I love this so much even if there are a few loose ends. The amount of courage displayed here balanced the tragic realities we hope to confront ourselves. Prejudices and discrimination are difficult to erase but this tries to battle them as individuals. It’s not as idealized or shown through rosy-tinted lenses. Kenji and Yu battled them out in ways that they are able. For a boy who has never felt loved and treasured, Kenji feared to be betrayed by Yu’s kindness and his own yearning to depend on someone else. And Yu, who gains Kenji’s trust slowly without asserting himself like a hero I often see are portrayed on stories like this. Yu looks for allies to help him make his desire to help Kenji a reality. It’s not the sort of impulsive dreamy-eyed willfulness to pull someone away from their problem. He puts into consideration what might happen next and Yu’s patience never ran out. It’s understandable if it was for pity and the sort to make himself feel good, but it went beyond that. Thank you for creating this!
Nanohana Boys