Review By Sunaina Luthra
‘Butter’ a rich creamy ingredient, continues to tantalize our taste buds. Any dish can become a comforting indulgence when smothered with butter, turning an ordinary dish to a delightful treat.
Fear not, dear readers!!!
This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive analysis of indispensable butter but rather an exploration of its thematic significance in Asako Yuzuki’s ‘Butter’. For this I invite all our women readers to pause and imagine: you have a perfect table set with simplest of meals perhaps a warm slice of bread. It’s nourishing yet something feels incomplete. Now, let your imagination wander as you picture a golden pat of butter melting into that bread, transforming each bite into a moment of pure comfort. Isn’t a woman’s attention and focus like butter, adding comfort and richness to the lives of her loved ones just as butter enhances the flavor? When was the last time you allowed your presence to be the balm that soothes and enriches the lives of others?
Manako Kaji wrestles with these ideas.
Who is this woman whose opinion stems from ‘Butter’s’ simple and modest exterior serving as a metaphor for the crime she has committed?
Why is Tokyo abuzz with her tale?
Kaji, a renowned gourmet chef, is the center of this chilling tale that has become a cause celebre. Facing trial for the murders of three wealthy businessmen she meets on dating websites, Kaji’s story unfolds like a sinister recipe. At first, the deaths seemed like unrelated suicides—one from an overdose, another drowned in a bathtub, and the third gruesomely crushed under a train. But a single, damning detail unraveled this tapestry of coincidences: they may have been poisoned by Kaji! Manako is there during each of the final moments. As the public and media spiral into frenzy; Kaji remains an enigma, rejecting every interview request. That is, until a tenacious journalist, Rika Machida, pens a letter that cuts through the silence—not demanding answers, but requesting the recipe for Kaji’s famous beef stew, a dish that even Kaji can’t resist.
What follows is a psychological and culinary dance between Rika Machida and Manako Kaji. The conversations between them spark hope in Rika that she might coax a confession from Manako. Instead, through Manako’s fascination with butter and food, Rika is drawn into an exploration of Manako’s philosophy on societal expectations for Japanese women including the roles they are expected to fulfill—nurturing, caring, and maintaining hospitality—as well as the pressure to remain slim. Enchanted by Manako’s perspective Rika’s judgment about the case becomes clouded.
Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a murder mystery where the titular ingredient also serves as a lens to explore relationship dynamics, Japanese societal attitudes towards women, and perceptions of female body positivity.
Takeaway
A savory read….