Fish and Water

by Gengoroh Tagame, Anne M. Ishii (Translator)

A tender and beautifully illustrated story, FISH AND WATER is a new graphic novel from Eisner award-winning graphic novelist Gengoroh Tagame. He What if The Odd Couple were Japanese, living in the middle of COVID, and just might be . . . gay?

From the brilliant mind behind Gengoroh Tagame (My Brother's Husband, Our Colors), Fish and Water follows the unlikely love story of two "straight" friends. Having met at a mutual friend's wedding, Akira, a business sales administrator, and Koji, a freelance writer, quickly become close buddies. One day, during a visit with a farm client, Akira is offered a case of freshly picked cabbage. Since no one at his office wants it, and he is no cook, Akira decides to see if Koji (who loves to cook) might be interested. Lonely and in the midst of pandemic-related shutdowns, Akira uses this as an excuse to come hang out at Koji's house. Once they get past how to be covid-cautious, they become quite relaxed with each other, creating an amusing but emotionally confusing scenario. Akira and Koi grapple with deciding if they are just friends or something more.

Part exceptionally drawn character study, part contemporary comedy of manners, Fish and Water is a delightful love story for the modern era, considering how love and connection can find you in the strangest ways.

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

192 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2026

About the author

Gengoroh Tagame is a Japanese manga artist who specializes in gay BDSM erotic manga, many of which depict graphic violence. The men he depicts are hypermasculine, and tend to be on the bearish side.

Born into a family descended from samurai, Tagame began his career as a manga artist in 1982, while he was studying graphic design at Tama Art University (多摩美術大学). His works have been published in several Japanese gay magazines, including Sabu, G-men and SM-Z. Since 1986, he has used the pen-name Gengoroh Tagame, and since 1994 Tagame has lived off the profits of his art and writings. In recent years, Tagame has edited a two volume artbook series about the history of gay erotic art in Japan from the 1950s to the present, 日本のゲイ・エロティック・アート (Nihon no gei, erotikku āto, Gay Erotic Art in Japan) volumes 1 and 2.

All his works contain "virile males, or youths, and their apprenticeship of physical and mental submission". Works of his include: Jujitsu Kyoshi at B Product; Emono, Shirogane no Hana (3 vol.) and Pride (3 vol.) at G-Project.

His manga Gunji (軍次) was translated into French in 2005, followed by Arena in 2006 and Goku in 2009. An artbook of his works has also been published in France by H&O Editions. An exhibition of his works was held in France in May 2009. Tagame is openly gay.

Tagame has been called the most influential creator of gay manga in Japan to date, and "the most talented and most famous author of sado-masochistic gay manga". Most of his work first appeared in gay magazines and usually feature sexual abuse. Tagame's depiction of men as muscular and hairy has been cited as a catalyst for a shift in fashion amongst gay men in 1995, away from the clean-shaven and slender bishōnen stereotypes and towards a tendency for masculinity and chubbiness. Tagame's work has been criticised by notable gay manga writer Susumu Hirosegawa as "SM gekijō" (S&M theater) for its violence and lack of complex storylines.

A small amount of Tagame's work has been licensed in English; a short story, "Standing Ovations", was included in the third issue of the erotic comics anthology Thickness, and in July 2012, Picturebox announced a short story collection, The Passion of Gengoroh Tagame, for 2013 release, which will be the first completely bara work published in English in a print format. The book will collect short works spanning 15 years of Tagame's career, including a new story commissioned especially for the book by book designer Chip Kidd.

(notes : everything else can be read on wikipedia)

Reviews

[gracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Fish and Water' is exactly what it's advertised to be, a sweet romance between a man who loves to eat and occasionally works with farmers, and a man who loves to cook. They're both lonely and decide to make a routine of sharing meals together and that's how they begin to fall in love.

It was a quick and sweet read. The translation flowed smoothly and I loved it so so much.

[Nicholas Krochta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 close to 4. Honestly could read a bunch more of these two. Chapters were like slices of life with lots of food.

[Chris Metts · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utter delight.

[Jake Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly not as deep as My Brother's Husband, but a sweet little love story easily consumed in an afternoon. And as always with Tagame, the men are easy on the eyes :P

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troisième mangas de romance alimentaire gai/lesbien que je lis après She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 1 et What Did You Eat Yesterday?, Volume 1. Ça n'innove pas la recette narrative: les ingrédients sont un peu les mêmes (c'est même très similaire à celui de Sakaomi Yuzaki que j'adore):
- Une personne qui adore cuisiner et qui trouve encore plus de bonheur à cuisiner pour un deuxième personnage qui adore, compliment et apprécie à fond sa cuisine.
- Une certaine idée d'une complémentarité entre les personnages, une personne qui cuisine, l'autre qui va aider d'une autre manière.
- Une romance qui cuit lentement au fil des rencontres, qui permet de faire des introspections.
- Des recettes détaillées dont on voit souvent la préparation et le résultat final bien identifié et toujours bien apprécié par la personne qui est invitée.
- Pas vraiment de drame entre les deux personnages sauf la crainte d'être perçu comme quelque qui s'impose. Ça veut rester cozy (bien que des éléments extérieurs peuvent affecter les personnages de manière plus significative ou traumatique, mais dans celui de Tagame, ça reste toujours très calme)

Le manga de Gengoroh Tagame nous sert deux hommes gais bien en chair dans son style narratif et ses dessins tout public qu'on lui connaît depuis Le mari de mon frère, Tome 1. On a seulement droit à quelques doubles entendre et plusieurs torses nus pour le "piquant". C'est un manga agréable, je suis content d'avoir un manga qui est bien contenu dans un seul volume, on aurait pu étirer la sauce, mais on a finit par nous le servir en une seule portion (pour les gens qui n'ont pas suivi la série en feuilleton).

Dans l'ensemble, une bonne romance, quelques bons plats (et recettes), une narration simple, deux personnages attachants. Une bonne recette bien exécutée.

[Imanewreader ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

manly man, a mlm romance made by a man for men. i appreciate it!!

they were actually absolutely adorable, and i loved how the main focus were the local products and how to prepare them.
a development to their romance (bonus short story or second volume) with more recipes and their relationship could have been such a nice addition. but this was already so good !

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. Just a quick appreciation post here for Gengoroh Tagame and Fish and Water (thanks for Pantheon for sending me a copy too).     

     While this deals with pandemic/covid times, it manages to be light and uplifting. Little vignettes of time spent between two friends, Koji and Akira. Tons of food referencing, which I looove. Fun cheeky references here and there as well. A few will they/wont they moments. This could go on and on and I'd keep reading. 

     I've read My Brother's Husband and Our Colors, and Fish and Water gave me the same feelings. Hope, happiness and a glimpse into a world that feels like I want to spend more time in it.

[Lucille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super mignon, un manga en un tome qui se passe pendant la pandémie Covid. Akira est commercial et les clients lui offrent souvent de la nourriture, qu’il ramène chez son ami Koji qui lui travaille à domicile et adore cuisiner. On suit leurs petites soirées cuisine, Netflix & chill et on voit doucement les deux hommes se rapprocher petit à petit et apprécier de passer du temps ensemble ! Tout simplement adorable, une lecture super cosy 🩵

[tillie hellman · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite different then most graphic novels i read (also more on the manga side of things, which i haven’t read many of) but i enjoyed! very slice of life, loved all of the food stuff. kinda reminded me of haley and i LOL even tho this turned romantic. cute

[Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sympa car de belles recettes (moins détaillées que dans What did you eat par contre) et une romance progressive. J'ai été contrarié par la représentation négative en Bonus d'un mec gay efféminé.

[Joanie Ferron-Beaumier · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai préféré son autre série "Le mari de mon frère". C'est une histoire soft sur les relations durant la pandémie.

[Annie Laflèche · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai vraiment préféré Le mari de mon frère et Our Colorful Days, mais ça reste un manga mignon en un tome qui tourne autour de la nourriture tout en se déroulant durant la pandémie.

[Larakaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of cooking and eating in this. It's like a gender flipped version of "She likes to cook and she likes to eat". It's lighthearted, but the fact that it takes place during the covid pandemic dows give it a grounded element.

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world needs more sweet stories like this. Delightful

[Sachi Argabright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wholesome and quick read. It’s very slice of life with delicious looking recipes. My only complaint is that I wish it had a little more plot to it.

[DannyReadsThings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fish and Water was my first full manga read, and I have Gengoroh Tagame and the team at NetGalley to thank for that introduction. I was immediately drawn in by the cover and the synopsis, and the story absolutely lived up to that first impression.

This was such a cute, warm, and genuinely enjoyable read. I especially loved how much of the story centers around food and the way it becomes a quiet but meaningful bridge between the two main characters, helping to shape their connection in a really tender, human way.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read that left a lasting impression. I would happily pick it up again and revisit this story.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik leerde Gengoroh Tagame kennen via zijn Japanse pornostrips. Google de naam en je vindt wel een en andere met zijn signatuur, met potige kerels in en uit maatpakken en uniformen, waarbij het niet ongebruikelijk is dat er één ingepakt is in touwen en er gepenetreerd wordt op fantasierijke wijze, geween en tandengeknars inbegrepen. Tagame heeft inmiddels ook al enkele reeksen waarbij de personages doorgaans hun kleren aanhouden. Bij ons recent uitstapje naar Parijs, in de heerlijke LGBT-boekhandel Les Mots à la Bouche, ontdekte ik een nieuwe Tagame: 'Nos rendez-vous gourmands' (2023). Kôji is bezeten door voedsel en koken, Akira door eten. De twee vinden mekaar toevallig en Akira loop Kôji's deur plat om er te eten. Vrijwel alle actie speelt zich binnenskamers af, buiten heerst corona, en de actie beperkt grotendeels zich tot voedsel kopen, bereiden en opeten. Niet echt verheffend, tenzij wat betreft buiken, maar in de blikken en onder de woorden kan je voelen dat er wat groeit tussen de twee. Zal dat gebeuren? Wordt dit een nieuwe reeks van Tagame? Wordt misschien vervolgd.
(Ook een aanrader van Tagame is de reeks 'Le mari de mon frère' (2014, ook verkrijgbaar in Engels), over een man, zijn kleine zusje en zijn echtgenoot/haar schoonbroer.)

[Natalie S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super adorable and such positive vibes. Brings your focus back to appreciating the moment your in. I felt the romance was lacking though.. and the story was a bit confusing.
However, I absolutely adored the food segments, I feel like getting back into the kitchen and trying something new!

[Alessandro Parisi]

La storia è ambientata durante l’anno della diffusione del coronavirus.
Akira è un venditore, un uomo schietto e diretto. Un giorno riceve in regalo dei cavoli ma, non sapendo come cucinarli, decide di andare a casa del suo amico Koji. Koji è molto timido, lavora da remoto ed è un grande esperto di cucina, capace di preparare moltissimi piatti.

Tra i due nasce subito un forte feeling: entrambi sono gentili, premurosi e a loro agio l’uno con l’altro.

Koji si offre di aiutare Akira ogni volta che ha bisogno di cucinare, anche perché Akira, per via del lavoro, finisce spesso per mangiare solo cibo dei konbini.

Il secondo ortaggio portato da Akira è la melanzana. Koji propone diverse ricette: una versione estiva saltata in padella con miso, peperone verde e maiale; una variante fritta piccante in stile cinese; oppure una versione al forno con pomodori e formaggio, accompagnata da piccoli contorni che completano il piatto principale. Alla fine scelgono di preparare la moussaka greca. Mentre Koji cucina, Akira piega i vestiti del padrone di casa e i due iniziano a fantasticare insieme su un viaggio in Grecia.

In un’altra occasione, Akira convince il riluttante Koji a guardare un film horror insieme, a patto che cucinino il pollo al riso singaporiano. Durante la visione si spaventano così tanto che Akira chiede di poter rimanere a dormire da Koji.

Tra crocchette e carrot râpé, Akira e Koji si rivedono dopo una giornata fuori che aveva fatto preoccupare Akira su cosa mangiare per cena. Ancora una volta, Akira resta a dormire da Koji.

Un giorno Akira, sorpreso dalla pioggia, trova riparo a casa di Koji, che gli presta dei vestiti asciutti e gli prepara la cena: baguette e ratatouille.

I due escono poi per una passeggiata al giardino botanico e Koji prepara un bento apposito con degli onigiri. L’uscita ha il sapore di un vero e proprio appuntamento.

Koji scopre infine che una coppia che conosceva ha tragicamente perso la vita. Per rilassarsi e ritrovare un po’ di serenità, prepara un pasto per sé e Akira: okra e una zuppa di seafood gumbo. In questo momento di intimità, Akira si dichiara, rendendosi conto che il calore che Koji gli trasmette è qualcosa di davvero speciale. Koji, da tempo attratto da Akira, ricambia il suo amore.

[Eu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5/5.0 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fish and Water is Gengoroh Tagame's latest work to be translated into English, a one-shot bara BL romance set during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Akira and Koji, who met at a mutual friend's wedding, bond over cooking and meals as they endure the uncertainty of the times. Gradually, their friendship begins to blossom into something more...

Gengoroh Tagame has been on my radar ever since I came across his series My Brother's Husband. Tagame is an #ownvoices creator, publishing stories about gay men and their experiences primarily for gay male audiences (among others). I was very excited to see this new publication, a slice of life story that was relatively light, given the time period in which it is set. Originally just a single chapter written for a food magazine, this story seems to be Tagame's contribution to the recent trend of (queer-themed) cooking stories, though rather than full step-by-step recipes, he chooses to instead showcase a multi-dish meal themed around one key ingredient. The romance is slow-burn as well, with most of the overtures occurring in the final chapter. I appreciated that the "questioning" phase and realization of a queer identity was taken in stride, though I was disappointed that they defaulted to "gay" without considering a "bi" identity in certain parts of the story. The relationship pacing also seemed to swing between platonic and semi-U-Hauling to a confession/kiss squished in at the end. Had the pacing been a bit more even, I would have enjoyed it more. The characters could also have been a bit more fleshed out--the reader learns very little about them outside of their feelings for each other. That said, this story is less potentially controversial than Our Colors, but doesn't measure up to the success of My Brother's Husband. Still, I look forward to his next work and will keep his future books on my TBR.

Readers who enjoyed this manga may also like: Gengoroh Tagame's other works, What Did You Eat Yesterday? by Fumi Yoshinaga, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki, Confessions of a Shy Baker by Masaomi Ito, and Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez, among others.

[Vampyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

You've heard of meet-cute? Well this is your first "meat-cute"!

First I want to thank the KDPG Influencer Program for accepting me, specifically thanks to Pantheon for this physical copy to review.

As someone who doesn't read manga, I knew that this might be a harder book to read for me since the way in which you read manga is different from traditional books. While I did struggle for a few pages, I eventually got the hang of it, and the reading was smooth after that.

What appealed to me with Fish and Water, is two-fold. One it is a MM story, and two, it is set in the pandemic (Covid). I also have been enjoying quite a few translated stories this year, and this one checks that box too!

I read this book in one sitting, a total binge read. The plot moved fast, and I even caught myself smiling and laughing out loud quite a few times. It had a rollercoaster of emotions with happiness, sadness, grief, healing, and of course...love.

Half the book was filled with cooking and recipes and while the main character is a chef, I did question if some parts were too food focused and took away from the story.

I wouldn't promote Fish and Water to younger audiences as it does have a few nude scenes, and quite a handful of sexual innuendos, which for me I personally enjoyed!

Examples: "Massage the sack." There's an entire chapter on eggplants which is hilarious, but if you know you know.

My favorite chapters were Movie Night, Tropical Arboretum, and Gumbo. The supplemental chapter I wished had just been included at the beginning of the book, because of its specific place in the timeline.

Memorable Quote:
"But if we can feel even a little bit better about today than yesterday, isn't that something?"

[Ingrid Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koji accepts an offer of fresh veggies to cook  and invites Akira to join him for dinner. Lonely and in the midst of pandemic-related shutdowns, Akira welcomes the chance and one meal becomes many. Once they get past how to be COVID-cautious, they become quite relaxed with each other, creating an amusing but emotionally perplexing scenario. Eventually, Akira and Koji grapple with deciding if they are just friends, or something more.
Just what I needed when my reading habits and the world has become just a bit too dark.
The story starts out with such an everyday problem, Akira has been given a gift of a load of cabbages from a farmer. Not knowing how to cook he tries to share them with his coworkers and gets no takers. Not wanting to waste perfectly good food, he calls his friend Koji who is an excellent cook, and offers the windfall in exchange for a meal. So begins a ritual of sorts where Akira brings produce from his customers and Akira whips up amazing meals and their friendship grows as they both find relief from the loneliness of the covid-19 lock-down.
As their friendship grew I found myself smiling at their weekends and their time together. Watching that friendship develop into more made me happy for jo good reason other than it was nice to see.
I enjoyed how Gengoroh Tagame built this world and it was easy to see how much he cares for it and the characters he inhabited it with
Recommended. Expected publishing date June 23, 2026
Thanks to @netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon
for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first work by Gengoroh Tagame that I didn't absolutely adore. It was sweet and slow, but it just didn't have that spark that other works of his have. I think in large part this was because it felt so awkward whenever the characters talked about real world issues 😅 It didn't flow naturally (in my opinion).

In this stand-alone manga, we follow Koji and Akira. They're friends who start spending every weekend together cooking meals and enjoying their free time together. Their relationship slowly develops the more time they spend together and realize just how much they enjoy the company of the other one.

What I enjoyed the most about the story was its slice of life nature. I'm all for stories that don't have the highest of stakes and feel more like an invitation into the lives of the characters. I wasn't bored even for one second as the characters talked about different dishes they were going to eat and shared some of their hobbies with each other. In many ways, it felt comforting.

I just wasn't wowed by the story. However, I will continue reading the works by this mangaka. I'm always down to support an openly queer man writing about queer men 💖

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh a book that's set in the thick of the COVID-19 days, that feels so rare? (I have mixed feelings on this like yes, no one wants to relive that but also ignoring it... I dunno.)

This is a cooking manga! And it's a love story! Two friends who become closer during COVID restrictions get to know each other through the love of food (and eating). It's really cute and it's even got some... not recipes, but definitely food ideas in it! I'm definitely going to have to buy a copy for my little collection of Cooking Manga. And the two have a lot of chemistry and it's so cute to watch them slowly falling for each other! I really liked this.

I love how even Gengoroh Tagame's "softer" works like this and My Brother's Husband both have like A Shower Panel that reminds you hi, this is a gay mangaka doing gay manga for gay people. I read a lot of BL (Asian MLM stories) so it's actually kind of refreshing to see these bear-types when the majority is more the pretty-and-slender-type? Well basically I need to read more geicomi for sure.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor (Pantheon) for the eARC for review! Love.

[S.L. Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for this eARC!

Wow, what an interesting little story. It's been a very, very long time since I've ever tried to read manga, so the formatting definitely tripped me up and I read the pages backwards for the first chapter. But if you actually pay attention, it's not a hard read!
This book focuses on two happy-go-lucky guys who have cook dinner together and fall in love through food. Reading that this serial was supposed to be featured in a foodie magazine makes a lot of sense!
It's a very easy, cute read if you don't mind the fact that the COVID pandemic is featured as the main setting of the book. If you don't mind that fact, this little graphic novel manga is definitely worth the read.
Akira's just a cute little guy who can't cook and likes big strong men and Koji just wants to make some snacks for someone. Despite the characters and their story being extremely basic, you learn a lot about their personalities through the illustrations and the food they eat together.

[A Dreaming Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for providing me with an eARC.

This was a quick, heartwarming read. I really liked how they barely realized they were friends and liked hanging out to figuring out that they actually had feelings for each other. The food descriptions were very mouthwatering. To some extent there were no actual events going on, it was mostly Akira coming over to Koji's place and Koji cooking him food. But the overall effect was wholesome. There are also quick recipes embedded within. The author's love for food and cooking really shows. This reminded me just a little of Heartstopper which I really liked as well. This book also touches upon the loneliness people felt during the pandemic. I liked the art style as well, it really suited the story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a wholesome queer romance revolving around food and cooking, primarily Japanese food.

[Patrick Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! The only Manga I've seen from Tagame features gay bondage. So I was surprised to find this modestly told story of two gentle giants falling in love. Koji knows how to cook. Akira doesn't. And there the story begins. There are even recipes.

The story's translated from Japanese into French and reads from back to front. But it's so goddamn charming it transcends all barriers. It reads like a fairy tale. And the fairies here are fantastical hunks. Think Tom of Finland, but with a lighter touch. Koji and Akira are polite, reserved and sincere. Lightyears away from gushing tales of overwrought men.

There doesn't appear to be much in English by Tagame, so I hope it finds a public here. Like the story, the dialogue is simple. Or appears to be. There's so much truth in these minimalist drawings and very few words.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to an e-ARC for review purposes.

This was very cute, short and sweet. Hence, my review will be the same.

I think the characters are cute and feel like real people with real lives. It was a real throwback to read a book set during the pandemic. It touched on some things about lockdown that I already forgot.

The story was very simple with a slice of life sort of vibe with some fun cooking segments.

I would say I was hoping that we would get a hint of romance, but I understand since this is the first volume and this was fairly short that we wouldn't get any quite yet.

I think this was cute and fun overall, but I recommend waiting until the next volume is out as this story left a little to be desired with character development and romance.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

[I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
Fish and Water was way more heartwarming and appetizing than I thought it would be, with the art style not being something I'd usually go for. While there are no grand romantic gestures, what it has is a strong friendship based on the love of food. One character likes cooking while the other character likes eating and is more than happy to handle the washing up without being asked. It organically evolves into (gasp) a conversation between two adults about who they are to each other. Is this the gay agenda? I honestly was a guaranteed sucker for this book since I also like "What Did You Eat Yesterday?" by Fumi Yoshinaga and "She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat" by Sakaomi Yuzaki. This was an absolute delight.

[ChristineReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fish and Water was a cozy cute romance about two people falling in love through friendship and food. We follow them in the midst of a pandemic as they find comfort and companionship in each other.

The illustrations were beautifully done and captured so much emotions. The food plays such a critical role in their relationship and the detail given to it really shines. At its heart, it's a beautiful love story. It leaves you feeling warm and cozy and turning pages to if our characters realize this is more than friendship.

If you love quick, poignant reads, manga, and cute stories I would recommend this one :) Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.