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作りたい女と食べたい女 [Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna] #4
She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 4 (Volume 4)
ともに歩もう、 信じた道を。シリーズ累計50万部突破「つくたべ」最新刊
バレンタインを目前に控えた
野本さんと春日さん。
お互いにチョコレートを贈る準備をしたり、
友人に気持ちの相談をしたり。
そして当日、チョコレートフォンデュを
することになったふたり。
それぞれの想いを胸に、
どうか、あなたにだけは、
この気持ちをわかってほしいと。
バレンタインを目前に控えた
野本さんと春日さん。
お互いにチョコレートを贈る準備をしたり、
友人に気持ちの相談をしたり。
そして当日、チョコレートフォンデュを
することになったふたり。
それぞれの想いを胸に、
どうか、あなたにだけは、
この気持ちをわかってほしいと。
194 pages, Paperback
Published May 21, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
June 8, 2024
So sad that this is on hiatus! I absolutely love and adore all the characters. It was great to see Kasuga and Nomoto make the next step to developing their relationship. I won’t spoil it, but this is such a beautiful, heartfelt and carefully crafted series.
July 7, 2024
This continues to be my favourite manga series!
June 12, 2024
I love them 🥺
May 21, 2024
This series just keeps getting better. I love that we get a canon ace lesbian character, and I really love Nagumo - the interaction and support between the four leads is really charming and lovely. It's a good manga, but it's also a manga about being able to be yourself and being accepted, and it really succeeds. Highly recommended.
June 3, 2024
She loves to cook, she also loves to confess in the moment too. Yes, things are shifting for our leads and they’re tilting in the direction of cohabitation. But, a crash course in the Japanese rental market shows that it might not be as easy as all that.
This is not my favourite series, I think it’s a little too sedate, but I have all the respect for what it’s actually doing and the amount of work that went into it. The slew of cited sources shows that this story cares to get the details right.
We get a deep dive into the perils of coming out, the rental system’s typical erasure of homosexual couples in Japan (this is mind-blowingly regressive and a reminder that manga and anime seldom reflect society), and lots of family trauma.
It’s all very real, possibly a little too research-oriented (I prefer Even Though We’re Adults, which better splits the difference between entertainment and realism), and has one of the best representations of gal pals that I’ve seen. These four get along so well, it’s often enough just watching them hang out.
Even more importantly, we get an asexual character, Yuki, who identifies as such and see her background and eventual acceptance of self. It’s always nice to have strong ace representation in stories now and then and this one is real good.
Elsewhere, Nomoto and Kasuga’s acknowledgment of their feelings is quite adorable. Nomoto having just sorted out her sexual orientation means the awkward stepping around everything and slow speed she moves at is well supported by the narrative, which is a nice touch.
Kasuga continues to have her family lurking in the background, which precipitates the need to move when they learn her address. It’s wild how incredibly awful they all are to her, really, and you can see why she wants to completely cut ties with them (Kasuga’s anxiety over expressing this to Nomoto is very culturally based, it feels).
Nagumo explores her eating disorder further and this is one particular story that I find fascinating, but also very superfluous. If it vanished from the series I don’t think I would miss it, even if blending it with the food scenes is a smart play. It’s well done, but would arguably do better in its own series.
As far as the food goes, it’s okay, but not remarkable. There are definitely better manga out there with a food focus for my money, but this gets the job done. It’s fine, but never sets things off like you want great manga food to do.
But that’s very secondary to how good the writing is with expressing the trials and triumphs of these characters. They’re all distinct and make for a great quartet of people to follow. Even things that I don’t love I acknowledge the skill behind.
5 stars - probably a four, personally, but I recognize that this is unquestionably well done and takes a far more realistic approach to things than most yuri. Actual representation handled with care deserves a big thumbs up.
This is not my favourite series, I think it’s a little too sedate, but I have all the respect for what it’s actually doing and the amount of work that went into it. The slew of cited sources shows that this story cares to get the details right.
We get a deep dive into the perils of coming out, the rental system’s typical erasure of homosexual couples in Japan (this is mind-blowingly regressive and a reminder that manga and anime seldom reflect society), and lots of family trauma.
It’s all very real, possibly a little too research-oriented (I prefer Even Though We’re Adults, which better splits the difference between entertainment and realism), and has one of the best representations of gal pals that I’ve seen. These four get along so well, it’s often enough just watching them hang out.
Even more importantly, we get an asexual character, Yuki, who identifies as such and see her background and eventual acceptance of self. It’s always nice to have strong ace representation in stories now and then and this one is real good.
Elsewhere, Nomoto and Kasuga’s acknowledgment of their feelings is quite adorable. Nomoto having just sorted out her sexual orientation means the awkward stepping around everything and slow speed she moves at is well supported by the narrative, which is a nice touch.
Kasuga continues to have her family lurking in the background, which precipitates the need to move when they learn her address. It’s wild how incredibly awful they all are to her, really, and you can see why she wants to completely cut ties with them (Kasuga’s anxiety over expressing this to Nomoto is very culturally based, it feels).
Nagumo explores her eating disorder further and this is one particular story that I find fascinating, but also very superfluous. If it vanished from the series I don’t think I would miss it, even if blending it with the food scenes is a smart play. It’s well done, but would arguably do better in its own series.
As far as the food goes, it’s okay, but not remarkable. There are definitely better manga out there with a food focus for my money, but this gets the job done. It’s fine, but never sets things off like you want great manga food to do.
But that’s very secondary to how good the writing is with expressing the trials and triumphs of these characters. They’re all distinct and make for a great quartet of people to follow. Even things that I don’t love I acknowledge the skill behind.
5 stars - probably a four, personally, but I recognize that this is unquestionably well done and takes a far more realistic approach to things than most yuri. Actual representation handled with care deserves a big thumbs up.
May 25, 2024
After three volumes of slow development, Valentine's Day brings an impetus for the central relationship to finally start leveling up. [Insert your favorite U-Haul joke here.]
It's a sweet and gentle story. And since this is half-and-half romance and cooking, it is also filled with lots of sweet and savory dishes.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 28. At Dawn -- Chapter 29. Pre-Valentine's Day, Part 1 -- Chapter 30. Pre-Valentine's Day, Part 2 -- Chapter 31. Valentine's Day, Part 1 -- Chapter 32. Valentine's Day, Part 2 -- Chapter 33. Changes -- Chapter 34. When I'm with Them -- Chapter 35. The Night Goes On and On -- Chapter 36. Anko and Rental Hunt -- Chapter 37. Takoyaki Party --Resources Consulted -- Profile Pics -- Haircut Time -- Translation Notes
It's a sweet and gentle story. And since this is half-and-half romance and cooking, it is also filled with lots of sweet and savory dishes.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents: Chapter 28. At Dawn -- Chapter 29. Pre-Valentine's Day, Part 1 -- Chapter 30. Pre-Valentine's Day, Part 2 -- Chapter 31. Valentine's Day, Part 1 -- Chapter 32. Valentine's Day, Part 2 -- Chapter 33. Changes -- Chapter 34. When I'm with Them -- Chapter 35. The Night Goes On and On -- Chapter 36. Anko and Rental Hunt -- Chapter 37. Takoyaki Party --Resources Consulted -- Profile Pics -- Haircut Time -- Translation Notes
September 4, 2024
This series is my roman empire
y'all better love these women as much as I do
y'all better love these women as much as I do
June 16, 2024
AH! Love confession!
I love this group of friends so much. They give me all the warm fuzzies. This series has such great representation, and it tackles some heavy topics with respect.
I can’t wait for vol 5!
I love this group of friends so much. They give me all the warm fuzzies. This series has such great representation, and it tackles some heavy topics with respect.
I can’t wait for vol 5!
May 24, 2024
GAH! I LOVED it so much! I am so happy for Nomoto and Kasuga. I also enjoyed getting to know more about the besties. Can’t wait for the next volume.
May 24, 2024
I really like the representation we’re getting in this series. It’s still rare I stumble across asexual rep and it’s still controversial for children to go no contact with their parents, no matter how toxic the parents are. This book not only shows those concepts, it shows the characters coming to those realizations and I appreciate seeing the journey.
Anyway, I still really like the relationship between these two. They’re really sweet and I love the sharing of food as a bonding mechanism in just about any book.
Anyway, I still really like the relationship between these two. They’re really sweet and I love the sharing of food as a bonding mechanism in just about any book.
December 7, 2023
I wasn't impressed with Yako or Nagumo from the last volume but I think I like them so much more in Vol4 🥹 I guess getting to know them better is the ticket.
I like that Yako doesn’t give up hope re: finding a partner even after a particularly bad breakup. She knew from a young age that she's a lesbian, but the asexual bit took longer to figure out and this created a lot of tension with her ex. Yako had to do tons of research to figure out she wasn't alone and there's a community of people like her.
Also like that Nagumo is trying hard. She wants so much to keep connections and form bonds with people but her anxieties and inability to eat in front of others give her a hard time. I guess I was too harsh on her last time, but I think part of the issue is the expectations people have from girls/women: she needs to grow her hair out, she needs to act like this and that, and eating in front of others is another part of it.
She doesn't hate food and is slowly repairing her relationship with the act of eating food... It has to do with the pressures of socialising. It can be especially alienating because of how much food serves as a way to interact with people.
Actually Kasuga says a very nice thing about food later, but I'll talk about that after the plot stuff:
We have Valentine's Day this time! And Kasuga tells Nomoto that she's thinking of moving. This is because her family has started sending letters and demanding that she pay for the expense of bringing her up (such as school fees etc). This prompted Kasuga to think that it's better to cut things off with her family entirely.
Nomoto is supportive at the start but then starts crying because she doesn't want Kasuga to leave and confesses her feelings. This is when Kasuga tells her that she (Kasuga) wants Nomoto to move in with her.
Wah they're dating and moving in together 🥹💕💕💕
But this opens up a whole lot of other things to worry about: moving means they need guarrantors and usually these are parents. Kasuga can't list her parents her her guarrantors for obvious reasons and Nomoto would have to explain to her mother that she'll be moving in with her girlfriend if she asks her mum to be a guarrantor so they're in something of a bind.
Aside from this, there's the issue of wanting to live as a family and that maybe means coming out to a stranger (the real estate agent). The everyday things that are easy for straight couples are more complicated....
At some point the two of them stop their apartment search and eat the azuki beans that Nomoto had been cooking. Nomoto was all 'Now I can think more clearly' and Kasuga says 'Food can't solve all problems, but it gives us the strength to think and look forward' 🥹
The rest is the 4 friends having a takoyaki party + Kasuga and Nomoto telling Nagumo and Yako that they're dating. I look forward to further developments 🥺🥺
I like that Yako doesn’t give up hope re: finding a partner even after a particularly bad breakup. She knew from a young age that she's a lesbian, but the asexual bit took longer to figure out and this created a lot of tension with her ex. Yako had to do tons of research to figure out she wasn't alone and there's a community of people like her.
Also like that Nagumo is trying hard. She wants so much to keep connections and form bonds with people but her anxieties and inability to eat in front of others give her a hard time. I guess I was too harsh on her last time, but I think part of the issue is the expectations people have from girls/women: she needs to grow her hair out, she needs to act like this and that, and eating in front of others is another part of it.
She doesn't hate food and is slowly repairing her relationship with the act of eating food... It has to do with the pressures of socialising. It can be especially alienating because of how much food serves as a way to interact with people.
Actually Kasuga says a very nice thing about food later, but I'll talk about that after the plot stuff:
We have Valentine's Day this time! And Kasuga tells Nomoto that she's thinking of moving. This is because her family has started sending letters and demanding that she pay for the expense of bringing her up (such as school fees etc). This prompted Kasuga to think that it's better to cut things off with her family entirely.
Nomoto is supportive at the start but then starts crying because she doesn't want Kasuga to leave and confesses her feelings. This is when Kasuga tells her that she (Kasuga) wants Nomoto to move in with her.
Wah they're dating and moving in together 🥹💕💕💕
But this opens up a whole lot of other things to worry about: moving means they need guarrantors and usually these are parents. Kasuga can't list her parents her her guarrantors for obvious reasons and Nomoto would have to explain to her mother that she'll be moving in with her girlfriend if she asks her mum to be a guarrantor so they're in something of a bind.
Aside from this, there's the issue of wanting to live as a family and that maybe means coming out to a stranger (the real estate agent). The everyday things that are easy for straight couples are more complicated....
At some point the two of them stop their apartment search and eat the azuki beans that Nomoto had been cooking. Nomoto was all 'Now I can think more clearly' and Kasuga says 'Food can't solve all problems, but it gives us the strength to think and look forward' 🥹
The rest is the 4 friends having a takoyaki party + Kasuga and Nomoto telling Nagumo and Yako that they're dating. I look forward to further developments 🥺🥺
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this volume. Kasuga and Nomoto move forward in their relationship, yay! They’re so awkward and I love them.
Lots of good meals here! I was especially interested to see that in Japan, or at least these characters, eat ritz crackers instead of graham crackers with their s'mores. More a savory mix than how we eat them. Also their Takoyaki party with Sena and Yako looked so much fun. Kind of like abelskiivers which I totally spelled wrong.
Anyway this continues to be a cute food manga with LGBTQIA representation of several kinds.
TW for character who has a hard time eating in front of other characters.
Lots of good meals here! I was especially interested to see that in Japan, or at least these characters, eat ritz crackers instead of graham crackers with their s'mores. More a savory mix than how we eat them. Also their Takoyaki party with Sena and Yako looked so much fun. Kind of like abelskiivers which I totally spelled wrong.
Anyway this continues to be a cute food manga with LGBTQIA representation of several kinds.
TW for character who has a hard time eating in front of other characters.
August 23, 2024
Yay! They’ve confessed and are moving in together! I’m so excited. The exploration of some of the challenges that queer people face, with family and societal acceptance along with basic essentials for living, like getting housing, was well done. The food depictions made me drool as usually and I’m loving how this group of 4 is developing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2024
Waahhhh it’s so adorable! The ‘ok I’ve finally figured out I like her like that but what if she doesn’t like me like that’ is so relatable and sweet, and I love the giggly blushy kicky feet cuteness happening for each of them. More pleeeeeeease.
August 26, 2024
Estic molt enganxada <3 Que bé llegir sobre un grup de noies que es dona suport en les seves experiències personals i més en la dissidència. Un pèl precipitada la trama de les protagonistes i tot el volum un pèl més "seriós" (i potser repetitiu el recurs del menjar?), però segueixo encantada.
May 24, 2024
So cute! I love seeing how their relationship develops as well as the backstories of the side characters.
May 31, 2024
Once or twice a year a new volume of this work comes out and I get a serotonin boost for about an hour, and then get sad knowing I’ve got another 6-12 month wait for the next instalment. An excellent volume as always. Without wanting to spoil anything, the plot took a turn I wasn’t expecting and I absolutely loved this. Can’t wait for volume 5.
July 16, 2024
me and who 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
July 27, 2024
Cute!
July 29, 2024
The slow burn is too real haha, but another great volume to this series!
June 24, 2024
Let’s go, lesbians!
A warm, safe space of a manga.
A warm, safe space of a manga.
May 27, 2024
She Loves To Cook and She Loves To Eat continues to blow me away with it's utterly captivating and realistic depiction of queer life that while truly rooted in reality including the hardest parts never fails to stop feeling wholesome and wonderful. This series is a master of balance, a captivating masterpiece that shows a true mastery of the craft nearly unrivaled across the industry. The sense of voice for each character, their individual struggles, the ways in which they express them and the ways they relate to one another is utterly enthralling and a testament to the variably diverse ways in which queer women exist even those in community with one another.
The art is stunningly depicted which each character being depicted carefully and with a true attention to detail. The food is mouth watering and hunger inducing allowing it to remain this lovely center piece of the relationship between the women.
We get more of our side characters perspectives in this volume getting a full chapter dedicated to Yako's POV and learning about her internal history with her long term life as an asexual lesbian and how she wants to embrace that. This story handles a lot of heavy topics in a short amount of time without taking any time to feel like misery porn. We get cutting off family, Coming Out, Housing Discrimination, Asexual issues in relationships, eating disorders, and a lil slice of heteronormativity all packaged in less then 200 pages of story but those are all minor elements, just stuff people are dealing with or dealt with. These serious issues aren't jokes, they aren't handled lightly but they are brought into this fluffy and warm story.
Honestly, she loves to cook and she loves to eat is like a perfect cake. You wouldn't eat raw flour but you need it to bake a cake, the hard parts of life make it the fluffy and wonderful pastry it is. It feels honest and that allows me to really relax. Queer people talk about trauma, they deal with a lot day to day but they still have fun and live life and fall in love and get to be happy. This story feels like this lesbian honesty cake and I will always be here for this.
Not to mention the relationship in this story is so compelling, so sweet and is finally moving forward in this nice way. It was kinda a slow burn to get here but it feels like maybe the perfect amount of time for it to have baked in the oven, nothing feels like it was overcooked.
I loved this volume and I love this series so deeply, I often prefer fantasy and action and what not but this true look at life reaches into my soul and feeds it the most yummy cookies. This is truly a series that is not just worth the hype but under hyped despite the hype, it's that good, a one of a kind special story.
The art is stunningly depicted which each character being depicted carefully and with a true attention to detail. The food is mouth watering and hunger inducing allowing it to remain this lovely center piece of the relationship between the women.
We get more of our side characters perspectives in this volume getting a full chapter dedicated to Yako's POV and learning about her internal history with her long term life as an asexual lesbian and how she wants to embrace that. This story handles a lot of heavy topics in a short amount of time without taking any time to feel like misery porn. We get cutting off family, Coming Out, Housing Discrimination, Asexual issues in relationships, eating disorders, and a lil slice of heteronormativity all packaged in less then 200 pages of story but those are all minor elements, just stuff people are dealing with or dealt with. These serious issues aren't jokes, they aren't handled lightly but they are brought into this fluffy and warm story.
Honestly, she loves to cook and she loves to eat is like a perfect cake. You wouldn't eat raw flour but you need it to bake a cake, the hard parts of life make it the fluffy and wonderful pastry it is. It feels honest and that allows me to really relax. Queer people talk about trauma, they deal with a lot day to day but they still have fun and live life and fall in love and get to be happy. This story feels like this lesbian honesty cake and I will always be here for this.
Not to mention the relationship in this story is so compelling, so sweet and is finally moving forward in this nice way. It was kinda a slow burn to get here but it feels like maybe the perfect amount of time for it to have baked in the oven, nothing feels like it was overcooked.
I loved this volume and I love this series so deeply, I often prefer fantasy and action and what not but this true look at life reaches into my soul and feeds it the most yummy cookies. This is truly a series that is not just worth the hype but under hyped despite the hype, it's that good, a one of a kind special story.
September 24, 2024
No sé si és xoc cultural o si l'autora ha volgut dur a l'extrem el clixé de les lesbianes cremant etapes rapidíssimament, però se m'ha fet estranya la velocitat amb què avança tot plegat en aquest volum. Continuem tenint un rerefons molt més profund i reivindicatiu del que podria semblar d'entrada, aquest cop amb la problemàtica de buscar pis. També ens endinsem en els passats de les amigues de les protes, que fan una colla maquíssima. Ara bé, la meva sorpresa ha estat com hem anat de zero a cent en tal sols un parell de capítols Amb més ganes que mai de veure com avança la relació en el proper volum!!!!
June 24, 2024
A representação lgbtq+ nesta série é muito boa! Adoro as personagens principais, mas estes 2 novos elementos que se juntaram ao grupo são uma mais valia. Gostei de ver representatividade lésbica e assexual, algo que (ainda) não se vê com tanta frequência na literatura e tratado desta forma.
A comida da manga faz-me sempre crescer água na boca, mas a história vai muito mais além, explorando vários temas importantes, desde aceitação pessoal, relações familiares que se rompem e tudo o que daí advém, a relação com a comida, entre outros.
Estou encantada com a série e mal posso esperar para ler o próximo volume.
Recomendo muito!
A comida da manga faz-me sempre crescer água na boca, mas a história vai muito mais além, explorando vários temas importantes, desde aceitação pessoal, relações familiares que se rompem e tudo o que daí advém, a relação com a comida, entre outros.
Estou encantada com a série e mal posso esperar para ler o próximo volume.
Recomendo muito!
June 6, 2024
I wanna be a part of this friend group sooo bad! They're all super supportive and the food looks delicious and they have these little get togethers just to chat and eat and I wanna be Totoko.
But this series isn't all sunshine and rainbows because our protagonists are dealing with some really heavy real life issues. Like coming out as a member of the LGBT+ community, trying to confess your feelings to your romantic partner, struggling to find someone out in the wide world who shares your experience and can tell you that you're not crazy despite what everyone else seems to say...
But this series isn't all sunshine and rainbows because our protagonists are dealing with some really heavy real life issues. Like coming out as a member of the LGBT+ community, trying to confess your feelings to your romantic partner, struggling to find someone out in the wide world who shares your experience and can tell you that you're not crazy despite what everyone else seems to say...
July 8, 2024
Valentine's episode!! Kicks feet and shakes your hand in a sapphic manner. This time there's a deeper look into the struggles of being asexual and moving into an apartment without a family guarantor (in Japan). I love the little gang we've got going on! They feel incredibly real and make each other's lives so much better. I also can't eat around others, but was never aware that there's an actual term for it; that's really good to know.
cw: financial abuse (from a parent), mentions of eating disorders
cw: financial abuse (from a parent), mentions of eating disorders
July 2, 2024
Las quiero mucho y oficialmente pololas 🥹😭 amo lo fiel que es la serie, aunque hay cambios en el orden de algunas cosas, es esencialmente lo mismo y amo mucho el poder leer los diálogos y que mi cabeza escuche a las actrices decirlo, los gay panic de Nomoto los escucho!! La monotonía en la voz de Kasuga y lo tierna que se pone hablando con Nagumo de su vida amorosa agdjskap Yaku siendo toda una fangirl con todo soy yo (excepto que no le hago al vino xd). Me alegran el corazoncito.
September 7, 2024
This was another really sweet entry to the series, and I'm excited for vol 5 next year. I love how at ease the four women are and how supportive their friendship group is. Each one has something that makes them insecure and I love how truly accepting and encouraging they are for each other. As with the other volumes, the author and illustrator are great at tackling heavier subjects in a way that is supportive and comforting for readers who may have experienced something similar. We also got the most movement in Kasuga and Nomoto's relationship in this book and it was great to see them declare their love and decide to move in with each other!
May 19, 2024
so tender and sweet...!! though I was left thinking, damn, are they really moving in together/declared love and they haven't kissed once yet?? D: lol. still, all of the relationships here are progressing so nicely, and I love the food and friendship!! <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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