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the_sunken_library's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully drawn but a bit odd. Still, I'm curious enough to follow the story into the next book.
mehsi's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the sweets, learning more about sweets, loved the mystery at points, the art was pretty.
I didn't like the mystery/why the murder happened, that it probably will take ages before we find out why Tsubaki pointed out our MCs mom as murderer, the MC isn't the smartest cookie, Tsubaki is a dick, how is our MC afraid of the colour red and yet live a pretty normal life.. I mean given the panic attack she gets when she sees the colour I would expect her to react way more often as red is a colour that is all over, also yeah sure marry him *rolls eyes*, and there were other things that just didn't work for me.
I didn't like the mystery/why the murder happened, that it probably will take ages before we find out why Tsubaki pointed out our MCs mom as murderer, the MC isn't the smartest cookie, Tsubaki is a dick, how is our MC afraid of the colour red and yet live a pretty normal life.. I mean given the panic attack she gets when she sees the colour I would expect her to react way more often as red is a colour that is all over, also yeah sure marry him *rolls eyes*, and there were other things that just didn't work for me.
sjones08's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rereader33's review against another edition
2.0
I hate to say it, but this was pretty disappointing.
Despite the negative reviews I read, I was hoping maybe I would still enjoy this. Everyone's different, right? Well, unfortunately I have to agree with those negative reviews.
I don't know if this was just me, but it felt like there was so little build up for the dramatic murder scene. It's like, "yay, everyone's baking sweets and it's so happy!" and "aww, isn't it nice that Nao's mom wants to encourage her to travel and spread her wings?" and then BAM! Murder! Accusations! DARKNESSSSSSSSS! And I was just like, "uhhh, whaaaat?"
The story felt unfocused and all over the place. First, we're seeing her serve sweets, then she's fired, then she's entering a contest, then she's getting marred, I think? Wait, I think the marriage proposal came first, then the contest? I don't fucking know, everything happened so fast and despite the *dramatic flair* present in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING REVEAL, I couldn't keep up with what was going on.
On a separate but more important note (at least to me), what is up with the artwork? I know I haven't read a Natsumi Ando manga in awhile, but she's the creator of Kitchen Princess, which was gorgeous! And Arisa was beautiful, too! This just feels moody, brooding, and lifeless, which I guess was the point but even scenes that are supposed to be elegant and pretty (like serving the sweets) doesn't have the same beauty as her previous titles. Is this just me, though? Anyone else who's read her titles, let me know what you think.
That being said, I do think this series has some potential. The murder plotline and the marriage for revenge aspects are still intriguing, they were just bogged down by everything going on and the story wasn't focused. Ando tried to set up too much in one volume and it came back to bite her, but I think this series does have potential. Am I going to continue with it? Maybe, but it's not a priority. I'd say give this is chance if you're interested since it does have a lot going for it, but I prefer Ando's earlier titles.
Despite the negative reviews I read, I was hoping maybe I would still enjoy this. Everyone's different, right? Well, unfortunately I have to agree with those negative reviews.
I don't know if this was just me, but it felt like there was so little build up for the dramatic murder scene. It's like, "yay, everyone's baking sweets and it's so happy!" and "aww, isn't it nice that Nao's mom wants to encourage her to travel and spread her wings?" and then BAM! Murder! Accusations! DARKNESSSSSSSSS! And I was just like, "uhhh, whaaaat?"
The story felt unfocused and all over the place. First, we're seeing her serve sweets, then she's fired, then she's entering a contest, then she's getting marred, I think? Wait, I think the marriage proposal came first, then the contest? I don't fucking know, everything happened so fast and despite the *dramatic flair* present in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING REVEAL, I couldn't keep up with what was going on.
On a separate but more important note (at least to me), what is up with the artwork? I know I haven't read a Natsumi Ando manga in awhile, but she's the creator of Kitchen Princess, which was gorgeous! And Arisa was beautiful, too! This just feels moody, brooding, and lifeless, which I guess was the point but even scenes that are supposed to be elegant and pretty (like serving the sweets) doesn't have the same beauty as her previous titles. Is this just me, though? Anyone else who's read her titles, let me know what you think.
That being said, I do think this series has some potential. The murder plotline and the marriage for revenge aspects are still intriguing, they were just bogged down by everything going on and the story wasn't focused. Ando tried to set up too much in one volume and it came back to bite her, but I think this series does have potential. Am I going to continue with it? Maybe, but it's not a priority. I'd say give this is chance if you're interested since it does have a lot going for it, but I prefer Ando's earlier titles.
aileen_710's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
withywoods's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Is this great, plot-wise? Well, it could be interesting, at the very least! But the hokey, trope-ridden and problematic "romance" between the leads will likely overshadow all else. Which is a shame, because I love wagashi and tea culture – this is also where the art shines best, when the wagashi and the natural world they take inspiration from are the focus.
But the tale kicks off in springtime and I'm reading this in April, so I'm in the right mood to keep reading more for now...
But the tale kicks off in springtime and I'm reading this in April, so I'm in the right mood to keep reading more for now...
transformerjazz90's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aarahi's review against another edition
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.25