The attention to detail when it comes to the food we see in anime is utterly unfair. Everything on the plate looks good, and ten times out of ten I don’t have the skill (or patience) to try and recreate the dishes on display before my favorite characters devour their meal.
Fortunately (or unfortunately for my stomach) there are folks out there who take the time to actually make ramen the way it looks in Naruto, and sometimes, they work with, oh I dunno, Funimation and ViZ to do an Instagram series?
Welcome to Naruto Ramen Chowdown!
This five-episode Instagram series is hosted by Jonathan Kung, a chef and influencer based in Detroit, Michigan. Kung is no stranger to making anime-influenced dishes (and other mouthwatering meals), cooking his way through some of his favorites.
The upcoming Instagram series (which starts this Friday, May 12) will have Kung showing us how to make ramen dishes based on different characters in the show. This means there will be a variety and not just the giant bowl we always see Naruto eating. No word on who the characters are yet, but if we base it off of his collection of Funko Pops in the video, there’s Kakashi, Sakura, Orochimaru, and Sasuke. I assume Naruto will be there too, so that’s my guess on the five kinds of ramen he’ll be making.
Or maybe Kiba? Because there is a good pup in the video, too!
The dishes will be made with affordable ingredients and have easy-to-follow steps so we can do our best Shadow Clone Jutsu to recreate these scrumptious ramen bowls. Viewers are encouraged to share their creations on social media using the hashtag #RamenChowdown, but I’ll probably skip that part because I will, most certainly, mess something up along the way. I’m sure Naruto would still like it, though?
Gita Rebbapragada, Chief Marketing Officer at Funimation Global Group, had this to say about the series. “Funimation is always looking for innovative ways to engage our fans, and food is the perfect ‘entre’ point. By extending our long-term partnership with VIZ Media, Naruto Ramen Chowdown showcases this iconic anime classic in a unique and savory way. And we all know that community is built around food.”
Episodes will air every Friday after the premiere of the first one. You can check it out via Funimation’s Instagram page, and if you can deal with spectacular food pictures, be sure to check out Johnathan Kung’s Instagram page too.
What other anime series would you like to see have a series like this? I feel like Studio Ghibli movies are everyone’s dream cooking series (myself included), preferably in a situation that doesn’t turn us into literal pigs for eating way too much.
Personally, I’ve always wanted a Black Butler-style cooking series, especially if it involves baked goods (note: I am NOT a baker, but I would try, for Sebastian). If we’re staying in the Naruto-verse imma need a follow-up series featuring Yakiniku Q, the restaurant Asuma would take his students too. I want Korean barbeque recipes, please and thank you.
(Image: Funimation)
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