Sep 23, 2023
Sanji, the Straw Hat Pirate famous for cooking great food. Food Wars, the series famous for amazing food and very ecchi scenes of people eating it. Put the two together, and you have a great spin-off that fits well into the saga of One Piece.
The first thing to note is the quality of the art. I have only read the first three chapters of Food Wars as of writing this, but the art of this series is amazing. Shun Saeki does wonders drawing the characters of One Piece in their own style. Oda's characters are well-known for their eccentric designs, from Sanji's lankiness to Franky's
...
huge frame and the comically unbalanced designs of the female characters. And while everyone is noticeably less exaggerated and a bit more same-y, they still have the traits that make them so recognizable.
Of course, the humans have nothing on the food. Every dish that Sanji cooks up looks spectacular. Each dish looks like it comes straight out of... well, Food Wars, with beautiful page-sized panels depicting every detail of the meat, fruit, or drink. Those levels of detail carry over to the reactions as people eat them and enter the states of bliss Food Wars is known for. However, while there is still a good deal of fan service, they don't go as overboard as one might expect. Sure, there are the metaphorical images of people losing their clothing, and plenty of emphasis on certain parts of the body, but it never goes overboard in the same way that Food Wars does. (I have seen the anime, and let me tell you, there is plenty of fan service to go around in that show.)
But the best thing about the series is Sanji's actions. Even though his dishes in this manga are almost always cooked for women, and even though he is a bit of a womanizer in the main series, Saeki and Tsukuda make it very clear that he's not doing this with an ulterior motive. He cooks out of passion for the craft, as seen in his motivations and reactions specifically in chapters five and three, respectively. He's not just a one-note perverted chef; he does care for his friends, for his customers, and for his food. And the final chapter of the manga shows that perfectly.
The only complaint I have is a weird choice in some of the chapters to cover some of the Straw Hats' faces. Specifically, Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy get their faces hidden by their dialogue bubbles in the second and third chapters. It's a weird choice, especially because the rest of the Straw Hats are in full view throughout and Usopp gets seen in the fifth chapter. Otherwise, this is a great series that, like many spin-offs, interpretations, and adaptations, shows the love many have for One Piece.
However, I DO NOT recommend reading this in full until after you're in the Wano arc. The chapters are spread out through the story's chronology. If you want to read them as supplements, they appear at these points in time:
Chapter 1 happens right before the Baratie arc.
Chapter 2 happens sometime after crossing the Grand Line.
Chapter 3 happens after the Alabasta arc.
Chapter 4 happens during the timeskip.
Chapter 5 happens during the Wano arc, but before the climax.
And Chapter 6, if you're too impatient to wait for Chapter 5, is best read after the Whole Cake Island arc.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
![Q2 2023 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 6/13]](https://cdn.myanimelist.net/r/50x78/s/common/uploaded_files/1680094428-fd4e1a19271630ffd7952bd255ea254a.jpeg?s=d1075a45ea3de47980d2926fdc35a60f)
