Fighting Foodons

Fighting Foodons, known as Martial Arts Cooking Legend Bistro-Recipe (格闘料理伝説ビストロレシピ) in Japan, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoto Tsushima and serialized in Comic BonBon in September 1997. It was adapted into an anime television series which aired on NHK BS-2 satellite channel from 11 December 2001 to 25 June 2002.

In the United States the series was dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment in cooperation with Enoki Films; Enoki Films held the license and contracted the dubbing to 4Kids. The series was aired on the FoxBox (now known as 4Kids TV). Chinese version was premiered on TVB Jade in Hong Kong, Fairchild TV in Canada starting on 22 May 2005.

Its theme song is a remix and a redub of Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.

Plot
It all started some years ago when a culinary-confused king asked a question to his chefs which would be stronger? Tofu surprise or stuffed duck? The king's chefs thought the king had gone a little too heavy on the nutmeg. One mysterious chef knew what the king was talking about and presented him with magical cards called Meal Tickets which turns the food into monsters called Fighting Foodons. Since then, regular food recipes have been turned into Foodons when the art of culinary combat's concocted.

One day, King Gorge and his Gluttons cook up a devious plan to rule the world and they sprinkled an extra dash of destruction. They plan to rule the world by kidnapping the best chefs & forcing them to make powerful evil Foodons. A boy named Chase, a young apprentice chef with an appetite for action, thinks he has what it takes to become an Elite Master Chef like his dad Chef Jack. Chase believes that he, his friends, family, and Foodons can change the world, one at a time, even if it involves going into battle against the Glutton Gormandizers, King Gorge's Big 4, and King Gorge's female cat-like servant Clawdia. Then he'd have a final showdown with King Gorge.

Protagonists
Zen Makunouchi (幕之内 膳) / Chase
 * The main protagonist of the series. Chase is a 10-year-old, impatient chef-in-training from Yokohoma. He's the son of Chef Jack and the brother of Kayla. He trains under the Foodon guru Oslo to make more Foodons so that he would become a Master Chef like his dad. His Foodons are Fried Ricer (turns into Super Fried Ricer when with Fruit Turtle or Feastavus) Hot Doggone-It, Burnt Meatballs, Shrimp Daddy, Dim-Sumthin' Special, Fruit Turtle, and Feastivus (a Deluxe Foodon fused by Shrimp Daddy, Dim-Sumthin' Special, Sir Dumpling, and the Burnt Meatballs). Zen Makunouchi is voiced by Chika Sakamoto in Japanese. Chase is voiced by Tara Jayne in English.

Karin Makunouchi (幕之内 花梨) / Kayla
 * Kayla is Chase's 8-year-old sister who fights with Coco for Chase's attention. She is usually seen guarding the M.A.C. (Mobile Attack Cuisine) Cart. Her Foodon is Omelet who is usually out. Kayla is voiced by Amy Palant in English.

Tsukiji Makunouchi (幕之内 月次) / Chef Jack
 * Chef Jack is a Master Chef and the father of Chase & Kayla. He's the leader of the Rebel Chef who fight against King Gorgeous Gorge. At the time of his disappearance, he disguised himself and called himself Chef John (Clown) to help out Chase on different occasions until his mask was destroyed during the final fight with Rose Marinade. His Foodon's Tofurious. While disguised as Chef John, he used Shark-Fin Soup on occasion. Tsukiji Makunouchi is voiced by Masami Iwasaki in Japanese. Chef Jack is voiced by Ed Paul in English.

Haoji (ハオヂィ) / Oslo
 * Oslo is a Grub Guru and was King of all Food until his student King Gorgeous Gorge reverted him to a short man who rides on a floating saucer. He has trained Chef Jack and is training Chase to become a Master Chef. Haoji is voiced by Ayumu Takagi in Japanese. Oslo is voiced by Madeline Blaustein in English.

Pi-tan (ピータン) / Pie Tin
 * Pie Tin is a 5-year-old boy from Horai whose parents were captured by the Glutton Gormandizers. He joins Chase to rescue them and fight King Gorgeous Gorge. His Foodon is Sir Dumpling. Pi-tan is voiced by Yūko Mita in Japanese. Pie Tin is voiced by Kayzie Rogers in English.

Natsume (ナツメ) / Coco
 * Coco is a sneaky girl who wears a wok on her head. Chase first met her on Banana Island and she is a student of Chef John. She later became friends with him (actually, she developed a crush on him) and fights with Kayla for his attention. Her Foodons are Doughnut-So, Ham Scam-Witch, and Tater Tons. Coco is voiced by Lisa Ortiz in English.

Ash (アッシュ) / Albert
 * Albert is a chef who Chase & Pie Tin meet at a Foodon Tournament. He is a fan of Chef Jack and later joins up with Chase on occasion until he joins Chase's group following Rose Marinade's defeat. His Foodons are Cowboyritto, Spaghettabout-It, and Crab Quake. Albert is voiced by Marc Thompson in English.

Antagonists
Don Cook (ドン・クック) / King Gorgeous Gorge
 * The primary villain of the series. King Gorgeous Gorge was one of Oslo's students and the one responsible for transforming Oslo to what he is now. He was also responsible for turning Dia into Clawdia and her animal lab partners into his Big 4. Gorgeous Gorge became King Gorgeous Gorge and started the Glutton Empire to take over the world. He even managed to establish Gorge Town. After his Big 4 and Clawdia have failed to stop Chase and his friends, King Gorge took matters into his own hands. When it came to the final battle, he used the power of the Dark Nebula to create Devouron the Foodon Embodiment of Evil. When Oslo gave Chase and his Foodons the ability to become Palator the Foodon Embodiment of Good, he destroyed Devouron and defeated King Gorge cleansing him of evil. His Foodons are Fowligator, Sir Loin, Steak King, Multiprawns, Screwdles, Flyin' Flapjacks, Seafood Impastas, Sushi Ship, and Snack Attack. King Gorgeous Gorge is voiced by Michael Alston Bailey in English.

Miamia (味亜味亜) / Clawdia
 * Dia is a young rocket scientist who was turned into a catgirl named Clawdia by King Gorgeous Gorge who also transformed her animal lab partners into Gorge's Big 4. She will try to stop Chase and Coco on their quest to stop King Gorgeous Gorge. She has often followed orders of each of the Big 4 which always ended in failure. After each of the Big 4 were returned to their original forms, Clawdia asked King Gorge to give her a chance to prove herself to him as King Gorge lent her Sir Loin and Steak King. She eventually failed and was mortally zapped by King Gorge. Chase was able to use his fried rice to restore her to Dia. She helps Chase by giving him an Eggplant Rocket needed to reach King Gorge in space. Her Foodons are Beefsteak, Boulder Broth, Sgt. Side-Order, Noodle-Ator, Applegator, Chowderheads, Bearafooda, Doughnasour, Digestor, and Pasta Vazoomin. Clawdia is voiced by Veronica Taylor.

Kima (キマ) / Cinnamonkey
 * Formerly a green monkey that worked with Dia, Cinnamonkey is a member of King Gorgeous Gorge's Big 4 who tried to conquer Marmaland. When Shisk-Ka-Beast is defeated, Fruit Turtle restored Cinnamonkey to his true form. His Foodon is Shish-Ka-Beast and his name is a pun on "cinnamon." Cinnamonkey is voiced by Jimmy Zoppi in English.

Masa (マサ) / Cole Slawter
 * Formerly a blue bear that worked with Dia, Cole Slawter is a member of King Gorgeous Gorge's Big 4 who specializes in seafood Foodons and plotted to turn Chase into a Glutton. That failed and Fruit Turtle reverted him back to normal after it defeated Octopoison and Squid-Vicious. His Foodons are Sizzler, Octopoison, and Squid-Vicious. His name is a pun on "coleslaw." is voiced by Eric Stuart in English.

Chu-Nyan (チューニャン) / Rose Marinade
 * Formerly a two-tailed fox who worked with Dia, Rose Marinade's is a member of King Gorgeous Gorge's Big 4. One time, she turned Kayla and Pie Tin into Gluttons by using Apple Pie seasoned with Glutton Magic while she was disguised as an old lady. After she failed, King Gorgeous Gorge's vision in the sky reverted her back to her true form. Her Foodons are Spring Roll Chicken, Dim-Sumthin' Wild, Dim-Sumthin' Blue, Dim-Sumthin' Else, and a team of Dim-Sumthin' Specials. All of Dim-Sumthin' fuse together into Dim-Sumthin' Deluxe, a Foodon Deluxe. After Dim-Sumthin' Deluxe was defeated, a vision of King Gorge appeared in the sky and turned Rose Marinade back into a two-tailed fox. Rose Marinade is voiced by Megan Hollingshead in English

Grill (グリル)
 * Formerly a bat with a mechanical eye that worked with Dia, Grill is a cyborg who is the fourth member of King Gorgeous Gorge's Big 4 and the most powerful of the bunch. He tried to use his Butcherbot to assist King Gorgeous Gorge's world domination plot. After Gazmacho, Scarinara, and Gobblebot destroyed his cyborg form, he re-emerged back to his normal bat form. His Foodons are Tank 'N' Cheese, Mouse Special, Shakin' Bacon, Scarinara, and Gobblebot. Grill is voiced by Oliver Wyman in English.

Mussels Marinara
 * A high-ranking member of the Glutton Empire. Mussels Marinara faced off against Chase in the preliminary round of the Floating Foodon Tournament and lost. He hasn't been seen since Chef Jack crashed Spring Chicken into the Glutton's ocean base. His Foodon is Shrimp Stompura. Mussels Marinara is voiced by Wayne Grayson in English.

Glutton Gormandizers
 * They serve as the foot soldiers of the Glutton Empire.

Episodes

 * 1) Rice to Meet You -
 * 2) Pie Tin Power -
 * 3) Mushroom With a View -
 * 4) You Wanna Pizza Me -
 * 5) Ship of Foods -
 * 6) We Have a Weiner -
 * 7) Avast Ye Gluttons -
 * 8) Battling Banana Island -
 * 9) Hot Pepper Pursuit -
 * 10) Boot Camp Buffet -
 * 11) El Taco Grande -
 * 12) Cinamonkey's Secret -
 * 13) Slaw and Order -
 * 14) The Comeback Squid -
 * 15) Swine Dining -
 * 16) Attack of the Burger Brigade -
 * 17) Use Your Noodle -
 * 18) Assault and Pepper -
 * 19) License to Grill -
 * 20) To Catch a Beef -
 * 21) Hot and Spy'c -
 * 22) You Go Grill Pt. 1 -
 * 23) You Go Grill Pt. 2 -
 * 24) A Whole Lot at Steak -
 * 25) Chase in Space -
 * 26) A Dish Better Served Cold -

DVD release
Currently the rights to Fighting Foodons is held by Enoki Films. As of April 2008, Enoki Films has no plans to release "Fighting Foodons" on DVD.