Shinji Saijo's cooking manga, Iron Wok Jan! (Tekkaba no Jan!), has always stood out from the crowd. Its core philosophy? "Cooking is a battle." This unique, often wild, take on culinary combat has earned it a massive following.
Today (12/15), in a surprise announcement, it was revealed that the series will be adapted into a TV anime in 2026. The official announcement dropped a brand-new commemorative visual drawn by Saijo-sensei himself, alongside a super-teaser PV featuring clips from the original manga. Fans are absolutely buzzing!
"Iron Wok Jan!" ran from 1995 to 2000 in "Weekly Shonen Champion." The story, driven by the belief that "cooking is a battle," follows protagonist Jan Akiyama, grandson of the "Chinese Cuisine Overlord" Kaiichiro Akiyama. After his grandfather's passing, Jan heads to the Gobancho Hotel to apprentice, fulfilling a dying wish and aiming to challenge Mutsuju Gobancho, known as the "Chinese Emperor." There, he clashes with a colorful cast of chefs and a crew of wildly eccentric, ruthless rivals, sparking one unpredictable culinary showdown after another.
Original author Shinji Saijo also shared his thoughts on the anime adaptation:
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to so many people for making this anime adaptation possible. First, to Keiko Koyama-sensei, our culinary supervisor, and to all the top-tier restaurant chefs who helped us craft the dishes in the series – thank you so much. And to the entire production team behind this anime, who are bringing this work to life as an anime, 30 years after its serialization began. Most importantly, to all the readers of 'Iron Wok Jan!' – thank you, truly. Now, let's all look forward to the day the anime officially airs!"
▼ Shinji Saijo also drew a special celebratory manga for the anime adaptation.
Directing this anime is Ei Aoki, known for his work on "The Garden of Sinners: Overlooking View," "The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel - extra chorus," and "ALDNOAH.ZERO."
Aoki commented, "It's a masterpiece that's incredibly good, yet somehow remained un-animated – a truly singular and powerful work. After 30 years since its serialization, I can only say that this era has finally caught up to 'Iron Wok Jan!' As the director, and as a long-time fan who followed the series from the start, I'm going to pour my all into making this the best adaptation possible. I hope everyone can rediscover the allure of Chinese cuisine and the brilliance of the original manga through the anime."
The animation will be handled by TROYCA, known for recent works like "IDOLiSH7" and "The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent." It'll be interesting to see if they can capture the original manga's signature culinary madness!
▼ "Iron Wok Jan!" Anime Super Teaser PV
Even though the series wrapped up ages ago, it's truly a one-of-a-kind cooking manga. It's wild to think this is its first anime adaptation after all these years! If you're curious, definitely check out the original manga – it offers a completely different flavor from your typical cooking series!
via： 《炒翻天》動畫官方X