"Mountains, Appetite and Me" is a manga series that has been serialized on the web manga site Kurage Bunch since 2015. It depicts the mountaineering of the protagonist, Hibino Ayumi, a self-proclaimed solo mountaineer who hates being called a "mountain girl," and the meals she eats at the summit. It is an outdoor gourmet story that will make you want to climb mountains and get hungry while reading it. The dishes depicted are so authentic that an official recipe book has been released, and as the author's own hobby is mountaineering, the depictions of mountain climbing that draw on her own experiences have become a hot topic. In this article, we would like to introduce our own ranking of the appeal of the characters in "Mountains, Appetite and Me."
10th Place: Kayama Sazae
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Like the protagonist Hibino Ayumi, Kayama is a solo mountaineer. He's 30 years old and a freelance software engineer. While Ayumi was making roast beef at a campsite, Sazae glanced over. She has short hair and is a somewhat approachable woman. Ebi and Ayumi first met when Ebi brought Ayumi a beer and asked, "Would you like to have a drink together?" They later met again when Ayumi went to challenge the famous peaks of the Southern Alps, Kaikoma-ga-take and Senjo-ga-take. As both are solo climbers, they competed like rivals, but they also reached the summit together. They seem to climb mountains at a fairly fast pace.
9th Place: Oga Masumi
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Oga Masumi is a 62-year-old housewife and a beginner at mountain climbing. She enjoys mountain climbing with her husband, Oga Takashi, who retired last year. She says she would like to climb Mount Fuji someday. She dreams of one day taking on the challenge, a secret from her husband, who is skeptical due to concerns about her physical condition. When she met Hibino Ayumi, she seemed interested in Ayumi's cooking. Furthermore, her adventurous nature is one of her charms, as she said, "Maybe I'll try to imitate her next time."
8th Place: Koiwa Kajika
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Koiwa Kajika is a part-time coworker from Hibino Ayumi's student days. He's 31 years old and works for a company. When she encounters Kajika and his mountain climbing friends while climbing a low mountain, she is kind enough to invite Ayumi to a bruschetta party at the observation deck. When a fellow climber teases her for bringing heavy luggage to the party, she replies, "It's heavy, but it's okay." She is a person who has a strong sense of self.
7th Place: Sato Yamame
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Sato Yamame, 23 years old, is a solo mountaineer, just like Hibino Ayumi, the protagonist of "Mountains, Appetite, and Me." She is also a free climber, and seems to be so fascinated by rock that she has traveled to Yosemite in the US, which is said to be a mecca for free climbers. She wears her hair in a bun and is an impressive woman who is both aggressive and cool.
6th Place: Inoguchi Iruka
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
The mother of the protagonist, Hibino Ayumi. She is 56 years old and works as an administrator at a national university. Iruka was born and raised in Tokyo, but says that has changed since she met her second husband, Inoguchi Masatoshi, who resembles Fujioka Hiroshi. Masatoshi says he wants to open a restaurant in their second home in Niigata, but it seems he still has a long way to go when it comes to cooking. So Iruka takes Masatoshi's place and quickly prepares the ingredients. She also seems to be able to chop firewood with ease. She seems confident in her physical strength, and says that she always came in first in marathon competitions from elementary school through high school. Her dream is to travel around the world on a luxury cruise ship.
5th Place: Komatsubara Koiko
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
She is a senior colleague of the main character, Hibino Ayumi, who works at the same company. She is 29 years old and works as an office worker. She has a bob haircut, hails from Kyoto, and is known for her gentle appearance and manner of speaking. After learning that Ayumi enjoys mountain climbing, Komatsubara Koiko learns about it by asking her various questions. She seems so interested that she even buys and reads mountain climbing magazines, and actively participates in beginner-level mountain climbing events. Her hobby is collecting temple stamps. A year ago, she broke up with her boyfriend of six years, and while she was feeling lonely and restless on weekends, a relative encouraged her to start collecting them. Once she started, she became completely hooked and continues to do so to this day. After the section manager at the company where Ayumi and Koiko work suddenly resigned, Komatsubara was promoted to chief, despite still in her 20s. While initially unmotivated, she quickly rekindled her enthusiasm and is determined to do whatever it takes. Later, when she was struggling to communicate with new employee Sayori Taki, she planned a mountain climbing recreational trip. She has a charming personality, as she takes responsibility for whatever she's assigned. After Sayori gets married, he rushes to join a mountain climbing event, and it seems he has a lonely side to him.
4th Place: Kokuren Nanami
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
A 32-year-old outdoor enthusiast, she meets Ayumi Hibino while descending a mountain. She travels by car and seems to have extensive outdoor knowledge. When they first meet, Nanami invites Ayumi to drive her to the station and suggests they stop by a secret hot spring, making her a very approachable woman. Although she is an experienced driver, she seems to be quite reckless. When Ayumi seems unsure about whether she's on the right road, she says, "It'll all work out somehow!", suggesting that she does have a careless side. Despite this, Nanami says that before she began her journey she had lost faith in people. However, through her journey she has regained her faith in people. She is a cool woman who lives freely.
3rd Place: Touchi Yukio
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Our protagonist, Hibino Ayumi, gets off at the bus stop nearest to a certain mountain trailhead. Another man who gets off there is Touchi Yukio. He's a 37-year-old translator. When it's time to go into the mountains, he walks ahead because it's bad to walk behind a woman, and when they lose sight of the hiking trail, he even apologizes to Ayumi, who was just following him. He's a very gentlemanly man. He also suggests that they take shelter from the rain together, and treats her to a cup of adult cocoa made by mixing milk cocoa with sliced ginger and whiskey. By the way, he is married with children.
Second Place: Taki Sayori
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Taki Sayori works at the same company as the main characters, Hibino Ayumi and Komatsubara Koiko. She's 24 years old and works as a temporary employee. She has short hair and short bangs. She has short eyebrows, downcast eyes, and striking features. She joins the company as a new employee after the company's section manager suddenly resigns and Koiko becomes chief. At first, when Ayumi and Koiko introduce themselves, she simply nods silently and only responds with "Yes..." to any questions. She seems to be a man of few words. She was a member of the mountaineering club in high school. On a recreational mountain climbing trip to Mount Takao, she wears well-worn boots and brings a large pot, showing she is used to it. During her time on the mountaineering club, she was skilled enough to climb Mount Chogatake in the Northern Alps during the snowy season. Later, she falls in love with a man she meets while hiking, and the two get married. She subsequently takes the surname Takimoto.
1st Place: Hibino Ayumi
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
Hibino Ayumi, 27, is an office worker who loves mountain climbing and food. She is the protagonist of this work. Ayumi is particular about the ingredients she cooks when climbing mountains, and seems to have an extensive repertoire of dishes. She seems to love both cooking and eating, and simply eating. She calls herself a "solo climber" and usually climbs alone, but when she finds a rare plant while climbing, she is kind enough to make sure other climbers notice it. Ayumi also seems to love the natural beauty of the mountains; when climbing in the fall, she collects fallen leaves and plays with them, throwing them around, or gets excited when she finds a flower field. Furthermore, Ayumi is extremely knowledgeable, with a wealth of knowledge ranging from plant names and cooking knowledge to important things to know when climbing mountains and the body structure essential for climbing. When she climbed a mountain with her senior colleague, Komatsubara Koiko, she brought jambalaya and even explained its origins. Reading also seems to be a hobby, and she sometimes reads after reaching the summit. Her studious and knowledgeable nature make her a very appealing character.
Ranking the Appeal of Characters in "Mountains, Appetite, and Me"!
Source: Mountains, Appetite, and Me ©SHINCHOSHA
What did you think? This time, we've introduced our own ranking of the appeal of the characters in the outdoor and gourmet manga "Mountains, Appetite, and Me." As you climb the mountain, you will encounter various people, each with their own unique charm. Please pay attention not only to the main characters, but also to the people who appear on the mountains. Thank you for reading to the end.
