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{{Infobox-AnimeCharacter
{{Infobox-AnimeCharacter
|title=Chef Kawasaki
|title=Chef Kawasaki
|image=[[File:Kawasaki.png|250px]]
|image=[[File:KRBaY Chef Kawasaki Artwork.png|250px]]
|caption=Artwork of '''Chef Kawasaki''' from ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''
|caption=Artwork of '''Chef Kawasaki''' from ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''.
|debut=[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|debut=[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|last=[[Kirby 3D]]
|last=[[Kirby 3D]]
|role=Supporting character
|role=Supporting character
|other=[[Chef Kawasaki|His video game incarnation]]
|other=[[Chef Kawasaki|His video game incarnation]]<br>[[Chef Kawasaki (novel character)|His novel incarnation]]
|similar=[[Chef Shiitake]]
|similar=[[Chef Shiitake]], [[Chef Nagoya]]
|voice=Maddie Blaustein (English)<br>Ted Lewis (English, [[Kirby 3D]])<br>Nobuo Tobita (Japanese)
|voice=Maddie Blaustein (English)<br>Ted Lewis (English, [[Kirby 3D]])<br>Nobuo Tobita (Japanese)
}}
}}
{{About|the character in the anime series|the [[Mid-Boss]] from the games|[[Chef Kawasaki]]}}
{{About|the character in the anime series|the [[Mid-Boss]] from the games|[[Chef Kawasaki]]}}
{{Quote|Ah. Goodness me, I'm the only restaurant in town and still I get no customers!|'''Chef Kawasaki''' in [[A Recipe for Disaster]]}}
{{Quote|Ah. Goodness me, I'm the only restaurant in town and still I get no customers!|'''Chef Kawasaki''' in [[A Recipe for Disaster]]}}
'''Chef Kawasaki''' is a recurring supporting character in the anime series; ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', first appearing in Episode 2: [[A Blockbuster Battle]], though not playing a major role until Episode 11: [[The Big Taste Test]]. He owns and runs [[Kawasaki's|the only restaurant]] in [[Cappy Town]]. His cooking is described as awful by most of the cast, but they eat there anyway because there is no competition (most of the time). Despite his reputation, Chef Kawasaki takes his craft seriously, as he was taught by the famous [[Chef Shiitake]], whom he idolizes. Like the rest of the villagers, Chef Kawasaki is not fond of [[King Dedede (anime)|King Dedede]], but he does not try to challenge the king, especially in the rare cases where Dedede comes to eat at his restaurant.
'''Chef Kawasaki''' is a recurring supporting character in the anime series; ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', first appearing in [[A Blockbuster Battle]], though not playing a major role until [[The Big Taste Test]]. He owns and runs [[Kawasaki's|the only restaurant]] in [[Cappy Town]], which typically serves east Asian-style cuisine. His cooking is described as awful by most of the cast, but they occasionally eat there anyway when they do not feel like having a meal at home. The only person in town who consistently enjoys Kawasaki's food is [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]], which goes in part to explain why Kirby and Kawasaki are strong allies most of the time. Despite his reputation, Chef Kawasaki takes his craft seriously, as he was taught by the famous [[Chef Shiitake]], whom he idolizes. Like the rest of the villagers, Chef Kawasaki is not fond of [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]], but he does not typically try to challenge the king, especially in the rare cases where Dedede comes to eat at his restaurant.


In the English 4Kids dub of the anime, Chef Kawasaki is portrayed with a noticeable lisp in his speech, consistently replacing 's' sounds with 'th' sounds.
Chef Kawasaki is voiced by [[bulbapedia:Maddie Blaustein|Maddie Blaustein]] in the English 4Kids dub and by Nobuo Tobita in the original Japanese version. In the English dub, Chef Kawasaki is portrayed with a noticeable [[Wikipedia:Lisp|lisp]] in his speech.


== Personality ==
== Personality ==
Chef Kawasaki is among the more emotionally expressive members of the cast, and tends to show it very overtly. His dream is to become a world-famous chef, but this is often hampered by his inadequate cooking skill. Despite knowing all the techniques and having access to fresh and high-quality ingredients, his food invariably comes out not tasting good for reasons not apparent to him or anyone else. [[Kirby (anime)|Kirby]] is the only character who consistently enjoys his food, though that is largely due to Kirby's high tolerance to the things he eats in general. Despite most of the town's opinions on his cooking, Kawasaki insists that it tastes okay to him.
Chef Kawasaki is among the more emotionally expressive members of the cast, and tends to show it very overtly. His dream is to become a world-famous chef, but this is hampered by his inadequate cooking ability. Despite knowing all the techniques and having access to fresh and high-quality ingredients, his food invariably comes out not tasting good for reasons not apparent to him or anyone else. Sometimes it is suggested that he may accidentally swap out sugar for salt in certain recipes, or other times he may neglect proper sanitation or cook things at an improper temperature or for an improper amount of time. Whatever the case may be, the most likely explanation for Chef Kawasaki's lack of results is that he always tends to forget some crucial step or another in the preparation process. [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]] is the only character who consistently enjoys his food, though that is largely due to Kirby's high tolerance to the things he eats in general. Despite most of the town's opinions on his cooking, Kawasaki insists that it tastes okay to him. He often deflects this scrutiny by making self-deprecating jokes about his own cooking or his reputation, and sometimes even intentionally leans into his poor cooking by using it to punish King Dedede in the episodes [[A Spice Odyssey]] and [[Sweet and Sour Puss]].


Chef Kawasaki is known to be sometimes negligent in certain aspects of his food preparations, which may explain in part why his cooking is poor in quality. Generally speaking, he is fairly careless and oblivious regarding the things he says and does, which tends to annoy the other Cappy Town residents. He sometimes also foregoes his sense of moral obligation if it means accomplishing his goals, which lead him to almost kill Kirby once to prepare him as a meal in [[The Big Taste Test]]. Despite this, Kawasaki usually comes around and does the right thing when he needs to, which often means throwing his frying pan to Kirby to help him win a fight. In addition to cooking, Chef Kawasaki can also sometimes be seen fishing.
Generally speaking, Chef Kawasaki is fairly careless and oblivious regarding the things he says and does, which tends to annoy the other Cappy Town residents. He sometimes also foregoes his sense of moral obligation if it means accomplishing his goals, which sometimes ends up putting Kirby in a dangerous situation. Despite this, Kawasaki usually comes around and does the right thing when he needs to, which often means throwing his frying pan to Kirby to help him win a fight. Kawasaki will also often go out of his way to help Kirby, even if he was not otherwise responsible for the trouble. This alliance with Kirby draws the respect of both his old teacher [[Chef Shiitake]] and his peer [[Chef Nagoya]], who otherwise would have been disappointed in his lack of results.


==Filmography==
In addition to cooking, Chef Kawasaki can also sometimes be seen fishing. He will often bring his catches back to his restaurant to make into sushi, and can demonstrate remarkable skill in this particular craft, as seen in [[A Princess in Dis-Dress]].
{{construction}}
The following is a complete list of all of Chef Kawasaki's appearances in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', along with other information regarding his role in each episode:


{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
== Role in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' ==
!colspan=5|Chef Kawasaki's appearances in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' &nbsp;
[[File:E29 Scene 13.png|thumb|250px|Despite the two sometimes getting into misunderstandings, Chef Kawasaki typically has Kirby's back, since Kirby is the only resident of Dream Land who consistently enjoys Kawasaki's cooking.]]
|-
Chef Kawasaki is among the most noteworthy of the supporting cast for ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', as he has a prominent role in several episodes, particularly those that revolve around the subject of food and cooking. Despite how bad he is at cooking, he still devotes his life to the craft, and his emotionality makes it clear even to those who despise his food how much it means to him. This situation often draws sympathy from [[Tiff]], who will often go out of her way to try and help Kawasaki improve his business savvy, his cooking, or both, though not often with much success. The most notable examples of Tiff trying to help Kawasaki come from the episodes [[A Spice Odyssey]] (where she tries to help him compete against [[Monsieur Goan]]), [[Delivery Dilemma]] (where she helps Kawasaki set up a delivery service), and [[A Chow Challenge]] (where she gives him covert cooking advice to compete with [[Chef Nagoya]]).  
!Episode
!Image
!Role
!Selected quote
!Notes
|-
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|<center>[[File:E2 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Is that so? Well any enemy of the King is a friend of mine!"''
|
|-
|[[Dark and Stormy Knight]]
|<center>[[File:E4 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Restrooms for customers only!"''
|
|-
|[[Beware: Whispy Woods!]]
|<center>[[File:E5 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Looks like Dedede's gonna build something."''
|
|-
|[[Un-Reality TV]]
|<center>[[File:E6 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|<small>(hypnotized)</small> ''"It wrecked the mayor's house on T.V."''
|
|-
|[[Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure]]
|<center>[[File:E7 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"[[Dyna Blade|That crazy bird]] is tearing things up like a blender!"''
|
|-
|[[Curio's Curious Discovery]]
|<center>[[File:E8 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"I found something! It's an old-fashioned Halloween mask!"''
|
|-
|[[The Fofa Factor]]
|<center>[[File:E9 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"This is annoying!"''
|
|-
|[[Hail to the Chief]]
|<center>[[File:E10 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Find him, Chief Bookem, before he starts a red hot crime wave!"''
|
|-
|[[The Big Taste Test]]
|<center>[[File:E11 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Primary character
|''"No! These cook books re-hash the same old hash!"''
|
|-
|[[Cappy New Year]]
|<center>[[File:E13 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Who says my food isn't light?!"''
|
|-
|[[The Pillow Case]]
|<center>[[File:E14 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Oh! Just a dream, but Kirby sure has cooked up a lot of trouble!"''
|
|-
|[[A Fish Called Kine]]
|<center>[[File:E16 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Hey you, come here! Stop flopping around! You better get on that chopping block!"''
|
|-
|[[The Thing About the Ring]]
|<center>[[File:E17 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Hey! You got any fresh fish today, I got a dinner planned!"''
|
|-
|[[Here Comes the Son]]
|<center>[[File:E19 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"That kid's tougher than my Salisbury steak!"''
|
|-
|[[Dedede's Snow Job]]
|<center>[[File:E20 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|(no dialogue)
|
|-
|[[A Princess in Dis-Dress]]
|<center>[[File:E21 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Hey, King Dedede! I didn't know you and Escargoon were into sushi!"''
|
|-
|[[The Empty Nest Mess]]
|<center>[[File:E23 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"I dunno, Chief, but it's been raising such a racket, my soufflé sank!"''
|
|-
|[[Ninja Binge]]
|<center>[[File:E24 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|(no dialogue)
|
|-
|[[Escargoon Rules]]
|<center>[[File:E25 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"He always says my food stinks!"''
|
|-
|[[Labor Daze]]
|<center>[[File:E28 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|<small>(after hearing "factory" for the first time)</small> ''"It must have something to do with facts!"''
|
|-
|[[A Spice Odyssey]]
|<center>[[File:E29 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Primary character
|''"It tastes okay to me..."''
|
|-
|[[Hatch Me If You Can]]
|<center>[[File:E30 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"That's perfect! This isn't my best dish anyway!"''
|
|-
|[[Abusement Park]]
|<center>[[File:E31 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"My turn!"'' <small>*singing*</small> ''"Crack the egg in the batter, and mix it up!"'' <small>*gets interrupted*</small>
|
|-
|[[A Dental Dilemma]]
|<center>[[File:E32 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Oh my!"''
|
|-
|[[Junk Jam]]
|<center>[[File:E33 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Some of this junk's not junk!"''
|
|-
|[[A Recipe for Disaster]]
|<center>[[File:E34 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Primary character
|''"I can't run away from this challenge! If I do, I'll be a failure all my life! No!"''
|
|-
|[[The Kirby Derby - Part I]]
|<center>[[File:E35 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Gus, what's Grand Prix mean?"''
|
|-
|[[The Kirby Derby - Part II]]
|<center>[[File:E36 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Hey folks, get your Grand Prix box lunches, here!"''
|
|-
|[[Watermelon Felon]]
|<center>[[File:E37 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Oh well...there goes our T.V. debut!"''
|
|-
|[[A Novel Approach]]
|<center>[[File:E38 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Free Pappy! Free Pappy Pottey!"''
|
|-
|[[Escar-Gone]]
|<center>[[File:E39 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Yeah, but how come we're standin' around lookin' at pictures of Escargoon?"''
|
|-
|[[Monster Management]]
|<center>[[File:E40 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Ah! Knock it off, you lowlifes, or at least order something!"''
|
|-
|[[Prediction Predicament - Part I]]
|<center>[[File:E41 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"But Sire!"''
|
|-
|[[Prediction Predicament - Part II]]
|<center>[[File:E42 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Sir Ebrum! Lady Like! Once at my restaurant I accidentally fed ya something I shouldn't have!"''
|
|-
|[[Sheepwrecked]]
|<center>[[File:E43 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"I knew sheep liked grass but who knew they liked my food?!"''
|
|-
|[[Scare Tactics - Part I]]
|<center>[[File:E45 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Come on, Tiffy! Don't be a spoilsport! Just give it a try!"''
|
|-
|[[Pink-Collar Blues]]
|<center>[[File:E47 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Anyone want to try my lunch special?"''
|
|-
|[[Tourist Trap]]
|<center>[[File:E48 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"True! That's the beauty of flavorless recipes! I'll start cookin'!"''
|
|-
|[[Cartoon Buffoon]]
|<center>[[File:E49 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"I'm playin' Kabu! What if I mess up?!"''
|
|-
|[[Don't Bank on It]]
|<center>[[File:E50 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Kirby! Kick 'im!"''
|
|-
|[[Kirby Takes the Cake]]
|<center>[[File:E51 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Wow! I couldn't get a cake to rise that high!"''
|
|-
|[[Snack Attack - Part I]]
|<center>[[File:E52 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"It might even be phony."''
|
|-
|[[Snack Attack - Part II]]
|<center>[[File:E53 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"I like action figures, but this is too much action!"''
|
|-
|[[One Crazy Knight]]
|<center>[[File:E54 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"It does my heart good to see somebody besides Kirby enjoy my cooking!"''
|
|-
|[[Sweet and Sour Puss]]
|<center>[[File:E55 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"It's my toasted roasted boiled and broasted leg of lamb with liver and kidney bean sauce!"''
|
|-
|[[Dedede's Pet Threat]]
|<center>[[File:E56 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Sire, I'm afraid they'll have to eat outside!"''
|
|-
|[[A Half-Baked Battle]]
|<center>[[File:E57 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Not as bad as you'd feel if you tried to eat one! They taste like--"'' <small>*gets interrupted*</small>
|
|-
|[[eNeMeE Elementary]]
|<center>[[File:E58 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Hi everybody! Time for lunch! Nutritious food builds brain power!"''
|
|-
|[[The Meal Moocher]]
|<center>[[File:E59 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"Ooh! If everybody gets used to good food, I'm gonna go out of business!"''
|
|-
|[[Fitness Fiend]]
|<center>[[File:E61 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"I'd be glad to cook for you, Sire!"''
|
|-
|[[Mabel Turns the Tables]]
|<center>[[File:E62 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"I've got dinner to catch! Good thing I'm not the superstitious type!"''
|
|-
|[[Something to Sneeze At]]
|<center>[[File:E63 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Oh, well I'm not happy. How's the restaurant supposed to make money when everybody keeps their mouths covered?"''
|
|-
||[[The Kirby Quiz]]
|<center>[[File:E64 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Secondary character
|''"For a week, the catch of the day was a frozen fish-stick."''
|
|-
|[[The Chill Factor]]
|<center>[[File:E66 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"The last time it got this cold was when the [[Ice Dragon]] came!"''
|
|-
|[[The School Scam]]
|<center>[[File:E67 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"It's my job to provide good nutrition. Great food makes a great student bodies! Today we have my special lima bean liver-wurst stew!"''
|
|-
|[[Delivery Dilemma]]
|<center>[[File:E68 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Primary character
|''"That sounds more like something King Dedede and Escargoon would pull."''
|
|-
|[[Trick or Trek]]
|<center>[[File:E69 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"It's not just me! Everybody does!"''
|
|-
|[[Buccaneer Birdy]]
|<center>[[File:E70 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Does this mean we should call you Sir Tokkori?"''
|
|-
|[[A Whale of a Tale]]
|<center>[[File:E71 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Huh? We're the blue plate special?"''
|
|-
|[[Waddle While You Work]]
|<center>[[File:E72 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Hey guys, the phone's ringing off the hook, here! Oh right, they can't talk."''
|
|-
|[[Dedede's Raw Deal]]
|<center>[[File:E73 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Primary character
|''"Hold on! Sushi is a very special dish that has a long and proud history! Sushi making is an art! Anybody who uses a robot to make sushi is just selling out for profit! Now...let's get that sushi rolling!"''
|
|-
|[[Caterpillar Thriller]]
|<center>[[File:E74 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"It forgot to make itself a zipper!"''
|
|-
|[[Fossil Fools - Part I]]
|<center>[[File:E75 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Hey! Maybe they can revive my restaurant, too!"''
|
|-
|[[Cooking Up Trouble]]
|<center>[[File:E82 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Tertiary character
|''"Welcome to Cooking 101, I'm your instructor, Chef Kawasaki! Our first recipe will be...a delectable strawberry risotto!"''
|
|-
|[[Kirby 3D]]
|<center>[[File:E101 Chef Kawasaki.png|100px]]</center>
|Primary character
|''"Don't let him get away! I've been lookin' for some fresh lobster to make a ravioli! Doesn't get fresher than this!"''
|In the English dub of this episode, Kawasaki is voiced by Ted Lewis rather than Maddie Blaustein, due to the latter passing away in 2008.
|}


==Gallery==
However, Kawasaki is also notable for being among the most easily swayed by the idea of turning a profit or enhancing his reputation, which makes him among the most susceptible to [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede's]] schemes. In the cases of [[The Big Taste Test]], [[Dedede's Raw Deal]], and [[Hunger Struck]], Chef Kawasaki's involvement in these various schemes ends up either directly or indirectly contributing to putting Kirby in harm's way, whether he realizes it or not. Kawasaki usually gains an opportunity to redeem himself, however, when he helps Kirby out of a jam, even in episodes where he otherwise did not have a significant role. Kawasaki frequently tosses Kirby various things to help him overcome monsters, whether it be his frying pan to grant Kirby the [[Cook]] [[Copy Ability]], a tray of ice cubes to grant him [[Ice]], or a plate of curry to imbue Kirby with energy or overwhelming heartburn (both of which are used to defeat monsters). Kawasaki also demonstrates his bravery when he agrees to accompany [[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]] and his crew aboard the [[Halberd]] to defeat [[eNeMeE]] in the series finale, even carrying the explosives they use to blow up the [[eNeMeE's Fortress|fortress]].
 
Despite this prominent showing in the series, Chef Kawasaki spends most episodes as a peripheral character who may only see a moment or two of screen time. Typically, his minor appearances either involve food in some way, have him comment on his bad reputation as a chef, or simply make a remark that highlights his general naivete.
 
== Filmography ==
{{main|Chef Kawasaki (anime character)/filmography}}
Chef Kawasaki appears in a majority of episodes in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', though his role is often incidental. For a full list of Chef Kawasaki's episode appearances along with details of his role in each one, see [[Chef Kawasaki (anime character)/filmography|his filmography]] page.
 
== Trivia ==
*In the Japanese version of the anime, Chef Kawasaki, [[Chef Nagoya]], and [[Chef Shiitake]] (Osaka) all share the theme of being named after Japanese cities, with [[wikipedia:Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]] being a city in the Kanagawa prefecture.
 
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
<gallery>
E11 Scene 14.png|Chef Kawasaki preparing an unaware Kirby for a meal in [[The Big Taste Test]]
E11 Scene 14.png|Chef Kawasaki preparing an unaware Kirby for a meal in [[The Big Taste Test]]
Line 432: Line 45:
Kawasaki's portrait.png|Chef Kawasaki shows King Dedede his portrait of him.
Kawasaki's portrait.png|Chef Kawasaki shows King Dedede his portrait of him.
E55 Scene 13.png|Chef Kawasaki serves King Dedede his special leg of lamb dish to test his tolerance.
E55 Scene 13.png|Chef Kawasaki serves King Dedede his special leg of lamb dish to test his tolerance.
E59 Scene 2.png|Chef Kawasaki being abducted by [[Captain Waddle Doo]] and the [[Waddle Dee (anime)|Waddle Dees]] to cook for King Dedede
E59 Scene 2.png|Chef Kawasaki being abducted by [[Captain Waddle Doo]] and the [[Waddle Dee (anime character)|Waddle Dees]] to cook for King Dedede
E62 Scene 14.png|Chef Kawasaki boasting about his injuries which resulted from one of Mabel's predictions
E62 Scene 14.png|Chef Kawasaki boasting about his injuries which resulted from one of Mabel's predictions
E73 Scene 6.png|Chef Kawasaki preparing conveyor belt sushi
E73 Scene 6.png|Chef Kawasaki preparing conveyor belt sushi
E76 Scene 21.png|Chef Kawasaki taking pity on his [[Chimera Dinosaurs|dinosaur equivalent]]
E80 Scene 12.png|Chef Kawasaki adding copious amounts of Pump-Up D to his cooking
E86 Scene 2.png|Chef Kawasaki reuniting with [[Chef Nagoya]]
E92 Scene 12.png|Chef Kawasaki attempting to short-change the Waddle Dees for profit
E93 Scene 14.png|Chef Kawasaki is dissed by the Cappies during his "Diss-Day".
E99 Scene 13.png|Chef Kawasaki helps Kirby beat [[Heavy Lobster]]
E100 Scene 18.png|Chef Kawasaki riding with [[Kit Cosmos]] and [[Tokkori]] to place explosives on the command center of [[eNeMeE's Fortress]]
Anime Promo Poster.jpg|Promotional poster featuring the main cast in Dream Land
KRBaY Kirby group art water.jpg|Promotional artwork featuring Chef Kawasaki
</gallery>
</gallery>


{{clear}}
{{clear}}
{{Navbox-Anime}}
{{Navbox-Anime}}
[[Category:Anime]]

Latest revision as of 15:39, 29 November 2023

Chef Kawasaki
KRBaY Chef Kawasaki Artwork.png
Artwork of Chef Kawasaki from Kirby: Right Back at Ya!.
Details
First episode A Blockbuster Battle
Last episode Kirby 3D
Main role Supporting character
Other appearance(s) His video game incarnation
His novel incarnation
Similar characters Chef Shiitake, Chef Nagoya
Voice actor(s) Maddie Blaustein (English)
Ted Lewis (English, Kirby 3D)
Nobuo Tobita (Japanese)
 This box: view  talk  edit 
This article is about the character in the anime series. For the Mid-Boss from the games, see Chef Kawasaki.
Ah. Goodness me, I'm the only restaurant in town and still I get no customers!
— Chef Kawasaki in A Recipe for Disaster

Chef Kawasaki is a recurring supporting character in the anime series; Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, first appearing in A Blockbuster Battle, though not playing a major role until The Big Taste Test. He owns and runs the only restaurant in Cappy Town, which typically serves east Asian-style cuisine. His cooking is described as awful by most of the cast, but they occasionally eat there anyway when they do not feel like having a meal at home. The only person in town who consistently enjoys Kawasaki's food is Kirby, which goes in part to explain why Kirby and Kawasaki are strong allies most of the time. Despite his reputation, Chef Kawasaki takes his craft seriously, as he was taught by the famous Chef Shiitake, whom he idolizes. Like the rest of the villagers, Chef Kawasaki is not fond of King Dedede, but he does not typically try to challenge the king, especially in the rare cases where Dedede comes to eat at his restaurant.

Chef Kawasaki is voiced by Maddie Blaustein in the English 4Kids dub and by Nobuo Tobita in the original Japanese version. In the English dub, Chef Kawasaki is portrayed with a noticeable lisp in his speech.

Personality[edit]

Chef Kawasaki is among the more emotionally expressive members of the cast, and tends to show it very overtly. His dream is to become a world-famous chef, but this is hampered by his inadequate cooking ability. Despite knowing all the techniques and having access to fresh and high-quality ingredients, his food invariably comes out not tasting good for reasons not apparent to him or anyone else. Sometimes it is suggested that he may accidentally swap out sugar for salt in certain recipes, or other times he may neglect proper sanitation or cook things at an improper temperature or for an improper amount of time. Whatever the case may be, the most likely explanation for Chef Kawasaki's lack of results is that he always tends to forget some crucial step or another in the preparation process. Kirby is the only character who consistently enjoys his food, though that is largely due to Kirby's high tolerance to the things he eats in general. Despite most of the town's opinions on his cooking, Kawasaki insists that it tastes okay to him. He often deflects this scrutiny by making self-deprecating jokes about his own cooking or his reputation, and sometimes even intentionally leans into his poor cooking by using it to punish King Dedede in the episodes A Spice Odyssey and Sweet and Sour Puss.

Generally speaking, Chef Kawasaki is fairly careless and oblivious regarding the things he says and does, which tends to annoy the other Cappy Town residents. He sometimes also foregoes his sense of moral obligation if it means accomplishing his goals, which sometimes ends up putting Kirby in a dangerous situation. Despite this, Kawasaki usually comes around and does the right thing when he needs to, which often means throwing his frying pan to Kirby to help him win a fight. Kawasaki will also often go out of his way to help Kirby, even if he was not otherwise responsible for the trouble. This alliance with Kirby draws the respect of both his old teacher Chef Shiitake and his peer Chef Nagoya, who otherwise would have been disappointed in his lack of results.

In addition to cooking, Chef Kawasaki can also sometimes be seen fishing. He will often bring his catches back to his restaurant to make into sushi, and can demonstrate remarkable skill in this particular craft, as seen in A Princess in Dis-Dress.

Role in Kirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]

Despite the two sometimes getting into misunderstandings, Chef Kawasaki typically has Kirby's back, since Kirby is the only resident of Dream Land who consistently enjoys Kawasaki's cooking.

Chef Kawasaki is among the most noteworthy of the supporting cast for Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, as he has a prominent role in several episodes, particularly those that revolve around the subject of food and cooking. Despite how bad he is at cooking, he still devotes his life to the craft, and his emotionality makes it clear even to those who despise his food how much it means to him. This situation often draws sympathy from Tiff, who will often go out of her way to try and help Kawasaki improve his business savvy, his cooking, or both, though not often with much success. The most notable examples of Tiff trying to help Kawasaki come from the episodes A Spice Odyssey (where she tries to help him compete against Monsieur Goan), Delivery Dilemma (where she helps Kawasaki set up a delivery service), and A Chow Challenge (where she gives him covert cooking advice to compete with Chef Nagoya).

However, Kawasaki is also notable for being among the most easily swayed by the idea of turning a profit or enhancing his reputation, which makes him among the most susceptible to King Dedede's schemes. In the cases of The Big Taste Test, Dedede's Raw Deal, and Hunger Struck, Chef Kawasaki's involvement in these various schemes ends up either directly or indirectly contributing to putting Kirby in harm's way, whether he realizes it or not. Kawasaki usually gains an opportunity to redeem himself, however, when he helps Kirby out of a jam, even in episodes where he otherwise did not have a significant role. Kawasaki frequently tosses Kirby various things to help him overcome monsters, whether it be his frying pan to grant Kirby the Cook Copy Ability, a tray of ice cubes to grant him Ice, or a plate of curry to imbue Kirby with energy or overwhelming heartburn (both of which are used to defeat monsters). Kawasaki also demonstrates his bravery when he agrees to accompany Meta Knight and his crew aboard the Halberd to defeat eNeMeE in the series finale, even carrying the explosives they use to blow up the fortress.

Despite this prominent showing in the series, Chef Kawasaki spends most episodes as a peripheral character who may only see a moment or two of screen time. Typically, his minor appearances either involve food in some way, have him comment on his bad reputation as a chef, or simply make a remark that highlights his general naivete.

Filmography[edit]

Main article: Chef Kawasaki (anime character)/filmography

Chef Kawasaki appears in a majority of episodes in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, though his role is often incidental. For a full list of Chef Kawasaki's episode appearances along with details of his role in each one, see his filmography page.

Trivia[edit]

  • In the Japanese version of the anime, Chef Kawasaki, Chef Nagoya, and Chef Shiitake (Osaka) all share the theme of being named after Japanese cities, with Kawasaki being a city in the Kanagawa prefecture.

Gallery[edit]