The Sort of Japanese Restaurant

"**The Sort of Japanese Restaurant**" is the first episode in the first season of *City of Ghosts*. It is the first episode overall.

## Synopsis

Chef Jo's opening a new restaurant in Boyle Heights~~but strange things keep happening. By learning about the past, Zelda helps solve the mystery.

## Plot

We start with Zelda interviewing Chef Jo, who is opening up a new restaurant. She talks about how this is the first time she could cook whatever she wants, and about how she wasn't born in California, but grew up in that kind of community. She then tells us that the property she bought might be haunted; she hears strange noises, appliances turn on by themselves, and other strange things. We then see her friend Mariko, who tells the camera that the property is definitely haunted. She tells us about her experiences with ghosts. Jo closes up the restaurant, and then the faucet turns on.

We see Zelda on a video call with Thomas, where they say that ghosts move your things around to try to get your attention or introduce themselves. But they say when ghosts move other peoples' stuff, "they got beef". We then see a security camera of a dumpster, where a door opens by itself, and a deep fryer is thrown outside. Now, at morning, Jo complains about the ghosts to Mariko, and Mariko tries to reassure her to feel the energy between the building and the land. Jo says she's had trouble with ghosts before, and just wants it to be over. Mariko then tells her that she should meet Zelda.

Now at Zelda's house, she is being interviewed by her brother about how the ghost club started. She says that she wanted to find more ghosts, and sh found some friends who wanted to do the same. Then she tells us she is excited to see the haunted restaurant because she loves ghosts.

Now at the restaurant, Mariko introduces Jo and Zelda. Zelda finds it suspicious when Jo tells her about the cat toy that is randomly left for her around the restaurant. She sends a picture of it to Thomas, who she exclaims is the Ghost Club's haunted artifact specialist. When Jo tells Zelda that the rest is kind of a Japanese restaurant, we see an interview of Zelda's mother saying that there used to be a lot of Japanese people in the neighborhood.

Zelda meets Thomas, Eva, and Peter at the library. They go over what they think the ghost wants, and after they see a map of all the places the cat toy was left, Thomas suggests they follow it. Zelda leaves one outside, and watches as a ghost approaches it. She tries to be friendly, and sees that "Janet" (the ghost) is just shy.

Zelda is now interviewing Janet with Jo. She gives backstory about little Tokyo, and how many people worked there but lived in Boyle Heights; this is displayed through a doll-house type presentation. She says that her mom always wanted to own a restaurant, and she eventually bought one. Jo now says she understand the hauntings, because Janet is mad that she is making her mom's specialty with new technology. The three of them now make gyoza together, with three different kinds of filling; traditional filling with beef and pork, vegetarian, and cheese bland made by Janet. They then give instructions on how to make them. THey make their own soy sauce, and then taste them (even thought they're really hot).

THe restaurant, now open, is filled with people. Janet tells Zelda the secret on how the tempura is so tasty; they make it the old-fashioned way, like her mom did.

## Characters

### Major Characters

* Zelda
* Chef Jo
* Janet
* Mariko
* Thomas

### Minor Characters

* Zelda's mom
* Eva
* Peter

### Mentioned or Pictured

* Jordan (pictured and voice heard)
* Janet's mom (mentioned and pictured as a doll)
* Janet's son (mentioned)

## Trivia

* It is revealed in this episode that Eva loves veggies, and is possibly a vegetarian.

### Cultural References

* Jo says that Van Halen is her favorite band, and has a poster of them on her wall.
* The cat toy left around the restaurant is a Maneki Neko, and Thomas gives a little history on it.
* The Japanese food "Gyoza" is on the menu of Jo's restaurant.
* Peg dolls are used during Janet's story.