Iron Wok Jan 27
July 25, 2009
Shinji Saijyo – DrMaster – 2007 – 27 volumes
That ending… well, the last volume ended with the stadium in chaos, but from there… I was not expecting any of what happened. Not a single thing. A battle with Mutsuju comes up, and he seems all eager about challenging Kiriko, Jan, and Ransei Koh. High stakes are wagered, such as Gobancho Restaurant, Jan’s arm, Oitani’s tongue. And then… and then.
What.
What the hell, Iron Wok Jan.
I loved it. Right up to the end, that series was as insane as it could have possibly been. The artist even included a special ending just for the graphic novel that has a very different, non-cooking direction for the story. I don’t mind that either. I did think it was weird that Kiriko and Jan stuck together, though. It makes me think things about them, and I don’t want that.
There is a short story at the end of the volume that was apparently Shinji Saijyo’s debut work in Shounen Champion. It had a very Jan-like spiritualist in it that could steal souls with a red demon-looking hand. I would totally have read that had it been made into a series, too.
Thank you, Iron Wok Jan, for not only being the best cooking manga I’ve read, but for also being one of the most completely insane series that has been translated. Only Drifting Classroom can give this a run for its money.
