Quality is abstract and subjective, while popularity (through ratings and sales) is quantifiable.
The former leaves room for argument, the latter does not.As for people complaining about fan service, you're entirely missing the point.
Sensual/Erotic cooking/eating is a preexisting genre of its own (has no one read Ajinosuke or Taberudake?).
Among the american side of the fanbase, not really?
This series simply takes a very well structured shounen battle manga spin on it.
Saying fanservice is "distracting" or wishing the series to leave it out, is like saying "Gourmet theme is fucking stupid in Toriko I wish they'd remove it" or asking for One Piece to stop having adventure. It's a core premise of the series, if you don't like the aspect, then simply it's just not meant for your taste.
But if I like everything about the series EXCEPT that part?
It's like enjoying everything about Negima except the harem aspect. (The UNDERAGE harem aspect in that particular case especially…) Yeah its an established genre and that's part of it, but it doesn't mean the series doesn't have dozens of other virtues (pacing, characterization, worldbuilding, combat, storytelling, art, etc.) that I can like without caring for that one aspect of it.... when its overdone.
I don't care that it has fanservice in there, or if the lead is juggling 20 different girls. I'm not offended by it, I'm just totally not in the target audience age group so the softcore doesn't do much for me. Fanservice properly placed and timed can be awesome... its just when it pops up basically every chapter and the series becomes about that instead of its many other virtues that it bothers me.
I'll bow down to your knowledge on the matter Aohige. If you say its a completely ingrained part of the genre, then you're right and your experience outweighs mine on this.
However, I don't think I'd be saying ""take the food out of toriko" or "take the adventure out of one piece", or even "take the sexy girls out of one piece" but I'd instead say "don't have Nami get naked every third chapter"?
(Heck, I sort of enjoyed the early chapters of To Love Ru as a modern Lum until it turned into nonstop fanservice about 20 chapters in... And Strongest Disciple Kenichi like 100 chapters in...)