Shinji Saijo’s culinary martial arts shonen manga is getting an anime.
A recently opened website and X (formerly Twitter) account for “Iron Wok Jan” has confirmed that the manga by Shinji Saijo is receiving a television anime adaptation. The series is set for a premiere sometime in 2026, although an exact broadcast date is yet to be confirmed.
The announcement came with a super teaser promotional video, as well as a partial staff announcement.
The super teaser PV:
“Iron Wok Jan”, what is it all about?
Illustrated and written by Shinji Saijyo, Iron Wok Jan began serialisation in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shonen Champion from June 1995 to March 2000. The manga has sold over 10 million copies, and was well-regarded for its unique and unconventional “cooking battles”.
The manga blends cooking and martial arts together, and follows the titular protagonist Jan Akiyama, who is on a mission to become the next “master of Chinese Cuisine”.
The anime adaptation, a first for the manga series, is being helmed by Ei Aoki (Girls Bravo, Overtake!) as director at studio Troyca. Makoto Uezu (School Days, KonoSuba) is handling the series composition. The rest of the staff, as well as cast, are yet to be revealed.
In celebration of the anime adaptation, Shinji Saijo released an all-new illustration featuring the main characters:
The official synopsis for the manga is:
Young, arrogant Jan, determined to be named the best cook, competes in local and nationwide competitions and does not lose his focus, even when his cooking makes some sick and other chefs sabotage him.