幸腹グラフィティ

KOUFUKU GRAFFITI

Slice of Life

ANIME

STATUS
COMPLETE
EPISODES
12
RELEASE
March 27, 2015
LENGTH
24 min

DESCRIPTION

Although Ryou Machiko is still only in middle school, both of her parents work overseas and her beloved grandmother recently passed away, so she lives in a big apartment all by herself. To keep herself occupied in that big empty space, Ryou practices her cooking, something that she thought she excelled at… but nothing ever seems quite right anymore. There’s something missing, but what could it be?

The answer unexpectedly arrives with her runaway cousin Kirin, who’s looking for a place to stay while she attends cram school. Much to Ryou’s surprise, her cooking seems to improve when they eat together! Food, it turns out, always seems tastier when it’s made for and shared with people you care about, and things only get more appetizing when Ryou’s friend Shiina joins in the culinary adventures!

(Source: Sentai Filmworks)

CAST

Ryou Machiko
Rina Satou
Kirin Morino
Asuka Oogame
Shiina
Mikako Komatsu
Akira Machiko
Ai Nonaka
Yuki Uchiki
Yuka Iguchi
Tsuyuko
Yuu Kobayashi
Hina Yamazaki
Haruka Chisuga
Mei Tsuchida
Juri Nagatsuma
Ryou no Haha
Mamiko Noto

EPISODES

Dubbed

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RELATED TO KOUFUKU GRAFFITI

MANGA ComedyKoufuku Graffiti

REVIEWS

TK8878
81/100
Slice-of-life meets eating sensually. It has an acquired yet pleasant taste.

Spoiler-free review

Review in brief:

Koufuku Graffiti plays well to Studio Shaft's strengths featuring beautiful stylization and a plot that, while light, is also surprisingly touching at times. It also features frequent food-based fanservice which may be a good or bad thing depending on what your preferences are. It's definitely recommendable to someone looking for a good "cute girls doing cute things" show.

Review in full:

Koufuku Graffiti has a simple setup even for a feel-good slice-of-life anime. What makes it work is how smoothly it builds from its foundation. It mostly follows Ryō Machiko’s middle school life which (despite the fact that she’s attending an art academy) mainly revolves around food, family, and the many ways they go best together. In more or less following a slice of one character’s life (instead of a group of 4 or 5) Koufuku Graffiti progresses by slowly developing Ryō’s situation, rather than merely mess around with the nuances of whatever club or activity was chosen to be the focus like many other shows in this genre. Of course, cooking and food in general are still explored in a plethora of ways, it simply isn’t all that’s going on. Food is what ultimately brings everything together, but it’s not usually the theme, rather it’s the scenic pathway that leads to the theme of each specific episode (though the weaker episodes lack this).
_Even takeout pizza gets special treatment in this anime._
Living alone since her grandmother’s death, Ryō initially just cooks out of necessity and with little inspiration outside of the memory of her grandmother but comes to learn that food can be much more than sustenance. She is often accompanied by her cousin Kirin Morino, whose outward passion and energy balances out Ryō’s typically reserved demeanor and provides a solid base for just about every situation and character they interact with to bounce off of. In general, the more recurrent characters of Koufuku Graffiti appear shallow on the surface unless you pay close attention as they do develop slowly & lightly over the course of the show. It covers nearly 3 years’ worth of time in 12 episodes, and while the changes are mostly quite small they are noticeable as a whole. Meanwhile, the side characters are quirky enough to fill their roles well and add to the scenes they’re in rather than merely be present in them.

The main story is light but plucks at the heartstrings surprisingly well. The anime takes place a while after Ryō’s grandmother’s death, but a considerable portion of it focuses on Ryō learning to become more independent and overcoming her remaining melancholy… through food and cooking, obviously. Rather than have the parents not show up in the story because “who cares about the parents?”, Koufuku Graffiti makes a point out of Ryō starting out almost completely alone in the beginning, which strengthens the overall theme of food, family, and friends going best together. Sometimes it’s the main focus of an episode, sometimes it hardly comes up at all.

What remains constant is that most of the anime’s strongest moments are when Ryō learns something new about the things her grandmother did for her and uses that knowledge to help herself overcome problems. Even with this going on, the show rarely ventures out of slice-of-life territory, and these story moments blend in very well with the more lighthearted majority of the show. It’s not always seamless though; sometimes Ryō is still rather enthusiastic and it’s not made clear whether her mood has truly lightened up or if she’s putting up a front to keep the other characters from worrying about her. Otherwise my only complaint in this regard is that if the anime had better time usage it may have been able to feature more of these enjoyably tender moments. Speaking of time usage…
_Disclaimer: Probably the mildest Koufuku Graffiti eating scene._
Back when it was airing this anime was better known for its highly suggestive food-eating scenes. Viewers who don't enjoy watching food or eating could find it to be a turn-off for them. Then again, if fanservice isn't your thing you'll likely find it preferable to the standard body-based variety, which isn't completely absent here but is mostly done away with in favor of the food-based fanservice. It doesn't detract too much from the rest of the show (in fact sometimes it's funny in context) but it is consistent and takes a piece of each episode, so it's effectively well animated filler for those who have no particular interest or disdain for it.

As mentioned before this show plays well to Studio Shaft's strengths. The animation & picture quality is great for the most part. It’s vibrantly colored (expect when it shouldn’t be, and the desaturated portions are given just as much care), smoothly animated, and the CG elements rarely stick out. The voicework, sound effects, and music are all well done, but more importantly it's all stylized in just the right way. Nothing really felt out of place and all the elements worked together towards creating a colorful and touching experience to make the whole greater than the sum of each individual part.

Verdict:

If Koufuku Graffiti were a food it would be angel cake; not very nutritious or complex, but light, soft, and full of good feels. If the food-based fanservice doesn’t bother you too much you're likely to enjoy it.
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AngeVNs
84/100
A Cooking-Themed Wholesome Slice of Life Tailor-Made to My Tastes
You ever heard the saying that good food tastes better when you eat it with others? Gourmet Girl Graffiti is literally that concept turned into a wholesome Slice of Life series, and I’m all for it.

Relaxing Slice of Life series that focus on appreciating the small things—like ARIA and Hidamari Sketch—are probably my favorite overall subgenre in anime and manga. Graffiti took that vibe and combined it with one of my favorite things: enjoying food, especially Japanese food. It was a combo I didn’t know I needed until this aired in the mid-2010s.

The first episode does a great job of setting up the theme. The main character, Ryou, is a nice but shy and modest girl who’s naturally a good cook. The animation shows off her food beautifully, but she feels like something is missing—her cooking doesn’t taste right, even though she follows the same recipes she was taught as a kid.

Then there’s her second cousin, Kirin. Despite being family, she’s basically Ryou’s complete opposite—hyperactive, curious, and full of energy. She loves Ryou’s cooking, but more than that, she specifically emphasizes that eating it together is what makes it so good. This simple but emotionally effective moment hooked me for the rest of the series, and that warm, comforting tone is why I love it so much.

Slice of Life often gets criticized for being slow or uneventful, but to me, Graffiti proves that just a little theming and two likable, contrasting main characters are enough to make a show feel engaging and comfy.

I love the dynamic between Ryou and Kirin. Despite their differences, they’re always so happy just hanging out, trying new recipes, and describing why they love food so much. Honestly, even though I’m not a girl, their friendship reminds me of the kind I wished I had growing up.

A good Slice of Life keeps a consistent tone and stays entertaining, but what elevates a good one to a great one is emotional depth and character development. While Graffiti doesn’t go super deep, the little growth we get is satisfying. Ryou starts off as someone who enjoys cooking but learns to appreciate the experience of sharing food and company. Meanwhile, Kirin, despite being the hyper one, gets some surprisingly strong moments later in the season. Let’s just say that while Ryou does most of the cooking, Kirin isn’t completely out of the picture—and when she does get involved, it’s really well done.

Aside from the wholesome interactions, there’s some quirky humor sprinkled in. It’s never too over-the-top or out of place for this kind of show, which just goes to show how well the writing balances the comedy and comfy vibes.

That said, as much as I love the vibe, the emphasis on beautifully animated Japanese food, and the main duo’s interactions, I have to admit Graffiti isn’t perfect. One thing that could be a hit or miss for viewers is the way it presents the characters’ lowkey sensual enjoyment of food. Even in something like Shokugeki no Souma (Food Wars), the “foodgasms” can be divisive. Graffiti has similar moments—super slow, detailed close-ups of slicing, picking up, and eating food. As a foodie, I actually love this; the attention to detail makes me hungry. But then there’s the other aspect.

I haven’t mentioned this yet, but both Ryou and Kirin are middle schoolers. Look, anime already has a habit of sexualizing high schoolers, which is a gray area I’ve had to come to terms with over the years. But middle schoolers? In a show that’s supposed to be about wholesome food appreciation? Occasionally lewding them feels unnecessary and just weird.

Another issue is that while there’s solid character development, some episodes feel repetitive—reusing the same themes but with different food. It doesn’t ruin the show, but it happens a little too often for my liking.

Then there’s Shiina, the third main character. She’s chill and makes fun commentary about Ryou and Kirin’s dynamic, but she’s barely around. When she is there, she feels more like a third wheel than a real part of the group. Maybe if there were more recurring side characters for her to bounce off, she’d have more of a role, but as is, she’s just likable enough without being fully utilized.

Otherwise, I can’t find too much to criticize objectively. It’s a super wholesome Slice of Life that nails the iyashikei vibe, has a great family dynamic, and—shockingly—doesn’t rely on yuri-baiting. Plus, the focus on Japanese food is right up my alley.

It’s a shame the series never got popular enough for a second season or even full manga scanlations. Honestly, this should be the poster child for how to do a good, wholesome, down-to-earth Slice of Life.
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