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- BirthdayMay 4, 2001
- LocationPoland
- JoinedDec 31, 2014
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Apr 14, 2025
A short and sweet story about love in more forms than just one. I personally highly enjoy the approach the manga takes, emphasizing that in order to fall in love, you need to love yourself first.
The way this series depicts intrusive thoughts and declining self esteem feels very genuine and realistic. Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy, having this voice deep inside your head that you aren't worthy of love or that you're terrible and undeserving of the people around you. It's very rewarding to see her slowly realize that she deserves to be happy and that she isn't a burden to those
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who care about her.
Another aspect of her character that I find well thought out is how she sees herself as "not normal" and desperately wanting to fit in, to be seen as normal. Hinako often exclaims that she feels gross with herself for not being perfect and that people around her could even spend time with her. The way she sees prettying herself up as armor, so the world can see her just as a basic "nice young lady" putting on a fake smile at work. All of that also plays quite well into the comphet angle, which I think ultimately is done competently. Understanding that she is her own person, which also helps her find her own identity in the make up she's been using to cover up her real self, now using it to emphasize her true nature.
Asahi's point of view is also quite well portrayed, with how she prioritizes the happiness of her sister, rather than her own. I think the manga tackled that experience rather gracefully as well. Same with the character of Fuuka, who tackled the trope of a love rival in a way that's also very genuine, understanding that she isn't a bad person either, for wanting affection and love.
There is a subtle theme of asexuality, but I can't say it plays a big part in the story. It was quite often brought up, that Hinako is not interested in physicality at all, so she doesn't want to kiss Asahi. While I think it is completely fine, I wish the series would find a way to give them their big romantic moment at the end of the story. You know, the moment where the characters say their feelings for each other and kiss with a lovely background. The manga kinda lacked that final "oomph" for me, as it ended on them just holding hands, the same way they did plenty of times before, not even with more detail to emphasize the finality of the moment.
It is a quite lovely slow burn, but it does speed up quite a lot in the last volume. I feel like the story could've used either a bit more time or a bit more of a steady pace, to fully deliver the ending. It might feel a bit unrealistic, for a series so focused on realistic depictions of mental struggles, that everything just worked out for them without any issues, but I do think that only further plays into the main theme of presenting one's own insecurity as their biggest enemy.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 14, 2025
A pretty great romance story that toys with one's expectations. I personally really enjoyed how the initial premise painted Midori as a pretty bad person, but learning to see her perspective helped shift that disdain to sympathy, seeing as ultimately it was a plea for help.
The leads are very flawed and I think the series did a pretty great job at unrevealing their trauma and issues to the very core. Even the main antagonistic force is portrayed with a certain degree of sympathy, as what shaped his terrible traits was also a good bit of trauma. While the manga doesn't justify his behavior, it allows
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the reader to see where it call comes from, which I think added an additional layer to appreciating the character.
It expertly captures the suffocating struggle of the two leads, such as their issues with heteronormativity, pregnancy, trauma, as well as poor communication. However,it never feels condescending and like it's beating the reader over the head with the moral.
The unique artstyle makes each panel come to life with a degree of magic and whimsy that's hard to find in other series. It's pure joy to look at, adding yet another layer to the whole experience. The imagery of fairy tales, princesses and weddings plays wonderfully into the theme of these women gaining agency over their lives, breaking out of the norm of a world that's been planned out for them, without asking for them permission and making it their own — reclaiming the princess aesthetic from an image of a helpless girl that's only supposed to do what she's told.
While in some places it can feel a bit "happy go lucky", with how things just work out for the two leads, I think it adds that certain degree of hope to their otherwise gloom world. It's an extremely rewarding experience to see the Midori and Maki fall in love once again, but this time with a lot more courage to try and be happy together, in spite of everything around them.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 11, 2025
A really solid manga about navigating modern society. While at the current moment there isn't too many chapters, so I can't yet judge it fully, I'm quite pleasantly surprised with how well the manga tackled problems of the modern world.
The three main leads all lead very different lives, which offers great variety in issues the manga chooses to tackle. Mental health and finding a way to enjoy life seems to be the main thematic through line. As well as a sprinkle of social norms, expectations and even an openly queer plot line. The characters are shown struggling with their lives a lot, but always finding
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a way to find solace in each other, creating a very strong emotional core for the story.
However, the panel time seems to be a bit unevenly split between the three of them while you're reading it as it's coming out, as each volume seems to have a different character of the main trio in focus. Volume 1 introduced the story, Volume 2 focuses more on Nakamura, while Volume 3 focuses on Eiji. Since there's no Volume 4 to focus on Chiharu yet (at least that's what I would expect), she seems to fade into the background a little bit right now.
Despite that, their friendship is still very solid and makes you feel for them, seeing them support each other in their tough times. What's also quite nice is that their relationship is not idealized and isn't a cure to all of the world's issues, as they still have to do most of the work to be happy on their own. Lots of which involves opposing the status quo, realizing they're not happy with it and striving for a change. The "status quo" can take a variety of different shapes and sizes too, from insensitive coworkers to suicidal thoughts.
Food also plays a great deal of importance in the story, if not the glue that holds the story together. Sharing a meal in the manga's own philosophy is a way to show the highest form of affection, trust and comfort around another person. I think it's quite a lovely way to look at it. Thanks to that, it is a real treat to see the characters dig in into their food and enjoy it, because that's how they show their platonic love for each other.
That however brings me to the only minor nitpick I have with this manga. While there is a big focus on food and eating, there isn't nearly as big of a focus on cooking. The preparation of food almost all the time takes place off screen, which I think robs the manga of strong emotional scenes. Especially since a lot of decisions while making the food are exceptionally well thought out and the reasoning behind each flavor combination is explained in great detail. However, whenever cooking's involved, the manga switches to narration, rather than letting the characters do the cooking. It is presented in a cookbook format, which certainly is useful for the reader, if they ever decide to make the dish themselves, but unfortunately takes away, in my eyes, a very important part of the characterization.
That being said, it's certainly a worthy read of the Gourmet genre, which while extremely cynical and often quite depressing, finds a way to remain hopeful through food and friendships.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 8, 2025
A very cute and genuine story about two girls growing closer together as friends, despite their age difference. That might sound like a turn off for a lot of people, but let me say that the adult approaches it maturely, which gives the entire manga a lovely genuine vibe of this sort of "crush on a teacher" we all had in school. It never feels like it goes too far, even all the while the leads begin to open up to each other more.
One of the main aspects of Onnanokogare is finding ways to express one's self through femininity and managing to find joy in
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prettying yourself up. What I find quite unique is its relationship to gender and assumptions about others. Because well, one of the main two leads, Shinobu is in fact transgender. That makes the main dynamic very interesting, as it is the transgender character is the guide through the world of femininity for Rui, the cisgender lead.
I think the manga tackled its subject matter quite gracefully, as Shinobu's struggles are believable and portrayed quite genuinely. So is Rui's approach to them. For the bundle of energy that she is, she's always looking out for her friend in the face of adversity, but never feeling like the manga is painting her like too much of a knight in shining armor. Even when it comes to Rui's own personal circle looking down on Shinobu, because of her gender. The story finds a way to balance them perfectly, so they can both elevate each other, as well as learn from one another.
The approach feels entirely earnest, which makes me help overlook of the tiny bumps along the way. I find it a very enjoyable read worth recommending, especially to these looking for a transgender lead that isn't treated as a gimmick. The characters are very sweet and their relationship is a joy to watch unfold in all the way the find to support each other. They seemingly come from very different worlds, but the way they manage to find a common language so easily, feels believable and quite heartwarming.
I'll also at to this review that Onnanokogare is a manga that's not fully translated and probably there isn't much hope for it ever getting a proper full translation (unless someone surprises me). You can however find the second volume in its original Japanese and try working your way through it the same way I did. I'd say it's worth checking out tho!
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 7, 2025
The main thing for me with this manga was how fast the story was progressing and it felt like never really committed to its subject matter. It's very bizarre in a lot of ways, how at the same time it tries desperately to find ways to mitigate the disability of the main lead (she can fully speak, has a special outfitted room so she can hear, is perfect at reading lips), but also introduce problems in how her disability affects her life that seem entirely arbitrary. Like the fact she has to "read the bus display" to know when to get out (which I think
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everybody does) or she doesn't want to eat with others, because she can't read their lips while they eat. Somehow nobody really thinks of the way to just talk when their mouth isn't full of food. Or how she can't tell when cars are coming at night, as if they didn't have headlights. In general there is a big focus on how she fears to leave the house at night, because of how dark it is, as if street lights didn't exist either. There are certainly problems that people with a hearing impairment face, but this selection of issues feels extremely shallow.
I feel like it's never fully about a hearing impairment and how it affects people, as it constantly finds way to make it a non issue between the main characters, but when the story needs it to be relevant, they just come up with a weird problem. When I've read the premise of it being a romance involving a deaf girl, I was hoping they would go the extra mile, because fully deaf/mute characters, especially leads, are honestly some of the most difficult characters to write and make compelling. In a manga, that's a much more visual of a format than a light novel, I hoped for more visual storytelling to overcome that hurdle, but alas, they just find a way to make her not-so-deaf. It's not like I want to diminish the existence of such people, but I just wish the manga would commit to that fully, to give a more unique experience.
On the other hand, it also wants to be a story about invisible disabilities and how people make assumptions about a person. It also strikes me as an odd choice to choose something that's very prominent and noticeable to be the stand-in for the invisible disability. Again, it's not that I'm against this point, but I just wish the manga would commit more to it, with something that's a even less visible, but affects someone just as greatly, like autism for example. I dunno if Im projecting a bit too much of what I personally would've wanted, but I just felt like they never fully committed with the premise of the story.
There's also this underlining theme of abuse, and how others see Kanon as lesser and only aim to be perceived better by helping the disabled girl, making themselves this martyr worthy of praise. It is a very interesting subject to tackle, but I feel like ultimately it feels a bit undermined by the fact that the story would flip between her being perfectly capable and not wanting to be treated specially and needing to be babysat by Saki (like the bus display thing or being unable to see cars at night) whenever the story calls for it. In the end it kinda just serves to paint Saki as this angel to Kanon with no ulterior motive, which kinda is exactly what the manga wants to oppose. Often the story would have her have those "Im sorry for existing, it's so insensitive of me" moments with her and I'm not sure what they are supposed to mean, as they never seem to make a point of them especially not about "not wanting to get special treatment". There seems to be this weird double standard for her, and the characters even acknowledge it by saying stuff like "Its not so bad to be babied" or "I don't mind when she does it". It makes me see the main subject matter as even more contrived.
There's also this little part where there's one bully who also loses hearing in her right ear. Again, such a weird choice. I get the whole karma implication, but on the other hand it does feel straight out of a Dhar Mann "Mean girl bullies classmate for being deaf. Instantly regrets it" video. Rather than "Be a decent person, because there are different people and basic human decency is cool" its more so of a "You never know if it might happen to you!". It kinda rubbed me the wrong way, even if it was earnest. Oh yeah, and there was also this scene where they run a Maid Cafe for a school festival and Kanon has to ask a client to show her what she wants to order on the menu. Despite looking directly at the client and her saying that she wants two coffees and two biscuits. It normally wouldn't be jarring and would be a totally normal thing for such a story, if her main skill wasn't that she can flawlessly read lips of everybody and she was looking directly at the client. That chapter in general seemed to forget they gave her this ability just so they could give Kanon feelings of inferiority for one chapter. Rather than make an actual point about disabilities, it often feels like the manga treats it entirely as a gimmick that can be switched on and off depending on what the story needs in the current chapter.
But as a romance story, it's fairly standard. The leads are not overly interesting and it progresses surprisingly quickly. That being said, it's one of these yuri where "we don't openly talk about our feelings and its all implied we're just special to each other but never explicitly romantically", which Im honestly just tired of. It's your standard share of "awkward girls being awkward" that's meant to be endearing, but if you've seen enough of it, you just become desensitized to it.
I really tried to enjoy this manga, because of how many good things Ive heard about it, but I simply couldn't find much to enjoy other than the artwork. Truly a shame, because the premise seemed so fascinating!
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 14, 2025
One would think that “Ohana “Holoholo is a heartwarming story about two people working out their differences and rekindling their relationship while raising a child. About a blended family of people who come from different paths of life. Well, it isn't. “Ohana Holoholo” is a story about mutual toxic dependency, being unable to set boundaries, not trusting each other, keeping secrets from each other and ultimately, being unable to change.
It's honestly quite weird as the characters quite often realize that themselves. They would often mention their flaws, how the situation makes them feel terrible, but it never goes further than a mention in their mind
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palace. The characters take note of everything wrong with each other and their lives, but never make an active effort to be better people.
A lot of those awful situations are sugarcoated by either the scenes with (admittedly very cute) Yuuta or the series trying to play with symmetry that everybody has their flaws, shifting blame and a lot of vague angst for loneliness. Out of the entire cast there isn't a single reasonable person, who's willing to break the toxic loop and are extremely inconsiderate of each other or themselves. A lot of it feels like it’s constantly going in circles of “will they won’t they”, introducing new potential partners for the characters, but the way the story is consturcted, there isn’t really any suspense whether the two leads will end up together.
Maya is trapped by her ex, never allowing herself to do anything else other than serving Yuuta and Michiru, because she has a terrible savior syndrome and desperately clings to the idea that she can fix Michiru and has to take care of her. Michiru on the other hand is the polar opposite, someone who doesn't have the slightest care in the world for anybody, even her own child, but herself. She constantly avoids any sort of responsibility, treats Yuuta as a hot potato to be passed around and never cares for the feelings of those around her, as long as it doesn't benefit her directly. In addition to being horribly jealous and possessive, as she craves attention and validation. The two create an awful combination that's quite dreadful to watch. And then you add Nico to the mix, a character that's clearly in a very bad mental space, but never really seeking help, which boils down to him having emotional outburst at others - mainly Yuuta, as he places him at the center of his world and being with Yuuta is the only source of happiness for him. He's unable to process the loss of his lover, which in itself is not a bad thing, but it's frustrating that the series is so hellbent on never providing him with any sort of help. I imagine they can't send him to therapy, because then there would be no story, but pushing this character to the absolute limit of how depressed he can get and how Yuuta is the only thing keeping him going.
The common theme is toxic dependency, as mentioned in the opening paragraph. Maya put herself in this situation where she knows she needs to take care of Michiru and Yuuta, because Michiru would be unable to care for her son. So no matter how terrible Michiru gets, Maya knows she can't ever leave. She perpetually turns down every opportunity she has, as long as it that would mean dedicating less time to taking care of Michiru, even when she thinks she’s committing to something else, she’s still back at square one st the end of the day. The worse Michiru gets, it actually it's all the more reason to think she wouldn't be able to manage on her own. Even despite that, she's also dealing with abandonment issues, wanting to cling to Michiru by any means necessary . From Michiru's side the dependency is that she has this freedom to absolve herself from any household responsibilities and doesn't have to care for her son, because whenever she's alone with Yuuta, she always fails to properly care for him and needs someone to hold her hand in the process. She also heavily depends on others for validation in most things she does, as well as dhe needs to be taken care of by others in pretty much every chapter. While Nico's dependency comes from putting his entire life's purpose in this 5 year old boy, an immense amount of pressure on such a young child. And you can imagine where it goes, by the way I frame this with the whole "his only reason for living". Yuuta, the innocent child, is at the very center all of those adults' unhealthy attachments to him and each other.
All of this would've been fine, if it was a manga about letting go, if all of that had a purpose in representing how we need to cut toxic people from our lives, how this doomed relationship is not worth saving, trying to be a better person despite all of one's shortcomings. But the manga isn't about that. The weirdest thing is that the story is entirely aware of the characters' flaws and they are brought up quite often, but it never really serves as a teaching moment and it mostly just goes in circles around. At the end of the day, everything is forgiven, so the characters never really change. It’s one of the unfortunate examples of toxic relationships trying to pass as endearing. Which is a shame, since the manga’s core message of “A healthy and loving home is more important than a socially acceptable one” is still mostly intact. It’s just that its characters really aren’t the ones to tell this story, as they are mostly at odds with the message.
don't really think the series ever made a point about queerness one way or the other in cases of Michiru and Maya. The only way it affected them is through the relationship between Hiyori and Yuuta. I never felt like them being two women in a heteronormative world was ever the obstacle for them to overcome. It was always kept entirely personal, as the thing holding them back was their shared trauma and history, which mostly related to them hurting each other, rather than them being queer. And while I can see the point about their other love interests being men offering them a chance at an "easier life", that notion was never really brought up. The stability mostly came in the form of the love rivals being more reliable, a fresh start and also looking out for them, rather than the issue of societal expectation. I felt like the conversation was only "This guy is reliable and he had never hurt me the same way my girlfriend which I'm unable to move on from did" rather than "He is a man and that would make my life easier".
I can however see how Nico's character was intended that way, as his entire arc focused on the feeling of inferiority and his reason for leaving Keiichi was that he felt unable to provide for him that sense belonging in society. They broke up stricly because of that despite their feelings for each other. I think that was a lot more purposeful and felt a lot more intentional. Maybe it was just me, it did feel like Nico was making it pretty obvious about how he was feeling and it wasn't until the very end that the characters finally noticed it. The way it was written felt like they were just choosing to overlook it, which didn't really jive with the idea that they all were looking out for each other, because they cared about each other.
Recovery isn't linear and sometimes you still make the same mistakes. Sometimes you go one step forward and two steps back. I think that is very real and tough thing to get through, as working out one's trauma and other kinds of built up negative behaviors. I think the series was almost there with being on the right page, only really lacking the acknowledgment of it. Whenever the characters made that metaphorical circle of slipping back into their bad behavior, it didn't feel like the acknowledged that they are trying to break out of it, like they are making an effort to be better, but coming back around out of habit. I only really felt like they were coming to the same conclusions they did the first time, in the same exact way, as if it were the first time again, lacking that final nail in the coffin that allowed the characters to have any hindsight on their actions. It was almost there, but not quite.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Feb 12, 2025
Futari Escape has a very simple premise - it pursues all those thoughts of "What if I could take everything slow and just escape from the responsibilities of everyday life?".
However, despite this very grounded premise, it doesn't take itself too seriously and light hearted in all sorts of ways. Furthermore, It isn't really about truly appreciating the mundane, rather the idealized version of it, from a position of someone with seemingly infinite money. I don't think it needed to be overly serious and grounded, as it wasn't really it's goal, it does feel like the characters already lead a serene life. Other than being told
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that "things are hectic", it never really feels like it. Because of that, it's really somewhat difficult to really see one's self in the shoes of the characters.
The characters themselves are also very shallow and since they aren't really too grounded in reality, they are also hyperbolized versions of a workaholic and the "unemployed friend". They're chemistry is unfortuntetly a bit lacking and I had a hard time to really see much value in the advice offered by the characters, since it was only applied to the situation of the main character being unable to think about anything else other than work at all times, but also having the money to do whatever they want whenever they want. It's fundementally thought provoking, but it feels like it never really goes to far, due to the nature of the manga being so light hearted at its core, that it doesn't really want to dwell on its own thought pieces too long.
I personally think that a series about appreciating the mundane and simpler lifestyle is only as compelling as the lens character and what they do. (Hence the Ghibli movies are so effective at it). I don't really dislike them, but there's not much I can like about them either. I think in other contexts they would've worked better, but I feel like a series like this needed a stronger cast to really elevate its message. Mostly in the second half, there are some chapters that got extremely close to being perfect, where the characters take a step back and the reader gets to see more ways in which they compliment each other, as a couple. I just wish every chapter was like that. The humor is also a bit lacking, as most of it just consists of the characters just drinking lots of alcohol (and some chapters focus on weight on body image for some cheap comedic effect).
One thing I can say I really appreciated were the little travelouges at the end of each chapter! It really added a degree ot appreciation of the things which were the subject matter of any given chapter. I wish the series itself took more time to really take in the sights and details of it, as it seems like the pace didn't allow this manga about taking things slow, to take things slow itself. It offers a lot of great ideas for your own little ways to escape from the everyday monotony.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Feb 8, 2025
"Love My Life" is definetly a lot different than I expected from it at first glance. This manga very much about how gay people view other gay people. It feels like the characters often bring up what it means to be "a proper gay/lesbian" and would resent each other on that basis. It's honestly quite suprising how many of the characters lacked compassion for each other and were quite easily put off by other gay people, when they got to know their journeys.
The manga is from the year 2000, so the lens it portrays might be. a little old, I do think it is pretty
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interesting in it's take on those relationship people have with queerness and how they view others in their own group.
What I think didn't quite age as well, is the lack of acknowledgment and perspective on bisexuality. The system the manga operates on is very binary, you're either gay or straight, nothing in between. Hence the fact the main character's, Ichiko's, parents were gay people who married each other is a thing people frown upon so much by their community.
And yes, not mentioning bisexual people doesn't mean they don't exist and we can say that the characters in the story are just gay and not bi and that isn't erasure on its own, but I wish the concept of bisexuality was at least brought up as something that exists. (There was a passing mention of a character called Nana, but it was only for one page and the words "bisexual" werent really used, just that she was "free")
One other thing that I feel is somewhat neglected is the social pressure and actual accounts of it. The characters, like the mentioned above parents, marry each other, so they can have a child. Ichiko herself pretends to date one of her male gay friends in college. However, we're only ever told that they do it, "because it is easier". While making this jab at heteronormative society, I feel the series failed to say anything meaningful. They do it, because "it's easier" and "it's what society wants", but never really takes an extra step to delve into how society percieves them and why it's easier. We're only ever told that the DO do it, but not really truly WHY.
The manga is tagged as Erotica, but I feel like there really wasn't nearly as much as I would've expected by the pressence of the tag. There definetly is a sort of fixation on who the characters make love to and whether or not that's "pure and proper". Sex is also very much treated as the ultimate remedy for problems, so whenever anything goes ary, intercourse is usually the anwser. It also brings me to the fact, that the main characters don't really have a proper chemistry. To be perfectly honest, most if not every character, is mostly just a prop that the story is told through. They aren't really complex, nor very interesting, they just exist to fulfill their purpose in the story.
That's not to say, that the manga doesnt have its merits. Some of its views on individuality, the nature of breakups, difficult relationships with one's family, the time apart and cheating on each other are pretty universal. Quite well portayed too. I liked the focus on the importance of communication, despite it being difficult. The ending is also genuinely really sweet andties a neat bow on the story. Every part of this manga was made in earnestness, it's just that some managed to come out better than the others.
I think the manga is worth a read, as to see how queer stories looked 25 years ago and understand how far we've come in such a short time like a quarter century. (For example, the same sex couple living together is not considered a possibility in this manga). I don't think there's anything wrong with it or that it is bad, but when I treat it more so as a piece of queer history than just a story I want to find something meaningful in and I enjoy it just that little bit more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Oct 26, 2024
"She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat" is a manga I feel a lot of queer women were waiting for. A realistic and grounded, but immensely hopeful outlook at the issues of women in modern day society.
Unlike a lot of other manga you can find under the GL label, this is a manga that's not afraid to be for and about women front and center. While a lot of the GL stories would often feature characters being extremely awkward, only dealing in implications, not being able to voice their feelings and/or very steamy kissing scenes, "She Loves to Cook, and She Loves
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to Eat" is unafraid to break the mold and be nonconformist.
This manga is unapologetically feminist and pro queer. While other GL manga might be afraid to talk about the role of women in society, as well as the oppression they face, this manga is full of the characters calling out the injustices in the world. The queer dictionary is also not taboo in this manga, the characters are able to say "I'm a lesbian" or "I'm asexual" and be proud of it. "She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat" isn't another cookie cutter awkward romance that doesn't have anything to say and is fated to fade into the background. This work is not afraid to voice its message loud and clear. It's worth mentioning that the profits from the manga's merch are donated to an organization fighting for equal marriage rights for queer folk in Japan. To me, it shows a clear dedication for a cause and not just reaping the benefits.
"She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat" wants to bring up the importance of mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, dealing with eating disorders and the importance of found family over blood family. It's honestly very refreshing to look at this manga and see a realistic depiction of society and not just a sugar coated version that only aims to be cutesy. This is a manga dead set on tearing right into the conservative society of Japan and calling it out for all its worst elements, even if it could alienate members of its audience.
The characters are all people who have their very realistic and well portrayed issues, such as cutting your toxic family out of your life without looking back, dealing with an eating disorder, renting a place together as a queer couple, finding out about your sexuality or being afraid to be who you are, because of what the world around you is. Every single issue is approach maturely and the characters aim to deal with it in a healthy way. The manga is beautifully honest about how the world is built for hetero men and women are only seen for what they can provide to a man. Even if Nomoto and Kasuga struggle navigating that world, they are always willing to go against the flow and to do it together.
The manga takes its romance very seriously and realistically as well. Kasuga and Nomoto take their time to realize how they are feeling for each other in a very organic and well thought out way, and when they eventually get to the point when they realize they are into each other, they willing to be open with each other. It even goes a step further and when there's any misunderstanding, they clear it up right away. This is again, such a refreshing look at romance, that isn't just all fluff and the characters continously ssaying "I think I love her, but I can't possibly tell her. She is the most important person in my life but not explicitly romantically". "She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat" doesnt shy away from being honest and making its characters communicate and I think it deserves praise for that. Nomoto and Kasuga are allowed to be in love, they are allowed to be happy together and they are allowed to be healthy and good for each other.
It goes without saying, but especially if you love cooking, eating and food in general, this is also worth picking up. The art of the food is absolutely lovely and the attention to detail when it comes to how the characters prepare each dish is outstanding. The same way this manga objects to the patriarchal society of Japan, it also embraces the wonderful Japanese cuisine and culture around food. The only thing you need to be wary of is a lot of close ups at Kasuga's face as she's eating with teeth more detailed than you'd normally see in manga, I imagine it can be a bit offputting for some people.
Whenever I read those chapters I can definetly say that I feel seen. The most important part of this entire message is how there's always light at the end of the dark tunnel. You need to speak about injustice, if you want the world to be better. And there are always people that are gonna be by your side. The manga offers, as I mentioned, an extremely hopeful outlook into the future, that thing can and will be better. I cannot wait to read the next volume and I recommend this to everyone. In the meantime I might go and watch the TV Drama.
This manga is truly a gorgeously realistic tale of two women falling in love in the 21st century. It's one of those pieces of media that scream "never kill yourself".
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 12, 2024
It's not easy to be the first negative review for a series with such overwhelmingly positive reception, but I do believe I have a good reason to write this review.
First, let me say that the artwork at display is exceptional and is definetly a big part of why this series has become so popular. I can't deny that the series does look amazing. It's really unique and definetly stands out in the crowd of other GL manga.
However, I can't really recommend this manga in terms of the story. Every chapter is only 4 pages long which already makes it more difficult at telling complex stories,
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but I don't believe that to be the manga's biggest weakness. The pace of this manga is both extremely fast in smaller scale and extremely slow in the bigger scale at the same time. A lot of the chapters feel episodic and there isn't really a lot of arcs that would span multiple chapters. Because of this, every chapter is a little tidbit of the main characters' life. That is quite a good concept, but to get the point of the chapter across in just four pages, they have to rush a lot. Because of that, a lot of the chapters are over in a blink of an eye and the reader is left wondering what even happend in this chapter.
The dialogue can feel entirely disconnected and often becomes just a word salad that's vaguely related to any given subject. The series itself is also something one could consider a "slow burn". Because of that, and how rambly and fast the chapters are, this is a manga in which nothing ever happens and the little that is happening is often entirely incomprehensive. I honestly can't tell you much about the characters other that they are there. Their personalities are fairly standard in terms of what their archetypes are.
I can't deny that it has some cute moments and the general theme, of both characters growing closer together through their shared love of music is nice, it takes unbearably long to get off the ground. As the title implies, the main love interest, Aya, mistakes the protagonist, Koga, for a guy, and while the audience knows that Koga isn't a guy, it takes an extremely long time, for the women to be open with each other and for that misunderstanding to clear up. It's hard to call this a GL romance if it takes a good few dozen of chapters for the characters to even realize they are both women. In fairness, it's hard to call it romance at all, as they just enjoy each other's pressence but keep all the feelings bottled up and won't talk about being into each other, don't expect more than your standard GL "implied feelings" and "being extremely important for each other but never explicitly romantically".
I'm sure someone could come and say how realistic it is for people not to talk about their emotions because they are awkward, but in the year 2024, I'd love to finally see a series that isn't all about extremely awkward characters that are unable to voice their emotions as that's been plagueing the GL genre for years now. Koga and Aya are not blatantly toxic people, so that's at least a plus over a lot of the other GL series that would either be about unbalanced power dynamics, obssessions and jealousy, or just blatant abuse (the bar is on the floor!).
Ultimately I think this series has good vibes, but because of it's extremely slow pace, incomprehensive dialogue and tropey characters, I can't really recommend this to anybody who likes good romance stories. The GL community is somewhat infamous for hyping up everything that is born in this genre, because of how scarce good yuri is, but we do need to step up our standards in terms of the writing. If you do like cute pictures that you can turn off your brain to, you might enjoy it and I don't mean it in a derogatory way, just be sure you approach this series with the right mindset.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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