Confessions of a Shy Baker, Volume 3

ふたりでおかしな休日を #3

by Masaomi Ito

Toshimitsu Yamamura lives together happily with his boyfriend of many years, Gonta Tsubakisaka, but in his everyday life Toshimitsu isn't really... "out." After his vehemently progressive employee had the idea to list their real estate business as LGBTQ+ friendly, Toshimitsu has been very anxious about accidentally outing himself, and he often channels his anxiety into baking incredible treats for his carb-conscious boyfriend. With the love of his boyfriend and his love of baking, maybe Toshimitsu will steadily become more comfortable being his authentic self!

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Romance, Graphic Novels, Comics, Slice Of Life, Graphic Novels Manga

176 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one didn't hit like the first two :(

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still liking the series a lot! Finally got to the next volume 🤩

Toshi's character development feels so natural, it's really nice. I also like the different relationships and the other character's development, Kozue in particular was very clear this volume (especially the beginning vs the end).

It does irk me a bit that on one hand, this series is very much trying to do the "not everyone of a certain community isn't the same and you shouldn't assume about them" lesson, but at the same time it does exactly that itself. As well as Toshi's internalized homophobia. I know it's part due to Japanese culture and I'm looking at it through a western lens, so I'm trying to let go of that and look at it through their perspective, but the hypocrisy of the series itself is a bit harder to let go.

Nonetheless, a lovely series so far with pretty art and delicious looking food!

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if it's because I'm now reading this volume after going through some of What Did You Eat Yesterday?, or if this was just a particularly...not so great installment...but I didn't love this one.

The first chapter was great, with Miss Kozue being specifically called out for her performative allyship and for using her "gay friends" as a status boost. I absolutely know people like this in real life, and they are firmly convinced of their own coolness, while poaching off other people's identities.

I liked, too, that the last chapter had Miss Kozue showing some real growth, now that she's started to meet more actual queer people in her day-to-day life, and is slowly recognizing that she's been applying a lot of harmful stereotypes that actively prevented people she was already close with from coming out to her.

I'm assuming that this will, at some point, include Toshi, but I do think she'll have to continue growing for a while before he'll ever be comfortable with that.

The rest was less good. Some was just a bit slow-paced or dull; I should've loved the chapter with Toshi meeting Gon's parents, but it didn't actually stand out that much. The baking scene felt forced there, and I think it's more apparent to me now how much this formula is ripped off of a very successful series that blends its cooking in more effectively.

But the main dud in this volume was the cross-dressing guy at the bar. It was so out of nowhere and kind of offensive in places...the whole assumption that fit, handsome, masculine-looking gay men will be more attracted to gay men who wear makeup and dress up to look like women? Even to the extent of some of the men telling this guy to take hormones to look even more feminine?

And then, when Gon asked him if he was interested in transitioning, I thought, oh, okay, maybe the story is heading in that direction, but no. He said he identifies as a cis gay man who only dressed up as a woman to attract the types of "basically straight" gay men he was attracted to. And then he kept hitting on Gon, despite Gon repeatedly explaining he is in a relationship, while complaining that men don't like him for who he is.

I didn't really understand the point of this entire chapter or what message it was trying to convey...because a lot of this volume was fairly preachy. This is the first volume where I got the uncomfortable impression that the series is being written by a reformed Miss Kozue-type. It didn't read like it was written from a queer perspective...it felt like an anecdote re-told by someone who'd been hanging out with gay guys and heard this story and decided to slide in into a manga chapter, without understanding more than the bare bones of the story.

I don't know. I'll try the next volume, because I did like the previous two, but I'm wondering if this series will end up not being for me, after all.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toshimitsu Yamamura, who runs a real estate business, and Genta Tsubakisaka, a caregiver, live together contentedly for the most part. However Tosh keeps having crisis over things like somebody might know he is gay. He has this concern about his employee who is taking classes about the LGBQT population and has been for months and yet he is still concerned about her "figuring it out".

He has gone out with Gent however to restaurants even with other people so he is gradually growing. Gent gets a message from his sister panicking because their father has had an issue and of course Gent want to see his father. The intention is that since they are closer to the father's home than theirs, they will go on to the father's house and Tosh decides not to go untill he gets there and the older people are gone and the sister and the niece insist they come in for a while and they end up being there when the parents return. Their meetings goes well, which one wishes would have instilled more bravery but still leaves him with some issues.

We get to see Tosh meet with a gay couple who is looking at possibly adopting a child from the orphaned community of kids which may or may not be a clue of something coming in the future.

Again, I think this series is showing the arc of a man in Japan learning to have faith in people around him to be ok with his coming out, but taking a while to do so.

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another consistent installment into the series. I really like it as a very true to real-life slice of life, and I really enjoy how much care and thought the mangaka puts into showing all the various perspectives that can pop up around various queer issues, and how so many different ways of living and thinking are portrayed. However, the downside to this is that the series reads more like a philosophical or educational debate on what it's like to be queer in modern Japan, which could be really boring for people who are looking for a moving and developing plot. But if you go in knowing what to expect and you want to see this kind of story, you'll enjoy it.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading this due to Toshi's internalized homophobia and fear of appearing gay in public, but I realize that is a very American point of view and I had to take a step back because I know that Japan is a very private place compared to here where being out and proud isn't shunned as much. I am hoping with the continuation of this series that he is able to see that there's nothing wrong with being perceived as gay or being openly queer.

Definitely not my favorite series, but the art is very nice, the relationships are very sweet, and it has an overall enjoyable slice of life energy.

[Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters in this series continue to get more interesting and I like seeing the relationships here explored. However, I can't get past some of the problematic elements of this series and I don't see myself continuing it or recommending it to others.

[Dilliemillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there more after this? I really want there to be more volumes after this one.

I love the cozy realism of life with Toshi and Gon and Miki and Pinta and Pororin and Shingo and Non, navigating life's situations and eating delicious desserts.

[Austin Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another strong installment in the series. It’s a thoughtful slice-of-life that explores diverse queer perspectives with care, though it leans more toward philosophical discussion than plot development. If you know what to expect and enjoy this kind of storytelling, it’s worth a read.

[tortie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring slog. I laughed at the first chapter and last chapter tho. I think this series would be better if the chapters were longer, so that also there were less recipes. No offense, it’s just really tired at this point.

[Evalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the character growth continues. This series is so cute and I think it balances the tough topics with cute recipes and emotionally intimate scenes really well.

[Dayana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Hey, is there anything that can make a straight awaken their inner gay?"

- finally someone is asking a real question!

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same with a few laugh-out-loud moments.

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series so far, despite some of the comments I've seen. Glad we got some more background and that they're just seamlessly raising a doggo and bringing him around when they travel.

[KJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This continues to be a charming manga exploring LGBTQIA+ and new ally experiences alongside in-panel baking and dessert recipes. Toshi continues to grapple with the concept of coming out, and his staffer continues to delve into what it means to support the queer community.