The old lady looked helpless and said unhappily, "Of course it is. Who would want to go in when it's so dark? If someone accidentally looks inside and sees a weird old man like you, they'll be scared to death."
The old man didn't appreciate it: "Humph, you don't have to worry about it."
Very bland conversation.
No, rather than saying it is bland, it is better to say that compared to the common lines with a bit of a middle school color in most animations, the lines in this animation are more down-to-earth and realistic. Even the overall style of the animation and the current plot reveal a strong breath of life.
As he was thinking, in the animation, while the two were talking, the old man had already finished the grilled fish in front of him and got up and left.
He seems to be a very stubborn old guy.
I wonder how the story will develop next? According to his previous experience of watching TV series, if this animation is really a "gentle food show" as Gouzei said, then according to the routine, this "Showa Shokudo" may use food as a medium to introduce the past of this stubborn old man
The animation on the phone continues.
Luo Gaofeng picked up a piece of Mapo Tofu and took a bite of rice. In the animation, a young policeman in uniform stood by the door at some point. He first looked into the store cautiously, as if looking for someone. After making sure that the person he was looking for was not there, he was stunned, then seemed to be relieved, and gave a faint smile to the old lady who happened to be looking over.
He is a young man who looks gentle.
However, this young man who looked so gentle and cheerful, now sat down at the table and said solemnly, "Grandma, is that your grandson playing on the road outside the store?"
As if she rarely saw the other person's serious side, the old lady was stunned for a moment: "Ah, yes, it's our little pony."
As soon as she finished speaking, the young man opposite her frowned, his eyes full of disapproval: "You can't do that!" He said, his voice full of unquestionable warning: "The road is not a playground, what if you get hit by a car by accident!"
The old lady said, "Are cars going to drive into a lane like this?"
Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by the young traffic policeman: "Thinking like this is the most dangerous! Listen carefully, grandma, if...if something really happens, then it will be useless no matter how much you regret it!"
Shocked by the other party's aura, the old lady subconsciously said: "...Yes."
"And there are many drivers who don't follow the law." As if realizing his own mistake, the young man coughed and softened his voice. "Like driving due to overwork or drunk driving, we often see this, don't we? In any case, please be more careful."
After finishing the cold noodles in his hand and repeatedly reminding the old lady to pay attention to traffic safety, the young man quickly got up and said goodbye.
Luo Gaofeng seemed to be thinking about something.
Generally speaking, there will be no unnecessary plots or details in animations. Since the young traffic policeman appeared after the stubborn old man, and before entering the cafeteria, he made an action that showed he was obviously looking for someone, it is reasonable to speculate that the old man and the traffic policeman obviously know each other, and the young traffic policeman seems to... want to see the old man, but dare not
It seems there is something else going on.
Could it be that this is a father and son who have a misunderstanding with each other and are avoiding each other for various reasons? Is the existence of Showa Shokudo a way to resolve this misunderstanding
Luo Gaofeng originally thought that the next perspective would shift to the two guests, narrating the stories of the two diners in detail and taking a sentimental approach. However, "Showa Shokudo" adopted a blank treatment here, and the perspective of the animation still remained on the old lady who was the owner.
The door of the cafeteria opened and closed, and the children running around on the street were called back by their parents. When night fell, the watch shop not far away finally lit up the long-lost lights. An old lady took a broom and slowly swept the floor of the store. When her eyes inadvertently looked towards the street, they seemed to be carrying some kind of silent sigh.
But she said nothing.
Luo Gaofeng's heart moved slightly, and he suddenly began to believe what Xingxing said before the animation started.
It can be seen that this animation is very restrained in expressing emotions. People who don't like it may find it inexplicable, but viewers who often watch similar subtle and literary styles can vaguely feel the subtle emotions that the director wants to convey from the seemingly unintentional but actually meaningful storyboards in the animation.
There is no excessive introduction and no complicated side plots. The plot line of the entire animation is incredibly simple. It is just about the daily life of the old grandmother running the Showa Shokudo, with a few regular customers occasionally appearing.
Although he currently does not understand the deeper meaning of "wanting to say something but stopping" conveyed in the animation storyboards, he is instinctively attracted by the warmth in this ordinary scene, and begins to be curious about and look forward to the subsequent plot.
The animation's camera then turned to the ginkgo tree beside the street in front of the door. The light green leaves swayed slightly in the wind, and then gradually turned from light to dark, rich and green.
Summer is here.
At night, the usually quiet town became visibly lively, and sweet couples holding hands began to appear in the picture. It must be said that this made Luo Gaofeng a little uncomfortable - but combined with the previous seasonal hints, this also revealed a message:
The Chinese Valentine's Day is coming.
Wait, why is it the Chinese Valentine's Day? Wasn't it supposed to be about father and son? What does it mean that the timeline jumps directly to the Chinese Valentine's Day? This animation looks plain, but is it actually so heavy
Luo Gaofeng's thoughts became more and more distorted, but fortunately the plot of the animation quickly explained this point:
The young traffic policeman who came again ordered iced barley tea this time. The hot summer and iced barley tea are a perfect match on the dining table. After gulping down the barley tea in front of him, a nostalgic expression appeared on the traffic policeman's face.
"It's really delicious. When I was at the police station, my wife often put it in a kettle for me to take with me." As if thinking of some happy memories, he showed a somewhat gentle smile: "At that time, I was a little embarrassed to let my colleagues see me like this..."
His expression was so gentle at the moment that the old lady behind the counter couldn't help but smile: "Is that so? That's a good thing."
"By the way, the Chinese Valentine's Day is coming soon. It's the day once a year when lovers can meet each other." Putting the glass of barley tea back on the table, the traffic policeman looked out the window and paused for a moment: "That's great. I wonder if everyone can get what they want."
The old lady said softly: "...There will be some people who can't get what they want."
"That's true."
The huge cafeteria suddenly became quiet. No one spoke. The camera of the animation passed through the two people who were relatively silent, turned to their backs, passed by the couple walking intimately in front of the gate, and finally fell on the ginkgo leaves swaying in the wind.
Until the sound of children's laughter could be heard again on the street.
The traffic policeman suddenly woke up: "Oh, I'm so sorry! Look at you, I have made the topic so sentimental!" He said with an apologetic smile on his face, and stood up from his seat: "Then I have to go back to the police station to perform my duties. If there is anything special, please come to the police station."
He still looked so serious and enthusiastic, but the action of turning around and leaving had a hint of fleeing. Just when Luo Gaofeng thought that this part of the plot would end here, the traffic policeman who had already walked to the gate suddenly stopped.
He suddenly said: "That..."
The old lady stopped what she was doing and looked up at him.
The traffic policeman lowered his head and asked casually, "Has that person been here recently? That... I mean Dad."
"I come here often," the old lady said in a gentle tone. "What's the matter? Is there anything?"
"Ah—no, no," the traffic policeman scratched his head, revealing a somewhat embarrassed expression: "It's just that... if you accidentally bump into it, you'll get scared, that's all."
The old lady smiled and said, "There's nothing to be scared of. They are relatives, right?"
"That's not wrong... I just feel a little embarrassed to run into him recently." He moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say it. Instead, he bowed and said hurriedly, "Sorry to bother you today. I'll go back first."
The traffic policeman who left just like that certainly would not have thought that the person he wanted to see but didn't want to see would come back again not long after he left.
This time the dish is tofu.
The old lady looked at the only tofu dish on the table and seemed very dissatisfied: "I'm telling you, if you only eat tofu, you will become a dried-up person sooner or later, right? Have you been eating well recently?"
The old man retorted: "But when you get older, you won't feel hungry, so tofu is enough."
"Really? But I still get hungry after all three meals."
"Maybe it's because I don't have much time left," the old man said, his profile under the warm yellow light showed no expression, he just stared at the street outside the door in a trance: "Come to think of it, Chinese Valentine's Day is coming soon. Will she be the one to pick me up?"
His voice was very calm, just like his expression at the moment.
It was at this moment that Luo Gaofeng suddenly remembered the evaluation of Mu Suxing that he had seen on "Zhi Dao". Although in most cases, since the animations are usually exaggerated, there is no need for paper people to show realistic acting skills, and the same is true for the animations under Huaying, but in fact, Mu Suxing showed his performance level that can be called an actor when making literary and artistic animated shorts.
This point is also vividly demonstrated in this realistic animation.
The street outside was filled with lively laughter, but the cafeteria across the door was silent. The old man seemed distracted, yet not distracted. After a long while, he slowly turned his head, scooped up a piece of tofu with a spoon and put it into his mouth.
Somehow, Luo Gaofeng felt a sudden surge of bitterness in his heart.
It was at this moment that he suddenly understood why Huaying was unwilling to do too much publicity for this animation.
The core of this animation is neither the delicious food nor the various interesting characters, but an atmosphere that is difficult to describe in words. Only when the audience calms down can they vaguely understand the taste from the seemingly ordinary details in the animation.