I think that manga isn't really my thing because drawing doesn't mean much to me. As it stands, I enjoyed this book just fine, and found several parcels of information very useful during my travels in Japan. However, the art really does play a large part in the story and that's just not interesting to me. If you are into drawing/manga, this will probably register at least one extra star for you. ( )

That was painful.

I love manga, I love books about food and cooking, I love books about Japan. What could go wrong?

Well, a cast of characters that I don't like, for one thing. Kaibara Sensei is such a jerk and his son is not much better and the rivalry between them gets old really quick. There are some interesting tidbits about Japanese cooking - how to prepare a great sea bream, for instance. Unfortunately, the part I would be interested in turned out to be extremely boring.

The art work was so-so. I couldn't really tell anyone apart except for a couple of the characters.

At the end, I was hoping they would all just get food poisoning so there wouldn't be a volume 2, but no such luck. I, however, will be returning it to the library unread.

(I did see that this is a popular serialized manga and has been around for many years. This book seems to be highlights from the series. Perhaps one of the problems is that this is too much Oishinbo to take in at one time. Like good food, perhaps one should not be greedy and try to eat too much and ruin their appetite and think the entire meal a disgrace. And now I sound just like the manga. . . .) ( )

This is a series that I plan on following. The premise is pretty interesting and simple. This newspaper has embarked on a quest to create the "Ultimate Menu." To do so, they put the protagonist in charge who, though not exactly the most enterprising guy, actually does have some serious culinary chops of his own. Problem is a rival newspaper wants to do a "Supreme Menu" of their own as well, and they are being advised by none other than our protagonist's father. Father and son are rivals, so this adds some tension.

The story set-up is used basically to give us an excellent overview of Japanese cuisine and culture. The book even includes some recipes. This is a fun and neat way to learn about Japanese cuisine and culture. The artist has done an excellent job in the drawings, and it is clear the author has put a lot of effort in the research. We get a lot of attention to detail, and overall, it is a very enjoyable series.

People who like things like Iron Chef (the original Japanese show, not the tripe from the U.S.), Anthony Bourdain, or similar food documentary shows will probably enjoy this. Even though the series is labeled for teens, I think a lot of adults might enjoy it as well. ( )

The information about Japanese cooking is the star of this manga, the plot and characters are strident and unsympathetic except when food is involved, and the artwork is pretty repetitive - b&w doesn't really have much appetite appeal. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk1ltYAn_PQ

Enjoy! ( )