Itadakimasu Review

It’s hard to find a good josei manga series. This is largely to due to the fact that there are so many out there that it’s hard to find something worth reading, so I scoured the internet for something that would hold my attention. To my surprise I came across this little series by Yukari Yoshihara. There’s no official English release to my knowledge, I found a fan translation by Condensation who does a great job at noting cultural and language references. It spans 20 chapters across 4 volumes, delving into the details of an unlikely romance of an older women with a younger man. Keep on reading for my review.

Synopsis

The story follows the romantic romp between Naeko and Ouji, two unlikely lovers who become betrothed due to dire circumstances. Naeko is older than Ouji who is still in high school, but that doesn’t stop her from desiring him as he is mature enough to handle an older woman. Naeko is recovering from a failed marriage, and becomes engaged to Ouji in order to save her from losing her job as a marriage counselor. The manga follows their relationship as it evolves over time, as well as witnessing them deal different comedic situations. This manga is a romantic comedy that appeals to the josei perspective by having an older (presumably early to mid 20’s) woman who is trying to find a lifelong partner.

The Story

I will admit that at first I was hesitant to be drawn in by Itadakimasu’s story as it felt too unnatural and offbeat for me. The circumstances appeared too far-fetched and I had trouble getting immersed into the romantic drama. Over time however, the series won me over; its quirks and originality kept me interested to see what scenario the characters would be thrown into next. I’m giving the story a 7.0 out of 10. It was a fun-loving story that kept me curious, something that is rarely achieved for a romantic-comedy manga. I feel like it successively swayed my aversion to older-woman romances, and made me reconsider the taboo in a new light.

The Characters

There aren’t a whole lot of characters in this series, Naeko and Ouji steal the show as they are always in the spotlight. There are small parts like Naeko’s ex-husband, her co-workers and Ouji’s classmates but they are all generally negligible. Despite the lack of variety Naeko and Ouji have fully fleshed out personalities that are entertaining as well as relatable. Naeko is a hard-working young women who is probably a bit too perverted for her own good, and Ouji is a mature young man who takes responsibility for his actions and has some opposing tendencies to Naeko. The pair is interesting, and their interaction is an enjoyable centerpiece to the series. The characters deserve a 7.5 out of 10. Their unique personalities make them entertaining, as well as making them more relatable. Their characteristics make this love story more dynamic, and it’s refreshing to see the outside-the-box thinking that went into their creation.

The Presentation

Lastly, the presentation is always an important aspect to any manga. Thankfully Yoshihara didn’t skimp on effort in this department as Itadakimasu looks great. All the art is top-notch and every panel is lively and interesting to look at. The character designs are also very nice, save for the fact that some minor characters had similar designs making them hard to distinguish between. The art style isn’t terribly unique, but Yoshihara did a good job of incorporating entertaining chibi characters for comedic effect, and her style has great comedic impact overall. Really the art speaks for itself if you look through the scans I chose to present on this page. The presentation gets a 9.0 out of 10. It was pleasant and stimulating, making for an enjoyable read for the eyes as well as the mind.

Final Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by Itadakimasu, as it engaged me more than I expected, and wrapped up nicely in a small 4 volume package. It challenged my perceptions on A-typical relationships and showed me how many relationship taboos should be thrown away because you can’t help loving someone, no matter what the age, race, sex etc. It wasn’t a mind-blowing story mind you, it didn’t offer huge story arcs or anything grandiose, but it was an enjoyable read with my morning coffee. The overall score for Itadakimasu is 7.8 out of 10. If you’re looking for a light fun read then check it out!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you found this review helpful!