While reviewing this manga so early into its release may not feel right, this manga has gone extremely under the radar, especially for a Jump work. It is full of potential at the current moment and likely to keep up in quality.
The story is simple, following our two main characters, Alice and Harumi. In their childhood, they both left the small town they both used to live in for the big city of Tokyo, but 10 years later Alice returned. Harumi comes back to meet her and help unpack, with this manga following their everyday interactions from this point. These interactions all feel extremely warm and real, with their simple interactions showcasing how deep-rooted and nostalgic their relationship is. Other characters also come and go in this manga, though they aren’t too important to the plot. Despite this, they still help serve the warm, homey, and nostalgic feel. This vibe is accentuated by the slow, iyashikei, tempo of the manga, which also helps you sink into the mood of this manga.
Another thing that adds to this atmosphere is the location. Like I said earlier, this manga takes place in a small village, where the home Alice is moving back into is that of her late grandmother. It’s a traditional-style home with things in it that give it an older feel, for example, a hearth. The hearth is introduced in the first chapter and it helps set the mood of this manga. It is a symbol of warmth and characters often lounge around near it, helping to set the scene of the old, nostalgic house, and warm, homey tone.
Additionally, the art style helps apply this theme. The background work is gorgeous, using many lighter shades of grey and the colour white frequently. This helps lighten the mood and further allows someone to immerse themself in this work. It’s also extremely detailed, where the artist, Bunta Kinami, would often draw every single marking on a piece of wood or every shingle on a roof. I only have two qualms about the art. The first is that I think more things should be shaded, as it can look awkward with stuff like the leaves of a tree being white. The second is that the facial expressions can occasionally look a little off and inconsistent. While these are problems I have, it generally does not take away from the stunning art.
The art proves to serve yet another part of this manga, being the gourmet aspect. Alice and Harumi would often cook and indulge in food. This food would always look gorgeous, as expected from the praiseworthy art. They explain things about the food and how it is made, but they never go into so much detail for it to become the main focus of the manga. This is only an aspect that helps serve the cozy vibe of the manga.
Overall, this is an extremely cozy manga. It has gentle character interactions that feel very nostalgic, alongside many elements that help serve its warmth. The art is beautiful and I highly recommend this work to anyone that likes reading warm, iyashikei like this.
Thank you for reading.
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