Content Warnings: Bullying, Sexual Content
Synopsis
Akito is a high school influencer who loves the attention he gets for posting dance videos on social media. Maki is the class delinquent—he “yankee” of the title, which comes from the Japanese term referring to a particular brand of bad boy often associated with motorcycle gangs. But the rough-looking Maki has a secret; he loves baking.
One day, Akito stumbles on Maki’s social media account where he anonymously posts photos of his sweet concoctions. After confronting Maki about his secret hobby, Akito makes him agree (begrudgingly) to a partnership. Maki will cook delicious concoctions for Akito to film, edit, and post to ForTube—and try for himself, of course! But soon, Akito finds himself wanting to taste more than just Maki’s desserts…
Baked Goods and Boys’ Love
This premise could all be in Akito’s favor if he was out to claim their shared online success all for himself. But his motivations are pure. He recognizes Maki’s talent and desires to share it with others to earn Maki some (albeit anonymous) broader recognition. Also, Maki is clearly interested in sharing his creations online prior to this agreement since he has his own anonymous Toytter account. What he lacks in ability or drive to garner traction, Akito can make up for in spades.
Yankee & Carameliser is almost entirely light-hearted fluff of two unlikely friends having feelings for one another. While neither have fully realized their feelings for men before the story starts, there is one additional element of tension in the narrative. Maki hides a soft, feminine side and interest in traditionally “feminine” things such as baking behind a rough exterior because of past trauma stemming from classmates and his family. Over the years, it has been repeatedly hammered into him that it isn’t right for him, as a boy, to like the things he does. Therefore, he has purposefully kept other people at arm’s length.
Sweet, Yet Not So Satisfying
Akito slowly cracks Maki’s shell after the two of them strike up their unique partnership. But Maki never really delves into his past with Akito. Their bonding is solely over baking and ForTube/Toytter; the most we see them do outside of that is interact at school and go to a café together for ideas on how to plate up sweets in an appealing way. Because of this, Maki’s tragic backstory is only told through snippets of his memories, despite the narrative largely unfolding from Akito’s point of view.
As for Akito, I must admit, I did not really enjoy him as a protagonist. While he is the ultimate outgoing, puppy dog-like character, I felt all of his initial interactions with Maki to be obnoxious and pushy rather than cute. The reader isn’t given any insight into his character or backstory aside from the fact that he likes social media and is popular with everyone in their class. When contrasted with Maki, who has a fully fleshed out backstory and fun dichotomy between his external presentation and internal interests, Akito comes across as very one-note.
Perhaps this was a choice by the author to keep things focused within a single volume narrative. If that were the case, I would have rather read a story from Maki’s perspective, who is much more interesting. I also felt that Akito and Maki’s romance didn’t grow in an organic way. They go from relative strangers who happen to be in the same class to falling in love by the end of the volume. There was no sense that Akito had any previous interest in Maki before discovering his talent for baking, and their mutual feelings manifest halfway through the story.
Yankee & Carameliser is like boxed chocolate cake mix. It’s solid comfort food—a sweet treat for when you want something cute and wholesome. But it likely won’t stand the test of time as one of the greats, even within the relative niche that is food/baking BL. While the content creation aspect is fun, and puts a new spin on the genre for 2025, the manga didn’t have the strong characters or chemistry I’d expect from a great romance.
Yankee & Carameliser is available from Bookshop, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
If you liked Yankee & Carameliser, you may also like…
- Our Dining Table
- Antique Bakery
- Old-Fashioned Cupcake
Credits
Story and Art: Chiuko Umeshibu
Translator: Emma Schumacker
Letterer: Oliva Osanz
Editors: Jacquelyn Li, Danielle Niederkorn
Design: Madelaine Norman
Published in English by Yen Press
Thank you to Yen Press for providing a readers’ copy. Receiving this reader’s copy did not affect the reviewer’s opinions.
Article edited by: Adam Wescott
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