Title: しまなみ誰そ彼 | Shimanami Tasogare (Manga) (Our Dreams at Dusk)
Media: Manga series
Approx length: 4 volumes, complete
Where to find it: Barnes and Noble (Paperback for $12.99 or ebook for $8.99)
Content warnings (moved up because there's a few big ones, and you might want to see them before going further): Homophobic slurs, hate speech, minor character death (vol. 4), terminal cancer (vol. 4), suicide attempt/thoughts of suicide (vol. 1), body dysmorphia, misgendering, sexual assault (vol. 2, ch. 9 with passing mentions elsewhere).
What is it, in summary?: A coming-out, coming-of-age story centered around Tasuku Kaname, who is a closeted gay. At his lowest moment, he meets Someone-San, who introduces him to the drop-in center, a place where he meets people whose problems aren't much different from his own.
This manga has a really diverse representation of queer identity, from asexual characters to trans characters, all depicted in a realistic way. It explores their lives, their struggles, and the community that keeps them together.
What do you love about it?: Its ability to absolutely devastate me emotionally. I thought I was doing pretty well, and then I hit the ending and ended up bawling like a baby. It's such a raw, genuine depiction of what it's like to be discriminated against just because of who you are or who you love.
But there's also tender moments, and growth, and the main character, Tasuku, comes out of it a stronger person. All the female characters are particularly strong too, including Daichi-san and Someone-san. One of my favorite lines is Daichi saying, "Gay people are not zombies who only think about love and sex twenty-four seven". (But if you really want to talk about my favorite line, it's, "Look, dad. Your favorite person's here.")
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Exploration into someone-san's past. More growth for Misora Shuji (the author did them dirty the most, imo). A look into how the relationship between Tasuku and Tsubaki further develops. I was surprised when the manga ended after just four volumes, because although some characters got their happy endings, I didn't feel complete closure.
The characters really get driven through the ringer in this one, and I would gleefully accept something more lighthearted or comfort-focused that gives the characters a chance to breathe. Now that Tasuku's realized he isn't alone and found a community where he can be himself, what's next for him?
しまなみ誰そ彼 | Shimanami Tasogare (Manga) (Our Dreams at Dusk)
Media: Manga series
Approx length: 4 volumes, complete
Where to find it: Barnes and Noble (Paperback for $12.99 or ebook for $8.99)
Content warnings (moved up because there's a few big ones, and you might want to see them before going further):
Homophobic slurs, hate speech, minor character death (vol. 4), terminal cancer (vol. 4), suicide attempt/thoughts of suicide (vol. 1), body dysmorphia, misgendering, sexual assault (vol. 2, ch. 9 with passing mentions elsewhere).
What is it, in summary?: A coming-out, coming-of-age story centered around Tasuku Kaname, who is a closeted gay. At his lowest moment, he meets Someone-San, who introduces him to the drop-in center, a place where he meets people whose problems aren't much different from his own.
This manga has a really diverse representation of queer identity, from asexual characters to trans characters, all depicted in a realistic way. It explores their lives, their struggles, and the community that keeps them together.
What do you love about it?: Its ability to absolutely devastate me emotionally. I thought I was doing pretty well, and then I hit the ending and ended up bawling like a baby. It's such a raw, genuine depiction of what it's like to be discriminated against just because of who you are or who you love.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Exploration into someone-san's past. More growth for Misora Shuji (the author did them dirty the most, imo). A look into how the relationship between Tasuku and Tsubaki further develops. I was surprised when the manga ended after just four volumes, because although some characters got their happy endings, I didn't feel complete closure.
The characters really get driven through the ringer in this one, and I would gleefully accept something more lighthearted or comfort-focused that gives the characters a chance to breathe. Now that Tasuku's realized he isn't alone and found a community where he can be himself, what's next for him?