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wildflowerfieldsforever's review
2.5
I've had this book on my TBR for a couple years because it was suggested as a good starter for non-Manga readers. I enjoy learning about cultures and cuisines, so it seemed like a good fit for me. When the Better World Books challenge had a Manga May prompt, I knew I would read Oishinbo to fulfill that prompt.
I did enjoy learning a bit about Japanese cuisine and the artwork was impressive. However, I found that I didn't become invested in any character, nor did I really care for any of the characters demeanors. I also felt I missed so much of the actual story. I thought maybe this was because I'm used to words building worlds and scenes. I've realized that this particular series of Manga is condensed from nearly 100 volumes printed in Japanese down to the 5 condensed volumes in English. So, perhaps that is also why.
Overall, I enjoyed the culinary aspects of Oishinbo. Learning about the Japanese cuisine within a Manga book was a fun experience, given the illustrations alongside every bit of the text.
I did enjoy learning a bit about Japanese cuisine and the artwork was impressive. However, I found that I didn't become invested in any character, nor did I really care for any of the characters demeanors. I also felt I missed so much of the actual story. I thought maybe this was because I'm used to words building worlds and scenes. I've realized that this particular series of Manga is condensed from nearly 100 volumes printed in Japanese down to the 5 condensed volumes in English. So, perhaps that is also why.
Overall, I enjoyed the culinary aspects of Oishinbo. Learning about the Japanese cuisine within a Manga book was a fun experience, given the illustrations alongside every bit of the text.
jconfess's review
1.0
It's looking forward to this book bit for some reason, I just could not get into it.
glecharles's review
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If Doonesbury was a manga explainer about Japanese cuisine. Entertaining and educational.
blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review
3.0
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.
emeraldreverie's review
3.0
I liked it and will continue the series. I enjoyed the reverence for Japanese cuisine - very reminiscent of Drops of God. Art is classic and clear. Some of the relationships are murky, but with enough teasing of future pay-off. Some "of its time" shitty gender stuff.
crookedtreehouse's review
4.0
I'm not an expert on manga. I don't eat very much Japanese cuisine. I cook, but rarely anything as complicated as sushi or sashimi. On the surface, the Oishinbo books shouldn't really appeal to me. On top of that, since I first became aware of the series, the most common complaint I've heard is that its English translation has been collected completely out of order. The twenty plus year long storyline about creating The Ultimate Menu, and a man's complicated relationship with his father, isn't collected by the chronology of the story, or when it was written, it's collected by the type of food it talks about. As someone who reads books for their narrative rather than just their conceit, that sounds awful.
But it isn't.
I have never had the urge to sit down and read an entire collection of Oishinbo. Rather, I enjoy reading a chapter of it, putting it down, and doing something else. The characters are fairly basic, so it's not difficult to remember who's who. I don't know if the plot about creating the menu, or if the relationship between father and son ever really progress anywhere. It doesn't matter to me. Each chapter is a complete, isolated story either about an aspect of the restaurant industry, or basic food preparation. It's not challenging. It's not riveting. It's just well told. You can read this book for five minutes or less, and put it down completely satisfied until the next time you want to read this book. I appreciate that.
If you're looking for something completely engrossing, I'm not sure I'd recommend this. If you've never read manga, I wouldn't start here. But if you've read a couple of books or series and are looking for something light but consequential, give this book a shot.
But it isn't.
I have never had the urge to sit down and read an entire collection of Oishinbo. Rather, I enjoy reading a chapter of it, putting it down, and doing something else. The characters are fairly basic, so it's not difficult to remember who's who. I don't know if the plot about creating the menu, or if the relationship between father and son ever really progress anywhere. It doesn't matter to me. Each chapter is a complete, isolated story either about an aspect of the restaurant industry, or basic food preparation. It's not challenging. It's not riveting. It's just well told. You can read this book for five minutes or less, and put it down completely satisfied until the next time you want to read this book. I appreciate that.
If you're looking for something completely engrossing, I'm not sure I'd recommend this. If you've never read manga, I wouldn't start here. But if you've read a couple of books or series and are looking for something light but consequential, give this book a shot.
katecurry's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
kimu's review
5.0
So great! Loved the first volume in this series, although it helped a lot when I found out that each of the English language volumes is grouped by theme rather than chronology. It initially felt a bit jumpy because of this.