Kitchen Princess

 Title: Kitchen Princess
 Creator(s): Natsumi Ando (art) and Miyuki Kobayashi (story)
 Publisher(s): Kodansha Ltd., Del Rey
 Year: 2008
 Genre(s): Shoujo, drama, romance
 Length: 10 volumes
 Reviewed by: Yukari on June 05, 2010

Synopsis

Najika Kazami is an orphan from Hokkaido with a fiery passion and superb talent for cooking. The aspiring young chef transfers to Seika Academy to find her "flan prince," a mysterious boy who saved her life and gave her a delicious cup of flan. The only clue she has to finding him is a silver spoon with the school's embelm inscribed in it.

Review

"Kitchen Princess" is very enjoyable and fun to read. I really enjoyed the collaboration between writer Kobayashi and artist Ando because it drawns on the strengths of two individuals. At first, the series seemed to me like the typical shoujo manga with its girliness, high school drama and a heroine looking for her "prince." However, this isn't a series without substance. Each chapter involves a troubled character who Najika tries to make happy with her food. She has memories that she cherishes and she understands what is important to others. Najika always pays close attention to her creations to make sure that they suit the person's personal taste. The symbolism and meaning behind Najika's cooking is what makes the food she makes taste extra good.

For a light-hearted series like this one, I was surprised to find that it deals with some serious issues. Death, for example, is touched upon more than once. Many shoujo manga directed toward young girls are flowery and cute, this one being no exception, but I have not read many where one of the main characters actually die. Although the series may seem predictable at first glance because of its cliches and corniness, the story was very well-written. There are even some surprising twists toward the ending! Many things won't be made known to the reader until the ninth volume, but everything comes together beautifully in the end.

The biggest highlight of the series are the recipes provided at the end of each volume. It spoils me into thinking that every manga that revolves around food should provide recipes. I really like the recipes in "Kitchen Princess" because they are illustrated through cute and simple diagrams with ingredients that are easily accessible. The recipes also allows the reader to be a little more connected to the story. Najika has the ability to touch people's hearts with her food and this provides the readers with the opportunity to do the same.

Overall Rating: 4/5