beta
the title that prompted me to create this list. as taiwanese who grew up in a society much like the oldest character did and realizing it’s okay now to be queer (society still needs a lot of work tho) in s2 struck a chord deep in my heart. may coming out no longer be a luxury or a risk. may queerness be a norm people won’t even bat a lash at. i will always sincerely hope for a kinder world of acceptance.
if u wanna have more context: https://www.mangago.me/home/mangatopic/22803996/
haven’t finished this one but when i saw people discuss about the realities of korean queer couples and adoption i knew i would love it. very slice of life and tackles the reality of living in a small countryside town very seriously. but despite what could have been a heavy tone the author infuses it with so much love (between romantic partners, between family members etc) that it is much easier to read and sometimes even light in a way. prepare yourself tissues i either keep tearing up or
this was my og. i will never get over this one honestly and some of its lines are just embedded in my psyche like the cruel reality that if one kid in the small sphere of school claims it’s disgusting then it becomes disgusting. the pain of loving someone who will never love u back. someone who goes from “i won’t accept this” to the best ally one could ever hope for in a friend. it’ll never be complete bc the author moved on but god do i love it
i’m one volume away from finishing this. it’s so good because each volume tackles a different “issue” and since they already are together after the 1st volume it’s a lot about what happens after being a couple. hand in hand they walk through coming out to their parents, gaining acceptance from friends, and most importantly what future do they wish to tread together. it’s a very easy read but seeing them changed due to love is heartwarming. to be loved is to be
read it way back when on mangadex and idk if i ever finished or caught up but despite the author’s really bleak life and what it is like to grow up as a gay kid and sole provider of his household despite being a minor then move to tokyo and making money the only way you know how — the author always tries to end it on a lighter note. and the mental fortitude and willingness to share his story is something i kept getting drawn back to
also read this back on mangadex and i think it stopped updating? but god the amount of times i cried and yearned for a parent who could be this accepting of their queer child… i lost count. it’s really wholesome and very slice of life and i sincerely hope that queer kids could have a parental figure as loving as her
damn why does this have a tragedy tag??? it has a sequel (that i haven’t read) and it does start out bleak BECAUSE it’s the author’s lived experience. it depicts not just growing up queer but also drowning in depression in a time when no one understood mental health or talking about it is taboo. a very important read for those who wanna feel heard or see someone else’s lived experience
i haven’t touched this in so long but i read it as it came out and had such a deep impact on me. it is probably THE queer manga for a reason. the ones i remember most clearly are the crossdresser and the trans man because at that time i was struggling with my gender identity and they helped me kind of come to terms with it (it’s still a work in progress ngl) but people call this a masterpiece for a reason.
just like shimanami tasogare i also cried my way through this one. the struggle of being trans told from the perspective of her childhood best friend who loves her (sometimes i got annoyed at said protagonist bc bro ur bff is struggling stop making it about urself). i don’t think i’m strong enough to reread this one but god did i need something that tackled gender identity struggles when i was going through it
honestly didn’t even want to put this here because i hated the ending. not bc of how it ended but because it was so rushed it didn’t explore the other themes that were RIGHT THERE and could have shaped this manga into becoming the ultimate queer story to read. but maybe the mangaka was pressured by the publisher or it was threatened to be axed. everything leading up to it was so good but an ending can leave a sour taste in the mouth unfortunately weeps
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