Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 3, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: September 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 2. 4.

Goodreads Synopsis:

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

When Tasuku attends a workshop organized by Cat Clutter, the last person he is expecting to see there shows up: his crush, Tsubaki! Is this the beginning of a dream come true?

Review:

After the last volume, Tasuku is still getting over his fight with Misora and worrying about what Tsubaki knows. This leads to Tsubaki suddenly helping out with the remodel business, and thus being around Tasuku a lot.

There's some interesting themes confronted in this volume. One of the characters at Cat Clutter is trans and this causes some issues when someone from his past shows up. And Tasuku gets to see when someone around him stands up for an lgbt issue during a conversation. While all of this is happening, he's growing closer to Tsubaki, only for Tsubaki to freak out about it because of his own denial issues.

This series is rough. The way these issues are handled are realistic and hard to take some times, but I'm so glad to see this kind of representation because of it. These issues shouldn't be denied and shameful in the way that they are here, and yet it's true still.

Highly recommend.

Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 2, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: July 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

Tasuku is starting to feel at home at the drop-in center―just in time for him to help a younger student who also hangs out there. Misora Shuji likes to wear girls’ clothing but is unsure about their gender identity. Will Tasuku’s guidance offer Shuji some clarity or just make things harder?

Review:

There's a really harsh moment in this volume, just as a warning.

We officially meet Misora, a boy who likes dressing as a girl. This introduces a new aspect to the story, as Misora states he's not gay, he just likes dressing as a girl—and also explores the idea of not really knowing who he is yet. He's younger than Tasuku, and gives Tasuku a moment to help and be there for someone going through something similarly difficult.

It all goes down when Tasuku and Misora go out to a festival. Misora is confronted with a harsh part of being a woman, and he doesn't quite handle it well—not that anyone should, really. But he reacts by blowing up at Tasuku, in a very public, harsh way.

I appreciate the point of view that Misora presents here, but I don't particularly care for the way he talks. He's very brash with his words, which perhaps Tasuku needs. He blatantly uses the word fag, and how he treats Tasuku when he freaks out is just not okay. It was a really hard moment to read.

It also looks like Tasuku's crush is going to do something in the next volume. It's unclear where he stands on these things, but I suspect we'll find out soon.

I am really glad that this is being released. I think it's an important story. Plus, the artwork is gorgeous—I love the imagination used here. And those color pages at the beginning of this volume are just gorgeous.

Manga Review: Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare, Volume 1, by Yuhki Kamatani

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2019

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Yes.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 2.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A beautiful tale of coming-out and coming-of-age.

Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he is also terrified that he has been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all.

Review:

I am so glad that we're at the point where we can get diverse series like this now. It's taken such a long time, but now more publishers are picking up yaoi and yuri series, yes, but also series like this—where there's a mix of identities and sexual orientation. The story doesn't have to be about one gay couple. There can be coming of age stories that include this stuff, in manga as well.

Kaname is at a new school, and he's starting to learn things about himself, but he doesn't quite have friends or fit in yet, and he can't react organically to things. He discovers a house that anyone can go in and hang out, and there's an odd group of friends there, with a mix of identities. Kaname was considering suicide, and then discovers that maybe he's not all alone. He's still not sure how to identify, if he can let himself even think of himself as gay, when he discovers these people. One of which is mysterious and gives him no information or advice, and another who's a lesbian in a serious relationship. And there appears to be acceptance and other people with potentially similar stories.

There's clear to be more struggles in the future for him, but I think there'll be more accepting characters to meet.

The start of this volume very much felt like middle/high school in the early 00's. People spouting the word “gay” and “homo” insensitively, and it unknowingly causing a bad affect on others. Kaname starts off in a spiral, but I think this group of people are going to help him, and be there for him. He's also got an interesting imagination, and I'm confused but intrigued by how it's portrayed.

I'm just so happy series like this is being released now, and definitely want to support it. I want more stuff like this, more representation and diversity of characters and people. I'm excited for it.