According to a twenty point scale, Kaga announces the winner from the scores tallied up by each of the judges. Much fanfare and celebration surrounds the victor and to him go the spoils of recognition and accomplishment. The chefs congratulate each other for a battle well done and the show sadly ends. An hour does not seem like enough, but there is always next week, right?

The camera work in this show is very well-choreographed. The team of cameramen roving around the chefs at work give the viewer a more up-close and personal view of the battle from the camera's eye. Also, the dramatic close-ups and pull backs of the cameras throughout the show add to the unique flavor of the show. The viewer can literally smell and feel the tension as well as the dishes being prepared thanks to the quick camerawork.

And what would a show be without music? Yes, even Iron Chef has music and classical music. The music has a Kanno Yoko feel to it like the background music for Escaflowne or Memories -- "Magnetic Rose". It is a mix of driving drums to strong choirs chanting the start of the impending battle like in the movie Braveheart or classical medieval battle songs. The music definitely drives the show and completes this great recipe for a hit show.

The centerpiece of this show is the set of Kitchen Stadium. Literally, something to behold, the Iron Chefs' pedestal is made from wood with two eagle-type creatures on either side of the three large archways. Directly in front of it is the theme ingredient and judgment pedestal where sits not only the main ingredient, but after the battle a beautiful glass award for the victor. To the outer perimeter of the set sit two viewing booths that have a beautiful medieval paintings upon the walls. To the left is the Royal Box where the entourage of the challenger sit as well as other special spectators, and to the right is the Viewing Booth where Hattori, two to three celebrities, and Fukui sit to give their play-by-play commentary during the battle. The arena floor is fashioned with a mix of exquisite marble and redwood that is fully deserving of this high-class show. Truly, someone definitely had a vivid imagination when they built this set which is torn down after every filming.

The dub of the show is well-done, but definitely needs some getting used to. A lot is being said at the same time between Fukui and Hattori, and the information sometimes get crossed. The author wishes they use other voice actors for the young female celebrity in each of the shows because she soon noticed it is the same voice week after week. The voice for Fukui sounds rather young for the original Japanese announcer. The rest of the voices are passable, but the main voices are what counts most. Fukui's and Ohta's voices have been well chosen because they sound a lot like sportscasters that Americans can recognize. Like other dubs, this one is not immune to the puns that appear from time to time that are sometimes "painful," but mostly draw chuckles out of this author. Others may be turned off by the fact it is dubbed, but it does take some getting used to. Give it a chance.

The episodes airing on the Food Network come from the fifth season of Iron Chef. The show premiered on 10 October 1993 and has been running for six strong years, but is sadly ending this year. Iron Chef aired subtitled in certain parts of the U.S. for a number of years before its eventual debut on 9 July 1999 on the Food Network.

The author enjoys cooking shows as a whole (the Food Network is one of her favorite cable channels) and Iron Chef definitely fits the bill and then some. It is fun to watch as well as informative to the viewers. One can understand by just watching one show why this show became such a cult favorite in Japan. The whole ambiance and setting as well as the awesome Kitchen Stadium set makes Iron Chef a most enjoyable to watch!