- The art style has an interesting, surreal quality to it, and deftly transitions between the grounded and the "out there."
- The story features LGBT characters of a few stripes, and said characters both struggle and have agency (i.e. the work isn't just "exploitation porn"). The story is grounded in the experience of a realistic character, so the work never feels preachy or heavy-handed.
- I enjoyed the work enough to finish it, and I'm curious enough about the characters to try the next volume.
Cons:
- The visual metaphors are fine, but a bit obvious / tired (e.g. a character "tearing down a wall" literally as they figuratively come to terms with some aspect of their character)
- (nit-pick) Maybe it made more sense in the author's native language, but "Someone-san" is such a weird name it distracted me from the narrative
- Speaking of Someone-san, they are, at times, a more interesting character than the POV character(s). They border on being a magical force of change.
Conclusion:
Nothing about the work blew me away. The art came the closest, but I never had a "wow!" moment. Still, I enjoyed the story and appreciate that LGBT characters are both represented and able to struggle without the story feeling exploitative. Ultimately, while it won't many my list of "all time favorites," I think it has lots of potential to help people who are struggling with their own sexuality and/or who want to know more about what it's like to be a member of the LGBT community.
Final Score:
7/10
