mhigbee's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gore, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Vomit
jessthanthree's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
akira_outofthegravity's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
5.0
As a lesbian I felt very validated by this manga. It’s very sad, but Nagata Kabi’s strength is admirable. I think she’s very strong and I would love her to know that she’s one of my idols 💛
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Minor: Incest
artlyna_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.75
**spoiler alert** Bookish impressions, here we go!
I picked up this manga/graphic novel because of - first and foremost - the title. Currently, I'm questioning my sexuality, all the while dealing with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Isn't this manga the perfect one for me? And after reading, I can say, for real, that it is the manga I much needed to read.
Everything about the author's experiences touch my heart, as though she is my mirror. Her experiences are very much the same to mine, except that I haven't booked an appointment in a lesbian escort agency because we don't have that kind of escort service in my country (unfortunately) and I am not really good with drawing. But I write, and I think it's an art closest to the author's.
For the entire duration of my reading experience with this manga, all I felt is warmth and understanding. Funnily enough, the author wants to write something that shakes people up, as what she intends the manga to be, but I am all but shaken up. There are times I tear up because it's, like, the manga is speaking to me. The parts on how the author dealt with her depression and anxiety, her survival out of it by loving herself and listening to what she wants, hit so close to home. I have always loved reading anything that contains talks about depression and anxiety because I want to feel that I am not alone. Indeed, while reading this manga, I felt that way - that I am not alone, that there is someone out there who is struggling and learning as much as I am and, in fact, they are able to overcome it. This manga made me hopeful about my own situation, and I thought that even if it's hard now, I know someday I'll be able to realize things and get to be there for myself.
As for the author's exploration of sexuality, I think what I have read is something I would definitely need in the future. So far, I have been stuck as a questioning and closeted member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and it has been a really rough patch for me - on top of dealing with mental illnesses. Naturally, the author's inputs in exploring her sexuality made me reexamine my own experiences as well. I had read parts where I was able to say, "Hey, I felt this way, too!", and I think that kind of sentiment might be of help to me in this journey of identity crisis - both on sexuality and gender. I hope that, like the author, I will be able to look inward and see myself for myself, instead of how other people see me.
Additionally, it is worth remarking how Japanese authors are very clever in storytelling. From all the books or mangas I have read from Japanese authors, only these people can capture melancholy in a refreshing and cheerful way possible, which, surprisingly, still resonates with you. The color palette used by the author gave off that feminism, gentleness in dealing with oneself, and the melancholy of regret and grief while being hopeful about confronting things that are scary. The atmosphere of the author's storytelling veers on 'self-deprecating humor', I might say, but not in a bad or depressing way, and I think it is one of the things I love about this manga.
Honestly, this is worth the read, especially if you are an adult or young adult who is struggling. This manga is, like, a placid lake upon which you can see yourself reflected, but it begs on you to dive in, plunge into the lake, and explore it in its depths. Once you swim back up to the surface, you can take with you what you have seen and learned, only to be surprised that the very scenery you have seen inside is also the same scenery inside yourself.
I picked up this manga/graphic novel because of - first and foremost - the title. Currently, I'm questioning my sexuality, all the while dealing with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Isn't this manga the perfect one for me? And after reading, I can say, for real, that it is the manga I much needed to read.
Everything about the author's experiences touch my heart, as though she is my mirror. Her experiences are very much the same to mine, except that I haven't booked an appointment in a lesbian escort agency because we don't have that kind of escort service in my country (unfortunately) and I am not really good with drawing. But I write, and I think it's an art closest to the author's.
For the entire duration of my reading experience with this manga, all I felt is warmth and understanding. Funnily enough, the author wants to write something that shakes people up, as what she intends the manga to be, but I am all but shaken up. There are times I tear up because it's, like, the manga is speaking to me. The parts on how the author dealt with her depression and anxiety, her survival out of it by loving herself and listening to what she wants, hit so close to home. I have always loved reading anything that contains talks about depression and anxiety because I want to feel that I am not alone. Indeed, while reading this manga, I felt that way - that I am not alone, that there is someone out there who is struggling and learning as much as I am and, in fact, they are able to overcome it. This manga made me hopeful about my own situation, and I thought that even if it's hard now, I know someday I'll be able to realize things and get to be there for myself.
As for the author's exploration of sexuality, I think what I have read is something I would definitely need in the future. So far, I have been stuck as a questioning and closeted member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and it has been a really rough patch for me - on top of dealing with mental illnesses. Naturally, the author's inputs in exploring her sexuality made me reexamine my own experiences as well. I had read parts where I was able to say, "Hey, I felt this way, too!", and I think that kind of sentiment might be of help to me in this journey of identity crisis - both on sexuality and gender. I hope that, like the author, I will be able to look inward and see myself for myself, instead of how other people see me.
Additionally, it is worth remarking how Japanese authors are very clever in storytelling. From all the books or mangas I have read from Japanese authors, only these people can capture melancholy in a refreshing and cheerful way possible, which, surprisingly, still resonates with you. The color palette used by the author gave off that feminism, gentleness in dealing with oneself, and the melancholy of regret and grief while being hopeful about confronting things that are scary. The atmosphere of the author's storytelling veers on 'self-deprecating humor', I might say, but not in a bad or depressing way, and I think it is one of the things I love about this manga.
Honestly, this is worth the read, especially if you are an adult or young adult who is struggling. This manga is, like, a placid lake upon which you can see yourself reflected, but it begs on you to dive in, plunge into the lake, and explore it in its depths. Once you swim back up to the surface, you can take with you what you have seen and learned, only to be surprised that the very scenery you have seen inside is also the same scenery inside yourself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
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