Koufuku Graffiti

Well, Koufuku Graffiti is one of those anime with Cute girls doing cute things under the "moe" genre, one of those refreshing anime where you can sit back relax and enjoy. Koufuku Graffiti is your Slice of Life Anime about food, nothing too out of the ordinary, but you will either really enjoy it or think watching it will be a chore. Just watch the first episode whatever you experienced that how it will be throughout the rest of the anime. The quality of the backgrounds and food are gorgeous and the way the trio bound is very heartwarming its what really brings the anime ... together.

Plot: 6/10
Koufuku Graffiti main subject is about food, incorporated with your average other subjects such as friendship, daily life, and cute characters. The character development will evolve around bonds with food built by our main characters Ryou, Kirin, and Shiina and their time spent together.

The fan service scenes are quite erotic in this anime it isn't your typical boob and pantie shots. In this they REALLY emphasize eating with close up shots of the mouth, sensual expressions, and blushies while eating the delicate drawn food it has the most well drawn omelet roll I've ever seen this anime is literally "food porn" everything revolves around food.

Soundtrack: 9/10
The opening and ending is so enjoyable especially the soundtrack and the scenes it is very appealing and catchy it gives a good vibe and relaxing mind set when about to watch an episode or finishing. Make sure to watch the outro of the outro there is a very catchy song with small chibi characters talking about food giving small tips of information.

Art: 8/10
Really enjoy the art style and lighting of Koufuku Graffiti with its bright lighting, fluent drawings, vivid colors, and contrast with characters they fit really smoothly together. If you love vivid colors this show has it.

Enjoyment: 8/10
This anime is quite enjoyable to watch when there is nothing else much to do it give me a complete good laughs and smiles while making me extremely hungry due to the fact the food looks way too tasty this anime is food porn. Everything looks delicious and the characters expressions make it even better.

I would recommend Koufuku Graffiti to anyone who is interested in Slice of Life, food, good art, cute characters doing cute things, and anyone who is just looking for a fun enjoyable experience.

Thank you Shaft for sharting out this forgettable pile of "meh."

You know you've stepped waist deep in low-tier storytelling territory when the only highlight of a show is girls eating food. This review will be relatively short, not because I don't want to write more about the title, but because the show itself lacks any kind of content to warrant any form of discussion or analysis.

It should go without saying that the "cute girls doing cute things" trend has become something of its own entity in the past decade. Due to the overwhelming success of titles like K-On, Hidamari Sketch, Lucky☆Star, Azumanga Daioh and ... much more, this trend has spawned a quasi-subgenre within the quarters it would usually reside in, regardless of the material being covered. The popularity of the "moe" craze only grows each year, with no sign of slowing down in the foreseeable future, thanks in large part to the increasing demand for more self-indulgent works. With so many infatuated with this niche appeal, it was only a matter of time before opposing viewpoints fought against it. With some even going as far as labeling it as "the cancer of the community." And while I think that proclamation is a bit overstated, I think my score speaks for itself regarding what side of this feud I stand on.

Now, this isn't to say "cute girls" anime can't work, I myself have seen a few that I personally enjoyed. It's just that the problem with Koufuku Graffiti, and by extension, any other show guilty of this, is that it has nothing outside of one gimmick to support it. Being genre specific or serving a niche audience isn't an excuse to lack subject matter. Case in point, the Gundam franchise. Had it only been about displaying mecha, the franchise wouldn't have lasted for so many decades. It serves its niche market with mecha porn to fawn over but still provide content with its themes of political warfare and human ethics to keep it anchored. Even genres with divisive reception, such as ecchi, abide by this common unspoken rule. With titles such as Queen's Blade and High school DxD understanding that serving "plot" with a plot would allow it a longer shelf-life in the competitive viewer market. Hell, we don't even have to travel out that far, within this very moe playing field, one of the patriarchs responsible for creating the trend, K-On, even understands this; a show that balances school activities, the girls' hobbies, and friendships simultaneously to maintain viewer interest.

And where other genres and niche appeals flourish, Koufuku Graffiti falls short of the mark. With nothing else to offer content-wise besides its hyper-sexualized foodgasm shtick, the novelty of this show wanes considerably after just one episode.

The setup for bottom-rung content like this usually follows a cast of girls centered around a particular subject or activity and does nothing else. And when I say nothing else, I mean that quite literally, as nothing of significance ever happens throughout Koufuku Graffiti's run-time. Each episode follows the same monotonous setup:
Cute girls converse--> some tension-less conflict arises (mostly involving a moeblob being lonely)--> girls make food and have a foodgasm--> rinse and repeat.

With such a simplistic and predictable setup, you can basically just watch the 1st episode and get the same general picture as someone who bothered to sit through all 12. That's the epitome of lazy writing. This show takes pandering to a whole new level; it doesn't even try to mask it. It's mundanity that aims to do nothing. Watching paint dry would be a far more productive activity.

Seeing that everything revolves around girls eating and having foodgasms, you'd at least expect high-quality animation for those scenes, but what we got instead was poorly rendered CGI food that looks plastic, slow motion with above average frame-rate and sparkles... again, THIS is supposed to be the show's highlight. Everything else fell below normal standards with stiff, often inconsistent animation and very bare-bones presentation. If animated foodgasms are all you want, just watch Food Wars instead. It's a show that far exceeds Graffiti regarding quality and general entertainment value. Everything about Graffiti just feels flat by comparison to everything else in its playing field. From the cookie cutter characters to the nonexistent storyline, Graffiti is just a lifeless husk masquerading as a show that cares.

Koufuku Graffiti was not made with the general populace in mind. This was an anime made for those still fascinated with the "moe" craze. And you know what? That's fine. If there's an audience out there for this, despite what little value I could find in it, so be it. But if after watching the 1st episode you're not impressed, then skip this one because that's about as good as the show gets.

Coming from the producers of "Hidamari Sketch" and "Puella Magi Madoka Magic" is the new food anime of the season, Koufuku Graffiti is an outstanding anime about a girl named Ryou who finds her passion in cooking and cuisine through her daily life and her friends! With dishes introduced every episode, this is a slice of life (Pun intended) anime that is favourably sweet!

Story - 7/10

Like most other SoL/Comedy, it has no set plot/storyline, but rather the occurrences of the daily life of a character in the anime. However, the events that happen are still worthwhile and fun to watch as we follow Ryou and ... Kirin in their daily lives of art and cuisine! However, the plot isn't the main focus of Koufuku Graffiti. It is the...

Art - 10/10

Art is this anime's strongest point really. Every food and dish is detailed extremely well and makes it very realistic and delicious! It is not an understatement to say you'll get hungry after watching it! This anime focuses more on its art styles of the cuisine rather than plot, so this is what makes Koufuku Graffiti savoury realy.

Sound - 8/10

Sound plays a dominant role as the background music during the scenes that involve cooking or eating. That adds to the atmosphere to make the watcher crave food and enjoy watching the characters eat the food themselves. The OP and ED are fine and appropriate to this SoL anime.

Character - 8/10

The characters themselves are what I'd describe as "stereotypically cute," but it very much fits into the theme here. The cast as of right now isn't very large, but that allows for rapid character progression and adds depth to Ryou's backstory. The anime itself dwells upon the food to build upon characters, which an interesting way to go about with the characters. There are, however, only females introduced as the main cast, which is understandable since this is a cooking anime, though a male one would make it more diverse.

Enjoyment - 9/10

Before watching each episode, I always make sure to be more or less hungry since the food mesmerizes me. After watching episodes, eating some ramen or even a pizza makes it feel more delicious and enjoyable. However, those who aren't big food fanatics could get bored easily. Same for those who aim for plot since this anime is somewhat bland in plot progression, but vivid in its tastes.

Overall - 9/10

This anime is superb, but falls short of the spotlight for having no explicit plot and a small cast consisting of only females. However, it is still exceptionally amazing and tasteful. I'd recommend this to food lovers and those who need some food inspiration (The way they eat is very "sexy") as well as the SoL/Comedy genre. For those who have little patience with dragged scenes and dislike daily life, I recommend this to introduce you to the SoL genre since we can all relate to food! Hope you will enjoy Koufuku Graffiti!

Well, I like to see the anime tags to make a review/critic. Koufuku Graffiti (who difficult and kawaii name, don't you think ?) has the following tags: "Comedy, Slice of Life and Seinen".
Right away, I see one problem. Where is the "Food" in the tags ?
Every anime have one thing that is the base of the history, character development, the base of the conflicts and the light of the solutions. On Kokufu this "thing" is the food. Yeah, you will see a anime talking about a life of a student, but on this life the food will create the friendship, will reveal memories and the ... past of the characters, will solve the problems and the most important, will make you feel hungry.

And to accompany this main plate (the food), Kofuku brings kawaii characters, a good art, very shining characters, shining ambient, good lights, good traces without contrast between the character traces and the ambient traces (everything in harmony).
Kawaii opening and ending, everything with lyrics and scenes that fits very well with the anime.
The final point that I like to say here is: the fan service is very different here, instead of boobs, paints and asses, you will see a "sensual" way of the eating, who ? Simples, with focuses on the mouth (taking advantage of the brightness of the traces, and the excessive light), on the tasting face of the characters and the discription of all the delicous of the food.

So, I recommend Kofuku if you want to see a slice of life, a good drawing and a good traces, kawaii girls. If you like food this anime is very good to you and for the people who are tired of the classic fan service.

SHAFT!

Koufuku Graffiti is a show about girls eating. It's produced by SHAFT.

SHAFT SHINBOU!

Directed by Akiyuki Shinbou, SHAFT's unofficially official director in residence, it contains all the visual quirks, art direction, fourth wall breaking, self-aware fanservice & everything else we've become all too accustomed to expect from SHAFTs output since he directed Zetsubou Sensei way back in 2007.

SHAFT SUGGESTIVE EATING!

The story, so much as there is one, focuses on Ryou Machiko, a 16 year old girl living alone after the death of her grandmother. She has a talent for cooking, but her dreams extend no further than being a housewife at this point in her life. ... Saddened by the loneliness of living alone, she finds sudden comfort in the arrival of Kirino, her younger cousin who, as it were, brings the spark back into Ryou's life through her enthusiasm for Ryou's cooking & her companionship filling the void in Ryou's otherwise lonely soul.

Ryou also has other friends, most notably Shiina who for the most part plays the role of foil to the antics of Ryou & Kirin. That Ryou has other friends kind of makes you wonder why she didn't do anything with them before Kirin showed up, but lets not sweat the small stuff. As the show progresses, we follow Ryou & her friends as they eat their way through life, discovering how the right meal in the right company can bring back memories, help create new ones, & make life that little bit more worth living.

SHAFT CONTORTED BODY POSE!

If there is one thing Koufuku Graffiti does well, it is presenting the simple act of eating at its most pleasurable without, for the most part, resorting to crude sexual innuendo. It is the food itself, the act of eating it & the people they're with while eating that makes them react in the exaggerated, almost orgasmic way they do; not that what they're eating looks like a penis. Each episode generally has two of these choreographed meals, & it is the shows credit that all of them manage to be entertaining pieces of animation.

The one exception to there being no real sexual innuendo is the genre mandated bath scene, where Ryou & Kirin indulge in sharing a bath while eating fast melting ice lolis. In the hands of another director, I'd have expected this to just be a straight up fan service scene. Shinbou, however, has a way of framing such scenes that make it clear the show is acutely aware of the viewers gaze to the point you can't help but feel like you're the deviant for viewing it as something titillating. Cooking is hardly an unusual topic in anime or other media, but I can't think of any shows that really capture the feeling of taking the first bite out of something delicious quite as well as Koufuku Graffiti does.


Perhaps the best illustration of Koufuku Graffiti at its best are the opening & end credits. These both emphasize the shows more whimsical & fantasy elements. The openinghas an Alice in Wonderland quality to it, where Ryou & Kirin skip their way through a fairytale kingdom of food. The music adds to the whimsy, with a dance track by Swedish producer Rasmus Faber combining a thumping 4/4 beat with a more ethereal arrangement of synths, well complimented by Maaya Sakamoto's singing. The only problem is that, like the best parts of the show, the OP & ED are all too short.

SHAFT BATH SCENE!

In a way it's kind of like Sakura Trick, except they're eating food instead of each other.

SHAFT HEAD TILT!

However, once you get past what Shinbou & SHAFT bring to the table, you start to realise that there really isn't much to Koufuku Graffiti beyond watching girls eat food. Ryou likes to cook. Kirin likes to eat. Shiina likes to watch? That's really it. Yes we learn a bit about the backgrounds of the three main characters & meet a few others, but really such information only serve to depict eating food outside of Ryou's apartment or how different foods mean different things to different people. There's nothing wrong with this, per se, but it is noticeable that when the cast aren't eating, they're not doing much else.

Speaking of Ryou, it has to be said that for me she is the weakest part of the series. To be frank, she is one of the most vapid main character I think I've yet come across, even making Sakano's intentionally "boring" Megumi Kato seem like an exciting presence by comparison. It's not unusual for nominally main characters to seem uninteresting compared to their companions (Akari syndrome is a thing for a reason), but when the series focuses on Ryou alone, it feels more like watching a cloud than a person.

There's also a slightly unpleasant undertone to the whole thing - that Ryou is being held up to the audience as an ideal housewife. She cooks. She cleans. She's eager to please & keeps quiet when not spoken to. Before Kirin arrives, Ryou imagines herself as waiting to be a housewife & when she does, Ryou at first wants to think of her as a husband/daughter, to Kirin's slight annoyance. There is also an adult neighbor of Ryou's who we aren't actually introduced to for ten episodes, but she shows up in the background, usually to contrast her apparent loneliness with Ryou's new happiness with Kirin in a "there but for the grace of god" kind of way. Fortunately, it's never really made an explicit part of the show, but the implication is there none the less.

SHAFT FORTH WALL!

All things said, I enjoyed Koufuku Graffiti. The Shinbou effect does wear off as the series progresses, & it's hard not to notice that all the clever directing in the world can't hide how inane some of the dialogue & events are. But it never fails to nail what ultimately Koufuku Graffiti is about, a group of girls finding friendship & living life through the magic of a good meal. & hey, watching cartoon Japanese girls eat together is a lot better than watching South Koreans eat on a webcam alone.

Like food or just looking at food? like porn too? Well your at the right anime that has them both packed together for you.

Keeping it short and sweet, this anime really gives more air time to two main characters, while other characters do show up a good amount of time especially Shiina who is consider a main character but receive less screen time than Kirin and Ryou.

Show really doesn't stipulate into being the "4-frames full of minute and accurate depictions of cooking and cuisine, as well as appetizing dining scenes" as even if cooking is the bases to the show, cooking accuracy and steps seems ... to be the least prioritized thing to the show while as an actual plot is pretty much non-existent. What the show gets right is the "tantalizing eroticism during meal time". SHAFT's best at over sexualizing scenes seems to finally pay off here on this series.

Art is just as you expect from SHAFT if you watched any of their recent woks before this mainly Bakemonogatari series. Shiny hairs and enough detail to see, especially those fair away shots that most studio leave very little detail it makes it look like a doodle is on the screen.

Koufuku Graffiti (Happy Cooking Graffiti) is one of those shows that you’ll have to get used by heart to know it well. By this, I mean the usual ‘cute girls doing cute things’. Add that with the slice of life style and some food gimmicks and you get this show about cute girls eating cute food. Or is that what you would like to think?

Adapted from a four-panel comic manga of the same name, the series is exactly what it sounds like. It’s about happy girls cooking in style. Make no mistake, each episode offers something new or delicious tasteful to the mouth. And while ... you’re watching, there’s a lot to also notice besides just the food set in front of you. It’s more about than just about cooking the food and tasting it. In fact, you could say that there’s a connection between the food and the characters. Constructed by a simple premise and built on the foundation of a slice of life, this show takes the concept of culinary arts into an unusual level.

For starters, the series consists of a core of three main female characters – Ryo Machiko, Kirin Morino, and Shiina. Machiko is the main protagonist as we learn that she lives by herself as a second year middle school student. She is also enlisted in art cram school in the beginning but at the same time gets accustomed with cooking. It’s easy to see that she has an interest in both skills as her work reflects on effort. And by that, we see some of the delicious food she cooks throughout the series. Then, there’s Kirin, the big eater. As Machiko’s cousin, she is enlisted in the same art school as Machiko. However Kirin’s cooking skills are just average. On the other hand, we do see that she has an athletic talent at school when it comes to sports. Needless to say, she makes up a sort of the ‘sports gal’ trope of the show. Finally, there’s Shiina who has a talent in cooking as well. Unlike Machiko or Kirin, we don’t know a whole lot about her. The presence she has in the series is rather mysterious to be honest and we only see some of her true personality when she is around with her friends. So in retrospect, what does this trio of adorable girls all have in common? An interest in cooking of course. This show takes their personalities, interests, and abilities to formulate a show about food.

Every episode brings a new type of dish into the series. A few prominent examples includes omelet rice, udon, and even the classic Japanese bento. Even junk food from the supermarket is featured in one episode when the show decided to go lazy. It shouldn’t take long for the audience to realize the show doesn’t really develop any complicated plot besides of cooking gags. Taking at a slightly closer glance though, it’s also easy to realize that there’s an unusual sensation about the way our characters takes in the food. Whether it’s the face expressions, dialogues, or even sound, the series seems to hype up a sensation when the girls digest their meals. However at the same time, this sensation can make some people uncomfortable by the way it’s expressed. In these selective scenes, the show seems to advertise the girls rather than its product. What I mean is that the girls enjoy their food in an almost obscene way with their sensational expressions. Each episode also shows that they enjoy the food almost instantly. And to be honest, who can blame them? The show has a very colorful style of decorating its food. The texture and details are so focused that you’ll forget for a moment that the characters are even there. Well, that is until you see the characters eating it.

Not only does the show relies prominently on its food variety but also by its ‘food porn’ expressive style. Shaft takes this avant-garde style and animate it with a bizarre degree of ways. If you’re not familiar or comfortable with it, then it’s a good idea to drop the series before it’s too late. For the girls, they enjoy almost every aspect of their life whether it’s the food or just the happiness of being together. Some of the suggestive yuri undertones are also there although it can be interpreted differently depending on your outlook. So for a show like this, other characters mainly play a side role while our main trio takes the spotlight. As the series does occasionally focus on characterization and background story insight, there’s little to appreciate about them. They are too simple as characters and hard to take seriously. Unfortunately, the series has a mission to try and shove down the characters’ presence down our throats. Don’t blame me? Watch them eating and you’ll see the whole picture. Each episode’s highlight isn’t the story or character but rather when they eat their food. Luckily though, we also do see how they craft their product. To say the least, it actually has realism despite all the shenanigans. If you genuinely care about culinary arts, then this series could turn out to be a surprise.

For anime viewers like me, it’s more about understanding what the series is about. Shaft tries their usual head tilts, decorative colors, and stylistic approach to adapt this series. It surprisingly works effectively well. In fact, it’s hard to ignore the food no matter what you think of it at first. It looks delicious, has a glamorous appeal, and when eaten sets off a pleasurable response from the characters. I have to admit too that almost all the food retains their realism but with a clear purpose to make them more delicious on screen. Like I mentioned before as well, this series is more like a cooking show as girls’ homes serves as their base of operations for a good majority of the run. Even when the food isn’t cooked at their homes, it still shows that the setting has its artistic ways. And speaking of art, I can also honestly say that the food products are exactly as such. On a lesser scale, the show’s character designs are childish. The girls just seems too young to take seriously and their expressions objectify a near inappropriate way of presenting culinary arts. Then, there’s also fan service and one episode will surely sound off an imaginative bulb. “It’s not what it looks like?” is something you may question yourself…

With a decent soundtrack, the show crafts a surprisingly good OP and ED song. The Alice in Wonderland allusions has a good pacing and choreography with catchy tones. Similarly, the ED illustrates the creative style of this series based off of the food gimmicks. Despite the OST being only moderate, it does specialize and find its place when certain scenes requires it. Finally, perhaps one of the most memorable things you’ll witness is the character voice mannerisms. In general terms, it strikes as silly and childish. Yes, the characters are young and it’s about cute girls. However, it also shows how desperate this series is when it tries to advertise itself with their voice.

A show about cute girls doing cute and lewd things with their food will get mixed reactions. Regardless though, the series may not be original but is also not entirely worthless. Moving away from the orgasmic sounds, the series actually does offer food in a genuine fashion. Anyone with a slight interest in culinary arts will appreciate it just by the way the food is crafted. And if you’re a fan of Shaft's other works, then this one may be a delicious treat for you as well. Just be aware that the series isn’t heavily concentrated on either plot or characterization. Instead, it deliciously tries to appeal to the audience with that happy tone in graffiti style.

(This has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!)

A basic need for all humans is food. It gives us the calories to expend the energy required to move the muscles we have to do the activities that get us through our daily lives. And it doesn’t matter what it is; be it a platter of chicken tenders or a cold bowl of ice cream, it’s food that helps us to live. My own parents’ specialty is a pork-infused hamburger cooked to perfection. Eating it not only tastes amazing but also reminds me of something important: that sharing a meal with the people we care ... about adds its own kind of flavor. This is the very message that Koufuku Graffiti provides – with some good looking but rather bland eats along the way.


STORY

Graffiti stars middle school girl Ryou, who currently lives by her lonesome after her grandmother recently passed away. One day, her second-cousin Kirin arrives to go to the same prep school as Ryou, leading to many wonderful moments.

What’s interesting about Graffiti’s premise is that it is all about the food. And initially, this seems to only be in relation to its looks and the way in which it is eaten. While this is certainly part of the appeal — and aides in making one hungry while watching — the food serves a greater purpose. And that is in both providing the various slice-of-life antics and in generating the themes that the show hones in on. Starting with the former, it practically comes naturally given the format. Eating meals or having stuff to eat is often done during special occasions and with people close to you. As such, the various happenings in the show follow this concept. From a tiny pizza party to a sandwich picnic, Ryou and Kirin find themselves not only enjoying nice little meals but also enjoying each other’s company while partaking in these delights. The anime can dip dangerously into repetition, but in an attempt to break up the monotony, the show aims at introducing both comedy and different foods whenever it can. It’s never dramatic, instead relying on the show’s overall cuteness and light-hearted (and heavy stomached) approach to make the separate scenarios gain an aroma of pleasantness that is as nice as the food in which it showcases. And by focusing on different meals, it allows for Graffiti to tackle its themes in slightly separate ways each time.

This is an important note; the point of the show isn’t to see the girls’ love the food so much that they enter a euphoric state. Instead, Graffiti’s purpose is in demonstrating the value of relationships, especially so with family. From the very beginning, Ryou feels lonely, finding her time nowadays is filled with sadness rather than the happiness she had whilst her grandmother took care of her. Therefore, over the course of the season, Ryou essentially rediscovers how the connections that are made with the people around her are what make food taste so good. For it isn’t necessarily the taste that counts but more so the love attached to the meal that matters. Ryou learns this when eating a poorly made lunch box by Kirin or when eating a bunch of junk food from the local convenience store; the memories that are made in the “creation” of the food are what taste the sweetest.

And at the same time, it’s this same food that brings everyone together. As the ending depicts, Ryou began the year by herself and concluded it with many more people than she initially knew. Kirin, Shiina, Shiina’s mother and maid, Ryou’s next door neighbor, Kirin’s parents; without foods “magical” powers, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy her timenow with others. Food smells good, it looks good, it tastes great, but its food’s ability to seemingly take all these people from different backgrounds and locations, and have them converge for a single moment filled with laughs, stories, and fun, that make it all worthwhile.

ANIMATION

The art that Graffiti employs is doused in SHAFT’s signature style. That is, many of the shots incorporated are single framed, up close, in slow-motion, and quick to cut from one segment to the next. It actually aids in making the anime feel more “alive” in its presentation. For at the end of the day, it is just food and talking, so seeing the jumpy camera work and swift shots gave a bit of life to this wholly slice-of-life show. Speaking of the food, the anime does a wonderful job of making everything look quite appetizing. Grilled fish, steamed rice, fried noodles; the show never skimps out at giving the food a large portion in terms of detail.

As far as character designs are concerned, they’re rather lacking in appeal, especially in comparison to the art and style that compose them. Ryou is supposed to be in middle school, yet her proportions make her out to be a young woman entering college. At the same time, her plain clothes, plain face, and plain hair make her as common as any other plain Jane. Kirin steps it up a bit more, with her funny meat-looking travel bag, purple hair, and varied outfits to match her fun personality. But Shiina brings it back down, following the same trend as Ryou: uninspired and seemingly devoid of attention.

Surprisingly, despite SHAFT’s direction, the show actually makes a lot of its pomp and flair move. The characters see a lot of bodily use outside of their mouths and hands for eating, with fluid actions taking place in most situations. Ryou can usually be found cooking, Kirin is always bouncing around, with Shiina and the others either silently watching or participating in the festivities.

CHARACTERS

There are really only three prominent characters throughout Graffiti: Ryou, Kirin, and Shiina.

While Ryou is the star, she isn’t the “best” character that the anime has to offer. As has already been discussed at great length, Ryou is someone who values others, more so than she values herself. And to that end, when she isn’t surrounded by people, she isn’t only physically lonely but spiritually lonely, too. One of the constant themes in regards to her person is the grandmother that both taught her how to cook and taught her how to treat those with her cooking. Following Kirin’s inclusion, what we see is her grandmother’s tactics shining through; she cares for her cousin, feeds her, protects her, essentially raises her, allowing Ryou to see that her own person is worth a lot more than she gives herself credit for. Her development seems rather small over the course of the show due to the episodic nature of it all, but similar to the meals she serves, what she learns through helping Kirin is that it isn’t the quantity of experiences that matters but the quality of them that does.

Kirin is arguably the strongest character within Graffiti, if only because she provides nearly all of the comedy that the show has to offer. She acts as a kind of foil to Ryou; where Ryou is very calm, motherly, and quiet, Kirin is somewhat hyper, childish, and loud in whatever she takes part in. Such a dichotomy allows the audience to see how sensible Ryou is while showcasing how ridiculous Kirin tends to be. But her rather immature antics suffocate something she actually does better than Ryou, and that’s understanding someone else’s feelings. Or at least, understanding Ryou’sfeelings. She complements Ryou quite well; Ryou takes care of Kirin physically because she can’t do it herself, whereas Kirin takes care of Ryou emotionally because Ryou can’t do it herself. They’re family, they’re friends, but more than that, they’re compatible due to their inability to live life without the other.

As more or less the “third wheel” for the group, Shiina sits in the middle of the rather strange duo. This is purposeful, because she represents the balance between the two. She understands who she is and is able to take care of herself. So, what can she possibly offer? While she only receives minimal focus throughout the anime, due to her plateaued characterization, she represents a simple theme: everyone gets help. Whether you’re someone who is struggling with the work you are doing or you happen to have everything perfectly organized, nobody goes through life or any event without some outside support. So while Shiina may seem like she doesn’t require people looking after her, the reality is that the position she holds is precisely because there have been those around her guiding her down the correct path.

As you move down the list, their overall importance dwindles rapidly yet each brings about their own strengths even if they all don’t see as much focus as needed. Their one commonality, though, is the manner in which they eat their food; more specifically, each does it in a rather avant-garde manner. Ryou eats beautifully, Kirin tends to scarf everything down, and Shiina consumes in a refined way. In other words, the way they eat actually symbolizes their respective personalities. Ryou is “beautiful” in the kindness she holds, Kirin is pretty rambunctious, and Shiina doesn’t stray from her emotionless behavior. The group, in a sense, shows their true selves through the food they enjoy, demonstrating once again food’s ability to be more than simple sustenance.

SOUND

The opening theme for the anime maintains the same, consistent beat throughout its run. Unfortunately, despite the track sounding so inviting, it isn’t very compelling. It’s rather generic, with the singer not showing much range due to having to almost “speak” the lyrics to the audience that hears it. The ending theme is a small step up from its counterpart. Instead of being bland, it takes on a bit of spice, and that’s not just in the visuals it presents. The characters take turns singing different bits, with various inflections and musical tones used throughout to make the piece more lively and satiating.

The soundtrack, “Edible Melodies,” isn’t particularly impressive, but it does contain some pretty appropriate pieces. “Tama go no Samba” is perhaps one of the more memorable ones, being played during the cooking and more fun moments. “Russian Ruretto Sand” highlights the OST’s cultural influence that some of the tracks employ. And “Skinship Sakuramochi” has that homely, slice-of-life feel that only this genre of anime could generate. However, nearly every track incorporates not so much a background singer but a background “noise maker;” the woman or women use a lot of onomatopoeia (lots of “ooh,” “la,” and “ah” being said) to make each individual song take on a more unique feel.

As a side note, there are two notable sound clips. The first is Kirin’s walk cycle; each step she takes is followed by an audible “bubble” noise, which further signifies her as the “bubbly” girl of the show. The second, and for some Graffiti’s only defining feature, is the post-ending sing-a-long. It’s cute, fun, and catchy; unsurprisingly, it’s very memorable.

Finally, in terms of voice-acting, everyone involved performed rather well for their respective parts. Rina Satou as Ryou for her incredibly soft way of speaking and Asuka Oogame as Kirin for her always peppy personality deserve special shout-outs.

ENJOYMENT

The majority of the entertainment that the anime provides comes from Kirin. Her silly jokes, overreactions, and unending happiness are usually enough to make anyone gain a huge smile on his or her face. Ryou and Shiina help with the comedy from time to time as well, but it’s usually them jumping off of Kirin’s unintentional setup or at the expense of her character. Regardless, it’s usually funny and always adorable.

Unfortunately, the rest of the show is bogged down by monotony. While the themes are warm due to endearment, the anime tends to be rather dry when it isn’t succeeding at the hilarity. And it isn’t necessarily the show’s fault; it really is just food and talking, so nothing too exciting is occurring. Watching Ryou or Kirin eat food the exact same way each episode doesn’t do much for me, and when Kirin isn’t around, everything becomes quite slow. Her inclusion breathes life into the anime, so when she is excluded, the show begins to die until it takes that much needed next breath.

Koufuku Graffiti is definitely an anime about food, but that’s not its primary focus. The food is a vehicle for the themes presented. Sadly, due to unfortunate repetition, a lackluster sound department, and long stretches of boredom, the show tastes slightly tolerable instead of fresh off the farm.

SUMMARY

Story: Fine, an often repetitive, slice-of-life tale focused on food, family, and fun

Animation: Good, signature SHAFT style, uninspired character designs, above average actual animation

Characters: Good, the trio of Ryou, Kirin, and Shiina complement one another like breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Sound: Fine, okay OP, okay ED, okay soundtrack, unique musical choices, nice VA work

Enjoyment: Fine, Kirin provides most of the entertainment, usually cute, but leans towards boredom

Final Score: 6/10

That Koufuku Graffiti, everything is food eating, probably it's kind of food porn much, First of all the story is very great and cool enough, of course it's a comedy that I see always some funny scenes,also that story symbolize happiness,inspiration and passionate. Then for the art, it is very fascinating animation as very balanced color. For the sound, it is very exactly perfect on the background music what are the scenes expressed exactly as much, I like it also. In Characters, majority all of the girls very nice different chosen traits as attitude, unfortunately there's no boy at all I will be rate all ... characters by 80%. And finally the enjoyment, of course I enjoy it very much! I am really drooling myself some different food scenes, that I can't resist my feeling anymore. Overall for this 8/10, because this is the most drooling food ever, of course it's a food porn! Where everything looks delicious! Also the expression of the characters.

On this first-half of 2015, I seem to have been riddled with a fairly nonsense amount of 2014/2015-made slice-of-life CGDCT anime. Now, we will put Fate-UBW and the like aside because they're on a different genre.
CGDCT-speaking, I have seen Sabagebu which made me survived watching all its episodes of potential lacklustre, there was Locodol which didn't live up to its idol feat, then Inou-Battle in which the only Trigger-ish thing about it is a Mako-look-alike appearing on the swimming pool--and Chifuyu; there's Ushinawareta Mirai which borrowed the Terminator-plot to send a moe back in the past, and then there's Glasslip which is plainly horrible that ... I had written my own review about it, there's also Jinsei which was then really good that I was ready to review it but the near-end episodes just made it all unreasonable, and then finally there's Celestial Method that is as interesting as watching 'Chasing UFOs'.

All in all, a lot of CGDCT-anime lost their spark recently. And that's the thing for me, because when we're talking about CGDCT, it's like we're talking about hot-hatches (hot hatchbacks). Nowadays, there are too many 3-cylinder hatchbacks that are anything but impressive. When it's about a hot-hatch or generally a hatchback, it has to be nimble, it has to be involving with driving instincts, it has to be fun and uncomplicated on the roads and corners. It should be anything but cheap and a way of saying an excuse.

CGDCT is like a hot-hatch. They both have to be easy, involving, fun and uncomplicated, and both should not be cheap.

And that brings me here to Koufuku Graffiti (Gourmet Girl Graffiti), which after metaphorically looking to some unexciting hatchbacks around, I seem to have found the Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost!



STORY = 7

The story isn't that anticipating or gripping, and for a span of 12 episodes, is all about a girl who loves to cook because her departed-grandma did also, and her second-degree cousin who goes for a stay-over every weekend for cram schooling, enriched with hinted-yuri elements, and ofc another main supporting character who is poise enough for the mix. Take the plot and characterization as spices, simmer it with the development and serve it with the reason that good food tastes a lot better when eating it together with someone you care, then this is the recipe for CGDCT alright.
As much, this is like the Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost. No, I didn't choose this car for the analogy because it's called 'Fiesta', but its 3-cylinder turbocharged engine seems lacking at first--until you've driven it--and you internalized just how involving this tiny machine is.

Of course, I'm saying we're on a hot-hatch here, not a Lamborghini.
And I like to point this one out because for a lot of reasons in MAL and to otakus/anime-fans, they always expect every anime to be always fast and action-y (or ecchi-y) and that's as if they wanted to put a 600hp V12 engine on a Fiesta--or worse, make it a tuner-car. But no--we're sublimely confident with the tiny 1.0L 3-cylinder mill, and that's as subtle as putting this hot-hatch for sheer metaphorical comparison.
This is what to expect on a CGDCT. Because you don't drive a hot-hatch thinking you're on a Lamborghini for action, or a vinyl-covered tuner-car for ecchi. CGDCT means the pacing of the story is you on the wheel and enjoying in driving the tiny nimble fun hot-hatch that the Fiesta is.


ART = 10

I can't begin to write about the art, this thing. All I can tell is that you need to eat before you watch this--or during.
Eat a wafer, chocolate, ice cream, something that won't make you drool--because this is as fine as detailed and eye-glazing as if you can almost taste what Ryou is cooking. I haven't seen much anime as vividly food-reaction detailed as this. Sure there's Yakitate Japan but it has more prowess on the wacky reactions than its art and details. Koufoku Graffiti managed to just emphasize verbs and adjectives as its food-reaction, it's all normal but sublime, and entirely it's all focused on the quality of the art and emotive expressions to make you start looking for snacks on your fridge.


SOUND = 10

Opening/ending songs are okay, very CGDCT-ish.
Seiyuu-wise, Ryou Machiko is voiced by Rina Satou--we know her well as Haruka Minami in Minami-ke. That simply gives the full confidence that no one else does well to voice Ryou---because she has 4 seasons and 3 OVAs of practice. There's also Asuka Oogame who does well (most otakus know her as Erio, yeah I know, I know--and am not interested on that), if not her best seiyuu-role, yet. And Mikako Komatsu also makes a great variance of her voice here, knowing she voiced Neko in K, and this rather cool role as voicing Shiina is amazing on its own.


CHARACTERIZATION = 7

There's nothing really to expect in characterization. Ryou, Kirin, and Shiina are simply CGDCT-oriented characters, they lack the dynamics and complexities--and for a CGDCT storyline, that's entirely okay.
It's like I said with the Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost: it has 3-cylinder turbocharged engine, which means you don't expect it to be a Lamborghini, or an ostentatious tuner-car for pimping, but this car is a hot-hatch that can bring a smile without thinking the horsepower and be contented with just how this hot-hatch propels within the speed limits. It's worry-free and relaxing that way.
If you see it this form, you then understand how CGDCT is to be watched.

But there's one thing that's missing: the flare which makes characters "memorable". KinMoza was able to do that because we don't forget who Alice and Shino is, and especially Ren-chon and Koma-chan in Non Non Biyori. Koufuku Graffiti lacks that part. Hence maybe my analogy reason of it being the Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost, not the Ford Fiesta ST.


ENJOYMENT = 8

After all those half-baked CGDCTs I've come across, Koufuku Graffiti is the go-getter. It was like getting trapped in a car showroom full of hatchbacks from Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Chevrolet, and some other unknown brands, and been greeted with this Fiesta, that's the kind of feeling of enjoyment.
Again, an anime that makes you relax, not to go for 600hp-action or for tuner-boobs scenes, Koufuku Graffiti responds to that demand.


OVERALL = 7

I could have rated this as 8, if it wasn't for the "memorable" flare of the characters. Somehow, I'm afraid that Koufuku Graffiti goes to be like Hanayamata, where the potentiality of the story is delivered, the characterization is well-thought, art and seiyuus are up to par, but there's nothing more that could have been done.
The Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost speaks just like that--it's a great EcoBoost baby, it has supple horsepower worthy to be called a hot-hatch, but in the end, maybe we stick to calling it a 'warm-hatch' instead. Again, it's a great car, but we can't do anything more about it because people may just want its bigger bro, the Fiesta ST, a better hot-hatch. And that goes for the Koufuku Graffiti here as well, as we may still be looking for the flare and craving for more Hello KinMoza and NonNon Biyori Repeat.

Verdict: Food reactions served a'la fuwa-fluffy moe style.

The story revolves around Machiko Ryou and her friends's enjoying their daily lives and of course, their cookings. There isn't much story, Its basically food, slice of life, food and food with very polite and some comedic conversations. The characters are cute and the drawings are very detailed most of the time. The anime focus alot on how Machiko and her friends enjoy the cuisines. Just relax and enjoy drooling when they are at it.

My overall rating for Koufuku Graffiti is 7/10. The anime live up to the genre slice of life, bloodless and has great art.

If you are a fan of slice ... of life stories, this anime is recommended.

Quite a nice, relaxing, and cute anime this is.

It's not something action packed, or laid with with a lot of fast paced action. But it's still good despite that. If you're into food, into a nice relaxing, calm, and peaceful kind of anime. Then give it a watch honestly! The story and characters are also quite cute and charming, and each have their own interesting backgrounds that aren't a bother at all.

Honestly a nice heart warming and relaxing show. That you should give a chance! Even if you're just watching an episode here or there, I'd say go for it!

a little hard to write a review about this show, because it has seinen genre, that means you wouldn't feel the story until it happen to yourself.

i would say it has a good story, why ? because when you watch it, it remind you the feeling of eating with someone. the comedy part support the main story too, and it became a new sense that different to the other show. you may have a complain with food fanservice, maybe you feel it's disturb, but it is not koufuku graffiti if it doesn't have fanservice because it is the main part of this show.

for the ... character development i guess it's already good. honestly i have no idea for character like tsundere or something like that if you put it at this show, it may ruin the story.

for art i have no complain for shaft, because every time i watch it, i ended up with an hungry stomach.

new sensation of food story + a graphic that make you hungry, it become new enjoyment sensation of this show, my suggestion don't compare it with other show because it has different view point.

Overall 8/10 because it has happen to me, so i get double sense after watch it.

So Koufuku Graffiti is an anime by Shaft that focuses on two young girls and their relationship with food. Food is probably what most people will watch this show for, though I think it has a fairly unique approach to it.

The story is pretty barebones. Basically main girl Ryou lives by herself ever since her grandma died; her parents are off doing work stuff, and apparently Japan doesn't mind having 15-year-olds living by themselves. Due to circumstances, her relative Kirin transfers to the same weekend school as Ryou, so she stays at Ryou's house every weekend and they cook together. ... Other things happen, new characters are introduced, but that's the general gist of the story. There's not really any "plot" to speak of, and while there is a general continuity, each episode is fairly episodic.

Art is pretty typical for Shaft. Some of the same visual techniques they use in other shows (masked textures, abstract art, simple colors and gradients) are present here, although the art is much less abstract than their work in Monogatari. The food isn't quite as high quality as Shokugeki no Souma, but it's still pleasing to look at and well drawn and animated. Characters look nice and are well animated, though backgrounds are pretty detailed, all things considered.

The sound is fairly good. This is slice of life, so none of the background tracks really need to stand out. The OP and ED are pretty catchy, and both have gotten stuck in my head a few times.

The characters are fine for what the show is. Sure, they don't develop much, but how much development is expected from a show like this? That's not to say that there's no growth though. Ryou and some of the other characters do develop over the course of the show, as they grow older and think more about various topics. Tsuyuko is always a laugh in the scenes she's in, and Shiina is also pretty enjoyable. Kirin has a tendency to whine, but I didn't find it bothersome.

Unlike Shokugeki no Souma, which is mostly focused on the more professional side of cooking, Koufuku Graffiti's emphasis is on home cuisine. It doesn't have much in the way of technical explanations or advanced culinary techniques, though it does highlight a few home cooking tips every now and then. Instead, it focuses on the feelings and experience of eating the food itself. The central message of the show is that food tastes best when you eat it with people you love, so in a way Koufuku Graffiti is more about people than the food itself. That said, this show will likely make you hungry and might inspire you to try out some of the dishes shown.

Review in brief:

Koufuku Graffiti plays well to Studio Shaft's strengths featuring beautiful stylization and a plot that, while light, is also surprisingly touching at times. It also features frequent food-based fanservice which may be a good or bad thing depending on what your preferences are. It's definitely recommendable to someone looking for a good "cute girls doing cute things" show.

Review in full:

Koufuku Graffiti has a simple setup even for a feel-good slice-of-life anime. What makes it work is how smoothly it builds from its foundation. It mostly follows Ryō Machiko’s middle school life which (despite the fact that she’s attending an art academy) ... mainly revolves around food, family, and the many ways they go best together. In more or less following a slice of one character’s life (instead of a group of 4 or 5) Koufuku Graffiti progresses by slowly developing Ryō’s situation, rather than merely mess around with the nuances of whatever club or activity was chosen to be the focus like many other shows in this genre. Of course, cooking and food in general are still explored in a plethora of ways, it simply isn’t all that’s going on. Food is what ultimately brings everything together, but it’s not usually the theme, rather it’s the scenic pathway that leads to the theme of each specific episode (though the weaker episodes lack this).

Living alone since her grandmother’s death, Ryō initially just cooks out of necessity and with little inspiration outside of the memory of her grandmother but comes to learn that food can be much more than sustenance. She is often accompanied by her cousin Kirin Morino, whose outward passion and energy balances out Ryō’s typically reserved demeanor and provides a solid base for just about every situation and character they interact with to bounce off of. In general, the more recurrent characters of Koufuku Graffiti appear shallow on the surface unless you pay close attention as they do develop slowly & lightly over the course of the show. It covers nearly 3 years’ worth of time in 12 episodes, and while the changes are mostly quite small they are noticeable as a whole. Meanwhile, the side characters are quirky enough to fill their roles well and add to the scenes they’re in rather than merely be present in them.

The main story is light but plucks at the heartstrings surprisingly well. The anime takes place a while after Ryō’s grandmother’s death, but a considerable portion of it focuses on Ryō learning to become more independent and overcoming her remaining melancholy… through food and cooking, obviously. Rather than have the parents not show up in the story because “who cares about the parents?”, Koufuku Graffiti makes a point out of Ryō starting out almost completely alone in the beginning, which strengthens the overall theme of food, family, and friends going best together. Sometimes it’s the main focus of an episode, sometimes it hardly comes up at all.

What remains constant is that most of the anime’s strongest moments are when Ryō learns something new about the things her grandmother did for her and uses that knowledge to help herself overcome problems. Even with this going on, the show rarely ventures out of slice-of-life territory, and these story moments blend in very well with the more lighthearted majority of the show. It’s not always seamless though; sometimes Ryō is still rather enthusiastic and it’s not made clear whether her mood has truly lightened up or if she’s putting up a front to keep the other characters from worrying about her. Otherwise my only complaint in this regard is that if the anime had better time usage it may have been able to feature more of these enjoyably tender moments.

Speaking of time usage, back when it was airing this anime was better known for its highly suggestive food-eating scenes. Viewers who don't enjoy watching food or eating could find it to be a turn-off for them. Then again, if fanservice isn't your thing you'll likely find it preferable to the standard body-based variety, which isn't completely absent here but is mostly done away with in favor of the food-based fanservice. It doesn't detract too much from the rest of the show (in fact sometimes it's funny in context) but it is consistent and takes a piece of each episode, so it's effectively well animated filler for those who have no particular interest or disdain for it.

As mentioned before this show plays well to Studio Shaft's strengths. The animation & picture quality is great for the most part. It’s vibrantly colored (expect when it shouldn’t be, and the desaturated portions are given just as much care), smoothly animated, and the CG elements rarely stick out. The voicework, sound effects, and music are all well done, but more importantly it's all stylized in just the right way. Nothing really felt out of place and all the elements worked together towards creating a colorful and touching experience to make the whole greater than the sum of each individual part.

Verdict:

If Koufuku Graffiti were a food it would be angel cake; not very nutritious or complex, but light, soft, and full of good feels. If the food-based fanservice doesn’t bother you too much you're likely to enjoy it.

Shaft makes a moe SoL anime about girls eating food. Theres not much else to say. There isn't much cooking involved, just mostly eating. There's some Shaft-iness sprinkled in like the weird camera angles and the neck stretch but otherwise its pretty par for the course moe SoL. That isn't a bad thing, though. The show is entertaining enough and the fan service is very tasteful and well done so glossing over it as a whole for slightly weak sounding premise isn't entirely fair. The only gripe I have is the same I have with most moe SoL anime, which is lack of spark. That's ... a whole different issue though. Overall, I liked this show and it's definitely more interesting than lots of other shows in the same genre which are solely for looking at and couldn't be more boring.

This show is a struggle to get through and largely forgettable for multiple reasons. The art style and music are nothing special, though they aren't bad. The story is also thoroughly uneventful and amusing. The main characters just sit around and eat food, and then react in a disturbingly sexual fashion to it. At first this appeared to me as just how this show felt the need to portray how good the food was; that everyone in this show's universe would go into throws of passion with every bite. Then at one point, the mother of one of the characters makes a comment about how ... she is glad it's not just her daughter who reacts this strangely to eating. This has some strange implications that it is only these girls who react this strongly to food and it's not a stylized way of portraying unseen emotions but instead they actually fully react the way they do on screen. When you take into account how often they eat in public or semi public places, this becomes kind of disgusting.

I'm not even gonna say anything, but...

For a food porn SoL anime, it kinda missed the SoL aspect where all the music just so mismatched and feels relaxing but sleep-inducing as well. It had bugged me a lot because I read the Manga and have the a copy of it. So this anime had me eye-twitching through the entire first episode.

The story and the plot are exactly like the manga, which is nice. However, the voice acting just isn't befitting their personality, which buggers me as the manga reader. Not only the VA, but the BGM is also what I don't like. But don't get ... me wrong, it's actually a good BGM, but more fitting if you use it for the different genre anime for the likes of drama-style anime.

I hate to say it, but, This one just not as interesting as the Manga is. and overall is a 5/10 for me.

Shaft and Shinbo directing can do no wrong, everything they make is just a cut above the majority of other anime and this show proves it. I just adored this show, it's just a simple SOL show with no real plot about a middle school girl who lives alone after her Grandma dies who has a cousin start staying with her on weekends as they attend a prep school. She is a good cook (learning from her grandmother) but discovers everything tastes better when you can eat it with someone else. And that's it, just these two cooking and eating for 12 episodes occasionally joined ... by their friend from school and a few other minor characters. But the great artwork, music and tons of little details just make the whole thing a delight to watch, even the little chibi character next episode previews where they hum a song were super fun to watch. No fan service (well there is one episode where they take a bath together while suggestively eating ice pops, but that's it) except for the oragasmic way food is enjoyed with close ups as each bite goes in their mouths. So if you like simple shows with cute girls cooking and eating this may be for you, I know I loved it.

The story was nothing groundbreaking, just regular ol' slice-of-life. There are some interesting bits like Ryo's and her grandma but overall it's just regular slice-of-life. Nothing much I can talk about it. The animation was quite terrific, but I must say I hate the close-up when they're eating. There are also a huge amount of random face zoom-ins in this anime which I have no idea why. Overall, the animation was incredibly smooth as expected of Shaft. Albeit with a few inconsistencies here and there. I hate the SFX when they are eating, I don't know why but I hate them. I also wholeheartedly hate ... the Opening. The Ending isn't that interesting either. The character was decent or mediocre I would say.
My favorite character has got to be Shiina, I just like the beautiful-but-frail archetype. Not only Shiina, her whole family is interesting. Tsuyuko is great. Kirin's mother is great. A lot of characters are great. I enjoyed this anime quite a bit since the lockdown is getting me bored, this was a great time to past time. Other than that I love the message of this anime to cook and eat with someone precious to you.