Himitsu no Recipe

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I'm a big fan of Morinaga Milk, but I think she kind of phoned it in with this series.

The art remains easy on the eyes, but the character design here felt kind of derivative from Girl Friends. Not terribly surprising (I think she may have been working on the end of that one at the same time as the start of this one) but Secret Recipe suffers from the comparison, if only because Girl Friends is so good.

In terms of characterization, again, Secret Recipe doesn't hold up as well. One heroine is just a little too un-self-aware, and the other just a little too brazen/idiotic, ... to the point where I didn't find them relatable or interesting. The development of their relationship seemed rushed and kind of arbitrary--which is maybe an unfair criticism for a two-volume series, but Ohimesama no Himitsu is a one-shot and did a better job of showing both sides come to care for the other. And yes, I know "but we're both girls!" is a trope in the genre, but the internalized homophobia felt a little too strong here (without being honestly explored as such). And the relationship--which (no spoilers, it's on the first page) is immediately very physical--seemed honestly quite a bit exploitative, to the point that I was actually uncomfortable.

That said, I'll happily read anything she writes, she's just done better elsewhere and I'd recommend newcomers to her work start with Girl Friends or Secret of the Princess. If you've already read her more famous titles and are looking for more, by all means check this out.