Iron Wok Jan! ‒ Episode 8

Episode 8 of Iron Wok Jan! serves up piping hot competition alongside cold callous dismissal.

The structure of this week’s entry was quite odd in a positive sense. In a way, it was more of the same as it was just a continuation of the tournament/competition. Next week, next round, we know the drill. Yet at the same time, it spent a lot of time building up a set of new competitors in the form of Celene Yang and Omae Kota to set them up as easy-to-root-for characters. That was in part to set us up for a big emotional fall.

Omae Kota is simply not cut out for this competitive cooking stuff. He is a good, respectful boy at his core, one who wants to work hard and support his family, his restaurant, and his customers. Everyone is working to help him succeed, and he feels he owes them his absolute best in return. In both look and demeanour, he’s somewhat similar to Okonogi – I almost got the two confused for a moment – and in some respects seems like a look at Okonogi on an alternate life path. Omae seems to share a lot of the same principles that guide the existing Gobanchou staff, and he’s skilled at his craft to boot. It’s hard not to imagine him fitting in better than Akiyama Jan.

But our fang-toothed lead smells blood in the water and goes for the kill. Akiyama Jan does not simply settle for making a good dish that will win, but specifically aims to make sure that Omae Kota loses. It might seem a minor distinction – it isn’t. Jan sticks the proverbial knife in Kota’s heart and twists it while the lesser, kinder-hearted chef writhes in agonizing defeat. I think it is meant to remind us that even when Jan isn’t causing issues for Gobancho in the kitchen, he still represents an oppositional figure who will have to be overcome in some form or fashion. Kiriko states that for us plainly and is determined to see a more positive form of cooking prevail.

The cooking was full of more fun curiosities and lessons. Serving food at the appropriate time is just as important as the preparation or cooking used. I wish I hadn’t been in exactly Kota’s position before, but let’s just say I know the sting of a dish getting cold before being properly served all too well. This is yet further evidence of Iron Wok Jan!‘s quality as a work that, despite never having cooked at anywhere near a professional level, I feel I can relate to the struggles of the competitors.

Rating:

Iron Wok Jan! is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.

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