OVA
Description
Nene Kinokuni is a student of the 91st Generation at Totsuki Culinary Academy who holds the Sixth Seat on the Elite Ten Council during her second year. She is the heiress of the prestigious Kinokuni family, which has a long-standing tradition of expertise in Japanese cuisine, particularly soba noodles. Her upbringing was rigorous and disciplined from an early age, as she was trained in various classical Japanese arts including dance, calligraphy, judo, and the use of the naginata. This left little time for leisure, but she did not resent this path, as she was deeply engrossed in perfecting her skills in Japanese traditions. Over time, she developed a particular passion for creating soba noodles, which became her culinary forte and the family specialty.
In terms of personality, Nene is extremely taciturn and speaks very bluntly, if she speaks at all. Her personality directly contrasts with the loud and brash Terunori Kuga, a fellow Elite Ten member, and she is often seen vocally telling him to die or ridiculing his height. Like most of the other Elite Ten members, she initially does not see first-year students as a threat due to the confidence in her superior abilities. She is a stickler for protocol and managed to scold even the defiant Rindo Kobayashi into wearing her Central badge. However, this strict adherence to tradition and protocol is also her greatest weakness. Her self-belief that the Kinokuni style of making soba has no flaws led her to disregard possible environmental conditions that could affect her dishes, a factor that would later contribute to her downfall.
Nene is also a very competitive chef with a goal to prove that she is the best chef of her generation. Despite being the highest-seated second-year student in the Elite Ten, she does not fully recognize this because she knows that her rival, Satoshi Isshiki, has always been holding back his true abilities. Her history with Satoshi is complex and forms the core of her motivations. As part of a tradition where the heir of the Isshiki family is sent to another family to hone their skills, Satoshi was sent to live with the Kinokuni family when he was four years old. Nene initially was happy to interact with someone her age, but she quickly became frustrated as she witnessed Satoshi effortlessly learn nearly all the skills that she had struggled to master over a long period. This experience fostered a deep resentment towards him that persists throughout her time at the academy.
In the story, Nene initially serves as an antagonist during the Central arc. After Azami Nakiri takes over as headmaster of Totsuki, Nene is one of the Elite Ten members who votes in favor of the regime change, becoming a commanding officer of Central. Her major role comes during the Regiment de Cuisine, where she is chosen to face Soma Yukihira in the first bout. The theme of the battle is drawn randomly and turns out to be soba, which is Nene's specialty. Confident in her skills, she produces what she believes to be the ultimate Kinokuni soba dish, impressing the judges with its quality. However, Soma’s dish ultimately wins due to his adaptability. The cold and humid environment of the arena negatively affected the aroma of soba noodles. While Nene adhered strictly to her family’s traditional method, Soma used a different type of flour and cooking technique to compensate for the environmental conditions, creating a dish that was more flavorful and aromatic. After tasting her own soba and realizing it lacked its usual potency, Nene is forced to accept defeat. Satoshi explains that her overconfidence in her family’s tradition led to her downfall, as she presented the ultimate Kinokuni soba dish without considering what would satisfy the judges under the specific conditions.
This defeat is a turning point for Nene, exposing her hidden insecurities. She feels that her hard work is meaningless compared to Satoshi's natural genius and that she is merely an average girl, not comparable to him. However, Satoshi later offers her words of encouragement, telling her that she should take pride in her devotion to her craft and that her diligence in continuous practice is beautiful and deserves respect. He reveals that he has always admired her for genuinely enjoying the laborious task of cooking and practicing, which in turn inspired his own belief that cooking should be fun and make people happy. This moment of vulnerability leads to emotional growth for Nene. After Central’s collapse, she loses her Elite Ten seat but later manages to re-enter the council as the Ninth Seat during her third year, her ambition now tempered by resilience. Her character arc traces a shift from brittle perfectionism toward an acceptance of failure as a part of evolution.
Regarding her notable abilities, Nene is a specialist in traditional Japanese cuisine, with her crowning achievement being her handmade soba noodles. She has mastered the art of making soba by hand to the point where her movements are precise and contain no excess motion, reflecting years of exacting practice. The Kinokuni family has passed down a legendary soba recipe through generations, and her skill in this area alone helped her acquire her high seat on the Elite Ten Council.
In terms of personality, Nene is extremely taciturn and speaks very bluntly, if she speaks at all. Her personality directly contrasts with the loud and brash Terunori Kuga, a fellow Elite Ten member, and she is often seen vocally telling him to die or ridiculing his height. Like most of the other Elite Ten members, she initially does not see first-year students as a threat due to the confidence in her superior abilities. She is a stickler for protocol and managed to scold even the defiant Rindo Kobayashi into wearing her Central badge. However, this strict adherence to tradition and protocol is also her greatest weakness. Her self-belief that the Kinokuni style of making soba has no flaws led her to disregard possible environmental conditions that could affect her dishes, a factor that would later contribute to her downfall.
Nene is also a very competitive chef with a goal to prove that she is the best chef of her generation. Despite being the highest-seated second-year student in the Elite Ten, she does not fully recognize this because she knows that her rival, Satoshi Isshiki, has always been holding back his true abilities. Her history with Satoshi is complex and forms the core of her motivations. As part of a tradition where the heir of the Isshiki family is sent to another family to hone their skills, Satoshi was sent to live with the Kinokuni family when he was four years old. Nene initially was happy to interact with someone her age, but she quickly became frustrated as she witnessed Satoshi effortlessly learn nearly all the skills that she had struggled to master over a long period. This experience fostered a deep resentment towards him that persists throughout her time at the academy.
In the story, Nene initially serves as an antagonist during the Central arc. After Azami Nakiri takes over as headmaster of Totsuki, Nene is one of the Elite Ten members who votes in favor of the regime change, becoming a commanding officer of Central. Her major role comes during the Regiment de Cuisine, where she is chosen to face Soma Yukihira in the first bout. The theme of the battle is drawn randomly and turns out to be soba, which is Nene's specialty. Confident in her skills, she produces what she believes to be the ultimate Kinokuni soba dish, impressing the judges with its quality. However, Soma’s dish ultimately wins due to his adaptability. The cold and humid environment of the arena negatively affected the aroma of soba noodles. While Nene adhered strictly to her family’s traditional method, Soma used a different type of flour and cooking technique to compensate for the environmental conditions, creating a dish that was more flavorful and aromatic. After tasting her own soba and realizing it lacked its usual potency, Nene is forced to accept defeat. Satoshi explains that her overconfidence in her family’s tradition led to her downfall, as she presented the ultimate Kinokuni soba dish without considering what would satisfy the judges under the specific conditions.
This defeat is a turning point for Nene, exposing her hidden insecurities. She feels that her hard work is meaningless compared to Satoshi's natural genius and that she is merely an average girl, not comparable to him. However, Satoshi later offers her words of encouragement, telling her that she should take pride in her devotion to her craft and that her diligence in continuous practice is beautiful and deserves respect. He reveals that he has always admired her for genuinely enjoying the laborious task of cooking and practicing, which in turn inspired his own belief that cooking should be fun and make people happy. This moment of vulnerability leads to emotional growth for Nene. After Central’s collapse, she loses her Elite Ten seat but later manages to re-enter the council as the Ninth Seat during her third year, her ambition now tempered by resilience. Her character arc traces a shift from brittle perfectionism toward an acceptance of failure as a part of evolution.
Regarding her notable abilities, Nene is a specialist in traditional Japanese cuisine, with her crowning achievement being her handmade soba noodles. She has mastered the art of making soba by hand to the point where her movements are precise and contain no excess motion, reflecting years of exacting practice. The Kinokuni family has passed down a legendary soba recipe through generations, and her skill in this area alone helped her acquire her high seat on the Elite Ten Council.