Oishinbo

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: The Gourmet

Japanese: 美味しんぼ

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 111

Chapters: 1039

Status: On Hiatus

Published: Sep 30, 1983 to May 19, 2014

Genres: Award Winning, Drama, Gourmet, Slice of Life

Demographic: Seinen

Serialization: Big Comic Spirits

Authors: Kariya, Tetsu (Story), Hanasaki, Akira (Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.32¹ (scored by 416 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #4625²

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

Popularity: #8475

Members: 2,157

Favorites: 34

Resources

Wikipedia

7.32

Ranked #4625Popularity #8475Members 2,157

MangaBig Comic SpiritsKariya, Tetsu (Story), Hanasaki, Akira (Art)

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Volumes: /111

Chapters: /1039

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Synopsis

Around the offices of Tozai News, Shiro Yamaoka has a reputation for being over-blunt, under-ambitious, and generally an all-around slacker. So why has he been given the important job of coming up with the "Ultimate Menu" to celebrate the newspaper's 100th anniversary? Because he possesses qualities his other colleagues don't: an exquisitely discerning palate, an encyclopedic knowledge of food and drink, and a masterful touch in the kitchen.

(Source: VIZ Media)

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Background

Oishinbo was published in English as Oishinbo: À la Carte by VIZ Media under the VIZ Signature imprint. 7 volumes were published from January 20, 2009 to January 19, 2010, with each volume being a thematic compilation of an area of Japanese cuisine.

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Adaptation:

Oishinbo

More characters
Characters

Yamaoka, Shirou

Main

Kurita, Yuuko

Main

Kaibara, Yuuzan

Supporting

Chairman Oohara

Supporting

Tomii, Tomio

Supporting

Okaboshi, Fuyumi

Supporting

President Itayama

Supporting

Okaboshi, Seiichi

Supporting

Reviews

Jun 4, 2023

ChadtheChampion

Recommended

Preliminary (62/1039 eps)

Step into the tantalizing world of Oishinbo, a manga series that serves up a delectable blend of gastronomy, wit, and compelling storytelling. This culinary masterpiece takes readers on a mouthwatering journey through the vibrant realm of food, guided by the enigmatic protagonist, Shiro Yamaoka.

While Shiro may appear to be an unassuming slacker, his true prowess lies in his extraordinary palate, encyclopedic knowledge of all things culinary, and a flair for culinary creativity that sets him apart from his colleagues at Tozai News. It is these unique qualities that earn him the important task of creating the "Ultimate Menu" to commemorate the newspaper's momentous 100th anniversary.

What ...

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Aug 27, 2019

PowerUpOrDie

Recommended

Preliminary (40/1039 eps)

[Review is for the 'Oishinbo A La Carte' English release]

One facet of Japanese manga culture that's never quite ceased to surprise me is its seemingly inexhaustible appetite (bada-boom) for culinary series.

-STORY-

Oishinbo is one of the pillars of its genre, unfortunately, it's only legally available in English as part of VIZ Media's 'Oishinbo A La Carte' anthology series, which collects various chapters by subject matter rather than by publication order. It's good if you want to do an in-depth study of sake or sushi but it can be tricky to figure out what's going on with the characters, as the various selected chapters in each volume ... can be years apart in-series. The plot and set-ups can be a bit formulaic (it seems like half of the couples in Japan have some food related problem, and main character Shiro Yamaoka tells off rich, snobby, wannabe gormets on a regular basis) but ultimately you're here for the food. The character drama is just a means to that end. My personal favorite volume is #2 "Sake", which takes a deep dive into Japanese sake production and drinking culture, with a few side stories investigating other types of alcohol. The series can get political at times, but it focuses on issues such as the use of pesticides or how the Japanese government's liquor tax policy interferes with the sake industry- rather than the "Screw [insert political figure of your choice here]".

-ART-
The characters and the environments can be fairly simple, but the designs are clean. The real effort goes into near-photorealistic depictions of the various dishes and how they are produced. The layouts are simple and easy to follow. That's really all there is to say about Oishinbo's art, except for the fact that you'll often notice a considerable 'art shift' if the volume you're reading contains both early and later chapters.

-CHARACTERS-
The characters are largely vehicles for the plot. They have their characterization and they stick to it, with development happening slowly if at all. In the A La Carte anthologies you'll need to check the footnotes at the end of each volume to keep up with what's going on with them, as the series jumps around a character might go from trying to get together with 'A' in one chapter, then in the next be married to 'B' with a baby on the way. At least their basic 'schtick' is fairly entertaining.

-ENJOYMENT-
This is a cooking series, plain and simple. If you don't have an interest in Japanese food there probably isn't anything here that will hook you. If you do have an interest in Japanese food it can be quite enjoyable.

-OVERALL-

I've pointed out flaws in the A La Carte anthology format, but I understand why VIZ Media did it. This is a niche, long-running series. It would be a MASSIVE gamble to try to start publishing from chapter 1 and hope for the best. If you're willing to accept what's being served to you, you just might find Oishinbo to be delicious.

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Aug 13, 2008

Bakabwoy

Recommended

Preliminary (Unknown/1039 eps)

Well to start off, i first started reading this book in 1995. I came across it at the Oakland public libriary and got into the world of "Oishinbo".
I am a Japanese Chef of 10+ years and cooking related manga always mesmorized me, this book started my obsession with it.
The book starts off about a man who trys to escape his past, especially his father, he sacraficed his childhood for his own obsession with the arts. for the first 20-30books or so there were more stories based on the main charcter's past, afterwords there's cliche after cliche of "who's menu is better than who's". The main ...

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Does Oishinbo have recipes in them? morpholomew - Dec 18, 2020	2 replies	by iSenyx »» Oct 15, 2023 9:36 AM
Favourite Arc From Chapter One? MrSatirical - May 11, 2020	0 replies	by MrSatirical »» May 11, 2020 6:33 PM
Poll: Oishinbo Chapter 25 Discussion DarthDaimyo - Jan 25, 2010	0 replies	by DarthDaimyo »» Jan 25, 2010 12:16 PM
Poll: Oishinbo Chapter 22 Discussion DarthDaimyo - Dec 28, 2009	0 replies	by DarthDaimyo »» Dec 28, 2009 4:48 PM

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