Navigatoria - Ch. 6 - Army

[MangaDex]

 

[Undorian]

The author´s worldbuilding in the first 2 chapters with the repressive totalitarian regime was pretty good imho. Why is it now devolving into an Isekai term list („the cooking nation“)?

 

[74HC595]

The author´s worldbuilding in the first 2 chapters with the repressive totalitarian regime was pretty good imho. Why is it now devolving into an Isekai term list („the cooking nation“)?

The impression I got was of a post-globalist fragmented planet, where the ancient cultural groupings of old have long since dissolved, but in tough times the borders have reformed around other differences. Possibly it’s even an evolution from a corporatist world, where companies like nestle and moderna and microsoft and raytheon founded their own factory city states that have now grown into entire countries. That would explain the specialisations we see here.

Calling it “the cooking country” is pretty lazy, but I’ve always gotten the impression that not much effort would be put into the home countries. It’s as if they’re meant to be viewed not as countries, but as concepts, and the characters we see are the natural result of people who grew up immersed in those concepts. The setting of the story is a battle of ideologies, forced onto people who may or may not embody those ideologies. I suspect the point is that the characters who rise above these one-dimensional concepts are the ones who prove themselves to be the most capable leaders.

 

[Undorian]

The impression I got was of a post-globalist fragmented planet, where the ancient cultural groupings of old have long since dissolved, but in tough times the borders have reformed around other differences. Possibly it’s even an evolution from a corporatist world, where companies like nestle and moderna and microsoft and raytheon founded their own factory city states that have now grown into entire countries. That would explain the specialisations we see here.

Calling it “the cooking country” is pretty lazy, but I’ve always gotten the impression that not much effort would be put into the home countries. It’s as if they’re meant to be viewed not as countries, but as concepts, and the characters we see are the natural result of people who grew up immersed in those concepts. The setting of the story is a battle of ideologies, forced onto people who may or may not embody those ideologies. I suspect the point is that the characters who rise above these one-dimensional concepts are the ones who prove themselves to be the most capable leaders.

I like your interpretation, it is actually very interesting.
But it isn’t quite like that, since at least one country, Domnos, is clearly bullying, devastating and maybe even taking over other countries. At this point, a title like cooking country is pointless, and the individual countries would go back to trying to be autark (Self-sufficient), and not focus on culinary awards.
Also, trying to find objective criteria for measuring what “the world´s best country at cooking“ is is kinda contentious: Biggest influence in terms of exported dish types? Italy would probably win bc of Pasta and Pizza. Biggest net income through culinary professionals? USA would probably win bc of MCDonalds. Highest number of culinary awards? Probably France. And my Chinese mother would insist that the Chinese are the best chefs in the world no matter what anybody else claims. 😌

 

[Hicleric]

And my Chinese mother would insist that the Chinese are the best chefs in the world no matter what anybody else claims

I don't see how anyone could defy that logic 😁

Assuming Ebil Military Guy turns into an ally, this is kind of a predictable outcome. Pretty weak of our MC to not have thought of banding together himself--his "friend" is going to be making a power play pretty soon, methinks

 

[74HC595]

the world´s best country at cooking

The one that trains the best chefs and performs the most cutting-edge culinary research. What matters is how they are seen by other countries, if a wealthy household would brag about hiring a personal chef from X country, or a doctor from Y country, that would do it. We know from the test that some countries are years behind others in terms of what high school children are taught, so it stands to reason that there could be even greater differences in more specific fields. With extreme cultural shifts from the collapse and reconstruction of nations, it’s possible that culinary ability regressed in some places, but even then it’s kinda hard to believe that culinary ability from a single country could be influential. Maybe they’re going all-in on molecular gastronomy and meticulously crafting artificial dishes with the perfect combination of tastes, scents, mouthfeels, and dietary content.
I'd rather have food without soy lecithin or msg or maltodextrin, thanks.

his "friend" is going to be making a power play pretty soon, methinks

Oh yeah he’s absolutely getting betrayed a few times. If not by the military guy, definitely by the shifty guy with the strange hair who happened to be in the right place at the right time to save his village (he gets forgiven of course). Probably also by some Earth soldiers, and by a coalition of other students.

 

[NEOO_]

i think its confirmed that this mc is north korea and that guy is from america