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Yakitate 8December 31, 2004Title: Kawachi Kai! The Solar Gauntlet! The manager gives an impossible task to his employees
In order to fight, Kawachi is coached by his peers
and trains to become a master baker.
The End. * * * RATING: B Just as pointed out in the excellent reviews of Garten, Kungfucius, and Moyism, this title takes the shonen genre to unexplored territories by following the path of two powerful . . . bakers. Although a title on cooking may seem rather prosaic, Yakitate gets high marks for originality, humor, and an exceptionally delicious storyline. In one sense, it's quite easy to pigeonhole Yakitate as a straightforward action title -- in addition to bearing the hallmark motifs of rivalry and one-upmanship, this series includes training episodes and a country-wide battle, both classic plot staples of the shonen genre. However, despite its penchant for sticking to tried-and-true elements, this series seems remarkably unconventional - as a case in point, the protagonist is fundamentally incapable of despair, and the training methodology to Kawachi's development is completely skewed. All in all, this lends to an unusually light-hearted approach, almost as if the author was aware of the ridiculousness of his own premise. Given the current angst-heavy crop of current shonen titles, Yakitate brings a welcome blend of panache to the table. Although there's clearly a lot of plot development to be explored, this title is definitely worth a taste. * * * disagree? read 13 comments! |
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