Kabocha to Mayonnaise

A simple story told with subtlety. Every panel is an image unto itself, every detail holds meaning. Nananan is a meticulous artist, a perfectionist who deeply considers the placement of every line (read about her on wikipedia!). But her awareness of the power of narrative structure is also evident both in the framing of this story, and in the idle banter of the characters who are living it.

While the story is "about" Miho and Sei, and involves Miho's unburied feelings toward an ex named Hagio, what we really see are multiple iterations of a similar relationship, one where a man is able to live comfortably thanks to the tremendous, selfless sacrifices of the woman who loves him. We see Miho + Sei, Miho + Hagio, and we hear about Miho's past relationship with Hagio, as well as another of Hagio's past relationships (with, as it turns out, Rika, who is , crucially, a good friend of Miho's throughout the story and supportive of her from beginning to end).

Working through the apparently minor differences in these relationships is what proves to be important in helping Miho figure out what she needs to be happy. The characters allude to this narrative technique while pointing out how we tend to oversimplify things in our own lives when they are talking about blood types (in Japan, it is thought that your blood type says something about your personality, sort of like astrology. I think many anime fans are aware of this but if this is your first exposure to this notion, now you know). Miho says to Rika something along the lines of "there are 4 blood types but billions of people in the world, are there really only 4 kinds of people?"

It's when it hits her that Rika was Hagio's recent ex girlfriend that she is able to see the big differences between Hagio and Sei. She can't believe that Hagio could take advantage of such a kind person, finally recognizing the abusive pattern in his behavior because she is able to feel toward Rika the compassion she could not feel toward herself. While Sei lacks self awareness and lets Miho do too much for him, Miho actually admires Sei's idealism, which is why she is able to do so much for him in the first place. When Sei realizes how much Miho is willing to do for him, it fills him with pain and anger toward himself. It is between Miho and Sei that mutual love and admiration truly exist, whereas the relationships with Hagio are all predicated solely on desire and a toxic power dynamic.

Miho is confused and struggling, but she is a strong person and determined to figure things out. If you aren't put off by this type of story and are able to accept these characters despite their faults and despite their lack of concern with expectations to live up to a typical idea of success, there is a great deal to learn and enjoy from observing these characters. Perhaps we can offer them the compassion we cannot offer ourselves.

If you like disappointments and pieces of shits in your life, this is the manga for you and also this is very sad if you encourage people like the main male character Sei.

The dramatic synopsis made me really think I would enjoy this manga. So to that idiot who told me "if it has a good plot, then it's gonna be good, anime or manga without a great plot isn't worth the time." Lemme tell you that reading this shit was a waste of time like you literally have the typical weak and dumb female protagonist named Tsuchida who tries so hard to impress stupid men who she shouldn't give the time of the day to. Both men in her life don't respect her at all. Her precious ex Hagio is a womanizer and she literally knows "he has other women, is a womanizer, and not a nice person but I like the way he makes me feel. That emotionless look in his face scares me but shortly after lately he smiles, he's always smiling." This doesn't even make any sense whatsoever lol.

Her ex is cold hearted and her man that lives with her mooches off of her and he depends on her like a man child. He has no motivation at all, no plan B, doesn't help support her or offer to do shit for her but has the nerve to complain about Hingis as if he pays the bills. He's literally a loser and the type of guy a parent doesn't want their daughter to be put with at all, he's just extremely annoying and fucking pathetic. When they get back together, he goes back to ordering her around as if nothing happened. She always have to do things for the guy sooo... her broke ass ex couldn't pay for the hotel, so she..tight on money paid to buy him beer and that hotel just to fuck him, cheat on her loser current bf until the same loser breaks up with him because he "wants her to have a happier life and a man who'll treat her right."

When she breaks up...ofc the dumb broad goes back to her womanizer ex who finally says "I only liked you when you had a boyfriend, maybe we should split up." Now her friend warned her so many times but being the pathetic shell of a woman she is, out of money, she made sacrifices for men...finally invites her last bf that just left Sei to "come back home so she can cook him something good," in what's looks like they're going back to the same routine of him be a controlling loser and failed musician. Saying things like "how long do I have to wait to eat" I'm sorry but maybe your punk ass should idk help out, get a stable job, learn how to cook instead of being a whiny adult child and crying all the time, you're a grown man. She's just stupid honestly lol.

This manga is a 3 out of 10. It didn't do much wrong and it barely demonstrated it's value.

The aspect I find most disappointing is the lack of reasoning behind Miho's emotions. The inner monologue she has only proposes doubt by questioning her intentions and the author purposely avoids providing any specific reasoning behind her actions. There were some panels demonstrating Sei's messiness and lack of motivation to 'live' and how that bothers Miho. Along with the fact he is relying on her heavily regarding finances. Effective to an extent to demonstrate the motivation for her actions, rather than an explanation for her emotions.

Additionally, the inclusion of Miho's ex fails to provide any meaningful context as to why she might prefer him to Sei. A passing comment was made in a conversation that she is only with him because of how she used to feel with him. This could indicate, simply, that Miho's ex is a fancy and Sei is truly a romance. But it is disappointing how unconfident I am making that statement. However, examples like these are too subtle to make each chapter valuable and like I said before, only in the last chapter; the very last pages, does technique like this effectively pay off.

"When Sei smiles, I smile".

So in the final pages, it is slightly satisfying. She found what matters and who matters. That's all. She had to do what she had to do throughout the manga so if you are still willing to invest 20-30 minutes into her journey then do it.

To sum it up, the manga has little value until the very last pages with few exceptions in between. The conclusion is fulfilling to the extent that it does a barely acceptable job of applying resolution to an established relationship despite the lack of reasoning we are almost never exposed to which is the deciding factor in my rating of a 3 out of 10.

This will be quick and direct

Story 7/10: A slice-of-life story doesn't need to be deep or complex, because, in the end, nobody's life is complex, quoting Yamazaki from Welcome to the NHK! "A drama has a progressive thought, an emotional climax and a resolution, but our lives aren't like that. All we get day after day, are a bunch of vague anxieties that are never really resolved" .

This is what Pumpkin & Mayonnaise is, a simple and realist despiction of a relationship: the drama isn't chessy, the pacing is slow and mundane, the lives of the characters don't feel like something out of reality, Pumpkin & Mayonnaise is realist, in the end the manga shows what it promises us: the everyday life of Sei, an idealistic songwriter, and Miho, the young woman who struggles to support the both of them.

Art 7/10: Clean, minimalistic, relatable, elegant, unlike "Blue", by the same author the art actually can tell the story. Is not realist, nor "moe", the character desings are quite generical, but we all are generic characters.
The backgrounds are there, showing us the enviroment they are not detailed nor realist, so you may not notice them, which, in my opinion gives a feel of desolation.

Character 9/10: Yeah, the most important part of a slice-of-life story are the characters, how can you tell a story about someone's life if they don't feel real?

Kiriko Nananan knows this, so she makes her characters relatable, they make mistakes, they feel annoyed over little things, they acknowledge their mistakes, she gives them small details about their personalities that makes the experience even more real.

This is a josei, the onee-chan of shoujo, this needs to be mature, so, the main character Miho, like any other heroine feels confused and makes stupid decisions, but it doesn't feel like the cliched annoying shoujo girl, you can actually simpathize with her.

Enjoyment ? That's up to you.

Overall 8/10: With a bittersweet ending, and a small but memorable run, Pumpkin & Mayonnaise is way better than most of the popular romance stuff out there

This manga is about the everyday life. I like this "normal" feeling. A couple is living together, having their normal life. The protagonist Tsuchida is an insecure girl, who's always thinking about life. She loves Sei of Hagio? The manga is all about where to find happyness and love. I like the end of it, even if it's a little sad.

The art is very lovely, clean and elegant, so I gave it an outstanding. :)