Silver Spoon, Vol. 4

銀の匙 Silver Spoon [Gin no Saji Silver Spoon] #4

by Hiromu Arakawa, Amanda Haley (Translator)

By purchasing Pork Bowl, Hachiken takes a step forward in reconciling a farmer's care and concern for livestock that will ultimately be eaten. But Pork Bowl has yielded a whole lot more than a pork bowl's worth-or even a dozen pork bowls' worth!-of meat, and all of Ezo Ag is more than happy to help with the surplus! Hachiken may raise a lot of tough questions, but he sure knows how to make a mean batch of bacon...

Genres: Manga, Comics, Slice Of Life, Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Animals

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2012

About the author

Hiromu Arakawa (author: 荒川弘) is a Japanese manga artist, best known for Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師 Hagane no renkinjutsushi).
Her real name is Hiromi Arakawa (荒川弘美).

Arakawa was born and raised on a dairy farm in Hokkaidō.
She thought of being a manga artist since she was little. After graduating high school, she took oil painting classes while working on her family's farm. During that time, she also created dōjinshi manga with her friends and drew yonkoma for a magazine. After eight years she moved to Tōkyō and started out as assistant writer for Hiroyuki Etō.
Her debut as manga artist is in 1999 with STRAY DOG. In 2001 she started working on her famous and award winning series Fullmetal Alchemist, that soon gets a successful anime adaptation.
Other works include Silver Spoon (銀の匙 Silver Spoon, Gin no saji Silver Spoon).

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series continues to be a pleasant diversion. Despite its overall light comic and educational tone, this volume sees some ratcheting up of the drama as Hachiken deals with the final fate of Pork Bowl the pig, stops totally avoiding his parents, and comes to realize there is a secret between two of his classmates that might interfere with his developing crush on one of them.

This is far from being one of my all-time favorite manga, but it is one of the ones I most look forward to reading right now thanks to its offbeat subject matter.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series sports an incredibly positive (and unique in Japan) message about grades not being the measure of a person.

[Jamie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Haichman exclaims “Math is Beautiful..!!” My heart melted and I truly realized this very well could be one of my favourite manga series ever.
This volume contains so many great moments. Haichman’s arc with “Pork Bowl” comes full circle, leading to him receive recognition as someone who doesn’t say “no”. Which brings him into a position he might not be ready for. More importantly it also starts to begin to mend his relationship with his parents. Even the “mystery” between Komaba and Aki leaves the reader wanting to know what’s going on. The volume has its lighter moments looking for a “big black bra.” To the search of Area 51. As a country boy myself I can both love and understand the thrill of sneaking out to see something as amazing as a Combine. You can tell that Arakawa grew up in the countryside as she understands and coveys details of farm life so well. This book reminds me of home so much. I can wait to read more.

[Cookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and entertaining!

[Dani (ダニ ¦ 다니) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this series so much. Hachiken is so relatable to me in both, future plans and thinking about the animals and eating them. I have the same struggles and been thinking about this for a long time so that was refreshing to have a character who thinks the same way you do. Also, all the other characters are really awesome and I'm curious about Mikage and Ichirou as well so I can't wait to pick up volume 5 very soon hopefully

[Bryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how thoughtful Arakawa is about all the ethical questions around farming, which are really ethical questions around being human -- what do we eat and how do we come by it, if we're eating animals how do we treat them while they're alive, how do we cope with taking life in order to feed ourselves when it is not strictly necessary, etc? My daughter has been reading this too and we have had a few good conversations sparked by it. Plus Hachiken is developing into such a lovely person!

[Miguel Esteban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hasta aquí adapta la primera temporada del anime. No varió mucho en realidad, pero el arco del cerdito tenía muchos más detalles en el anime. Hay además algunos eventos que cambian de cronología pero la verdad no afecta la historia. Sin duda quien más sufrió y perdió con la adaptación al anime fue Komaba, a quien le quitaron varios diálogos y detalles. Por lo demás la verdad manga y anime se parecen bastante. Hasta aquí sigue siendo una historia agradable y conmovedora.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahhhhh, Pork Bowl, I hope you taste as nice as you look. So Hachiken uses his pay check from the Mikage's farm to buy Pork Bowl and the vast majority of this volume is dedicated to Pork Bowl. Which is good, I like that storyline.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is still charming me.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series; it’s so relaxing.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

How are these all so good lol!!!

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

That's right, I'm coming back at you all again with more Silver Spoon reviews! We do delve into more spoiler territory, so you can read my review below the review cut line.

In the last volume, we ended on a bit of a dramatic moment: the pigs that were being raised by the Dairy Science program students were sent out to be slaughtered, and Yuugo had made a weighty choice to buy the meat that would come from the piglet he had raised and grown attached to, "Pork Bowl". The first 65 pages of this volume focus on what is coming out of that as a result.

"Pork Bowl" became 51 kilos of meat, which Hachiken turns some of into pork bowl cutlet pieces and the rest into bacon that he learns to prepare. He actually ends up selling and trading a lot of the bacon to other students in the high school, and there is some that he sends to the Mikage and Komaba families as thanks for staying with them over the summer as a sort of repayment. Older brother Shingo ends up swiping some of the bacon for himself, and when Yuugo sends a bit of the bacon to his parents, it's Shingo who contacts their mom and tells her that Yuugo made, prepped and shipped out the bacon himself. While the rest of the ordeal surrounding "Pork Bowl" seems to be a closed matter for the time being, the connection back to the parents promises to have consequences later down the line.

(If you've watched the anime, you can probably guess what some of that is.)

We also get in this volume the "Area 51" story, which involves Hachiken getting dragged along by several of the other guys in his year to go see a mysterious "something" after-hours and risk getting caught by school authorities in the process. Several of the more minor details in this particular story differ from how it was adapted in the anime, but not to the point it's all that different from what we have in the manga. Most notable is the fact that when the boys are making a run for it, Tamako Inada takes note of this and remarks they're idiots, before showing up at the end of the story to tell them they needn't have gone to all the trouble they did, as her family owns one of the huge harvesters they snuck out to see, and the boys could have just stopped by her family's farm any time to see it.

The rest of this volume then shifts perspectives to focus on Hachiken stressing over whether or not Mikage and Komaba are an item, due to a tense exchange he saw between them, him getting elected vice-president of the Equestrian Club when the third-years announce they have to leave to look into getting jobs, and some additional mild focus on Komaba's progress on the baseball team. Despite Hachiken's worry, the volume ends on a hopeful, upbeat note, and promises the next volume to be just as fun (and possibly just as angsty.)

I loved getting back to reading this so much. The characters, the story, the way that humor and more serious arcs balance one another out so well... Silver Spoon is wonderfully written, emotionally provocative, deeply thoughtful and expertly conceived. I need to pick up the next few volumes soon; I can't wait to keep going with this series!

[S.Q. Eries · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Summary

Overall, this is a fun, well-balanced volume. Vegans probably won’t appreciate Pork Bowl getting turned into bacon, but others will find the popularity Hachiken attains as the owner of 50 kilos of meat hilarious. Then after a UFO sighting/jailbreak parody interlude where Hachiken gets dragged to Ezo’s Area 51, he’s confronted with new club responsibilities and growing feelings for Mikage, all of which lay the groundwork for fresh drama in our next season of high school.

The Review

The Pork Bowl arc finally comes to a conclusion—and it’s not a Charlotte’s Web ending. Personally, I prefer it this way. Perhaps Hachiken does agonize overmuch about how farm animals are born just to be slaughtered, but I enjoy his blunt honesty in admitting he can’t go vegetarian became meat is too tasty. Plus, city-slickers like me get to learn and appreciate how much work goes into processing meat as Hachiken turns 50 kilos of Pork Bowl into bacon with his own hands. And just as the pizza party drew the attention (and appetites) of Hachiken’s schoolmates, the smoking of Pork Bowl also brings a crowd. If you enjoy scenes of people feasting, you’re in for a treat. The fun thing is that the impact of Pork Bowl’s bacon goes beyond one day, and the myriad outcomes of having meat at an ag school are a riot.

Having laid Pork Bowl to rest, Silver Spoon wraps up the summer with a two-chapter comedy adventure. It’s a parody mashup of UFO, jailbreak, and war film tropes, but Nishikawa and the other farm boys take their “mission” so seriously that it actually works. It’s a bit strange that they’re so insistent that Hachiken come along, but the mystery of what’s in “Area 51” will keep readers engaged.

Next, autumn gets going in earnest, with third years retiring from clubs, regional baseball playoffs, and preparations for the Ezo Ag Festival. A new season wouldn’t be complete without a new thing for our protagonist to stress over, and Arakawa-sensei delivers it in the form of the vice-presidency of the Equestrian Club and a strange, secretive vibe between Mikage and Komaba. As such, Hachiken has an external challenge to live up to (similar to the pizza party) while his brain goes into overdrive about whether Mikage means more than a friend to him. The latter element might be a common one in high school series, but Arakawa-sensei does a wonderful job putting an ag school comic spin on it.

By the way, for those familiar with the anime, the manga covers the same general territory with minor variations. For this volume, the most prominent difference is the timing of the Area 51 adventure. (In the anime, it took place before summer break).

Extras include story thus far, character profiles, bonus manga, a preview for the next issue, and translation notes.

For more manga and book reviews, drop by my blog Keeping It In Canon!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hachiken is figuring out how to distribute all of the meat he got from Pork Bowl's butchering. Turns out he has plenty of volunteers to help make it disappear. The next batch of piglets comes. The guys in Hachiken's dorm force him to sneak out and see something in the field at night after curfew. The Equestrian club chooses new leaders as the 3rd years bow out. And something is going on with Mikage that has Hachiken worried.

I have family who are farmers and grew up visiting a working farm pretty regularly, but I am still learning so much about modern farming from this series. The thing that the boys sneak out to see was not what I thought, but was quite funny in their context. The way Hachiken is finding his place at this school is great to see, and I like that the author also made his influence on them important. Hachiken just being himself and asking questions often causes the kids from farming families to actually think about why they do things the way they do and wonder if it should continue. I am almost convinced that the principal of the school is a mythical creature and not human from his appearances. This book wasn't as funny as the last two but it was still good. Recommended for those interested in farming culture or looking for a fairly clean manga.

Notes on content: 3-4 minor swear words. No sexual content. (Mikage asks Hachiken to help her find a bra but it turns out to be something entirely different from what he first thinks.) One of the boys rips his pants during their night escapade and there's a little tiny bit of his butt showing. There's a punch thrown to knock out a thief.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hachiken is now everyone’s best friend as he has come into 50 kilos of pork meat. He asks one of the teachers to help him make bacon, and while it isn’t perfect, everyone agrees, it’s delicious. Hachiken’s brother shows up again and suggests he send some bacon home to the parents to prove that he is learning a lot at his school. Hachiken reluctantly does this, and we see a glimpse of his family and get a little insight as to why he’s avoiding them. The third years are finishing up their time at Ezo Ag, and it’s time for the Equestrian club leadership to pass the reins to the younger club members. Then, it’s time to start preparing for the autumn events - baseball tournaments, finals, and a festival!

This volume had a little bit more in it about making delicious meals and the components of the dishes, and it always makes me hungry! Hachiken has another heart-to-heart with Ezo Ag’s principal, who always seems to show up at just the right time to help Hachiken through a difficult problem. There is a lot of Arawaka-style humor with the drawings of characters freaking out. There was a bit of choppiness to the storyline around the club's activities and the Fall events that made the last third of this volume a bit disjointed.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 7-12

Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m continuing to really enjoy this Hokkaido ag school series’s mix of quirky coming of age drama, cozy rural life, and a surprisingly informative depiction of the real details that make up agricultural careers/lifestyles in rural modern day Japan.

Notable happenings this time include the resolution of Hachiken’s dilemma with his favorite piglet Pork Bowl (plus a related project that further endears Hachiken to the students and faculty), another unexpected brother visit, creeping around campus after curfew to find out what’s leaving crop circles, third year students handing down club responsibilities (“the man who never says no” or is it “the man who can’t say no”), suspicions of a possible romance between Hachiken’s crush and one of his good friends, watching a friend’s first chance at baseball fame, the hunt for a (cow) bra, and getting a lucky horseshoe.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since everything is better with bacon, obviously this volume is a six star one! Hachiken finally gets a positive stroke from his parents when he sends home a sample of the fruits of his labors. With all of the comedic mistaken impressions (including the hilarious “take responsibility” one that landed Tokiwa in trouble last volume), this series was beginning to get a Three’s Company vibe. The appearance of crop circles, cattle mutilation reports in the papers, and mysterious lights from UFOs (unidentified farming objects) spun us in the direction of weekday soaps. Really, this is a series that can tell any story, and it does it while making it look good too! The equestrian vaulting panels are so good! Put this one on your list no matter how you feel about bacon!

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sweet. It’s a quite informative and enlightening manga about agriculture and farmer life.

I love that they went on this long trip just to see a huge combine. I thought it was going to be something scandalous, by the way the author portrayed it. As usual, it turned out to be hilarious and not how it seemed at all. She really does these twists well.

I really wonder what Mikage was upset about still. Komaba and Mikage were able to distract Hachiken, but it’s still hovering over the story.

Hachiken is surprisingly good for the community. He brings a new way of thinking that these farmers didn’t even consider. And vice versa!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hachiken learns to make bacon, sneaks out to see a UFO, and is awarded a position of respect in the Equestrian Club.

I adore Hachiken. He is often clueless and naïve, yet seems so real. He would be a good friend to have. While the UFO story was a bit on the corny side for me, there was some delightful humor later in the volume that made me laugh. I look forward to visiting again with the students from Ezo Ag.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series! With this volume in particular, I would like to know whether agricultural students, specifically Japanese agricultural students act like some of the students in the book. Not to spoil things, but chapters 30 and 31 have an event that all the students in the know were excited about, except for Hachiken. Hachiken had no clue what was happening. The students' reactions were a total fan reaction. So my question would be do some agricultural students get as excited as the teens in the book? I mean I was impress, but I would not say my reaction was that of some of these students. I hope we get to find out what Mikage said to Komaba, because that is a mystery there.

[Taylor Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this volume! It’s nice to come back to this lighthearted series. I really like seeing more of Hachiken’s family, especially his father. I can’t wait to see more flashbacks of his middle school mental breakdown…does that make me a bad person? Any way, five out of five stars. Fun time.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

my library system only has the first four volumes in the series, so i don't know if i'll ever get to read the whole series unless i buy it all or something. i enjoyed how this was based on arakawa's own life and how it's completely different from fma, but still just as charming and funny in the right places.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such wonderful lessons and beautifully drawn animals. I particularly liked the adorable piglets. The comparison between math being easy (because there are clear answers) and ethical questions being trickier is something I realized in my own life, but much later than our protagonist. His determination is inspiring.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hachiken makes bacon (I want a bit now) and is now even more popular. I really detest his brother and how he is around and doing that, we get a hilarious part featuring area 51 with a hilarious outcome (did not expect that and I would totally fangirl) , horses and new responsibilities, Hachiken really thinking hard about stuff (he is growing so much) , baseball and exams and more. I really had fun.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good volume. I binge read the series however so I am not sure which events were specifically tied to this volume. See first few volumes and volume 7 for my general feelings on the series so far.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think one of the stories was definitely the weakest one and felt a bit gag-manga-y, but overall, the story is still good and I still love the characters. All who are so well done and make me feel good and want to cheer them all on.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this series! In this volume, Hachiken has to figure out what to do with all of Pork Bowl's meat.

Content Notes:

Swearing/profanity: 1 OMG, 1 dammit, 1 "you're an ass"

Sex/Sexual references: None

Religious elements: None that I can remember

LGBTQ + rep: Not specified

[Krystal Caloia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think more than one student will be raising and buying a Pig like Hachiken now......at least Hachiken will be buying another one lol. Whey-fed pigs....hmm.
A combine 🤣
I wonder what's going on with Mikage and Kobama.....
Vice President!

[Anthony Wendel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not as dramatic as previous installments this one still has a decent level of heart and comedy in inside. Let's just say the volume includes bacon, UFOs, and finding a missing bra (not the kind you are thinking of). Under the surface though there is something more dramatic brewing.

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The meat from the pig "Pork Bowl" comes back from being slaughtered and Hachiken turns it into bacon. The boys from the dorm sneak out at night. The Equestrian club gets new officers. Hachiken catches Mikage crying, but she won't talk about it. Everyone does exams.