Iron Wok Jan! ‒ Episode 12
Episode 12 of Iron Wok Jan! brings a dramatic - if wobbly - conclusion to the first cour of the series.
I suppose this episode was not unlike the finale of the cooking competition: predicated on big risky swings in the hopes they would pay off. By and large, this was successful and a good ending for this chapter of the story. I can't help but scratch my head at certain choices that rang hollow in a season that has been so meticulously handled.
The competition itself is interesting. Akiyama's dish is the most fascinating, though that is by no means a slight against Kiriko and Celene's dishes. I don't know what it was like for other viewers or for readers at the time; I can only speak for myself. In that sense, I had to say I had zero insight into what would or should happen based on the dishes. I'm not a picky eater, mind you, yet I can't say I've had any of these dishes nor anything equivalent to them. That left the result a real mystery, and I was only guessing that Akiyama's dessert was going to win out because that would create the most dramatic tension.
Which dovetails into some of my issues with this episode. Otani being a hothead and Jan pushing people to their breaking point are both established character traits at this stage. Still, I can't help but feel that this went from “cooking show with big personalities” all the way to “part cooking competition, part wrestling match.” All this drama around judges slugging contestants, whether they still get to cast votes, dramatic run-ins when the final count is being made… these felt like cheap pop-offs to me. Maybe they worked for someone else; for me and my house, they were a bridge too far.
It does set us up for what's to come with a nice sense of hollow victory for Kiriko. Though the weirdly chipper ending with Jan and Okonogi was similar to the dramatic frenzy at the end of the judging. This bright and cheery final note felt way too saccharine and by-the-numbers from a series which has spent three months zigging whenever I thought it would zag.
The technicals of the production were on point, though. The food looked appealing and interesting, and the studio staff jumping in to explain the folklore of the nests/eggs was genuinely fascinating. The vocal range of the performances was all top-notch, and in particular Kikunosuke Toya's whispering line delivery to Otani stole the show. My favorite shot of the week was the first person pov we got when Akiyama gave Kiriko a big thumbs down and the world rotated while his hand remained in the center frame.
Some of the drama went too far for me in this one, but otherwise this was a good ending to a great season. I hope we see more, and I hope it doesn't take another thirty years.
Rating:
Iron Wok Jan! is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
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