Amaama to Inazuma

Amaama to Inazuma (2013-2018)

Started reading this whilst watching the anime and smashed it all out pretty quickly. That to me shows it was enjoyable since I was able to focus so much.

The story is very nice. Initially, a man lost his wife and he cares for his daughter in a daunting prospect to take on two-parent roles alone. He does make some great friends within a few months that leads to a great ongoing and hopefully forever relationship both romantically and not romantically. Friends along the way on both sides help influence the story and keep it going at a good pace.

The art is a really nice standard. It maintains throughout and is a nice read. It is easy on the eyes and allows you to focus but not too hard.

Characters develop greatly and you see Tsumugi grow up effectively with some time skips that are actually fine. You also see a relationship blossom but not so brightly in the regard it is not in your face. Read between the lines to know it is happening. Ultimately since the story is not actually a romance it isn't what is important to see so directly. You do see a few couples of situations between various characters that make you wonder what happened. A spin-off for those would have been nice to see. I am content with thinking they got their happy ever after in my mind in that regard for both sets.

In the end, it is a great read and does exactly what it says it will. I would have loved to see more closure on the relationship side but at the same time that would make it a different manga. 9/10.

On a side note, I do leave this and think if I could have a daughter 50% of what Tsumugi is like throughout this manga then you know you'd of done pretty well.

A delightful little cooking manga that's remarkably re-readable.

STORY

Sweetness and Lighting uses a highly episodic structure, so it's fairly easy to pick up at any point. Gido Amakure definitely went for a light tone here, we're talking Full House levels of drama. Yet while this manga clearly leans towards cute and happy, it never quite crosses the line into a full-blown unreadable saccharine glob of pandering. It knows what it is and sticks to that.

ART

Most of the effort goes into drawing the characters (particularly Tsumugi and Kotori's cute eating expressions) and the food itself. Backgrounds are quite basic and often minimal, with little more detail than is needed to establish the location, and it's common for the background to simply be blank for several panels. The art focuses on the critical elements.

CHARACTERS

Much like the American sitcom I previously compared this series too, the cast members in Sweetness and Lightning have a basic role they're all supposed to play, a certain value they're supposed to add to the equation and don't change much. Kohei is the average everyman, Tsumugi is embodiment of kawaii, Kotori is the nice high school girl because it's apparently against Japanese law to not have a high school girl in a manga (and is also a Gold-Tier Best Girl). Within this framework designed to preserve the status quo, however, the cast is pretty good.

I especially appreciate how this manga handles an ongoing sub arc where Kotori tries to sort out her exact feelings for Kohei - who is both her teacher and several years older than her. Kohei is extremely professional in his actions towards her and clearly never considers any kind of inappropriate relationship, while Kotori knows she feels strongly towards him but doesn't want to rush to the conclusion that it's romantic love. I appreciate that Amakure avoided sleazy pandering, it would have sunk this series.

OVERALL

It's light and easy reading, but still very enjoyable. Now I'm hungry...

Amaama to Inazuma MAL review

Barakamon, Usagi Drop, My Girl, Yotsuba, Amaama to Inazuma.

What do all of these have in common? They’re all heartwarming stories about a child, (not a loli) their guardian and their daily life. Amaama to Inazuma is not as heavy themed as My Girl. It’s not as weird as Usagi Drop nor is it as carefree as Barakamon or Yotsuba. It’s delightful, charming and doesn’t get (too) involved in drama, while still maintaining a (somewhat) coherent story.

STORY

The story is about father and daughter, Kouhei and Tsumugi, their daily life and discovery of new types of food. Kouhei is a math teacher and a single father who never really learned to cook and rarely has the time do learn it, so he and Tsumugi always buy the convenience store bento and eat it in front of the TV while Magical Girl is on (Tsumugi’s favorite show).

One day when Kouhei and Tsumugi are at the park, Kouhei meets Kotori (one of his students) eating some food while crying. She tells him that her mother made the food for her, but didn’t have the time to eat it with her. Tsumugi is interested in the food, since she only ever eats pre made food from the store. Kotori gives them her card to their own restaurant and that’s presumably it.

One night when Kouhei gets home late, he finds Tsumugi practically glued to the TV, drooling over a cooking show. After she asks her dad: “Can we get mommy to make this?” he is moved and runs to Kotori’s family restaurant with Tsumugi on his back. Kotori is herself inexperienced with cooking, but knows how to cook some rice. She does so and serves it to Tsumugi and Kouhei. Tsumugi is amazed over how great it tastes, which moves Kouhei (and me) to tears.

Kouhei makes a promise that from now on, he will cook for Tsumugi and since Kotori’s mother is rarely home, he and Kotori will both learn how to cook.

The first chapter evoked many emotions in me. Sadness because Kouhei felt that he had let down Tsumugi because he wasn’t cooking for her. Happiness when Tsumugi was amazed about how good food can taste and hope, when Kouhei made that promise to Tsumugi.

Each chapter covers a new recipe that they make and enjoy at the end of the chapter in enough detail that you yourself could make the dish if you wanted.

ART

The art is fantastic. The characters are drawn in a very specific way, depending on what type of mood there is. Round and thin lines gives the characters a fluffy look to them when the mood is casual or comedic. Firm and clear lines are used when the mood is serious, or trying to teach the reader/Tsumugi something about cooking. The characters each have a unique characteristic and look to them. If you only had the silhouette of the characters, you could easily distinguish them.

CHARACTER

The characters are the best thing about this manga.

Tsumugi is quite clearly a child. The way she looks, acts and reacts to everything around her is adorable. She has the childish wonder that makes her question everything, which makes her character even more believable. She grows throughout the manga, not only as a character, but physically. It’s a really nice touch that gives a sense that time is actually passing in the story and that she soon has to attend school and her father Kouhei will have to adjust to a new schedule.

Tsumugi is everything to Kouhei, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a standalone character himself. Kouhei works as a math teacher in a high school and is well liked among his students. Especially his student Kotori, who he becomes very good friends with. He does his best to take care and raise Tsumugi properly, but he sometimes has to teach some unpleasant things to Tsumugi, like why it’s really important that she doesn’t get lost, or why they can’t keep the lost kitten that they found. The harshness of parenthood is quite clear in this manga.

It sound like it’s dramatic and really sad, but don’t worry. The bitter sweetness is drowned by all of the cuteness that this manga holds.

Speaking of cuteness. Kotori! Kotori is one of Kouhei’s students. You could also say that Kouhei is one of Kotori’s students, since she’s teaching him how to cook. She also learns a lot in the progress herself and becomes very good friends with Tsumugi and Kouhei throughout the story. I can’t tell more about her, because that would be spoilers.

There’s also the elusive mother to Tsumugi and wife to Kouhei. She died of unknown causes when Tsumugi was very little. Her character is the guidance that keeps Kouhei on track and full of hope. Tsumugi also “talks” to her at the shrine in their house and sometimes asks dad when she can see her.

Lastly, there’s the side characters Yagi and Kojika. Yagi is Kouhei’s mischievous childhood friend and Yagi is Kotori’s best friend from school. They sometimes help make the food, or they help bring out the comedy in the manga. They have a personality, they play an actual role in the story sometimes and they don’t feel unnecessary or like artificial characters.

ENJOYMENT

It's incredibly heartwarming and adorable. It’s filled with love and it makes me smile every time I read a chapter. The only gripe I have about Amaama to Inazuma is the cooking parts. The cooking is explained in very great detail, but it feels like the pages could have been used on something better. It explains the ingredients, how much of each ingredient you need, what you need to do with the ingredients and every. Single. Step in the process. It feels drawn out and unnecessary.

OVERALL

It’s a fantastic manga! Very few manga give the same sense of progression that this does. They learn new things. They grow as characters and they live their life.

I can’t recommend this enough!

I watched the anime and read the manga, and well its good. I'm not gonna write much other than its a nice slice of life to read, and the only thing that I was upset over is that *SLIGHT SPOILER* they don't smash. That really killed it for me. Other than that its a great read and its fairly short and easy to binge read in a day or two.

Now for some fluff, The characters are enjoyable except for their dense nature of not being able to tell each other how they feel when they clearly hint in their internal monologues that they think really highly and fondly of each other.

Tsumugis reactions are by far one of my favorite things about this manga, I even screen capped all of her reactions that fit the scenes so well.

The time progression really ramps up towards the end of the manga so I guess that might be a factor into why the love progression turns out the way it does. It's a bit upsetting but it feels a bit rushed at the end, but great chapters none the less.

We all can relate to the feeling of coming back home after a rough or tiring day, and just wanting to sit down and eat a nice meal. Sweetness and Lightning explores this concept and combines it with the difficulty of raising a child, to provide a truly sweet experience.

Each chapter of Sweetness & Lightning involves Kohei, the single father of Tsumugi, cooking up a meal for his daughter to help cheer her up or just brighten her day as she deals with problems of childhood and being without a mother. Kohei is taught to cook by his student Kotori, who’s parents are divorced. The majority of the series takes place at Kotori’s mother’s restaurant, where Kotori begins a complex relationship with Kohei and Tsumugi as she tries to figure out whether her feelings are romantic, or are just parental, with Kohei acting as a stand in for her father whom she barely sees.

The series has a very good flow of time, with Tsumugi graduating pre-school and entering primary school, and Kotori gradually facing entrance exams, graduating high school and deciding what to do with her future. Everyone grows and develops in this series, even Kohei, who not only gets better at cooking, but also gets better at raising Tsumugi.

The structure of the series is quite formulaic, with almost every chapter following a problem that Tsumugi or sometimes even Kotori has, and using food as a way to breach talking about their problems, and coming up with a solution. Being a slice of life series, it’s quite slow-paced, and combined with the repetitive structure, I wouldn’t recommend reading too many chapters in one go. The series is best enjoyed in small chunks.

The slice of life moments and Tsumugi’s behaviour often give off Yotsubato vibes, and are the strongest point of the series. Events can range from Tsumugi trying to get a cat to like her, to her finding out about heaven and hell. Some of the most poignant moments in the series are when Tsumugi must learn about death. She questions where her mother is now that she is dead, and must learn to come to her own understandings. She often misses the food her mother used to cook, and so Kohei works hard to create new, delicious homemade meals to remember.

All in all, Sweetness & Lightning is about growth and the happiness that sharing a meal with others can bring. Kohei learns to become a better father and a better cook, Kotori learns to become a better cook, how to handle her feelings, and what she wants to do with her future and Tsumugi learns how to cope without a mum and how to be a kid - from playing with boys, to learning that Santa might not be real. Seeing everyone’s face filled with joy after eating delicious food together is a feeling I never grew tired of, and even though the cooking segments become repetitive, the food looks so good and makes me so hungry that I might have to forgive it.

Having tried to watch the anime and read the manga, I think I've had enough of this series in general. Not only are the characters shallow, the plot is monotonous and there is absolutely no important development. I've seen and read some decent (and good) slice of life manga and anime, and this just doesn't cut it for me.

Story: 5. It was cute and exciting at first, but it gets hard to keep up the antic for the series in general. Although it does teach about cooking, you'd be better off watching a Japanese cooking show (more detail and better commentary as well). Having such a monotonous plot even for a slice of life is a bit too much. It's not that hard not having just food be the center of every single chapter.

Art: 8. Undoubtedly the best part of this series. If you can read something just for the art, this series is for you. The artist has truly found a unique style which gives the whole atmosphere of the manga a lighthearted feel to it.

Characters: 4. Honestly, it could be lower because the characters scream one-dimensional which drives me insane. Sure, the author is trying to focus on the food, but the characters need some more love development and attention wise because that's where you really get the engagement from the audience.

Overall: 5. I enjoyed it in the beginning, but too much of a good thing is not a good thing. I'm honestly quite sad to leave such a negative review after such a promising exposition, but I really just could not stand the stale plot and characters by the end of it.

Story - The story is really great. This manga's main focus was food and the recipes and the father-daughter relationship. It was full of overloaded cuteness--- KAWAII ---. Loved the ending. But in the middle of the story, there was a little bit of romance and love which wasn't fulfilled. It left an unsatisfied feeling. But at the end of the manga, the mangaka made up to it.

Art- The art if this manga is good. Nothing to criticize about in my eyes. It showed a great number of details about everything. When the recipes were mentioned, the ingredients were shown nicely or rather perfectly and the cooking process was shown in great detail. And the way food was shown, as appetizing as it was, it really brought water in your mouth.

Character - Ooooooowwhh!!!! Can't get enough of the cute little, adorable Tsumugi-chan. How cute can she be!! What beautiful relationship she has with her father!! Her adorable charter takes all the credit for and from all the characters in the manga.

Enjoyment- Yaap, it was a good read. It was really fun. Just left one uncanny feeling. The unfinished romance. It really bugs me.

Overall, it is a good manga and also a unique one at that. It deserves all the respect for everything. It creates a new love for food, especially for Japanese food.

I'm telling you.. the amount of fluff in this manga's probably illegal somewhere.

the story may not be the most original; a single father raising his young daughter with the help of some really nice people, we saw that in many mangas like Usagi drop (before in went to hell), My girl, etc.. but while all of them focus on the struggles and joys of daily life we find that this particular manga appeals to both your kororo and stomach, I've actually found myself googling many of the recipes that they introduce in this manga which is a pretty nice treat if you're a food lover (who isn't?).

Now enough about the food, the main characters are the father-daughter combo from heaven, Tsumugi is like the cutest most angelic child I've even seen and her father Inazuka is so amazing and hard working to the point it makes you feel like giving him a hug sometimes, there is also Iida Kotori who's a student of Inudzuka sensei and his cooking teacher of sorts and Yagi who's Inudzuka's friend and my personal favourite side characters. Many characters are introduced during the series and every one of them is as lovable as the next one.

The art is also amazing!! the way the artist draws the expressions and portrays the emotions of the characters could be considered the best part about this manga.. there was no way we would've enjoyed those special moments between Inudzuka and Tsumugi, and the faces they all make when eating, without this gorgeous art.

This is the kind of story you read when you need to take a break from all the cliche or gore and just want something heartwarming to enjoy while relaxing.

Ps. Don't read it around people or you'll end up looking like a dork from all the smiling and goofiness you'll emit. Plus don't read it in the middle of the night while hungry. You have been warned.