of "pshū" (プシュー).

Oftentimes, Wakako goes to faraway cities as well to try out cuisines or even go out with her close friends. In the first few seasons of the live action, she also stays at home or visits others to cook with her friends or try out cuisines from venues rather than actual restaurants.

Characters

Murasaki Wakako (Wakako Murasaki)

Voice TV Anime Version – Sawashiro Miyuki (Miyuki Sawashiro) / Takahashi Minami (Minami Takahashi)

The 26 years old main character. Originally from Hiroshima she works as an office lady in Tokyo.

Miura (Miura)

Voice TV Anime Version – ()

The nickname is "Mi-san". A bright and cheerful woman working in the same department as Wakako.

Nakano (Nakano)

Voice TV Anime Version – ()

The nickname is "Hossie". A firm woman who works in the same department as Wakako.

Shiraishi (Shiraishi)

Voice TV Anime Version – ()

A junior man whose Wakako serves as a teaching staff.

Chief Okada

Voice TV Anime Version – ()

Male serving as chief in the department to which Wakako belongs.

Stupid

Voice TV Anime Version – ()

A married man who is one of Wakako's friends.

Hiroki

Voice TV Anime Version – ()

Wakako's relationship.

Media

Manga

Wakakozake by Chie Shinkyu [ja], 8 volumes already published (as of January 20, 2017)

1. ISBN 978-4-19-980145-7 (May 20, 2013)
2. ISBN 978-4-19-980178-5 (December 20, 2013)
3. ISBN 978-4-19-980229-4 (August 20, 2014)
4. ISBN 978-4-19-980247-8 (December 20, 2014)
5. ISBN 978-4-04067154-3 (November, 2014) In addition
6. ISBN 978-4-19-980277-5 (July 18, 2015)
7. ISBN 978-4-19-980325-3 (January 20, 2016)
8. ISBN 978-4-19-881090-0 (Anime DVD with 12 episodes (main part: 24 minutes) with 6 volumes limited edition)
9. ISBN 978-4-19-980353-6 (July 20, 2016)
10. ISBN 978-4-19-980389-5 (January 20, 2017)

Anime

An anime adaptation was broadcast from July 5 to September 20, 2015; it was a short animation of 3 minutes per episode.

Episodes

Japanese TV drama

The live-adaptation of manga series Wakakozake is produced by North Stars Pictures, TV Tokyo and RCC Broadcasting. Released from 2015 to 2019 (hiatus in 2018), the drama series consists of 12 episodes of 30-minutes each. Followed by the announcement from the volume 3 of the manga, which began selling on August 24, 2014, casts was announced in October that same year.

Season 1 was released on April 3 until July 30, 2015, Season 2 was released on January 8 until April 1, 2016, Season 3 was released on April 7 until June 23, 2017, and currently, Season 4 was released on January 7 until March 25, 2019. Season 5 was released in April 2020, followed by a special aired on December 29–30 that year. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the series took another hiatus in 2021, and Season 6 was aired on January 10, 2022.

Japanese actress Rina Takeda played the titular character Murasaki Wakako on all seasons of the series, alongside recurring casts Yoshihiro Nozoe and Kenta Kamakari. All seasons of the series are broadcast on TV Tokyo and BS Japan respectively. Currently, Crunchyroll broadcast the first two seasons of the series.

Korean TV drama

Cheers to Me (나에게 건배, Naege Geonbae) was the Korean remake of the series, released on South Korea on December 10, 2015, until January 7, 2016, 10 episodes with 25 minutes, original network UMAX Network and O'live.

An ordinary single woman who enjoys cooking and dining alone in the evenings, Ra Yeo Joo is an editor at a publishing house where she's worked for the past ten years, while Lee Jae Yoon works in marketing at the same company. Their relationship is sometimes friendly, sometimes flirty, and sometimes competitive. They have different approaches to food: while she finds healing in food and drink, his goal in life is to live lean and long, until he discovers new pleasures and changes because of her.

Reception

It was ranked 10th in 2014 Recommended comic selected by nationwide writing clerks [ja].

References

1. The Kitchen Sisters (August 8, 2016). "Food Manga: Where Culture, Conflict And Cooking All Collide". NPR. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
2. Orsini, Lauren (April 27, 2020). "8 Soothing Anime To Help You Relax In Quarantine". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
3. 宣伝/コミックゼノン9月号 - ちえぞう王国ブログ. fc2.com. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
4. "ワカコ酒" (in Japanese). Web Comic Zenyon official website. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
5. ワカコ酒 １. www.honyaclub.com (in Japanese). Retrieved August 25, 2014.
6. ワカコ酒 ９. www.honyaclub.com (in Japanese). Retrieved December 31, 2017.
7. "Wakako Zake Manga Gets Live-Action TV Show". Anime News Network. August 24, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
8. "Wakako-zake Late-Night Cuisine Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
9. "Crunchyroll – VIDEO: Miyuki Sawashiro Narrates Latest CM for "Wakako Zake" TV Anime". Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
10. "Wakako-zake Live-Action Show's 4th Season Premieres in January". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
11. ^ "Wakako-zake Live-Action Series Gets 5th Season in 2020". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
12. ^ "最新情報｜ワカコ酒 Season4：BSテレ東". BSテレ東 (in Japanese). Retrieved October 28, 2019.
13. "Crunchyroll - Crunchyroll Publisher - SPO Entertainment". Crunchyroll. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
14. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 10, 2019). "Wakako-zake Gets Spinoff Manga About Bar Near Train Station". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
15. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 26, 2022). "Wakako-zake Spinoff Manga Ends in 7th Volume". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
16. ストーリー [Story]. Wakakozake (in Japanese). Cinemart. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
17. "「ワカコ酒」TVドラマ化、女のイキなひとり酒 - コミックナタリー". Natasha Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2017.
18. "ドラマ「ワカコ酒」主演は武田梨奈、1月開始 - コミックナタリー". Natasha Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2017.
19. "ドラマ「ワカコ酒」地上波放送も決定、4月よりテレビ東京で - コミックナタリー". Natasha Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2017.
20. "Wakako-zake Manga Gets 3rd Live-Action Series in April". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
21. "Live-Action Wakako-zake Show About Sake-Loving Woman Gets 4th Season". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
22. "Live-Action Wakako-zake Series Gets 1st Special on December 29, 30". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
23. "Live-Action Wakako-zake Series Gets 6th Season in January". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
24. オンライン書店Honya Club com:発表！全国書店員が選んだおすすめコミック2014. www.honyaclub.com (in Japanese). Retrieved July 24, 2017.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Cheers to Me (in Korean)
• Wakakozake (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

• Manga series
• 2011 manga
• 2015 anime television series debuts
• 2019 manga
• Cooking in anime and manga
• Iyashikei anime and manga
• Seinen manga
• Tokuma Shoten manga
• Alcohol in popular culture