Reviews

Antique Bakery, Vol. 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga, Sachiko Sato, よしながふみ

trin's review

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3.0

I don't have much to say about this. It's manga, it's yaoi, it's quite cute... This one's about a trio of guys working in a pastry shop. Interestingly, the first few chapters have them all working there and then the later chapters are flashbacks to show how that came to happen. This is surprisingly effective, because you get to see, for example, that Tachibana was not always a pastry expert, as the reader initially takes for granted; he had to learn it, of course. I actually really want to get my hands on the next volume, which I didn't feel the need to with, say, [b:FAKE|33729|Faking It (Dempsey's, 2)|Jennifer Crusie|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NZWEPKT0L._SL75_.jpg|726930].

hobo_camp's review

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5.0

This book was absolutely charming. A sweet series you can really sink your teeth into.

louandlife's review

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4.0

I buddy read this book with Lois (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGfuoJx94GjJwy1CRpy5viA) and Rachel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChf3yjgh2T7ciWXRzcB8l4g). Lois picked the book we were going to read in June, and I ended up binge reading this manga. I really liked it. It feels really wholesome, and I loved looking at all of the cakes that the bakery makes, and how the bakery is the main part of the story. I also liked how the chapters focused on the different customers that come into the bakery and their story, as well as how the last few chapters focused on how the employees came to work in the bakery. I really enjoyed this manga and I would recommend it!

plaidpladd's review

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4.0

A manga mostly about cakes, but occasionally about childhood trauma. As you do

jay_mack9712's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A good start to the series! I am intrigued enough to keep reading and learning the stories of these characters! The beginning was a little confusing with the time jumps and trying to figure out who was who, but I'm looking forward to see what happens next! 

dawnoftheread's review

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4.0

Delightful.

missprint_'s review

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4.0

Kind of hysterical.

iffer's review

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3.0

This was a little disjointed, because the chapters were more like short stories, and it wasn't until the second to the last that it comes together and the beginnings of the Antique Bakery shop are revealed. It was a fun read, though, especially since I'm a sucker for food manga with lots of food descriptions. I also liked the fact that this wasn't super fan service-ey, even though it's shojo with a gay character.

mjandbooks's review

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4.0

Sometimes, you come across books or manga that don’t fit in any genre and are nothing like anything you’ve read before.
It was like the ingredients for the perfect manga were laid out there, made into the most beautiful cake and when you finally finished it, you realized that something was missing. The cake is still delicious, but it’s just missing that one spectacular finishing touch.
It was good, not going to lie, but it’s just a little unsatisfying. It left me wanting to know more and I hate that feeling.
Would still recommend it, though.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

beththebookdragon's review

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5.0

I just finished reading this series. It's a bit off the beaten track as far as shonen-ai manga is concerned: set in a pastry shop, and with mostly straight characters.

Tachibana, a young man from a wealthy family, starts a French-style bakery in a former antique shop. He hires one of the best pastry chefs in Japan--Ono, a former high-school classmate of his. They haven't seen each other since Ono confessed his love for Tachibana, who replied in, well in the extreme negative. Ono is in many ways stereotypically gay--clothing, mannerisms, etc., but has an engaging manner and is (in my opinion) seriously adorable.

But there's more reason to read the story. These two mismatched (and somewhat troubled--what's a good manga without angst and secrets in one's past) personalities are joined by a young former boxer, Kanda, and various minor characters. There's much humor in classic bantering manga style, and some serious descriptions of delicious pastries.

Flashbacks in time are often head-spinning, but overall this is an enjoyable story with charming, expressive art, amusing and endearing characters, humorous plot elements nicely mixed with more serious ones, and enough shonen ai/yaoi elements to amuse fans of that subgenre without overpowering the story.