First Impressions – Koufuku Graffiti
May your hearts be healed and your stomachs filled.
I may not know five ways about happiness, but I know a waifu when I see one. And Ryou is the waifu of the year.
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Who else but SHAFT and the Monogatari director Akiyuki Shinbo should be entrusted with turning the simple act of eating into something incredibly sexual? It’s a match made in heaven!
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Well, they keep calling it Food Porn, but honestly, as of the first episode, that feels like a misnomer. If anything I’ll call it Food Fuwa Fuwa… it’s so darn cozy and warm.
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Deliciousness
Ryou’s worst nightmare.
Sumairii// I’ve made a resolution to write at most 500 words in any post, so expect my writing to be more succinct moving ahead. I’ve been much anticipating Koufuku Graffiti ever since I learned of it, and I must say that its premiere was everything I thought it would be. Cute girls, delicious food, and sensual eating; it’s all there. And the reason why I’ve been looking forward to it so much is because I figured it’d be a show that makes you feel good. Which it does handily. Unlike certain other shows airing right now that seem determined to instead remind you of the “ugly truth” that deep down everyone is an asshole *cough* Death Parade *cough*. I jest; there’s a place for shows like that. I just prefer to watch something more optimistic when I’m unwinding after a long, hard day.
Fond memories.
So anyway, Koufuku Graffiti is shaping up to be a tale of friendship and companionship just as much as it is food pornography. From the very beginning, the seeds are sown with Ryou lamenting of her self-perceived decline in cooking prowess, which we know is an artifact of too many meals spent alone since the passing of her beloved grandmother. And then the show builds upon the theme by introducing the diminutive but feisty Kirin, who can’t seem to enjoy the bland meals her mother creates because the two are slightly out of touch. I honestly wasn’t expecting much more beyond just the pretty girls eating the mouthwatering food. So this facet of the show came as a pleasant surprise, lending more meat to the already heart-filling experience that is Koufuku Graffiti.
Killer Food
Mother and child.
Overcooled// I wasn’t quite sure how an entire anime could be based on erotic eating, but now it all makes sense. Cooking and eating is only half of the story! The other half boasts an adorable slice of life concept with Ryou getting close to her second cousin Kirin once she unceremoniously moves in. I was expecting Yuri Kuma Arashi levels of eroticism, but I’m relieved it actually ended up being more tame. I don’t think I would be as touched with the budding friendship between Kirin and Ryou if they were shoving phallic-shaped foods into their mouths while moaning all the time… But just a little bit is fine! It’s all about balancing the skeevy parts with the cute parts. There should still be enough food porn and erotic eating to keep people happy though. I made the mistake of watching this while hungry and man, 2D food has never looked so appealing to me. They really deliver on pouring time (and money) into animating any and all scenes resembling food. It looks like an entirely different anime whenever someone starts eating.
The roles have reversed?
I came for the cooking, but now I’m pretty darn hooked on the characters and their drama. As Sumairii said, Ryou is the perfect wife. Not just because she can cook like it’s nobody’s business, but because she’s incredibly caring. She looks after Kirin when she catches a cold and is downright motherly towards her. It’s a good balance to have someone capricious and outgoing such as Kirin alongside her. They’re a great combo because Ryou can teach Kirin how to not be a goddamned 6 year old idiot desperate for sugar and Kirin teaches Ryou to not be a lonely teenager already having a midlife crisis. It’s perfect! I’ll be curious to see how the two continue to get along and what other characters join them. The more people she cooks for… the more powerful she will become! Soon she will destroy Tokyo in a flood of perfect ramen broth and devour civilians with her sentient tonkatsu. Or maybe it’ll just continue to be an incredibly cute show with a bit of a sexy edge. I’m still betting on Tonkatsu-zilla.
(un)Shafted
Just your typical Shaft home.
skylion// Well, what struck me off the bat was how much this show both was and wasn’t SHAFT. All the trademarks are there, from how they arrange the mise en scene (or in this case perhaps mise en place), and overall color choice and character design. But gone are the head tilts and quirky architecture we’ve become so accustomed to. It’s not even comparable to the studio’s other slice of life comfy zone Hidamari Sketch; which had tons of quirky art direction, suiting its background and characters. Koufuku Graffiti looks like the place they are stamping out the territory to match just that, background and characters.
Oh, Kirin…
I love how everything is so spacious and clean. Japanese apartments should not look that big, but making the space feel so large makes us focus on the characters more. And when they are this cute, that’s priceless. I’m very taken by Ryou. She has all the spirit, but none of the company, the thing that makes food taste good. Sharing it. So, we just have to give her her very own ahoge owner, and that is a trait that Morino lives right down to her shoes. Oh, bless her little tempestuous heart. Acting before thinking, excitable, rash, and prone to colds. Everything the motherly instincts that Ryou’s grandmother passed on to her is needed right there. They even play with the relationship between the cousins.
Just The Food
Just the Porn
Moving ahead, we know from promotional art that a third girl, Shiina, will join the regular cast to complete the holy trinity of the show. But I don’t expect this to happen too soon, as at least the next episode should be spent on fleshing out Kirin’s relationship with her mother and on the cousin potentially settling in with Ryou permanently to play family some more. Whatever may be, I do hope that the show is able to keep up the tone and atmosphere it has created. Because I think it might have a winning formula on its hands by making us all feel warm and fuzzy inside as if we’ve just been fed lovingly prepared kitsune udon.
I really liked this! Koufuku Graffiti manages to combine girls eating food as if they’re doing various sexual acts with heart-warming friendships developing between young girls. It’s weird, but it somehow works together to give you the overall feel of a slice of life show (with a bit of bite). It’s relaxing, sweet, and charming. That also means not much else happens aside from girls talking and eating, so anyone not into the whole slice of life thing might not get their money’s worth here – foodie or not. I love both the painstakingly rendered meals and the “cute girls doing cute things” aspect so I’m obviously easily sold on this one. Wonder what will be cooking next week?
I was really looking forward to this one. I think SHAFT has something special on thier hands that isn’t totally reliant on some of the flashy elements they’ve indulged in for seasons past. This is a straight up comfy sort of story, and doesn’t need that sort of thing. Just indulge in the food, the company and the comfort, SHAFT, you’ll get a winner.
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I totally agree with OC! Don’t watch this if you are in a hungry mood because DAMN that 2D food looks amazing! Shaft really went all out and the detailed eating moments wow! That is crazy.
Oh a funny note we will be hearing Misaka Mikoto use her sexy voice thanks to Rina Satou playing the main girl xD
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…yeah, I got hungry all right….
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
I thought it was just me being perverted when I thought that the way Ryou eats was kinda erotic, I was so happy when Kirin agreed with me hahaha. And all the moaning too, omg…
I was surprised with the way Shaft is handling this. It’s very tame. I miss all the shaftism because I like them a lot, but it’s not unpleasant to not have them. It feels like something anyone could have done, though not…
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Ohhh, it’s not just you haha.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Ecchi! Hentai!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Sukebe! Hage!
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
Don’t be so harsh on us! TT.TT
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Your words are nothing compared to this.
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Satou Rina’s voice is pretty different from her usual roles. Gentle, soothing and slightly erotic. Made the show even more comfier.
The food porn needs no more mention as the pictures speak for themselves. Though I admit I haven’t had any of the food they ate this episode. I want to try them once. There goes my efforts to lose weight as this show will surely make me hungry afterwards. Y u do dis SHAFT ;_;
I was just into the show because of SHAFT and didn’t expect anything for it so I was pleasantly surprised. Will definitely continue to watch.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
If anything, for me, SHAFT would have been a detraction, so that’s why I’m glad to see the usual Shinbou-isms ditched for this. It’s like he finally realized he was allowed to make shows without neck-breaking head tilts and a surplus of power poles.
This was a really nice show to watch, and Kirin was close to the edge of being too annoying (like early Mashiro in Mikakunin) but never actually crossed the line. Should be really good going forward.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
I honestly view this show as next seasons Shokugeki no Soma lite version. You read that manga, and the girls go spread eagle over eggs on rice.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I came for the cute girls doing cute things (+ friendship) and what I got instead was 1/2 food eating pornography and 1/2 40 year old mother stuck in a grade 8 body antics. Ryou’s character really annoyed me and Kirin was marginally better.
I do have to say the food was animated nicely, but I’d rather watch a TV cooking show if I wanted to watch food.
I agree with you skylion, it doesn’t scream SHAFT but you can see their touches everywhere.
Based on the first episode, I don’t think it’ll be to my liking. A shame really, since I think this is the only slice-of-life show this season. Oh wells… maybe I’ll go try to finish Sakura Trick. That show is fun to watch, but it makes me do so much grade 6 cringing that I can only watch it bits at a time, very spaced out.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I see SHAFT in dark places…
POWUH: iLurker with 9 comments
This must be the appetizer for the upcoming Shokugeki no Soma anime._. lol
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
So…Shaft and Houbunsha has regain their “partnership” huh?!…Well, I See This is another 4Koma/Slice of Life show from MTK (Manga Time Kirara, and it Doesn’t Matter What anime studio), and i can tell you that those shows are
kinda funny yet pretty nice i tell ya, and this one seem to be so tasty, i mean man i wish i could eat some real japanese ramen! LOL!(T_T)
But…I’am Aware of Something, Something Really big, But now in not this show, but i was thinking…
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