COOKING WITH MONSTERS

Culinary high school students train to do battle with vicious monsters.

In Gourmet City, warrior chefs learn to engage in culinary combat to beat monsters—and then cook them. Hana Ozawa wants nothing more than to become a warrior chef herself, so when she and best friend Bobby Binh finally make it to the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, she’s over the moon. When she meets Olivia Foster, the coolest person in Gourmet City, she’s all the happier; she’s “equal parts infuriated by and attracted to her skill.” But things start going south when the chefs pick their mentees, and Hana and Olivia end up with each other’s dream mentors. The action-packed story still has room for lots of coming-of-age themes and romantic antics in between lessons on taking down giant pistol shrimp and basilisks and preparing miracle pho and bubble bone ramen, and even the multiple secondary characters feel fully realized. Humorous moments and discussions of important topics—like wondering whether you’re good enough—are well balanced, supporting the light and satisfying narrative. Names and physical appearances indicate a predominantly nonwhite cast; queerness is also normalized, with diversity in gender presentation and identity. With bright, vivid colors, the fun, dynamic manga-style art will draw readers in and sustain their interest.

An engaging and appealing series to watch out for.