# Ben-To (2011)

> A broke high school student joins a club of fighters who brawl over discounted bento boxes in Japanese supermarkets.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/55180

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 24 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy, action
- Network: MBS
- Cast: Hiro Shimono, Mariya Ise, Emiri Kato, Aoi Yuki, Ai Kayano, Mamoru Miyano, Ayana Taketatsu, Kazuyuki Okitsu
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3625280/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: breakneck
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: absurd, irreverent, playful, energetic, mock epic

## What critics say

Audiences find the absurd grocery-store battle premise funny and energetic, though the rating is mixed and the show is viewed as a lighthearted action comedy.

## Synopsis

Ben-To (2011) is a Japanese animated comedy action series created for MBS and produced by David Production, adapted from a light novel. Its voice cast includes Hiro Shimono as You Satou, a young, broke high school student who joins the Half-Priced Food Lovers Club, alongside Mariya Ise as Sen Yarizui and Mamoru Miyano as Yuu Kaneshiro. The engine is simple and absurd: each day, grocery stores across Japan become arenas where ravenous shoppers brawl over discounted bento boxes once the clearance stickers go up. Sato must prove he has the grit and skill to rise as a talent in these food fights, and each of the twelve short episodes pairs escalating combat with a deadpan, self-aware sense of humor. The single season is a compact, self-contained run rather than a sprawling saga. Its mock epic tone, with dramatic music and fight choreography applied to bargain hunting, gives it an energetic, irreverent feel. Fans of Kaiji, One Punch Man and Nodame Cantabile will find resonance in its blend of absurd stakes, club-based camaraderie and playful exaggeration.

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