Wakakozake

Wakakozake (ワカコ酒) 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 an 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.

Manga
Wakakozake by Chie Shinkyu, 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.

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.