When I was looking for art for My Brain is Different: Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders, this lovely slice-of-life manga, Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai. I Want To Be The Wall popped up.
SPOILERS
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I sort of understand why these books were paired together, but I also sort of do not.
For one, Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai / I Want to Be The Wall, unlike My Brain is Different… , is 100% fiction. It does, however, feature a character who goes through a similar kind of self-discovery as those getting diagonises… in a way? Although, that presumes that what Yuriko discovers about herself is in anyway a disability.
For my money, Yuriko’s experience is much more like coming out. Because, like being gay, what Yuriko discovers about herself might not be understood or fully acceptable to a lot of mainstream society, but she is more than okay, she is healthy and natural.
Yuriko is ace. She’s asexual.
She’s also a fujoshi, a so-called “rotten girl,” who is a fan of BL/yaoi.
The story of Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai / I Want to Be The Wall does not start with a meet-cute, but instead with Yuriko’s wedding to Takerota, a gay man who has an deep, unrequited crush on his straight childhood friend. Somehow in a scene we have not yet seen in volume one (all of which has been scanlated) this couple found each other and agreed to basically be each others’ beards.
This story is ostensibly a set-up for the comedic opportunities in this kind of relationship, like when Takerota finds Yuriko’s stash of steamy yaoi…
Basically, I like watching Yuriko and Takerota becoming FRIENDS, having each others’ back, and, you know, having a loving relationship without sex.
I’ve been featuring some of the more cartoony moments in the panels that I’m highlighting, but I generally really like the art of this manga. It’s simple and clean in a way that lets you drop in easily into the story. The cover is a good example of how most of it looks.
I will be looking for volume 2 to drop, so I highly recommend Watashi wa Kabe ni Naritai / I Want to Be The Wall to those who like slice-of-life stories around fans and fannishness and/or ace (or ace-curious) folks who are interested in reading a lovely little relationship story that’s not focused on sex. I mean, there is some drama about how this marriage is going to work, particularly since Takerota isn’t, at least hasn’t said so in what we’ve seen of the story so far, ace and his love interest is right there, working as the gardener, and Yuriko would LOVE them to get together… I mean, for me, it would be ideal if they figure out a way for Takerota to get what he wants/needs, too, but for now it’s been lovely to just watch them settle in and enjoy the light comedy aspects of it all.
I absolutely recommend this one. I found it quite fun.
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