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Najika
Kazami's parents died when she was young. They were great chefs and she
has fond memories of them. She also remembers a boy who once gave her
some flan after he saved her from drowning because she was
grief-stricken after losing her parents. She still has the wonderful
spoon that he left behind. Now a good cook herself, she lives in an
orphanage in Hokkaido. Najika did some research and found that the spoon
came from Seika Academy in Tokyo. Finally, when she is of the proper
age, she gets accepted at the academy into the first year A class, a
class for especially talented students. The first day at the academy,
she meets Daichi, a dark-haired boy with a bad attitude. Then, she meets
her new classmates. At first the girls seem to like her, but when they
realize that she does not have a special talent, the girls start to
treat her meanly. When she meets Sora, Najika wonders if he was the boy
that gave her the flan all those years ago. Needing to get out of the
dormitory, she gets a job at a ratty little hole-in-the-wall called
Fujita Diner. At least there she can practically be alone and do what
she likes to do the most . . . be a chef.
Kitchen
Princess: Volume 1 is a manga
book drawn by Natsumi Ando and written by Miyuki Kobayashi. This book was translated
by Satsuki Yamashito, adapted by Nunzio DeFiloppis & Christina Weir, and
Lettered by North Market Street Graphics. This book contains the
following Recipes (chapters):
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Recipe 1: Najika and Flan
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Recipe 2: Najika and Taramasalata
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Recipe 3: Najika and Rainbow Jelly
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Recipe 4: Najika and Christmas Cookies
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Recipe 5: Najika and Onion Gratin Soup
There is
also some special extras in the following sections: A) Honorifics Explained,
B) Recipes, C) rom the Writer, D) About
the Creator, E) Translation Notes, and F) a Preview of Volume 2, although
the preview is in Japanese. The book reads from right to left and back to
front, just like a book from Japan. This manga book is intended for
readers ages 13 and up.
Kitchen
Princess: Volume 1 is a really
cute and fun manga book that I truly enjoyed reading. The artwork is
excellent and the storyline flows well. I really liked the main
character, Najika, and her struggle to fit in at Seika Academy. I think
that she is going to be the best chef at the academy and show up all
those snobby girls that treat her badly. Won't that be something! As for
her search for the mysterious boy who gave her the flan when she was
saved as a little girl . . . well, could it be Daichi or his brother
Sora? Hmmm . . . maybe. I'm sure all these questions will be answered in
future recipes, at least, I sure hope they will. Overall, I highly
enjoyed this new manga series and think it has quite a lot of potential.
Kitchen Princess: Volume 1
is another excellent read that manga enthusiasts will love. I anticipate
reading about the further cooking adventures of Najika at the Seika
Academy in
Kitchen Princess: Volume
2.
I rated
this book an 8 out of 10. |
