Toriko

Today’s featured manga is Toriko, a truly unique series that combines gourmet food and high-octane action. Toriko is already well-known thanks to its anime and movie adaptations. It was a hit in Weekly Shonen Jump, and many readers may already be familiar with it. The manga was created by veteran artist Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, also known for his earlier offbeat comedy series Seikimatsu Leader-den Takeshi!. Just like Takeshi, Toriko brings an unusual twist—this time blending the thrills of gourmet cuisine with intense shonen battles. Set in the "Gourmet Age," the world of Toriko revolves around food. The protagonist, Toriko, travels with a timid yet skilled chef named Komatsu in search of the ultimate Full Course Menu—his personal dream meal made of the rarest and most delicious ingredients. There are two standout aspects that make Toriko such an entertaining read: ・Ingredient Capture Levels Each ingredient has a “Capture Level” that signifies how difficult it is to obtain, especially if it involves defeating a powerful gourmet beast. The higher the level, the rarer and more delicious the food. This system turns every search into an action-packed battle, giving the series its intense, thrilling edge. Readers are constantly left wondering: What kind of monster or ingredient will appear next? Watching Toriko and his allies train, evolve, and unlock new abilities to obtain these ingredients is exhilarating. ・Imaginary Yet Delicious Cuisine Most food-related manga use real recipes and actual cooking techniques. Toriko, however, dives into the realm of fantasy. It features ingredients and dishes that don’t exist in the real world—but they’re drawn so vividly and mouth-wateringly that readers can almost taste them. The food might be fictional, but the cravings it inspires are very real. (Good luck trying to recreate a Toriko dish at home!) That said, Toriko isn’t without its flaws. While the pacing is great early on—with steady growth, new enemies, and exciting discoveries—the story begins to suffer from power inflation in the later arcs. Enemies become too powerful, and the original goal—completing the Full Course Menu—starts to feel diluted. Like many long-running shonen series, it seems the manga may have stretched a bit to stay popular, leading to some slower and less focused moments. Still, Toriko is an overall high-quality series and a must-read for anyone looking for a manga experience unlike any other. The fusion of gourmet fantasy and action-adventure is something you won’t easily find elsewhere. Warning: If you’re on a diet, Toriko might make you want to quit. The food looks that good.

August 4, 2025