From: usenet-2010@planetcobalt.net   
      
   B Sellers  wrote:   
   > On 05/09/2010 07:38 AM, Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers wrote:   
   >> B Sellers  wrote:   
   >>>         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.   
   >   
   >        Well Japanese Cuisine is the background because the father is a   
   > demon gourmet and the son is in total rebellion because of the   
   > father's mistreatment of the mother who I have yet to see.   
   >        The food is an important part of the series certainly and each   
   > dish offers the opportunity for conflict between father and son over   
   > the the best recipe.   
      
   I don't think I've seen the mother in any of the seven volumes. And I   
   don't agree that Japanese Cuisine were the background with the main   
   focus being on the father-son conflict. It's acutally quite the   
   opposite: the main focus is on Japanese Cuisine with the father-son   
   conflict spicing the story up a bit. At least that's my perception after   
   having read all seven volumes.   
      
   >> 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.   
   >   
   >        Thanks for your comments and I believe that despite its faults   
   > that Oishinbo is worth the reading.   
      
   I wouldn't consider it a "must read", but it's a both entertaining and   
   educational peek into Japanese culinary culture. So, yes, I'd say it's   
   worth reading.   
      
   > As for the mess Viz makes of the story that accounts for the lines   
   > about the son's marriage to a fellow worker which has taken place in   
   > another volume.   
      
   There's a lot more than just that marriage. You'll see when you get to   
   the later volumes.   
      
   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   
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