“I can be fine on my own” – a Will I Be Single Forever? review

Available in English digitally by VIZ

Valentine’s Day is an open wound for people who unwillingly remain single, reawakening their insecurities and intensifying their craving for romantic human connection. There’s no denying that we are social animals and it can be really challenging to have a high libido and be touch-starved. But not everyone has the same needs and society tends to reinforce expectations that are convenient for the system, creating needs and putting pressure on unnecessary aspects of our lives. This is particularly true for women whose success has been linked to motherhood through the ages.

This is a single volume manga by Mari Okazaki (known in the West for Suppli) based on feminist Mami’s Amamiya essay. “Will I be single forever?” reflects the anxiety of the three female protagonists while coming to terms with the fact that this question has lead them to lose sight of what’s more important for them. It’s an honest piece that doesn’t forget to be gentle and uplifting in its reflective nature.

Words, Touch, Growth & Love

Romantic and sexual relationships have been brought up on this blog in the past, but there’s always something to learn and a lot to remember to put into practice.

Stories help us think and sometimes they even point to the right direction to our own struggles and dilemmas. My preferred media are anime and manga, so through them let’s talk about what makes a loving and fulfilling relationship.

The paths they chose – a Snow White with Red Hair review

That is, so to speak, my own story. If I had a wish, I would wish that the sounds of the turning pages of my story after this encounter would resound like the sound of footsteps. -Shirayuki

Shoujo and princess stories started as gender role defying tales with Knight of the Ribbon, but somewhere along the way to modern times, they became non-consensual fantasies of doormat main characters; basically elaborated rip-offs of Beauty and the Beast. Thankfully, in the mid 2000s, respectful and sweet romances that emphasize the main heroine’s agency are back, with Shirayuki leading the way.

Challenging the social expectations- a Delta of Midsummer review

Everything from how the characters are placed towards each other to who’s in the shadows to what they’re holding is symbolic. With just one image you can decipher so much.

Mangaka: Watanuki Yoshiko
Volumes: 1 (5 chapters)
Magazine: Feel Young (Shodensha)

Delta is the name of the Greek letter Δ, which bears the shape of a triangle. This is also the nature of the relationship among the three high school protagonists, Shiiba, Mitsuji and Shin. Love triangles tend to be banal, noisy and petty. But rather than a romantic drama, Watanuki-sensei gave us a character study that is fresh, bold and mature.

When men want to cry

Every November you will spot in most English speaking countries a lot of men sporting a moustache. In 2003 a couple of friends in Australia started this trend to open a conversation around men’s health, both physical and mental. Men throughout November grow their facial hair and at the end of the month shave it and they try to gather money towards assisting institutes that help people with testicular and prostate cancer as well as with suicide prevention.

In today’s world gender politics fans flames and the local intricacies combined with the way discourse unfolds generically without noting intersectional issues leads to spite and division. It’s really sad to witness the feminist movement actualising itself in problematic and occasionally exclusionary ways to the point where we can’t see the individuals in front of us and how the same net of ideas and social behaviours that women suffer from, harm men and male-presenting individuals as well. Of course, that’s not always the case, but it does happen and we need to acknowledge it.

So, let’s talk about men’s health.

Lessons in teaching

Teaching is the profession that people either talk down as just a content-dumbing babysitter or glorify it as the enlightened authority. Of course, as it happens with almost everything, the truth doesn’t lie in the extremes. It’s definitely not an easy job, even within the 2D world.

Drei Blütezeiten review at Yuri Reviews

Lena offered me her hospitality and so I got the chance to review for her site Drei Blütezeiten/ Sakikusa No Saku Koro by the emerging diamond that is Fumiko Fumi, the lady behind Bokura no Hentai!