Manga Review: Toriko Vol. 27

Image source: Viz Media.

Imagine, if you will, a world where the only thing that mattered were culinary art. Not an entirely impossible scenario to imagine, I know, with the current popularity of cooking shows and celebrity status of Food Network personalities. However, imagine it kicked up a notch where amazing and deadly creatures roamed the Earth, and chiefs with incredible strength hunted them down in the name of fine dining. Toriko is one of those chiefs.

With the help of his best friend and hotel chief Komatsu, the legendary hunter Toriko is on a quest for the ultimate full-course meal. That’s what Toriko by Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro is all about. A simple premise, no? However, volume 27 reveals there’s more to this cooking-themed manga than meets the eye. As the ongoing battle between the International Gourmet Organization and the evil Gourmet Corps. escalates with the kidnapping of star chiefs by the latter,  a third organization named “Neo” has emerged on the scene, further complicating matters.

As intriguing as all of this may sound, the majority of volume 27 is centered on the brutal battle between Toriko and his rival Starjun. Starjun: one of three vice-chiefs at Gourmet Corps. who had his eye capturing Komatsu, After the opening chapter detailing the “Final Routine” move of imaging a powerful impression of oneself, the following chapters are nothing but gruesome and entertaining violence.

For an entire volume to be dedicated to action, the artwork needs to live up to the hype. Fortunately, the art by Shimabukuro does the action justice. Toriko’s utensil-inspired attacks deliver the vicious blows as one would imagine. The buffed and blood-covered figures scattered all over this volume are incredibly detailed. Almost reminiscent of Fist of the North Star.

While Toriko can be visually impressive, panels are sometimes hard to make out. Usually because the characters drenched in dark blood are obscured in tiny panels. The one and a half page spread weren’t easy to appreciate, either. The full-blown action scenes need to stretch its legs, instead of being cramped up by insufficient space.

If the volume number didn’t tip you off, this edition of Toriko isn’t the ideal starting point. With that in mind, volume 27 is light on story and character development. Toriko makes a lasting impression, but only for his killer moves.

Toriko fans who enjoyed the previous volumes will no doubt enjoy volume 27. Especially if they’ve been waiting for the fearsome match up of  Toriko vs. Starjun. Newcomers who decide to pick up this volume on the whim won’t be able to enjoy the full picture, but the intense action is fun enough on its own.

Toriko Vol. 27 is now available at retailers.