The Open Book

So this was my first manga, and probably a pretty good pick for easing in to the genre. It depicts the day to day life of a 40 something gay couple in Japan, centering the narrative around the food Shiro prepares each night for boyfriend Kenji. The art is relatively simple and aesthetically pleasing and the food sounds amazing, with instructions that are detailed, yet simple enough to make me consider actually attempting some of them. The domesticity of the series is comfortable and easy to slip into. The characters themselves are a bit more problematic. Shiro, as he stands so far, is not particularly easy to like. He's kind of a jerk, actually. He's cheap, a bit of a narcissist and not the most openly emotionally available guy, even with his boyfriend. And Kenji, while sweet, is also not without his faults. He has a tendency towards jealousy that could definitely become grating. As the story goes on, though, we begin to see where some of the emotional baggage Shiro is carrying comes from, and I have pretty high hopes that the next issue will delve a little deeper into those and flesh the characters out a bit more fully. The main issue I have is in the fat shaming that pops up here and there throughout the story. I don't know if this is a cultural attitude but it was really unsettling to read. There is also a fair amount of homophobia that Shiro and Kenji deal with on a fairly daily basis, but none of it is internalized and it's great to read a story about two middle aged men who both know who they are and are happy with it. I'm definitely going to read the next volume, and hopefully we'll get more character building and a deeper look into their relationship. 3 stars for me, on this one.