Toriko Volume 32 follows Toriko, a Gourmet Hunter searching for the most precious foods in the world to create his full-course meal. He is accompanied on his quest by the timid chef, Komatsu, as well as their mutual friends. Their quest has taken them to the Gourmet World in order to revive the Age of Gourmet.

Toriko Volume 32
Written by: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
Publisher: Shueisha
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: February 2, 2016

Volume 32 sees Toriko and the others trying to save the Chief of Hex Food World. They must locate Air, which is Acacia’s Salad and the only thing that can save the chief. During their quest, Toriko and Komatsu encounter the Nightmare Heracles, one of the Eight Kings of the Gourmet World. Their friends also encounter obstacles that they must overcome in order to continue their search.

Much of this volume focuses on the battles being fought by the three teams that are looking for Air. But between the three groups, we see the most of Toriko’s battle with the Nightmare Heracles. Much of Toriko’s portion of the story is very action-oriented, but in the midst of his section, a major secret is revealed about Toriko. Considering that this is a shonen manga, I wasn’t terribly surprised about what the secret was when it was revealed.

My biggest complaint with Toriko Volume 32 is the fact that there are portions of it that feel rather jumpy to me as I read them. It was nice to see the action shift to one of the other two groups sometimes, but so little time was spent on the other groups before returning to Toriko’s storyline that it felt like the story was simply jumping around for no real reason.

Even with that complaint, I can say I’m happy that the storyline with the Nightmare Heracles actually ends in Toriko Volume 32. It was a satisfying ending for this story arc, but it’s clear that the overarching story of the series is far from over. But there’s nothing at the end of this volume to indicate what kind of story arc the series will be moving on to next.

When it comes to the art, having an action-packed volume means that there’s going to be a lot of speed lines included. But Shimabukuro also included some rather impressive looking close-up panels for the Nightmare Heracles. These close-ups really make this creature look intimidating, and they emphasize the fact that it’s an important figure in the Gourmet World.

Fans of this series should appreciate the action and the story progression that takes place over the course of Toriko Volume 32. While I may not personally be a fan of Toriko, I still recognize that the content of this volume is important to the overall story and that it will be appreciated by readers who have been following this series from the very beginning.

The reviewer was provided a review copy by VIZ Media

Originally written for WatchPlayRead.com

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