Sweetness and Lightning, Volume 1: 08/28/22

Sweetness and Lightning, Volume 1 by Gido Amagakure and Adam Lensenmayer (Translator) is the start of a twelve volume manga series. Kouhei Inuzuka is a widower and the father of a preschool aged daughter. A chance meeting at a sakura viewing festival of his student, Kotori Iida, begins a new chapter in his life — one where he learns to cook.

Kotori Iida's mother owns a restaurant and has recently become a famous television chef, leaving Kotori home by herself more often that she'd like. In one of those nights when the restaurant is closed, Kouhei and his daughter arrive hoping for something other than convenience store food.

That first meal together is just rice. Very nicely made rice, but still just rice. It's a humble start but enough to cement a friendship between teacher and student and student and child. It also helps to put father and daughter on a healthier path of recovery and grieving.

One set back to Kotori just cooking for her teacher and his daughter is her fear of knives. Now while that might seem like a convenient hurdle — something to be played for laughs — it also rings true.

Five stars

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