Punching Food For Love: Toriko
So, let me get this summed up: See Toriko and keep an eye on it.
You may have heard of it, or seen the blue-haired protagonist grinning at you from a manga shelf. You may have wondered what a “Toriko” is, and why the hero looks like the love child of Fist of the North Star and Dragonball Z. Maybe you’ve seen it at the Funimation site or saw the dub trailer.
(OK I’m not sold on the dub yet. But still, it’s good publicity.)
Is it popular? Well it’s ranked consistently among the top five Shonen Jump titles in Japan. I think the dub has a chance to get thing thing far more seen, far more exposed, and I’m keeping my eye on the anime and it’s North American Fandom. Popular or not, if you’re an anime fan and/or a nerd cook, just go watch it.
Why?
Because it is about super-powerful people hunting delicious ingredients and beating things up, and is a tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously, while telling an actual story with real characters and some surprising pathos.
It is punching things for love of food.
It’s Dragonball Z by way of Excel Saga raised by Alton Brown. It’s Iron Chef with a hot frosting of Gurren Lagaan and pecs. It’s Naruto if Chōji had his way.
In a world not our own, humanity is in the Gourmet Age, a time where food is the highest art. Various Gourmet Hunters challenge beasts and seek strange ingredients, most of which are wild and bizarre (and of course yummy). When chef Komatsu hired the titular Toriko, his adventure begins, and the two of them end up in wild journeys, cross mountains, and begin tangling with a sinister culinary conspiracy. Worse, beyond the human world is the even more dangerous Gourmet world, yet it beckons . . .
Yes, I can seriously use the words “Sinister Culinary Conspiracy.” It feels awesome to use them, by the way.
There’s also a bishounen with super powered hair, apples that taste better when you surprise them, a wolf named after Terrycloth, and a giant helping of pure crazy weird as the adventure continues. The cast is both bizarre and often intriguing, and the creator has clearly had fun making this. It’s packed with sheer enthusiasm.
Beyond the crazy cast and wacky foods, there’s actual plot, story, characterization, and even a bit of philosophy. In a world where cooking is the highest form of culture, what does that say about food and ingredients? What is food and dining with people to us really? If you like to cook like me, there are moments of the series where you’ll find yourself thinking or relating.
It’s hard to even review something like this because you’re not sure where to start on the diverse pile of everything. So if you’re into anime, into cooking, and need something that’s got action as well as heart, I recommend checking it out.
I also want to see how the dub does propelling this into further cultural awareness in North America. I think Toriko could grow to be something huge. It’s got action. It’s got passion. It’s got food. It’s got a lot to appeal to people, and I think the time of the other big action series has waned or gotten too commonplace.
Just don’t blame me when it ruins your diet . . . didn’t help mine . . .
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach. He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at http://www.stevensavage.com/.
