A review by sucreslibrary
Manly Appetites: Minegishi Loves Otsu, Vol. 1 by Mito
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So I waffled on my review here. Taking this manga at face value, as a light-hearted, funny BL involving a mixed-weight not-quite-couple, it would be five stars. It has some great, extremely saccharine admissions of feelings and takes the romance as seriously as any other light-hearted BL would. There's no questions if the skinny character loves the fat character, except from the fat character's own insecurities.
That's where we come into the four star rating. Otsu, the fat character, has a lot of internalized fatphobia. I don't think this is a bad thing, and is realistic, especially for Japan. We see how he's treated poorly for his weight, and how he developed the feelings about his body he has. This isn't some magical world where everyone is okay with Otsu being fat; he has coworkers that comment on it or give him looks. Otsu calling himself names or thinking poorly of himself is usually combatted by Minegishi stating he likes how Otsu looks, or by others saying that Otsu is missing the point of Minegishi's intentions.
Minegishi says he like to watch Otsu eat because he wants him to experience pleasurable things. It's a time when the normally grumpy Otsu actually enjoys himself, and Minegishi likes seeing that.
But it does skate the line of fetishization and feederism, so I can understand any other fat people turned off by the concept. It can't just be about wanting to see Otsu be happy, as Minegishi nearly passes out any time he hears Otsu wants to diet or lose weight. While I'm anti-diet myself, it comes down to the fact that this is a red flag for a lot of fat people in relationships with feeders. There's an element of control and domination with feeders, where they will lose interest in a relationship if their fat partner loses weight.
Minegishi reacting the way he does is why I knocked off a star. While meant as comedy, It just cuts too close to the lived reality of a lot of bad and abusive relationships fat people are in because we feel we don't deserve better.
I think if there was more manga with fat characters, this wouldn't have to be so closely scrutinized to decide if it's fatphobic, fat positive or fetishizing fat people. But as it is, I want any fat person reading this manga to go in prepared so they don't end up triggered by the content, and I want skinny people to be able to understand why some fat people won't enjoy this manga.
I think it's a step in the right direction, but I do wish we could have a romance manga with a fat character that didn't revolve around food, or eating, or weight at all. Maybe someday.
That's where we come into the four star rating. Otsu, the fat character, has a lot of internalized fatphobia. I don't think this is a bad thing, and is realistic, especially for Japan. We see how he's treated poorly for his weight, and how he developed the feelings about his body he has. This isn't some magical world where everyone is okay with Otsu being fat; he has coworkers that comment on it or give him looks. Otsu calling himself names or thinking poorly of himself is usually combatted by Minegishi stating he likes how Otsu looks, or by others saying that Otsu is missing the point of Minegishi's intentions.
Minegishi says he like to watch Otsu eat because he wants him to experience pleasurable things. It's a time when the normally grumpy Otsu actually enjoys himself, and Minegishi likes seeing that.
But it does skate the line of fetishization and feederism, so I can understand any other fat people turned off by the concept. It can't just be about wanting to see Otsu be happy, as Minegishi nearly passes out any time he hears Otsu wants to diet or lose weight. While I'm anti-diet myself, it comes down to the fact that this is a red flag for a lot of fat people in relationships with feeders. There's an element of control and domination with feeders, where they will lose interest in a relationship if their fat partner loses weight.
Minegishi reacting the way he does is why I knocked off a star. While meant as comedy, It just cuts too close to the lived reality of a lot of bad and abusive relationships fat people are in because we feel we don't deserve better.
I think if there was more manga with fat characters, this wouldn't have to be so closely scrutinized to decide if it's fatphobic, fat positive or fetishizing fat people. But as it is, I want any fat person reading this manga to go in prepared so they don't end up triggered by the content, and I want skinny people to be able to understand why some fat people won't enjoy this manga.
I think it's a step in the right direction, but I do wish we could have a romance manga with a fat character that didn't revolve around food, or eating, or weight at all. Maybe someday.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia