Dating can be tough when you nerd out over barbecue. Kenta, a practical pitmaster, looks for a grill-friend in Chihiro, an aloof and faultless business babe…or is she? Scared of being rejected for who they really are, the two of them find comfort in food and each other…and all is well until Kenta must transfer away. With their developing relationship at steak, Chihiro proposes they tie the knot and they marry for better or wurst. Winging a long-distance marriage is one thing, but here’s the rub—they barely know each other! It’s a rare marriage where all the awkwardness of dating meets a sizzling passion for grilling!
LOVE AT FIRST BITE Dating can be tough when you nerd out over barbecue. Kenta, a practical pitmaster, looks for a grill-friend in Chihiro, an aloof and faultless business babe…or is she? Scared of being rejected for who they really are, the two of them find comfort in food and each other…and all is well until Kenta must transfer away. With their developing relationship at steak, Chihiro proposes they tie the knot and they marry for better or wurst. Winging a long-distance marriage is one thing, but here’s the rub—they barely know each other! It’s a rare marriage where all the awkwardness of dating meets a sizzling passion for grilling!
Summer serves up a series of highs and lows for the Fukuyamas—Chihiro most of all. Rainy-season blues leave her cranky and craving spicy curry to burn off a sour mood, but when she meets Mochizuki’s adorable new girlfriend, her excitement boils over and earns her an earful. And after being roped into Yu-chan’s midsummer mission to fight a frightening enemy on her walk home, Chihiro helps the little mischief-maker face her fears and turn a bitter day into a sweet summer memory.
LOVE AT FIRST BITE Dating can be tough when you nerd out over barbecue. Kenta, a practical pitmaster, looks for a grill-friend in Chihiro, an aloof and faultless business babe…or is she? Scared of being rejected for who they really are, the two of them find comfort in food and each other…and all is well until Kenta must transfer away. With their developing relationship at steak, Chihiro proposes they tie the knot and they marry for better or wurst. Winging a long-distance marriage is one thing, but here’s the rub—they barely know each other! It’s a rare marriage where all the awkwardness of dating meets a sizzling passion for grilling!
SOUP FOR THE SOULMATE When Chihiro is slammed by work in Tokyo, Kenta pays her a visit to boost her spirits with food. The thing is, she only has one bed to share between the two of them. The grill-loving couple looks to ramp up their physical intimacy, but jealousy, a crisis at work, and their first-ever fight are all the wrong ingredients in a recipe for love. With everything going on, Chihiro puts ring shopping on the back burner until she can sort out her feelings, prompting Kenta to lift her spirits by whipping up some sweet and savory soup.
CHEF’S KISS Just when things are about to get spicy, Kenta chickens out and leaves Chihiro hanging. They both want to heat things up, but an embarrassing teenage trauma and a doting father get in their way…until Kenta secures their first real kiss with some awkward, romantic charm. Can they take their relationship to the next level with ten whole days together…? Or will the summer fly by before their love can start to sizzle?
After enjoying a steamy hot springs staycation together, Kenta does something that gets on Chihiro’s nerves……so he resorts to grilling up her current craving, rice balls, to get back in her good graces. And following a farewell party thrown by Chihiro’s work friends, come moving day, she reflects on her entry into the dating arena and how empty her life was before she found love in her future husband.
As Rina schemes to make Mifune jealous, Kenta and Chihiro send off summer with one last hurrah—Fukuyama Fest! But now that she’s living in Hamamatsu, Chihiro realizes nothing has changed—she still gets work from her former bosses and has no clients of her own. Bummed out, she vows to break free of Fushimi’s kindness…who is currently on the verge of tears at a street corner. But wait…is that Toda to the rescue?!
When a friend’s wedding pulls Kenta and his wife back to Kenta’s hometown, they’re both stressed out—but for very different reasons. As if visiting her in-laws wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, Chihiro feels guilty lying to everyone about how the two of them met. Meanwhile, Kenta is hiding secrets of his own—like how he’s been to social mixers and used to play sports. Is there more to Kenta’s past that Chihiro doesn’t know about?
As the end of the year approaches, romance is in the air…but is it the good kind? Kenta sneaks off from a wedding party to have coffee with his first crush—who also happened to be his first kiss. Meanwhile, Mifune ditches Rina for a singles mixer, and after Toda makes a move on Fushimi-san, she thinks the youngster is pulling her chain and lets him down. At this rate, the only thing that can save everyone’s Christmas is a serious heart-to-heart.
Kenta and Chihiro’s happy new year is nearly spoiled by a string of bad luck, but it’s Chihiro who could use a blessing. When her birthday surprise is finding out her father might be seeing someone behind her back, she’s livid—not just for keeping it a secret, but for replacing her mom, too. And though she opts to drown her sorrows with booze, for a change of heart, she’ll require something a bit sweeter.
Love is a delicate recipe, sometimes best seasoned with a sprinkle of white lies. After losing something precious and deceiving Chihiro, Kenta considers how to come clean to his wife—but he’ll want to butter her up with a banquet first. And Fushimi-san, now hopelessly in love with her sweetheart Toda, fibs her way out of eating his food…but for a reason that will melt his heart.
The grill team grows when fellow transplant Mochizuki collabs with Chihiro for a festival. The handsome hunk and computer wiz is a little bit of a loner, but Chihiro’s good will and Kenta’s cooking skill might just be what it takes to draw him out of his shell. Later, the whole crew’s invited for Kenta’s meaty birthday bash—one where his friends (and the flavors) move him to tears! But the real cherry on top is the surprise Chihiro has for him at the end of the day.
Rina has a beef with Mifune when she finds out he ran off to see another girl. Can he cook up a good excuse, or is food enough to simmer Rina down? Speaking of meat, too much grilling and chilling has given Chihiro and Kenta love handles. Seeing how their will to fight cravings and melt the fat is in danger of going up in smoke, it’s up to grill guru Kenta to dish out some lip-smacking yet lean cuisine.
Pummeled by cold weather and wicked winds, Chihiro cowers alone in a tent to prove she can be independent. And Kenta, confined by a blizzard, finds out that working from home is regrettably full of distractions. But while Hamamatsu is freezing over, elsewhere, one couple is warming up to the idea of living together. Toda and Fushimi-san look for a place they can share, but her fussy nature puts their plans (and relationship) in danger.
When Rina-chan lands a gig as a stand-in idol for a local festival, Mifune-kun brushes it off…until she steals the spotlight on stage. But now that she’s gained a bunch of new fans, Mifune-kun’s the one feeling jealous! Meanwhile, Kenta can’t get enough of the new café—or more specifically, the cute barista behind the counter. But with each visit to see his caffeinated crush, he risks stirring up trouble back home.
Thanks to one scary movie and a string of eerie events, Chihiro is convinced she’s being haunted by a vengeful veggie…but she’s not the only one having a bad day. Bedridden after throwing out her back, Fushimi-san gets testy with Toda when his help becomes a hassle. And Remu, a struggling student with a lackluster life, is stuck in a serious funk. But sometimes, all it takes is a little kindness—and maybe some food—to break the curse and brighten someone’s day.
Autumn brings a roller coaster of sweet highs and sour lows for the Fukuyamas. What begins as a peaceful picnic quickly spirals into a fish-focused bento box battle. Later, a lucky day turns to dismay when their winning lottery ticket is squandered on a string of costly breakdowns…but they’re not the only ones swept up in a bitter surprise. Remu’s dream comes true when she schemes her way into meeting her idol Rina, but once her lies come to light, she pays the price for her deceit.
When Chihiro’s doodles go viral online, she’s bombarded with likes, follows, and an unexpected opportunity to spice up her career. As she scrambles to keep up with internet fame, Kenta takes on a challenge of his own—mastering English before it spoils his future prospects. Meanwhile, Rina’s rising stardom leaves Mifune feeling like leftovers…especially when she skips giving him the usual Valentine’s Day sweets. Will Mifune finally put his feelings on the table, or has Rina already slipped out of his reach?
Mochizuki has a meltdown when last-minute lineup troubles have him scrambling for substitutes in baseball. But off the field, Chihiro’s caught in a cycle of late nights and unhealthy bites as work wedges between her and Kenta. Elsewhere, the latest face in Mountain & Sea has some fans fuming when she takes center stage despite her young age, but she’s not about to back down from the spotlight.
A drunken purchase kicks off a steamy summer of poke bowls and fitness goals for the Fukuyamas. After the BBQ lovebirds role-play first dates that never were, Chihiro sets out to shape up—sparked by a run-in with her celebrity crush. And while Kenta doesn’t jump to jealousy, Fushimi-san, on the other hand, gets grumpy when a bold bartender makes a move on her man. Grilling season is in full swing, and it’s a hot, sizzling mix of flavor and fun.
Chihiro gets frazzled at an autumn fish fry when she learns Kenta’s been spilling the beans about their private life to his coworkers. After he further stirs the pot by blabbing to his new club friends, Chihiro runs away from home, leaving Kenta to stew in his regret. Meanwhile, Rina’s relationship with Mifune starts to sour as he acts more like a fan of her idol persona than a friend. As autumn deepens, can these couples weather the storm, or will their bonds wither and fall like the leaves?
Winter brings savory breads, lucky bags, and a bout of bad colds jinxed into being by Chihiro. While the Fukuyamas fight fevers with food and affection, Mochizuki wages his own war against the bags under his eyes, hoping a fresher face will get him a girlfriend come Valentine’s Day. Elsewhere, Toda salvages a spoiled date by turning shopping stress into mountain memories and views to smile over. But as winter wanes, new ambitions stir—pushing Kenta to cut free from his mellow life and chase something new.
A trip to Niigata in search of the perfect knife becomes a whirlwind of steel and saké for the Fukuyamas. During their hunt, they meet an apprentice brewer forging ahead with a daring new draft in hopes of succeeding her father. Later, Kenta is cut deep by a Mother’s Day mess, while Remu’s job search keeps grinding her confidence down with every rejection. Even so, good food has a way of taking the edge off, especially when it’s homemade.
Summer serves up a series of highs and lows for the Fukuyamas—Chihiro most of all. Rainy-season blues leave her cranky and craving spicy curry to burn off a sour mood, but when she meets Mochizuki’s adorable new girlfriend, her excitement boils over and earns her an earful. And after being roped into Yu-chan’s midsummer mission to fight a frightening enemy on her walk home, Chihiro helps the little mischief-maker face her fears and turn a bitter day into a sweet summer memory.
