HONEY AND CLOVER NEWS

More Dubbed Honey and Clover on iTunes

Honey and Clover Season 1, Vol. 2 hit iTunes today with 12 new dubbed episodes. Shinobu has disappeared to America, leaving both Yuta and Hagumi with very mixed feelings. But talk about mixed up! If Takumi's feelings are so tied up with Rika, why is he tied up in knots over his coworker Nomiya's romantic pursuit of Ayumi? Plus, senior projects are getting everyone down, but none more than Yuta, who in a sudden burst of reckless abandon takes off on his bicycle on an epic journey of self-discovery…Ah, the enthusiasm of youth!

Honey and Clover and Nana Wallpaper!

Head over to the Extras sections of the Honey and Clover and Nana websites for cool new wallpaper. Two flavors for each series. Download them all.

What Are You Eating?!
There’s this character quirk that I’ve noticed in manga. I don’t know if it’s prevalent enough to call a stereotype, since my sample size is all of two series, but its appearance across genres in Honey and Clover and Bleach makes it worth noticing.
 
I call this character quirk “women who cook weird food.” These women are not always bad cooks, although apparently Honey and Clover's Ayumi (Ayu) is that as well, but they can cook freaky bizarre dishes with skill. Ayu and Hagumi (Hagu) have their Mintkin and Apple Curry, and Orihime from Bleach has whatever it is that makes people think there’s something wrong with her taste buds. Orihime has got one recipe with leeks, butter, bananas and red bean jam, but we never get to see the end result. I'm guessing it's a casserole.
 
This phenomenon is to be distinguished from the whole “women who can’t cook” thing, which does make some sense. Woman are supposed to be able to cook, and when a character can’t, it’s either shorthand for how unladylike she is (Akane from Ranma 1/2) or how odd it is that a pretty woman can’t cook (Usagi from Sailor Moon).
 
But the weird food thing is stumping me. Is it just supposed to highlight the character’s underlying weirdness? Is it the equivalent of dressing characters in “alternative” outfits like arm socks and Doc Martens with a prom dress? See, she wears glitter tights and eats jellybean sandwiches! How delightfully odd!
 
Is this a Japanese take on the Manic Pixie Dream Girl movie character archetype (Think Kirsten Dunst in Elizabethtown or Zooey Deschanel in anything)? And how did it come to be? Because when I think back to my days in a sort-of art school setting, it was the dudes who did weird things with food.
 
Examples from my dining-hall memories:
 
  • Sour cream instead of yogurt with the fruity granola breakfast thing
  • Wasabi on toast instead of jam
  • Tater tots with grape jelly (This was a dare, but he kept eating it until it was all gone!)
  • Pizza Salad Sandwich! Two slices of pizza, ranch dressing, and various stuff off the salad bar (Full disclosure: this is actually really good.)
  • Orange juice and Coke. Even worse, pink grapefruit juice and Coke
  • Bacon and chocolate pudding (I think you can buy this at stores now.)
  • Corn (from the salad bar) and vanilla frozen yogurt
 
After jogging my memory, I now remember that I used to eat chili two times a day for three months. (Chili was the first sign of winter at University of California Santa Cruz.) But, I’m no closer to discovering the truth of the weird food trait. I think this calls for rewatching the Honey and Clover anime. As “research.”
 
— Pancha Diaz, editor, Bleach, Honey and Clover
Honey and Clover DVD Box Set, Vol. 2 Available December 15

Have you finished watching the first DVD box set of Honey and Clover episodes, complete with extras and super cute artwork? Don't worry. We've got more for you. Get DVD Box Set, Vol. 2, available on December 15, with episodes 13 to 24, a special bonus episode, and rare footage of a tea party held at a Tokyo screening. Plus, check out the cutting-room floor bonus: TV personality KABA.chan tries voice acting!

Holiday Manga Sale

The VIZ Media Store is having a special holiday sale on manga -- buy three volumes of any VIZ Media manga under $9.99 and get a fourth for free! Head over to the store and check out what we have!

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