Oishii Kankei

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Tasty Affinity, A Delicious Relationship

Japanese: おいしい関係

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 16

Chapters: 71

Status: Finished

Published: Jan 8, 1993 to Nov 8, 1999

Genres: Drama, Gourmet, Romance

Demographic: Josei

Serialization: Young You

Authors: Makimura, Satoru (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.64¹ (scored by 1,082 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2025²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #6577

Members: 3,035

Favorites: 35

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7.64

Ranked #2025Popularity #6577Members 3,035

MangaYoung YouMakimura, Satoru (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /16

Chapters: /71

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Synopsis

Fujiwara Momoe is the daughter of a rich family. She has never had any worries, had an easy and luxurious life. She loves good cooking. Her carefree life ends when her father dies from a heart attack. She now has to take care for herself and her mother and this involves also cooking the meals. Unfortunately, she never had to cook, so her cooking is awful. She starts working at a French restaurant where she becomes a cook under the chef. She falls in love with the chef, but he only considers her as an apprentice.

(Source: PRISMS)

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Background

In 1999, Oishii Kankei was republished into a 10-volume bunko format.

The series was adapted by Fuji TV into a 10-episode drama series in 1996. A Taiwanese drama version, titled Meiwei Guangxi: Sweet Relation was released in 2007. All 32 episodes of the series were also transmitted in Japan under the name Oishii Kankei, but with "Oishii" being written in kanji instead of hiragana.

More characters
Characters

Fujiwara, Momoe

Main

Oda, Keiji

Main

Fujiwara, Haruhiko

Supporting

Reviews

Dec 18, 2014

CobaltRain

Recommended

One of the major reasons I love reading this series over and over again is for its refreshing concept and provocative (at the time it was published) message that girls can be major players in the food industry.Our main character, Momoe is very much like a shounen hero-she overcomes trials that will either make or break her, and befriends damaged individuals most would give up on.
However, being a young and beautiful woman presents a unique challenge; because of her appearances, can she overcome sexism and be treated as a chef, before being treated as a woman? This tackles a very real, but rarely spoken ...

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Nov 21, 2011

athenacat

Recommended

Momoe and her father loved going out to eat together. Unfortunately, after he dies, Momoe finds out her father spent all of their considerable fortune on buying food.
Then Momoe stumbles across a little restaurant where the food reminds her of the comforting taste from her childhood. She is inspired to be a chef--figuring she can kill two birds with one stone. She can earn money to support herself and her mother, while at the same time fulfilling her dream.
Unfortunately Momoe sucks at cooking. Besides which, the cooks she wants to hire her is grumpy and anti-social. Her only talents seems to be her hardworking, ... very giving up attitude and her excellent sense of taste. Will those by enough to help her reach her dreams? Also, why is the grumpy cook suddenly of attractive?

Story: 9
The story is great. It starts of a little typical, what with the death of a parent, and a rich girl suddenly have to make her way in the world. However, the story stills draws you in, and makes you want to know what happens next. The romance element also seems to be generic, as Momoe meets a guy that has a connection to her dreams and childhood, and shortly falls in love with him. However, it diverges from the beaten path a bit with Oda already having a girlfriend, whom he actually likes quite a lot. Momoe does mope about this a bit, but after a while she doesn't have much time to worry about romance as she's trying her hardest to become a respected chef! Momoe has to deal with her lack of experience and being a 'woman in a male dominated business,' which is difficult but the ways she deals with it is enjoyable to read. The enjoyment of food, and the comfort well cooked food can give people is a major point of the story. The plot in general focuses on Momoe reaching for her dream, and also struggling with inventing a new sense of self.

Art: 9
The art is enjoyable with well drawn characters, and yummy looking food. The characters expressions are interesting and amusing. For some reason the drawings flow very well in an easy to read fashion.

Character: 9
Momoe's personality through her trial and tribulations make it very easy to root for her, even though she comes off as spoiled and a little air-headed to begin with. As the story goes on, her character begins to develop, and she becomes a stronger and more mature person.
Oda, the cook, comes off as a basic, tough on the outside, softy on the inside sort of person, but he develops quite a lot as well. As to be expected from this sort of romance, he becomes softer and more sociable because of Momoe's influence. However, he is also inspired and motivated by his girlfriend, who is a powerful and interesting character in her own right.
Other characters include a hesitant restaurant owner, a renowned chef who is also playboy, and an old woman who takes aspiring chefs under her wing. The characters all have intriguing back stories and a nice amount of development.

Enjoyment: 9
I definitely loved this manga. The message of 'follow your dreams' and the difficulties and rewards that come along with that, I think can be relatable for many people.

Overall: 9
The only complaint I would have was that the ending was a bit abrupt. I got to the last page and I felt like I had missed something. A more fleshed out ending would have been better, but in general the manga was very enjoyable.

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Jul 19, 2024

SaikaEternal

Mixed Feelings

Spoiler

SPOILERS. Do not read this unless you’ve finished the manga, and are dissatisfied with the last 20 chapters.
Okay, here’s the jam. The first 30 or so chapters were pretty good. The characters were fleshing out in a reasonable way. The plot was interesting, and wholesome. The pacing was good. Honestly, just based off the first 30 chapters, I would have rated this manga an easy 8.5/10. And then somewhere around chapter 50 or so, things started going haywire.
Kenji and Kanako’s relationship took a drastic nosedive. Momoe became a judgmental, guiltless, homewrecker. Kanako went dunzo. Oda… remained, well, almost the same – unambitious, random. It was ... like the characters stopped growing organically, and were suddenly being made to do random things for the sake of “plot” and the impending end of the manga. So I decided to write out this alternate version after chapter 30 onwards, hopefully it gives other readers like me, peace.

After the “Bonsai scene” where Chiyo-baa cuts off both branches from the Bonsai, Momoe takes some time off to reflect on what the best course would be for her. She decides to use her savings to go to Paris and take a professional course at Maison Bleu – she cuts off both branches i.e., boys. She decides that she does not want to be a “puppy” and always rely on Oda or Takahashi for her growth. If she has to choose either one of them, she has to be good enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. She confides in her mom, who gives her the “savings” her dad had left for her. Chiyo-baa ridicules her for making such an absurd choice, but she stands her ground. Later, behind the scenes, Chiyo-baa calls up an old student of hers at Maison Bleu, and tells him that a child with endless potential will be coming soon, and to teach her well. In Paris, Momoe moves into a 3bhk that she shares with 2-3 other girls her age + Miki. Miki scoffs when Momoe tells her that she wants to join Maison Bleu, despite having no idea about the admissions process etc. In true Momoe fashion, when she goes to the School the next day, she is “mysteriously” granted admission, though she has to stay back overtime to catch up with the rest of the class. This leads to her being ostracized and ridiculed by the rest of the students there etc., but she later wins them over.

Meanwhile in Japan, Oda and Kanako go forward with their Sel Dor restaurant. They love each other, but their relationship is beginning to get strained because they both want vastly different things. Oda wants a small eatery and Kanako wants Oda to ascend up the pro-chef ladder. Amour is flourishing and there are clips of celebrity chef Takahashi. The two sometimes think of Momoe. Around 1.5y in, Kanako takes up the job with Hasumi, having found a replacement who can assist Oda in Sel Dor. Hasumi is ambitious and straight forward, traits which Kanako admires. They become good professional partners. It is clear that there is romantic potential there, but they do not pursue it. Kanako is successful in acquiring Le Petit Rabbit. The chef who used to work there, goes back to his hometown to open his own restaurant.
Timelapse of 2 years (showing Momoe mastering various difficult techniques, etc.).

Momoe returns to Japan. She has grown into a beautiful woman, mature and elegant, albeit with her signature innocence. This would be around chapter 40. Having mastered the technical aspect of cooking, Momoe finds something amiss. She still does not know what type of restaurant she wants to open. She feels like a professional, but without a soul. She finds herself walking to an old Sushi bar that her father used to frequent. There she sees an old man who looks like her father. (She experiences the same things she did in the manga in the random old man and son arc). Working at the dingy restaurant (I’ll call it Restaurant X) where people used to drink, she realizes that the chefs at this restaurant are actually amazingly skilled in Japanese cuisine. Despite starting as a waiter, she ends up catching the eye of the head chef there. He takes her in. There, she learns from him, that a true chef cooks to make the customer happy. That cooking is not only about technique, but heart as well.

Back to Oda, he is feeling dissatisfied and unhappy with his work. Sel dor is great, but not what he wanted. He finds out that Kanako was the one behind the Petit Rabbit takeover. In his restaurant, he hears two old guests talk about how the “consommé” (lol) in Sel Dor reminded them of the consommé at restaurant X. Feeling curious, he heads there with Kanako. They order the consommé. Kanako is impressed by it, but is shocked to see Oda’s reaction. Oda reacts to the food emotionally, there’s something nostalgic and heartbreaking about it. He asks to meet with the chef, only to find out that she’s left. When he asks for her name, he is stunned to find out that it is Momoe. Kanako is left unsettled by this development.

After Momoe leaves restaurant X, she makes up her mind to work at a great restaurant until she can save enough money to open up her own place – a cozy, warm restaurant, not unlike the type that Oda desires. While strolling through the city, she chances upon Takahashi, who almost crashes his car when he catches sight of her. He begs her to join his restaurant, unaware of how much she’s grown. Though he finds something different and mature about her – almost as if the little girl from 2 years back had grown into a fine woman.

Momoe joins Amour. The cast there are shocked by the improvement in her cooking skills (sorry had to add some satisfying moments lol). Takahashi, who had invited her out of childish impulse, finds it hard to treat Momoe like a kid. Where did the carefree child go? He finds himself wondering. At the same time, he finds himself conflicted. A thought strikes his mind one day “If it were with Momoe, I wouldn’t mind slowing down”. He does not realize that he has begun to fall in love with her, or maybe always had been. The chefs at the restaurant notice that Takahashi has begun to act differently with women.
Meanwhile, Oda and Kanako decide to break up. What started as a loving relationship has turned into one lined with resentment and bitterness. Oda cannot stand the way Kanako sees cooking as a robotic act almost. Kanako has begun to lose feelings for the listless man she sees before him. Since Sel Dor, Oda hasn’t done anything to further his “career”. Deep down inside, they are both aware of how unhappy they have begun to feel. Out of respect for their childhood friendship, they decide to part ways before things turn worse.

After selling Sel Dor to Hasumi, Oda goes hunting for a place to open his restaurant. He finds a homely property in a busy street that he falls in love with at first sight.
Unbeknownst to him, Momoe has also been eyeing the same property. It’s been 1.5y since Momoe returned and she has decided to rent a property and go independent. Momoe has already spoken to the landlord about the property, but unable to afford the rent, she’s begged him to keep it on hold.
The landlord conveys the same to Oda, when Oda expresses his desire to rent the property. The landlord also conveys the news of a potential buyer to Momoe. “Why don’t you both meet up and discuss?” He advises them both. The interested parties agree to meet at a little restaurant across the street, on the advise of the landlord.

Momoe arrives early, and is surprised to meet Oda there. Without going into details, she finds out about his break up from a few months back. “Then what about Sel Dor?” she enquires. “It’s been sold, and I’m looking for a new place.” “What a coincidence! Me too!”, Momoe replies, “In fact the place I’m looking for is just-“. She stops abruptly and looks at Oda. “across the road?” he completes her sentence. They argue like old times over the place. "No fair Oda san, I was here first. You’ve had your go with Sel Dor, now it’s my turn.” Momoe finds herself acting childish with Oda. ”Aren’t you my student? Haven’t you heard of respect for your elders?” Oda responds equally childishly to Momoe’s complaints. They burst out laughing, it feels like old times again. “Just like old times huh?” Oda finds himself muttering. “Pardon?”, Momoe says. “I really enjoyed the consommé you made in Restaurant X…”, Oda says quietly. “You know about that?!”, Momoe exclaims, embarrassed and surprised. There was a time when a compliment like that would have made her heart burst with joy… “Momoe, why don’t we rent it together?”, Oda suddenly says. Momoe’s eyes widen with shock. It’s been a night full of surprises. Somehow, an old familiar happiness wells up inside her. “Okay.” She agrees, “but I want to name it.”, she says. “What do you want to name it?” Oda asks. “Le Petit Chateau.”, Momoe responds instantly. Oda bursts out laughing, “Childish and imaginative. Just like you.” he says. “Shut up Oda!” Momoe retorts, blushing. Oda stops laughing, a smile on his lips – “Okay.”, he says.

Okay, I got carried away. Anyway, they open up a place and fall in love while working together (Sorry Takahashi). Hasumi and Kanako get together (in a healthy way). Kanako’s mom doesn’t get better, but Kanako learns to live her own life. Hasumi genuinely loves her. Chiyo-baa feels smug about Oda x Momoe. “I knew it a long time back”. She tells herself. Fin.

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Poll: Oishii Kankei Chapter 71 Discussion tolkster - Mar 7, 2012	7 replies	by SaikaEternal »» Jul 18, 1:07 PM
Poll: Oishii Kankei Chapter 67 Discussion czerah - Apr 13, 2012	1 replies	by SaikaEternal »» Jul 18, 12:50 PM
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Poll: Oishii Kankei Chapter 64 Discussion czerah - Apr 13, 2012	2 replies	by SaikaEternal »» Jul 18, 12:38 PM

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