BUTTER (新潮文庫)

BUTTER" (written by Asako Yuzuki, Shinchosha, 2020) is a suspense inspired by the serial murder case committed by defendant Kanae Kishima. The model woman, Manako Kajii, is arrested on suspicion of serial murder after bilking middle-aged men out of their money, but the work focuses less on the case itself and more on the emotional changes in Rika, a weekly magazine reporter who meets with her. As Rika actually cooks and reports on the food she was assigned as a condition for the interview, she begins to rethink her own life and values, which had previously been based on low-calorie diet to keep her in shape. The mysterious relationship that began in this way escalates, and Rika begins to think that perhaps Kajii is the one who is right, and her relationships with the people around her change as well. This unique suspense depicts the pressure of "womanhood" that women are forced to carry along with rich descriptions of food, and it is no wonder that it became a global hit. I think it would be even more popular if it were dramatized on Netflix.