Feb 4, 2008
Taking a lone lunch is not a quiet and boring thing. As Goro does, we talk to ourselves and pay attention to the other customers. Especially when we drop by an unfamiliar cheap restaurant, we a bit worries about if there are any kinds of "customs" that we should obey. We are half nervous and half curious about what they gonna serve us. This manga makes me realize that "eating out" is full of fun.
While reading this manga, I find myself nodding to each line of Goro's monologue. He says "When I eat,
...
I wanna be free from any concern and, so to say, be sanctuaried." He cares about the act of eating, not the quality of the food. Even side dishes bought from a convenience store satisfies him as long as he is "at liberty".
Other "gourmet" manga, such as "Oishinbo", gives you tens of trivia in one episode. Kodoku no Gurume doesn't have such valuable infomation, but Goro's monologue stating his impression on what he is eating tells you something different: you can find excitements and surprises from a simple dish. A boiled spinach reminds him his childhood, taste of a sauce makes him wonder what a "boyish" taste is, and he regrets his pork-redundant order.
Being alone shapens Goro's mind and he notices something attractive, which usually escapes our attention: artifical taste of a juice, changes of scenery on a downtown street, a gigantic petrochemical complex, fresh air of a rooftop amusment center of a mall etc... I can share his feeling through his frank monologue and it leaves me some kind of confort.
Kodoku no Gurume is surely a masterpiece. Its uniqueness as a food-related manga, Goro's attractive character, Taniguchi's detailed and warm art, everything has contributed to the readers' appreciation of the enjoyment of "eating".
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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