Matcha Made in Heaven Vol. 1 Review

Matcha Made in Heaven is a josei slice of life romance manga series by Umebachi Yamanaka and published in English by Kodansha. A dramatic fake-marriage, found-family story for the ages, by the illustrator of the Ossan’s Love manga adaptation!

Chako Hananoki thought she’d found happiness in a handsome fiancé, but when she realized a marriage to him would mean a total erasure of herself, she broke it off and moved back into her childhood home in the country—only to find a strange man and young woman living there? She finds a way to coexist with them, but when her stalker fiancé follows her home, she declares to him (and accidentally to the whole village as well) that this new man in her life is her husband?!

Official Synopsis

Manga Details

• Genre: Slice-of-life | Josei | Romance
• Author: Umebachi Yamanaka
• Publisher: Kodansha (Digital Only)
• Price: $7.99
• Length: 7 volumes (ongoing)

Matcha Made in Heaven Volume 1 Manga Review

Part fake marriage rom-com, part wholesome found family drama. Matcha Made in Heaven takes the standard romance tropes and blends them into a keenly relatable story.

At 28 years old, Chako pretty much has her life set. She’s attractive, has her own place in the city, and a career that she loves as a fitness instructor. She even found time to bag a handsome fiancé. Of course she has to put up with men objectifying her on the daily. But trust, she is quick to put them in their place.

Chako is a surprisingly progressive heroine, who is through having men objectify and underestimate her abilities. Constantly having to grin in bare it through all the snide comments is exhausting. But, what makes it worse is that the perpetrators aren’t all strangers. Sometimes it’s your own family, friends, and even partners that are the biggest offenders.

Chako thinks marriage will ease her troubles. But during a meeting with her future in-laws she gets a sneak peek into what her own married life might look like. And it’s not a pretty picture! It’s then that she realizes that what she wants and what is expected of her aren’t in sync.

Not wanting to completely suppress her own desires for the sake of a man, Chako breaks off the engagement, but her crazy Ex is not one to take no for an answer. His possessiveness comes to a head when she wakes up to find him literally standing over her bed one night. After several useless restraining orders, Chako decides to leave her life in the city behind and return to her hometown. This whole situation is a very real fear for many. While the scenes are blessedly short, they are no less terrifying.

Umebachi Yamanaka brings the realities of being a modern woman to the forefront in a painfully candid way. Highlighting the fears, frustrations, and even very real dangers Chako deals with in her life. The everyday microaggressions and small sacrifices we make to just get by. Anyone who has had to deal with an entitled man will tell you they are far more terrifying than any imagined monsters.

For Chako returning home is an escape from a very real threat and it’s heartbreaking that she has to change her life because of someone else’s actions.

But, the relief of returning home is not what she expected. Time waits for no one and the home she left behind is almost unrecognizable. She learns that not only is her brother no longer running the family tea farm, but that in the time she has been away, he had been married, had a child, and been widowed. What’s more, her brother has decided to become a writer and has handed over the day to day operations of the farm to a complete stranger. The stranger in question is gruff man, named Isshin.

As expected Isshin and Chako’s personalities don’t jive and they find themselves butting heads quite a bit, but grudgingly decide to keep the peace for her niece, Futaba’s sake. But, her peace is short-lived, when her crazy stalker ex-fiancé tracks her down and demands she come back with him to the city. In a moment of panic, Chako announces to him (and the entire village) that she is married to Isshin…

While this would usually be the catalyst for a run of the mill rom-com, Chako and Isshin surprisingly don’t have all that much chemistry in the first volume. Chako’s efforts to prove her worth on the farm often fall flat and Isshin has a a way of speaking that makes him seem like a jerk.

I’d be lying if I said I was feeling the romance between them. However, there are a handful of nice genuine moments between them that do hint at the potential for romance later on down the line. I kind of like that the story isn’t overtly romantic. Since it will allow for a more natural progression to the relationship between the main leads. However, the first volume does introduce a potential romantic rival that I am not thrilled about. But, fingers crossed it’s not a huge plot point.

The first volume puts more of an emphasis on family and the comfort that comes from having a place to call home. Futaba is the heart of this story, bringing cute, feel-good vibes to every scene she appears in. Both Chako and Isshin are at their best when caring for Futaba, and I really loved the scenes when the three of them are together.

Of course, the punny title is not just for show, tea features heavily in this story. And as someone who loves tea, I loved the little insights into the work that goes into tea production. There are several scenes with either Isshin or Chako picking, rolling, or brewing tea—so make sure you have a cup on hand while reading this volume.

Matcha Made in Heaven is definitely a slow burn romance. Where other romance stories are quick to rush to the finish line. Matcha Made in Heaven is content to gradually build genuine relationships between its leads. It doesn’t shy away from the very real growth these characters will have to go through as the story progresses and I for one am curious to see where Chako and Isshin wind up in the end.

Where to Read Matcha Made in Heaven

---