“I’ve been looking for some manga that would be great for folks who haven’t found a good entry point into the format. And I think this might be it.
Feel free to start with this volume. I did, and here’s what you need to know:
There is a competition to create the perfect Japanese meal from which recipes and dishes will be passed down through generations. There are two main chefs involved in the contest. Really, that’s about it, and most of that you can pick up in context.
It’s a great food book. It goes pretty deep into different food topics, and it’s also part mystery. Like watching an episode of House where some clever person has not only found the answer to a tough question, but anticipated pitfalls along the way.
Ugh, dammit. I’m trying really hard to not say it’s like Food Network meets Sherlock.
So my office mate was reading me some publisher descriptions for upcoming titles. And can I tell you something? Every single goddamn one was “It’s like X meets Y.” Which gets old.
Some of them don’t make sense. It’s like Gone Girl meets The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I know those aren’t exactly the same, but I think they share a tonal similarity that doesn’t warrant them crossing.
Some of them don’t make sense because you read it, and you’re thinking “No, it’s not. It’s not like the Avengers meets Gran Turismo. Because that isn’t a thing where the things can meet.”
Also, it gets frustrating. I feel like the late 90’s were all about “It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.” Which was a lie. Everything from the late 90’s was just repackaged Dark City. Don’t even question it. But at least THEIR lie was based on new possibilities, not imitating something else.
The only time I’ll accept it from now on is when it’s not used as simile. I only want things that are literally one thing crossed with another thing. Cars crossed with robots? That’s what Transformers are, and I accept that. Transformers crossed with nonsense? That’s a Go-Bot. “