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A review by mastersal
My Brother's Husband: Volume 2 by Gengoroh Tagame
5.0
I was so excited to read this and I am happy to report that this fulfilled my expectations to the T. Volume 1 ended on an abrupt note but this one has smoother plotting with an ending that made me tear up. I should have expected it but I was surprised that I didn't. I guess I was having such a good time reading this, smiling along that I was expecting that this would continue for longer than it did. For that, I would recommend this volume, especially for those who liked Volume 1.
This is the concluding volume of the story; I thought this was a series but having read the book it makes sense now. Stretching this story out to a manga series would make it lost its impact. The realisation that “being gay is just another way of being human” (from the blurb) is such an beautifully simple concept that adding more drama by needing to make this an ongoing story would be a disservice.
There will be some who will dislike the book for its ‘lack of plot’ but for me that was kind of the point. This is a gentle, normal slice of life where Mike’s orientation is important but not the world-ending cataclysm that it could have been portrayed as. There are no big speeches about gay rights, or the need for Japan to change but a man learning to change and finding his family again.
For those of us lucky to live in a ‘freer’ society this may seems like an obvious concept and some of the “radical” nature of this book is lost for me. Some of the dialogue is heavy handed and made me roll my eyes as Yaichi’s epiphanies felt more than home truths. But then I had to remind myself that if this were me, even 20 years ago, I would have been in a similar situation. I didn't know any better - and that made me sad - and makes this a powerful and very deliberate manga.
What was most interesting for me is that around mid-way through the book this became less about the fact that Mike was gay and Yaichi’s brother’s husband and more about a family coming together to form bonds and mourn loss. There is more a character arc here and resolution which made this more moving for me. Of course, Kana remains super cute and I would have given this 4 stars for her reaction to reading Romeo and Juliet alone.
Ultimately, if the first Volume 1 was about looking at yourself and confronting your prejudices, this volume is about grief and reaching out to find comfort in family, no matter who they are and who they love.
This is the concluding volume of the story; I thought this was a series but having read the book it makes sense now. Stretching this story out to a manga series would make it lost its impact. The realisation that “being gay is just another way of being human” (from the blurb) is such an beautifully simple concept that adding more drama by needing to make this an ongoing story would be a disservice.
There will be some who will dislike the book for its ‘lack of plot’ but for me that was kind of the point. This is a gentle, normal slice of life where Mike’s orientation is important but not the world-ending cataclysm that it could have been portrayed as. There are no big speeches about gay rights, or the need for Japan to change but a man learning to change and finding his family again.
For those of us lucky to live in a ‘freer’ society this may seems like an obvious concept and some of the “radical” nature of this book is lost for me. Some of the dialogue is heavy handed and made me roll my eyes as Yaichi’s epiphanies felt more than home truths. But then I had to remind myself that if this were me, even 20 years ago, I would have been in a similar situation. I didn't know any better - and that made me sad - and makes this a powerful and very deliberate manga.
What was most interesting for me is that around mid-way through the book this became less about the fact that Mike was gay and Yaichi’s brother’s husband and more about a family coming together to form bonds and mourn loss.
Spoiler
There is a beautiful scene where Yaichi goes to Mike and asks to see pictures of his brother. It’s such a quiet scene with both large-looking men, sitting side by side, looking at pictures of someone they both loved. Makes me tear up just thinking of it.Ultimately, if the first Volume 1 was about looking at yourself and confronting your prejudices, this volume is about grief and reaching out to find comfort in family, no matter who they are and who they love.