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.

Manga Review: The Bride was a Boy by Chii

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Seven Seas

Release Date: May 2018

Volumes: 1.

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

The heartwarming transgender love story, based on true events!

Drawn in the style of diary comics with an upbeat, adorable flair, this is a charming tale about Chii, a woman assigned male at birth. Her story starts with her childhood and follows the ups and downs of exploring her sexuality, gender, and transition--as well as falling in love with a man who’s head over heels for her. Now they want to get married, so Chii’s about to embark on a new adventure: becoming a bride!

Review:

I'd heard good things about this one, but it wasn't until I went to glimpse through it at the bookstore, and ended up reading almost a chapter, that I decided to pick it up. The concept grabbed my attention from the beginning, and it's a diverse subject that isn't mentioned much in manga.

The story follows Chii, who was born a boy, and how she slowly discovered and accepted that she always felt more like a girl than a boy. It's autobiographical, and it shows as Chii addresses the audience often, and explains things to us, about legal issues and how she worried about telling people. This is definitely more of a lighthearted story than I'm sure a lot of people experienced, but Chii had a relatively easy time of it. For her, though, her family was rather easy-going, and the boy she meets is perfectly fine with all of it as well. He's so in love with her, that he doesn't mind she's not completely a woman yet, and is perfectly fine dealing with the obstacles of all of this with her.

This is a really cute story, but I also think it's a really important one. It's a tough thing to go through in any society, and there are a lot of obstacles and things to consider and ways to handle it.

This was a fun read, and I think it's a really important one, too. I would definitely recommend it, and would love to see more books like it released.