Sono Otoko, Amatou ni Tsuki

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Some people might disagree with the high rating (even if they liked the manga) but I just found this story right up my alley and it just clicked with me in a magical way.

With Sono Otoko, I was expecting it to be more about the chocolate (and it was!) but I was pleasantly surprised that the story was developed even further by giving the main character, Jean-Louis, this realness and depth.

The chocolate and sweets were used as metaphors in the story rather than just a source of pleasure. To a man like Jean-Louis, chocolates gave him comfort growing up and he never learned to ... let go. There's so much room and material to analyze Jean-Louis's character here but I don't wish to ruin those moments of realization while reading the manga for you.

Est Em has a minimalist style that is more realistic and different than your mainstream manga art, beautifully colored with hues of orange and coffee brown (the color you'd get if you tried doing watercolors with coffee). It succeeded in giving an atmosphere of its own, sucking you completely into the story.

This was my first manga by Est Em and I'm planning to try out her other work but I really recommend this one~

Jean-Louis goes about his daily life comparing people's problems to desserts in ways that feel less wholesome and more snobbish, yet somehow he draws people to him like moths to a flame. The world is his oyster, he can and does kiss any fish in the sea that catches his attention, but his one true love is chocolate and that will never change.

As the title may imply, this is a manga about a man who loves chocolate desserts and sees the world through that lens. The pages are colored in warm hues meant to call to mind the chocolate itself so the atmosphere is soft ... and welcoming, the way Jean-Louis feels when he takes a bite of something sweet. And yet, the story is more of a character study than a traditional "put your feelings into the chocolate to make it taste better" arc that the first chapter appeared to be setting up.

I suppose I'm grateful for that choice in direction because chapter 1 is bizarrely sexual and starts off feeling like the male characters are harassing the one female on the staff for not having a love life. The next two chapters are equally wrought with wild sexual implications and a penchant for stripping, but thankfully the story mellows out from there... chapter 4's out of pocket dentistry aside.

Between the odd but creative metaphors, there is enough to appreciate about this manga that makes it worth a look. I'd recommend it as a short and easy read.