Oishinbo
Oishinbo (美味しんぼ, "The Gourmet") is a long-running cooking manga written by Tetsu Kariya and drawn by Akira Hanasaki. The manga's title is a portmanteau of the Japanese word for delicious, oishii, and the word for someone who loves to eat, kuishinbo.[3] The series depicts the adventures of culinary journalist Shirō Yamaoka and his partner (and later wife), Yūko Kurita. It was published by Shogakukan between 1983 and 2008 in Big Comic Spirits, and resumed again on February 23, 2009,[4] only to be put on an indefinite hiatus after the May 12, 2014 edition in the weekly Big Comic Spirits as a response by the publisher to harsh criticism of Oishinbo's treatment of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster.[5]
Oishinbo | |
Cover of Oishinbo tankōbon volume 102, featuring Shirō Yamaoka (top right). | |
美味しんぼ | |
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Genre | Cooking,[1] comedy[2] |
Manga | |
Written by | Tetsu Kariya |
Illustrated by | Akira Hanasaki |
Published by | Shogakukan |
English publisher | |
Magazine | Big Comic Spirits |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | October 1983 – May 12, 2014 (indefinite hiatus) |
Volumes | 111 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Yoshio Takeuchi |
Produced by | Hidehiko Takei (Nippon TV) Yoshio Katō (Shin-Ei Animation) |
Written by | Ryūzō Nakanishi Yasuo Tanami Haruya Yamazaki |
Music by | Kazuo Otani |
Studio | Shin-Ei Animation Studio Deen (Cooperation) |
Original network | Nippon TV |
Original run | 17 October 1988 – 17 March 1992 |
Episodes | 136 |
Anime television film | |
Oishinbo: Kyūkyoku Tai Shikō, Chōju Ryōri Taiketsu!! | |
Directed by | Iku Suzuki |
Written by | Haruya Yamazaki |
Music by | Kazuo Otani |
Studio | Shin-Ei Animation Studio Deen (Cooperation) |
Original network | Nippon TV |
Released | 11 December 1992 |
Runtime | 90 Minutes |
Anime television film | |
Oishinbo: Nichibei Kome Sensō | |
Directed by | Iku Suzuki |
Written by | Haruya Yamazaki |
Music by | Kazuo Otani |
Studio | Shin-Ei Animation Studio Deen (Cooperation) |
Original network | Nippon TV |
Released | 3 December 1993 |
Runtime | 89 Minutes |
Live-action film | |
Directed by | Azuma Morisaki |
Produced by | Shigehiro Nakagawa Renji Tazawa Junichirō Hisaita Katsuhiko Takemasa Osamu Kamei Hisaomi Saitō |
Written by | Toshiharu Maruuchi Masao Kajiura |
Music by | Takayuki Inoue |
Studio | Shochiku |
Released | April 13, 1996 |
Runtime | 105 minutes |
Before this suspension, Oishinbo was collected in 111 tankōbon volumes, making it the 10th longest manga released and the seventh best-selling manga series in history. The series was a perennial best-seller, selling 1.2 million copies per volume,[6] for a total of more than 130 million copies sold.[7]
The series received the 1986 Shogakukan Manga Award for seinen/general manga.[8] It was adapted as a 136-episode anime television series broadcast on TV Asahi from October 17, 1988, to March 17, 1992, followed by two sequel TV anime film specials in 1992 and 1993.
It was adapted into a live-action film directed by Azuma Morisaki starring Kōichi Satō and Rentarō Mikuni, and premiered on April 13, 1996.[9] The manga is licensed in English in North America by Viz Media.
In March 2016, writer Tetsu Kariya announced on his blog that he wanted to end the manga after it returned from hiatus. He wrote that "30 years is too long for many things" and that he believed "it's about time to end it." [10]
Characters
The names here are in western order (family name last). The official English language manga volumes use the Japanese naming order (family name first).
- Shirō Yamaoka (山岡 士郎, Yamaoka Shirō) Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue, Played by: Toshiaki Karasawa (1994 show); Masahiro Matsuoka (2007 show)
- Shirō Yamaoka is the 27-year-old protagonist of the series. He is a journalist for the Tōzai News (東西新聞社, Tōzai Shinbun)'s culture division and the head of its "Ultimate Menu" project. He is only son of world-famous potter Yūzan Kaibara. He is a lazy person unless something concerning food where he possesses deep knowledge.
- Yūko Kurita (栗田 ゆう子, Kurita Yūko) Voiced by: Mayumi Shō, Played by: Yuriko Ishida (1-3), Yasuko Tomita (4-5) (1995 show); Yuka (2007 show)
- Kurita is Yamaoka's coworker. She assists him in the "Ultimate Menu" project. She later becomes his wife. They have two children, Yōji (陽士) and Yumi (遊美).
- Yūzan Kaibara (海原 雄山, Kaibara Yūzan) Voiced by: Chikao Ōtsuka, Played by: Yoshio Harada (1), Tōru Emori (2-5) (1994 show); Ken Matsudaira (2007 show)
- Kaibara is Yamaoka's father and rival. Kaibara trained Yamaoka, but the two had a falling-out. The relationship worsens when Kaibara begins to work for the "Supreme Menu" project of the Teito Times (帝都新聞, Teito Shinbun), a rival newspaper. Kaibara is also the founder and director of the "Gourmet Club." Kaibara is also an artist, and also the author of the "Dictionary of Poetic References." He is modeled after Kitaoji Rosanjin.[11]
- Daizō Ōhara (大原 大蔵, Ōhara Daizō) Voiced by: Osamu Saka
- Ōhara is the publisher of the Tōzai News.
- Kyōichi Koizumi (小泉 鏡一, Koizumi Kyōichi) Voiced by: Seizō Katō
- Hideo Tanimura (谷村 秀夫, Tanimura Hideo) Voiced by: Shunsuke Shima
- Tanimura is the director of the arts and culture department of the Tōzai News.
- Tomio Tomii (富井 富雄, Tomii Tomio) Voiced by: Osamu Katō
- Tomii is the deputy director of the arts and culture department
- Tōjin Tōyama (唐山 陶人, Tōyama Tōjin) Voiced by: Kōsei Tomita
- Tōyama is a famous ceramicist and gourmet.
- Seiichi Okaboshi (岡星 精一, Okaboshi Seiichi) Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto
- Okaboshi is the owner and chef of Yamaoka's preferred socializing space.
- Mantarō Kyōgoku (京極 万太郎, Kyōgoku Mantarō) Voiced by: Takeshi Watabe
- He is a wealthy businessperson and a gourmet.
- Noriko Hanamura (花村 典子, Hanamura Noriko) Voiced by: Rei Sakuma
- Kinue Tabata (田畑 絹江, Tabata Kinue) Voiced by: Rin Mizuhara
- Mariko Niki (近城 まり子, Niki Mariko) Voiced by: Saeko Shimazu
- Mariko Niki, originally Mariko Futaki (二木 まり子, Futaki Mariko), is one of Yamaoka's and Kurita's coworkers. For many early volumes she romantically pursues Yamaoka. When Yamaoka realizes her intentions in the chapter "The Spirit of the Sardine," Yamaoka tells her that he is not interested in marrying her, even though if he did, he would gain financial and social advantages.[12] The Futaki family, at that time, did not have a male heir. In Japanese tradition, wealthy families without male heirs adopted one of the husbands into the family, so he could become a male heir. The Futaki family wanted Yamaoka to marry into the family so he could become the male heir. Teruko reveals this to Yamaoka in the chapter "The Spirit of the Sardine."[12]
- Chairman Futaki (二木会長, Futaki-kaichō)
- He is Mariko's grandfather.
- Takashi Futaki (二木 崇, Futaki Takashi)
- He is Mariko's father.
- Teruko (輝子)
- Teruko is Mariko's aunt.
- Inspector Nakamatsu (中松警部, Nakamatsu-keibu) Voiced by: Norio Fukudome
- Tokuo Nakagawa (中川 得夫, Nakagawa Tokuo)
- He is the head chef of the "Gourmet Club."
- Fuyumi - Fuyumi becomes Okaboshi's wife[13]
- Dr. Iwakura - Dr. Iwakura is Tanimura's former elementary school classmate.[14]
- Tatsunojō "Tatsu" Hanamikōji (花見小路 辰之丈, Hanamikōji Tatsunojō) is a homeless man. He collects leftovers from various restaurants in Ginza, so he knows which ones have the highest quality food. He introduced Yamaoka to Okaboshi's restaurant.[15]
- Arthur Brown (アーサー・ブラウン, Āsā Buraun) is an American friend of Yamaoka and Kurita. He speaks very strange Japanese. He does not use correct grammar, and he uses archaic Japanese and does not properly use idioms.[16]
- Haru is the wife of Ozawa. Both had been previously married, and remarried each other. Out of habit he calls her "Haru-san."[16]
In the Japanese language, the members of the Futaki family are distinguished by the honorifics. The grandfather is "Chairman Futaki," the father is "President Futaki," and Mariko is "Futaki-san."[12]
Media
Manga
Volume List
No. | Release date | ISBN | ||
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01 | November 30, 1984[17] | 4-09-180751-8 | ||
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02 | March 30, 1985[18] | 4-09-180752-6 | ||
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03 | May 30, 1985[19] | 4-09-180753-4 | ||
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04 | October 30, 1985[20] | 4-09-180754-2 | ||
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05 | April 30, 1986[21] | 4-09-180755-0 | ||
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06 | July 30, 1986[22] | 4-09-180756-9 | ||
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07 | October 30, 1986[23] | 4-09-180757-7 | ||
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08 | December 17, 1986[24] | 4-09-180758-5 | ||
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09 | March 30, 1987[25] | 4-09-180759-3 | ||
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10 | May 30, 1987[26] | 4-09-180760-7 | ||
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11 | July 30, 1987[27] | 4-09-181401-8 | ||
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12 | September 30, 1987[28] | 4-09-181402-6 | ||
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13 | December 17, 1987[29] | 4-09-181403-4 | ||
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14 | March 30, 1988[30] | 4-09-181404-2 | ||
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15 | May 30, 1988[31] | 4-09-181405-0 | ||
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Anime
Episode list
# | Title | Original airdate |
---|---|---|
1 | "Ultimate Menu" "Kyūkyoku no menyū" (究極のメニュー) | October 17, 1988 |
2 | "Shirō versus Father ・Yūzan" "Shirō tai chichi・Yūzan" (士郎対父・雄山) | October 24, 1988 |
3 | "Yasai no Sendo" (野菜の鮮度) | October 31, 1988 |
4 | "Living Fish" "Ikita Sakana" (活きた魚) | November 7, 1988 |
5 | "Soba Tsuyu no Fukami" (そばツユの深味) | November 14, 1988 |
6 | "The Phantom Fish" "Maboroshi no Sakana" (幻の魚) | November 21, 1988 |
Video games
- Oishinbo: Kyukyoku no Menu 3bon Syoubu (Family Computer, 1989, developed by TOSE)
- Oishinbo: DS Recipe Shuu (Nintendo DS, 2007, published by Namco Bandai Games)
North American release
The manga is licensed in English in North America by Viz Media,[32] which published the first volume in January 2009.[33] Seven volumes from the Oishinbo à la Carte (美味しんぼア・ラ・カルト, Oishinbo A Ra Karuto) series were published from January 2009 to January 2010. These editions are thematic compilations (and include stories from across the timeline), making the English editions effectively a best of the "best of." These volumes are:
- Oishinbo: Japanese Cuisine, Vol. 1 (January 20, 2009; à la Carte volume 20) ISBN 1-4215-2139-3[34]
- Oishinbo: Sake, Vol. 2 (March 17, 2009; à la Carte volume 26) ISBN 1-4215-2140-7[35]
- Oishinbo: Ramen & Gyoza, Vol. 3 (May 19, 2009; à la Carte volume 2) ISBN 1-4215-2141-5[36]
- Oishinbo: Fish, Sushi & Sashimi, Vol. 4 (July 21, 2009; à la Carte volume 5) ISBN 1-4215-2142-3[37]
- Oishinbo: Vegetables, Vol. 5 (September 15, 2009; à la Carte volume 19) ISBN 1-4215-2143-1[38]
- Oishinbo: The Joy of Rice, Vol. 6 (November 17, 2009; à la Carte volume 13) ISBN 1-4215-2144-X[39]
- Oishinbo: Izakaya: Pub Food, Vol. 7 (January 19, 2010; à la Carte volume 12) ISBN 1-4215-2145-8 [40]
Reception
In the 1980s Japan had an upsurge in popularity in the gurume movement, called the "gourmet boom." Iorie Brau, author of "Oishinbo’s Adventures in Eating: Food, Communication, and Culture in Japanese Comics," said that this was the largest factor of the increase in popularity of gurume comics. The series's first volume sold around one million copies. The popularity of Oishinbo the comic lead to the development of the anime, the live action film, and many fansites. The fan-sites chronicle recipes that appeared in the manga.[3]
Tetsu Kariya, the writer of Oishinbo, has said in a 1986 interview that he was not a food connoisseur, and that he felt embarrassed whenever food experts read the comic.[3]
Controversy regarding Fukushima episodes
Responding to severe criticism of Oishinbo's treatment of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, Shogakukan Inc. halted publication of Oishinbo, at least temporarily, its last appearance thus being the May 12, 2014 edition in the weekly Big Comic Spirits.[5] Although the halt of publication coincides with the controversy, the editorial staff also claim that it is part of a previously scheduled break.[41] Before its termination, the final chapters of Oishinbo were given credit with bringing to the forefront a franker discussion of radiation effects flowing from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.[42]
References
- Alverson, Brigid (8 December 2016). "7 Mouthwatering Manga About Food". Barnes and Noble. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
- "The Official Website for Oishinbo". Viz Media. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
- Brau, Lorie (Fall 2004). "Oishinbo's Adventures in Eating: Food, Communication, and Culture in Japanese Comics". Gastronomica. 4 (4): 34–45. doi:10.1525/gfc.2004.4.4.34. JSTOR 10.1525/gfc.2004.4.4.34.
- "Oishinbo Cuisine Manga to Resume in Japan Next Week". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
- 'Oishinbo' manga on hold after criticism of Fukushima episodes Archived 2014-05-18 at the Wayback Machine -- Asahi Shimbun
- "Hanasaki Akira 花咲アキラ". The Ultimate Manga Guide. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- 美味しんぼ:来春フジでドラマ化 原作者・雁屋哲構成で初の完全オリジナル 主演・松岡は続投. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). 2008-12-17. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- 小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- "美味しんぼ (1996)". allcinema.
- Blyden, Jabulan (4 April 2016). [In March 2016, writer Tetsu Kariya announced on his blog that he wanted to end the manga after it returned from hiatus. He wrote that "30 years is too long for many things" and that he believed "it's about time to end it." "Tetsu Kariya Plans Oishinbo Manga's End After Returning From Hiatus"] Check
|url=
value (help). ANN. Retrieved 28 April 2019. - L. Brau, Oishinbo's Adventures in Eating: Food, Communication, and Culture in Japanese Comics, Gastronomica. The Journal of Food and Culture 4 (2004), p. 34-45, at p. 39.
- Kariya, Tetsu and Akira Hanasaki. Oishinbo à la Carte Izakaya: Pub Food. 263. Viz Media.
- Kariya, Tetsu and Akira Hanasaki. Oishinbo à la Carte Izakaya: Pub Food. 265. Viz Media.
- Kariya, Tetsu and Akira Hanasaki. Oishinbo à la Carte Izakaya: Pub Food. 264. Viz Media.
- Kariya, Tetsu and Akira Hanasaki. Oishinbo à la Carte Izakaya: Pub Food. 269. Viz Media.
- Kariya, Tetsu and Akira Hanasaki. Oishinbo à la Carte Izakaya: Pub Food. 270. Viz Media.
- 美味しんぼ 1 [Oishinbo 1] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1984-11-29. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- 美味しんぼ 2 [Oishinbo 2] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1985-03-29. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 3 [Oishinbo 3] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1985-05-29. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 4 [Oishinbo 4] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1985-10-29. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 5 [Oishinbo 5] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1986-04-29. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 6 [Oishinbo 6] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1986-07-29. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 7 [Oishinbo 7] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1986-10-29. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 8 [Oishinbo 8] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1986-12-16. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 9 [Oishinbo 9] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1987-03-29. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 10 [Oishinbo 10] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1987-05-29. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 11 [Oishinbo 11] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1987-07-29. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 12 [Oishinbo 12] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1987-09-29. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 13 [Oishinbo 13] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1987-12-16. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 14 [Oishinbo 14] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1988-03-29. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- 美味しんぼ 15 [Oishinbo 15] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 1988-05-29. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
- "Amazon: Viz Adds Gaba Kawa, Heaven's Will, Oishinbo". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- "Viz Media Satisfies Hungry Manga Fans with the Release of Oishinbo". Anime News Network. 23 January 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2009.
- "Oishinbo: Japanese Cuisine, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- "Oishinbo: Sake, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- "Oishinbo: Ramen and Gyoza, Vol. 3". Viz Media. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- "Oishinbo: Fish, Sushi and Sashimi, Vol. 4". Viz Media. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- "Oishinbo: Vegetables, Vol. 5". Viz Media. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- "Oishinbo: The Joy of Rice, Vol. 6". Viz Media. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- "Oishinbo: Izakaya--Pub Food, Vol. 7". Viz. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- 'Oishinbo Manga Goes on Hiatus After Fukushima Controversy -- Anime News Network, May 16, 2014
- Manga Comic Forces Japan To Discuss Radiation After Fukushima Disaster -- Huffington Post, updated and accessed May 19, 2014