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Antique Bakery #4
西洋骨董洋果子店 4
「我是不是一直在等這麼一天呢？」與小野再度見面，認識了英二，照顧千影，販賣蛋糕，這是我最近的生活.我一直以為那間晦暗房間的腐臭味，早已經在不知不覺中離我遠去。但是，當警察告訴我「那些被綁架, 最後變成冰冷尸體的孩子們，肚子里裝滿了我所賣的蛋糕」時，那個房間刺鼻的鮮奶油與血的腥臭味，以及沙啞低沉的男聲，瞬間襲向了我，耳朵也微微傳來孩子們的慘叫聲。
228 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2002
3 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Fumi Yoshinaga
157 books248 followersJapanese: よしなが ふみ
Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.
In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."
Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.
She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.
Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.
Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.
In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."
Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.
She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.
Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 43 reviews
March 14, 2015
Okay, this was really, really good. I admit I would never have thought it when I started reading this, but it slowly developed from a more or less ridiculous concept to a great story about four people who I came to care about a *lot*.
In the beginning, it seems rather disjointed, but it makes sense - like the first couple of episodes of a tv show it takes some time getting to know the characters. But then slowly their backstories are told and it was just great to see what these characters were like - how they weren't what I thought they were like initially.
I also loved how pieces from the earlier chapters ended up playing an important role later. And while it was really funny and cute at times, it also was rather sad at others, and I admit that I would have wished for a happy ending for Ono and Chikage, but since the story isn't *over* over at that point I can still think of them living happily ever after if I want, right?
Seriously, this was *good*. I'm kind of blown away by how much I liked this.
In the beginning, it seems rather disjointed, but it makes sense - like the first couple of episodes of a tv show it takes some time getting to know the characters. But then slowly their backstories are told and it was just great to see what these characters were like - how they weren't what I thought they were like initially.
I also loved how pieces from the earlier chapters ended up playing an important role later. And while it was really funny and cute at times, it also was rather sad at others, and I admit that I would have wished for a happy ending for Ono and Chikage, but since the story isn't *over* over at that point I can still think of them living happily ever after if I want, right?
Seriously, this was *good*. I'm kind of blown away by how much I liked this.
June 24, 2020
I enjoyed reading this book and this series. However, I do think that this volume was a slight let down but overall I did enjoy the series. I felt like the plot with the kidnapper was resolved too quickly and the ending was a bit bitter sweet. The rest of the volumes gave me feeling of happiness but now I'm sad because of the ending and that the series has finished. I liked the fact that whilst was a yaoi manga, it didn't have any problematic elements around being gay/gay people/relationships. I would recommend this series but I would warn people that it's a bit like a slice of life manga series about a bakery so not a lot of things will happen beyond friendships forming and developing, alongside the kidnapper plot. I do think that the series is gripping, but it did take me longer then I would have liked to have finished this volume.
February 3, 2020
What else can I say about this series? It's old and everyone knows about it: it won the Kodansha Award in 2002 for shoujo manga (yes, it's a shoujo manga and not a BL), and Fumi Yoshinaga is a multi-award winning mangaka. This manga series has had a Korean movie and a Japanese TV drama based on it (the Korean version is better, as they rewrote a lot of things about Ono in the TV drama).
So: it's good and anyone who wants to read a gentle story about (to paraphrase Tachibana) 'how sweets and pastries play a role in our lives' should give it a try. The characters we meet are not always nice and some of them (especially in the final volume) are downright nasty, but there's always this gentleness that permeates this manga: I'm not sure if it's the way they talk (very polite for the most part) or the way the expressions are drawn (Fumi Yoshinaga has very delicate line work), but it's just so gentle you know? And almost nostalgic. I haven't read all of her work, but I can say that while they're mostly grounded in reality (e.g. Ono's relationship with his family after he came out, very similar to What did you eat yesterday? ) there's also a feeling of 'this is what the world should be like, and how we can be kinder people' in the ones that I've read and love.
This and Ono Natsume's Gente are my go-to manga series when I want something soothing actually.
So: it's good and anyone who wants to read a gentle story about (to paraphrase Tachibana) 'how sweets and pastries play a role in our lives' should give it a try. The characters we meet are not always nice and some of them (especially in the final volume) are downright nasty, but there's always this gentleness that permeates this manga: I'm not sure if it's the way they talk (very polite for the most part) or the way the expressions are drawn (Fumi Yoshinaga has very delicate line work), but it's just so gentle you know? And almost nostalgic. I haven't read all of her work, but I can say that while they're mostly grounded in reality (e.g. Ono's relationship with his family after he came out, very similar to What did you eat yesterday? ) there's also a feeling of 'this is what the world should be like, and how we can be kinder people' in the ones that I've read and love.
This and Ono Natsume's Gente are my go-to manga series when I want something soothing actually.
November 4, 2019
I respect the refusal to close, but on the particular day I was reading this, I really would have enjoyed a clear happy ending with good closure. Of course it is more real like this, with the openness of it and the lack of solution, and there is a lot to that, so... I see it both ways, I suppose.
In particular,
That being said, I think it has a lot of value in how real the psychology is, so all right, four stars even if I was grumpy because the day I read it I wished for simple things.
In particular,
That being said, I think it has a lot of value in how real the psychology is, so all right, four stars even if I was grumpy because the day I read it I wished for simple things.
November 21, 2017
The ongoing story of four men running a pastry shop comes to a climax and a conclusion in the last volume. Young boys are being abducted and murdered. Their fate reminds Tachibana of his own dark past, a past the police bring home when they come to him for help. The murderer has been feeding his victims cake before dispatching them, cake from the Antique Bakery. Tachibana is galvanized into action, facing his inner demons in a fashion that stops the murderer and allows everyone to get on with their lives.
This is the darkest of the four books, yet it never loses its light-hearted, personal mood in spite of the grimness of the dominant plot. Most of the major subplots are resolved in a way that allows everyone to face the future. There’s more than a few tender moments as Tachibana, Ono, Kanda, and Chikage explore their individual paths, some of them growing apart, others growing closer, while all them embark on new beginnings.
This is the darkest of the four books, yet it never loses its light-hearted, personal mood in spite of the grimness of the dominant plot. Most of the major subplots are resolved in a way that allows everyone to face the future. There’s more than a few tender moments as Tachibana, Ono, Kanda, and Chikage explore their individual paths, some of them growing apart, others growing closer, while all them embark on new beginnings.
June 10, 2023
What a bittersweet ending to everything! This was a wonderful story about four men coming together to run a bakery. By the end of this series, they'd become their own found family. I wouldn't ever consider this a real love story. Sure there were elements of it, but honestly it came down to the four individuals and how they came together to create this beautiful bakery and building relationship together.
Honestly after the first volume, I didn't expect to like this series. But honestly it grew on me over time and every character became one that I cared about. Also the confusion and disjointedness from the beginning volume was cleared up by the end which was nice, so it did have a purpose. Overall a really nice series about found family and French baked goods!
Honestly after the first volume, I didn't expect to like this series. But honestly it grew on me over time and every character became one that I cared about. Also the confusion and disjointedness from the beginning volume was cleared up by the end which was nice, so it did have a purpose. Overall a really nice series about found family and French baked goods!
January 1, 2024
Antique Bakery feels like a corner stone of Boy’s Love in its infancy in the US and its the first example of what I like to call ‘cooking gays’ that I can think of. Published by DMP (Digital Manga Publishing) with its pencil sketchy art style and scratch and sniff slipcovers, if the men on the front didn’t catch your eye, the beautiful illustrations of the desserts definitely would. Sadly our covers don’t smell anymore, but I do remember the scents of strawberry and chocolate from various volumes while reading these bakery hijinks...
Read the full review for all four volumes at Well, Are They? A Queer Review Blog:
https://wellarethey.blogspot.com/2023...
Read the full review for all four volumes at Well, Are They? A Queer Review Blog:
https://wellarethey.blogspot.com/2023...
January 9, 2024
This was a wonderful conclusion to the series. Everything from the earlier volumes came together nicely for a full circle ending, and I don't feel dissatisfied about what was left open. It's not the happy ending, or closure, that some readers may have been hoping for, but I found it to be fitting, and even hopeful.
August 26, 2022
This one got me. It's got its sad moments and over all happy moments and it's just so "real". I love the manager more and more each book. I will always wish for a happy ending on all parts bit sometimes just life is a good ending :).
September 18, 2017
3.5
I thought it didn't give us the "clean" conclusion I expected
I thought it didn't give us the "clean" conclusion I expected
July 10, 2018
3.5
And the "dark twist" came back.
The ending was quite interesting.
And the "dark twist" came back.
The ending was quite interesting.
May 3, 2023
Please see volume 1 for a full review of this series.
Read
December 17, 2025complete + the 14 djs
June 7, 2016
Overall score: 4.5 stars
This refreshing (and surprisingly heartfelt) series achieves an incredible mixture of beautiful artwork, scrumptious descriptions of the gourmet desserts, and unforgettable characters.... All within 4 simple volumes.
That's impressive, to say the least. In my manga-reading experience, it usually takes at least 6 volumes to establish a fuller story, and, for this level of characterization, at least 8-10 volumes. Antique Bakery's length is half of that and still manages to bring more to the table. We have full, complex back stories of each of the four men who work the bakery, as well as side stories, and great chemistry between them all.
I agree with one of the reviewers; its one major downside is the sloppy narrative structure (that does eventually straighten out in the final volume). Flashbacks come out of nowhere, sometimes, and more often than not, don't even have the telltale black borders that most manga flashbacks have. Transitions are next to nil, and many topics/characters are dropped almost instantly after introduction. However....like the other review said, the flawless character development kinda makes up for it.
This may not be a necessary favorite of mine, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable or recommendable. It's a sweet (and often, bittersweet) of four adult men whose estranged pasts slowly change for the better...
This refreshing (and surprisingly heartfelt) series achieves an incredible mixture of beautiful artwork, scrumptious descriptions of the gourmet desserts, and unforgettable characters.... All within 4 simple volumes.
That's impressive, to say the least. In my manga-reading experience, it usually takes at least 6 volumes to establish a fuller story, and, for this level of characterization, at least 8-10 volumes. Antique Bakery's length is half of that and still manages to bring more to the table. We have full, complex back stories of each of the four men who work the bakery, as well as side stories, and great chemistry between them all.
I agree with one of the reviewers; its one major downside is the sloppy narrative structure (that does eventually straighten out in the final volume). Flashbacks come out of nowhere, sometimes, and more often than not, don't even have the telltale black borders that most manga flashbacks have. Transitions are next to nil, and many topics/characters are dropped almost instantly after introduction. However....like the other review said, the flawless character development kinda makes up for it.
This may not be a necessary favorite of mine, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable or recommendable. It's a sweet (and often, bittersweet) of four adult men whose estranged pasts slowly change for the better...
January 11, 2016
I'm addicted to this series. The idea seems absurd, men running a French styled bakery in Japan, but it's a funny and in-depth exploration of 4 people. Tachibana and Ono are the original characters and I love them the most (particularly Tachibana), but the addition of the young boxer and the body guard (Chikage) opened the series up to make it even more delightful. Yes, they're all gorgeous looking men, too, which somehow makes it even more ridiculous since their lives are just as messed up as everyone else's.
There's also the description of the cakes.
Oh my lord, makes me want an Antique Bakery down the road from me.
Lots of interesting plot lines are explored as well - kidnapping, romance, the dangers of gay life, men's take on women, parents and children, etc.
Good read? Great read and top entertainment.
There's also the description of the cakes.
Oh my lord, makes me want an Antique Bakery down the road from me.
Lots of interesting plot lines are explored as well - kidnapping, romance, the dangers of gay life, men's take on women, parents and children, etc.
Good read? Great read and top entertainment.
February 17, 2016
Concluding volume to this strangely addictive series. Young boys go missing and when the police find their bodies the stomach contents is cakes that are only made at the antique bakery. 2 detectives stake out the store. This brings back painful memories for Tachibana at last his whole reason for setting up the bakery has arrived! The conclusion isn't nearly as cut and dried as you think either. Superb, likeable and interesting characters make this a delightful read and the open ending is a fitting close to the series.
A very unusual manga series that is very different from anything else I've come across. Definitely worth checking out.
A very unusual manga series that is very different from anything else I've come across. Definitely worth checking out.
July 3, 2011
I liked that there was some actual plot in this one and backstory stuff for the characters, but it continues to be frustratingly confusing about who is doing what and why. Characters seem to come and go full of portent but nothing happens. Just when it gets to the interesting part, it seems to just end or skip forward to the aftermath. Perhaps I'm just missing something...? I still love the descriptions of the desserts though!
June 27, 2012
A stunning conclusion to a series that started off silly and lightweight but soon found a deep and meaningful voice. The climax is somber and melancholy in tone, but as always a deep sense of humanity permeates the storytelling. The book leaves you in a bittersweet mood, making you miss the characters already. Any melodrama is wisely avoided and the themes and ideas are given room. Quite perfectly constructed and delivered.
March 21, 2013
Nice ending. Tachibana akhirnya berhasil mengalahkan trauma masa kecilnya dengan cara yang mengesankan.
Dari sini aku lanjut baca doujinshi-nya yang aduh, jalan ceritanya juga baguuus (meski vulgar banget >.
Dan... first love never die, eh? Meskipun Ono sudah whoring himself belasan tahun dan kemudian cukup settled dengan Chikage, tetap saja ia tak bisa memupus rasa cintanya pada Tachibana. Duh, mau iba juga gimana... aku lebih kasihan sama Tachibana kalau diserang Ono lagi :)
Dari sini aku lanjut baca doujinshi-nya yang aduh, jalan ceritanya juga baguuus (meski vulgar banget >.
Dan... first love never die, eh? Meskipun Ono sudah whoring himself belasan tahun dan kemudian cukup settled dengan Chikage, tetap saja ia tak bisa memupus rasa cintanya pada Tachibana. Duh, mau iba juga gimana... aku lebih kasihan sama Tachibana kalau diserang Ono lagi :)
March 31, 2013
It's nice to see a series wrap up in less than 18 volumes [sic]. That said, this isn't a 'happily ever after.'
I admire that about this series, the 'dramedy' aspect.
It's one of the few series I've read lately where the YA 16+ warning wasn't just for people having sex or there being graphic violence. (They finally deal with Tachibana's kidnapping as a child.)
I can't really say more without spoilering it.
I admire that about this series, the 'dramedy' aspect.
It's one of the few series I've read lately where the YA 16+ warning wasn't just for people having sex or there being graphic violence. (They finally deal with Tachibana's kidnapping as a child.)
I can't really say more without spoilering it.
June 13, 2016
I am a big fan of the Antique Bakery anime. I came across the first two volumes of the manga at a thrift shop and just finally read them --then had to of course finish this short series so I was glad to see my local library consortium had it.
But I feel like the manga isn't as strongly put together as the anime. It doesn't flow in quite the same way. The art is still great and the story is there...but it still leave something to be desired.
But I feel like the manga isn't as strongly put together as the anime. It doesn't flow in quite the same way. The art is still great and the story is there...but it still leave something to be desired.
February 24, 2019
這部讓我想到今市子《樂園在身邊》，主要是一群人一起工作，中間會有許多意想不到、既爆笑又溫馨的發展。不過吉永史很鋪排功力極強，邏輯性很強，伏筆在第一集就通通安排好了！今市子人物造型雖較美，敘事則跳躍性太強，不像吉永伏筆排得那麼好，且吉永的分鏡既乾淨又有電影感（雖在分鏡的巧思上不及清水玲子，但清水資歷比他多十年）。
（寫於2008年12月5日）
（寫於2008年12月5日）
February 17, 2009
Not much to say about this series. I wanted to like it a lot, and I liked it enough to read through all four volumes, but... eh. I'm not much of a manga reader--I love comics but manga somehow short-circuits my brain--and there were a bunch of elements that just didn't make sense to me. That could be in part because it skipped all over the place, time-wise, but still.
Good enough, I guess.
Good enough, I guess.
April 25, 2010
This volume is a little bit more serious then previous volumes. The author deals with Tachibana's fears regarding his childhood abduction and Kanda' fears of being unwanted. I really wish that another volume of this would come out, especially since there were some things that very unresolved to me. (Who was that light haired man obsessed with his four year old daughter?)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2012
Short series with 4 volumes and the last two volumes move along better. More interesting. Not yaoi. Can do without all the perfect this and perfect that pastries and supehuman characters portrayed as regular people. Some regular believable characters were in the story as well. Prefer the live drama show.
August 31, 2016
Di volume awal Ono yang kuat secara karakter. Kemudian volume 3 dan 4 ini di mana masa lalu Tachibana banyak diceritakan menjadikannya karakter yang dicintai banyak pembaca.
Kalau memilih diantara 4 orang antique, saya akan memilih Eiji Kanda. Hehehe, pemuda manis tersebut punya passion dan kuat. 2 sifat yang saya sukai. :)))
Kalau memilih diantara 4 orang antique, saya akan memilih Eiji Kanda. Hehehe, pemuda manis tersebut punya passion dan kuat. 2 sifat yang saya sukai. :)))
September 29, 2007
Accidentally read this before volume 3 due to a processing error at the library (got a copy of volume 2 with volume 3's cover and didn't realize until later...oops). I think I will need to reread it again after I've gotten my hands on the correct volume 3!
January 14, 2008
More serious in tone than the earlier volumes, with the bakery involved in a police investigation, but still retains the trademark humor and bantering, and Kanda gets more attention than in previous volumes.
May 4, 2008
The conclusion of the series - sadly. The last two volumes aren't as hilarious as the first two but the character development was incredibly satisfying. The ending was wrapped up nicely but I wish there were more volumes in this series!!!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 43 reviews