A rating of "9" might seem like a generous score for a story that left me with a mounting confusion right up until the very end, but that only goes to show how immensely meaningful the experience of Yuureitou was for me. I'd like to preface this by noting that I, myself, am FtM, and that I dived head first into this manga the second I heard that there was an explicitly transgender lead, but although I was enthusiastic to see a trans man as a protagonist I'm not a believer that "any representation" equates to "good representation." If I find fault with something, I won't go easy on it just because it's inclusive. Hopefully that indicates that the opinions I formed aren't too biased.

The biggest thing you HAVE to know about this manga is that Tetsuo is respected for who he is. It is absolutely imperative that you know this before you start, because at the beginning, it's not completely obvious that this will be the case. In fact, if you're familiar with just about any form of media involving FtMs out there, you might think that he won't turn out to be trans at all. You might think that, just like almost all potential FtM characters out there, his feelings will not turn out to be valid. You might worry that, yet again, a trans character's gender dysphoria will be magically cured by a makeover or a bland compliment about their "true" feminine energy. That is not Yuureitou.

Yuureitou is a manga that pretends to be that trope. It pretends to have a straight male protagonist, it pretends that Tetsuo is just fanservice to a niche, it pretends that the MC is only attracted to Tetsuo's body. And then, after pretending it's not a love story, it becomes one of the most stirring gay romances I've ever read.

The manga makes a serious effort to be grotesque. I'm a fan of the grotesque, so naturally I was pleased. Its visuals were a perfect fit for what it was trying to be. Somewhere in between Tokyo Ghoul and I Am A Hero, it had a card for every shade on the spectrum between sexual, psychological and pure horror. Its characters always seemed to have an expression hidden behind an expression. One of the characters is just... Every kind of creepy. Which is less my thing, but bearable, since all the other characters hate him too. Its environments were well-presented and oppressive, although I had no idea that the story took place in the 50's until a few volumes in.

Initially I thought the story was going to be a series of monster-of-the-week type adventures with only the two main characters, Tetsuo and Taichi, as the unifying variable between them, but gradually it revealed itself as one long, sprawling plot, centering around Tetsuo. Knowing that it was all ultimately connected made me much more amicable towards the left field developments each new chapter invented for me. I think if I were to go back and reread them with the knowledge I have now, I would enjoy them a lot more than I did.

Even still, Tetsuo, Taichi, and their relationship remain my favorite aspect and my greatest motivator for another read. Taichi in particular is an interesting character for me because I wasn't entirely convinced I was going to like him by the start. He was marketed as your milquetoast "NEET" protagonist, but that is hardly how his character is presented. The only relevance his "NEET" status plays is in a practical decision mentioned much, much later in the series, and a pretty cute initial bonding moment between him and Tetsuo. He's dorky and nerdy, but not in a chintzy way. He never goes on long, annoying rants about his hyperfixations. He is self-aware and open-minded and good just for the sake of being good. I'm still surprised and delighted by how genuine he felt, actually. Tetsuo, in contrast to Taichi's more optimistic disposition, has a cold, secretive, and inscrutable side. He has irons in the fire. There are things that need to be done and he's got the balls (ha) to try to do them, or die trying. There are times when he's around Taichi where he cuts loose, and underneath his exterior he is actually a loving person, but he has spent his life crafting a persona to manipulate a society which denies him and it shows.

When it comes to Tetsuo's transness, there are a few glaring flaws that mar an otherwise perfect depiction. It's mentioned in the manga that he takes HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy, testosterone in Tetsuo's case), but it's pretty obvious that the mangaka didn't know how testosterone affects the body. Tetsuo remains voluptuously curvy (and is thereby exploited for fanservice, which I firmly believe lies at the fault of the publisher and not the author), doesn't grow any obvious hair, and after being off them for a period of time, he even redevelops a "feminine" pitch to his voice, which... just... Does not happen. But the personal, psychological aspect of his story, his journey through transition, his depression, his oppression, it is all... Amazing. Realistic. Relatable. There's a point where he objectifies his own body to separate himself from it mentally, which is absolutely something I did before I had the means to transition. It is worth it for little details like that.

At the end, Tetsuo still a man. He doesn't give up, because Taichi doesn't give up on him. Taichi respects him and his identity, and sometimes that's all it takes to save a life. That is the moral Yuureitou will leave you with.