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.