i really dont know how to explain *why* i enjoyed this book so much. all i know is that it made me cry and i had a good time and i didnt expect a book about food to do this to me.
i think this book hit so hard as i did relate to rika quite a bit - daddy issues & perpetual feelings of loneliness? yeahhhh we're twinning. i really enjoyed how she was written, and could put myself in her shoes constantly. she was incredibly likeable and probably contributed to >90% of my enjoyment of reading this. side characters such as reiko & shinoi were also well-written, as was the star of this book, kajii. 
i found kajii intriguing, as it was difficult to tell her underlying motives. just like rika, im sitting here contemplating the kajii beyond what she display(ed) to the public. truly fascinating character, and i especially liked her ending. and in general i loved this book's ending. felt like a nice full-circle.
speaking of, not only did i not expect to love a book about food, but i really loved how the book centers itself on relationships. relationships in terms of friends, family, and lovers, were superbly covered in this book. ngl i think the ending regarding rika's relationships is what made me cry. idk i didnt expect it and it hit me Hard.
what else did i like? i mean there really wasnt a plot if im honest. yeah sure we're following kajii & rika.... but there's no logical flow. there's no beginning, middle & end to this. it follows rika and honestly that was fascinating. seeing rika switch between admiring to fearing to resenting to loving kajii was great. honestly i think the no-plot only works because rika is written so well and is very relatable. without it, i think i would've dnf'd this a chapter in.
i really like how the book lowkey changes halfway through. it was unexpected yet it felt realistic based on the setting and characters' presented. especially with reiko's chapter, i liked how the story turned into something else.
now the real question is - why is this not a 5-star if i seemed to live laugh love everything? well im ngl but even though rika is so likeable so i said the no-plot wasnt an issue.... it kind of is. there's almost no resolution regarding the plot proposed to readers for the first half of this book. im not saying i needed a "where are they now" of kajii and a complete resolution - i understand it was likely written as ambiguous or not mentioned at all to fit rika's characterisation at the time. still, as a reader, i can't lie and say it didnt annoy me slightly. plus, as much as i loved the passages with rika & her foodgasms, after the first 4 paragraphs about how great butter is i was.... not bored? moreso it felt redundant. girl i know butter is orgasmic u said so literally 2 sentences ago. can we move on to the actual story staring me right in the eye. i mean i didnt hate the food chapters, but i didnt love them. they were... fine. 
anyways im so serious after reading this ive had to contain myself from not going to the shops to buy a ridiculously expensive butter to see if rika is actually just a weirdo or if butter is *that* good. lock ur doors yall if you have butter in ur fridge the clobster is coming to yoink it all tonight 😈