Whether you’re a native Japanese speaker looking for something to add to your existing collection or a Japanese language learner who is venturing into the wonderful world of Japanese Manga, these are the three series that are sure to please.
＃１ Oishinbo 美味しんぼ
Genre: Food
Language: English version available
Shiro Yamaoka is a food critic at Tozai News, and together with the newly hired Yuko Kurita, the pair are tasked to create, “the ultimate menu”. Along their way, they often run across Yamaoka’s father and rival Yuzan Kaibara founder and director of “The Gourmet Club”. Working for Tozai’s rival paper, the Teito times, Yuzan leads “the supreme menu project” and he and Yamaoka compete in a battle of wits in this popular long running series.
The original Japanese series contains 113 books. There is an shortened English version available here.
The animated series is easy to watch and has a catchy City Pop soundtrack that will be sure to lift your spirits! The song, “Line,” by Yuma Nakamura is particularly catchy.
If you love food, you’re going to love Oishinbo.
#2 Kenkaku Shobai 剣客商売
Genre: Period piece
Language: Japanese
Kohei Akiyama is a retired Mugai ryu master who wants nothing more than to spend his retirement in peace with his new wife, Oharu. Kohei’s son Daijiro has also built a reputation as a skilled swordsman, and like his father opens his own dojo. When news reaches Kohei that someone has been impersonating his son he is forced to come out of his retirement. Together with his son, and Mifuyu Sasaki, the illegitimate samurai sword wielding daughter of Lord Tanuma, the trio work together to find the imposter in this amusing period piece manga.
The series is based on a set of historical novels written by Shotaro Ikenami. Fuji Television produced a TV adaption of the series starring Fujita Makoto that’s really good. The first season with the original cast is excellent.
#3 Oniheihankacho
Genre: Period piece
Language: Japanese (TV Series), English sub (Animation on Amazon Prime Video)
Heizo Hasegawa is the General head of the special investigative theft and arson agency in Edo. Born to a concubine, Heizo was welcomed as by his father as his heir when it was clear that he and his official wife would not produce one. However, Heizo would be shunned by his step-mother and this led him to live the fast life among the hoodlums in society where he earned the nickname Onihei meaning, Heizo the Demon. Upon his father’s death, Heizo comes into his birth right and inheritance and it’s from there where he leads his band of samurai police. Despite bring feared by many, Heizo is can be merciful and forgiving, often overlooking crimes committed out of necessity or when not committing a crime would have been against one’s duty.
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