Man reminds me of my highschool years and what happened when everyone found out about me. I hope we get to see more Akira, as much as I am afraid of mistreatment from the rest of the soccer team, I am interested in seeing soccer/5kun and how he and Akira mix.

Woah, hit me right in the feels there.

There is something to be said for a straightforward story with likeable characters. Maybe our leads are too nice for some but damn if I don't care because chapters like this...

And it seems like there is hope with soccer boy too. Whether or not he turns out to be a viable romantic interest, I hope he steps up for Akira.

Woah, hit me right in the feels there.

There is something to be said for a straightforward story with likeable characters. Maybe our leads are too nice for some but damn if I don't care because chapters like this...

And it seems like there is hope with soccer boy too. Whether or not he turns out to be a viable romantic interest, I hope he steps up for Akira.

The love from Akira's perspective would be based off of nothing though wouldn't it? Just pure kindness and love at first meeting, infatuation you might call it. Oh well, I think I'm just looking too much into it since I've recently had to read Romeo and Juliet for school and is currently writing an essay on it.

The love from Akira's perspective would be based off of nothing though wouldn't it? Just pure kindness and love at first meeting, infatuation you might call it.

Sounds like a typical high school romance to me.

Aw... sniff poor little darling. It gets better. I promise! Excuse me, gotta go do some onion things...

bawls their queer little eyes out

I think what I like about this story so far is that they do a good job of showing people being "accepting" and people who generally don't mean any harm, but because of their ignorance they do/say really shitty, hurtful things.

Akira is such a poster-child of what people assume are transgirls.

I get she's supposed to be pitiful and we are supposed to relate, but she totally lacks depth, so I can't.

And since when long hair has been the epitome of femininity?

I have short hair. Does this mean I'm not a real girl? My identity is crumbling....author is such a jerk! How could they?!

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 8:52AM

^ that's such a tiresome trope in trans fiction. If you have a male character going trans, they have to
a) become frail, meek, easily scared so they can be rescued by more manly people (even if the manlier characters are girls)
b) their favorite color must be something like lavender or pink
c) their must start to love cooking, sewing, or whatever else could pass as feminine activity (and probably become a housewife)
d) more likely than not they must become obsessed with makeup (or clothes, or their looks in general)
e) if there's any hint of sexuality of course they are the bottom / submissive

It's as if transgender actually means transfifties (< yesyes, this doesn't make any sense), because it somehow distorts their views 70 years back to what they think a "woman" is.
I'm reluctant to consider this too much of a critique since a lot of "ownvoice" (pop) fiction I've read does this and if that's their cup of tea, who am I to judge?

But more variety really wouldn't hurt ^^,

If you have a male character going trans,

The term "trans girl" should suffice.

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 6:13AM

^ that's such a tiresome trope in trans fiction. If you have a male character going trans, they have to
a) become frail, meek, easily scared so they can be rescued by more manly people (even if the manlier characters are girls)
b) their favorite color must be something like lavender or pink
c) their must start to love cooking, sewing, or whatever else could pass as feminine activity (and probably become a housewife)
d) more likely than not they must become obsessed with makeup (or clothes, or their looks in general)
e) if there's any hint of sexuality of course they are the bottom / submissive

It's as if transgender actually means transfifties (< yesyes, this doesn't make any sense), because it somehow distorts their views 70 years back to what they think a "woman" is.
I'm reluctant to consider this too much of a critique since a lot of "ownvoice" (pop) fiction I've read does this and if that's their cup of tea, who am I to judge?

But more variety really wouldn't hurt ^^,

I can relate to wanting variety, but since I'm not trans myself I'm sure it's a more complicated matter. All I can think is of how I myself have a complex about looking enough like a "average femme girl" after thinking I looked too much like a "freakish not quite a boy not quite a girl" growing up. So I don't know if it's anything similar to that.

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 9:30AM

And since when long hair has been the epitome of femininity?

I have short hair. Does this mean I'm not a real girl? My identity is crumbling....author is such a jerk! How could they?!

2 words, Yamato Nadeshiko, for the japanese long blanck hair IS the epitome of feminity

^ that's such a tiresome trope in trans fiction. If you have a male character going trans, they have to
a) become frail, meek, easily scared so they can be rescued by more manly people (even if the manlier characters are girls)
b) their favorite color must be something like lavender or pink
c) their must start to love cooking, sewing, or whatever else could pass as feminine activity (and probably become a housewife)
d) more likely than not they must become obsessed with makeup (or clothes, or their looks in general)
e) if there's any hint of sexuality of course they are the bottom / submissive

It's as if transgender actually means transfifties (< yesyes, this doesn't make any sense), because it somehow distorts their views 70 years back to what they think a "woman" is.
I'm reluctant to consider this too much of a critique since a lot of "ownvoice" (pop) fiction I've read does this and if that's their cup of tea, who am I to judge?

But more variety really wouldn't hurt ^^,

I can relate to wanting variety, but since I'm not trans myself I'm sure it's a more complicated matter. All I can think is of how I myself have a complex about looking enough like a "average femme girl" after thinking I looked too much like a "freakish not quite a boy not quite a girl" growing up. So I don't know if it's anything similar to that.

To explain there is this expectation that we are straight (SVU had a trans ep where the girl literally says she's supposed to like boys) despite many of us being lesbian bi or ace in fact it's more common for trans people to be sexually queer like me.
That you pick male or female (nonbinary people aren't a thing)
That you're extremely masc or femme (see Transparent where the trans guy is basically a manly man.) I myself made that mistake where I had long hair and wore skirts more often back when I identified as a binary trans woman (I'm agender now for the record)

Basically the frustration I have is Akira is all these things like maybe she ends up with Hime as a bi woman but I doubt it. One reason I liked Lily from ZLS over say Nitori from Wandering son was she likes construction as opposed to say Nitori who only likes feminine things.

I've seen no evidence that the author is saying anything specific about what a trans girl should be like. Even in this chapter, the ppl who are saying a woman has to have long hair are being transphobic, not ppl we are necessarily supposed to agree with. Yeah, it's true that Akira wants long hair, but that's OK, trans women are allowed to have long hair, besides it makes certain amount sense for her to want it. It is clear from this chapter, that her parents are strict about making her cut her hair, so she almost certainly has never had it long in her life, wanting to try long hair after being told your whole life you can't because you are a boy is perfectly reasonable.

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 1:09PM

So where are the complaints about feminine cis girls and masculine cis boys in manga and anime? Cause 99% of them are just that. It's a case of authors not treating trans characters differently if anything.

It's worth noting that up until very recently (and maybe still in some places), even in North America it was very difficult, if not impossible, to get approved for hormones or surgery without living up to those stereotypes. Makeup, hair (natural or a wig), dresses, heterosexuality (or at least lying about it) up to and including a requirement to divorce if you had a wife. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of those attitudes of what a "real" trans person should be still prevail in various places, including Japan.

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of those attitudes of what a "real" trans person should be still prevail in various places, including Japan.

Oh, they most certainly do. I've seen it in manga before. I just personally see no reason to be mad at this manga in particular. At least regarding this topic anyway. The way it keeps implying trans ppl should just turn the other cheek is way more annoying to me than Akira being feminine.

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 1:25PM

Trans persons have to 'overcompensate' a little to overcome the innate physical gender characteristics and appear more like their self-identified genders. It makes sense to me...
I had long hair for years at a time, down to my belt-line :-) Usually a long scruff beard too, lolz! (both are short now though)

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 1:39PM

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of those attitudes of what a "real" trans person should be still prevail in various places, including Japan.

Oh, they most certainly do. I've seen it in manga before. I just personally see no reason to be mad at this manga in particular. At least regarding this topic anyway. The way it keeps implying trans ppl should just turn the other cheek is way more annoying to me than Akira being feminine.

One weird thing I notice in many trans related mangas, on this site at least, is that the trans woman ends up quitting her job almost as an expected part of transition, and goes to work in a gay bar or something instead. I assume that reflects some kind of weird cultural expectation.

It's worth noting that up until very recently (and maybe still in some places), even in North America it was very difficult, if not impossible, to get approved for hormones or surgery without living up to those stereotypes. Makeup, hair (natural or a wig), dresses, heterosexuality (or at least lying about it) up to and including a requirement to divorce if you had a wife. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of those attitudes of what a "real" trans person should be still prevail in various places, including Japan.

I've seen gatekeepers demand they be str8 so I've had transbians lie out their asses

Nezchan posted:

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of those attitudes of what a "real" trans person should be still prevail in various places, including Japan.

Oh, they most certainly do. I've seen it in manga before. I just personally see no reason to be mad at this manga in particular. At least regarding this topic anyway. The way it keeps implying trans ppl should just turn the other cheek is way more annoying to me than Akira being feminine.

One weird thing I notice in many trans related mangas, on this site at least, is that the trans woman ends up quitting her job almost as an expected part of transition, and goes to work in a gay bar or something instead. I assume that reflects some kind of weird cultural expectation.

It's a kind of very Japanese "don't stick out" expectation. If you're a trans (and even more so if you don't quite pass), you should dwell where people won't be shocked to come across you.

It's expected as a form of self-restraint to no disturb the harmony of the workplace. If you insisted to keep your desk-work near "normal" people, it would disturb the group.

I don't think it's specific to trans though. It's the same thing as being gay, being a loud foreigner, or being black. They make the group uncomfortable, so they become isolated and bullied in order to make them quit.

So except if the author wants to treat that aspect, they make their character avoid the predictable drama by making them join a place where they supposedly belong. "Giniro no Genders" did the exact same thing. The lesbian works at a gay bar. And if Gin is exposed as a cross-dresser, he probably will have to quit the university.

last edited at Apr 2, 2019 4:57PM

I think I just discovered what my type is.. Yukka's self-confidence and that self-assurance is incredibly sexy. And that smile.

why does that cat look so happy on the last page?
(edit: am i asking the right type of discussion/critical thinking questions lol)

last edited at Apr 15, 2019 10:35PM

why does that cat look so happy on the last page?

I happen to be an expert on that subject!
Riding on shoulders is great fun! And the kitty probably loves Hime to pieces and is happy she's home :-)

This is getting better as it rolls along, nice!

Akira might grt a girl

5Cats posted:

why does that cat look so happy on the last page?

I happen to be an expert on that subject!
Riding on shoulders is great fun! And the kitty probably loves Hime to pieces and is happy she's home :-)

This is getting better as it rolls along, nice!

Wow, I wasn't expecting an actual answer lol
and yeah, the cat probably just loves Hime a lot (and shoulder rides too)