From: usenet-2010@planetcobalt.net   
      
   B Sellers  wrote:   
   > Oishinbo  Japanese Cuisine   
   > Art by Akira Hanasaki   
   > Story by Testu Kariya   
   > Published by Viz   
   >   
   >        Ostensibly the story of a contest between two newspapers to   
   > chose either ones "Supreme Menu" or the others "Ultimate Menu" this is   
   > the story of a father-son conflict acted out in the restaurants and   
   > banquet halls of Japan.   
      
   Actually it's a story about Japanese food before anything else.   
      
   >        I was lucky enough to find two volumes one concerned with   
   > Japanese Cuisine in general and the other with Fish, Sushi and Sashimi   
   > at the SF Public Library today about 1030.  I spent most of the   
   > afternoon reading them.  They really hold your attention and all the   
   > recipes are real.  I think that Viz has about 7 volume of these and   
   > had I the cash to spare I would hie me out to the Kinokuniya manga   
   > shop in San Francisco and buy them all.   
      
   Yes, it's 7 volumes up to now:   
      
   - Japanese Cuisine   
   - Sake   
   - Ramen & Gyoza   
   - Fish, Sushi & Sashimi   
   - Vegetables   
   - The Joy of Rice   
   - Izakaya - Pub Food   
      
   The presentation of food and cooking is really enjoyable, the characters   
   are interesting, and the storytelling is quite entertaining. I didn't   
   like the character designs too much, though. And at some points the   
   story gets a little confusing, because instead of publishing the   
   original series VIZ thematically grouped selected chapters into volumes.   
   Due to this decision several chapters in later volumes take place before   
   chapters in earlier volumes. The translation notes help establishing the   
   proper context, but it's still somewhat confusing.   
      
   A point worth noting is that the contest between "Ultimate Menu" and   
   "Supreme Menu" is not depicted as some martial arts tournament (which is   
   something that really annoyed me about "Yakitate!! Japan"). It's more   
   like a battle of knowledge/wits who is able to bring out the best taste   
   in food.   
      
   cu   
   59cobalt   
   --   
   "My surname is Li and my personal name is Kao, and there is a slight   
   flaw in my character."   
   --Li Kao (Barry Hughart: Bridge of Birds)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)