Comics / Manga

Toriko: Volume 28 manga review

By Leroy Douresseaux
June 12, 2015 - 19:23

Toriko: Volume 28 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

There is a savage, alternate version of Earth.  Here, it is the “Age of the Gourmet,” and the pursuit of the most delicious foods rules over everything else.  It is eat or be eaten, and practically everything and everyone is on the menu.  Ultimate Gourmet Hunter Toriko is on a life-long quest to create the perfect full-course meal.  With young IGO chef, Komatsu, at his side, Toriko has an Ultimate Hunter-Chef partnership, as he faces every beast in his way, putting some in his bottomless stomach.

As Toriko, Vol. 28 (entitled The Tiger's Tears!! Chapters 235 to 243) opens, a legendary chef returns, but someone does not believe that she is the real person.  Meanwhile, Ichiryu (head of IGO) and Midora (head of its rival, the Gourmet Corp.) engage in a battle for the ages, but is it a “final battle?”  Ichiryu's “Minority World” and Midora's “Hungry Space” may provide an answer.

Then, the story goes into a flashback to reveal how Ichiryu and and Midora became brothers.  It was a time of a never-ending world war that left nearly everyone hungry.

THE LOWDOWN:  The Toriko manga is a shonen battle manga.  This particular volume of Toriko is mostly shonen battle manga.  Series creator, Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, does battle manga quite well.

Toriko Volume 28 is also about history and drama.  This is an example of that element of surprise that makes Toriko a rewarding read.  The series seems like a teen's action-fantasy manga, at first glance, until it shows a more dramatic side.  The change in tone is what keeps my mind unchanged.  I like Toriko.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for the best in shonen battle and adventure manga will want a full-course of the Shonen Jump manga, Toriko.

Rating: A- /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12