I have to admit that I really liked the story. While the ending did come as a surprise, and like many I made a sad face for a few seconds, I also found it uplifting in a way. The very fact that people like Amano Shuninta depict this reality, and that it is even scanlated, is something that I believe to be very important.
Have a look at the World Values Survey. Just throw the name into Google, they’re easy to find. Go to Data & Documentation -> Online Analysis. Look up some of the cultural factors in Japanese society, in particular when it comes to marriage and LGBT acceptance. Marriage does not always represent an “oh we’re so in love” feel-good scenario, but is often a much more functional element; not necessarily a commitment to another person, but seen as part of one’s duty to society. In such a setting, it is culturally perfectly acceptable that a marriage fulfils a purely formal role – love and intimacy are not required. The Japan Times even has an article titled “Sexlessness wrecks marriages, threatens nation’s future”, including a study showing that the Japanese have the least sex in the world by a fair margin. Factor a lack of social acceptance of LGBT people into that and you have a recipe for exactly the sort of situation Amano shows here.
So why do I feel it important that such Doujins exist? Because, if the only representation is one of happy schoolgirl lesbians living in a fully accepting society, then we will never see the societal changes that are necessary. One of the elements that made, for instance, Prism so gripping is the scene where the girls are suddenly confronted by discrimination. This echoes the experience of many in real life, and not always is there someone fully accepting to save the day. Can a manga change that? Amano’s story will not singlehandedly change the world, but it may open the eyes of some people in Japan and abroad to the situations that many find themselves in today. Maybe the very indignation that people are displaying can cause them to think that a more open and accepting society is something to strive for. At least that’s my positive takeaway from this one.