Series Review     Jul 25, 2007     reviewed by xKaidoh    

I was a bit skeptical at first as to how interesting a cooking manga could possibly be. But I'm so glad I went against my instincts and picked up this series. It is by far one of my favorite mangas that's being published in the US. It's like Iron Chef meets Street Fighter. There's a lot of action even though the manga is about cooking, and it's definitely a great shounen manga. There is plenty of re-read value, so there is no need to worry about the series getting stale after reading it over and over again, plus you get to learn a lot about Chinese cooking ingredients.

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Iron Wok Jan! Food Fight!     Jun 20, 2007     reviewed by sensei joe    

I love food. I love watching Food Network. Iron Chef is one of my favorite shows. The two expert chefs go blade to blade and wok to wok. Frenetic energy, imaginative artistry and dripping sweat flash across the screen. Magically, dishes appear at the end of 60 minutes to impress a panel of judges. Shinji Saijyo infuses this creative energy and frenetic competition into his manga, Iron Wok Jan! (vol. 1). Many of the cooking scenes are reminiscent of a kung fu manga with the chefs calling out special moves accompanied by sound effects like THWOOM and BAM! (Not Emeril’s BAM!) The hero of Iron Wok, Jan Akiyama, is an arrogant jerk. However, he has every right to be. He works hard and magically creates dishes that other chefs think impossible. He believes cooking is all about winning and being the best. Jan strolls into Gobancho Restaurant, just at closing time and demands fried rice. He takes one bite, storms into the kitchen and dumps the rice into the garbage right in front of the kitchen crew. Kiriko Gobancho, the granddaughter of the owner of Gobancho Restaurant, is obviously insulted. Jan busts out his apron and blades and begins creating his magical fried rice. Afterwards, he is given a job at Gabancho even though Kiriko protests. She believes cooking is about heart and making people happy. (You can see Kiriko in action on my blog: http://senseijoe.wordpress.com or justmanga's preview of vol 1). Ala cuisine! Thus the food fight begins between Jan and Kiriko. The artwork is excellent: the action sizzles and the food looks delicious. Jan is a hero I love to hate. Kiriko is an enemy I would love to have. You don’t have to love food to love this manga. It is a unique and entertaining series that satisfies my pallet for action and comedy.

Sensei no Otaku says: “Feed your head! You won’t get food poisoning at this savory buffet.”

sensei joe also recommended: Dragon Ball Z, Yakitate!! Japan,
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A fun series for     Jun 15, 2007     reviewed by B.Anne    

Cooking may not seem like the obvious subject for a manga series aimed squarely at guys, but cooking is just the vehicle for a comedic story that's really all about competition and having to be the best at what you do.

Jan is a young up-and-coming chef at a prominent Tokyo restaurant who wants to be the best chef in all of Japan. He competes against his co-workers, his boss, and enters national cooking competitions in order to prove his prowess.

This is a fun shonen series. The art isn't pretty, but fits the storyline, and the gross-out factor of some of the seriously weird ingredients in the cook-offs is sure to be a hit with many guys. It has a fast, almost manic pace at times, and sometimes you're not sure where the story's going, but the ride's enjoyable anyway.

B.Anne also recommended: Dr. Slump,
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