As 2025 draws to a close, the isekai genre’s cozy corner occupant—Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill (known in Japan as Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi)—has left fans with full bellies and empty slates. MAPPA’s second season wrapped its 12-episode run on December 23, just in time for holiday binges, blending mouthwatering feasts with lighthearted fantasy escapades. Based on Ren Eguchi’s light novel series, illustrated by Masa and first serialized online in 2016, the anime has cooked up a devoted following since its 2023 debut. But with Season 2’s finale fading from screens, the burning question lingers: can this culinary crossover hit sustain its momentum into a third helping? Drawing from recent streaming surges and source material abundance, the ingredients for continuation are there—though the official recipe remains under wraps.
A Plot Simmering with Flavorful Fantasy
At its heart, Campfire Cooking subverts the high-fantasy summons trope with a dash of domestic bliss. Protagonist Tsuyoshi Mukouda, a mild-mannered Japanese salaryman, gets yanked into a medieval realm alongside three destined heroes blessed with godlike powers. Mukouda? His “absurd skill” is “Online Supermarket”—a portal to Earth’s grocery aisles, letting him summon instant ramen, spices, and premium meats at will. Disillusioned by the kingdom’s exploitative expectations, he bolts, recruiting a ragtag party: the haughty Fenrir wolf Fel (a divine beast with a bottomless appetite), the bubbly slime Sui (who evolves into a devouring powerhouse), and later additions like the pint-sized dragon Dora-chan, whose greed rivals Fel’s.
What unfolds is less about world-ending quests and more about wandering the wilds, slaying monsters for fresh ingredients, and whipping up fusion dishes that wow fantasy folk—from wyvern steaks in soy sauce to seafood boils with imported peppers. Season 1 (January-March 2023) establishes this nomadic rhythm, covering Mukouda’s early escapes and party-building antics. Season 2, airing Tuesdays on Crunchyroll from October 2025, dives deeper into guild politics, exotic locales like mermaid lagoons, and escalating feasts that draw divine ire and adventurer envy. Eguchi’s narrative keeps the stakes low-key: conflicts resolve over shared meals, emphasizing camaraderie and cultural clashes (imagine explaining miso soup to elves). It’s a palate cleanser in isekai’s blood-soaked buffet, where the real magic happens around the firepit.
Animation That Makes Mouths Water
MAPPA, fresh off Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, infuses Campfire Cooking with their signature polish, but dials back the intensity for something delectably tactile. Director Shinji Ishihira (known for Fairy Tail) and series composer Michiko Yokote craft episodes that linger on steam rising from pots and juices dripping from skewers, turning food prep into ASMR symphonies. Season 1’s vibrant palettes—lush forests in emerald greens, crackling campfires in warm ambers—evolve in Season 2 with sharper character designs by Nao Ōtsu and enhanced CGI for monstrous hunts, making sea battles feel epic yet edible.
Critics and viewers alike praise the studio’s restraint: no over-the-top fights overshadow the sizzle. As one Anime News Network forum user noted post-Season 2 finale, “The animation elevates simple stir-fries to hypnotic art, blending brisk spectacle with that infectious ‘just one more bite’ pull.” Returning voice talents like Yūma Uchida’s deadpan Mukouda and Satoshi Hino’s pompous Fel add layers of charm, while new addition Ayumu Murase’s Dora-chan brings pint-sized mischief. It’s not revolutionary—some call the pacing “leisurely to a fault”—but in a fall slate packed with shonen heavyweights, its unhurried glow stands out as comfort viewing incarnate.
Fan Feast: Acclaim, Cravings, and Season 3 Hunger Pangs
If ratings are any gauge, Campfire Cooking has fans hooked like fish on a line. Season 1 holds a solid 7.49 on MyAnimeList from over 200,000 users, lauded as a “guilt-free guilty pleasure” for its zero-pressure vibes and perpetual hunger induction. Season 2 bumps that to 7.74, climbing Crunchyroll’s charts to dominate November 2025 streams and even topping FlixPatrol’s global anime list by mid-December. Viewers rave about its escapist charm: Reddit threads buzz with “turn-your-brain-off bliss,” where episodes end not with cliffhangers but calls for takeout. One user summed it up: “It’s the ultimate chill show—hungry, happy, and begging for more.”
The fandom’s wholesome energy shines in online spaces, from recipe recreations on TikTok to fan art of Fel devouring karaage. Minor gripes? Pacing dips in setup-heavy arcs, and some crave deeper lore beyond the larder. Yet, its streaming success—10 million light novel copies sold worldwide by September 2025—signals staying power. As Season 2 credits rolled, forums erupted with pleas: “Please tell me they’ll make a Season 3 somehow,” echoing a sentiment that this “foodie isekai” deserves seconds on seconds.
Source Material Stocked: Plenty of Volumes for a Season 3 Pantry Raid
Good news for the impatient: the larder overflows. Eguchi’s light novels, published by Overlap since 2017, hit 17 volumes by September 2025, with English releases via J-Novel Club accelerating in 2025. Season 1 adapted roughly Volumes 1-3, focusing on Mukouda’s summoning and initial travels. Season 2 tackled Volumes 4-6, exploring guild quests and divine meddlings like the goddess Ninril’s gluttonous schemes. That leaves a hearty 11 volumes untapped, brimming with arcs on forbidden forests, royal banquets, and party expansions that could fuel multiple seasons.
The manga’s 11 volumes (as of October 2025) mirror this pace, ongoing under Masahiro Ikeno, ensuring visual fidelity for adapters. No wonder speculation simmers—while no Season 3 greenlight has dropped as of December 25, 2025, MAPPA’s investment (returning staff like art director Tomoki Nagino) and the series’ sales surge hint at kitchen lights staying on. Industry whispers suggest a 2027 premiere if trends hold, but for now, it’s all simmer, no sear.
The Next Course: A Recipe for Renewal?
Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill proves that in isekai’s grand feast, sometimes the side dish steals the show. Its blend of belly laughs, heartwarming bonds, and visuals that tempt the tastebuds has carved a niche as the genre’s soothing salve—perfect for unwinding amid 2025’s anime deluge. Fans aren’t just anticipating Season 3; they’re salivating for it, armed with a source stack that could sustain a cookbook’s worth of episodes. Whether MAPPA plates it up soon or lets it marinate, one thing’s clear: Mukouda’s absurd skill has us all craving that next campfire crackle. Until then, fire up the stove—imitation’s the sincerest form of binge-watching.
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My name is Ibrahim and I am a huge anime fan. I have decent experience in the industry, I provide daily news regarding anime and manga.
