Beauty and the Feast has always concentrated on Shuko and Yamato, but it’s not like the manga has neglected to include more characters. But while the leads are relatively quiet, easygoing people, their closest friends can be a bit much. Yuri has been described as an old man in a young woman’s body, and Rui’s attempts to get Yamato to fall in love with her have ventured toward the criminal.
But volume 7 has these two friends at their best while keeping the charm of Shuko and Yamato’s meals.
Yes, while Shuko and Yamato end up missing a couple of meals together due to Yamato’s schedule, these two still hang out together for most of the volume. Mostly around the dinner table, of course, but occasionally around town. Shuko ends up buying a yuzu tree that comes with an unexpected addition, and then when the two forget about the water being off for maintenance, they head to a public bath.
The latter instance seems like a prime excuse for some reader fanservice, but surprisingly, there is very little. The real fanservice is for romance lovers in the form of Yamato giving his neighbor a piggyback ride as the two reminisce about a picnic and discuss the future. Whether you ship them romantically or not, you root for them to stay connected for many years to come. As Shuko jokes about becoming Yamato’s dietitian for the low price of a million yen per meal, it’s a clear sign she’s moving toward a new stage of her life. The opening chapter shows her shaking off a bad day by making a meal for Yamato, but their current days together are destined to end, and Shuko is going to need another outlet for fulfilment.
Shuko has Yuri, of course, and she treaters her friend to a fabulous homemade meal to celebrate good news at Yuri’s job. Shuko later thanks Yuri for her help after her husband’s death, and Yuri also mentions she wishes she and Shuko could spend more time together. So even though Yuri can be a pain (as evidenced by the bonus chapter), the bond between them is strong.
The two also reminisce about their college days, and meanwhile, Yamato is living out his high school days, worrying about being a supportive teammate and being the object of Rui’s affections. It was a little disappointing to see him and his teammates doing little at the cultural fest, which is even more demotivating for Rui. That is, until her friend suggests aiming for winning the beauty pageant where the prize is dinner for two. The story keeps her zeal and misguided romantic ideals, but Rui is at her most endearing here. She has a long road ahead if she wants Yamato to reciprocate her feelings, but at least it feels like she’s heading toward the right road now instead of her sexy attacks.
Still, Shuko and Yamato continue to have their own discussions and adventures Rui isn’t privy to, even if drama over eggs and rice seem rather silly to most. That’s part of the fun of Beauty and the Feast, and volume 7 delivers the exaggerated humor and even more delights in a heartwarming package.