Mixed Vegetables 7
Posted: March 8, 2010 Filed under: Mixed Vegetables 4 Comments »Ayumi Komura – Viz – 2010 – 9 volumes
For the first time, I found myself genuinely drawn into the story in this series. Hana and Hayato are separated and go on separate “training missions.” Hana’s family takes a vacation to France, and since Hana doesn’t want to go, they take Hayato instead. Since that leaves Hayato’s room empty, Hana opts to stay with Hayato’s family and learn a lot about making sushi.
Hana is still the focus of the story, and I’m a little sad to see that Hayato still has not moved any closer to becoming a pastry chef. With hints dropped in this volume, it’s possible he just won’t, which would be sad considering he seems to genuinely want to. Hana has some special skills that are revealed in this volume. Not necessarily concerning sushi, just cooking in general. Even Hayato’s father acknowledges her skill, and she moves up in the world and her training intensifies.
The parts with Hana’s training were the most interesting, especially considering how weird and awkward the France parts with Hayato are. The pastry apprentice from Hana’s family’s shop is also on the trip, and he makes everything extra hard. Things are more or less straightened out by the end of the volume, and Hana’s father makes a surprise request on the last page, but given how much time is spent dwelling on a particular photo and various relationships, I doubt that’ll go anywhere.
I found this volume to be far more interesting, but I still don’t think Mixed Vegetables is anything more than average. There’s still nothing to really hook or engage the reader, it’s just a smooth shoujo story. It’s fine as far as that goes, but there are better series out there.
This was a review copy provided by Viz.
[...] of Jihai (Manga Recon) Susan S. on vol. 1 of Kiichi and the Magic Books (Manga Jouhou) Connie on vol. 7 of Mixed Vegetables (Slightly Biased Manga) Brenda Gregson on vol. 1 of My Darling! Miss Bancho (Animanga Nation) Sean [...]
It’s good to hear that this volume was particularly interesting (I’ve heard its a pretty average series). I’m still tempted to get it since its a cooking/baking manga with romance and sushi thrown in.
True, the cooking and baking elements are very interesting. I don’t know anything about sushi, so reading about all the fish and the way Hanayu prepares everything is pretty fun, and I can never pass up a baking manga. I think it would be better if there was a whole lot more of the cooking parts, but then it might turn into something very different.
It is a little bland, but if you have a weakness for cooking manga, it’s probably worth picking up.
Does anyone know where to read vol. 7 online?