A still from the upcoming Wasted Chef (working title) anime film from director Takayuki Hirao (Pompo the Cinephile, The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral) has been revealed along with the announcement of its selection for the Annecy Animation Showcase.
The image and showcase selection news come from Variety, which also shared this synopsis:
A young chef chasing a lost flavor lands in a ruined city without taste. Saved by Kasumi, his cooking awakens forgotten memories. But a dark force threatens to erase all desire — making his quest the last hope to save both worlds.
Image source: Variety
The still offers a low-angle shot of a girl in an alley, crouched and holding a bag of groceries and a transparent umbrella peppered with illustrations of burgers and fries. The food theme extends to the accessory fastening her ponytail.
Other Wasted Chef details from Variety’s piece include a 2027 completion date (the Annecy Animation Showcase features five in-progress animated projects, which are shown to “sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers”) and the film being described by its production studio CLAP as a fusion of “cooking and science fiction.”
Wasted Chef‘s production was first reported in 2023. The staff includes Shingo Adachi (Lycoris Recoil director, Sword Art Online Season 1 and 2 character designer) as character designer and Kenta Matsukuma (Pompo The Cinephile) as music composer. An image board depicting the front of a diner called The Day was revealed in 2024.
Wasted Chef will be the first original title from Hirao, whose other directorial works include God Eater and Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack.
Source: Variety
