Chef Kawasaki (anime character)
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- 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 Episode 2: A Blockbuster Battle, though not playing a major role until Episode 11: The Big Taste Test. He owns and runs 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, but he does not 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.
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 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 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.
Filmography
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:
| Chef Kawasaki's appearances in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Image | Role | Selected quote | Notes |
| A Blockbuster Battle | 
|
Secondary character | "Is that so? Well any enemy of the King is a friend of mine!" | |
| Dark and Stormy Knight | 
|
Tertiary character | "Restrooms for customers only!" | |
| Beware: Whispy Woods! | 
|
Tertiary character | "Looks like Dedede's gonna build something." | |
| Un-Reality TV | 
|
Tertiary character | (hypnotized) "It wrecked the mayor's house on T.V." | |
| Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure | 
|
Tertiary character | "That crazy bird is tearing things up like a blender!" | |
| Curio's Curious Discovery | 
|
Secondary character | "I found something! It's an old-fashioned Halloween mask!" | |
| The Fofa Factor | 
|
Tertiary character | "This is annoying!" | |
| Hail to the Chief | 
|
Secondary character | "Find him, Chief Bookem, before he starts a red hot crime wave!" | |
| The Big Taste Test | 
|
Primary character | "No! These cook books re-hash the same old hash!" | |
| Cappy New Year | 
|
Secondary character | "Who says my food isn't light?!" | |
| The Pillow Case | 
|
Tertiary character | "Oh! Just a dream, but Kirby sure has cooked up a lot of trouble!" | |
| A Fish Called Kine | 
|
Secondary character | "Hey you, come here! Stop flopping around! You better get on that chopping block!" | |
| The Thing About the Ring | 
|
Secondary character | "Hey! You got any fresh fish today, I got a dinner planned!" | |
| Here Comes the Son | 
|
Secondary character | "That kid's tougher than my Salisbury steak!" | |
| Dedede's Snow Job | 
|
Tertiary character | (no dialogue) | |
| A Princess in Dis-Dress | 
|
Secondary character | "Hey, King Dedede! I didn't know you and Escargoon were into sushi!" | |
| The Empty Nest Mess | 
|
Tertiary character | "I dunno, Chief, but it's been raising such a racket, my soufflé sank!" | |
| Ninja Binge | 
|
Tertiary character | (no dialogue) | |
| Escargoon Rules | 
|
Tertiary character | "He always says my food stinks!" | |
| Labor Daze | 
|
Secondary character | (after hearing "factory" for the first time) "It must have something to do with facts!" | |
| A Spice Odyssey | 
|
Primary character | "It tastes okay to me..." | |
| Hatch Me If You Can | 
|
Secondary character | "That's perfect! This isn't my best dish anyway!" | |
| Abusement Park | 
|
Secondary character | "My turn!" *singing* "Crack the egg in the batter, and mix it up!" *gets interrupted* | |
| A Dental Dilemma | 
|
Tertiary character | "Oh my!" | |
| Junk Jam | 
|
Secondary character | "Some of this junk's not junk!" | |
| A Recipe for Disaster | 
|
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 | 
|
Tertiary character | "Gus, what's Grand Prix mean?" | |
| The Kirby Derby - Part II | 
|
Tertiary character | "Hey folks, get your Grand Prix box lunches, here!" | |
| Watermelon Felon | 
|
Secondary character | "Oh well...there goes our T.V. debut!" | |
| A Novel Approach | 
|
Tertiary character | "Free Pappy! Free Pappy Pottey!" | |
| Escar-Gone | 
|
Secondary character | "Yeah, but how come we're standin' around lookin' at pictures of Escargoon?" | |
| Monster Management | 
|
Tertiary character | "Ah! Knock it off, you lowlifes, or at least order something!" | |
| Prediction Predicament - Part I | 
|
Tertiary character | "But Sire!" | |
| Prediction Predicament - Part II | 
|
Tertiary character | "Sir Ebrum! Lady Like! Once at my restaurant I accidentally fed ya something I shouldn't have!" | |
| Sheepwrecked | 
|
Tertiary character | "I knew sheep liked grass but who knew they liked my food?!" | |
| Scare Tactics - Part I | 
|
Tertiary character | "Come on, Tiffy! Don't be a spoilsport! Just give it a try!" | |
| Pink-Collar Blues | 
|
Tertiary character | "Anyone want to try my lunch special?" | |
| Tourist Trap | 
|
Tertiary character | "True! That's the beauty of flavorless recipes! I'll start cookin'!" | |
| Cartoon Buffoon | 
|
Secondary character | "I'm playin' Kabu! What if I mess up?!" | |
| Don't Bank on It | 
|
Secondary character | "Kirby! Kick 'im!" | |
| Kirby Takes the Cake | 
|
Tertiary character | "Wow! I couldn't get a cake to rise that high!" | |
| Snack Attack - Part I | 
|
Tertiary character | "It might even be phony." | |
| Snack Attack - Part II | 
|
Tertiary character | "I like action figures, but this is too much action!" | |
| One Crazy Knight | 
|
Tertiary character | "It does my heart good to see somebody besides Kirby enjoy my cooking!" | |
| Sweet and Sour Puss | 
|
Secondary character | "It's my toasted roasted boiled and broasted leg of lamb with liver and kidney bean sauce!" | |
| Dedede's Pet Threat | 
|
Tertiary character | "Sire, I'm afraid they'll have to eat outside!" | |
| A Half-Baked Battle | 
|
Secondary character | "Not as bad as you'd feel if you tried to eat one! They taste like--" *gets interrupted* | |
| eNeMeE Elementary | 
|
Tertiary character | "Hi everybody! Time for lunch! Nutritious food builds brain power!" | |
| The Meal Moocher | 
|
Secondary character | "Ooh! If everybody gets used to good food, I'm gonna go out of business!" | |
| Fitness Fiend | 
|
Tertiary character | "I'd be glad to cook for you, Sire!" | |
| Mabel Turns the Tables | 
|
Secondary character | "I've got dinner to catch! Good thing I'm not the superstitious type!" | |
| Something to Sneeze At | 
|
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 | 
|
Secondary character | "For a week, the catch of the day was a frozen fish-stick." | |
| The Chill Factor | 
|
Tertiary character | "The last time it got this cold was when the Ice Dragon came!" | |
| The School Scam | 
|
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 | 
|
Primary character | "That sounds more like something King Dedede and Escargoon would pull." | |
| Trick or Trek | 
|
Tertiary character | "It's not just me! Everybody does!" | |
| Buccaneer Birdy | 
|
Tertiary character | "Does this mean we should call you Sir Tokkori?" | |
| A Whale of a Tale | 
|
Tertiary character | "Huh? We're the blue plate special?" | |
| Waddle While You Work | 
|
Tertiary character | "Hey guys, the phone's ringing off the hook, here! Oh right, they can't talk." | |
| Dedede's Raw Deal | 
|
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 | 
|
Tertiary character | "It forgot to make itself a zipper!" | |
| Fossil Fools - Part I | 
|
Tertiary character | "Hey! Maybe they can revive my restaurant, too!" | |
| Fossil Fools - Part II | 
|
Secondary character | "What a waste of MSG..." | |
| Dedede's Monsterpiece | 
|
Tertiary character | "'Cause of you two, all our hard work is washed away!" | |
| Right Hand Robot | 
|
Tertiary character | "A monster!" | Appears only in the Japanese version, so his dialogue is translated from that version. |
| Goin' Bonkers | 
|
Tertiary character | "It must be tough to teach when all you can say is "Poyo!"" | |
| Power Ploy | 
|
Secondary character | "Here you go! This is my new Stamina Stew. It'll give ya energy!" | |
| A Trashy Tale | 
|
Tertiary character | "Gee whiz, and I thought I was a slob!" | |
| Cooking Up Trouble | 
|
Tertiary character | "Welcome to Cooking 101, I'm your instructor, Chef Kawasaki! Our first recipe will be...a delectable strawberry risotto!" | |
| Teacher's Threat | 
|
Secondary character | "Okay, kids! It's lunch time! You can't fill up your mind on an empty stomach!" | |
| Mumbies Madness | 
|
Tertiary character | "It was horrible! I almost fainted when I saw it!" | |
| A Sunsational Puzzle | 
|
Tertiary character | "His head looks redder than a stoplight!" | |
| A Chow Challenge | 
|
Primary character | "But he's right! Maybe I should enroll some place easier like med school!" | |
| Waste Management | 
|
Tertiary character | "They're driving business away! These birds are for the birds!" | |
| Shell-Shocked | 
|
Tertiary character | "Hey! Bring back that pot!" | |
| Tooned Out | 
|
Secondary character | "I bet we know as much about making cartoons as you!" | |
| Born to Be Mild - Part I | 
|
Tertiary character | "Get your squid chips! Liver bowls! Sushi-dogs!" | |
| Born to Be Mild - Part II | 
|
Tertiary character | "I thought the only thing I'd get hit with today was food poisoning!" | |
| Hunger Struck | 
|
Primary character | "If ya slice the bread and the meat thin enough, you can really get your money's worth!" | |
| D'Preciation Day | 
|
Secondary character | "Please, take it down! I don't deserve this!" | |
| Cowardly Creature | 
|
Tertiary character | "Well at least when I don't have any customers I don't have any complaints." | |
| Frog Wild | 
|
Tertiary character | "Oh hello Kirby, come on in. I got some leftover turkey jerky hash if you want... Where you goin'?" | |
| Air-Ride-in-Style - Part I | 
|
Tertiary character | (no dialogue) | |
| Cappy Town Down | 
|
Tertiary character | "I can mess up the mess hall, so count me in, too!" | |
| Combat Kirby | 
|
Primary character | "Hey Kirby! Why don't you stop that monster by givin' it the cold shoulder?!" | |
| Fright to the Finish | 
|
Secondary character | "Hey! Let's set off a blast up there and wreck the place! That'll stop N.M.E.!" | |
| Kirby 3D | 
|
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
Chef Kawasaki preparing an unaware Kirby for a meal in The Big Taste Test
Chef Kawasaki is engulfed in flames after tasting the smallest drop of his Toxic Atomic Curry in A Spice Odyssey.
Chef Kawasaki is hesitant to stand up to his master Chef Shiitake when being bullied by him.
Chef Kawasaki shows King Dedede his portrait of him.
Chef Kawasaki serves King Dedede his special leg of lamb dish to test his tolerance.
Chef Kawasaki being abducted by Captain Waddle Doo and the Waddle Dees to cook for King Dedede
Chef Kawasaki boasting about his injuries which resulted from one of Mabel's predictions
Chef Kawasaki preparing conveyor belt sushi
Chef Kawasaki taking pity on his dinosaur equivalent
Chef Kawasaki adding copious amounts of Pump-Up D to his cooking
Chef Kawasaki reuniting with Chef Nagoya
Chef Kawasaki attempting to short-change the Waddle Dees for profit
Chef Kawasaki is dissed by the Cappies during his "Diss-Day".
Chef Kawasaki helps Kirby beat Heavy Lobster
Chef Kawasaki riding with Kit Cosmos and Tokkori to place explosives on the command center of eNeMeE's Fortress
