Note: *Derishasu is the Japanese pronounciation/adaption of the English word Delicious; on quite a few websites this Japanese comedy series can be found under the title Delicious Gakuin* First of all I have to state that I'm a European viewer, I only understand a few words of Japanese so I have to completely depend on the subtitles. I haven't watched enough Japanese TV to judge whether this is a typical Japanese comedy series or not, but I think it's beautifully surreal and hilarious - possibly because to my European eyes many elements are so unusual and bizarre and in consequence very funny although they might seem quite ordinary to Japanese viewers.
The story is set in a mysterious cookery school in Japan (deep in the mountains and some 30 km away from the next city) which was founded to train the best chefs. Here students are trained in all aspects of world class international cookery. Whilst studying (courses run for three years) they are forbidden to leave the premises of the school (the perimeters of which are in any case equipped with barbed wire and similar impediments to freedom).
There is only one chance of graduating early - if they manage to defeat the principal (who manifests himself as the head of an oxen with glowing red eyes engraved on an iron plaque!) and the four most important teachers in a Cooking Contest. These four teachers' specialities are, respectively, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and French cooking and they are called the Delicious Shitennou (Japanese for the top 4 people in any field).
The storyline centers on three teenage boys who were kidnapped by the Shintennou and brought to the school. The Shintennou obviously see some extraordinary chef potential in these boys otherwise why bother kidnapping them? The boys are Kitasaka Rouma (played by Takahiro Nishijima who also starred in Sono Sion's recent Ai No Mukidashi/Love Exposure) who comes from Hokkaido, the very rich and spoiled Matthew Perrier from Nagoya who peppers his Japanese with foreign phrases, and Takasugi Rin from Tokyo who is obsessed with all things beautiful.
Each boy has a special cooking tool which they use when being called upon to cook. Rouma owns the frying pan Tekkamaru, Matthew has a spoon called Amour and Rin's tool of choice is a pair of chopsticks.
At first the boys try to escape but soon they settle down and accept the inevitable. In each episode they learn how to develop the necessary qualities to become star cooks, such as discipline, creativity, technique and taking risks - and at the same time learn something about themselves.
Of course there are plenty of quarrels amongst each other and with the other boys, for example with the very unpleasant first year class principal who uses every opportunity to get our friends into trouble. Any quarrels between students are settled by a cookery contest called Delicious Bout in which both contestants have to prepare a special dish or use specific ingredients.
Food and ingredients play a central role in the series and often there are mouthwateringly beautiful dishes to feast your eyes upon. Bizarre characters and plenty of anime and manga inspired special effects make this one of my favourite TV shows in any genre. Highly recommended.
The story is set in a mysterious cookery school in Japan (deep in the mountains and some 30 km away from the next city) which was founded to train the best chefs. Here students are trained in all aspects of world class international cookery. Whilst studying (courses run for three years) they are forbidden to leave the premises of the school (the perimeters of which are in any case equipped with barbed wire and similar impediments to freedom).
There is only one chance of graduating early - if they manage to defeat the principal (who manifests himself as the head of an oxen with glowing red eyes engraved on an iron plaque!) and the four most important teachers in a Cooking Contest. These four teachers' specialities are, respectively, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and French cooking and they are called the Delicious Shitennou (Japanese for the top 4 people in any field).
The storyline centers on three teenage boys who were kidnapped by the Shintennou and brought to the school. The Shintennou obviously see some extraordinary chef potential in these boys otherwise why bother kidnapping them? The boys are Kitasaka Rouma (played by Takahiro Nishijima who also starred in Sono Sion's recent Ai No Mukidashi/Love Exposure) who comes from Hokkaido, the very rich and spoiled Matthew Perrier from Nagoya who peppers his Japanese with foreign phrases, and Takasugi Rin from Tokyo who is obsessed with all things beautiful.
Each boy has a special cooking tool which they use when being called upon to cook. Rouma owns the frying pan Tekkamaru, Matthew has a spoon called Amour and Rin's tool of choice is a pair of chopsticks.
At first the boys try to escape but soon they settle down and accept the inevitable. In each episode they learn how to develop the necessary qualities to become star cooks, such as discipline, creativity, technique and taking risks - and at the same time learn something about themselves.
Of course there are plenty of quarrels amongst each other and with the other boys, for example with the very unpleasant first year class principal who uses every opportunity to get our friends into trouble. Any quarrels between students are settled by a cookery contest called Delicious Bout in which both contestants have to prepare a special dish or use specific ingredients.
Food and ingredients play a central role in the series and often there are mouthwateringly beautiful dishes to feast your eyes upon. Bizarre characters and plenty of anime and manga inspired special effects make this one of my favourite TV shows in any genre. Highly recommended.
