Illustrated by Coma Hashii
Translated by Jocelyne Allen
4 stars
I finished Okura’s I Think Our Son is Gay series and absolutely loved it so I thought I’d give his original webcomic story a try.
Noshiro is starting at yet another new school. He doesn’t have a problem making new friends, but when he encounters Sanada, a loner he projects his own insecurities onto, he becomes determined to make Sanada his friend. But there’s a rumor going around that Sanada is gay. Now Noshiro is confronted with his own assumptions and discomfort about gay people.
An adorable story. I think Okura did a great job tackling some difficult concepts such as homophobia, rumors, and stereotypes in a way that doesn’t feel like preaching.
Great artwork. Noshiro’s reactions are so over-the-top. I love his interactions with Sanada.
I will say the whole Hidemitsu plotline was a bit weird. He did give some great advice but introducing him as Sanada’s 26-year-old ex-boyfriend creeped me out. I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt for the moment as the original webcomic started in 2009 and Japan’s age of consent was much lower then. Hide seems like a cool guy but his initial connection to the teenagers was creepy.
Interested to see what happens next and whether we get a bit more context on Sanada’s past relationship with Hiro. Will be continuing this series.