Comments of J no Subete

Should you read this? That is a very difficult question. This is one of those stories that is a masterpiece, but for which not many people can stomach the reality of. The protagonist is anything but lovable; J is depraved, slutty, and downright insensitive at times. His behavior ranges from classic Casanova to irritatingly childish. I learned to value my own roots, as an American, by reading this series. I don't particularly care for my own country or what it stands for, but the era of the baby boomers, when Americans thought of themselves as limitless and decadent without consequence, was both stellar and insufferably toxic, as depicting in this story. The motifs are stunning, and really bring to life the international cultural mindset of the American dream, as it was imagined in the 1960's. J no Subete can be read by itself, or in conjunction with its companion series counterparts. Obviously, the title "All About J," means that this particular spin-off is about the character J, a boy who symbolizes (and partially wills himself to become) everything that is poisonous about the ascension of an individual to attaining the luxuries of American life. He adores the concept of a sex icon, and ignores definitions of happiness as defined by social class or stability. There is a precarious balance to his character, where he seems impulsive, yet calculated; fierce, yet fragile; happy, but full of immeasurable suffering. Though it seems as though, over the years, J progresses, it is but surface action - his career, his relationships, it all fails to satisfy or provide closure for those things which he left undone in the past. Compared to Barairo no Hoo no Koro, which is the companion series to J no Subete, the content of this read is far more historically oriented, and J as a character becomes almost a figurative personality of American depravity in itself.

Paul, J's on and off lover in this series, is the subject of deep debate by readers. Whether or not the author appropriately gave closure equally to Paul's past, as well as J, is a major heated topic of the series that causes quite a divide between fans, and ultimately serves to be the main fault of J no Subete as a read: That is almost seems as though the plot is too centered around J, and almost runs over other characters in order to further J's story as a work of art. If you do not like J, this entire series is will lose its meaning. Looking at him as a symbol helps to legitimize the way in which the story portrays itself. But of course the way in which Paul and J find closure seems almost forced (and maybe even beside the point), after reading through all their suffering over the course of the series. Overall, the read was very very well executed, though the attempt to make the ending positive for J has caused some conflicting messages to arise concerning the point of the series, as a tale about America, or a tale about J. Either way, if you like J, you win and it's a good read for you.

*Note: J may at first appear pathologically transgendered, or even mentally disabled, but both of these are untrue. For those who plan to read, even with the description written above in mind, J identifies as male and is Bi-sexual. His mentality has been warped from a young age, but he expressed extreme discomfort at the idea of castration (*see flashback about being mute in the orphanage), and openly makes use of his sex appeal as a conceptually difficult character of gender androgyny. He even seems taken by the idea of warping traditional sex icon, Marilyn Monroe, by being a man and being able to depict her so successfully. His sex appeal is downright inappropriate at certain time, so his character, rather than coming off like Alois Trancy (from Season II of Black Butler), gains a complexity and a vulgarity that makes him hard to love immediately.

A very bitter read; it is very different from Doukyuusei, this author's BL alter ego story, that is sweet and quiet. This story is off-beat and downright painful. But definitely a classic, if one can stomach it.

Author is a genius for sure .

I really hate the fact this is labeled as yaoi when she has stated multiple times she in not a boy or man and doesn’t identify as one.

I just love J and all the characters here. the story is strong enough to make me re read it every once in a while. what i can say is that my whole emotion flows when reading it and i can feel the characters especially J. the background of america, marilyn also good coz its rare. its the best!!!!

NAKAMURA Asumiko is really a excellent story teller!!!!

http://www.cc-manhua.com/manhua/256/1672.html?p=91
the last chapters.

i wanna kill everyone who says she isn't a woman.

this manga, was possibly one of the most insane lgbtq+ mangas i have ever read. the story goes extremely in depth of the characters tragic backstory and their lives, the characters are written so well the story’s plot is literally so insanely amazing. will say if you’re triggered easily by literally anything this one is not for you, i don’t get triggered very easily and this was extremely overwhelming to read, but it was so good and just such a good representation and manga 10/10

I feel so sick after i read this manga, kinda knew that it had heavy and triggering topics like inc3st, r4p3,and p3dophilia but people said it was a masterpiece so i decided to give it a go and holy shit i feel so many emotions, i honestly still haven't processed the story entirely bc the depiction of the heavy themes were very graphic but at the same time the story and the ending left me breathless. I've read heavy themed stories but nothing like this one and honestly I'm very shocked I was able to finish it, nonetheless it truly was a masterpiece. Im trying to put it into words how i feel bc I probably wont be able to sleep tonight:)

Even though J no Subete is three volumes long, each volume is a dynamic story in itself covering a particular stage of J's life. Her life is a dark story and it's a very psychological manga.

Book one is about all of J's trials and tribulations throughout childhood, during high school as she tries to find her place in the world and when she meets the somber honor student Paul...

Art = meh Story = INCREDIBLE

This is one of my favorite mangas however I have a problem with this translation because the original Manga J was never refered as male pronouns by the people who were close to her. They always refered to her with female pronous because she is a trans woman. Not a cross-dresser like I see as a popular tag for this manga...

wow. I have no words.

F 120722
I have so many thoughts about this...
Like, I really love Nakamura-sensei as an amazing author and artist, as someone extremely talented and capable of conveying the most complex feelings in such seamless ways with such limited mediums, but like... please, sensei, fucking learn about the people you're trying to portray T.T
I know this was made in 2004, and is probably 3/4 the fault of the translators, but just having everyone treat J as a man, even though she said so many times she was (felt at least) like a woman, that just hurts and really bad. She really deserved better, to have the only person who actually treats you right be your child is so sad, not even her "husband" sees her as a woman. And then have Rita also treat her like a man, even though she was probably the one who taught Jean about J being a woman... like, she's shown to look like she actually understands J, idk, seems wrong to me.
And to finish, gosh, Nakamura's work's are way too triggering, that they're actually upsetting. Idk how the story could've been better handled, but showing in full detail almost every rape scene is horrendous and extremely concerning.

Absolutely beautiful, this made me feel so many emotions, I'm so fucking sad, J doesn't deserve any of that, recalling the chapters I just wanna cry again.
I thought I won't be able to finish this of how disturbing this story was.
But I'm so happy that I did finish it because god, that ending was all what I wanted to see, it made me cry so much after seeing J with their mother and Jean Acknowledging J and Rita as her mother's, and Paul acknowledging Jean as his daughter too.
I wanna cry so bad, I love this story with all my heart but I would never bring myself to reread this again, the emotional cause this has on me...

J is not androgynous. Her character is despeciable at times because she hates herself. She is slutty because she finds no worth in a body that doesn't fit him. This isn't like most mangas.

The story is told through context.

She fights with the idea of her transness and her fathers molestation juxtaposed.

It's easy to write this off as a yaoi with a feminine male character and it's not.

This is a darker transgender coming to womanhood story.

This story touched me in a way no other story touched me.

Its raw...gritty...real.

We see her transistion from young gay androgynous guy to a cross dresser to a woman at the end, sitting next to her mom.

A woman and free from the trauma and shame that followed her. The trauma which stopped her from freeing herself. The lover who she loved but even then tried to kill herself.

Because she wasn't that young gay boy. She was a woman.

This story...if you have a strong stomach is one of those most poignant trans stories I ever read

Not for the faint of mind and heart.
This is one of the most heavy and the most beautiful plot Ive read. Takes place in USA 1950's onward. It handles how the Community handles discovering, transitioning and accepting themselves.
The story starts with a boy who looks up on Marilyn Monroe and dreamt to be just like her. But his life wasnt really sunshine. His father raped him and was killed by his mother in front of him. He was soon sent to an orphanage which made him discover that people hated someone like him. He was adopted and was sent to an all-boys school where he met his first love. But it was also the same time he seek affection, so he dressed himself in drag and performed in a club as a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, making himself a sexual object.
~in the end, he was deprived of love but his first love saved him in the brink of despair as they lived together with supportive people around them. The Uke just went through horrifying events in his life that he is traumatized to be not loved

I can not believe this is the same author who wrote Doukyuusei, one of the most wholesome BL stories in existence. This story was painful and raw and my heart broke for J, Paul, and Rita.

I totally adore the author. I love all her works