Nobunaga no Chef

[willx]

Nobunaga no Chef (信長のシェフ) is a manga series written by Mitsuru Nishimura and illustrated by Takuro Kajikawa. The story is about Ken, a gourmet chef that has amnesia, but has somehow time traveled into the past to the warring states period. He tries to adapt to his surroundings and befriends a female blacksmith named Natsu. As he makes a living for himself and acclimates to his life with Natsu in Kyoto, Nobunaga appears having heard of an amazing chef that has made his name on the streets and forcibly brings him to Gifu.



So far only 5 chapters or so have been translated but the series is up to 6 volumes in Japan.
A live action television series adaptation was broadcast in Japan in January 2013 and is currently still continuing: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2532272/

So far, this series has interested me quite a bit, the mystery of how Ken ended up in feudal Japan has still not been answered and has been brushed aside to focus on simply surviving. Nobunaga is portrayed as somewhat unnecessarily cruel but intelligent and cunning and utilizes Ken's skills beyond simply for food. Ken, for his part, is incredibly intelligent, almost at a level that is unbelievable -- at one point devising a new gourmet field ration useful in war.

So, folks, come one and all and follow Ken in his unique battlefield: the kitchen!

[Ridwan]

About time.

[Sumeragi]

Interesting.

[MrTerrorist]

Master Chef in Sengoku era?

Love reading this series.

[backbone]

Originally Posted by willx

A television series adaptation was broadcast in Japan in January 2013 and is currently still continuing: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2532272/

Wait, wait, wait. It has anime adaptation? never heard about that (perhaps i'm looking at late-night anime too much)

[Sumeragi]

No, as in RL acting series.

[il_capitano]

I read volume one just now; it's certainly nothing too special, but it's done competently enough (except for the art, which is simply weak), and sometimes that's all I'm in the mood for... but I probably won't bother with reading any further anyway.

[MrTerrorist]

So after 4 volumes, i learn a lot of things in this manga:

Spoiler for Up until current scanlated chapters so far:

* If you don't know much about foreign food, you are unworthy to lead Japan.
* A hearty meal makes men fit.
* Don't have enough plates? Make a buffet.
* Kids love ice cream and beef burgers.
* The ladies love a great cook.
* And bacon makes men mighty warriors!

[LystAP]

Originally Posted by il_capitano

I read volume one just now; it's certainly nothing too special, but it's done competently enough (except for the art, which is simply weak), and sometimes that's all I'm in the mood for... but I probably won't bother with reading any further anyway.

I find the series enjoyable, but then again, I really enjoy Japanese food, and also the cooking information that they have sprouched all over. I didn't know that miso could be used as a good substitute for soy sauce .

[Tri-ring]

Originally Posted by LystAP

I find the series enjoyable, but then again, I really enjoy Japanese food, and also the cooking information that they have sprouched all over. I didn't know that miso could be used as a good substitute for soy sauce .

Soy sauce IS a derivative of miso in which the top liquid part is called.

[MrTerrorist]

And the end of Volume 4 has been scanlated with Ken teaching the farmers of using organic compost and him heading to meet his blacksmith "girlfriend" and getting some foreign vegetables along the way.

[MrTerrorist]

Spoiler for Volume 6 scanlations are out.:

Despite Ken attempts to cook the cocoa beans, Mori still dies from his wounds.
Ken becomes depress but is cheer up by his blacksmith "girlfriend".
Knowing he cannot attack the Hongan Buddhist Warrior Monks at their home base at Hiei Mountain where the Azai and Asakura are staying, Nobunaga proposes a cooking duel between them with the Emperor as the judge to settle their conflict.
Ken at first wants to make Fruit tarts, but Youko, the Buddhist Head Monk personal chef and who also know who Ken is, is also making fruit tarts except she already pre-made the tarts.
Ken change tactics by cooking Crêpe Suzette which impresses everyone including the Emperor who decides the hostility between Oda and Hongan is over, which is exactly what Nobunaga wanted, depriving the Asakura-Azai clans an ally.
Later, Ken secretly heads to the Asakura's base in Hiei by cooking them a home meal for their troops which cause them to long for their homes which the Asakura decides to give up and go home.

[SoFarGone]

Wonder what Youko and Ken's relationship is.

[ellifeedn]

I started reading this series a day ago, and I'm intrigued by it. I wonder how they will explain the time travel elements.

[willx]

[MrTerrorist]

Originally Posted by ellifeedn

I started reading this series a day ago, and I'm intrigued by it. I wonder how they will explain the time travel elements.

But will Ken's actions lead to a paradox or a new future?

[Soverence]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

But will Ken's actions lead to a paradox or a new future?

I mean they could always go along the lines of that Ken's actions lead to the future that he was already living in anyway sort of thing as well, I feel like this series won't ever actually handle the whole time travel issue and if it does it won't do it well. It kind of reminds me of a manga where a Japanese modern battleship got thrown back into WW2, it handled the interactions with the past very well but once they had to handle the whole time travel issue it kind of all fell apart which is what I feel will happen to this series as well if they start focusing on it too much later on.

[MrTerrorist]

Lol. Despite being a good ninja, Kaede has no idea how to cook.
Can Ken teach a ninja new tricks?

[MrTerrorist]

So the event at Mount Hiei happened.

Spoiler for :

It turns out Nobunaga never actually ordered the women and children at the mountain to be killed, he spared them by saying "the women and children should never be there".
Nobunaga didn't say to spare the women and children to his generals because there were spies during the meeting so he had to say it in a coded way so everyone knew want he really ordered.
Of course, the generals didn't realize their lord was speaking in code until Hideoyoshi gave them a clue.
With their doubt over their master gone, the Oda army kills the Hiei warrior monks, spared the women and children which are later accompany by Ken and his chefs so they can be transported to safety and burn some of them temples as a message to his enemies.

[rantaid]

was reading ch.61.

foreshadowing on:

the demise of Takeda clan after Nagashino
the incapability of Katsuyori


also, small trivia on Shingen being avid reader of Sun Zi and quotes them as his own philosophy.

also, ch.7 on Maneuvering.