Abby (Brittany Murphy) follows her boyfriend Ethan to Tokyo but he leaves her for a job in Osaka. He also doesn't promise to come back for her because he's the nomadic kind. She has a dull job and speaks little Japanese. She becomes fascinated with the corner ramen shop and begs angry drunk chef Maezumi to teach her the art of cooking ramen. He yells at her a lot and gives her all the dirty jobs.This could have been better. Brittany Murphy is delightful and full of life. Maezumi is very angry. It's a little too off-putting. He needs to dial it down a little. The Japanese boyfriend is too light-weight. He has little chemistry with Murphy. I rather she ends up with the chubby guy. The production is a little lacking and the movie does need more fun magic.

It is a shame when someone so talented is taken away from this earth. Brittany Murphy is a star in this movie with her big sparkling eyes in Tokyo where she plays Abby. She finds herself alone in a community that she's not familiar with the language. She could have sat forever feeling sorry for herself or return back to America (dilemnas that we all often deal with at varying points in our lives - self examination and reflection and moving forward), instead she makes it her mission to be taught by a Ramen Chef. They are butting heads with each other with him calling her crazy, monkey brains and more. Recently I have been seeing some of her movies and wish we hadn't lost someone like that. Tragic really. I would definitely recommend this for a light hearted movie with some twist of surprises at every "corner" in the film.

I came across this movie while cruising through the cable movie channels and chose it out of curiosity, not knowing more than that (the late) Brittany Murphy was in "Clueless." What a wonderful treat it turned out to be. The movie poster/DVD cover attached to this film is ridiculous. Obviously, the marketing department didn't know how to handle the story. Despite how Murphy's character, "Abby," is portrayed in the art, she never wears a red, sexy kimono and heels. And, she never has that submissive, come-hither expression on her face. Instead, this is the story of an overly attached girlfriend who, upon being dumped and left alone in Tokyo, decides to dig into herself and find her own strength. She fights through obstacles and challenges to be true to her own path. She grows into a self-determined character who defies typical "romance" storyline expectations. The supporting characters are intriguing and it's a shame we don't learn more about them, but the film still works. Murphy portrays "Abby" naturally, with quirky sweetness and unexpected strength. Too bad the marketing department did such an injustice to this film. It's a rare story about a strong, young woman. Shame on the marketers for trying to hide a positive story behind that silly packaging.

Stick with it during the first 10 minutes which is incredibly similar to the opening of Lost in Translation. Then the movie is Lost in Translation meets Like Water for Chocolate meets original Karate Kid. Great acting from the Japanese cast. Amazing how native English-speaking director could get all these Japanese actors to act so well and naturally. He must be a big Japanophile. But unfortunately compared to them, the non-Japanese actors are amateurs. Maybe Brittany Murphy is passable. Nice that it is mostly in Japanese with English subtitles. So a big change from Lost in Translation that came out five years earlier. If you like Ramen you'll love this movie.