Yakitate!! Japan, Volume 1 by Takashi Hashiguchi

I am a sucker for manga that centers around food. Recommend for those who loves the art of food with lots of action and humor. Not to mention there are some facts about the food or food ingredients that is well researched.

Combining parts of martial arts, lots of action, focusing on facial expression and body parts, makes this manga feels cool to read. The story is quite simple but the illustration is fantastic. Somehow with the help of his friends and some hard work, he could overcome the challenges. There are many times that Azuma’s teammate or enemy is trying to cheat. The moral of the story is about friendship, team work, doing what’s right according to your principle and hard work. Every competition meets a new bump in the road, a new challenge and knowledge about cooking. At every turn, there are challenges that Azuma needs to overcome to become a famous baker. He met with some interesting characters who later become his team mates.

He doesn’t know any name of the bread that he made, only called it Japan with a number. He has a rare gift: “the hand of the sun” which has more heat to make dough develop better than regular dough. We follow the story of Azuma, a boy who went to become an apprentice baker at Phantasia bakery. If you like food and not only eating it but involved in the process of making it, you would sure enjoy this. Today I would like to review one manga that is not only delicious but educational as well. (Sept.This review is not for the entire series but only for some volumes. Will enjoy this shonen manga of competitive baking. He chooses to play it safe with his art, using a style very typical of manga, yet the book's whimsical nature shines through. Indeed, all of Hashiguchi's characters are a clever mix of fierce pride and youthful optimism. The three soon find their lives are hopelessly intertwined, and together they struggle to make their marks in the world of dough.

He faces both the cunning Kyousuke Kawachi, who seeks to knock him out of the running, and Tsukino Azusagawa, a mysterious young woman with a vested interest in seeing him advance. But before he is guaranteed employment at Pantasia, Kazuma must submit to a rigorous employment exam. For years Kazuma works to bake Ja-pan, mastering 56 different styles before traveling to Tokyo in hopes of furthering his studies at the famous bakery chain Pantasia. Aiding Kazuma in his baking quest are his legendary 'Hands of the Sun,' exceptionally warm hands that speed the fermentation of yeast. Kazuma Azuma is an enthusiastic, slightly gullible young baker who dreams of creating Ja-pan: a nationally recognized bread of Japan equal to the great breads of Germany, France and other countries.

Yakitate!! Japan, Volume 1 by Takashi Hashiguchi