Eat

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

Nagabe is a very talented artist and character designer, and both those skills are put to good use here! While not as interesting or whimsical as Girl from The Other Side, in part because of its mundane setting at a university, it's still a gorgeous manga.

I'm not a fan of vore so wasn't sure how I'd feel about the plot but it's not traditional vore (despite the MC talking about his interest using that word - it's better classified as cannibalism, to the point I would've thought the word choice was a translation oddity if I didn't know the author was active in online furry ... spaces) and the emotional conflict is surprisingly intense. It's not dark enough to leave a bad taste in your mouth but is not exactly carefree, somewhere midway between Monotone Blue and Wize Wize Beasts of Wizarding Wizdom in terms of vibes/heaviness. I'd actually just read Wize Wize Beasts before this and was disappointed by most of the stories for being very cliche and surface level, especially since I'd fallen in love with Monotone Blue, so I went in with low expectations. Definitely exceeded those expectations by a mile!

This single-volume length suits his writing more that the single chapter or 10+ volumes where he either wasn't able to expand on something enough or seemed like he ran out of ideas partway through. The ending to this is open-ended so unsure if it'll eventually get a sequel, but it works as a one-off just fine.

If you're into off-kilter and darker MLM content with BEAUTIFUL art, highly recommend!

To start, the premise of this manga is great but the conclusion feels... unsatisfying. Maybe that was the goal, to get the point across, to leave you craving more. Or maybe the artist just bit off more than he could chew.

From good things, the reverse predator/prey dynamic is refreshing. Again, Nagabe's artstyle doesn't disappoint (beyond the occasional case of "yaoi hands") and character designs are aesthetically pleasing (one pet peeve will be how much Lufria's clothes blend in with his fur, so some scenes might leave one confused upon first glance). I'm a big fan of how the main "pair" compliment one another through fur ... patterns, the reverse black-white ratio is almost reminiscent of yin and yang.
I say "pair" because the characters are not explicitly queer, one even outright denies "swinging that way". It's a prevalent trope in BL of course but the fact that Lufria's desires are shown to be a result of childhood trauma might be enough for some readers to skip this position entirely. The story focuses mainly on just 3 characters and yet, somehow none was fleshed out nearly enough. From the main story, nothing is known about them beyond their professions, they are no more than vessels for their kinks. This is most likely partially caused by the oneshot formula but I couldn't leave it unmentioned.

In conclusion, "EAT" shines in visualizing the protagonist's fantasies, it's the best portrayal of furry oral fixation in manga I've seen to date. It caters to a specific niche and does it well, despite having some hiccups along the way. If you go into it free of expectations of deep plot and intricate analysis of ethics, you will probably enjoy this strange little story.