Comics / Manga

Kitchen Princess Volume One

By Julie Gray
June 17, 2007 - 19:19

Kitchen Princess Volume One Cover Art

“Hungry heart”…

Combining food and romance probably isn’t a first for a manga (it has certainly been covered in other mediums; Chocolat anyone?) and although Kitchen Princess is no Chocolat, it certainly has a somewhat delectable appeal.

Kitchen Princess: Volume One is a delightful and entertaining story about a young girl who falls in love with the owner of a spoon. As odd as that my sound, the spoon is the driving force behind our main character’s fanatical journey to find her ‘Prince of Flan’ – the owner of this special spoon. As the insignia on the spoon is her only clue, Najika hopes that her love for cooking and for the mysterious Prince will lead her to him and that they will somehow, against all odds, be reunited.

The inspiring and masterful combination of food, cooking and romance will no doubt have young girls falling in love with not only the characters in this manga but with the food as well. I am sure that was probably the whole idea!

The character of Najika seems like an overly nice young girl who only really wants what every young girl her age must crave; love and acceptance. After losing her parents and then leaving her home to attend the prestigious Seika Academy, Najika soon discovers that it’s not that easy to fit in, especially when your entire world revolves around two things; finding the boy of your dreams and of course, cooking.

The two main teenage boys in the manga are brothers and also enemies which gives Najika an idea to try and heal the rift between them through her cooking. In doing so, Najika slowly begins to see how her talents as a cook can rival even the most talented students at Seika, much to the disdain of the most popular girl in school – Akane.

Whilst the story seems a little far-fetched, the character of Najika is both adorable and a little naïve which only adds to her appealing demeanour. Najika would probably make a great best friend. The other two characters brothers Sora and Daichi have an interesting history which may be unveiled in future volumes. I have a feeling their ‘family feud’ might fuel the fire a little and add some heat to the story that seems to be simmering a little on the slow side.

Throughout the book there are entries by the artist Natsumi Ando as well as an entry from the writer of the manga, Miyuki Kobayashi. Kitchen Princess: Volume One also features a recipe section filled with the actual recipes for all the sumptuous food that is mentioned in the manga – a wonderful addition to the book and a treat for any fans of cooking out there.

Kitchen Princess: Volume One includes translation notes and a sneak peek of Volume Two in original Japanese. You can take a look at a preview of the manga here from Del Rey’s website.

Art Work: 6/10
Story: 7/10
Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Contact the author of this review: Julie@comicbookbin.com

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12