The appeal and evaluation of "Ipponbocho Mantaro": New possibilities for cooking anime

One knife mantaro - Ipponbochou mantaro

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

June 21, 1991

■Release and sales

・Pony Canyon

■Frequencies

45 min

■Original Story

・Original work: Big Joe

■ Director

Director: Hiroo Takeuchi

■ Production

・Production: Animate Film ・Production cooperation: JCSTAFF
Produced and written by: Shueisha, Pony Canyon, Movic

■ Story

A large chain of family restaurants is built in front of the diner run by Mantaro's father. Mantaro jumps into a trap set by the president of the chain restaurant and engages in a cooking contest.

■Explanation

An OVA animated from the original manga by Big Joe. It depicts the exploits of chef Fumi Mantaro. A sequel, OVA "Ippon Bocho Mantaro 2", was released on December 21, 1991.

■Cast

・Fumi Mantaro/Matsumoto Yasunori ・Fumi Ginpei/Imanishi Masao ・Shijo Ami/Orikasa Ai ・Gohara/Nagai Ichiro

■ Main staff

・Director / Hiroo Takeuchi・Screenplay / Megumi Hiyoshi・Character design / Hidetoshi Omori・Cuisine design / Yoshie Kawamura・Animation director / Keiichi Sato・Storyboard / Tetsuya Endo・Director of production / Rei Mano・Art director / Chisato Sunagawa・Color setting / Takao Yoshikawa・Director of photography / Takashi Utsubata・Sound director / Noriyoshi Matsuura・Music / Kensuke Kyo・Producer / Masaki Sawanobori・Production cooperation / JCSTAFF
Produced by Animate Films Produced and written by Shueisha, Pony Canyon, Movic

■ Main Characters

・Fumimantaro
The protagonist of the story aims to become a chef who surpasses his father.

・Fumi Ginpei
Mantaro's father runs a restaurant. His specialty dish is katsudon.

・Gohara
Chairman of the major family restaurant chain Bongo.

■ Related works

・One-Knife Mantaro 2: The Osaka Somen War

■ Theme songs and music

・The Rolling Stones ・Lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto ・Music by Tsugutoshi Goto ・Arrangement by Tsugutoshi Goto ・Singer by Joe Yamamoto

Ippon Bocho Mantaro - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Background and production of the work

Released as an OVA in 1991, Ippon Bocho Mantaro is based on the manga of the same name by Big Joe. The original manga was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump and became popular as a cooking-themed battle manga. The OVA was published by Pony Canyon and produced by Animate Film and JCSTAFF. It was directed by Takeuchi Hiroo, written by Hiyoshi Megumi, with character design by Omori Hidetoshi and food design by Kawamura Yoshie.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of "Ippon Bocho Mantaro" is about the protagonist, Ajiwai Mantaro, who, in order to protect the small diner run by his father, engages in a cooking contest with Gohara, the chairman of the major family restaurant chain "Bongo." This simple yet passionate story leaves a strong impression on viewers. It depicts Mantaro's passion for cooking and his struggle to protect his family, and the cooking scenes in particular convey visual impact and deliciousness.

■Charm of the characters

The main character, Fumi Mantaro, is a young man who aims to become a chef who surpasses his father, and his passion and growth are at the heart of the story. Mantaro's voice, played by voice actor Matsumoto Yasunori, conveys the energy and purity of youth. Mantaro's father, Fumi Ginpei, is played by Imanishi Masao with his calm voice, conveying his love for his family and his dedication to cooking. Also not to be missed is the powerful performance of Nagai Ichiro, who plays the villain Gohara.

■Animation and visuals

The visuals of the OVA are of very high quality for a 1991 anime. Character designer Hidetoshi Omori has faithfully portrayed the personalities of the characters, while food designer Yoshie Kawamura has visually expressed the deliciousness of the food. The cooking scenes in particular are full of visual enjoyment, with the vividness of the ingredients and the cooking movements depicted realistically. Additionally, the careful drawings by animation director Keiichi Sato have also been praised.

■Music and Sound

The music is by Kensuke Kyo, and the theme song "The Rolling Stones" is by Yasushi Akimoto, composed and arranged by Tsugutoshi Goto, and sung by Joe Yamamoto, enhancing the atmosphere of the work. Sound director Noriyoshi Matsuura effectively uses cooking sounds and the voices of the characters to enhance the emotions of the viewer. The use of sound in the cooking scenes in particular can be enjoyed by both the eyes and the ears.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Ippon Bocho Mantaro" is a very attractive cooking-themed battle anime. It has been highly praised for its story development, character growth, beautiful visuals, and quality of music. It is especially recommended for people who love cooking and those who like works that depict family love. Also, because it is a compact OVA format, even people who don't have much time can enjoy it easily.

■ Related works and sequels

A sequel to "Ippon Bocho Mantaro", "Ippon Bocho Mantaro 2: Osaka Somen War" was released on December 21, 1991. In this sequel, the story of Mantaro's challenge to Osaka somen cuisine is depicted. By enjoying the whole series, including the original manga, you can gain a deeper understanding of Mantaro's growth and passion for cooking.

■ Viewers' opinions

Many viewers have commented that they were moved by Mantaro's passion for cooking and his love for his family. The visual and audio quality of the cooking scenes has also been highly praised. On the other hand, some have said that the story is too simple, but overall the show has received very high praise.

■ Summary

"Ippon Bocho Mantaro" is a cooking-themed battle anime that boasts high quality in all aspects, including the story, characters, visuals, and music. I highly recommend it to people who love cooking and those who like works that depict family love. It is a compact OVA format, so even people who don't have much time can enjoy it easily. Please give it a watch.