Two women with food in common? Yes, please. I love to eat moreso than I love to cook. She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 focuses on this comedy and connecting through food. Created by Sakaomi Yuzaki, translated by Caleb David Cook with lettering by Phil Christie, the series is about two neighbors, Nomoto and Kasuga, who come together thanks to their passion for food. If you’re a fan of food, friendship, and LGBTQ+, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 manga from Yen Press is a wonderful read, though you might be starving by the end.
Nomoto and Kasuga are neighbors who do not know each other. However, Nomoto, who loves cooking, laments that she cannot make some of the food she wants. After all, big dishes require more than a party of one. Then Nomoto notices Kasuga has buckets of fried chicken. When Kasuga admits the bags of food are for her alone, Nomoto finds a kindred spirit in Kasuga. There is no better pairing than someone who loves to cook with someone who loves to eat great food.
She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 Has No Action, But It Makes An Impact
There are no dramatic scenes, no battles with food—except perhaps looking for a fantastic sale. Yet She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 makes an impression because of the unique story and characters. You can identify with them and some of their experiences. Both connect over the way men give unsolicited advice and praise. When Nomoto’s coworker tells her how she will make a great mom and how they wish they had a girlfriend like Nomoto, you nod your head at the annoying familiarity. Men think women need their advice and approval, and, whatever your passion, it must tie in with making yourself a “great catch.”
Room For Growth
Like the pair, She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 introduces hints of their backstory. Based on her conversation with her mom, Nomoto does not have any interest in dating men. But her mom does not seem to understand that. When Nomoto tells her she is cooking for a woman, her mom disregards it like it does not matter. The volume does not emphasize the issues but makes them a natural backdrop to Nomoto living her life. You learn next to nothing about Kasuga in this issue, but thanks to the ease with which the story progresses, do not make it feel glaring.
From Food To Love
The focus is their mutual passion for food, so there is a lot of food. She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 provides a helpful breakdown of the food and kitchen appliances used to make it. You might do your own research to make some of these delicious dishes. Each time Nomoto basks in the joy Kasuga feels eating her cooking, you smile too. So when they agree to spend the holidays together, you sense the love blossoming between the pair and take the journey with them.
She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat Volume 1 is about the natural beauty in a relationship between two women growing into something more. Stories in the LGBTQ+ community are essential to allow readers to see themselves and others in their pages. Worth reading, thanks to Nomoto and Kasuga’s budding romance, delicious food, and quiet humor. I cannot wait to see where their relationship goes and what tasty feasts they experience together.
