L'amour est au menu - Tome 2

作りたい女と食べたい女 [Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna] #2

by Sakaomi Yuzaki, Blanche Delaborde (translator)

En nous transportant dans le quotidien rempli de tendresse de deux femmes modernes, Sakaomi Yuzaki réalise une série aussi gourmande que précieuse. Avec simplicité mais réalisme, elle signe un manga qui met du baume au cœur !
Nomoto est passionnée de cuisine ! Et bien qu'elle ne soit pas une professionnelle de ce métier, elle tient un compte sur Internet sur lequel elle poste des photos de ses petits plats. Mais le soir, quand elle rentre chez elle, elle n'a personne avec qui les partager... jusqu'au jour où, ayant cuisiné en trop grande quantité, elle propose à sa voisine célibataire de dîner avec elle. Sa vie pourrait bien prendre de nouvelles couleurs...

Genres: Manga, LGBT, Romance, Queer, Graphic Novels, Lesbian, Comics

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2022

Reviews

[Méli]

Fellas
Is it gay to romantically love your neighbor
And to google search am I a lesbian
Asking for MC

[Bookishrealm]

I absolutely adore this series! The content warning at the beginning of the chapter was the first time I've ever seen that in a manga series and I really appreciated it. This is definitely a slow burn with each character working through how they feel about the other and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.

[Rebecca]

Most of this book is a (delightful) lather-rinse-repeat of volume one: Nomoto cooks. Kasuga eats. There are many shots of Kasuga putting food in her mouth. It's calm and lovely.

Then comes chapter sixteen.

The chapter opens with a trigger warning, and I suppose it's warranted. But rather than triggering, I found it achingly familiar and incredibly grounded. Nomoto is starting to realize her feelings for Kasuga, but no one has ever put forth the possibility that she might be a lesbian, and so she goes into an internet deep dive to try to understand herself and her feelings. At times that goes exactly how you'd expect, but what it mostly is is the moment when Nomoto finally understands herself. She's queer. And that's okay.

We don't know what Kasuga's feelings are, but there are some hints that she's aware that she has a crush on Nomoto. Her recounting of how she came to have issues with food based on stupid gender-based expectations is also a striking moment in the story, and I do expect, or at least hope, that these two will end up together. But the most important thing is that Nomoto has found peace in understanding herself and why her mother's expectations rubbed her the wrong way. I'm still knocking off half a star for those unsettling eating images, but rounding right back up because Nomoto has the peace she always deserved.

[Danika at The Lesbrary]

Kasuga is a strong sensitive butch who shows up at your doorstep when you're sick with every possible medicine, comfort food, and drink, then cooks you dinner and leaves. Swoon.

[Maia]

This series is already getting more cute and more gay in book 2! Neighbors Nomoto and Kasuga continue to plan meals, shopping trips, and holidays together but now they are also beginning to share deeper feelings and memories from their lives. And also... Nomoto has her first lesbian crisis googling session. I'm rooting for these foodies! I hope they Uhaul in book 3.

[Rod Brown]

The drama is oh so mild and the pacing is oh so slow, but the friendship formed in the first volume starts to level up as Christmas and New Year's are celebrated with much cooking and eating.

[Imanewreader ✨]

DES RECETTES ET BEAUCOUP AMOUR !!
je vous en supplis, continuez à cuisiner et à manger ensemble et à être adorables et heureuse et tout les belles choses de la vie.

comme mon amie Mika a dit : "elles m'ont donné envie de nourriture et d'amour"

[larissa]

am i a lesbian or is it common to like spending the whole time with my neighbor preparing food, drinking, eating, talking about the most random things and being enchanted by every little thing she does

[gala]

Que lindas son 😔

[Mark]

As they prep for the holidays together, Nomoto is still dogged by the notion of a so-called normal life. But if she’s not heteronormative, then what is she? And, whatever she is, does Kasuga feel the same way?

A definite step up after an already good start, this may not eliminate the problems of the first volume, but it certainly raises the bar for the things in and around those problems with aplomb.

The growing connection between our leads keeps getting stronger and stronger, which starts to drag feelings into the mix as well. And from something as basic as the premise of the story, all sorts of unique adventures occur.

Despite feeling very similar to Beauty & the Feast, this has its own style and I really enjoyed the way that Christmas was integrated into the volume. Nomoto trying to parcel out her loaf over several days and that being a ridiculous ask for Kasuga was great.

And then all the couples advertising starts to get to Nomoto, plus the driving question of just what she and Kasuga are to one another. There’s a sharp uptick in her finding Kasuga cute, they share their backstories, and make extensive plans.

Nomoto goes on a real voyage of discovery this time out, being forced to grapple with her past self and how people have seen her, plus coming face to face with an internet quiz that spells it out to her quite clearly that she’s probably a lesbian.

And while this shocks her a little, it really just gives validation of her feelings that was an incredibly sweet moment for her. Plus a bonus gag where she tries to Google the term ‘lesbian’ and gets some search results of a more… entertainment based… nature.

This, plus the backstory to Kasuga, is what really starts to lift this above the cooking and eating and lather and rinse and repeat. It’s not a foregone conclusion that they’ll get together, in Nomoto’s mind, but she realizes that this is something she’s interested in pursuing and, in fact, can pursue. And it’s not like we don’t get hints that Kasuga likes her just as much.

This portion of the story really gets the awkwardness of that time between two people where they’re more than friends, but aren’t sure if that means they’re now… really good friends… or slowly transitioning to something more. Having been in a similar grey zone when I was younger, I think this is a strong portrayal of that energy.

If there’s a failing here, it’s all the drawings of Kasuga eating. In retrospect, it’s obvious that the mangaka really, really wants us to see what Nomoto sees in her. After the eightieth bowl of rice it becomes a bit much (or the third, even). That’s all you, Nomoto, I wish you both much happiness.

The sedate pacing of this story might not be for everybody either. This is a quiet story with more emphasis on steaks than stakes, but it turns out that it’s remembering to be about something as well. I’m interested to see where things go and that’s really enough.

4.5 stars - I’m quite pleased that this has kept on at its current pace, but then brought in all this extra stuff with Nomoto’s awakening on top of it. Still a strong recommend for the genre, especially now that it’s built itself up some more.

[Kara Jorgensen]

SO FRIGGIN CUTE. I love this series. I cannot wait for volume 3 as these two get closer and closer.

[Cherry]

I can't possibly describe how much this series means to me 🥹

[Nekane]

Vivan las lesbianas

[Lenna]

ILOVETHEM!ILOVETHEM!ILOVETHEM!🥲

[havies_tea]

They're so stinking cute and hilarious. I can already tell this will be a comfort series for me!

[Victoria]

太好看了吧⋯

[Ayxan]

Re-read 17.11.2023:

Again, I loved the conversation they had about the past and the unresolved issues with their families! It's so sweet that they have someone to talk about that and feel comfortable in doing so.

I don't want to spoiler, but they're literally made for each other, based on their past and what others keep telling them (especially men). Fate meant it well for them.

I also love how the restaurant owners had a character-development from last volume.

And the bento at the beginning was so cute!! (I could probably never bring myself to eat that tho, I'm too much of a vegetarian for that lmao.)

Overall, the slow-burn... and Nomoto, slowly, but gradually, realizing, she's starting to feel more for Kasuga...
But Kasuga too for Nomoto...
Ahh, it warms my heart so much. <3

~~~

1st read: 13.04.2023:

I don't want to wait that long until I can read volume 3!! They're just too cute! 🥹🥺💘

~

I love how they could share their problems with each other and just let it all out! It's so nice how comfortable they are with one another.

And I totally got butterflies when Kasuga was taking care of Nomoto.

[Toya (thereadingchemist)]

Squee! I love Nomoto and Kasuga so damn much. There better be a volume 3!!!

[sophie]

even better than the first one somehow. i cried a little

[Jooly]

Beef bowl with egg... Sublime...

[Mai]

They have my whole heart.

[Alana]

LETS GO LESBIANS!!!!!

[Agathe]

Tellement cute
Tellement mignon
Tellement adorable
Elles s’embrassent quandddddd
Mettez fin à mon supplice svp

[&#x118f2;⋆Bonnie]

I just had the flu so unfortunately the food didn’t look as appetizing to me as last time but their relationship more than made up for that. There are three things I really appreciate about this series: 1) it doesn’t shy away from depicting realistic and casual misogyny; 2) it doesn’t shy away from depicting how rampant queer phobia is and 3) it doesn’t shame Kasuga for her weight.

And even though the manga doesn’t shy away from these topics, it doesn’t take away from how wholesome it is! It manages to stay cozy and lighthearted while acknowledging that things still aren’t perfectly accepting.

This series is just so so sweet and I love reading a manga series about adult women! I prefer it over every series taking place in high school

[Jamylle Sampaio]

it’s so cute watching them fall for each other. nothing feels rushed…they’re just quietly becoming an important part of each other’s lives. it’s all so gentle, domestic, and incredibly sweet. i just love them 🥹

i really loved seeing nomoto slowly realize that what she’s feeling for kasuga might not be all that platonic after all. she’s so curious about these new feelings instead of trying to push them away, and i found that really refreshing.

i also love whenever we get to see things from kasuga’s perspective. i just wish we got even more of her pov tbh.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader)]

4 stars. Why is this series so damn cute! 🥺 I loved that we got to know a bit of Kasuga’s back story and her family. It explained so much about why she is the way that she is. I love her. She’s quiet and mysterious but so sweet. Also, there’s another caretaking scene! *dolphin noises* Nomoto gets a cold and Kasuga comes over to take care of her. And then them spending the holidays together and trying to figure their own feelings y’all I can’t. This series is wonderful. I’ll just be over here impatiently waiting for volume three if you need me.

[Elizabeth A]

We continue along the same lines of the first book - Nomoto cooks, Kasuga eats. Their friendship unfolds slowly, the women get to know each other better, and then we come to a chapter that starts with a trigger warning. Don't think I've seen that before. There's a potential queer angle? Color me delighted.

[Chelsea &#x1f3f3;️‍&#x1f308;]

I really love this series. It’s so soft and cozy. I’m glad they dive into the unfair expectations for women regarding body image and relationship status. Kasuga-san is wonderful and I love how supportive she is of Nomoto. I’m really rooting for these two!

[atria]

me the entire time while reading this manga: JUST KISS ALREADY!!

[Pistis]

Tremendísimo. Que confort y que agradable es leer algo así.