An Indulgent Love Story: “Bittersweet Bliss With A Chocolatier” (Happy Valentine’s Day!)

Read on Renta!:
Bittersweet Bliss With A Chocolatier
by Yan

Japanese title:
ビターポルノショコラティエ
Bitter Porno Chocolatier

Links:
Yan’s Twitter (author)
Melty Bullet’s Twitter (publishing line)

Valentine’s Day is upon us again 💗 and whether that means you’ll be cozying up with a loved one, showing some extra appreciation to your friends, or just chilling by yourself and eagerly awaiting the 15th for all the delicious discounts on Valentine’s chocolate and candies, we hope you have a great one!

And, while we believe there’s never a bad time to enjoy a good BL, when I stumbled upon — and quickly fell in love with — this one in particular, and learned that it was set to drop on Renta! right around Valentine’s Day, I knew this was the universe telling me to jot my thoughts down while reading so I could share them here on the BLog as my Valentine’s Day “gift” to you all.

As the intriguing title suggests, this book has a lot to offer, even aside from the delectable combo of a handsome top in his 40s and a feisty 20-something-year-old bottom with a naughty body; there’s a healthy serving of comedy to brighten your mood, but also plenty of drama to balance out the sweetness.

Get ready for some food porn (in the form of lovingly crafted fancy chocolates), some manga porn (in the form of an astoundingly buff middle-aged chef pounding a cute twunk’s ass), and a genuinely inspiring story about chasing your dreams.

Our story begins with our protagonist Kaito getting a part-time job at “Masayuki,” a gourmet chocolate shop, and clashing with its owner of the same name. Masayuki Hanazono is an established and world-renowned chocolatier, who’s a bit smug to say the least, but pours (no pun intended) his everything into his chocolate making. By comparison, Kaito’s a young man desperate to pay off his family’s debts and make a name for himself in the confectionery world — even if it means playing dirty. His boss at the rival chocolaterie he works at has put him up to the task of stealing Masayuki’s famed notebook — said to contain all the precious secrets behind his chocolates — by going undercover as an unassuming part-timer at his shop. Kaito’s dead set on his mission, and when Masayuki’s arrogance leads to him getting the wrong idea about why Kaito’s been staring at his ass all day (he keeps his notebook in his back pocket), Kaito uses this as an opportunity to seduce the master chocolatier and get closer to his goal. Cue the first sex scene, where Kaito discovers Masayuki knows how to handle a man in bed just as well as he handles his chocolate ingredients in the kitchen 🥴.

After a night of passion, despite his best efforts, Kaito has failed to snag the coveted notebook of secrets and realized Masayuki’s caught on to his game. He thinks the jig is up and his life is over, but then Masayuki shockingly declares he’ll be taking Kaito on as his own personal apprentice.

What does this apprenticeship entail, you ask? Well, mainly running errands, cleaning up Masayuki’s messes (literally — aside from being able to make some bomb ass chocolates, the guy’s a complete disaster), and doing some kinky blindfolded taste-tests, followed by getting freaky in the kitchen. Masayuki’s true intentions are a mystery, but he ultimately gives Kaito the opportunity to realize what he actually wants to do with his life, instead of just following orders. Witnessing Kaito’s transformation from his old boss’s lowly errand boy, to an aspiring artisan under the tutelage of Masayuki, to a legitimate chocolatier in his own right, it almost felt like reading a sports manga (in a good way!). There’s something so satisfying about seeing an earnest character hone their skills, and exciting about anticipating how all their hard work will pay off in the end.

The romance between Masayuki and Kaito is an important ingredient to this chocolate fest, too. I ended up loving both halves of this chocolate-crafting couple — the top who’s bursting with gap moe from his cool and capable public persona versus his himbo dorkiness in private, and the bottom who’s a bit of a dunce but determined and always willing to get back up when he falls. I also love their dynamic together. There’s their humorous back-and-forth banter (especially in bed), of course, but I also adore BL where the two inspire each other on both a personal and professional or artistic level — resulting in them both reaching greater heights than could ever have been possible otherwise. The sweetness of their love isn’t overwhelming, though. Their relationship’s uncertainty, stemming from their less-than-ideal meeting as well as their different places in their careers, is a source of some angst, and overall it feels like a very “adult” romance — where both parties try (almost too) hard to respect each other’s boundaries, and opt to show their love in indirect ways that are no less powerful than over-the-top declarations.

As for their physical chemistry? Also chef’s kiss. With the recent rise of Old Man Yaoi, I’m sure plenty of readers will be charmed by the handsome middle-aged Masayuki (as they should — he’s one fine specimen of a man, and a caring, if a tad sadistic, lover in bed), but I must admit it was Kaito that really caught my attention during the ero scenes. The way he can go from cocky and teasing to a blushing, blubbering mess, and right back to a bratty power bottom the moment he notices his top show a hint of vulnerability — all in a matter of panels —is PERFECTION. Love a man who can do both.

The icing on the cake (or, I suppose, the ganache on the bonbon in this case) for this story is just how vivid and detailed the world of the “Masayuki” chocolate shop is. You can tell Yan-sensei really did their homework, not just on male anatomy (💪), but also on the process of chocolate making — from cacao harvesting arrangements to flavor combinations and presentation choices — and the illustrations are truly mouthwatering (I can’t recommend reading this manga on an empty stomach 🤤).

Rich in artistic and emotional flavor, this delicious BL is best enjoyed with a nice square of your favorite gourmet chocolate. Or the whole bag. We’re not judging here 🍫.