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(original title: 失恋チョコラティエ)
Souta has been in love with his sempai Saeko ever since he laid eyes on her in tenth grade, but she's forever interested in cooler men than him. After a five-year stint in Paris, Souta has now returned to Japan to open his own chocolate boutique in order to win chocolate-loving Saeko's heart.
The characters consist of Souta, who is a bit idealistic and frequently makes me want to whap him; the flighty Saeko, who reminds me of Komatsu Nana, but without Nana's generosity or kindness; Souta's friend Olivier from France, who always seems optimistic and teasing; Souta's sister Matsuri, whom we only get glimpses of so far; and Souta's old co-worker Kaoruko, who is gruff, practical, and brusque in order to hide her emotions. (I, of course, love Kaoruko best so far.)
The premise of this sounds very much like a more flighty work of shoujo, but so far, the series actually reminds me most of Nana or Honey and Clover in tone. First, there's the mix of two stories: Souta and his store's rise in the small world of chocolatiers comprises one, while the other focuses on the lives and loves of Souta and his fellow chocolate store workers. But what really makes me draw the comparison is the way Mizushiro sensitively depicts everyone's love lives. Almost every character in the series has an unrequited crush on someone, and it's interesting to see how different characters use that emotion. Some choose to use it as inspiration or motivation to change themselves, while others choose to ignore it, to work to win over someone else's heart, or to simply enjoy being in love, even if it is unrequited.
The manga is full of small moments and significant glances, emotional subtext and things left unsaid. Some of the characters behave in ways the reader probably won't condone, but like Yazawa and Umino, Mizushiro has a great deal of sympathy for her characters and their frequently misguided hearts without necessarily agreeing with their actions.
And although Souta is the central character, I don't feel like the weight is terribly tilted toward the male characters. I suspect Kaoruko and Matsuri in particular will get more as the story goes along, and even though the women are frequently the objects of men's affections (the story so far is very heterosexual and cisgendered), I haven't gotten the sense that the are objects in terms of the plot. Instead, it seems as though Mizushiro will be delving into everyone's psyches.
The art is also very lovely; I don't remember any particular panels as standing out, but the character designs are pleasant and easy to distinguish between, and I of course love any of the sketches with chocolate in them. I'm a little sad Mizushiro doesn't go into raptures over assorted specific chocolates in her author's notes, but that's probably just me.
Sympathetic and complicated characters with some self knowledge and a narrative about chocolate: what's not to like?
I really hope this gets licensed along with Mizushiro's Kuro Bara Alice; it's lovely and feels very adult.
Souta has been in love with his sempai Saeko ever since he laid eyes on her in tenth grade, but she's forever interested in cooler men than him. After a five-year stint in Paris, Souta has now returned to Japan to open his own chocolate boutique in order to win chocolate-loving Saeko's heart.
The characters consist of Souta, who is a bit idealistic and frequently makes me want to whap him; the flighty Saeko, who reminds me of Komatsu Nana, but without Nana's generosity or kindness; Souta's friend Olivier from France, who always seems optimistic and teasing; Souta's sister Matsuri, whom we only get glimpses of so far; and Souta's old co-worker Kaoruko, who is gruff, practical, and brusque in order to hide her emotions. (I, of course, love Kaoruko best so far.)
The premise of this sounds very much like a more flighty work of shoujo, but so far, the series actually reminds me most of Nana or Honey and Clover in tone. First, there's the mix of two stories: Souta and his store's rise in the small world of chocolatiers comprises one, while the other focuses on the lives and loves of Souta and his fellow chocolate store workers. But what really makes me draw the comparison is the way Mizushiro sensitively depicts everyone's love lives. Almost every character in the series has an unrequited crush on someone, and it's interesting to see how different characters use that emotion. Some choose to use it as inspiration or motivation to change themselves, while others choose to ignore it, to work to win over someone else's heart, or to simply enjoy being in love, even if it is unrequited.
The manga is full of small moments and significant glances, emotional subtext and things left unsaid. Some of the characters behave in ways the reader probably won't condone, but like Yazawa and Umino, Mizushiro has a great deal of sympathy for her characters and their frequently misguided hearts without necessarily agreeing with their actions.
And although Souta is the central character, I don't feel like the weight is terribly tilted toward the male characters. I suspect Kaoruko and Matsuri in particular will get more as the story goes along, and even though the women are frequently the objects of men's affections (the story so far is very heterosexual and cisgendered), I haven't gotten the sense that the are objects in terms of the plot. Instead, it seems as though Mizushiro will be delving into everyone's psyches.
The art is also very lovely; I don't remember any particular panels as standing out, but the character designs are pleasant and easy to distinguish between, and I of course love any of the sketches with chocolate in them. I'm a little sad Mizushiro doesn't go into raptures over assorted specific chocolates in her author's notes, but that's probably just me.
Sympathetic and complicated characters with some self knowledge and a narrative about chocolate: what's not to like?
I really hope this gets licensed along with Mizushiro's Kuro Bara Alice; it's lovely and feels very adult.