Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 7

ミックスベジタブル [Mixed Vegetables] #7

by Ayumi Komura

Leaving her internship at Sushi Hyuga to go on her family's annual trip to France is the last thing Hanayu wants to do. On the other hand, a pastry-research trip in Europe is Hayato's idea of a dream come true--can the two aspiring chefs ever catch a break? Plus, Hayato has become suspicious of patisserie assistant Maezawa, who has expressed interest in Hanayu. As it turns out, both Hanayu and Hayato may have their wires crossed about what Maezawa is really after!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Shojo, Graphic Novels, Culinary, Young Adult, Humor

185 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2007

About the author

Pen Name: 小村あゆみ
Real Name: 小村鲇海
Zodiac: Capricorn
Blood Type: AB

Her works are primarily serialized in Margaret magazine, with series published in collected volumes by Shueisha under their Margaret Comics imprint. She intends to contribute to a charity book, along with other authors primarily published in Margaret, to raise funds for the 2011 Japanese earthquake.
Her favorite number is 22, and her hobbies include watching baseball. Obsessed with green tea.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking love this thing! It's a quick and easy read that's fun and delightful to read. Love it!

[kuristina- tabreez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really do love this series. And Hayato's sweet tooth really reminds me of my boyfriend and that makes me smile even more than this manga already does on its own.
In menu 44, I really thought Hanayu was gonna make fish cake French style too, given that she’s been to France multiple times in the past and grew up as a patisserie-chef-to-be. And especially so when she thought chef must be tired of sushi. So then the solution is give him something he’d like but rarely can have, right? Whether it’s amazing or not so much, it’s something new. And a combination of her new and old skills. Ah, but… that goes against her sushi chef training. Hmm.
So it really defeats the purpose unless the sole purpose is to make him happy. And well… the mangaka managed to do that, and made it work, but with a different dish than fish cakes.
I guess this story is somewhat predictable but still manages to do the predictable things in a different way than you’d think. I really like it.
I also like how Hayato mentions that special tamagoyaki from all the way back at the start of the series. Good to know we remember the important things.
But... There is one twist I can't see a clear avenue for. Hayato is being given the chance of a lifetime, but must move to France for it. Hanayu was given her chance and took it, wouldn't Hayato do the same? This series is a romance, but it's more so about the dreams and aspirations of these two. In a shoujo, you know the main character(s) will find love. But in this manga, you know the main characters will bring their dreams to fruition, but will it be at the cost of their budding romance?
I'd like to imagine that there is a way for this to work. Perhaps Hayato will train in France but take over the shop in Japan, with Kan Ashitaba staying in France to open a second patisserie shop. I'd like to see everyone happy, but is that possible? Surely... It must be... This is a shoujo... It has to end satisfyingly happy, doesn't it?

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem I have with this series is how NO ONE COMMUNICATES WELL. So much would be avoided if the characters just said how they felt. Sure, I understand that it’s good to help push the plot along, but it’s extremely annoying. Also, it may be used for comic relief, but it’s done so often that it really takes me out of the story. I didn’t mind the book but I didn’t care much for the France storyline nor how everyone hid their intentions until the last page.

[Shayna Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good volume, there are big events developing to allow the characters to consider their relationships with one another. I always forget how overly dramatic shoujo manga can be (which is why I don't usually read them), but I appreciated the maturity of the situation and how it allowed for character growth.

[Yee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is getting boring and duller than the previous volume. The mangaka seems out of ideas and doesn't know how to end the story. I'm glad this is second last volume.

Mixed Vegetables Vol. 7 by Ayumi Komura.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Kurtis Burkhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this cooking/restaurant manga. I really love cooking manga, this was a cute story 🥘🍧❤️❤️

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it! Maezawa IS a drama starter! LOL but I low key like him after this volume.
The next volume is the last! How will they wrap up this quirky little series??!

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good volume.

[Theresa ♫ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright, here is my relationship with Mixed Vegetables.


One summer (well, I don't remember if it was summer...), long, long ago (approximately/at least a year ago) I saw Mixed Vegetables, Vol 2.

I read it.
I returned it to the library.
And I forgot my opinions of the book AND what the book was about.


One day, not-so-long, long ago (last Monday), I saw Volumes 7 and 8 on the bookshelves of the library.
I distinctly remembered that I had read Mixed Vegetables before. So I checked these books out.

So. Basically, the only volumes I've read of Mixed Vegetables are Volumes 2 and 7. (I'll explain what happened to Vol. 8 later in this reviewy review.)


I know, I know. I'm WEIRD. Reading Vol. 7 without reading Vol. 3, 4, 5, and 6?! Heck, I didn't even read Vol. 1. I just started with number 2.

There wasn't very many characters in the book, so I was able to figure out what was going on without even needing to read the other volumes. I just needed to read the Story-So-Far summary on the first page and I got the gist of what was going on.

So there's a girl who loves making sushi but is trapped as a baker. There's a girl who loves baking but is trapped making sushi.

That's not that bad of a story, actually. It sounds pretty interesting.


But this volume? I don't know about all the other volumes but this volume was......BORING.
I kind of speeded though a little bit. I guarantee that it's probably because I didn't read the story from the beginning.
I just started with Vol. 7. THAT IS WHAT I GET. Shame on me! I mean, everyone should start a series off with Vol. 1!

I don't know. I guess it's a romance story, but I saw no romance. Well, maybe a little bit of it. But not a whole lot. If I didn't know better from the prediction of the story plot (a guy and a girl who wish for what the other has--they're obviously going to fall in love, aren't they?) or from the Story-So-Far summary, I probably wouldn't even be close to guessing that those two liked each other.

So no. The romance isn't strong (in this volume).

As for whatever else happened in this book, I wasn't interested enough. Or...I read too fast to understand what was going on.



All in all, this volume wasn't exactly exciting for me. It's PROOOOBABLY because I didn't start all the way at the beginning, but I've started a series from the middle before and I've been interested in series that way.

Plus, they didn't have Vol. 1 of Mixed Vegetables at the library.


This was a review to tell you guys my thought on this volume, NOT THE WHOLE ENTIRE SERIES (hence the fact that I didn't READ the whole series).
So it might not be accurate. (*sigh) Sorry guys.


As for Vol. 8, the 7th volume sorta sucked all the enthusiasm for whatever happened next out of me, so I returned it to the library unopened.



...T_T

[Starbubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel that the whole notion of moving to France was just as random as going there. Well, more so. I get that a chef needs to have food sojourns to keep themselves current and explore new tastes. But I do not understand the motivation of moving there. Why not send the grandma cookies sometimes? What connection does she have with this family that she's not even related to that they would move everything to have her experience the cakes all the time?

I'm just at a loss about the entire notion. Sure, I get living there for training, even an extended stay to fully absorb it all. But to move there and never return? I'm dumbfounded at the notion. What about actual family, friends, and fans in Japan, or does that not count?

I think I have ranted about this long enough. I believe my point was made.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoops, mine is the only non-five-star review on here so far! Well, it's because I found this volume a little confusing at times, and Hana and Hayato were in different places so much of the time, things just felt a little too...disconnected. I don't know. I feel like it's started losing me a little. Hopefully things will tie back together in the last volume.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The penultimate volume of Mixed Vegetables splits its time between the sushi shop in Japan and Maezawa's grandmother's house in France. Hanayu continues to develop her sushi skills in Japan while Hayato learns more about Hanayu's family in France. I wonder how the series will wrap in the last volume..

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have given it one more star if not for the multiple references to the main female characters breast size(apparently considered too small, though anime and manga tend to think breasts smaller than ones head are "too small") by several other characters(mostly male), really excessive and irritating.

[DJL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luckily, I was right about the "nuisance" from the last volume, and it turned out not to be an issue. I'm still enjoying this series, and while it's sad to see the ending volume, I think it's a great slice-of-life/cooking shoujo manga.

[Signe]

once again, this has nothing to do with me being bored in geometry and all the people around me bringing manga to school...

[Fyre.Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another volume which I love from this series!

[Melainebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hayato découvre la France ; Hana poursuit son apprentissagde maître sushi. Ca se complique !

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

well a trip to France can sound kind of dandy, but it has it's unexpected surprises as well.

[Katie (Katie's Corner Blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

see full review @ Katie's Corner

[Aisha Maghfira]

Good good. Love this book.