Cooking Master Boy
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Anime DetailsFINISHED

Format
TV series
Episodes
52
Episode length
23 min
Total watch time
19 h 56 min
Status
Finished
Aired
April 27, 1997 – September 13, 1998
Season
Spring 1997
Source
Manga
Director
Masami Annou
Original creator
Etsushi Ogawa
Age rating
PG — Teens 13 or older
Country
Japan
AniList score
70/100
Estimated watch time
19h 56m
⚡ 11 days at 5 eps/day

Tags & Tropes

Shounen79%Historical79%Foreign79%Food73%
TVFINISHED1997 SPRING7.0 / 10 AniList score

Cooking Master Boy

中華一番!• Chuuka Ichiban!
overview details

Synopsis

The story takes place in 19th century China during the Qing Dynasty, where the Emperor was weakened and the country was close to chaos. It is also during a fictitious era called "The Era of the Cooking Wars". It was an era in which top chefs with different cooking styles tried their best to improve their skills and to become the best chef in China. It is a country where insulting a high-grade chef or fooling around with cooking could land a person in a jail, and impersonating a top-chef is as good as usurpation of authority. Chefs compete with each other in order to gain respect and even power, but also with the risks of losing everything. The country of China has four major regions: Beijing, Szechuan, Shanghai, and Guangdong. The beginning of the story takes place in Szechuan, Mao's birthplace. After the death of Mao's mother, Pai, who was called the 'Fairy of Cuisine', Mao becomes a Super Chef in order to take the title as Master Chef of his mother's restaurant. However, before he takes his mother's place as Master Chef, he continues to travel China in order to learn more of the many ways of cooking, in the hopes of becoming a legendary chef, just like his mother. During his journey, he meets great friends and fierce rivals who wish to challenge him in the field of cooking.

Should you watch Cooking Master Boy?

Cooking Master Boy has been well received, with an average AniList score of 70/100 — 44% of 1,198 ratings are 8/10 or higher.

It ranks #8 highest-rated anime of 1997, and #11 most popular anime of 1997 on AniList.

Of the 2.6K AniList users who started it, 8.1% dropped it, so it is dropped at a typical rate; 1.8K have finished it.

At roughly 19 h 56 min in total, it is a long commitment — about 3 weeks at an hour a day.

Best for viewers who enjoy Action, Adventure, Drama — especially shounen, historical, foreign, food.

Where to Watch Officially

Availability, audio and subtitles vary by region and service.

Episodes

52 episodes are listed.

Main cast & voice actors

Creators & key staff

Original creator
Etsushi Ogawa
Director
Masami Annou

Where it fits in the series

Opening & ending themes

Openings (3)

  1. OP1“Sora” by Maki Ohguro · eps 1-18
  2. OP2“Iki mo Dekinai: Now I Can Breath” · eps 19-36
  3. OP3“Kimi Sae Ireba” · eps 37-52

Endings (3)

  1. ED1“Aoi Sora ni Deaeta” · eps 1-20
  2. ED2“Mineral” · eps 21-36
  3. ED3“Kaze no You ni Jiyuu: Free as the Wind” · eps 37-52

Theme data from AnimeThemes.moe.

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Cooking Master Boy FAQ

How many episodes does Cooking Master Boy have?

Cooking Master Boy has 52 episodes of about 23 minutes each, roughly 19 h 56 min in total.

How long does it take to watch Cooking Master Boy?

About 19 h 56 min back to back. At two episodes a day it takes 26 days; at one hour a day, about 20 days.

Is Cooking Master Boy finished?

Yes. Cooking Master Boy has finished airing — the final episode aired September 13, 1998.

Is there a season 2 of Cooking Master Boy?

No sequel is listed for Cooking Master Boy as of October 2026. You can continue the story in the original manga.

Is Cooking Master Boy based on a manga?

Yes. Cooking Master Boy adapts the manga by Etsushi Ogawa.

Who animated Cooking Master Boy?

Cooking Master Boy was animated by Nippon Animation and directed by Masami Annou.

Who sings the opening of Cooking Master Boy?

The opening, "Sora", is performed by Maki Ohguro.

Where can I watch Cooking Master Boy?

Cooking Master Boy is listed on Bilibili TV. Availability varies by region — check the streaming links on this page.