It’s the season of gifting here in Beauty and the Feast volume 9. First up, it’s Shuko’s birthday, then she receives a New Year’s gift from Yamato’s father, and then finally, it’s Christmas. But the Christmas festivities may be interrupted when Shuko realizes her present to Yamato could make her seem creepy.
It’s a little late for that, but no worries; Rui proves she has the monopoly here on being creepy.
While Rui is pretty much limited to a single chapter, I’m going to start with her. I’ve mentioned before how much more I’ve enjoyed Rui when she isn’t being a perverted stalker, and recent volumes have chilled that Yamato-obsessed side of her. Well, volume 9 brings it back in full force. Luckily Yamato escapes mostly unscathed, but at this point, he should probably ban himself from her house. Or at least call beforehand to ensure a chaperone for Rui is around.
But while Rui wants to strip Yamato, Shuko wants to make sure he’s bundled up. She makes him a scarf, but it’s only after she completes her project that she realizes her gift can be misconstrued. Not in a “he’ll think I love him” sort of way, but “other people will think I’m grooming him” sort of way. Not sure how you spend hours on knitting only to realize that fact after, but alas.
But yes, the shipteasing continues, with Shuko making connections/comparisons between her husband and Yamato and her wanting to take a picture with him. But this volume, unlike some of the previous, showcases how her mental health has been improving. It’s not like we have never seen Shuko open old boxes or visit her husband’s grave, but mentions of him and interactions with his spirit are becoming more commonplace. Perhaps the best evidence of this is her telling her husband she hadn’t had such a fun birthday (thanks to Yamato) since her husband was alive. I have to wonder why her parents and/or Yuri didn’t already make plans or even just swing by for a surprise visit. I know Shuko likes to cook, but you’d think someone would treat her to a meal instead of her cooking for herself.
Well, herself and Yamato of course, although he goes off to training camp for a few days. Shuko continues to impress with the variety — and amount — of dishes she makes, and even when a chapter focuses on something else besides food prep (like Shuko suddenly inspired to exercise), the author always returns the focus to their shared dinner table.
But between the birthday and Christmas episodes, I do wish we could have seen more characters get involved. As much as I enjoy the daily interactions between the widow and the aspiring baseball pro, the situations were forced here. Perhaps with a New Year’s chapter likely in volume 10 we’ll see a group meal then — and no Rui being a pervert, both of which affected my enjoyment of Beauty and the Feast this time around.
