Pindakaas en Sushi (English: Peanut butter and Sushi) is a Dutch Young Adult trilogy written by Roderick Leeuwenhart, starting with Pindakaas en Sushi in 2014, and followed by 2 and 3 in 2015 and 2017 respectively. The series is centered around the otaku-culture in the Netherlands.
In the first novel, Marle is an aspiring journalist who has been convinced by her friend Joyce to join her on an anime convention. Although she's reluctant at first, she's secretly hoping she could find some sensational writing topic. Then she runs into a mysterious person dressed as a knight, of whom she can't see his face. He shows her around, exposing her to the wonder of the festival, but after that he disappears, and Marle is desperate to find him.
During the series, Marle gets sucked deeper into the otaku community, which develops her as a person.
Pindakaas en Sushi provides examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: So, Joyce and Esther are pretty normal names in Dutch, which could probably also be said about Marle. Then there is SaBBaT, although that is a made-up name.
- An Aesop: It's okay to be yourself, even if it makes you seem weird to society.
- Armor-Piercing Question: SaBBaT casually asking why Marle wants to become a journalist, she realises she doesn't actually know. The question is quickly swept away, but starts coming back to her mind later on.
- The Artifact: The name of the doujinshi circle "Kyoto Tears" is an interesting example, which got its name because of an emo hype at the time it started. Joyce admitted that while it was funny at first, it's only embarrassing now.
- Author Appeal: The author himself is geek and is a writer for Dutch anime magazine Aniway since 2001. Needless to say, this aspect of him is a central theme in the series.
- Bellisario's Maxim: Marle quickly realizes it's no use to ask SaBBaT about the apparently nonsensical story of his doujinshi, after he gave a Shrug of God to her first question about it and she read two pages of it.
- The Eeyore: Esther, who doesn't seem to remotely enjoy talking to other people and appears to be sulking most of the time. Then it becomes a Zig-Zagged Trope when the next day she is quite happy, to Marle's surprise. The reason being that a band she absolutely loves is giving a concert that day. However, she reverts to her negative personality later on.
- Genki Girl: Joyce, by the means of funny speak and an overall enthousiastic personality.
- Hallucinations: When in doubt, this usually happens to Marle, who starts arguing with them.
- In-Series Nickname: Joyce has the habit to adress Marle as "Marl". Marle doesn't quite like it and is glad that Joyce is the only one who stubbornly uses it.
- Intrepid Reporter: Marle, who ends up searching the convention to find the knight back.
- Large Ham: From the way he promotes his doujinshi, SaBBaT can fall into this.
- A special mention goes to the protagonist he created, Tetsuyo. We get to see the doujinshi spread over two pages, and it has the character deliver this:
Tetsuyo: (in tears, after his girfriend is abducted by a evil robot) No! Hiromi-chan is my GIRLFRIEND! I LOVE YOU!- According to Marle, Joyce tends to be this, saying she always sounds like she's speaking in CAPITAL LETTERS.
- Method Acting: Zigzagged with the knight, attempting to stay in his role with knight speak, but dropping the whole act when he doesn't feel like it anymore, only to pick it up later again.
- Otaku: Most of the characters.
- Scene of Wonder: Although she was initially reluctant about it, Marle admits to be amazed by seeing an anime convention for the first time, describing it as something to experience. She also becomes happy about the few things she does recognize, though she pulls herself back at that moment, telling herself not to get too much into it.
