Shimanami Tasogare

STORY: With only 13 chapters, it's hard to tell exactly how this story is going to turn out or really go in depth with the 'storyline'; there is an overarching narrative with little chunks of development in between - not bad by any means, but I do wish some more things... happened. However, it is still very good. A very accurate and nuanced portrayal of LGBT issues in Japanese society.

ART: A very pretty series; outstanding use of visual motif and symbolism - slotting in the artistic metaphors extremely naturally definitely adds to the appeal of the manga.

CHARACTER: Impeccable characters. There's a spread of different perspectives; the main character, a gay boy exploring his own identity and how he feels about things and overcoming the heavy-set internalised homophobia, with the help of a few other people, providing examples for him and support and general companionship along the way. The characters are being developed in their own terms, too.

ENJOYMENT: Very high. It is difficult to find content, let alone a Japanese MANGA, with an interesting, accurate and not fetishised portrayal of LGBT characters and issues. It also explores themes that touch on some very important points, highlighting that doing something 'bad' doesn't necessarily make you a bad person - you can learn from your mistakes.

OVERALL: Very much recommend, particularly for LGBT+ anime / manga fans. Will be keeping track of this.

This manga is so dear to me since it's realistic and the main character is too similar to me. The isuues that had been dealt, emotional phase of the characters and the social life has been portrayed so well. Each character has their own issues and each of them has been told just right, no exaggerating nor sugarcoating. Also about the art, it really is amazing and the metaphores that mangaka use are beautiful. It's not even close to your typical shounen-ai/shoujo-ai manga even though it has LGBT theme. I tried my best no to be biased but honestly you should give it a try. I have to warn it touches some sensitive contents like homophobia and transophobia so just be aware (or you might end up crying in the middle of the night while looking at your phone just like me)

p.s. I rate the character 8 because none of them are flawless, and that's what makes the story even more awesome.

Hands down the best LGBT manga I've ever read. If you're a part of the LGBT community, chances are that you'll find yourself in here.

Written by the nonbinary (or Gender X, as it's known in Japan) mangaka, Yuuki Kamatani, it features a wider range of gender expression in its characters than I have seen anywhere else, all the way from the tame, pussyfooting nonconformity found in many of the shoujo greats to the straightforwardly trans narrative of Hourou Musuko. There are gays of every kind, for every age, trans and cis, masculine and feminine and neither and both, and an asexual, too. They all belong to a do-gooding club for gays, and they support each other as both friends and family.

Over the years, I have had a great deal of difficulty finding works that handle LGBT issues sensibly, and even greater difficulty finding works that I felt like I could relate to as a man. I could name quite a few fantastic yuri with groundbreaking LGBT themes, but I mean, they're yuri. They're obviously not focused on exploring, uh. Masculine themes. Yaoi is shamelessly marketed toward straight women, and bara remains ensconced in the underground world of R18 doujin, so where does one turn for recognition?

Shimanami is definitely a good place to start. Though it might immediately strike you as yaoi from the art style alone, it retains only the airy, poignant beauty of the genre, and dumps all the insensitive fetishism in favor of an audacious exploration of the average everyday gay lifestyle. It is a meticulously illustrated, anxious, elated, rambling train of thought celebrating the gay lifestyle. It is a frustrated shout into the open air, a desperate plea to be understood, a promise of compassion to everyone that is brave enough to try to understand. It expresses thoughts and feelings I have always felt somewhere below the surface but could never quite put into words. It confronts the vagueness of internalized homophobia without regurgitating unpalatable stereotypes. It even touched upon the unique and bewildering experience of being closeted in public with no way to speak out against hatred and ignorance in your company, only to find that a total stranger is willing to do it for you. That's something I've never seen done before.

Since Shimanami is a manga so devoted to the experience, it is more about the drama than the characters. I would say that each character has their own voice, and their stories carry them in a way that never makes them feel boring, but I can't picture anyone drawing 50 pieces of fan art for one of them-- If that makes sense. Their lives outside the club and the drama surrounding it aren't particularly relevant, and frankly, they don't have to be. It is maybe a yard of shallow water in an Olympic swimming pool deeper than your toes can touch. If you have even the slightest interest in LGBT lifestyles; If you are drowning in a sea of straightness, gasping for that fresh gay air; If you want to develop a more nuanced understanding of us and the way we live-- Give it a read. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Call me being too easy or whatever but I genuinely do believe that this manga is a masterpiece. From the story itself to the characters that are involved, everything about this manga is just beautiful and praise worthy.

Not gonna lie, when I first laid my eyes on the cover of the manga, I figured I would just get some wholesome story and that's it but after reading the reviews, I became quite pumped up and eager to find out what this manga had in stall for me. Seeing how high the ratings are, my expectations increased and after reading the whole thing lemme just say.....

boy ohhhhh boy was I not dissapointed :D (I read everything in just one sitting)

To start, the story was just immaculate. There, I said it. It's beautiful and groundbreaking and I would never ask for a different version of it. I would be more than happy to further elaborate on that but I figured it's best to experience it yourself. ;)

Next, the art style. I don't even think I need to tell you..it's simply captivating and amazing. Words can't describe how much I love it.

Moving on, the characters.....honestly, I just love how different the characters in this manga are. They all have different personalities, stories, experiences and backgrounds but you find them to all be rather compatible with one another. Throughout the manga, you get to see how each character impacts the other and how they all mature and develop to become the people they are at the end.

Regarding how much I enjoyed reading this manga. Well, I'm pretty sure you can tell that I had a great time reading it. Frankly, I'd never thought I'd be in the verge of tears after reading something without any typical shounen backstory and what not but ohohoho did I prove myself wrong. Yea, this manga really got me like that. Just seeing what the characters go through and how they were there for each other just made me all emotional in a wholesome way.

All in all, I can definitely see why this manga is loved by many and with that, Ii would just like to say to anyone who intends to read this but is hesitating to do so, just do it. It's so so worth it :)

Vol. 1

|Character 3.5| Setting 4| Plot 2 | Art 5| Enjoyability 5|

|Overall Rating 3.9|

Kamatani does wonderful things with storytelling. I really enjoy seeing elements being so symbolic in manga. There is a point where Tasuku is talking with Haruka where he explodes into glass and it's beautiful.

The LGBT rep in this is interesting because you see a couple, lesbians, and one of them needs to be out and the other is terrified about coming out. They get into an argument over it and I see both sides. Why do you need to be out? She doesn't if she doesn't want to, but this giant stigma of being gay is true to our society. This is obviously centered in Japanese culture, but it's not so different when I came out to my mother. You fill the disappointment and Our Dreams at Dusk is doing a good job of highlighting how queer people are feeling and I feel like I don't see such a good representation of the micro homophobia.

Kamatani's art is beautiful in everyway and it just adds to the story immensely. It doesn't take anything away and grips your heart. The intense moments and the settled moments are beautiful. I love it all.

Vol. 2

|Character 4|Setting 4| Plot 3.5| Art 5| Enjoyability 5|

|Overall Rating 4.3|

With Volume 2, we see Misora-kun's identity crisis. I just really love how Kamatani shows intense emotion. It's clearly a work of art at subtly of shaking shoulder's, at terrified hands shaking, and yelling and screaming faces.

I felt like we have a little more plot here, but it's still heavily focused on character's and most of what I am reading is big character study.


Vol. 3

|Character 5|Setting 5| Plot 4| Art 5| Enjoyability 5|

Overall Rating 4.8

Kamatani's work with emotions is well done and I wish I knew emotions as well as they do. They put their characters in such tough circumstances and I love the different aspects Kamatani gives us.

All of these characters are highly flawed and I love that because, it's realistic. I love it even more when they get called out for their bullshit

Vol. 4

Character 5| Setting 5| Plot 4| Art 5| Enjoyability 5

Overall Rating 4.8

The final chapter of Our Dreams at Dusk warmed my heart and made me cry. There is good in this world and their are decent people.

I loved this series, it is very character driven and these characters are so strong. They are flawed and do stupid things. They are hesitant, ignorant, idiots. But they are human. They realize their mistakes. They try. Sometimes I think that's the best you can do is try. Sometimes you need to give people their space and just listen to them.

I am not one for setting as I don't particularly care too much. Kamatani knows so much about this setting. I enjoy their little notes about each part after every chapters. You can tell how much Kamatani loves this area. It shows in their work and I can feel these places, their energy is so vivid.

As I've stated in my previous reviews of these novels, Kamatani does wonders with emotions in the art. The shock, the bewilderment, even the epiphanies the characters have. It's all incredibly well done and Kamatani deserves all the praise I see them get.

Kamitani left the end open-ended and I appreciate that especially with such a contemporary story such as this. They left me with characters that I will miss.

"Shimanami Tasogare" is a story littered with impressionistic imagery and mature emotional clarity. It's strange since I have gotten so use to the rather trite way in which many other manga tackle queer characters. "Acceptance" and "coming out" are the only themes usually ever explored. This manga seems to weave a more delicate commentary on identity generally, and how that can be relevant to both ourselves and others. My personal favourite vignette was of the trans-man and his female school friend and the cringing/cloying overt-acceptance. Kindness can be it's own sort of insult, but one that is harder to rebuke. A rather refreshing experience all round.

simply amazing.

as a nonbinary queer person myself, i really enjoyed this manga and i've really been wanting to read something like this for a long time and i'm sure many other folks in the lgbtq+ community have too. since it's pride month, i decided to finally read shimanami tasogare.

the way the story handles homophobia, ignorance, gender identity, involuntary outing and many other topics is something that really resonated with me as it shows very real problems that a lot of queer teens, like myself, face.

the reperesentation is really nice too. i wont spoil who these characters are, but there's a trans male character and an asexual character, which is really nice to see as they don't get a much rep in the media. it's just really nice to see them being represented.

the art and character designs are really pretty too. i dont have much to say about it. i just like the author's art.

there's so many reasons why i love this manga - most of which i cant even form cohesive words for.

i think part of the reason why i appreciate this manga so much is because the author is x-gender and asexual. it's so nice to see an lgbtq+ focused manga written by an lgbtq+ author. it really makes it all the more special.

anyway, read shimanami tasogare

Heartbreaking, heartwarming, just heart. A beautiful whimsical short series about love and acceptance.

The collection of well realised, complex, unconventional characters and their stories sucked me in very quickly. Finding out each of their backgrounds and philosophies was fascinating, old man Tchaiko and the boy Misora especially, I fell in love with the characters and falling in love with made me feel like I'm just hanging with them at the drop-in center.

The fantastical metaphors are some of the best I've seen in any story. The shape shifting, gravity defying, Anonymous might be the obvious example, but not the only one. Tasuku breaking through a metaphorical wall drawn as a physical one was genius and one of the best moments in the series, the hospital flying scene almost made me cry.

It's a must read and a quick one at that.

Maybe I am a little biased here but this story holds a special place in my heart.

This is a story about high school student Tasuku Kaname and the people around him as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. As a bisexual Asian woman that is living in the more liberal part of the world, my head and heart hurts thinking about how to live in such an oppressive world like Japan. As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, I think almost everyone can feel themselves as Kaname himself when he sees the rejection from the world for being who he is. It hurts me when my beloved mom casually throw out homophobic comments and it hurts when everyone around me told me that my religion does not accept me.

I have grown past that and become stronger and gotten so lucky that I have people that loves me and that is why I love Shimanami Tasogare so much because that is what is about. It's about Tasuku Kaname and his found family of the LGBTQ+ communityj to foremost love and accept themselves before loving the world before them and finding happiness.

It is a slow build with realistic characters that are both wholesome and so very human. We are shown how easy it is for society and their cruel words to push someone to the edge but we are also shown how it can strengthen people (wholesome lesbian couple!!!).

So far, it touches the gay, lesbian, transgender part of the community. Maybe we'll see pansexual, aces and aros and so many other representatives. Combined with this there is also the background theme of magic that is keeping them all in one spot. That magic would a woman called anonymous who would listen to all your stories but would never ask. A grounding subject that makes everything in this manga magical and tells me that all my problems would not and should not be the end of the world.

Combined with absolutely gorgeous art and then the wonderfully written and lovable characters that all have their ups and downs, I personally don't see why anyone can't at least read one page.

I finished this manga around six months ago and let me tell you not a week goes by where I haven't thought about this story. I'm an avid manga reader (even though I don't really log my readings on MAL), and my usual taste goes towards epics like Vinland Saga, fantasy like FMA, and death matches like Gantz. However, this story has somehow become my favorite thing I have ever read in this medium. Even though I am not a part of the LGBT+ community, I was still able to relate to what characters were going through. I found myself in all of these characters whether it be the alienation, the sadness, the melancholy, and even the joy. It is the only manga that has made me cry which I think is a plus.

What is shown in the story are things that everyone has felt in their life and this story portrayed it on a level that has never been touched before personally. Not to erase the plights that are brought up that are specific to the LGBT+ community. I will never know what the fear is like to almost be outed or be afraid of what my parents would think if I brought a girl home to meet them as my significant other. The story had such a way of portraying these situations where characters, whom I wouldn't typically see myself in, stick with you and effect you.

This manga is truly something special. I think this is a story truly anyone could find something out of. I would, with no hesitation, recommend this to anyone.

Lol just to add, I will still cry thinking about the old man and his partner at the end of volume 4. That shit got to me like no other, dude.

So, I started this manga today (5/23/18) because I saw it updated and thought “Why not I’ve been meaning to read this for a while,” not realizing that it was the final chapter updating. Now I’m writing this review in tears because I read the manga in one sitting.

A brief summary of what I enjoyed because I’m going to get long and personal after: Shimanami Tasogare is beautifully written with art that is gorgeous. The story is emotional, drawing you in, making you question how Tasuku will come to terms with his sexuality, showing personal issues LGBTQ people face, and leaves you in wonder about who Anonymous is. I recommend it to everyone, no matter their sexual or gender orientation, to read this manga.

Now a more personal and longer take on the manga:
What got me interested was that it was a story about a gay teenager who tries to kill himself after almost being outed. As someone who is herself a closeted queer person (bisexual) who has a history of suicidal tendencies, I myself know what it is like to go through these feelings and events. Very rarely am I able to see what myself and other LGBTQ people go through, especially in manga form, so the plot interested me greatly. As I read it, I saw a lot of connections between the LGBTQ experience, especially when it comes to the community made through it. I loved reading and seeing how the different people vented their issues with their own sexualities, whether it be destruction, screaming, or keeping it silent inside.

One of the parts I loved the most about the manga was seeing the community portrayed in such a positive light. The story revolves around the queer community and the choices Tasuku makes after becoming a part of it and learning more about what it means to be LGBTQ. From my own personal experience and research, it was so important and heartwarming to me to see him find this community as it does (both in the real-life community and in the story) become another family. This manga is extremely important as it shows the positive of the community, as well as internal struggles they have (such as not understand each other sometimes), but still shows how the community acts as a family and cares for each other. I want to get more into this by mentioning actual scenes but as to not spoil anymore if it I will leave it there.

Moving on (kind of) from the story, the other major part I loved about this manga was the art. Incredibly beautiful (several times I just stopped reading because Tasuku’s eyes were drawn so beautifully I just had to stare at them), the art was so well done and used to its full effect, helping the story and represent what these characters were going through internally. One of the best examples of this (that is early enough in the story that I’m not spoiling much) was at the end of chapter 3 when Tasuku realizes what he is feeling towards a classmate. The scene shows Tasuku breaking apart like glass, with the glass reflecting in classmate. In that moment he also says “No one look at me,” and I cried for a good long while after this part, because as mentioned before, I’ve been where he has been. I’ve seen multiple depictions of what it feels like to be in the closet and realize who and what you are feeling, and that was the first time I’ve seen someone get it so dead on to what I felt, both the breaking and not wanting people to see.

Shimanami Tasogare is an amazing manga that captures a great look at what it means to be LGBTQ, and it’s a manga I would recommend anyone read no matter their sexual or gender orientation.

I’ve said in past reviews that the general societal conservatism of Japan makes it a fool’s errand to seek out good LGBT representation in media. Well, this manga proved me wonderfully wrong.

Shimanami Tasogare is a slice of life drama, but interestingly enough, the first chapter is framed almost as a mystery with some supernatural elements. These elements quickly fade once our protagonist, a gay high schooler who’s deathly afraid of being outed, discovers a tucked-away community of LGBT people. They come in all walks of life, from an middle schooler questioning their gender identity to an elderly gay couple. This should be a generally happy manga, a story of self-acceptance even with some bumps along the road, but the initial framing renders it permanently bittersweet. By presenting the Cat Clowder organization with an air of supernatural mystery as previously mentioned, the mangaka establishes it as escapism rather than realism. If I’m reading the subtext right, this is meant to depict how LGBT communities can be so hard to find that one might as well just treat them as a fantasy, which is pretty depressing. This feeds back into the plot, with our main character desiring love and validation but being too scared of himself and society to pursue his true self.

When I say that Shimanami Tasogare’s organization is an LGBT community, I really mean all of it. Going into this manga blind, I expected it to be about gay men and maybe women. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Cat Clowder included all sorts of LGBT people, including bisexuals and trans people. There’s even a discussion about asexuality later on, which I never thought I’d see in any media.

Since this is quickly becoming my defining flourish, it’s time for some trans character analysis (In this paragraph I’ll go into some spoilers for the second volume). For once, this manga fares really well with its transgender representation! There’s a trans man who’s not explored too much but I’m glad is there, and a closeted trans girl in middle school who much of the second volume focuses on. Junior high is a terrible time no matter what, and trying to sort through your gender issues then may actually make things worse. This character is scared of going through male puberty, but doesn’t quite have the agency or security to come out as a trans girl. She talks to the main character at large about these anxieties and feels pained every time she has to gender herself or make a conscious choice about identity presentation. Near the end of her arc she finally musters up the courage to present as female and wear a yukata during a festival. This ultimately doesn’t go too well, and a few panic attacks later she flees and stops coming to the lounge for a while, and by extension stops dressing as a girl. All the characters end up concluding that they simply pushed her too fast and that now wasn’t the right time, but that she’d come back and figure herself out sometime later. This may sound like a depressing conclusion, but it’s a devastatingly accurate one, at least for me. When I was in high school, I started questioning my gender identity for the first time, but the lack of resources and self-agency made me give up and repress all those thoughts. It took until the relative freedom of college for me to finally come to terms with myself and start transitioning. Shuuji’s arc may not have been cleanly resolved in canon, but just like me, one day she’ll be able to come to terms with herself.

There’s an interesting dynamic at play with Cat Clowder being a demolition and construction organization. I read it as a metaphor for reconstructing personal identity, which is a sweet touch. In addition to character development and drama, there’s usually some big project to move the plot forwards as well, not to mention characters having to juggle their school and work lives as well.

I haven’t talked about Anonymous at all, the mysterious patron of this whole community, who funds their projects and gives them safe spaces to exist. There’s not too much to say about her, other than that I think she’s a nice role model to look up to. If I had time and money on my hands, I too hope that I would act as the maintainer of a big space for all my friends to hang out in if they’re having trouble.

Overall, even across cultural bridges, Shimanami Tasogare’s characters and their anxieties are extremely relatable, and it’s one of the most accurate depictions of LGBT identity in a country and medium that so often distort it. If you’re queer or think you might be, this is a must-read, and it’s a validating journey. Even if you’re not, it’s still a moving character drama and I cannot recommend it enough. We need many more stories like this.

Goshdangit I didn't realise that my eyes are starting to burn after reading this manga and it very much honestly got me lol!

Anyways legit, I was glad to see a decent manga involving same sex couples young and old which you would rarely see in most gay manga. It was nice for a change that the other decided to go for this since it added a lot of interest for me as the reader to read more.

The art was gorgeous like seriously, props to the author who created this kind of manga that is well needed in the manga community!!!

A very honest, dramatic and engaging portrayal of LGBTQ characters from the perspective of a young boy coming to terms with his attraction to other men, meeting and starting engage with his small town's LGBT community and all the joy and pain this brings.

As an Asian lesbian and someone who is very involved in the LGBTQ community I've never related as much to characters in any other anime/manga or even Western media as much as these characters.

If you want a small but real glimpse into what life is like for LGBTQ people and who they are or you're an LGBTQ person looking to see an earnest story about your community and yourself I would highly recommend this manga.

*warning this review may contain spoilers*

Okay, before I begin hear me out, I've never written a review before so it may be kinda messy but the was a truly stunning story so I couldn't help myself...

Story:
The story is like nothing I've ever seen before, and it's definitely one of the most relatable thing I've ever read.
We start out with our main Tasuku Kaname being called out by some of his classmates who have found out he may be gay. He begins to stress out and almost gets to the point he kills himself, this is until he see's a mysterious woman (anonymous) jump, but to his surprise she is completely fine. This woman becomes the foundation for our story and brings together each of the different characters. This story captures a lot on being part of the LGBT+ community and homophobia so perfectly it just feels like your part of the cast. I definitely teared up a little while reading it.

Art:
Okay I'm just gonna say it, the art is utterly STUNNING, its almost poetic. The way each moment is captured is so perfect , it just draws you in.

characters:
Each and every character is beautifully written. We have people spanning from around 9 up to mid 60s to 70s. Most of the cast are members of the LBGT and we throughout the story we get to watch them come out, begin to accept themselves, and accept others.

Enjoyment:
I really enjoyed this and think even if your not part of the community you should read it to, it could help you be more open to the community :)

God, how do I describe Shimanami Tasogare? Should I call it a masterpiece? Or should I wait until there's more chapters to say that? Well, for now, I'll summarize it in a few words: extraordinarily amazing, and a MUST READ for LGBTQ+ people.

Truthfully, I do not even know where to begin with describing this manga, much less explaining on why it's so fascinating and revolutionary. I guess I will start with talking about the basis of the plot: Shimanami Tasogare is a slice-of-life/drama manga about a group of LGBT people who find themselves all hanging out in a lounge. The story revolves around a gay teenager who struggles with his sexuality and very slowly learns how to find comfort in it. Alongside him are other queer people-- a lesbian couple who wants to marry but find social obstacles in their way, a young cross dressing boy who hasn't figured out his identity yet, a transgender man whose old classmates aren't very accepting, and others. It's a story about the struggles of LGBTQ+ people living in Japan.

Now, I'll explain exactly what makes Shimanami Tasogare stands out from all the other yaoi/yuri/LGBT manga out there. One of the biggest reasons Shimanami Tasogare needs to be praised is that it's purely a story about queer people in Japan. Personally, I feel as if the lack of glamorization and sexualization in this manga is what makes it so refreshing. There's so many anime and manga out there that uses gays/lesbians purely for sexual desires. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, but yaoi/yuri has become both awkwardly glamorized and fetishized, and people sometimes forget that gay couples aren't simply entertainment. There's also a lot of anime that use trans people for comedic effect/shock factor. But this manga doesn't follow these stereotypical cliches.

Another reason is that Shimanami Tasogare addresses the very real psychological, physical and financial struggles of LGBTQ+ living in Japan. Truthfully, I have seen very few manga that centers around what it is like being a gay person in Japan. And it does in such a modest manner that you cannot help but respect it. What this manga does is it creates very realistic and normal characters, but simply make them queer, and then place them in situations that any queer person in real life could find themselves in. These simple yet meaningful and eye-opening incidents can range from unaccepting family members or quitting a job due to the heavy social pressures of being gay or your classmates finding out you're gay when you haven't come out of the closet yet. This manga takes these elementary, almost mundane-like struggles of any queer person and somehow creates an entertaining, yet informational and compelling story out of it.

Though, what contributes to the overall success of a story such as Shimanami Tasogare is not only the story and characters, but also the small details and what is hidden in between its lines. Symbolism is a common trope found in this manga, yet it is never abused and adds a charming mood as the audience tries to figure out, often with not much struggle, as to what certain objects or drawings can mean. Also, something the vast majority of people can agree on is that Shimanami Tasogare is known for its beautiful, detailed and sensible art work, only assisting to its realistic atmosphere.

I can probably go own for hours, maybe even days as to all the little things I currently love about this manga. But I will wait until more chapters are released. Until then, if Shimanami Tasogare continues on its glorious path, then I can say with absolute certainty that it will become a masterpiece.

[Story]: 9
[Art]: 10
[Character]: 10
[Enjoyment]: 10
[Overall]: 10

I've noticed there's some misunderstanding about the popularity of this work, when viewed by a hetero-cis person.

First of all, it is not shounen-ai or yaoi manga. Those genres are written by women for women. The author, Kamatani Yuki, is not a woman and is part of the LGBT+ community. Although the main character is attracted to a guy, the story isn't about romance, but rather about understanding oneself and others. If you are looking for romance this is not the place for you. If you are looking to feel understood this is DEFINITELY the story for you.

This work was made by a queer person, with a queer perspective, for queer people. That's why some hetero-cis people may find this boring or weird. For instance, the fact that all the characters are "a label and that's all they are". I think this way of viewing things has to do that to us having (or not having) labels and coming out are very important and dear things to us, and when you are surrounded by other queer people these things come into play in the way we interact. Although these labels arent all we are, when we identify with them and we think about who we are they are always there. The characters aren't too fleshed out because we are supposed to identify with them, not fall in love with them.

One of the first things you'll hear about this manga is that it's "realistic". I can understand that in the way queer people interact with eachother (and it is not fetishized like in yaoi or yuri manga). But it is mostly realistic in the sense that almost ALL the moments in the story are present in our lives as queer people. We are hurt and we hurt people, we get worried about big and small things, we try too hard to make our friends comfortable, we get confused, we get scared, we lash out. That's why it's so popular: it RESONATES in a very specific way with us.

The only thing this story is missing is maybe more negativity. Every problem the characters have turns out well, so it might be a little bit too optimistic and idealistic. It's not like there isn't drama, but most of the drama is internal and introspective. Not much happens between characters apart from saying the wrong thing and apologizing after a while. On the other hand, its not like the characters aren't presented with discrimination, homophobia and transphobia, but it is not shown in the shape of physical violence or verbal abuse, but rather in the little things society has normilized to the point that we find them even in our safe spaces.

In that way it might give young queer readers high expectations about their future, but it might also give them the hope that problems aren't forever, making mistakes is ok and the person you are now is so different from who you are going to be.

(TLDR Review at the bottom, as always, thanks for reading)
(Minor spoilers marked)

This must single-handedly be one of the dumbest stories I have come across so far in manga.

Let's get into the foundation of things and understand why. Japan isn't the most LGBT friendly country in the world, there are still some issues. Having looked up information whilst doing this review, you can find that no anti-discrimination laws are protecting LGBT people as well as no same-sex marriage allowed. Having said this, however, through my simple search it is clear as day that most people in Japan do not have a problem with LGBT people. Of course, not everyone is the same, but I would imagine that with Japan's progressive nature, like participating in acknowledging social issues, some including BLM, it isn't far fetched to say that being part of the LGBT community in Japan is going to be the worst thing that could happen to you given that you live in Japan and are part of the community.

So then what is the problem with Our Dreams at Dusk? The problem is that it takes this idea to the extreme unnecessarily and unrealistic. It tries to play off as something bigger than it shows with characters changing faster than Lightning McQueen and flawed logic that can't hold hydrogen nuclei. At this point, I am not sure if this is an excuse for a story to promote the message, "Hey LGBT people in Japan exist, please be nice to us" even though society caught onto this before this manga was even published. Or if this was actually a genuine story that I have completed missed this point in (with good reason). Either way, I will break down how this story is way worse than it seems to be and quite frankly, very overrated.


Narrative:
The start of the manga will really draw you in and everything kinda gets dashed onto your face and your left thinking what the hell just happened. After that, however, you can expect to not see something similar happen again, it goes on a steady decline downhill. It sets out the story pretty well, showing each other characters and their struggles with being part of the LGBT community, not just that too, people questioning gender, pressures from other people. It sucks, it genuinely sucks. But the story is way too extreme with this, this is where the dumb logic part comes in. You see the outside members of drop-in centre think that: if a person is associated with this centre, then said person is gay. I don't know why they didn't consider any other options, consider that this is a flawed idea to go by, and this doesn't just happen once, it happens so many times to the point where outside characters are just made to look like idiots in the face of this group. Which to some respect would make sense, given that anyone thinking this would give off a bad impression of themselves in how much they think about things. I don't think anyone is this dumb in real life and whilst these characters make this assumption, it is only an assumption (however last few chapters debunk this). Maybe I am being ironic in that being a homosexual in Japan is this bad, but it doesn't come across as believable. I don't know what to believe from this, it seems too far fetched and given real-life accomplishments it is hard to say whether or not the feelings conveyed are accurate or exaggerated. But that isn't the only issue with the story, another strong issue is melodrama. When the term "melodramatic" is used, it is usually thrown in a quick way for some easy criticism of something that tries to pull your heartstrings, but using melodrama as a way to describe this story is probably one of the correct terms to use in the instance. I will take a scene from chapter 9 to explain what I mean, this is the part where some minor spoilers come in, viewer discretion is also advised, kinda NSFW:

------[Spoilers!]------
Person 1: "They went after you because you're so cute, Person 2"
*Person 2 slaps away Person 1's hand, then shoves Person 1*
Person 2: You are the absolute worst, you homo!
Person 2: Go get pounded in ass and die!
Person 1: Shut up, keep your voice down
Person 2: You shut up, go to hell, homo!
Person 1: You… little queen!!
Person 2: You don't really get it! I mean, seriously!
Person 2: Because you're an idiot Person 1! You're so stupid!
*irrelevant stuff happens*
Person 2: Drop dead f****t!
------[Spoilers!]------

I really had no clue as to why that happened when I first saw it myself. It just happened. I guess Person 2 did have that aura that they would do something like that, but not something to this extent, the author decided to just switch this person from who they were presented to be, to some other guy in about 2 seconds. Understandably, the ending of the story featured the character of this person completely different to what I have shown you, though, the publisher went bankrupt so the author didn't really have a chance to fix up the character, very sad that no honest redemption was made to fix these errors. However, this isn't the only character who switches up to anger in an instant, another does the same but the development throughout from anger to regular personality was made well. Still, there are unnecessary switch-ups that just happen for the sake of drama.

I really can't tell if this is a mockery to how LGBT people in Japan live, or if this is the cold and undesirable truth of these people. I want to believe that this is far-fetched and that the author decided that it would be better to show extreme cases rather than that of a more realistic story. But it seems more of a joke, this doesn't feel any different from a shoujo manga if anything, it is only darker and dramatic that is what separates it really. At the end of the day, I just don't know what to believe with this as a base if I never understood how LGBT people in Japan suffer.

I have explained characters somewhat, but the most interesting one has to be Anonymous. They are probably one of the best that this story has to offer, and one of the best characters I have seen in manga. They are the perfect mystery, everything about them is shrouded in some metaphorical mist, and even when they reveal themselves of who they are in truth, they still have the ability to retain their mysterious aura, very well written character. Didn't have much time to be focused on, which is even better given their behaviour. You are just left there with this interesting fellow who makes you question yourself as well. You can talk about things with them, but they won't listen. Other side characters are actually better than most MCs, such as Haruko and Saki, especially with their relationship. It comes out as the most realistic one out of all the main relationships in the story. Nothing too exaggerated, but not something that pokes a little bit into the situation. It understands full well where their placement is and does a good effort in not trying to boast itself to a higher, delusional standard if you understand what I mean. Ilya, another genuine character in the story that has his over side of things that are shown later on in the story, not much about him is of any actual relevance, but he is a decent character nonetheless. I haven't explained the MC Tasuku that much, but he does fall into the melodramatic character this manga has given, I felt though, he used other people in the manga to get to where he wants to be in his life, I guess that is what every medium does with someone lost in life looking to seek a place to belong, but as Anonymous says "being gay isn't what makes you Tasuku". So then, where is the other part of him? I guess his love of scary stories may be something, but that isn't adapted to much. It wasn't clearly shown to my vision about who the dude was behind his curtains behind those curtains, but I think it is clear that the guy is open-minded and acts as that go-to person when you want to talk with someone. But he also comes off as constantly self-conscious of himself. I really don't know how this guy comes out as very human. Take away gay factor and you are left with a run-of-the-mill protagonist. All in all, only one very interesting character this story had to give.


Art:
The art is amazing and is timed well. Every time there is some deep thought process at play the art suddenly becomes abstract and gives an explosion of bright detail to view upon. I felt that I was used as an effect to strongly enforce the expression or emotion the characters put on, with zoomed-in detail of the character's face when the style came on to aid it. Whenever Anonymous comes on the art style uses the same effect too, it adds on to their character and how mysterious and unearthly they are. It is also used to show what seems to be transcendency where characters are literally flying through the air, or up in the clouds in some representation. I honestly have no clue if this style had some secret message behind it, but considering the story at hand, I would like to think that there isn't one. It is just pure art. The character designs are pretty good too, every character looked shiny and polished. You could tell time was well spent in that. Saying this, however, you would probably find the same style in some relatively new shoujo manga. It does feel like something out of one but it does give some distinction from the generic standard, which gives it its own style.


Enjoyment:
Meh. How could I enjoy something with so many dumb characters and dumb logic that made no sense? I won't lie though, characters like Anonymous made this worth the while with their trademarked "you can tell me anything, I won't listen though". Gets me every time. Other than that, I can't really say I liked it a lot. I guess Haruko and Saki's relationship was interesting though. Can't say the same for others.


Overall - 4.21 (4)



TLDR Review:
Story - 3: Very unrealistic and forced drama.
Art - 8: Abstract art in the form of pure art, simply transcendence if it were art.
Characters - 4: Personality changes faster than you can expect, for most important characters. Anonymous is the best character given, other side characters are decent.
Enjoyment - 4: I couldn't say I enjoyed such a forced story that had parts which made no sense.
Overall - 4.21 (4)
(Since Art was an outlier, I lowered its significance to overall score)



Having read three stories reloving around same-sex relationships as of this review's post time, I would not like to say that the theme is overrated, since I don't generalise, but it is easily exploitable to make things seem worse than they are. Though I really enjoyed My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness, that was actually very good. I made a review for that you can find here (https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=348820) if you are interested to read it. Would still go on and read stories from the theme, but right now I can only say so far, it seems very disappointing. Would still recommend this to people, however, you just need to witness the greatness of Anonymous as well as the interesting art style used. Apart from that, the story isn't one I can take seriously and is probably not the best representation of the real world.

Across the internet, I see a lot of LGBTQ+ anime fans desperately crying out for well-written representation. I'm here to point the big blinking neon sign to this beautiful gem of a manga.

To start, Shimanami Tasogare is a very real, raw telling of what it's like to be queer in Japan. It's authored by Yuhki Kamatani, a *nonbinary* mangaka-- which is incredible in of itself-- who is well-known for some of their previous work, particularly Nabari no Ou (which even itself had just a tad of nice representation). This beautiful piece is by and for the LGBTQ+ community, but I also highly recommend those outside of the community give it a read for a lot of reasons, especially if you have LGBTQ+ friends, family, or loved ones, or even just someone you know, OR if you consider yourself a fan of the yaoi and/or yuri genres, not because of content, but to give you a bit of insight as to how to act respectfully to real life LGBTQ+ people and to put into perspective the way they *really* treat the community in Japan.

For those of us in the community, it gives a no-holds-barred, viscerally relatable experience. No matter where you stand in the big rainbow, you'll feel a sense of closeness with the people of Anonymous' Lounge. Fair warning, some of the content will probably make you uncomfortable-- they don't hold anything back when it comes to the realism of the homophobia and transphobia some of the characters experience. Nonetheless, you'll find this manga to be the emotional rollercoaster of feelings that you've always wanted, and I guarantee you'll be waiting (im)patiently for the next of the (unfortunately rather slow) updates.

If you're not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I would still wholeheartedly recommend that you read this, just to do a little bit of learning on how to be more respectful to anyone you may know in the community. I know that especially younger anime fans have an unsettling fetishistic view towards LGBTQ+ people, likely because of yaoi and yuri manga (which, most of the time, are actually harmful to Japanese LGBTQ+ people because it portrays them in a played-up sexual, fetish-y manner). Read this to see the realities of what happens. It also makes a point to showcase how the little things people say and do that don't seem like transgressions can genuinely upset people. I'd particularly like to point to the ramen shop scene and Shouko's interactions with Utsumi for this one. I'm not trying to imply anything mean, but I do think it's good for anyone who would consider themselves an ally to check out for a very realistic walk in the shoes of someone who experiences this on a daily basis.

Kamatani's art is gorgeous, inspiring, and intricately detailed with symbolism and deep meaning. There's so many beautiful pages in this manga that I've lost track. You'll be completely entranced by the beautiful, frame-for-frame recreation of the city of Onomichi, a port city right at the start of the famous Shimanami Kaido, as well as the effort put in by them to discuss the city's issues with vacant, run-down houses making up a very large portion of their buildings. After reading through once or twice-- and yes, I can guarantee you that you'll read it more than once-- you'll probably wanna join Cat Clowder's restoration team too, no matter how adverse you are to physical work.

Overall, this is probably my #1 highest recommended manga of all time. I have very few complaints about it, but because of how utterly beautiful it is I can't even complain about the pretty much once-a-year releases of 3-5 new chapters. It's well worth the wait, even if I'm old and gray by the time it's concluded. Whoever you are out there, I definitely would like to see you reading this manga. Trust me.

If you are looking for a story with realistic characters, and some good representation, read this manga. It is exactly that.
--
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.