Sweetness and Lightning Volume 07 Manga Review
Amaama to Inazuma Manga Volume 07

–> Buy Sweetness and Lightning Volume 07 from Amazon.com!

***SPOILERS***

Tsumugi goes to Yuuka’s home during Christmas season. She invites Yuuka to make a Christmas log cake with Kotori and Kouhei. Yuuka brings it to the class party and makes up with her mom. Prior to New Years, Tsumugi and Kouhei make some food with Kotori and her mom. Kouhei and Tsumugi fly to Kouhei’s former in-laws for the holiday. After they visit the shrine, Tsumugi looks at the family photo albums to see images of her mom.

Tsumugi becomes concerned if her mom is in heaven. Kouhei discusses things with Kotori, then has a long talk with Tsumugi. They go to Megumi’s to cook with Kotori, where Tsumugi confides with Kotori. School resumes so Tsumugi has to get used to not eating a bento, but rather eating the elementary school lunch. Later, Kouhei and Tsumugi make shumai with Kotori.

Christmas and New Years

Much of the story in Sweetness and Lightning Volume 07 centered around the Christmas and New Year holidays. It was fun to see Yuuka getting to make a Christmas log with everyone. I’ve never had a Christmas log, but they look tasty.

For the New Years story, I liked seeing Tsumugi spending time with her maternal grandparents. I also liked seeing how they treated Kouhei. It reminded me of how we treat my deceased sister’s husband. As far as we are concerned, he’s still part of the family.

That aside, I can understand how Tsumugi seeing old photos of her mom as a girl would lead her to question things. I’m not a fan of the resolution, but it is one. So I won’t bicker.

Cooking

The first food item recipe was for the Christmas log, which makes sense. The second food dish made was kuri kinton, which is candied chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Apparently, this is  New Years dish in Japan. Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) is up next. I’ve had this and when made correctly, it is good. However, of all the donburi dishes, I prefer katsudon or gyudon.

Up next are a couple of different kinds of shumai. I’ve had takenoko shumai once. The thing is, most American Japanese restaurants sell ebi (shrimp) shumai. Sweetness and Lightning Volume 07 does show how to make ebi and shiitake shumai, which is a variety I’ve not had.

Omake

The omake chapter for Sweetness and Lightning Volume 07 has everyone at the beach. While I’m aware of the nagashi soumen summer treat (where soumen noodles are sent down a bamboo shoot for folks to grab), I’ve never seen it done at a beach. Afterward, everyone goes to a festival, so we get to see all of the major characters wearing yukata.

In the second omake chapter shows Tsumugi visiting Suguru’s home to see his new baby sister. I got a chuckle out of Tsumugi questioning how babies are made.

The last, smaller omake chapter features Kotori’s dream where all the characters in this manga are gender swapped. I found that amusing as well.

Finally, there’s an afterward from Amagakure-sensei as well as translator notes.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

In the end, Sweetness and Lightning Volume 07 was another fun outing.