Read きみのことがだいすき, A Shoujo One Shot Manga About A Girl Who Realizes She's Fallen In Love With Her Childhood Friend

12 7月 2024

it's not unusual for children's fiction to broach lgbtq themes these days, but the way this one-shot introduces the themes and ideas around lgbtq issues to children is very clever and timely.

when the protagonist wonders if it's weird to like the same sex, she starts searching the web and watches youtube videos about same-sex couples. there's a panel a bit later where she realizes she isn't alone, that she is part of a community, and the world expands for her.

it's a clever manga since it encourages children to look up these topics by themselves. they've heard from parents about how they should reproduce, hook up with the opposite sex, and so on. they may feel lonely thinking this feels off, so seeing not only this manga reflect their anxieties but also tell them that there's a new world to explore is quite refreshing.

https://ribon.shueisha.co.jp/library/20240628/03.html

i'm also fond of the ending because it takes a pretty political turn on how the girls see marriage laws. even if we disregard that this manga is made for children, i think this is still a very subversive direction.

definitely recommended if you are learning japanese. every kanji is ruby'd/furigana'd.