The Carnivore and the Vegetarian, Akeno Kitahata's one-shot, is part of the extensive catalog of Boy's Love editions. Second figurehead of Yaoi in France after Taifu, they offer us with this title a story full of sensitivity, which nevertheless flirts with some prohibitions and questions them with accuracy.
The story
Yamato Yamamoto, a university student, strives to live by ignoring the eyes of others. A handsome boy, born to a Japanese mother and a Scottish father, he hides behind large glasses his pessimism and sickly shyness. Only his roommate, Jōji, seems to find favor with his eyes. Jōji, meanwhile, struggles daily to take care of Yamato. Nevertheless, his devotion hides much more virulent desires…
The wolf who had views of the lamb
The carnivore and the vegetarian are anchored from its title in the Japanese male imagination. Indeed, in the archipelago, a virile and rather enterprising man will be nicknamed "carnivore" (nikushoku), while a rather "passive" man will be a "herbivore" (sôshoku, here translated as vegetarian). Akeno Kitahata then plays with these concepts by having Jôji and Yamato take on these roles respectively. Thus, Jôji is crossed by intense feelings and dreams only of "devouring" his docile roommate… While Yamato seems rather to suffer the attraction he provokes in others, to the point of grimacing himself to try in vain to break his image. From the front cover, otherwise sublime and flashy, we feel a great tension between the two protagonists. The mangaka brilliantly uses the games of glances and body postures to give her characters a wide range of emotions. Some boxes, without words, thus become rather powerful in what they suggest. However, as the pages go by, the roles tend to be reversed. Indeed, behind a passive and calm attitude, Yamato appears as the one who leads the dance. Jôji, by the love he has for him and which is refused, chains himself to him and becomes dependent on him. The situation then changes completely, especially when their relationship reveals its true nature!
The tale of the two brothers
With The Carnivore and the Vegetarian, Akeno Kitahata comes to question head-on the notion of family that she confronts with the reality of feelings. Because if Jōji and Yamato are so close, it's because they were raised together! Thus, the two boys met when Yamato had just lost his father, and Jōji his mother. Their parents then became couples, making them step-brothers. However, the story goes much further than the disturbing and almost incestuous eroticism found in some works promoting the style "we are not of the same blood so it's acceptable". Indeed, the character of Jôji has long wondered about the link he has with Yamato. Did he ever consider himself his big brother or did he always have an attraction to him? Moreover, Yamato also questions and seeks to get rid of the straitjacket in which this long relationship has locked him. The character of Manaka, Jôji's friend, brings a third perspective capable of glimpsing the reality of the bond between the two young men. The student also represents the social pressure exerted on boys regarding their romantic and emotional "performances". Thus, the coveted person becomes a "prey" that must be hunted and "devoured" whatever he says. This gives rise to intense and very funny verbal jousts between Manaka and Jôji, with the competition to conquer Yamato's heart in the background. The latter nevertheless seems to have great difficulty in supporting this pressure and the objectification of which he can be the target, reduced to being only an object of covetousness. Akeno Kitahatata's soft and clear features highlight the characters and their emotions. The carnivore and the vegetarian is a real pleasure to read that also allows us to question the nature of the links that unite us to others. The reality of feelings clashes with the social representations that Jôji and Yamato will fight with the help of their relatives! In conclusion, Akeno Kitahata gives us with The Carnivore and the Vegetarian a touching story, navigating with ease between tenderness, humor and harsh reality. His beautiful graphic style highlights his characters and makes them very endearing. A sweet and sweet snack whose only hint of bitterness is its brevity! Other works by Akeno Kitahata include Ultimate Weapon Honey (Boy's Love IDP).
