I really like how this manga touches on the fear of loving someone of the same gender in a society where being straight is simply the norm. This mindset of heteronormativity is something we’re led to believe from a very young age. For Shishimaru, it’s his mother who first makes him realize this, saying things like, “he can’t marry or love Leo because he’s not a girl” (they are both still little children when this is said). Others automatically assume he’s straight and when some classmates see the two of them together, they make comments like, "those kinds of people are creepy", which essentially reflects society’s prejudices against gay/lesbian relationships or simply couples who don’t fit the norm.
I like how the author brings out Shishimaru’s inner conflict (internalized homophobia). He locks his true feelings away in a “treasure box” and doesn’t dare open it, wondering if it would be easier if Leo weren’t a boy but a girl, and whether they should just stay best friends after all, because a relationship between two boys is “not normal,” and he’s too afraid that other people will think he’s gross.
I also liked that when Shishimaru finally decides to go see Leo, their feelings of uncertainty don’t just vanish magically, but instead they both talk openly about them and ultimately want to be there for each other despite everything, they want to be each other's "lion". Of course, the manga is cliché in some places and in real life there isn’t always a happy ending, but to me the story reads like a comforting perspective in a world that simply can’t seem to accept certain kinds of love. To put it in the words of Leo’s sensei, “it’s this piece of shit world’s fault, not yours.”
I liked the story, even though I would have liked to see how their family and friends reacted to the two of them being together (especially Shishimaru’s), as well as a glimpse into their future, when they’re both a bit older. To conclude, all I can say is: I hope you all find yourselves a “lion” who stays by your side despite all the obstacles thrown in your path, just like Leo and Shishimaru did .
I really like how this manga touches on the fear of loving someone of the same gender in a society where being straight is simply the norm. This mindset of heteronormativity is something we’re led to believe from a very young age. For Shishimaru, it’s his mother who first makes him realize this, saying things like, “he can’t marry or love Leo because he’s not a girl” (they are both still little children when this is said). Others automatically assume he’s straight and when some classmates see the two of them together, they make comments like, "those kinds of people are creepy", which essentially reflects society’s prejudices against gay/lesbian relationships or simply couples who don’t fit the norm.
I like how the author brings out Shishimaru’s inner conflict (internalized homophobia). He locks his true feelings away in a “treasure box” and doesn’t dare open it, wondering if it would be easier if Leo weren’t a boy but a girl, and whether they should just stay best friends after all, because a relationship between two boys is “not normal,” and he’s too afraid that other people will think he’s gross.
I also liked that when Shishimaru finally decides to go see Leo, their feelings of uncertainty don’t just vanish magically, but instead they both talk openly about them and ultimately want to be there for each other despite everything, they want to be each other's "lion". Of course, the manga is cliché in some places and in real life there isn’t always a happy ending, but to me the story reads like a comforting perspective in a world that simply can’t seem to accept certain kinds of love. To put it in the words of Leo’s sensei, “it’s this piece of shit world’s fault, not yours.”
I liked the story, even though I would have liked to see how their family and friends reacted to the two of them being together (especially Shishimaru’s), as well as a glimpse into their future, when they’re both a bit older.
To conclude, all I can say is: I hope you all find yourselves a “lion” who stays by your side despite all the obstacles thrown in your path, just like Leo and Shishimaru did .