Sayonara, Mr. Fatty!

Sayonara, Mr. Fatty!
By Toshio Okada
Price: $14.95
Publisher: Vertical

Now, you’re probably wondering why a book like “Sayonara, Mr. Fatty!” would be reviewed on this manga website. Well, the author, Toshio Okada, is known as the “Otaking,” or king of the otaku, in Japan — he’s a well-respected pop culture critic and founded Gainax, the anime production company best known for Neon Genesis Evangelion. In this book that serves as half memoir and half diet handbook, Okada describes how he lost more than 100 pounds in a year using a simple record-keeping method.

As a self-professed geek, Okada readily admits his disdain for physical activity and his unwillingness to give up his favorite foods. But, in one year he lost a tremendous amount of weight. Like many weight-loss books, Okada encourages readers to take an important first step — keeping track of everything you eat and, eventually, your activity levels and weight. While other books might be rather dry in presenting this methodical take on weight loss, Okada makes it entertaining by relating his own trials and tribulations. In fact, I found myself simultaneously chuckling and grimacing at Okada’s anecdotes of his former chubby self.

The one thing that made this book overarchingly different from other weight-loss books on the market is its focus not so much on health, but on conformity and appearances. In chapter one, “Rating Diet Methods,” Okada describes the different layers of appearance and how they create impressions. While some may be surprised by this focus, it’s not particularly unexpected when one takes into account the collectivist culture of Japan that encourages conformity.

So, instead of using the individualistic motivator of health, as many authors do in the U.S., Okada talks about how appearances influence impressions, which then affect our opportunities in life. Additionally, he relates the discomfort he personally felt as an obese person and how his weight loss changed people’s opinions of him. It’s certainly a different tact to take, but not necessarily a bad one.

Overall, “Sayonara, Mr. Fatty!” serves as a good first start for those looking to kick-start their weight loss, especially for those otaku, nerds and geeks that have failed using other methods. At 191 pages in a light novel-sized format, this book is a quick read, but that does not deter from the effectiveness of its proven methods, including record-keeping, calorie counting and diet adjustment after hitting the ever-infamous weight-loss plateau. If you’re an overweight otaku and want to start losing weight on your terms, “Sayonara, Mr. Fatty!” is the book for you!

Review copy provided by Vertical. To read more reviews by Lorena, visit her manga review blog, i ♥ manga.