Compared to last volume’s rather intimate cover, Beauty and the Feast volume 6 features a more relaxed, solo image of Shuko. While it opens with a sexy splash page of Shuko, as the cover suggests, the shipteasing is toned down quite a bit.
But not eliminated, as a locked-out Yamato ends up staying over at Shuko’s place!
For those of you worried, nothing happens. Sure, Yamato can’t resist staying up a bit late to see Shuko come out of the bath and has a hard time getting to sleep, but he does doze off without doing anything perverted. In fact, it’s Shuko who pulls her futon closer to Yamato, as we see she’s reminded a bit of her (still face unseen) husband. Still a respectable distance between them, but for those hoping for the two leads getting together, this may be a sign Shuko is or will see Yamato as a man and not just the kid next door.
However, that’s about it for signs of romance between the two of them. The two continue with their evening meals, with Shuko still brainstorming how to feed Yamato’s endless stomach and deal with the ingredients she obtains. Like a shipment of somen noodles, as Shuko has so-man-y. (Get it?) Yamato is also reminded of how important these dinners are for his soul.
But the author mixes it up a bit in volume 6. Readers learn more about why Rui is so fixated on Shuhei, and two other members of the Yamato family swing by Shuko’s place. One is Sakura, and the other is the siblings’ mother, Kyoka. The two women meet for the first time, and while the two are very different, Kyoka is very grateful to Shuko. The meeting itself is more about a difference in their lifestyles (Kyoka’s wealth versus Shuko’s frugality, Kyoka’s busy career versus Shuko’s casual home living). However, she does share a bit about her son, including how he ended up renting the apartment next door. Combined with some fun two-page stories featuring unusual or rarely seen pairings (like Yamato and Yuri), this volume adds a bit of world-building and character-building without distracting from the heart of the story.
Plus, Satomi U throws in some great comedic images, like anthropomorphic light and dark meat chicken duking it out with each other and Rui’s anger that her childhood friend romance story is falling behind Ritsuko’s.
Volume 6 ends up being one of the most consistent volumes of Beauty and the Feast. However, I’m not sure any of these chapters will be ones that will come to mind as the series’ best. But to find those, you’re going to have to jump around between books. This one is solid from start to finish, and that will make me want to reread it in the future.