Dark Horse to Release Food Manga About Ramen

Food manga is my favorite manga category. Whether it’s the heartwarming family cooking of Sweetness & Lightning or What Did You Eat Yesterday? or the fantasy of Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu or the solo woman restaurant visits of Not Love But Delicious Foods Make Me So Happy! or Wakako Zake, sharing the vicarious experience of a tasty meal is a great read.

So I’m glad to hear that Dark Horse will be releasing its first food manga, Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, in September. The 136-page volume will list at $10.99 and be available in comic shops on September 11 and bookstores on September 24.

Here’s the description:

Let cool, mysterious high school student Ms. Koizumi and her girlfriends show you around the authentic ramen culture of everyday Japan in this fun food manga. The noodles, the toppings, the broth — the street stalls, restaurants, and home cooking… and yes, cup ramen too! You’ll slurp down a whole new knowledge of Japan’s greatest fast food that even many Japanese don’t know… but Ms. Koizumi does!

It’s by Naru Narumi and translated by a real Japanese chef, Ayumi Kato Blystone, which makes for a nice touch. Plus, they’re including ramen recipes! As with so many other translated manga, Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles has an anime running on Crunchyroll, which means a built-in audience.