After work at Tokyo eatery

The Master, played by Kobayashi Kaoru, is both a chef and a therapist. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Reluctant to comment more on the Chinese series, he said at Sunday's preview it was "touching" to see that TV producers here considered it for a remake.

Similar to the first movie's structure, Midnight Diner 2 consists of three independent stories - a frustrated editor regaining her confidence, a mother's conflict with her son who wants to marry a woman 15 years older and an elderly woman looking for her missing son.

The film was shot in the franchise' trademark setting, an eatery in Tokyo that runs from midnight to early morning to gather those who take it as a harbor from the busy metropolis.

Having worked with the franchise for eight years, Matsuoka says it has become more difficult to select stories from the original comic material for the movie adaptation.

He says he had to read all the manga books again, with more than 100 stories.

The Japanese franchise focuses on the low-paid people who live on the margins of society. The owner of the eatery, known as The Master, also the only chef at the snack bar, not only fills their stomach but also serves as a therapist listening to their stories of happiness and pain.