Love in Translation

This show is goofier than I expected and packed with gags. It does have the usual TV movie format, but that is buried underneath the quirky characters and unexpected situations. The cafe really feels like that of Friends/Frasier etc or the Cheers bar, with random people getting involved in the scene, which is one of many factors that give a sit-com vibe. The language learning / teaching is not entirely realistic, but not annoying enough for me to drop a star because they really have gone the extra mile to make this movie less run-of-the-mill. The characters don't always make the best choice, but they are all good-hearted, so nothing nasty happens.