Kitchen Princess Omnibus Vol. 4

I first came across this series while browsing my local bookstore, and the cute artwork coupled with the interesting plot synopsis caught my eye. I'm so used to reading magical girl/superhero/supernatural stories when it comes to manga that seeing one that's just an ordinary romance/drama stood out to me more, ironically. Little did I know that this bright, cute, and cheerful art style was hiding a much deeper, dramatic, and heart-wrenching story.Continuing from where the third omnibus left off, Najika continues her quest to become a world class pastry chef, while also having to deal with the fallout of one of her best friends dying. Not helping is the threat of her orphanage being closed down, or the stuck up attitude of her biggest cooking rival, Seiya. But when the love of her life, Daichi, unearths some long-buried family secrets, Najika just might finally find a way to achieve her lifelong dreams.....and, at long last, discover the identity of her flan prince.The book has a nice, clean art style, with easy to follow panels, and printed in the traditional backwards format, as is the custom with Japanese manga. The Kindle version has no instructions on how to follow it, so anyone who's never read a manga before might have a little trouble at first. It even includes the real recipes for every dish that Najika makes that I'd love to try sometime.Anyone who is a fan of manga (and comic books in general), and who are growing a bit tired with the same superhero shenanigans ad nauseam may find this to be a refreshing change of pace. What starts as a simple "slice of life" tale turns into a full on drama as Najika challenges the students' perceptions of what truly makes for good food, and in the process, makes some friends in unexpected places. The story doesn't hold back in depicting harsh, realistic bullying, or the effects of a loved one dying. But through it all, Najika is a continuously optimistic character to look up to, who has an amazing inner strength. No matter what life throws at her, she never gives up in trying to make people happy with her cooking. She has an amazing sense of smell and taste, and uses this natural born talent to decipher what would be the best food to make in any situation.This final omnibus seeks to wrap up everyone's character arcs, and it does so in a lovely, natural, and surprising fashion. We find out why Fujita (the owner of the school's diner) quit his job at a three star restaurant and how he became disillusioned with the culinary profession. This same lesson also applies to Najika's rival, Seiya, who begins to understand why Najika's cooking is special and that the heart and soul and thought put into cooking is what makes good food and not just fancy ingredients. Both he and Najika's best friend, Akane, get at least one last moment to shine, and it's satisfying to see these former bullies mature into kinder people.However, the biggest bombshells come when Najika finally confesses her love for Daichi. From there, we get to learn the shocking truth of what happened to Sora and Daichi's mother, and why their father is so cold and embittered now. The fallout of Daichi finding out about his mom and the secrets his dad and brother kept from him finally help Daichi and the director settle their differences and make up with each other. And in a slow, very subtle way, the director finally apologizes to and makes up with Najika for all the grief he's systematically put her through during the course of the series, proving that it's never too late to change. And when Najika finally puts the clues together of who her flan prince is, both the characters and the audience will be left stricken at just how one small act of kindness can possibly change someone's life forever.This is a great manga to give to anyone who wants a break from the standard superhero fare, or to anyone who wants to get into reading manga and needs a smaller jumping off point. This series contains great life lessons, from dealing with the harsh reality of finding out your fantasy daydream isn't always what you thought it'd be, to discussions of what truly matters in life, to showing that it's okay for your dreams and goals to change over time. It's a touching, beautiful, uplifting story that I wish would get an anime adaption someday. Best for ages 12 and up due to the slightly more mature subject matter, including on screen death and mentions of suicide.

This has been a great family friendly series. I love Najika 's amazing and resilient personality, and her determination to bring smiles to others through her cooking. Enjoyed the side story about Akane at the end. Fun, fun, fun series!

Uber cute story line that left me wanting to know more. A bit short as the author could have worked more with this series to be longer but it was great till the end.

This is such a good manga. It always makes me smile. My friend let me read vol.1 and vol.3. I wanted to read vol.2 but my mom dose not want to spend $10 all the time. My favorite part was when Najika and Daichi kiss! It was so cute…I could never imagin a manga better than this. Plus I am going to read it the thirth time.PS. If I spelled anything wrong I am so sorry! (*CRY*)Well this is not a sad cry, it is a happy cry. (*smile!*)

Wonderful manga for all ages! Kitchen Princess is appropriate for even younger girls. I bought all 4 omnibus mangas to read when I have the time. A pre-teen favorite of mine!

This is an amazing, cute, fun, simple, honest manga series. It's great for girls of all ages. I'm letting my 6 yr old read it. I don't think there's any "questionable" material in it at all. Just a young girl looking for her flan prince who saved her life when she was young. Very sweet story.

Most of the Manga sets you see in stores are written for teen ages, some even older. This series is excellent for younger readers due to the lack of swearing in it and the cute pictures.

Things happened and my mind was freaking blown. Read it plz. The feels brah. Srsly it was amazballs. Love it

Fairly priced, great read. A must have for Kitchen Princess fans, and definitely convenient, because you don't have to buy separate volumes

Una serie hermosa con Romance, comedia, un poco de drama y mucha comida deliciosa! 100% recomendado a quien le gusten los shojos y la cocina