Bambino!

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

It's like shounen with a heavy spice of senien, its about a young cook struggling both in the kitchen and his daily life throughout the whole series.

supporting cast in this manga has a very rich background and their development progresses throughout the series making it enjoyable

the only bad thing about this manga is that things or events happen to suddenly like very very suddenly without any hints given or rarely given.

Bambino! is a seinen manga about the nitty gritty of the culinary world as seen through the eyes of a young man looking to find who he is on the threshold of adulthood. The story is fairly simplistic at the offset, with Ban struggling to juggle his ambitions, his relationships, and the tangibility of his dreams as he sets off to become a great chef. It will strike a chord with many young adults with similar dreams, especially in creative fields like cooking. Therein lies the primary theme of Bambino!: having the heart -- or the ambition, the drive, the optimism, the ... spirit -- necessary to follow one's dreams, no matter what.

Ban's sheer idealism may be grating after a while, especially once the story picks up some more slightly ridiculous/out-of-the-way plot elements, but it is motivating. There's a lot of emphasis placed on Ban's ability to succeed not because of his prodigious talent, per say, but rather his sheer force of will -- Ban is willing to go the distance, work as hard as possible, and also happens to (luckily) be a likable and affable person. He's honest, stubborn, prideful, and temperamental -- the perfect vehicle for a young man's fantasies of personal achievement.

The art for Bambino is fairly well done, with a lot of technical prowess displayed in drawing figures from interesting angles with an excellent sense of movement. It would easy to make a cooking manga where everything is static, if finely drawn, but Bambino! succeeds in communicating the sheer physicality of cooking. Tetsuji Sekiya makes good use of the brush pen for more stylized and dramatic moments, creating theatricality where there would otherwise be none. Bambino! makes heavy use of splash pages, exaggerated angles and close-ups, changes in brush strokes, and deep contrast to create atmosphere to great effect. This is not a visually boring manga, by any means.

Characters are well-designed, unique-looking, and memorable. The story relies on Ban's character development and so other story elements and character conflicts remain merely satellites to his narrative, but they do stay with you despite this. Other characters tend to come and go within Ban's life, some only appearing for an arc before disappearing completely, but there's a real sense of humanity behind these other characters -- something sometimes difficult to achieve in a non-ensemble story. It's very easy to care about these characters in of their own merit, and though the story fails to tie up the loose ends of some of these characters by the conclusion, they still feel like very real people in a very real world, even as they exist alongside our protagonist. They're funny, hard-working, clever, cruel, honorable, petty, loving, sarcastic, pathetic, uplifting, complicated people who contribute to a dramatic slice-of-life story that goes well beyond its settings in the hot kitchens of one of Roppongi's greatest restaurants.

In the end Bambino! isn't merely about cooking, although it does a tremendous job with that. Descriptions are lush, and the level of technical knowledge applied to some of the dialogue is impressive. If you enjoy cooking (or eating) it's very easy to get swept up in the sheer excitement and enthusiasm the characters (and the author) seemingly have for the culinary arts.

At the heart of Ban's story however is the drive and desire which fuel the dreams of young people. Ban meets several characters throughout the course of his journey who have at various points had to make compromises or sacrifices for the sake of their dreams. He's consistently faced with the consequences, both good and bad, behind a path driven by almost single-minded idealism -- but as noted by several older characters within the book, there's something charming, interesting, and romantic about Bambino's dreams, about the dreams of youth. The narrative neither condemns nor uplifts one fate over the other, but rather pays tribute to a very specific type of abstraction: a youth dreams of the future, dreams of passion, and of freedom, and so changes the world around them.

When people say "cooking anime/manga", the first thing people think of is Shokugeki no Souma. And for most, that's the best cooking series that they've watched/read. I also thought that way until I read this series, Bambino!. Don't get me wrong! I like Shokugeki. But... This isn't just a cooking battle shounen series like Shokugeki.

It's about life, motivations, dreams and how to overcome hurdles.

I would compare this series to Tetsuwan Girl (a sports seinen about freedom, virtue and liberation; one character in Bambino reminds me of the MC in Tetsuwan) and Honey & Clover (a slice of life josei about finding your raison ... d'etre). I, myself, am struggling to find where I should go in life and reading this series was something I really needed. Now, for the actual review...

I think that one of the strongest things about this series are the distinct, real characters. Usually, side/recurring characters in fiction are just one-dimensional stereotypes that are used to make the main character look better but in this manga, they're real people with struggles, hopes and dreams just like our main character. They all get a time to shine some time in the series and the thing I really like is that the arcs feel very natural! In a lot of Anime/Manga, when they try and squeeze in a lot of side characters' arcs, sometimes, it can be a hit and miss. Like, one person's arc may be super boring while another's is very interesting. In this manga, all the arcs were interesting and captivating. I wanted to cheer all of them on.

I finished this manga in two days because of how good it is. It makes me want to keep reading because I want to know what will happen next. Everything feels like real life. Another Anime/Manga that do this well are Space Brothers and Major. They're all about adults doing real things. It's not idealistic or wish fulfillment at all.

Another thing I really like is that that main character, Ban, is talented and hardworking but he doesn't get all the spotlight and still has to work hard to get where he is at the end. In Shokugeki, the main character is basically the best cook in the entire series right from the start and keeps on "pwning" everyone in every single battle. Ban in Bambino! has lots of flaws and struggles a lot which is why I enjoy reading his story. He feels real. When a character starts out weak, it makes it easier to cheer them on because it's like putting yourself into their shoes.

Other aspects: The art is very rich, exaggerated, detailed and realistic which is fitting for this series. The pacing is done exceptionally well as I finished this in two days. Chapters are typical 20-page length which is perfect if you want to take a breather in between although, it's such an intense manga that you won't want to put it down. Despite being a prequel, the ending wasn't too rushed and still felt like a solid ending, even though it was an open ending.

If you want something life changing, exciting, fresh or just want to learn more about food/cooking (Italian dishes!), I really recommend this series. It's very fun, refreshing, and powerful to read especially if you're bored of the typical high school LN magic harem bullshit.

Howdy folks. Today I'd like to talk about a series I really enjoyed as I have always had a personal interest in the culinary world called Bambino!

Review

Surprisingly there isn't a whole lot to say about this story. It's about Ban's journey through young adult life having to make adult decisions while trying to progress through his choice of career: culinary. It's really just a more serious, realistic (within the world of anime and manga) take on a cooking centric story if you ask me.

There are other characters, chefs, cooks and ... couples including a nemesis for our boy Ban here that I found fairly interesting. A lot of the story focuses on quite a few different character's lives and dreams, and what one has to endure to try to realize them.

Recommendation

What is there to say about Bambino! Well, while it was being translated it would be one of the first series I would check for updates then read before the other twenty or so series I'd be checking out. I am a slice of life cat, but let's talk a little bit about how it's different from other cooking centric stories. Ban is not some genius prodigy, he does not have some hokey special power or trait that benefits him with cooking. Ban's just a normal young man who's got to do things the good old fashioned way and hey, you know what, for me that works a lot better for me than what the majority of other cooking centric stories focus on: some kind of magical taste that snobbish judges are constantly being wowed and articulating in at least what comes off to me in a pretty silly manner. I suppose it's necessary to some extent as it does happen a bit in Bambino!, but Bambino! is thankfully not above a character describing a flavor (or their efforts) simply as "it's good."
The other thing I am rather fond of from this series is naturally as a slice of life story, it is very philosophical. Many facets of Ban's career, from the way different peers of his view him to how much he's thought things through are reflected upon by himself. Even Ban's professional relationship with his arch nemesis becomes rather interesting because the closure to their story arc. Charming ideologies such as "a restaurant is a place of once in a lifetime meetings," are to be found within said story.

Recommended for: Well if you like slice of life stuff, this one ain't so bad. Also if you were more curious about what trying to become a professional waiter, cook or chef might be like, this is a good story to check out. Not completely realistic, but it's a lot stronger on that aspect of the culinary world than any other cooking centric series I've checked out has been. If you've ever worked in a restaurant then Bambino! might be something you'd enjoy.

Recommended against: Well really..if cooking ain't your thing I'm not sure why you've read this far into the review. There isn't really any epic battling, even the cook offs are generally not super high stakes. They become that way once or twice in the series but nothing like say Yakitake!! Japan. There is a little fighting though, which I'd imagine happens in that career field. Lord knows I came close a handful of times in my stint working in a restaurant kitchen.

Fun Trivia

If you find Bambino! to your liking, there is actually a follow up series called Bambino! Secondo which currently has eight volumes. Also if you like live action, there was a live action show of Bambino! which I'm gonna check out soon myself. It apparently aired in Puerto Rico, Canada and surprisingly America. Huh..wonder when that happened. Well anyways, eleven episodes, give it a looksie if you like Bambino! or Asian live action shows.

Bambino is a frustrating reading experience that had me feeling all sorts of emotions. I don’t mean that in a negative way. You see, it’s always a tendency that success is always the objective of the story when it revolves around an empowered character. They have their own share of struggles, but they immediately overcome it through the power of plot convenience. Bambino, however, is quite different.

The road to success is not a smooth route that can be achieved by just having talent. The manga attempts to slap the harsh truth to our main character Ban Shogo. He is not as great as he ... thinks he is. He may cook good food, but can he maintain that quality when put under constant pressure? It becomes apparent that he is just a naïve amateur who thinks he can be like one of those overpowered shounen MCs that can take down any opponent because he is the rising star of the story. While this realization comes as a gut punch, he slowly accepts this reality and swallows his own pride, proceeding to improve the weaknesses that he never realized before.

This is where most of my personal frustrations materialize. Reading the early chapters made me cringe a lot due to the endless streams of embarrassment the main character receives every chapter. I initially thought this would be a laid-back comfy cooking manga with a highly determined main character, but boy that first impression was wrong. This is not Shokugeki no Soma where you are a newcomer chef who thinks he is hot stuff and still manages to dominate because who doesn’t love seeing underdogs triumph? Bambino, on the other hand, knows how to put its main character in his place and let him develop and mature by letting him taste hardship. Every time the main character feels like giving up, I relate to that. Because I understand what it feels like thinking you know everything but then you find out you still have a long way to go. You then harden your resolve for self-betterment and fight against the things that are holding you down.

An aspect of the story that I appreciate very much is that it lets the main character go through the various sectors of the restaurant. Every time he is transferred to another work station, it would come as a shock to him to adjust. But with these difficulties that are placed on him, he can gain more experience and see cooking in different perspectives. Cooking is not just tossing a bunch of ingredients in a fry pan; it’s a delicate form of art that requires both passion and skill. Also, it also gives you a realization that cooking is not everything. Bambino teaches us that serving great food also requires great service. This includes from how you serve your customers to how you leave a strong impression that goes beyond the food. It’s not only about the ones making the food, it’s also about those who receives the food.

While the initial story puts Ban in a series of challenges that tests his determination, it slightly devolves later into a set of predicaments that you can predict that he will overcome. The stakes are still there, but you no longer feel that sense of uncertainty of whether you get a pass or not. It could be due to how he has accumulated experience over time that tempered his character, but I find myself relaxing that he can hurdle through any obstacles thrown at him with guarantee. To be honest, this is the only issue that’s holding me back on giving this manga the 10/10 that I was eager to give early on. It’s certainly a personal nitpick of mine, but I want to give this review a subjective edge to it.

This review wouldn’t be complete if I don’t at least say something about the art. The centerpiece of this manga is not really the food as it’s just a medium of how the story progresses. However, I can see the effort put into drawing them into gorgeous and savory meals. They don’t feel too perfect, but they look like a labor of love. The character designs are alright, albeit I get the impression that they are inspired from the shounen demographic despite the manga being a seinen. The paneling is impressive, I had no difficulty at all devouring every page of every chapter. They seem to flow very efficiently although very chaotic at times, just like the atmosphere of a cucina.

Despite only being a prequel with no conclusion yet, Bambino is a fantastic yet underrated manga that everyone should read. While I do also love the more popular cooking titles like Shokugeki no Soma, Bambino deserves the same amount of attention. Not only it’s more realistic, but it has actual development going on. It might only stick with Italian cuisine but fusion with other cuisines happen from time to time. I still feel like it hasn’t used up all its potential and I’m excited to see what happens next with the sequel. The question is, when the hell is it going to be fully scanlated? Give this the acclaim it deserves, and we might see that fulfilling conclusion.

I didn't see any reviews up so I figured I'd write one, I only read up to volume 8 myself though. I haven't read much manga about cooking so it was a nice change of pace (and even got me in the kitchen for a little bit) Overall it was pretty good and I'm glad I read it but it was nothing life-changing and I would've been fine not reading it.
Story;
The story was really basic, and I could tell you the story of what I read without giving any spoilers. There were a couple things I wasn't expecting, but for the most part it's fairly ... predictable.
Art;
The art was alright, not my usual style but a nice change of pace. It leans towards the more realistic side while still being anime. At points the artist adds in some rough ink drawings for effect which was interesting to me.
Character;
I liked the characters, they were pretty good. Nothing all that special though.
Enjoyment;
I did enjoy it quite a bit. I love food but I'm not much of a chef, but it was fun fantasizing about all the dishes they were making. And it gave me a little peak of what it might be like behind the scenes of my favorite restaurants which was pretty neat.

To keep this review short, on terms of characters and art, Bambino excels. The shading and exaggerated lines are really good at conveying the hectic and stressful atmosphere of a top class kitchen in a top class restaurant. Yet at the same time it also works to convey the beauty of both the process and product of good Italian cooking. All of the characters, even the small side characters, are well developed with their personality seeping through their actions and minor characteristics. Sometimes a chapter is given a single chapter to themselves and not only does it not break the pacing, but it tells you ... so much even at times when saying so little.

Unfortunately the story is a mixed bag. While its low points are not as low as its high points are high, in most of the arcs the dialogue and direction of the story eventually falls into the pitfall of cheesy battle manga tropes, where all of a sudden the main character gets a flash of encouragement from a side character and miraculously turns his imminent defeat into a dominant victory. This happens multiple times, and it is not subtle in any of the times it does it. I am good in overlooking certain tropes if I enjoy myself enough, but reusing the same trope eventually leads to things getting stale. The second to last arcs encapsulates my complaints the most, when the story suddenly 180s into crazy town and becomes something its not for the entire second half of that arc.

The final arc does good at changing this and giving us something new, which bumps up my score, but if it didn't redeem itself this manga would be getting a 7. Anyway make sure to read the sequel if you enjoy it, it end on a cliffhanger and I don't want anyone thinking it suddenly got canceled.

Being a cook myself, I do have a fondness of the sub-genre that is cooking. With the rise in popularity of the series Shokugeki no Souma, there also rose a small trend in the culinary culture. Bambino; however, still stands as an unique one-of-a-kind series despite this.

Focusing on the young protagonist Ban, an inspiring chef. The story begins as he lands a job in the kitchen of the popular Italian restaurant, Trattoria Baccanale. While having just finished culinary school, he quickly realized the workplace is like nothing he could ever be prepared for.

Starting from the bottom, the story progresses as he moves up the ladder, ... striving to earn a position as a cook for himself. The series really highlights what hard work and passion really is as no matter how far ahead Ban finds himself, everyone still calls him by his nickname Bambino meaning youngster. What makes this series so unique is that it displays a realistic reflection of the restaurant industry as well as gives a glimpse into the lives of the employees who work there. Unlike most cooking anime or manga that highlights the creative nature of chefs, Bambino highlights the hectic, fast-paced and the demanding workplace that is the kitchen. By no means is it ever a good workplace but a part of the pride of a cook is to be able to strive in such an environment and when it comes to creativity, it is maybe at best 10% of the job while the rest is all determination and hard work.

While I did say that Bambino displays a realistic portrayal of the industry, there are some parts that are a miss. It is a drama and there are parts that are less believable for the story's sake; however, it can still be entertaining.

Other then Ban the rest of the cast are made up of some rather interesting characters. From mentors to rivals, the story really takes its time to go into their personal life. The shit that some of them have to deal with and the choices they must make really displays the harshness of reality and how passion fits in with it.

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘚𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥." ㅡ Yonamine Tsukasa

What a fantastic reading experience!

The story gives a strong impression because the main character, Ban, always faces unstoppable obstacles and struggles that make the story more vibrant and rich in values. The arts successfully make the reader (me, to be precise) hungry all the time with good details of mouth-watering Italian cuisine illustrations. The panels greatly express emotions, pressures, and all the elements that build the manga. The characters have their own unique problems that are so refreshing for every volume. It's worth reading this manga as a pastime, ... especially for adults and young adults who have lost their confidence in work, forgotten about their dreams, and are desperate about life.

tl;dr: A food theme manga with a lot of variety and good writing for most of it, but that completely botches the ending to a ridiculous degree.

While this is a manga focused around food, like a lot of mangas that are technically focused around some specific subject such as food or a sport, the core of the manga instead lies beyond that. It does describe food to a decent degree and as someone with no knowledge about Italian food or restaurants whatsoever, it was pretty new and interesting. Still, what holds up this manga is the stories surrounding the food. What most impressed me about these stories was that ... there was a lot of variety to the stories, as in it never felt like a story was pretty much repeating another, as is often the case with such manga. It isn't a food battle show, though there were competitions at times, but rather encompasses a lot more than that. I think that helped keep things fresh and it never felt like it was dragging on. Furthermore, it allowed the manga to show tremendous growth in Ban, who was incredibly different by the end of the manga as compared to the beginning. Another thing that worked well were relationships such as friendships, rivalries, etc. These were told really well and the characters involved came through really well, and many of the various side characters got some solid development through that. However, one thing to note though, is that one aspect of relationships that the manga completely screwed up was romance, where pretty much any time the manga even lightly touched upon it, it felt awkward and pretty terrible. This is an issue because it is the focus of the last two arcs. Now, I understand that there is a sequel to this, but if a manga is going to do such a transition there should be some sort of transition into it with an arc end that's at least somewhat satisfying, even if it leaves plot threads dangling or ends on a cliffhanger. Here the manga just ends abruptly in the middle of an arc. Furthermore, it ends at what is pretty much the lowest point in the manga, because the second to last arc is pretty weak, though not too much to fuss over, and the last arc is awful and noticeably a lot worse than the rest of the manga. While there is a lot going on around it, romance seems to be the key focus, and how that is handled is terrible, with a twist that is shockingly terrible, being more shocking because nothing even close to that ridiculous occurs at all throughout the entire manga, and furthermore, the manga ends right after it, leaving an incredibly bitter taste to end on. In terms of the art, the food came through really well, which for a manga focused on food I guess is the most important thing, and the art in general beyond that was solid enough.