Kai Suwabara

Ever have one of those afternoons when a commenter on your blog name-drops a character from a show you've heard of but never seen, so you have to research this character and the show and then watch the openings and a few episodes and before you know it you've been screencapping for hours?

Well . . . maybe you haven't.

It all started when ChaosAngel999 let me know that the fundoshi-clad man on the right in the above illustration is NOT Solid Snake as I had originally surmised (I think I got it from an MGS thread way back when . . . ) but is actually a character from Yakitate!! Japan. Which, in case you're unaware, is a show about baking bread.

Exciting, huh?

Why YES. Yes it IS.

I've only seen a few random episodes at this point, but the whole thing looks like a hysterical parody of shonen tropes. Where bread is serious business worthy of the most hot-blooded bakeries, where baking competitions can draw stadium-size audiences, and where reactions to a taste-test make judges go on LSD trips. The show also livens things up by featuring some damn studly bakers.

Yeah I went there. Studly bakers.

Let us proceed.

Kai Suwabara will be our subject this evening. Once again, he's the guy on the right.

Suwabara is a katana-wielding baker (excuse me, "bread artisan") who treats every loaf as if his samurai pride itself depended on not over-cookin' that dough. He's fierce like a warrior during competitions!

He also seems to favor traditional dress--which I naturally liked, being a pervert for such things.

Following my initial research, I decided to search for any instance of him wearing fundoshi. After all, that above picture probably took inspiration from somewhere. Maybe he had an onsen scene at some point, or was at a festival, or . . . or something.

Oh lordy.

Well, let's just get a bit of background. It's episode 45-46 and Yet Another Big Baking Tournament in Yakitate land. Suwabara is competing. The guy is surprised however, when his female opponent Monica walks in wearing just a bikini! (she intends to distract him with her sexiness in order to easily win). Her sinister plan appears to be working too, until the proud Suwabara decides to, um, even the playing field.

"Now we're even!" he declares.

WE ARE THEN TREATED TO A FULL HALF HOUR OF MANSERVICE as Suwabara does the whole contest dressed only in fundoshi.

Baking has never been this riveting. Iron Chef producers, take notes.

Check out those buns . . . Um, the ones in the oven, I mean. Of course.

A flashback to when he forged the mold . . . also in fundoshi. Hey, it was hot!

Ohoho, oh, I'll sample yours alright.

Then the episode gets . . . weird.

Anyway, after the contest is over Suwabara and Monica kinda hook up. They never do get the knack of wearing clothes around each other though. ;3

Fellow baker Kawachi is outraged by this new development (the girl being there, not the half-naked thing). Oh boyyy.

I SWEAR TO GOD I DIDN'T EVEN DOCTOR THIS CAP. Okay, maybe the heart is really coming from Monica who you can't see because Kawachi's head is in the way. But do I really care? Not really. Suwabara x Kawachi forever.

Speaking of Kawachi, he's pretty hot himself. Sequel post tomorrow, anyone?

Anyway, it turns out Suwabara is actually a bit of a prude despite his penchant for public nudity. Wonder what his face would look like if he knew there was a whole post here about him?

Like this maybe? Leave comments guys, and make him blush harder. x3