chiba and her multiple attempts at a gaslighting into detransition speedrun ngl I'm disappointed at how transphobia is framed in this manga, it's depicted as this completely natural response, especially since multiple positive characters still propagate it, and it's only condemned when it's a part of bullying. The only adult trans person is a predator, and has a predator for a boyfriend This author has an issue with confusing gender identity and sexual orientation(having trans women call themselves "gay" because they like men, or "becoming" women because they're gay) and it seems to be a bit better in this one, even if there's the whole part about Yuki becoming a woman FOR shii-chan(and not for herself) that I found strange. Having the only existing trans masc character detransition later on was also weird, especially since Takatsuki had gender dysphoria even before puberty, which only intensified during it, so their experience was closer to a typical trans masc person than a typical detransitioner. Overall while there were some relatable moments, taking in the whole manga made it feel like the person writing it only kind of heard about the experience from other people and didn't really try that much to properly understand it making it feel very half-assed
I do agree but a lot of it unfortunately is just japanese “culture” and ignorance when it comes to LGBTQ+ topics, especially when it comes to trans people. Even amongst LGBTQ+ people themselves in Japan there’s this thick layer of ignorance both towards others and themselves, which, tbh, is not even their fault because they’re just treated by the society this way, so they kind of start belittling themselves too. Not making excuses for the author, by the way, just saying that it’s a major-scale issue.
I kind of disagree about Takatsuki, though. While, yeah, it’s disappointing to see the only seemingly trans masc person turn out to be not trans (I’d say “detransitioning” is a bit of a wrong term to use here since it’s typically referred to medical detransitioning and not social detransitioning), it’s low-key some good representation of people searching for their identity, showing that it’s alright to change your mind later on and you don’t really owe anyone anything. Takatsuki might discover that they’re non binary or choose to identify as a woman or realise that they’re a trans-man, after all; and all of the listed options are absolutely fine, it’s a long process and it really shouldn’t be anyone’s business besides the person in question and medical professionals, really.
But otherwise yeah, I do agree that the author doesn’t have a very in-depth understanding of trans issues and even the portrayal of Takatsuki was kind of dookie, they coulda gone more into it tbh.
I do agree but a lot of it unfortunately is just japanese “culture” and ignorance when it comes to LGBTQ+ topics, especially when it comes to trans people. Even amongst LGBTQ+ people themselves in Japan the... cream pie
I agree that on it's face Takatsukis exploration of gender would be an interesting topic in itself and could be a relatable representation, however them being the only instance of macs identity(while the mangas full of trans fem rep) creates this narrative that trans masc people will just "grow out of it" even if they go though the exact same experience trans masc people usually go which is extremely prevalent in the anti-trans circles. I think it could be very easily mitigated by adding another adult trans character that's masculine, it'd also help the whole "all trans adults are predators" background framing that forms due to the only adult trans character that shows up being a predator. I think the issues aren't really with the representation itself, but the bigger picture of the manga itself, which due to the specific characters and stories chosen ends up with harmful ideas. This author doesn't really have good track record with trans and gay identities, often conflating the two, so I do think that's mostly due to how they actually see trans people. I know it's just due to authors ignorance but my disappointment in the topic is due to this manga being hailed as the holy grail of trans representation, when it clearly propagates unfortunate and harmful ideas about trans identities.
I agree that on it's face Takatsukis exploration of gender would be an interesting topic in itself and could be a relatable representation, however them being the only instance of macs identity(while the mangas... 卵
I wholeheartedly agree. I think with trans masc characters in particular, as you’ve mentioned, it’s kind of either belittling in its nature or creates this notion that “oh, they will grow out of it”, which is obviously harmful, given how many stories like this there are.
Maybe don't complain about the people who are looking for a TRANS manga to shut up about the TRANS aspects of the whole story. good lord it's almost like people can be mad about horrible writing even if it's "accurate" or set in a time where people were just that awful towards trans people and so forth & so on. The authors a grade A fraud btw. Shouldn't write about lgbt people so much if she clearly has no idea what she's yapping about. Also she pedophilia and incest btw don't support her she's gross.
Damn people are still horrible to trans people to this day more than ever. Point is she did not have to write an older trans women having a predator as a boyfriend. Outdated junk like that without any repercussions or nuance pisses me off so bad. What's the point author, if you can't write nuance when your core theme is about trans experiences. (If this comment gets uploaded twice oh well)
i hate that people are complaining about the drama aspects of the manga as if trans people don’t deal with other daily activities outside of just dysphoria. not to mention the takatsuki hate… the manga is set in a realistic environment. some people realize they are happy with their original gender and that should be OKAY ! #－.－) i personally really liked this manga, and i think the people who complain about it are too wrapped up in the trans aspect of it to appreciate anything else.
tbh the story was good but god damn there was so much padding in the middle and i felt like i was reading the same arc over and over again but with different characters, and then all of a sudden at the end it sped up fast. unpopular opinion, but i actually like the authors choice to make takatsuki's character not transition because i feel like a lot of girls go through gender crisis during puberty age but it is disappointing there was no trans guy characters. anyways sasa chan on top periodddd
There's a lot of feelings in the comments. A lot of truly incomprehensible views on this story too. I think it might be because they read it with a strange viewpoint from the beginning. Like, they mark this as X type of story, when it is not. It's also important to understand that storytelling in japan is different than western storytelling, and in order to enjoy it you really shouldn't look at it with the same lens. The other thing to keep in mind is, and this will be useful for reading everything else too, you really shouldn't think a story is only going to showcase one single thing, or that it will focus and revolve around it.
For example here people are mostly focused on this being a story about transgender solidarity or something very similar to this sentiment. When it's simply, from the beginning, a story of Shu-chan's childhood and adolescence. It starts with Takatsuki-kun, because Takatsuki-kun was the hero and the giant who kick started Shu-chan's bravery and shaped her entire life by just being there. As they grow things start changing, and the dynamic change, they grow apart and experience bullying, love, fights and everything that comes with growing up. They started off as each other's mirror image, but end up as very different people. On their outings in childhood, Takatsuki-kun is shown as the braver of the two and more ready to embrace being the opposite of their AGAB, but as they enter middle school, Shu-chan is the one who is a lot more accepting of herself, and the one who can't really handle hiding. Sure, Takatsuki-kun is shown as wanting to have a dick, wearing a binder, and disdaining the girl uniform, but almost always conforms to the norm and even feels hesitant to defy it, only keeping a short haircut. And with the tension between them, Shu-chan still has Mako-chan to talk to, while Takatsuki-kun, even while receiving a lot less scrutiny and backlash than Shu-chan for their presentation, is still living their life being treated as a girl. Even more so when they go to different high schools, Shu-chan, finally experiencing puberty, can only see herself as a girl, and has no desire to live as a boy, while Takatsuki-kun, who has already been going through the changes for 2 or so years, ends up realizing they don't despise the girl clothes they used to hate, and so, as they were offered to try modeling a few times in the past, start to actually consider it. Here is where some people think the dysphoria was 'cured' by modeling, when modeling actually came after the dysphoria lessened. Not much thought is put into the fact that, for years, besides the school uniform, Takatsuki-kun only ever wore masculine clothes, while Shu-chan, only ever wore feminine clothes in short intervals, and as such, their level of superficial satisfaction has always been different. Takatsuki-kun ends up modeling, and realizing, that they don't want to become a boy, nor do they have to become one, we are left with that, but I really do wonder why people assume they are a girl, does not being a boy automatically mean you're a girl? As this story is focused on Shu-chan's journey, even if we are shown glimpses of other peoples paths, it's still just glimpses. There were many hints about Takatsuki-kun, but I don't think many people focused enough to pick it up, as they only take what is explicitly stated, so I will mention it here, during their school fashion show, when the 2 of them are holding hands on stage, people guess that both might be boys, even as they are both wearing feminine outfits, and then say that it doesn't matter, and then near the end, Takatsuki-kun is deciding to start dressing androgynously, and still they are almost always shown wearing masculine clothing, and truthfully, almost definitely still wearing a binder, which hints at Takatsuki-kun not being a girl, even if they are not a boy either. On the other hand Shu-chan has decided to work in a okama bar, and that she is a definitely a girl, even if she still presents as a boy in public. About the other characters, because people consider all of them evil, for me that is truly difficult to grasp, I suppose it comes from that fact that in their life, they have a lot of people who are very american drama accepting, and many out people as well, to be honest, that is a little bit of a problem when reading this, and stories like this, because the starting point is very different, and the expectations are also very different. I actually see this story as very very optimistic in terms of behavior of other people, as I actually assume irl the chances of it being a lot closer to horror are higher than it being this good, and how tiny are the chances f it being better. Very realistic to the bond between siblings, as they fight often but there's still closeness and affection. As for Yuki-san, I'm not sure how people missed the fact that she is trying to relive her school years in tandem with Shu-chan, as she had so many regrets from that time in her life, rather than stalking, she uses Shu-chan's trips as a trigger to make that step. The casual transphobia, yes, there is much of it, but 99% of the time it's very intentional to have it, as a show that these people are very much a part of japanese society, and they are very much children who still live under the mindset of those norms. Even Yuki-san,-back in the beginning- knowing that Takatsuki-kun wants to be a boy calls them a girl, even if she herself is trans and should be aware of the feelings that come with such rejection -can only judge per the tl not sure if in the raw she did acknowledge- tho here I do have to mention that I am uncertain if this is something that would be considered alright in japan, as I did see in other manga similarly acknowledging both the true gender and AGAB and it was also very nonchalant. As for the sister, who is shown to be judging then accepting than judging again, very understandable, it's not an uncommon character archetype, called tsundere.
Ngl, I stopped reading this bc it was getting really heavy and I, as a NitorixAnna shipper, didn't want to see them break up if I got more invested. So, I'm really happy to see that they're together in the end.
Dropped this because it just made me feel miserable. It started really cute but then there was a lot of casual transphobia and it just wasn't getting better. I came to read the comments to see if I should still give it a chance but they make me not want to finish this at all. Really disappointing.
Idk why people said this sucked, it’s literally a story ab life. Of course there are some off parts but the story didn’t suck . In the end the characters didn’t loose sight in finding themselves . I loved it so much ;((:
Initially I liked the story, but then the plot became really confusing. it switched from being about finding their identity as trans kids to just a bunch of confessions and unnecessary drama. It sucks, I was so excited about being able to relate with the trans boy :/
this story sucks. the plot is all over the place and they try to go through each characters’ development and problems at the same time causing so much confusion. the sister of our female lead is selfish and self centered and the supposed trans male is actually cis at the end (which isn’t bad but this was a fcking story abt finding ur true gender through transitioning and shit). all in all, the story is not a good read if ur trying to find comfort in being trans.
And second of all, where is your so called excuse that it's just fiction. Why are you complaining about this???? Proof that people only think it's just fiction if it's your preference (ex female alpha d!ck )
Topics
chiba and her multiple attempts at a gaslighting into detransition speedrun
ngl I'm disappointed at how transphobia is framed in this manga, it's depicted as this completely natural response, especially since multiple positive characters still propagate it, and it's only condemned when it's a part of bullying.
The only adult trans person is a predator, and has a predator for a boyfriend
This author has an issue with confusing gender identity and sexual orientation(having trans women call themselves "gay" because they like men, or "becoming" women because they're gay) and it seems to be a bit better in this one, even if there's the whole part about Yuki becoming a woman FOR shii-chan(and not for herself) that I found strange.
Having the only existing trans masc character detransition later on was also weird, especially since Takatsuki had gender dysphoria even before puberty, which only intensified during it, so their experience was closer to a typical trans masc person than a typical detransitioner.
Overall while there were some relatable moments, taking in the whole manga made it feel like the person writing it only kind of heard about the experience from other people and didn't really try that much to properly understand it making it feel very half-assed
I do agree but a lot of it unfortunately is just japanese “culture” and ignorance when it comes to LGBTQ+ topics, especially when it comes to trans people. Even amongst LGBTQ+ people themselves in Japan there’s this thick layer of ignorance both towards others and themselves, which, tbh, is not even their fault because they’re just treated by the society this way, so they kind of start belittling themselves too. Not making excuses for the author, by the way, just saying that it’s a major-scale issue.
I kind of disagree about Takatsuki, though. While, yeah, it’s disappointing to see the only seemingly trans masc person turn out to be not trans (I’d say “detransitioning” is a bit of a wrong term to use here since it’s typically referred to medical detransitioning and not social detransitioning), it’s low-key some good representation of people searching for their identity, showing that it’s alright to change your mind later on and you don’t really owe anyone anything. Takatsuki might discover that they’re non binary or choose to identify as a woman or realise that they’re a trans-man, after all; and all of the listed options are absolutely fine, it’s a long process and it really shouldn’t be anyone’s business besides the person in question and medical professionals, really.
But otherwise yeah, I do agree that the author doesn’t have a very in-depth understanding of trans issues and even the portrayal of Takatsuki was kind of dookie, they coulda gone more into it tbh.
I agree that on it's face Takatsukis exploration of gender would be an interesting topic in itself and could be a relatable representation, however them being the only instance of macs identity(while the mangas full of trans fem rep) creates this narrative that trans masc people will just "grow out of it" even if they go though the exact same experience trans masc people usually go which is extremely prevalent in the anti-trans circles. I think it could be very easily mitigated by adding another adult trans character that's masculine, it'd also help the whole "all trans adults are predators" background framing that forms due to the only adult trans character that shows up being a predator. I think the issues aren't really with the representation itself, but the bigger picture of the manga itself, which due to the specific characters and stories chosen ends up with harmful ideas. This author doesn't really have good track record with trans and gay identities, often conflating the two, so I do think that's mostly due to how they actually see trans people. I know it's just due to authors ignorance but my disappointment in the topic is due to this manga being hailed as the holy grail of trans representation, when it clearly propagates unfortunate and harmful ideas about trans identities.
I wholeheartedly agree. I think with trans masc characters in particular, as you’ve mentioned, it’s kind of either belittling in its nature or creates this notion that “oh, they will grow out of it”, which is obviously harmful, given how many stories like this there are.
Maybe don't complain about the people who are looking for a TRANS manga to shut up about the TRANS aspects of the whole story. good lord it's almost like people can be mad about horrible writing even if it's "accurate" or set in a time where people were just that awful towards trans people and so forth & so on. The authors a grade A fraud btw. Shouldn't write about lgbt people so much if she clearly has no idea what she's yapping about. Also she pedophilia and incest btw don't support her she's gross.
Damn people are still horrible to trans people to this day more than ever. Point is she did not have to write an older trans women having a predator as a boyfriend. Outdated junk like that without any repercussions or nuance pisses me off so bad. What's the point author, if you can't write nuance when your core theme is about trans experiences. (If this comment gets uploaded twice oh well)
She writes about* now I'm the fraud for all the minor Grammer mistakes
i hate that people are complaining about the drama aspects of the manga as if trans people don’t deal with other daily activities outside of just dysphoria. not to mention the takatsuki hate… the manga is set in a realistic environment. some people realize they are happy with their original gender and that should be OKAY ! #－.－) i personally really liked this manga, and i think the people who complain about it are too wrapped up in the trans aspect of it to appreciate anything else.
tbh the story was good but god damn there was so much padding in the middle and i felt like i was reading the same arc over and over again but with different characters, and then all of a sudden at the end it sped up fast. unpopular opinion, but i actually like the authors choice to make takatsuki's character not transition because i feel like a lot of girls go through gender crisis during puberty age but it is disappointing there was no trans guy characters. anyways sasa chan on top periodddd
There's a lot of feelings in the comments. A lot of truly incomprehensible views on this story too. I think it might be because they read it with a strange viewpoint from the beginning. Like, they mark this as X type of story, when it is not. It's also important to understand that storytelling in japan is different than western storytelling, and in order to enjoy it you really shouldn't look at it with the same lens. The other thing to keep in mind is, and this will be useful for reading everything else too, you really shouldn't think a story is only going to showcase one single thing, or that it will focus and revolve around it.
For example here people are mostly focused on this being a story about transgender solidarity or something very similar to this sentiment. When it's simply, from the beginning, a story of Shu-chan's childhood and adolescence. It starts with Takatsuki-kun, because Takatsuki-kun was the hero and the giant who kick started Shu-chan's bravery and shaped her entire life by just being there. As they grow things start changing, and the dynamic change, they grow apart and experience bullying, love, fights and everything that comes with growing up. They started off as each other's mirror image, but end up as very different people. On their outings in childhood, Takatsuki-kun is shown as the braver of the two and more ready to embrace being the opposite of their AGAB, but as they enter middle school, Shu-chan is the one who is a lot more accepting of herself, and the one who can't really handle hiding. Sure, Takatsuki-kun is shown as wanting to have a dick, wearing a binder, and disdaining the girl uniform, but almost always conforms to the norm and even feels hesitant to defy it, only keeping a short haircut. And with the tension between them, Shu-chan still has Mako-chan to talk to, while Takatsuki-kun, even while receiving a lot less scrutiny and backlash than Shu-chan for their presentation, is still living their life being treated as a girl. Even more so when they go to different high schools, Shu-chan, finally experiencing puberty, can only see herself as a girl, and has no desire to live as a boy, while Takatsuki-kun, who has already been going through the changes for 2 or so years, ends up realizing they don't despise the girl clothes they used to hate, and so, as they were offered to try modeling a few times in the past, start to actually consider it. Here is where some people think the dysphoria was 'cured' by modeling, when modeling actually came after the dysphoria lessened. Not much thought is put into the fact that, for years, besides the school uniform, Takatsuki-kun only ever wore masculine clothes, while Shu-chan, only ever wore feminine clothes in short intervals, and as such, their level of superficial satisfaction has always been different. Takatsuki-kun ends up modeling, and realizing, that they don't want to become a boy, nor do they have to become one, we are left with that, but I really do wonder why people assume they are a girl, does not being a boy automatically mean you're a girl? As this story is focused on Shu-chan's journey, even if we are shown glimpses of other peoples paths, it's still just glimpses. There were many hints about Takatsuki-kun, but I don't think many people focused enough to pick it up, as they only take what is explicitly stated, so I will mention it here, during their school fashion show, when the 2 of them are holding hands on stage, people guess that both might be boys, even as they are both wearing feminine outfits, and then say that it doesn't matter, and then near the end, Takatsuki-kun is deciding to start dressing androgynously, and still they are almost always shown wearing masculine clothing, and truthfully, almost definitely still wearing a binder, which hints at Takatsuki-kun not being a girl, even if they are not a boy either. On the other hand Shu-chan has decided to work in a okama bar, and that she is a definitely a girl, even if she still presents as a boy in public.
About the other characters, because people consider all of them evil, for me that is truly difficult to grasp, I suppose it comes from that fact that in their life, they have a lot of people who are very american drama accepting, and many out people as well, to be honest, that is a little bit of a problem when reading this, and stories like this, because the starting point is very different, and the expectations are also very different. I actually see this story as very very optimistic in terms of behavior of other people, as I actually assume irl the chances of it being a lot closer to horror are higher than it being this good, and how tiny are the chances f it being better. Very realistic to the bond between siblings, as they fight often but there's still closeness and affection. As for Yuki-san, I'm not sure how people missed the fact that she is trying to relive her school years in tandem with Shu-chan, as she had so many regrets from that time in her life, rather than stalking, she uses Shu-chan's trips as a trigger to make that step.
The casual transphobia, yes, there is much of it, but 99% of the time it's very intentional to have it, as a show that these people are very much a part of japanese society, and they are very much children who still live under the mindset of those norms. Even Yuki-san,-back in the beginning- knowing that Takatsuki-kun wants to be a boy calls them a girl, even if she herself is trans and should be aware of the feelings that come with such rejection -can only judge per the tl not sure if in the raw she did acknowledge- tho here I do have to mention that I am uncertain if this is something that would be considered alright in japan, as I did see in other manga similarly acknowledging both the true gender and AGAB and it was also very nonchalant. As for the sister, who is shown to be judging then accepting than judging again, very understandable, it's not an uncommon character archetype, called tsundere.
Ngl, I stopped reading this bc it was getting really heavy and I, as a NitorixAnna shipper, didn't want to see them break up if I got more invested. So, I'm really happy to see that they're together in the end.
Dropped this because it just made me feel miserable. It started really cute but then there was a lot of casual transphobia and it just wasn't getting better. I came to read the comments to see if I should still give it a chance but they make me not want to finish this at all. Really disappointing.
Idk why people said this sucked, it’s literally a story ab life. Of course there are some off parts but the story didn’t suck . In the end the characters didn’t loose sight in finding themselves . I loved it so much ;((:
I know right. It's an actually realistic story about gender identity and not fantasy.
Initially I liked the story, but then the plot became really confusing. it switched from being about finding their identity as trans kids to just a bunch of confessions and unnecessary drama. It sucks, I was so excited about being able to relate with the trans boy :/
this story sucks. the plot is all over the place and they try to go through each characters’ development and problems at the same time causing so much confusion. the sister of our female lead is selfish and self centered and the supposed trans male is actually cis at the end (which isn’t bad but this was a fcking story abt finding ur true gender through transitioning and shit). all in all, the story is not a good read if ur trying to find comfort in being trans.
Frist of all this manga scksss. The plot scksss.
And second of all, where is your so called excuse that it's just fiction. Why are you complaining about this???? Proof that people only think it's just fiction if it's your preference (ex female alpha d!ck )