Dam she clapped him hard

"Do I have to be a man for you and our family"

What a line

He must have been working 80 hours a week to go from looking like a fresh 21-year old to a deeply wrinkled 55-year old in the ~15 years since Mogumo was born.

never underestimate what stress can do to a person

never underestimate what stress can do to a person

Speaking as someone that's 32 but has the health of someone over 60: Yeah, constant stress for years can do a heck of a number on a human body.

That being said, I still don't forgive the dad. I am willing to forgive the dad, if this experience makes him change his tune. But if not? Oh god, do I hope Mogu severs ties with that pile of trash.

last edited at Jan 9, 2021 10:21AM

I get so afraid and anxious reading this like just going to the next page feels like something's gonna drop. At the same I am excited to see where it goes and just to see happy wholesome moments again. Part of it is that since the main couple got together relatively early, I kinda want to see more moments of them. But this is also part of it, they are together now and are facing this drama together. I got so happy when that doorbell happened and now Tetsu is here BUT also really nervous on what the dad might do when he finds out. Also go Mogu! Talking about/revealing their gender with such confidence and how there was a group that accepted them. If I was their dad, I'd be so proud.

I wonder the parents having a meal at the cafe would make a difference?

Eeeeeeh I am sorry but Idk how to feel about this. Mogumo's insistence that they are neither a boy nor a girl seems to be SOLELY because the strict father did not let Mogumo wear clothes they liked. Mogumo never wanted to be a girl (and hence, does not identify as such) and it seems like Mogumo does not want to be a boy only because their father does not want boys to wear "girly" clothes. So, Mogumo is rejecting the "boy" label to wear clothes they like? Idk if that's self-acceptance. You can be a boy and still like feminine clothing.

@けやき坂46: Talk about missing the point. Denying the existence of non-binary people won't make us go away. https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/fukakai_na_boku_no_subete_o_ch01#21

@けやき坂46: Talk about missing the point. Denying the existence of non-binary people won't make us go away. https://dynasty-scans.com/chapters/fukakai_na_boku_no_subete_o_ch01#21

Huh? Read my post again. I feel like you missed my point instead. I am talking about Mogumo and only Mogumo here. Not you or anyone else.

That is a line from the first chapter, and we have seen more in the recent chapters. Correct me if I'm wrong but being non-binary is more than just fashion choices. But right now (at least), Mogumo's identification seems to stem only from their father not allowing them to wear certain clothes.

All of the comments on this new chapter so far, including many of them on the previous few since the father was introduced don’t seem to understand much about Japanese culture, especially the role of the “first son” and the “duty of the father.”

I see nothing in the comments to indicate posters weren't already aware of it. We just don't condone it.

Tradition isn't an excuse for abuse. Being abused isn't an excuse for being an abuser. We know full well what his purpose in the story is, and hate him for the kind of person he is, despite Mogumo's best efforts to communicate that the cycle of abuse has to end.

Yes, I understand that. However, I feel that in hating the father, there is a lot of the underlying critique on the breath and pervasiveness of Japanese family culture and how it is forced upon people like the father which is missed. You definitely are not supposed to condone what the father does and how he acts, but to hate his character simply because he was raised in a culture and environment where he knew nothing else I feel makes you disregard what his character truly represents, and what the manga is trying to say through him. As someone who studies Japanese culture, trust me the father is far from the only one over there like that. If you go to any department store in Japan there will a sign labeling "girl's toys" and "boy's toys," kitchen utensil isles are marked as "mom's dining room." This is a issue which permeates throughout the entirety of Japanese society, and many people like the dad are brought up into this culture knowing nothing else, and believing that following conformist gender and family roles are simply the natural state in which all people should be to thrive in society. I'm sorry you disagree, but I feel that casting it off as just "tradition isn't an excuse for abuse" causes you to miss the point that the father never made a truly conscious decision to be that way, he was raised in society in which he physically could not be any other way.

I'm not very good at expressing myself, but I agree with all of this, this isn't just a case of "dad is an awful person" but he's been brought up with this awful mindset like it's normal and so of course he's going to instantly reject anything that differs from that worldview, both out of ignorance and out of a wish to protect his "son". I don't condone the actions but I can understand the reason behind them.

This recent chapter was great though, such an emotional rollercoaster

last edited at Feb 5, 2021 2:47AM

I get so scared reading a chapter of this arc but all the more cathartic to see it resolved. Seeing that opening page I almost expected arms to start flying but relatively calm discussion with emotional flare ups. Doesn't seem like dad made the full acceptance but he just makes it clear he doesn't hate Mogu. And good on Tetsu. Such a good bro to his sis and good bf. Tho I do feel we got "ex machina'd" I think? It just feels all of a sudden that the mom had this knowledge but about time she stood up for herself. I still liked it but I am sad it will be ending soon. Would have loved to see more of Mei and Koto. Hopefully that last chapter is all sweet wholesome fluff.

"How about we believe our child?" damn this series didnt have to get my ass that hard, jesus

Tho I do feel we got "ex machina'd" I think? It just feels all of a sudden that the mom had this knowledge but about time she stood up for herself.

I'll second that. It does seem to come out of nowhere, especially with the arc focusing so much on Mogu's sister and father, so there wasn't much insight into the mom's history before now. So it feels very abrupt.

But heck yeah, so glad she finally gave the dad what for. And supportive parents that recognize their mistakes are something this world needs more of.

last edited at Feb 5, 2021 10:31AM

Tho I do feel we got "ex machina'd" I think? It just feels all of a sudden that the mom had this knowledge but about time she stood up for herself.

I'll second that. It does seem to come out of nowhere, especially with the arc focusing so much on Mogu's sister and father, so there wasn't much insight into the mom's history before now. So it feels very abrupt.

But heck yeah, so glad she finally gave the dad what for. And supportive parents that recognize their mistakes are something this world needs more of.

Hm. Actually felt it to be somewhat realistic. It was clear that she was suffering massively under the whole situation that led to Mogu leaving. So it stands to reason that seeing someone who is in any sort of similar setting would trigger her to seek out more information; to try to at least understand the situation that caused her to fall into depression. Her not telling the father prior to this is also not too surprising, as she would have had to try to get through to him all on her own and against his inherent fear and hostility.

Am I the only one bothered Tetsu seemed to imply Mogu was binary

Honestly, I love this series and feel it has some of the best trans representation in any manga I've ever read.

The fact that lgbt otaku circles don't ever talk about this manga is a crime. I've met so many people, gay weebs, trans weebs etc who'd all love this manga. I hope that once physicals hit the shelves it'll get more attention, cause this is by far some of the most accurate and respectful representations of lgbt people I've seen out of Japan.

Edit: The first two volumes are already out apparently

last edited at Feb 5, 2021 1:11PM

Him: "I just want you to be happy."
Them: "I am."
Him: No you have to make others happy too!!!

Am I the only one bothered Tetsu seemed to imply Mogu was binary

? Where are you getting that? He didn't refer to Mogu in a gendered way at any point. He's using their given name, but Mogu hasn't chosen a different one, and, I mean, everybody there is "Mogumo". And he doesn't want to undersell their closeness by using their last name.

He uses his sister's experience to inform his explanation, but he doesn't say anything that suggests they're the same, just that the same principle is in play: The fact that someone's gender is different from how you knew them before shouldn't change how they are precious to you.

Ayyyyyy, Mama is coming in clutch with that research and finally telling off her husband, that's what I love to see.

MOGU DESERVES THE WORLD <3

*rolls eyes*

So much forced drama.

*rolls eyes*

So much forced drama.

???
Yeah, because the series is a drama. Also, have you not been paying attention to the story? The thing with Mogumo's parents has been building up for, at least, the last few chapters. Not exactly what I would call "forced".

Kaiju Fan posted:

*rolls eyes*

So much forced drama.

???
Yeah, because the series is a drama. Also, have you not been paying attention to the story? The thing with Mogumo's parents has been building up for, at least, the last few chapters. Not exactly what I would call "forced".

I just can't get into it.

I say that exactly because it's been "building up" for a while: it was all very predictable how it would go. From when we "met" the father (or even before that), I knew how the drama would go up and then wind down after "a lot of shouting".

The characters are oversimplified caricatures.

Kaiju Fan posted:

*rolls eyes*

So much forced drama.

???
Yeah, because the series is a drama. Also, have you not been paying attention to the story? The thing with Mogumo's parents has been building up for, at least, the last few chapters. Not exactly what I would call "forced".

I just can't get into it.

That's fair. Not every series is going to suit everyone's tastes. For example: I could never get interested in Game of Thrones despite its popularity.

I say that exactly because it's been "building up" for a while: it was all very predictable how it would go. From when we "met" the father (or even before that), I knew how the drama would go up and then wind down after "a lot of shouting".

Personally, I don't think predictable necessarily equals bad.

The characters are oversimplified caricatures.

Agree to disagree, I suppose.

I would argue that sometimes a simplistic story is probably one of the better ways to tell this kind of narrative. Why does it need to have a crazy twist to get the important points across? Sometimes, you just want something that is able to get across the raw emotions of the characters without overcomplicating things. It's refreshing that a manga is able to delve so deeply into a subject that is otherwise almost non-existent in, not just Japan, but a lot of other countries as well.

At first I was skeptical at the beginning with the cross dressing cafe, that it was just some manga that didn't care about the characters but I see I was wrong. And I'm glad that I gave this manga a chance. People can have different opinions but at the end of the day, it's personally nice to see a manga so focused on different aspects of the LGBT experience, an issue that isn't touched on often and with characters I actually enjoy.

I hope to continue this one until the end and that it gains the traction it deserves. :)