Cooking Master Boy, known in Japan as Chūka Ichiban! (中華一番!; 'China's Number One!'), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Etsushi Ogawa. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine and Magazine Special from October 1995 to November 1996; a follow-up sequel, Shin Chūka Ichiban!, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from January 1997 to May 1999. Both series' overall chapters were collected in seventeen tankōbon volumes. The story is centered on Liu Mao Xing, a boy whose aim is to become the best chef he could be. In November 2017, Ogawa started a sequel entitled Chūka Ichiban! Kiwami, published on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket app.
A 52-episode anime television series adaptation by Nippon Animation aired on Fuji TV from April 1997 to September 1998. A 24-episode anime television series adaptation of Shin Chūka Ichiban!, titled True Cooking Master Boy, produced by NAS and Production I.G, aired for two seasons from October to December 2019 and January to March 2021, respectively.
Contents
Plot
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 bad 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.
After the death of Mao's mother, Pai, who was called the "Goddess 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.
Characters
Main characters
Liu Mao Xing (劉昴星) (Chinese: 劉昴星; pinyin: Liú Mǎoxīng)
Voiced by: Mayumi Tanaka (1997 anime), Natsumi Fujiwara (2019 anime)
Mao is a 13-year-old boy raised in his mother's restaurant, where he develops a deep passion for cooking and inherits her skills. Despite his knowledge, he rarely cooks, leading others to assume he lacks culinary ability. When his mother's restaurant faces crisis, Mao reveals his exceptional talent, surprising everyone. Recognized as a prodigy by General Lee, he embarks on a journey to become a Super Chef, eventually earning the title as the youngest in history. Driven by curiosity and his mother's belief that a chef's duty is to bring joy through food, Mao prioritizes his customers' satisfaction. His extraordinary palate allows him to recall every dish he has tasted, identifying ingredients with precision, making him a formidable culinary talent.
Mei Li (梅麗) (Chinese: 周梅麗; pinyin: Zhōu Méilì)
Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (1997 anime), Ai Kayano (2019 anime)
Mei Li is the 16-year-old daughter of Chouyu and a former helper at the Yang Spring Restaurant. She develops feelings for Mao after witnessing his dedication to cooking and kindness toward others. Though her culinary knowledge is limited, she assists Mao with minor tasks and trivia. When Mao departs to travel China, she is devastated, having hoped for a future with him, and ultimately decides to join him (though the manga excludes her from his journey). Prone to jealousy, she frequently clashes with Shirou and reacts aggressively when other women approach Mao, such as mistaking his sister Karin for a romantic rival. Her fiercest competition for Mao's affection, however, is his passion for cooking. Mei Li strongly resembles her late mother, Meika.
Si Lang/Shirou (四郎)
Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto (1997 anime), Yukiyo Fujii (2019 anime)
Shirou is a 12-year-old mischievous traveler of mixed Japanese and Chinese heritage. Mao and Mei Li find him unconscious from hunger in the forest (in the manga, he crashes into Mao after stealing food). He left his village at age 10 to become a Super Chef but returns two years later pretending to hold the title, only to be exposed when officials reveal his badge is fake. After discovering Mao is a real Super Chef, Shirou declares himself Mao's apprentice. Though only an average cook, he knows more than Mei Li and constantly annoys her with teasing and inappropriate behavior, leading to violent retaliation. He later trains as a chef at the Yang Spring Restaurant.
Minor characters
Zhou Yu (周瑜)
Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (1997 anime), Yoshimitsu Shimoyama (2019 anime)
Zhou Yu, Vice Chef of Yang Spring Restaurant, ranks among Guangzhou's finest chefs. As Ruoh rarely cooks, he manages the kitchen with strict discipline. Though known for his steel-hearted demeanor and unchanging expression, he commands deep respect. Only Ruoh can provoke him or sway his decisions. He becomes Mao's mentor and is revealed as Mei's father. Despite his culinary mastery, he proves inept as a fisherman, losing badly to Ruoh in a fishing challenge. His failed attempt to outfish Ruoh leaves him visibly frustrated, showcasing one of his few emotional displays.
Ruoh (羅添大師)
Voiced by: Takkō Ishimori (1997 anime), Shinpachi Tsuji (2019 anime)
Ruoh, Master Chef of Yang Spring Restaurant, is a highly respected culinary figure in Guangzhou. Despite his advanced age, he possesses remarkable physical strength, earning him the nickname "Superman Chef". His legendary "Skill of God" technique, demonstrated with the mighty Devil Cow Knife (capable of butchering an entire cow in two strokes), showcases his power, though he rarely uses it now. One of Guangzhou's four Cooking Elders and Chouyu's mentor, Ruoh maintains a relaxed demeanor, often seen drinking alcohol. His unassuming appearance belies both his culinary mastery and his surprising physical prowess.
Shao An (紹安)
Voiced by: Tsubasa Chioya (1997 anime), Keiichi Nakagawa (2019 anime)
Shao An, once Pai's star apprentice, became Mao's first rival after an accident left him scarred and unable to cook. Bitter and vengeful, he returned to seize Kikkaro Restaurant, contributing to Pai's death and tormenting her son. After losing a judged cooking battle to Mao, he was forced to quit as a chef—only to resurface as an Underground Cooking Society member. Defeated again, Shao An attempted a final act of vengeance by detonating their boat. As he fell, Mao tried to save him. Redeemed by Mao's words, Shao An severed his own hand to prevent dragging Mao down (in the anime, he simply slips). Before dying, he gave Mao the missing half of Pai's Underground research.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Etsushi Ogawa, Chūka Ichiban! was first serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from October 11, 1995, to May 29, 1996. It was later moved to the publisher's Magazine Special, where it ran from July 5 to November 5, 1996. Kodansha collected its chapters in five tankōbon volumes, released from February 14, 1996, and December 11, 1996.
A follow-up sequel, Shin Chūka Ichiban! (真・中華一番!; lit. 'True China's Number One!'), was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from January 1, 1997, to May 19, 1999. Its chapters were collected in twelve tankōbon volumes, published between May 14, 1997, and June 15, 1999.
Ogawa started a sequel, titled Chūka Ichiban! Kiwami (中華一番！極), published on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket app since November 10, 2017. Kodansha has compiled its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on April 9, 2018. As of August 7, 2026, twenty-two volumes have been published.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation by Nippon Animation aired on Fuji TV from April 27, 1997, to September 13, 1998.
In 2019, it was announced that Shin Chūka Ichiban!, or True Cooking Master Boy manga would receive an anime television series adaptation produced by NAS, with animation by Production I.G. It is directed and written by Itsuro Kawasaki, with characters designs by Saki Hasegawa and music composed by Jun Ichikawa. The series aired from October 12 to December 28, 2019, on MBS's Animeism programming block.
After the final episode, it was announced that the series will be receiving a second season, with the staff and cast are reprising their roles. The second season aired from January 12 to March 30, 2021, on Tokyo MX, MBS, and BS-NTV.
Crunchyroll streamed the series outside of Asia. China Film Animation licensed the series in mainland China and Southeast Asia, and is streaming it on iQIYI.
Remow licensed the series in English and started streaming it on its It's Anime YouTube channel.
Opening themes
"Sky" (空, Sora) by Maki Ohguro (1–18)
"I Can't Breathe: Now I Can Breathe" (息もできない〜Now I can breathe〜, Iki mo Dekinai Nau Ai Kyan Burēsu) by Zard (19–36)
"If Only You Were Here" (君さえいれば, Kimi Sae Ireba) by Deen (37–52)
Ending themes
"Met in the Blue Sky" (青い空に出逢えた, Aoi Sora ni Deaeta) by Arisa Tsujio (辻尾有紗, Tsujio Arisa) (1–20)
"Mineral" (ミネラル, Mineraru) by Kaori Nanao (七緒香, Nanao Kaori) (21–36)