Embark on a foodie’s journey through the world of anime—and learn to recreate delicious dishes from your favorite series—with this practical guide to anime food. Join an otaku on her tour through anime food and find out what your favorite characters are savoring and sharing—from bento to yakisoba—and then learn to make it at home! Along with each recipe, you will discover facts behind the food, such as history, culture, tips, and more. Perfect for foodies and anime-lovers alike, Cook Anime is the all-inclusive guide to making the meals of this Japanese artform.

Out July 2020

160 Pages

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been struggling with providing a review for this book. Normally, I have no issues reviewing a cookbook, however, this one I’ve been putting off while trying a recipe or two.

So…

It’s not that the book doesn’t present itself well; it does. Nor, is it because it’s based on characters from anime, something I do not follow–which is odd, I know, given my geekiness. And it is about food… no problems there.

So let’s look a bit closer.

You’re provided with what is found in a Japanese pantry. Very interesting with Japanese names and explanations for what each means. I would have loved it if they’d concentrated on the pronunciation of each name so there was an added Japanese language learning element to the section.

Next section is all about the main dishes. Names of characters are suddenly thrust upon you without any real explanation as to who they are. I suppose, if I was into Anime I would understand who they are. Things like, “The Great Passage,” and, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba” are used and I’m scratching my head at this addition. I love the concept of adding “Food Facts” and “Culture Facts” I really enjoyed these but then there’s a section about where to find other places certain foods appear in, and once again, I’m lost. “Nora, Princess, and Stray Cat.” These are foods or characters? Of course, to Anime lovers, these names are probably common knowledge and followers are laughing at my ignorance. Metric charts are provided at the back of the book.

The accompanying photos of food are clear and yummy-looking. For some, this cookbook is a fantastic item to add to their collection of Anime collectibles because they reflect the Anime food written about in a well-loved series. For foodies like myself, and other non-Anime following folks, this could be a bit confusing.

I gave it: