Cooking with Wild Game

Lore & Background

Asuta Tsurumi, a Japanese teenager who manages a restaurant with his father, enters a burning building to retrieve his father's cooking knife and finds himself in another world with only the knife and the clothes on his back. He meets Ai Fa, a woman from a group living at the edge of a forest, and teaches the community about the value of well-cooked food using a boar-like animal known as giba.

The light novel series was originally published by EDA as a free-to-read web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2014. Hobby Japan published the first volume in print with illustrations by Kochimo in October 2015. As of December 19, 2025, thirty-seven volumes have been published, with the series moving to a digital-only release from volume thirty-six onwards. The light novel is licensed in North America by J-Novel Club, with English volumes released digitally.

The series was adapted into a manga by Kochimo and published by Hobby Japan, with fourteen tankōbon volumes released as of June 2026. The manga is also licensed by J-Novel Club, with English volumes released digitally.

Reader's Guide

Cooking with Wild Game is a notable entry in the isekai genre, distinguished by its focus on culinary techniques and cultural exchange rather than combat or magic. The series' premise—a modern chef using his skills to improve a primitive society's diet—has resonated with readers, leading to a long-running light novel series of 37 volumes as of December 2025 and a manga adaptation. Its handling of cultural differences and the quality of the English translation were praised by Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network, though she noted the series had yet to achieve a perfect balance of its story elements. The series' transition to digital-only release from volume 36 onward reflects changing publishing trends. Both the light novel and manga have been licensed in North America by J-Novel Club, indicating sustained international interest. The work's significance lies in its niche appeal within the isekai genre, combining world-building with detailed food preparation.

Did You Know?

• The series began as a free web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in 2014 before being acquired by Hobby Japan.
• The light novel moved to a digital-only release starting with volume 36.
• The manga adaptation is illustrated by Kochimo, who also illustrated the light novels.
• Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network gave the first light novel volume a grade of B−.