MISC. MANGA, *Basil And Oregano

Melissa Capriglione created the webcomic Falconhyrste, but her latest credit is Basil And Oregano, a family-friendly LGBT manga-styled graphic novel set in a fantasy world. This is essentially Harry Potter mashed up with a cooking show. There is no overarching dark magic villain to vanquish, but more of a look into the characters and their relationships.

Porta Bella Magiculinary Academy is a boarding school for talented up and coming cooks where the students use magic. Basil Eyres is a new student who is teamed up with Arabella Oregano, part of an illustrious family of sorcerer cooks. The two are bonded to their new animal familiar, a lovable dog they name Tomato, but they also start having feelings for each other. This gets complicated when Basil learns that Arabella doesn't have any magic talent at all, but it comes solely from an enchanted spoon her mother had. Basil's place in the academy gets endangered too when her scholarship won't kick in if she's not in the top of her class, thus providing trust issues between the two friends, along with a bully discovering Arabella's secret. During their final test, Arabella manages to charm a rampaging dragon, thus earning her in the class with a new scholarship program being set up to accommodate everyone's finances. The story concludes with the two friends solidifying their romantic relationship looking forward to their future together.

Basil And Oregano is a charming yuri fairy tale that doesn't need to push the concept of social acceptance down the reader's throat in order to get the message. The single-volume trade paperback confines the story into a slice of life genre that just happens to be set in a fantasy world. It is a little more light-hearted than you would expect from a plot involving teenagers discovering their magic potential, even if it is simply for culinary arts. This young adult novel makes for a decent read and reminiscent to otaku of past shoujo-ai manga.