Yes yes and yes. You all know how much I love Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories Seasons 1 & 2 but we now have ALL the original seasons prior to the show’s move to Netflix. That’s three seasons worth of joy, drama and good eating with a proper introduction to the many patrons that frequent the Master’s storied meshiya. No more rewatches on crappy streams for me folks ‘cuz it’s all here in HD glory, ad-free! That’s a triple win if you ask me.
For those of you that are still new to Midnight Diner or are mildly curious, I’d highly recommend you start with these three seasons first before going into Tokyo Stories 1 and 2 since it provides more backstory on the many ‘regulars’ that you’ll find on the latter. For instance, have you ever wanted to know more about Marilyn, the show’s finger-lovin’ dancer who eats the same damn thing every time? Still hung up on the Master’s history with the mysterious lady who loves Nikujaga from the last episode of Tokyo Stories: Season 2? How are the Ochazuke Sisters like when they’re not eating Ochazuke? And who the hell is Erect Oki, and what’s his deal with potato salad? If you watched Tokyo Stories first like I did, then I’m sure you wondered why everyone’s so chummy with each other and now, you’ll see why. Furthermore, by watching it all in this order, you’ll be viewing it in the order of its original run when it first aired in 2009. Trust me on this folks. If you still haven’t seen Midnight Diner, there’s no better time than now to watch it here on Netflix.
Lastly, without spoiling too much, I wanna mention how much of a joy it is to see it all here during a time of duress. If you ever wanted something cozy yet engaging to watch while the rest of America is still arguing over face masks, then look no further. Not only does Midnight Diner’s first three seasons lay the groundwork for its eventual rise to greatness in Tokyo Stories, but you’ll get a glimpse as to how much the show had to fudge around to get its formula right. I find Tokyo Stories to be a much more smoother affair that eases you into things, whereas the previous seasons are rougher, edgier, and will plop you in the middle of a crisis. Moreover, while Tokyo Stories has more optimism in its proceedings , these three seasons focus more on the nocturnal pains of overwork, failure, and the drudgery of a broken heart. These themes reach their peak with the third season, which is filled with stories that give our cast no recourse, solace or closure. Overall I find that Tokyo Stories is a bit more warmer in sentiment than the first three seasons, yet they still provide good viewing for anyone seeking a glimpse into the hard luck lifestyle of Tokyo. And for a guy like me who’s itching to look away from the world of Covid-19, Shinya Shokudo’s a godsend.
Midnight Diner’s first three seasons aren’t without its flaws however. In addition to that aforementioned search for the perfect formula, the show has issues dealing with the seedier elements of its nightlife themes. We’ve got some real bastards here on Shinya Shokudo, with a few that are horribly misogynistic (a real issue that’s endemic in both Japan and Asia at large). Infidelity, exploitation and solicitation also rears its ugly head every so often, especially when it comes to an episode that focuses on Ikumi, a woman who’s secretly paying out her parents’ debts as a sex worker. It’s a great episode that shows how she needs no saving whatsoever, but it’s still punctuated by the fact that she had to make some hard choices for the sake of her family’s survival. Despite the excellent themes present in this particular episode, I do wish Shinya Shokudo could be a bit more forthcoming and critical about how patriarchy, destitution, sexism and abuse tear into the lives of its female characters instead of just showing us how they rise above it. That’s easy catharsis for sure, but a more critical lens can make that catharsis resonate even more, and would make for better character growth for all those involved.
In summary, Midnight Diner is a portrait of the downtrodden scouring the night for solace in a cold and unforgiving city. But for all the time spent mired in their friendships, failures and food-filled nostalgia, there are no solutions to be found here. For better or worse, Midnight Diner’s first three seasons are still slice-of-life dramas, and the exploitation, despair and heartache that each character faces is only mildly abated thanks to the skill of the Master. I sometimes wonder why I continue to watch this show, knowing that Shinya Shokudo refuses to tackle the ills of the world head-on, but maybe that’s the point. Life is shit sometimes, but maybe, just maybe, somebody will finally have their day and not look back. Maybe one of them will find a way out. Maybe that girl will finally leave that asshole for good. Maybe that old guy will stop cheating on his wife. Maybe those old folks will make up. Maybe those two young people will finally fall in love, and maybe she and him will get together despite their circumstances. Maybe we’ll all make it somehow and can leave the deeper examinations for another day.
Because in the end, that’s all any of us would want.
Let me just start out by saying that I’m a very fortunate person. Thanks to my job, I’m able to work from home for 4 days a week, which is a big help since I mostly commute via the Metro. 2020 hasn’t been easy for anyone here in the States, and that’s unfortunately compounded by the fact that the U.S. is managing the coronavirus in the worst way possible. It’s bad enough to hear that Black Lives Matter supporters have to risk their health to protest against injustice during a viral outbreak, but it’s doubly worse to hear how this crisis magnifies the inequality inherent in American health outcomes. Amidst all this suffering, violence, death and stupidity from Trump and his cabal of anti-science cultists, the fact that I can still do what I do with my hospital job makes me very very lucky indeed.
Despite these fortunate circumstances, these last few months have taken a toll on me and I found myself searching for a new distraction. I was motivated to protest in late May / early June but was talked out of it by my family for fear of getting gassed and beaten (though I still support the movement and urge others to do the same). And given the growing number of Covid cases rising in Red states, I don’t think I’ll be taking any trips anytime soon. Moreover, since March, my outdoor life has been reduced to one day onsite for work and weekend grocery runs, which isn’t easy in the slightest. Though the current living conditions aren’t ideal, they’re not terrible either. Being a homebody isn’t rocket science and I actually enjoy staying indoors quite a bit. I could watch movies, play games or listen to T-Square, but for some reason, I wanted something else. Earlier in the year, I’ve been buying a few jazz fusion CDs from CDJapan, but I’m finally satiated on that and was looking for my next fix . What the hell would that be during a pandemic?
As it turned out, it happened to be this:
Left field, ain’t it?
Yep, I got myself a Japanese Sega Saturn.
It really was a left field purchase for me, but I’m totally loving this console. The last time I had my hands on a Saturn controller was once in the late nineties when a friend of mine had it with Die Hard Arcade. By the time I started game collecting in 2009, I already knew it was a massive retro item, but I was way more interested in the PC Engine and Neo Geo. The Saturn also had pricey shmups and that was a big turnoff for me back in the day, while the PC Engine’s shmups were fairly affordable for 2009 standards (which is totally the reverse now). So, what was it that fueled my newfound interest in the Saturn?
Well, it was all thanks to a YouTuber.
When I wasn’t worried about work, the rise in virus cases, injured protesters, food, zoom meetings or supplies (Wife has been the MVP when it comes to face masks and other survival purchases), I watched a shit-ton of YouTube. In some cases, I’d run into channels that got me worried about things all over again, but in most cases, the Wife & I would flock to Asian food vloggers like the Tabieats duo or Mikey Chen from Strictly Dumpling. I’m not sure why, but watching food reviews made us feel better and offered us a sense of normalcy in these very abnormal times.
But when I wasn’t watching Mikey Chen or Tabieats, I veered into retro gaming channels, and that’s where I bumped into Sega Lord X. A Virginia native, Sega Lord creates gaming content centered on all things Sega. At first I didn’t know what to make of it because we’ve all seen it before: another YouTuber making vids about the Genesis and its many gems. However, his true passion is about the Sega arcade experience and, most importantly, his love for the Sega Saturn. Though he does make content related to other gaming properties and systems (his SNES Top 10is very good by the way), the Saturn is by far his favorite console and the majority of his videos focus on how amazing this 5th generation titan was at the time, despite its failure to shine here in the States.
Sega Lord X’s channel is full of informative takes on a host of Sega I.P.s, but what pushed me to say “Fuck it, let’s get the Saturn!” was when he highlighted how affordable Sega’s internally developed Saturn library was on eBay. Finally, there was a YouTuber who didn’t bombard you with games that would cost a fucking testicle. Moreover, this wasn’t some asshole that made a channel to show off his collection and tease you with “you’ll never play this fucking game, so watch me talk about it”. This was a guy who had enough sense to tell it to you straight with no bullshit. Now, you may ask, “Well what about The House of the Dead, Guardian Heroes, and Panzer Dragoon Saga?” To that I say, “Fuck no.” Those are games with North American releases that will eat your wallet when you could just emulate them. Instead, Sega Lord X pointed to Sega Rally Championship, Virtua Fighter 2 and many other games that were affordable, made by Sega, readily available to import and can be played perfectly without reading Japanese. Hell if you wanted to buy The House of the Dead, go the import route and forget the U.S. release entirely.
My first four games for the Sega Saturn, all developed in-house by Sega. No pricey fucking shmups here fellas.
Furthermore, I realized that, in general, the Saturn’s Japan releases were no joke. These are some serious gems that have never EVER made its way to North America, and that’s made the collecting scene for this console almost as insane as the PC Engine’s . This is especially the case for its massive library of shmups, many of which are excellent arcade ports that look and play perfectly. Given that some of them are in the triple digits on eBay, Sega Lord mentioned that it’s best just to stick with the affordable ones and emulate the rest. There’s also other ways to work around this via reproduction discs and psuedo saturn memory cards for gaming with an actual Saturn, but I’m seriously not there yet. Hell, I’m not even convinced that buying three digit retro games are even worth it for 2020. My time in the PC Engine scene has taught me that there are just some things in life that aren’t worth buying, and a $200 video game that will bullet-hell me to death on the first level is not fucking worth it.
So yeah, I’m enjoying this neat little slice of gaming. Furthermore, it’s gotten me interested in a genre that I don’t play enough of, and that’s racing. Seriously. Sega Rally is one of the best games on the Saturn, and that shit goes for under $10 on eBay. It might not be arcade perfect, but it’s got a fantastic presentation, challenging races and a soundtrack from the Gods. Christmas Nights was another surprise for me, and that prompted me to get the original Nights not long after (which I haven’t touched yet). However, my first big favorite has to go to Fighters Megamix. I’ve wanted to play this game since I saw it in Tips & Tricks magazine in the late 90s and man, that game does not disappoint! It controls well, has a ton of characters, provides colorful graphics and is full of righteous music. Virtua Fighter 2 is also fantastic but the game’s A.I. is brutal. I’m a huge fan of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution on the PS2 and to me, that game and VF2 are like night and day. This is compounded by the fact that there’s no sidestep in VF2 (though there is one for Fighters Megamix). VF2 kicks my ass routinely and I find myself cussing every time I play it.
However, the best game I’ve played so far on the Saturn is Panzer Dragoon. Man is that game epic! I’ve finished it 4 times now, and, as of July 4th, my last playthrough on Normal awarded me with the rank of Dragoon. I love this game to bits and it’s a rail shooter that’s so imaginative that it hurts. I also have its sequel Zwei, but I’m gonna leave that for later. For now, I’m gonna do my best to get the most out of the first game because there is simply nothing like it on any 5th generation console. The gameplay, art design, sound and music are all 10 out of 10 for me and it’s made me rethink my entire list of all-time favorite games. Seriously folks, Panzer Dragoon is that good. So good in fact that it fills me with regret that I didn’t play it sooner during the Saturn’s heyday in 1995.
My second round of games purchased for my Saturn after disinfecting them. C’mon guys, we’re still in a pandemic here okay?
All in all, I’m pretty fortunate that I can still obtain a new hobby at a time like this. With many a reopening plan quashed for some states, I’m a bit worried that we’ll be in this pandemic for the long haul. And don’t get me started on the validity of face masks folks, because if you can afford them, then you should wear them. Hell even wrapping a cloth around your mouth will do wonders for you and others. And the fact that Black Lives Matter protesters, who go into crowded, open spaces to voice their concerns, are following health guidelines better than asshats who feel “threatened” when they’re asked to mask-up in a Costco or Trader Joe’s is fucking mind-boggling. The logic is sound and it’s proven to help in situations like this, but to hear that there are still individuals who question the validity of face masks just goes to show you how far things have fallen. Hearing another sanctimonious jagoff spray invective about science, minorities or the trials that every person goes through just makes me want to curl up into a ball and play on my Saturn even more.
Whatever you’re all going through right now, I hope you’re all well, employed and safe. This pandemic’s revealed a lot about what’s wrong with the nation, and if there’s any good that can come out of it, then I hope it’s the kind of good that requires us all to re-think what America should mean to everyone living in it. Maybe we’ll finally kick Trump to the curb come November. Maybe we’ll come out stronger and more kind to one another. Maybe we’ll re-think policing, privilege or even healthcare for that matter. Maybe grocery workers or delivery drivers won’t have to be screwed over constantly while we make shitty gestures about their ‘heroism’ when all it does is assuage us from the guilt of putting them in harm’s way in the first place. Maybe dining out will get back to normal, or maybe even Chads and Beckys in D.C. will finally figure out a fucking indoor hobby that doesn’t involve a 5pm bike ride without a goddamn mask. Whatever the case may be, I’m there for it. In the meantime, you’ll find me at home, mulling it all over in my brain with my Wife, my work, and the newest addition to my gaming life: the Sega Saturn.
And before I forget, here are some videos from Sega Lord X that’ll help you pass the time. Be thankful, be anti-racist, and be safe everyone.
One of Sega Lord’s earlier videos where he goes over the First 10 Games you should get for the Saturn, many of which are affordable and won’t break your balls. He also has videos about Your First 10 Games for both the Genesis and the Master System.
Here Sega Lord X recalls the gaming landscape of 1995 and how the Saturn’s triple release of Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2 & Sega Rally Championship were instrumental in the console’s Holiday fortunes as it went toe-to-toe with the Sony Playstation.
By far his most popular video on YouTube. The Saturn was a total failure in North America and Sega Lord X dives into his personal view as to why it bombed so badly. A must watch.
Part 2 of his Rare & Expensive Saturn Games series. You can watch Part 1 here, but I highly recommend Part 2 since it not only goes over rare games that are gems on the system, but it ends with a down-to-earth commentary about the stupidity of retro game collecting in 2020.
A fantastic video about one of the most underrated fighting games on the Sega Saturn: Fighters Megamix. Featuring both Virtua Fighter & Fighting Vipers characters, it really is the crossover you didn’t know you needed. Highly recommended!
Naika's Lounge 