If you are looking for a story with realistic characters, and some good representation, read this manga. It is exactly that.
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This if my first review. I just really need to put all the things this manga made me feel into words.
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I love stories that give a nuanced and accurate representation of individuals in these communities, and Shimanami Tasogare definitely fits the bill. One of the things that really stood out to me was how each character had their own individual story and struggles revolving around their sexuality. Even when multiple characters fit the same category, eg:homosexuality, each character was at a different point in life regarding it. This gives such a well rounded and complete view into what it means to be who they are. Maybe they are still coming to terms with it, maybe they have grown in the comforts of it, maybe they have just accepted it. Regardless, the depth and variety of each character is not limited by some umbrella term like "homosexual" or "transsexual". Beyond that, each character just felt so real to me. They all had their own goals, and wants, and desires, and no one fit neatly into a box or label. This was a lesson we learned several times.
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There are two things that really stood out to me in this story, outside of it being a soul touching read.
The first off is summed up in a quote from it that really impacted me. "You can't gauge the sense of distance between people unless you're sometimes in conflict with each other." This really hit home for me. I definitely have relationships that I consider strong, but I know they are ultimately superfluous. They are people that I value, but that I could never talk to about sexuality, or religion, or any topic that is likely to cause a irreparable rift.
The second was the character who was a school friend of Natsuyoshi Utsumi. I can't remember her name. She seemed like a good person generally, but through miss-wording, or ignorance, or misunderstanding, she ends up deeply hurting out characters. I just thought that was something I could relate to. My own ignorance could easily hurt others, which is sad.
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I don't think I can say much more without spoiling the story. This was a really great story, and I will be keeping my eye out for more like it. If anyone is looking for stories with actually good representation, that don't fetishize everything, these are two I've found so far. Hourou Musuko and Yagate Kimi ni Naru. There are a lot of cute love story type manga's that have same sex relations, but these are the ones that have effected me most so far.
Cheers.