we put so much importance on romantic love in queer spaces that i think we can forget about how important queer friendships are. having queer friends makes it so much easier to accept yourself and learn to accept others. queer friendships have so much love stored in them
for one, the manga has some of the best lgbtq+ representation i’ve seen in any manga.
the story weaves together the divergent experiences of gay, lesbian, trans, asexual, and nonbinary characters - both young and old - as they carve out a community for themselves in a Japanese town.
the writing and characterization feels realistic and deeply personal. i should note that the mangaka - kamatani yuhki - identifies as x-gender and asexual.
kamatani’s art is also jaw-dropping.
the level of detail in some panels is incredible.
many panels take on a surreal, dreamlike quality, symbolizing the jumbled emotions of the characters.
and i can’t get over how well the mangaka captured emotion on the characters’ faces.
for anyone looking for a manga that will move you - and push forward representation in the medium - shimanami tasogare is it !
