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食戟のソーマ [Shokugeki no Sōma] #1
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1
Soma Yukihira's old man runs a small family restaurant in the less savory end of town. Aiming to one day surpass his father's culinary prowess, Soma hones his skills day in and day out until one day, out of the blue, his father decides to enroll Soma in a classy culinary school! Can Soma really cut it in a school that prides itself on a 10 percent graduation rate? And can he convince the beautiful, domineering heiress of the school that he belongs there at all?!
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2013
215 people are currently reading
4752 people want to read
About the author
Yūto Tsukuda
94 books125 followersYūto Tsukuda (附田 祐斗, Tsukuda Yūto) is a Japanese mangaka who is mostly known for his manga, Food Wars! (Shokugeki no Soma).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 605 reviews
October 23, 2016
Buddy Read with Nicholas!
This was amazing! It was everything I hoped for and so much more! If you grew up, like me, being obsessed with Iron Chef (seriously, after all these years, Masaharu Morimoto is still bae) then you will probably love this manga, because that's the direction I see this going.
Soma Yukihira works at his family's restaurant. His father is the best chef to have ever lived, even though he doesn't get much credit because he only works at a small family restaurant. One day, he decides to shut down the restaurant for a few years, and sign Soma up for culinary school.
Soma is pretty negative at first, but then realizes that the culinary school isn't just any culinary school, it's the best culinary school in the world. The Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute is so prestigious and elite only ten percent of its students graduate. Most of these students have also been going to the preparatory school for three years, so normally no transfer students are even accepted, that is until Soma attempts the entrance exam.
During this exam, where all other applicants fled after seeing the overseer of the exam, Soma totally pulls a Ratatouille and makes a "poor man's/working class" dish. He pours all of his heart and soul into this dish, knowing that the only way he will be a better chef than his father is to graduate from this school, while being the number one student.
This manga really deals with social class, and the expectations we put on people in those said classes. Most everyone in the Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute is from well off families with very prestigious parents and restaurants in the food world, but they aren't half as good as Soma is with his lesser-off background. I think this book has such a great message, and really leaves the reader with a lot of hope to follow their dreams, no matter what.
Oh, and you get actual recipes that Soma makes! Like, how cool is that? I honestly cannot praise this manga enough.
The only "negative" thing I can say, which didn't bother me in the slightest, is that this series very much caters to fan service. Like, one second someone is going to take a bite out of a dish of Soma's and then they are in a dream-like state, half naked, and borderline orgasming over it. It is mostly with female characters, but this manga does not discriminate and shows men experience pleasure like this from food, too. Like I said, this didn't bother me, but maybe use discretion if you're unsure.
I cannot wait to continue on with this series. Mostly, so I can keep picturing Soma as a young Masaharu Morimoto, while I live my life vicariously through him.
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This was amazing! It was everything I hoped for and so much more! If you grew up, like me, being obsessed with Iron Chef (seriously, after all these years, Masaharu Morimoto is still bae) then you will probably love this manga, because that's the direction I see this going.
Soma Yukihira works at his family's restaurant. His father is the best chef to have ever lived, even though he doesn't get much credit because he only works at a small family restaurant. One day, he decides to shut down the restaurant for a few years, and sign Soma up for culinary school.
Soma is pretty negative at first, but then realizes that the culinary school isn't just any culinary school, it's the best culinary school in the world. The Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute is so prestigious and elite only ten percent of its students graduate. Most of these students have also been going to the preparatory school for three years, so normally no transfer students are even accepted, that is until Soma attempts the entrance exam.
During this exam, where all other applicants fled after seeing the overseer of the exam, Soma totally pulls a Ratatouille and makes a "poor man's/working class" dish. He pours all of his heart and soul into this dish, knowing that the only way he will be a better chef than his father is to graduate from this school, while being the number one student.
This manga really deals with social class, and the expectations we put on people in those said classes. Most everyone in the Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute is from well off families with very prestigious parents and restaurants in the food world, but they aren't half as good as Soma is with his lesser-off background. I think this book has such a great message, and really leaves the reader with a lot of hope to follow their dreams, no matter what.
Oh, and you get actual recipes that Soma makes! Like, how cool is that? I honestly cannot praise this manga enough.
The only "negative" thing I can say, which didn't bother me in the slightest, is that this series very much caters to fan service. Like, one second someone is going to take a bite out of a dish of Soma's and then they are in a dream-like state, half naked, and borderline orgasming over it. It is mostly with female characters, but this manga does not discriminate and shows men experience pleasure like this from food, too. Like I said, this didn't bother me, but maybe use discretion if you're unsure.
I cannot wait to continue on with this series. Mostly, so I can keep picturing Soma as a young Masaharu Morimoto, while I live my life vicariously through him.
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September 8, 20206/9/20
Really bummed out to say this, but not much of a fan. The story was rather predictable -- underdog is actually insanely good at cooking, there weren't any really stakes and so I never felt any thrills. Some parts were dramatic in a way that unfortunately didn't amuse me, like that urban life planner. I think I'm just really bummed because I had really high expectation lol.
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Really bummed out to say this, but not much of a fan. The story was rather predictable -- underdog is actually insanely good at cooking, there weren't any really stakes and so I never felt any thrills. Some parts were dramatic in a way that unfortunately didn't amuse me, like that urban life planner. I think I'm just really bummed because I had really high expectation lol.
You can find me on
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September 7, 2015
15 year old Soma Yukihara is already an accomplished chef whose dishes are so good they have the bizarre side effect of inducing orgasms in the diner! The flip-side is his experimental meals can be so bad they make the eater feel assaulted! One day, Soma’s single father decides to up stakes and go on a cooking trip around the world, leaving Soma to attend Totsuki Saryo Culinary Institute, Japan’s premier cooking school, where he goes up against nemesis Erina Nakiri.
Shinto is officially the Japanese national religion but unofficially it’s food (with good reason too - Japanese food is amazing). The Japanese revere food more than any other people I’ve ever met - so much so that it’s a manga sub-genre! And while it sounds a little too thin to work as a series, writer Yuto Tsukuda and artist Shun Saeki’s Food Wars! manga is really good.
The food orgasm angle is obviously the silly side of the book which Tsukuda plays up in the fantasy scenes where the consumer is naked and roiling around in ecstasy. Similarly, when Soma feeds a high school friend peanut butter squid, she’s drawn being molested by a squid, a wink at the Western perception of anime schoolgirl/squid porn (then again she is underage so it’s still creepy).
The imagery in these fantasy cutaways is deliberately sleazy in a satirical way, though in one scene towards the end there’s a gratuitous upskirt shot in the non-fantasy scenes. Cool it on that shit, Saeki - Food Wars is walking the line between mocking the stereotypes and becoming one and I’ll only keep reading if the series remains firmly in the former!
Saeki draws the food gorgeously and Tsukuda’s dishes are inspired. “Joke Roast Pork” and “Morphing Furikake Rice” are so imaginative yet are also central to the plot as Soma saves his family’s restaurant, gets admitted into the elite school, and saves a fellow student from expulsion.
This first volume sets up the cast of characters, the rivalries, and the series direction really well though it is bonkers that Soma’s dad would abandon his teenage son so readily - and where’s his mum again? This is also another manga where all of the main characters are teenagers - why is that, Japan?
Food Wars also has a very positive message about taking chances, being creative and trying new things which is a worthy sentiment and surprisingly weighty too given the subject matter! The first volume has some oddities that I’ll chalk up to cultural differences but I mostly really enjoyed Food Wars. It's a playful, fun comic and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
Shinto is officially the Japanese national religion but unofficially it’s food (with good reason too - Japanese food is amazing). The Japanese revere food more than any other people I’ve ever met - so much so that it’s a manga sub-genre! And while it sounds a little too thin to work as a series, writer Yuto Tsukuda and artist Shun Saeki’s Food Wars! manga is really good.
The food orgasm angle is obviously the silly side of the book which Tsukuda plays up in the fantasy scenes where the consumer is naked and roiling around in ecstasy. Similarly, when Soma feeds a high school friend peanut butter squid, she’s drawn being molested by a squid, a wink at the Western perception of anime schoolgirl/squid porn (then again she is underage so it’s still creepy).
The imagery in these fantasy cutaways is deliberately sleazy in a satirical way, though in one scene towards the end there’s a gratuitous upskirt shot in the non-fantasy scenes. Cool it on that shit, Saeki - Food Wars is walking the line between mocking the stereotypes and becoming one and I’ll only keep reading if the series remains firmly in the former!
Saeki draws the food gorgeously and Tsukuda’s dishes are inspired. “Joke Roast Pork” and “Morphing Furikake Rice” are so imaginative yet are also central to the plot as Soma saves his family’s restaurant, gets admitted into the elite school, and saves a fellow student from expulsion.
This first volume sets up the cast of characters, the rivalries, and the series direction really well though it is bonkers that Soma’s dad would abandon his teenage son so readily - and where’s his mum again? This is also another manga where all of the main characters are teenagers - why is that, Japan?
Food Wars also has a very positive message about taking chances, being creative and trying new things which is a worthy sentiment and surprisingly weighty too given the subject matter! The first volume has some oddities that I’ll chalk up to cultural differences but I mostly really enjoyed Food Wars. It's a playful, fun comic and I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
April 15, 2017
Ok, so, real talk. I was side-eyeing the "foodgasm" scenes, even though they're not real and are just showing how it makes people feel, because it seemed like a cheap ploy to get male readers.
Stuff like this:
😒
But then the next page is this:
😆
So you know what ... as long as we've got equal ridiculousness between the sexes, I'm ok with it.
This is a silly series but the effort put into the food (both the art and just overall attention to detail) is amazing. I'm just hoping it continues being interesting because it's such a looong series.
Stuff like this:
😒
But then the next page is this:
😆
So you know what ... as long as we've got equal ridiculousness between the sexes, I'm ok with it.
This is a silly series but the effort put into the food (both the art and just overall attention to detail) is amazing. I'm just hoping it continues being interesting because it's such a looong series.
September 2, 2024
Update Full Review: http://bookishrealmreviews.blogspot.c...
This was definitely a great manga selection. I just picked it up on a whim because it had cooking in it and I love watching the Food Network. Turns out I found a hidden gem and a series I can't wait to continue. This manga has a little bit of everything in it. One thing I had to get used to was the sense of humor that was quite sexual in nature. Whenever the characters taste good food they have an "orgasmic" experience. It was strange at first but then I saw the humor in it and found myself laughing a few times. If you're really into cooking and you want a dose of humor I definitely recommend checking out this manga!
This was definitely a great manga selection. I just picked it up on a whim because it had cooking in it and I love watching the Food Network. Turns out I found a hidden gem and a series I can't wait to continue. This manga has a little bit of everything in it. One thing I had to get used to was the sense of humor that was quite sexual in nature. Whenever the characters taste good food they have an "orgasmic" experience. It was strange at first but then I saw the humor in it and found myself laughing a few times. If you're really into cooking and you want a dose of humor I definitely recommend checking out this manga!
October 7, 2020
When Vagabond started to become too bleak for me, I decided to take a break from it and go in another direction. Shokugeki no Soma was the perfect respite, it's a relatively light reading. If I were to use a food analogy, The former would be a Chicago deep dish and the latter a cheese thin crust. It's not too light that its uninteresting but still enough to a lot of fun.
Shokugeki no Soma, or Food Wars in English, actually reminds me of one of my favorite animes, Cooking Master Boy (or Chūka Ichiban! in the original Japanese). Both feature an aspiring young cook whose dream was to ascend the culinary ladder. Spoiler alert: in an early food battle, both use dried plums to enhance an otherwise ordinary fried rice.
What makes Shokugeki no Soma standout was how it depicted the food testing by the judges in the throes of an orgasmic spasm. Interesting really and not off the beaten path for the artist of this collaborative manga. The artist actually did hentai manga under a pen name.
If I were pitching this one, it would be Iron Chef meets exclusive Japanese high school plus a touch of Gordon Ramsey and Alton Brown. Not quite Anthony Bourdain and that makes it more acceptable to the masses.
Shokugeki no Soma, or Food Wars in English, actually reminds me of one of my favorite animes, Cooking Master Boy (or Chūka Ichiban! in the original Japanese). Both feature an aspiring young cook whose dream was to ascend the culinary ladder. Spoiler alert: in an early food battle, both use dried plums to enhance an otherwise ordinary fried rice.
What makes Shokugeki no Soma standout was how it depicted the food testing by the judges in the throes of an orgasmic spasm. Interesting really and not off the beaten path for the artist of this collaborative manga. The artist actually did hentai manga under a pen name.
If I were pitching this one, it would be Iron Chef meets exclusive Japanese high school plus a touch of Gordon Ramsey and Alton Brown. Not quite Anthony Bourdain and that makes it more acceptable to the masses.
December 27, 2017
3.5 out of 5 stars.
So far I still like the anime adaption more than the manga, but I'm sure that will change once I read more of the manga and really get into it!
____________________
Food Wars! Volume 2
★★★★✩
Food Wars! Volume 3
★★★★✩
❝I'll get it done no matter what it takes.❞Food Wars, aka Shokugeki no Souma, is one of my all-time favourite anime. Not only are the characters incredible—the story itself is quite entertaining as well.
So far I still like the anime adaption more than the manga, but I'm sure that will change once I read more of the manga and really get into it!
____________________
Food Wars! Volume 2
★★★★✩
Food Wars! Volume 3
★★★★✩
January 12, 2020
Master Chef ain't got nothing on this. Gordon Ramsay ain't got nothing on this.
Shokugeki no Souma is about Souma Yukihira, a teenager who aspires to take over as the head chef of his father's family restaurant. However due to a new job, his father has Souma enroll in Tootsuki Culinary Institute, which is like the Harvard of cooking schools. Here students engage in food battles called Shokugeki. The story focuses on Souma facing forever new challenges, and making new friends, all the while aiming for the top.
Phew! With that out of the way here I go on with my review. Shokugeki is one of the first mangas I started when I had just begun to read. It was very different from the normal shounen battle mangas I'd been reading. This manga about young wannabe chefs battling with each other with their cooking skills was way more exhilarating that I'd imagined.
The story is very good. It does become a bit repetitive at times, and it did become a bit ridiculous at the end, but overall I've got no complains about it. The characters were very cool of course. And from that incredible cast of characters, my favorite probably would be Kojirou Shinomiya , the legumés magician.
He's very cool alright.
Apart from the characters and the plot what makes this series so good is it's art. Look these for yourselves.
I especially loved the art done for the dishes. And oh how can I not mention about the over the top hilarious reactions given by the judges/people who taste the dishes. They are intriguing to say the least.
Another major part of this series is the food. I got to know about so many different kind of dishes from just as many cuisines. All in all Shokugeki no Souma was a great series. I'll probably always have a soft spot for it in my heart. Thank you all for reading this long ass review :)
Shokugeki no Souma is about Souma Yukihira, a teenager who aspires to take over as the head chef of his father's family restaurant. However due to a new job, his father has Souma enroll in Tootsuki Culinary Institute, which is like the Harvard of cooking schools. Here students engage in food battles called Shokugeki. The story focuses on Souma facing forever new challenges, and making new friends, all the while aiming for the top.
Phew! With that out of the way here I go on with my review. Shokugeki is one of the first mangas I started when I had just begun to read. It was very different from the normal shounen battle mangas I'd been reading. This manga about young wannabe chefs battling with each other with their cooking skills was way more exhilarating that I'd imagined.
The story is very good. It does become a bit repetitive at times, and it did become a bit ridiculous at the end, but overall I've got no complains about it. The characters were very cool of course. And from that incredible cast of characters, my favorite probably would be Kojirou Shinomiya , the legumés magician.
He's very cool alright.
Apart from the characters and the plot what makes this series so good is it's art. Look these for yourselves.
I especially loved the art done for the dishes. And oh how can I not mention about the over the top hilarious reactions given by the judges/people who taste the dishes. They are intriguing to say the least.
Another major part of this series is the food. I got to know about so many different kind of dishes from just as many cuisines. All in all Shokugeki no Souma was a great series. I'll probably always have a soft spot for it in my heart. Thank you all for reading this long ass review :)
May 23, 2017
4.5 stars
Now, I have been a huge fan of anime that deals with cooking and I had decided that I wanted to try my hand into a manga series that deals with food! What luck I had when I picked up this popular manga series called “Food Wars! Volume One” by Yuto Tsukuda along with artwork by Shun Saeki and I was quite impressed with the bizarre creativity of this manga!
The story starts off with a young teenage boy named Soma Yukihira who works at his father’s family restaurant in a poor part of town and yet, the family restaurant is well known for their extremely tasty dishes. One day however, Soma’s father decided to sell the family restaurant and send Soma to a classy culinary school. At first, Soma is skeptical about all this since his major goal in life is to surpass his father in cooking. But, when Soma’s father mentions that if he passes this school, then Soma might have a chance at surpassing him, Soma decides to give this high class culinary school a chance!
Can Soma graduate from this high class culinary school?
Read this volume to find out!
Wow! I have to admit that this was one of the most unusual yet creative manga that I had read that dealt with cooking! Yuto Tsukuda had done a great job at writing this story as I found myself being immersed with the bizarre cooking world established in this volume and how each character treats graduating from this high class culinary school as serious business. I also loved the fact that we get some kind of “Toriko” vibe here as this series may not be as action heavy as “Toriko,” but it still treats the cooking scenes as scenes you would get out of an action movie!
I really loved the way that Yuto Tsukuda wrote each character, especially Soma Yukihira, who is probably one of the most interesting characters in this story! Even though Soma can be a little rude towards other people at times, he is always determined to make the best dishes no matter how much the odds are stacked up against him and I always enjoyed this determined attiude that Soma possesses since it makes him a really likable character. Shun Saeki’s artwork is fantastic to look at as the characters are gorgeously drawn and I loved seeing some of the lighting around the characters as it makes them glow on the pages. I also enjoyed seeing the various tasty dishes that are shown in this volume, such as the image of Soma making a bacon wrapped potato dish, which looked quite tasty and unique!
The reason why I took off half a star from the rating was because of the sexual imagery that came up whenever the characters are experiencing Soma’s cooking and you can see images of the characters imagining themselves halfway naked whenever they are describing the taste of the foods they sampled. Now, I usually don’t mind seeing sexual imagery depending on whether or not the story is a romance or something of the sort, but because this is a series about cooking, it just felt a bit too out of place in this setting and I sometimes cringed a bit whenever the sexual images come up in the story.
Overall, “Food Wars! Volume One” is a fun volume for anyone who loves manga that deals with cooking and action and I am definitely going to try to check out the next volume in this series!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
August 25, 2015
When I first started this I quickly became leery. Within a few pages a girl takes a bite of food and is suddenly, magically having all her clothes ripped of and is in a state of pure pleasure. I freaked out a bit. Then I turned the page and luckily, it was all in her head, but still I couldn't help wondering what type of manga I got myself into.
I am glad I continued! Turns out this series is quite good, with interesting characters, good (and not so good) food and plenty of moments that vary from amusing to outright absurd (such as the loss of clothes). The author has a unique way of magnifying and expressing how a person feels after the first bite of a delicious dish.
Soma is the the son of a small local chef who decides to close up shop and challenges his son to go to a specialized culinary school for the elite of the elite. There he meets Erina of the divine tongue who takes an instant dislike to him. She is a top student and everyone has high expectations of her and Soma decides to try and show her up. Good luck!
I like Soma's character. Determined and a generally good guy. he seems a bit dense in some ways but when it push comes to shove he can cook! He likes to experiment a lot though and uses customers as guinea pigs to them. Some don't go over too well (hahaha).
Overall, a very enjoyable start to a new series.
**I received a copy of this manga in exchange for a fair/honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are strictly my own**
I am glad I continued! Turns out this series is quite good, with interesting characters, good (and not so good) food and plenty of moments that vary from amusing to outright absurd (such as the loss of clothes). The author has a unique way of magnifying and expressing how a person feels after the first bite of a delicious dish.
Soma is the the son of a small local chef who decides to close up shop and challenges his son to go to a specialized culinary school for the elite of the elite. There he meets Erina of the divine tongue who takes an instant dislike to him. She is a top student and everyone has high expectations of her and Soma decides to try and show her up. Good luck!
I like Soma's character. Determined and a generally good guy. he seems a bit dense in some ways but when it push comes to shove he can cook! He likes to experiment a lot though and uses customers as guinea pigs to them. Some don't go over too well (hahaha).
Overall, a very enjoyable start to a new series.
**I received a copy of this manga in exchange for a fair/honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are strictly my own**
February 7, 2017
Shonen manga is so dumb. I want to read it forever.
November 22, 2024
4.71 on CAWPILE
April 30, 2019
It's kind of admirable how Japanese manga authors can turn any concept into a shonen series. Case in point, Food Wars — a series about a regular boy with extraordinary cooking abilities who gets into a super elitist school for chefs, graduating from which would I guess be analogous to growing from child Goku into a super saiyan for our main character. It's surprising how generic this book feels despite its seemingly unique angle of cooking food — we've got just-a-regular-guy-with-a-qirk protagonist, a snobby love interest with an incredibly refined palette who is also the best cook in the entire school, another love interest who is shy and kind of a loser but in a cute way, a bunch of cocky nobodies as classmates, and, I just know it, A TON of tournament arcs in the future and ever crazier recipes to pull off. I am very into cooking myself, and I enjoyed the actual cooking aspect of the manga — the recipes are actually quite creative and unusual, and I appreciated that the creators put so much care and thought as to actually come up with real dishes that you can even try for yourself. But all the shonen fluff that comes with that is such a bore to me, I can just see how the next 30 volumes of this series are going to play out, and I don't think I am that interested in the cooking side of the book to sit through all the other parts. Food Wars is a fine series if you're into that genre, but I'm probably not going to continue past the first volume.
June 7, 2017
Quick thoughts (12/14): So ridiculous it defies belief, but it's in on the joke an revels in its absurdity so there's amusement to be had here. The exaggerated layer of ecchi over everything and over the top approach (presenting cooking classes more like martial arts battles) make "not for everyone" a severe understatement, but I was laughing as much as I was shaking my head. Good for what it is, and certainly isn't trying to be anything else.
May 14, 2019
The foodgasm imagery is a bit much but lol it also is hilarious.
World: The art is solid, it's typical manga and the facial expressions and character designs are solid. The food does look good so that's a plus. The world building is basic and serves the story. The story is a food drama so there is a lot of food talk which is nice, there is a little bit of world building in terms of the school but not much. There is just enough for the story to play out.
Story: The story is very typical shonen manga, all the pieces are here. The hero, the theme, the bullies, the other students and the hot girls. This is Shonen through and through. The pacing is solid and slow paced which is like the genre. The food talk is awesome, I don't know how accurate it is but it's fun. I like food dramas so this is right down my alley. The foodgasm imagery is hilarious and over the top and I feel dirty and am laughing at the same time. The first book does set the tone and the series in the right direction, I'm feeling seconds.
Characters: Soma is a typical archetype character and he fits that to a t. There is nothing special about him that makes him stand out of the mass of other Shonen main characters. The same could be said with Erina, as the cliche spoiled rich girl that will be eventually fall head over heels for Soma. There is the shy school girl partner. There is the boss headmaster. It's all here. Nothing special.
It was a solid start, it's safe and very much follows the Shonen cliches but it's enjoyable so far.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is solid, it's typical manga and the facial expressions and character designs are solid. The food does look good so that's a plus. The world building is basic and serves the story. The story is a food drama so there is a lot of food talk which is nice, there is a little bit of world building in terms of the school but not much. There is just enough for the story to play out.
Story: The story is very typical shonen manga, all the pieces are here. The hero, the theme, the bullies, the other students and the hot girls. This is Shonen through and through. The pacing is solid and slow paced which is like the genre. The food talk is awesome, I don't know how accurate it is but it's fun. I like food dramas so this is right down my alley. The foodgasm imagery is hilarious and over the top and I feel dirty and am laughing at the same time. The first book does set the tone and the series in the right direction, I'm feeling seconds.
Characters: Soma is a typical archetype character and he fits that to a t. There is nothing special about him that makes him stand out of the mass of other Shonen main characters. The same could be said with Erina, as the cliche spoiled rich girl that will be eventually fall head over heels for Soma. There is the shy school girl partner. There is the boss headmaster. It's all here. Nothing special.
It was a solid start, it's safe and very much follows the Shonen cliches but it's enjoyable so far.
Onward to the next book!
August 20, 2019
This is just great!! I just love how confident and good Souma is. <3
December 10, 2014
I never thought I'd have to say this about a cooking manga, but...
I really ought to submit some of this art to the Escher Girls tumblr...
Anyway, in theory, this book should have been awesome. A girl with the "devil's tongue" goes head to head with a cocky short order cook. This had the potential to be hilarious. And it was.
The problem was, the way it was put together just didn't work.
Ignoring the broken boob physics that plagues this series and the "orgasmic tasting" scenes, especially later chapters in this volume, the art ranges from quite nice to "what am I looking at?" The food would sometimes look absolutely delicious and sometimes just like... nothing all that tasty. Maybe that was the point? I'm not sure. Characters would be drawn inconsistently. There was one point where I didn't realize it was the main character because it looked like he gained 30 pounds and then lost it upon a close up. Expressions are weird, especially during the "orgasmic tasting" scenes. Half the time, Erina's crying and looks like she's in pain during these sequences.
There were weird similes that distracted from the work, too. Some tastings made sense, some made a little sense but were bizarre, and then there were the "...what am I reading?" type. Apparently, peanut butter covered squid is tentacle rape. Who knew eating bad food was like being raped? -_-
Artistic choices aside, the characters were kind of one dimensional. Erina's a tsundere, Soma's a cocky brat. Other characters don't really matter. That would've been fine for the laughs, but in combination with the other stuff, it just wasn't working for me.
So... It had potential, but just didn't do it for me. I know Tsukuda-sensei and Saeki-sensei were being tongue and cheek with this one, but... their sense of humor just doesn't mesh with mine, I guess.
I really ought to submit some of this art to the Escher Girls tumblr...
Anyway, in theory, this book should have been awesome. A girl with the "devil's tongue" goes head to head with a cocky short order cook. This had the potential to be hilarious. And it was.
The problem was, the way it was put together just didn't work.
Ignoring the broken boob physics that plagues this series and the "orgasmic tasting" scenes, especially later chapters in this volume, the art ranges from quite nice to "what am I looking at?" The food would sometimes look absolutely delicious and sometimes just like... nothing all that tasty. Maybe that was the point? I'm not sure. Characters would be drawn inconsistently. There was one point where I didn't realize it was the main character because it looked like he gained 30 pounds and then lost it upon a close up. Expressions are weird, especially during the "orgasmic tasting" scenes. Half the time, Erina's crying and looks like she's in pain during these sequences.
There were weird similes that distracted from the work, too. Some tastings made sense, some made a little sense but were bizarre, and then there were the "...what am I reading?" type. Apparently, peanut butter covered squid is tentacle rape. Who knew eating bad food was like being raped? -_-
Artistic choices aside, the characters were kind of one dimensional. Erina's a tsundere, Soma's a cocky brat. Other characters don't really matter. That would've been fine for the laughs, but in combination with the other stuff, it just wasn't working for me.
So... It had potential, but just didn't do it for me. I know Tsukuda-sensei and Saeki-sensei were being tongue and cheek with this one, but... their sense of humor just doesn't mesh with mine, I guess.
March 20, 2015
I really thoroughly enjoyed this. I've never quite read a manga of this type before. It's a straight story, no magic or fantasy and set in the real world of today, but it's hilarious. At first I foud myself thinking how utterly unrealistic the story was, but then laughed because, yeah, all the other manga I read is sooo realistic, right? LOL So I got over that and became totally immersed in the characters and the story. I amazingly really liked this dude! Plus the antics are hilarious. While he is a wonderful chef he also likes to make perfectly horrid dishes like squid and peanut butter and make people eat them. There is no sex but when someone eats something that tastes totally divine they are morphed into a dream where they are naked, in ecstasy, and things are wrapped around the naughty bits, like a snake or clouds or steam. Now, of course, this is usually female nakedness but men do get the same treatment occasionally and there was a nice beefcake illustration [grin]. Anyway, that's why the 16+ publisher rating on this one. I might just continue on with this series as it's so different from anything else I'm reading/have read. I'd only have a few volumes to catch up on to be up-to-date.
June 27, 2014
This book made me laugh uncomfortably. I am dating a foodie (his brother is a chef), and I couldn’t stop laughing at the artist's interpretation of 'food porn.'
These slightly eechi porn shots of food taster's reactions were of disturbing hilarity. I just felt weird looking at girls and men have ‘orgasmic’ effects from food tasting. There’s nothing too risque it’s just if you are familiar with the hentai scene, you just know the innuendoes illustrated by Tsukuda. It’s actually, kinda brilliant the more I think about it, but the woman side of me might make a different argument. I'm at an
Anyway, the main story is watching young Soma try and not only best his dad (but move up in the food world). Throw in his nemesis (rich girl food critic named “Divine Tongue”) and her mafia food father. That being said it’s typical shounen series, and I might read a few more just for kicks and giggles.
Thanks for the ARC edelweiss
These slightly eechi porn shots of food taster's reactions were of disturbing hilarity. I just felt weird looking at girls and men have ‘orgasmic’ effects from food tasting. There’s nothing too risque it’s just if you are familiar with the hentai scene, you just know the innuendoes illustrated by Tsukuda. It’s actually, kinda brilliant the more I think about it, but the woman side of me might make a different argument. I'm at an
Anyway, the main story is watching young Soma try and not only best his dad (but move up in the food world). Throw in his nemesis (rich girl food critic named “Divine Tongue”) and her mafia food father. That being said it’s typical shounen series, and I might read a few more just for kicks and giggles.
Thanks for the ARC edelweiss
March 13, 2020
Food Wars is my JAM.
November 2, 2022
reread Nov 1st 2022 - Still enjoy it. Will I actually finish the series this time?
actual rating: 4
Full review also on my blog at http://wickedjr89sbookblog.blogspot.c...
I bought it because I have heard good things about this manga series. I'm glad I picked it up! It's rather funny at times. I am definitely rooting for Soma (and Megumi too, another character) to do well in their, very tough, culinary school. I loved Soma's attitude towards cooking and life in general. That failure can eventually lead to success. The art is adorable and i'm very interested to see how Soma does from here on out, so i'm going to have to buy more volumes, I am so behind!
There is quite a bit of sexual fanservice, generally ment to be humorous, and it doesn't bother me personally but I mention it because I know others aren't always into that and such. The tasting is orgasmic/euphoric, not really sure how else to put it. Visions of how it tastes, i'm not sure how to describe it.
Interesting premise, love the main character, interested to see how it goes, funny and adorable. If it sounds interesting to you, you really like food (you might get hungry from this manga!), like manga and don't mind sexual fanservice i'd recommend checking it out!
actual rating: 4
Full review also on my blog at http://wickedjr89sbookblog.blogspot.c...
I bought it because I have heard good things about this manga series. I'm glad I picked it up! It's rather funny at times. I am definitely rooting for Soma (and Megumi too, another character) to do well in their, very tough, culinary school. I loved Soma's attitude towards cooking and life in general. That failure can eventually lead to success. The art is adorable and i'm very interested to see how Soma does from here on out, so i'm going to have to buy more volumes, I am so behind!
There is quite a bit of sexual fanservice, generally ment to be humorous, and it doesn't bother me personally but I mention it because I know others aren't always into that and such. The tasting is orgasmic/euphoric, not really sure how else to put it. Visions of how it tastes, i'm not sure how to describe it.
Interesting premise, love the main character, interested to see how it goes, funny and adorable. If it sounds interesting to you, you really like food (you might get hungry from this manga!), like manga and don't mind sexual fanservice i'd recommend checking it out!
November 14, 2021
Al igual que el anime, creo que podría leer varios volúmenes de una sentada. Shokugeki no Souma es un shonen adictivo, de esos que siempre te mantienen al borde del asiento para saber qué va a suceder.
Al enfocarse en la cocina, vemos interesantes platillos y lo diversa que es la gastronomía en general. Souma, el prota, es un estudiante que ha trabajado desde pequeño a la par que su padre, el dueño de una fondita quien, como podrán imaginar, en realidad se trata de un chef de renombre.
Souma quiere que su restaurante familiar ‘Yukihira’ sea visto con respeto, por lo que acepta asistir a la Academia que su padre lo manda. Y claro, desde el inicio se percata de que quizá el mundo no sea tan pequeño como pensaba. Allí conoce a Erina, la dueña de la ‘God Tongue’, una chica que ha crecido entre platillos gourmet y que critica cada uno de ellos, siendo su palabra suficiente para que alguien se eleve o desaparezca de la lista de chefs importantes.
Siendo honestos, para ser el primer volumen creo que estuvo normalito. De hecho, creo que se pone mejor ya hasta pasado el 3 o el 4. Si por mi fuera, eliminaba todo el fan service innecesario pero bueno, de momento es lo que hay.
Este volumen contiene los capítulos 1 – 5.
Al enfocarse en la cocina, vemos interesantes platillos y lo diversa que es la gastronomía en general. Souma, el prota, es un estudiante que ha trabajado desde pequeño a la par que su padre, el dueño de una fondita quien, como podrán imaginar, en realidad se trata de un chef de renombre.
Souma quiere que su restaurante familiar ‘Yukihira’ sea visto con respeto, por lo que acepta asistir a la Academia que su padre lo manda. Y claro, desde el inicio se percata de que quizá el mundo no sea tan pequeño como pensaba. Allí conoce a Erina, la dueña de la ‘God Tongue’, una chica que ha crecido entre platillos gourmet y que critica cada uno de ellos, siendo su palabra suficiente para que alguien se eleve o desaparezca de la lista de chefs importantes.
Siendo honestos, para ser el primer volumen creo que estuvo normalito. De hecho, creo que se pone mejor ya hasta pasado el 3 o el 4. Si por mi fuera, eliminaba todo el fan service innecesario pero bueno, de momento es lo que hay.
Este volumen contiene los capítulos 1 – 5.
December 30, 2015
My review as of chapter 149.
This manga is freaking awesome! It's got:
Badass characters!
Epic battles... with food!
Fanservice!
Gender equality!
Shokugeki no Soma is over the top, ridiculous, hilarious, and somehow... epic! I love it!
This manga is freaking awesome! It's got:
Badass characters!
Epic battles... with food!
Fanservice!
Gender equality!
Shokugeki no Soma is over the top, ridiculous, hilarious, and somehow... epic! I love it!
December 5, 2015
I'll give this 4.5 stars this is a pretty funny manga.. So it's about a boy whose dream is to surpass his masterchef dad and take over the family restaurant one day so his dad enrols him in an elite chef school where only 10% graduate.. This elite school is so upperclass this boy is seen as born on the wrong side of the tracks - he's discriminated against based on social origin until he unleashes his chef talent.. The way they illustrate the cooking comp is hilarious..
February 6, 2017
I love cooking shows, so I wasn't surprised that I really enjoyed this manga about a kid in a competitive cooking school who basically has a cooking challenge every chapter. It contains the tropes of this genre, like an annoying confident main character, a mean girl, and weirdly overdramatic orgasmic pictures when the characters taste something delicious, but it's fun. I especially like when food/cooking facts are incorporated (e.g. honey can be used as a protease to tenderize meat quickly).
April 28, 2020
Le premier tome d'une série à la Hell's Kitchen/Cauchemar en cuisine qui est assez prenant et intéressant.
J'ai regretté les côtés assez "sexistes" des représentations féminines nues ou à certaines parties du corps beaucoup trop exacerbées sans raison particulière. Ce fut un point négatif pour moi.
Je lirai peut-être la suite mais ce n'est pas une priorité.
J'ai regretté les côtés assez "sexistes" des représentations féminines nues ou à certaines parties du corps beaucoup trop exacerbées sans raison particulière. Ce fut un point négatif pour moi.
Je lirai peut-être la suite mais ce n'est pas une priorité.
June 26, 2016
One of my current favorite series!!! An awesome first volume where the protagonist, Soma, finds himself in the best culinary school in Japan, a school in which only 10% of the students that managed to get in will graduate in three years!!!
September 21, 2015
I liked this alot more than I expected. Loved the tasteful nude scenes.
March 2, 2018
The anime is pretty good, but the manga is EXCELLENT. I can't put this down!
July 8, 2020
Book provided to me by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this book because the plot sounded really interesting and I am really happy that I did. I need to read the rest of the series now! It's so much light fun about a teenage chef wanting to run his small family owned restaurant but then his father demands him to get into the most prestigious culinary high school in all of Japan. I am really invested in the story and I love the main character Soma Yukihira. I can't wait to read the next volumes and see Yukihira's journey. I also liked the introduction of the side character Erina Nakiri. This manga also made me feel really hungry. The only thing that I would note with this manga is that after characters eat Soma Yukihira's food, they all have scenes of loving the food so much that they have a food orgasm, quite literally. So it's not for younger readers. Overall, I loved this manga and I can't wait to continue reading it!
I requested this book because the plot sounded really interesting and I am really happy that I did. I need to read the rest of the series now! It's so much light fun about a teenage chef wanting to run his small family owned restaurant but then his father demands him to get into the most prestigious culinary high school in all of Japan. I am really invested in the story and I love the main character Soma Yukihira. I can't wait to read the next volumes and see Yukihira's journey. I also liked the introduction of the side character Erina Nakiri. This manga also made me feel really hungry. The only thing that I would note with this manga is that after characters eat Soma Yukihira's food, they all have scenes of loving the food so much that they have a food orgasm, quite literally. So it's not for younger readers. Overall, I loved this manga and I can't wait to continue reading it!
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