What up anidorks? Today I’m taking a look at a series that I’ve long desired to read, but haven’t been able due to dearth of Haute Cuisine-oriented manga scanlations on onemanga.com – Oishinbo (aka “The Gourmet” in Japanese).
Although lazy and ill-tempered, journalist Yamaoka Shiro of the Tozai News nonetheless possesses one of the most refined palates in Japan – a trait he inherited from his cold, overbearing father, the noted gourmand and artist Kaiban Yuzan. When Yamaoka’s head editor decides to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary by publishing the “Ulitmate Menu” – a selection of the finest dishes Japan has to offer – lackadaisical Yamaoka is reluctantly pressed into creating the menu. When he finds out that his father has teamed up with a rival paper to create their own “Supreme Menu”, Yamaoka and his gal-pal/writing partner Kurita Yuko must go head to head (and taste-bud to taste-bud) with Kaiban to find the finest foods in all of Japan!
Rather than publish the whole run (26 years and still going!), Viz has taken the approach of collecting specific chapters from the series dealing with a particular element of Japanese food (i.e. Sake, etc), and creating an “a la Carte” collection of chapters in single volumes. For readers not entirely familiar with the nuances of all-rice sake and the correct way to filet seabream, this offers an easy introduction to Japan’s rich and fascinating food traditions. Casual/lazy reviewers will inevitably compared Oishinbo to Tampopo or Iron Chef, simply because it looks at the unique food culture of Japan in relaxed, easy-to-approach manner. That’s a shame really, because Oishinbo is a work that deserves recognition for its own unique perspective; although there is the occasional plot twist, character development, and cliffhanger endings, it’s less of a narrative-oriented manga and far more of an overview of Japanese cuisine in graphic novel form. Art buffs might find the character design a little rough and dated at times, but it’s obvious that artist Hanasaki is instead focusing on the main element of the series – the food, loving depicted and almost leaping off the page.
It should be said that Oishinbo is probably best for adult readers, but not because of any thematic elements: aside from heated arguments over the best way to serve champagne or the time it takes to learn the techniques of sashimi, the violence and sex is absolutely non-extant. There’s a good chance the series will probably go over the head of most teen manga readers (and to be fair, the numerous adults that think fine dining means Applebee’s), but if you have interest in culinary history or want a unique look at Japanese culture, I can’t recommend Oishinbo enough.
Although lazy and ill-tempered, journalist Yamaoka Shiro of the Tozai News nonetheless possesses one of the most refined palates in Japan – a trait he inherited from his cold, overbearing father, the noted gourmand and artist Kaiban Yuzan. When Yamaoka’s head editor decides to celebrate the paper’s 100th anniversary by publishing the “Ulitmate Menu” – a selection of the finest dishes Japan has to offer – lackadaisical Yamaoka is reluctantly pressed into creating the menu. When he finds out that his father has teamed up with a rival paper to create their own “Supreme Menu”, Yamaoka and his gal-pal/writing partner Kurita Yuko must go head to head (and taste-bud to taste-bud) with Kaiban to find the finest foods in all of Japan!
Rather than publish the whole run (26 years and still going!), Viz has taken the approach of collecting specific chapters from the series dealing with a particular element of Japanese food (i.e. Sake, etc), and creating an “a la Carte” collection of chapters in single volumes. For readers not entirely familiar with the nuances of all-rice sake and the correct way to filet seabream, this offers an easy introduction to Japan’s rich and fascinating food traditions. Casual/lazy reviewers will inevitably compared Oishinbo to Tampopo or Iron Chef, simply because it looks at the unique food culture of Japan in relaxed, easy-to-approach manner. That’s a shame really, because Oishinbo is a work that deserves recognition for its own unique perspective; although there is the occasional plot twist, character development, and cliffhanger endings, it’s less of a narrative-oriented manga and far more of an overview of Japanese cuisine in graphic novel form. Art buffs might find the character design a little rough and dated at times, but it’s obvious that artist Hanasaki is instead focusing on the main element of the series – the food, loving depicted and almost leaping off the page.
It should be said that Oishinbo is probably best for adult readers, but not because of any thematic elements: aside from heated arguments over the best way to serve champagne or the time it takes to learn the techniques of sashimi, the violence and sex is absolutely non-extant. There’s a good chance the series will probably go over the head of most teen manga readers (and to be fair, the numerous adults that think fine dining means Applebee’s), but if you have interest in culinary history or want a unique look at Japanese culture, I can’t recommend Oishinbo enough.
