One of my favorite manga series is Princess Jellyfish, created by Akiko Higashimura. I was first introduced to it through the anime when it came out in 2010. Tsukimi, the main character of the series, is a dynamic an original character. She is a geeky young woman who has an obsession with Jellyfish. She has loved them ever since she was a child and visited an aquarium with her mother who passed away shortly after. Her mother had promised to make her a wedding dress when she grew up that resembled the delicate and beautiful Jellyfish they saw during that trip because she (Tsukimi's mother) thought that every young girl could grow up and be a Princess some day.
Tsukimi lives in an apartment building with 5 other women who are all obsessed with something, whether it is Japanese dolls and Kimono, The Records of the Three Kingdoms, Trains, or old men. One of them is a shut-in mangaka whom you never see, but who they pass notes to under her apartment door. Each of them is just shy of being agoraphobic. They all prefer to stay inside and dislike the "stylish" people they see in Tokyo. All of these characters already bring a lot of humor to the story, but the plot really starts when Tsukimi meets the other main character, Kuranosuke, a young man whose hobby is to cross-dress. Kuranosuke is everything that Tsukimi and her roommates are not, except that like Tsukimi he is also searching for himself (they just don't know it until they meet). He is stylish, outgoing, has lots of friends, and is a go-getter.
With Kuranosuke's help Tsukimi and her roommates embark on creating a fashion line inspired by Jellyfish in the hopes of selling the dresses to earn money to buy the apartment building they live in and avoid losing it to a local land development agency who is looking to bulldoze the area and build skyscrapers and condos.
The series is funny, pretty to look at it, and has a lot of heart. I definitely recommend checking it out. You can watch the anime online via Funimation's website or their Youtube channel. If you would like to check out the manga you can buy the volumes online or at large bookstores like Barnes & Noble.
Sukiyaki is a popular dish in Japan. It's a stew made family style in the middle of the table. With your friends and/or family you get to enjoy the process of cooking the ingredients and eating together with everyone. This is no exception for the characters in Princess Jellyfish. Right away, in chapter 2 of the manga, you see all of the girls from the apartment house pool their money together and, along with Kuranosuke, have their weekly hot-pot party. This was the first time Kuranosuke meets all of them, as he had only been introduced to Tsukimi prior to this evening, and although there were a few issues at the start, they all enjoyed the meal by the end of the night.
It was not hard to veganize Sukiyaki, as most of the ingredients are vegan to start with. Typically there is a grilled meat and egg to go with the meal. I left out the egg and substituted homemade Seitan for the grilled beef. The results were delicious.
There are many recipes for Sukiyaki online. I browsed a bunch to get a general idea of typical ingredients, and then looked at the images I saw in the anime and manga to choose some more ingredients. The electric skillet-kettle I used in my recipe was found on Amazon. They are pretty affordable, and could definitely be used for a multitude of other recipes as well. I definitely intend on using mine again in the future, and not only for family-style dining.
Vegan Sukiyaki
Serves 3 or 4
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 C. Vegetable stock
- 1/2 C. Soy Sauce
- 1/2 C. Mirin
- 1/4 C. Sugar
Vegetables & Protein Ingredients
- 2 T. Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Thinly Sliced Onion
- 1 C. Thinly Sliced Seitan (I used Julie Hasson's Chicken-style Seitan recipe from Vegan Diner)
- 1 C. Sliced Mushrooms
- 1 C. Carrots, sliced into rounds (an optional but fun step is to cut notches in the carrots to make flower shapes)
- 2 Stalks Chopped Celery
- 1/4 C. Chopped Green Onions
- 1 C. Shredded Cabbage
- 1 C. of Kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pkg of Shirataki Noodles, prepared according to package directions
- 1 sm. pkg of Enoki Mushrooms
- 1 Recipe of Baked Tofu (I used the recipe found here)
Side
- Cooked rice, preferably Japanese style rice
Keep extra hot water to the side for the end in case you end up with more ingredients than broth
Directions
1. Mix all of the broth ingredients in a jar and set aside.
2. Prep all of your ingredients and put them in individual bowls (or a large serving platter, whichever you prefer). Get your electric skillet (or if you are cooking this on your stove get a Medium pot or Dutch Oven) and set it in the middle of your table. Place all of the ingredients nearby so they are easily accessible, as each step will come quickly.
3. Put 2 T. of oil in the skillet and heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot add the Seitan and grill until you see grill marks on both sides (or until both sides are lightly browned if you are using a flat bottom pan). Add the onions and stir, cooking until they have started to soften.
4. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir, cooking until they have softened.
5. Add the carrots and then the celery, stirring and cooking until the carrots soften. Don't cook them too long. You want them to be cooked, but not mush.
6. Add the Green onions and stir to incorporate.
7. Add the rest of your ingredients, and then pour in your broth. Depending on your quantity of ingredients you may want to add some extra hot water to the pan if you desire more broth. Mix the ingredients lightly just to combine, and cook, covered with the lid of the pan, until the cabbage and kale have just softened. By now the rest of the ingredients should be fully cooked, and your meal is ready to eat!
8. Serve the soup in a bowl with a side of rice. This dish is great served with tea.
I hope you try this recipe out for yourself. It was really fun to share it with someone, and I encourage you do the same, whether it is just with one or a group. Once you start cooking the ingredients don't take long to cook, so you can easily double the batch and cook in batches if you have a crowd.