Sweetness and Lightning

Sweetness and Lightning

Cover of the first manga volume
甘々と稲妻
(Amaama to Inazuma)
Genre Slice of life
Manga
Written by Gido Amagakure
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Good! Afternoon
Original run March 2013 – present
Volumes 7
Anime television series
Directed by Tarou Iwasaki
Produced by
  • Koji Nozaki
  • Tsuneyasu Suzuki
  • Kōji Hirokawa
  • Motohiro Oda
  • Toshihiro Suzuki
  • Hiroshi Akio
  • Kozo Ohara
  • Yoshihiko Yamazaki
  • Kozo Misawa
Written by Mitsutaka Hirota
Music by Nobuko Toda
Studio TMS Entertainment
Network Tokyo MX, ytv, BS11
English network
Original run July 4, 2016 – September 19, 2016
Episodes 12[lower-alpha 1]

Sweetness and Lightning (甘々と稲妻 Amaama to Inazuma) is an ongoing Japanese slice of life seinen manga series written and illustrated by Gido Amagakure. The series began serialization in Kodansha's Good! Afternoon manga magazine from March 2013 and has been compiled into seven volumes so far.[3] An anime television series adaptation by TMS Entertainment aired in Japan between July and September 2016.[4][5]

Plot

Kōhei Inuzuka is a teacher who has been raising his daughter, Tsumugi, by himself following the death of his wife. Having mostly bought ready-made meals for his daughter since, Kōhei's encounter with one of his students, Kotori Iida, leads him to take up cooking in order to provide proper meals for Tsumugi.

Characters

Kōhei Inuzuka (犬塚 公平 Inuzuka Kōhei)
Voiced by: Yūichi Nakamura[5]
He is the single father of Tsumugi whose wife died due to an unknown illness half a year before the start of the story. Kind-hearted, hard-working and optimistic, Kohei strives to provide the best possible life for his daughter. He teaches mathematics at Kotori's high school and is her class's assistant homeroom adviser. Initially depicted as having a plain-looking and unassuming appearance, Kohei is also quite thin because he was never an avid eater even when his wife was still alive. Upon witnessing his daughter's enthusiasm towards eating home cooked meals, he began meeting up with Kotori for him to learn the basics of cooking; the three of them often hang out at Megumi's (the name of Kotori's mother's restaurant) in order to prepare and eat meals together. Though relatively inexperienced in regards to cooking, Kohei is a willing learner, has steady hands (he is skilful enough with a sewing machine to make a birthday dress for Tsumugi) and is very keen in following instructions, albeit being flustered whenever something is not in the recipe. As the series progresses, he not only gains considerable culinary skills but he also deepens his bond with Tsumugi as well as with their relatives and friends.
Tsumugi Inuzuka (犬塚 つむぎ Inuzuka Tsumugi)
Voiced by: Rina Endō[5]
Kohei's adorable daughter who attends kindergarten. Though energetic, she is well behaved and loves her father dearly. She always thinks of him and begins to truly enjoy eating when her father and Kotori start making meals together. She has large fluffy hair and is a fan of magical girls. She likes meat, particularly hamburger steak, and doesn't like bell peppers.
Kotori Iida (飯田 小鳥 Iida Kotori)
Voiced by: Saori Hayami[5]
Somewhat a loner of a high school girl, who usually doesn't mind being with herself as long as there is good food on hand, Kotori is ecstatic whenever she is in the midst of eating food that pleases her taste buds. As an only child of divorced parents, she and her mother Megumi has gotten very close to each other. But when Megumi has to accept work as a TV celebrity chef, Kotori is often left alone at home. Despite being a restaurant owner's daughter, Kotori's learning capacity for cooking is greatly impeded by her terrible fear of knives (the trauma of cutting herself badly as a child still persists). A chance encounter with Kohei (who at that time wasn't aware that she's actually one of his students) and Tsumugi led to the three of them meeting up regularly at her mother's restaurant for the purpose of preparing home cooked meals that they happily partake in afterwards. She enjoys sharing ideas as well as cooking with Kohei and gets along really well with Tsumugi who she treats like a younger sibling. As observed by her best friend Shinobu, Kotori appears to be at her happiest whenever she's cooking food and eating with the Inuzukas.
Shinobu Kojika (小鹿 しのぶ Kojika Shinobu)
Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu[6]
Shinobu is Kotori's friend from another class, whose family runs a vegetable shop where Megumi often buys vegetables from.
Yūsuke Yagi (八木 祐介 Yagi Yūsuke)
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki[6]
Kōhei's friend since high school and childhood friend of Tae. He works at a restaurant.
Megumi Iida (飯田 恵 Iida Megumi)
Voiced by: Satomi Arai[7]
Kotori's mother who is a celebrity chef. As a result, she is often absent from her restaurant, but usually leaves Kotori recipes to follow when cooking with Kōhei.
Tae Inuzuka (犬塚 多江 Inuzuka Tae)
Voiced by: Ai Kayano[7]
Kōhei's wife and Tsumugi's mother, who died six months prior to the story.
Yuuka (ゆうか)
Voiced by: Shinmugi Koga[7]
Tsumugi's classmate in kindergarten.
Hana (ハナ)
Voiced by: Saaya Andou[7]
Tsumugi's classmate in kindergarten.
Mikio (ミキオ)
Voiced by: Shouki Tsuru[7]
Tsumugi's classmate in kindergarten.

Media

Manga

Anime

A television anime adaptation was announced for July 2016 in the good! Afternoon magazine's April 2016 issue.[4] The series is produced by TMS Entertainment, directed by Tarou Iwasaki and written by Mitsutaka Hirota, featuring character designs by Hiroki Harada and music by Nobuko Toda. The 12-episode series aired in Japan between July 4, 2016 and September 19, 2016 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll.[5][15] The opening theme is "Harebare Fanfare" (晴レ晴レファンファーレ Bright Fanfare) by Mimi Meme Mimi, while the ending theme is "Maybe" by Brian the Sun.

Episode list

No. Title[lower-alpha 2] Original air date[16]
1 "Uniforms and Pot Rice"
"Seifuku to Donabe-gohan" (制服とどなべごはん) 		July 4, 2016
Kōhei Inuzuka is an assistant teacher who has been raising his daughter, Tsumugi, by himself following the death of his wife, Tae, six months ago, often feeding her pre-made bento lunches. They meet Kōhei's student Kotori, who invites them to her family's restaurant. That night, Kōhei sees Tsumugi craving a proper meal like her mother used to make, and rushes her to the restaurant. Despite it being closed, Kotori asks them to stay and makes them pot rice. Kōhei promises to cook Tsumugi proper meals from now on. Kotori catches him off-guard when she asks him to cook and have dinner with her. 
2 "Pork Soup and Restaurant Lights"
"Tonjiru to Mise Akari" (豚汁とみせあかり) 		July 11, 2016
Still on the fence over Kotori's proposal, Kōhei arranges to meet with Kotori's mother, Megumi, to discuss first. Megumi ends up too busy to meet but Kotori convinces Kōhei and Tsumugi to stay for dinner and help her cook pork soup. After enjoying the experience, Kōhei decides to take up Kotori's offer to cook dinner together. 
3 "Tsumugi and the Long-Awaited Hamburg Steak"
"Tsumugi to Omatase no Hanbāgu" (つむぎとおまたせのハンバーグ) 		July 18, 2016
Tsumugi gets into a fight with her kindergarten classmate, Mikio. The experience leaves her upset so Kōhei and Kotori decide to make Hamburg steak to cheer her up. Kotori encourages Kōhei to properly listen to Tsumugi's side of the story. Kōhei assures her he knows she is a good girl, and after she cheers up, she helps them finish making the steaks before letting out the feelings she'd been holding back. 
4 "Hated Vegetables and Bits in Gratin"
"Kirai na Yasai to Korokoro Guratan" (きらいな野菜とコロコログラタン) 		July 25, 2016
Kōhei receives a lot of vegetables from his coworker and Tsumugi's grandmother but struggles to get Tsumugi to eat the dishes he makes with them. Wanting to help her overcome her pickiness, Kotori decides to make a gratin with chopped vegetables inside the bechamel sauce. With some creative involvement, the group makes a dish that Tsumugi can enjoy. 
5 "A Day Off and Special Doughnuts"
"Oyasumi no Hi no Tokubetsu Dōnattsu" (お休みの日のとくべつドーナッツ) 		August 1, 2016
Kotori meets Kōhei's friend from high school, Yūsuke Yagi, who occasionally looks after Tsumugi. Hearing that Tsumugi seems to hold herself back from eating doughnuts, Kotori decides doughnuts will be their next cooking venture. While waiting for the dough to rise, Kōhei and Tsumugi spend time together and Kotori bonds with Kōhei. The first batch ends up failing due to the oil being too hot, but they manage to get things right with the second batch and produce delicious doughnuts. 
6 "A Gyoza Party with Friends"
"Otomodachi to Gyōza Pātī" (おともだちとギョーザパーティー) 		August 8, 2016
Kotori's friend Shinobu offers to help with their cooking. The group decides to make gyoza; having received an invitation for the party from Tsumugi, Yagi shows up, proving to be more than capable in the kitchen. Shinobu worries that she's interfering with Kotori's special time with Kōhei and Tsumugi, but Kotori assures her that she is more than welcome. 
7 "Gohei Mochi and a Grand Adventure"
"Gohei Mochi to Daibōken" (五平餅とだいぼうけん) 		August 15, 2016
When Kōhei comes down with a fever, Tsumugi leaves the house on her own and goes on an adventure, facing all sorts of imaginary perils as she makes her way to Kotori's restaurant. Although Tsumugi manages to avoid crying the entire time, she goes into a tantrum when Kōhei scolds her for leaving the house without telling anyone. After the two calm and apologize to each other, Kotori, having inadvertently burnt some rice, uses what's left to make gohei mochi. 
8 "Squid and Taro Stew That's Still Yummy Tomorrow"
"Ashita mo Oishii Ika to Satoimo no Nimono" (明日もおいしいイカと里芋の煮物) 		August 22, 2016
Kōhei hears about the other parents making new bags for their children and offers to make Tsumugi a new one but she declines, wanting to keep the bag her mother made for her. Still, Kōhei wants to do something for Tsumugi so he asks her what meals her mother used to make that she'd like to eat again. Tsumugi asks for a squid stew, so Kōhei and Kotori cook it together. Kōhei later sews a cute patch to cover the stain on Tsumugi's bag, and Tsumugi says it is something her parents made together. 
9 "Our Family's At-Home Curry"
"Uchi no Ouchi Karē" (うちのおうちカレー) 		August 29, 2016
After dropping Tsumugi off at a kindergarten sleepover, Kōhei recalls the at-home curry his family used to make. Coming across his wife Tae's old recipe book, Kōhei chooses her dry curry recipe as the next dish they make with Kotori. While enjoying the curry they cooked, Kōhei and Tsumugi are both reminded of their memories with Tae. 
10 "Summer Vacation, Kitty, and Aji"
"Natsuyasumi to Neko to Aji" (夏休みとねことアジ) 		September 5, 2016
Kōhei and Tsumugi go to the beach, but return due to the weather being too hot. They bring some aji fish to Kotori's restaurant, where Shinobu suggests that Kōhei learn how to fillet them. Kotori decides to make namerō and sangayaki, so they can have the fish raw while also having something cooked for Tsmugi. Tsumugi ends up trying the raw fish and enjoying it. Yagi joins everyone for dinner, and surprises them when he admits he can make sweets. Tsumugi expresses delight over her interesting day. 
11 "A Play and Sweet Potato Crêpes"
"Oyūgi Kai to Satsumaimo Kurēpu" (おゆうぎ会とさつまいもクレープ) 		September 12, 2016
When Kōhei's class ends up competing with another class doing a crêpe stand at the upcoming cultural festival, the students turn to Kotori for menu ideas. Meanwhile, Tsumugi becomes downhearted when her classmate Hana calls her weird for wanting to play a mascot character in a class play. As everyone gets together to make sweet potato crêpes, Tsumugi feels comfort in the knowledge that Kōhei is always thinking about her. After the crêpes are completed, Kōhei decides to make Tsumugi a costume for her play, encouraging her to help Hana understand her more. As Tsumugi manages to befriend Hana and perform with her in the play, Kotori's sweet potato crêpes turn out to be a huge hit at the festival. 
12 "Okonomiyaki Filled With Affection"
"Aijō Tappuri Okonomiyaki" (あいじょーたっぷりお好み焼き) 		September 19, 2016
On the anniversary of Tae's death, Kōhei and Tsumugi try eating at an okonomiyaki restaurant, but Tsumugi gets upset when she doesn't get to do the mixing herself. As everyone gets together to make okonomiyaki that Tsumugi can mix, Kotori feels downhearted that her mother couldn't join them again. Tsumugi gets upset again after Yagi scolds her, though Kōhei lets her know that even he doesn't like scolding either and gets her to apologise. As the first piece of okonomiyaki is completed, Megumi finally shows up and formally introduces herself to everyone, joining everyone for dinner. 

Reception

Volume 2 reached the 18th place on the weekly Oricon manga chart and, as of March 16, 2014, has sold 60,643 copies;[17] volume 3 reached the 19th place and, as of September 14, 2014, has sold 81,319 copies;[18] and volume 4 reached the 20th place and, as of March 9, 2015, has sold 108,994 copies.[19]

It was number 8 on the 2014 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Top 20 Manga for Male Readers survey[20] and number 24 on the 15th Book of the Year list by Da Vinci magazine.[21]

Notes

  1. ↑ The anime will be released across 6 home video release volumes containing 2 episodes each, totalling 12 episodes.[2]
  2. ↑ All English episode titles are taken from Crunchyroll.

References

  1. ↑ "Aniplus HD to Simulcast Sweetness and Lightning Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  2. ↑ "東映ビデオ：「甘々と稲妻」特集" (in Japanese). Toei Video. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma vo". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Sweetness and Lightning Manga Gets TV Anime in July". Anime News Network. February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yūichi Nakamura, Rina Endo, Saori Hayami Star in Sweetness and Lightning TV Anime". Anime News Network. March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Haruka Tomatsu, Tomokazu Seki Join Sweetness and Lightning Anime Cast". Anime News Network. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Chapman, Paul (June 24, 2016). "Satomi Arai, Ai Kayano, and Others Join Cast of "Sweetness and Lightning"". Crunchyroll. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.1". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.2". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.3". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.4". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.5". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.6". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Amaama to Inazuma jp Vol.7". manga-news.com (in French). Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Crunchyroll to Stream 91 Days, Taboo Tattoo, Orange, Mob Psycho 100, Sweetness & Lightning, Alderamin on the Sky". Anime News Network. June 21, 2016.
  16. ↑ "甘々と稲妻の放送情報 - アニメ - TOKYO MX" (in Japanese). Tokyo MX. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, March 10-16". Anime News Network. March 20, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, September 8-14". Anime News Network. September 17, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, March 9-15". Anime News Network. March 11, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Top Manga Ranked by Kono Manga ga Sugoi 2014 Voters". Anime News Network. December 9, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Attack on Titan Tops Da Vinci Magazine's Ranking for 2nd Year". Anime News Network. December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
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