Mentsuyu Hitori Meshi
Mentsuyu Hitori Meshi is a Japanese manga series by Mizuki Setoguchi. It was serialized in the monthly seinen manga magazine Manga Life from December 18, 2016, to the magazine's final issue on July 27, 2022. After Manga Life became defunct, the series was serialized in Essay Sasakureru, where it ran until November 11, 2024, before being moved to Manga Life Original.
A live-action television drama adaptation was broadcast on BS Shochiku Tokyu for two seasons from April 1, 2023, to December 25, 2024.
Synopsis
Tsuyu Mendō, an office employee, is lazy and finds it a chore to cook every day. To cut down on cooking steps, she uses mentsuyu, a condiment for noodles, as a base for the meals she prepares. The comic follows different ways of how she incorporates mentsuyu into her dishes, with recipes at the end of every chapter.Media
Manga
Mentsuyu Hitori Meshi was written and illustrated by Mizuki Setoguchi. It was serialized in the monthly seinen manga magazine Manga Life from the February 2017 released on December 18, 2016, to the September 2022 issue released on July 27, 2022. Following the end of Manga Life, Mentsuyu Hitori Meshi was moved to Essay Sasakurēru ''Mentsuyu Hitori Meshi was then moved to Manga Life Original beginning with the December 2024 issue released on November 11, 2024. The chapters were later released in nine bound volumes by Takeshobo under the Bamboo Comics imprint.In 2025, Setoguchi stated in an interview with '' that the idea of the manga came up during a discussion with her editor about creating a cooking manga series, as it was in the midst of a boom. While thinking of ways to approach the genre differently, they started talking about the convenience of mentsuyu and based the manga on it. While drawing the manga, Setoguchi took care to not depict food being wasted or to "reject" dietary habits. The recipes in the manga were created by Setoguchi, with some modified to fit certain characters in the story. In addition, Setoguchi based some of the recipes on official recipes provided by manufacturers of mentsuyu.
Television drama
A live-action television drama adaptation of Mentsuyu Hitori Meshi was announced on March 10, 2023. It was broadcast on BS Shochiku Tokyu with a total of 13 episodes. The series is directed by Hajime Senoo, Kunihiko Ōwaki, and Junna Ida. It was produced by Ryōichi Sasaki and Ryū Watanabe. It was written by Erika Toyama, Sayaka Abe, Takashi Itō, and Mayumi Hayashida. The theme song is "As Is" by Nao Aihara.The series stars Riho Sayashi as Tsuyu Mendō. Additional cast members include as Iriko Togoshi, Masaki Kaji as Tsutomu Hokabe, and Natsumi Okamoto as Mai Shirota, and as Minamo Yaranai.
A second season was announced on August 7, 2024, with Sayashi reprising her role. Nashiko Momotsuki was cast as Yuzuna Motosu, as Katsuo Honde, and Miwako Kakei as Sōko Mendō. Most of the supporting cast reprised their roles, with the role of Mai Shirota recast to. The theme song for season 2 is "Spark!" by Shiori Kishimoto.