I really hope you are talking about amnesia.

What? I recall no amnesia in Bloom. (And no, I'm not making a joke.)

Touko was playing a girl who forgot who she is, and people who "knew" her were trying to give her the picture who she "really" was.
And all of them have subjective perception of her. (Yuu was playing a nurse, and Sayaka was her girlfriend, I hope you can recall now)

That's somehow similar thing with Aya now, who forgot one whole day.
Both characters (imaginary one for shcool play in Bloom), and Aya here have some case of amnesia, and struggle to fit in new unexpected circumstances in life.

I love total craziness of this
It makes me feel, like, supernormal

For Aya is good to distance herself from that for now unhealthy situation between her, Koto, and Erika.
With that part-time job she will get the chance to think more clearly.
And probably find a great confidante in Kumagaya, who will be objective because she is not involved "in the matter".

I'm also little afraid that she would steal Aya from Koto (even for a short time).
Kumagaya looks to me like someone who won't mind that age gap.
Not that she would intentionally seduce Aya.
She just gives impression that she knows what she wants and is not afraid to go for it.
And if some chemistry happens with Aya, she would not restrain.

Why most of you guys think if you did read one love triangle story you'll know all the other love triangle stories and their ending?

This one looks very promising, and art is great. Girls are cute.
It has some level already. We are at the beginning and most of you already talk about the end.
Why not enjoy what comes in the meantime without rushed conclusions?

edit:
We all can predict, but I think "know it all" attitude is wrong.
That's what I'm pointing out.

last edited at Feb 12, 2024 9:41AM

I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

Not me. I get why, Yunduo's pain is super relatable and I'd love to see her happy, but there just isn't anything there at this stage, and I'm not a fan of "pair the spares."

Oh, yes, I see now. When you say "pair the spare" it really sounds just...pitiful.
At least at this point of the story it would be as you say.
But this is slow burn romance, and I don't think appearance of Tianli serves only to resolve history between Xingyuan and her.
Indeed, I see her as potential partner of Yunduo (observe "the hint", Yunduo came to pick up Xiaoen, but Xingyuan refused to let her go. And Tianli is the one sitting in the car with Yunduo).

If Tianli and Yunduo have some future, it should develop slowly, not as "pair the spare" (at this moment, as you noticed).
If I get the story right, Tianli is here now because of business related thing? (please correct me if I got it wrong)
If I'm right, there's possibility that she will become regular citizen of Peachtown, and true future partner-prospect for Yunduo.
Maybe my shipping came too early at this point of the story, but I hope my explanation answers why (and I did not have in mind "pair the spare")

last edited at Feb 12, 2024 12:50PM

I'm also shipping Tianlii and Yunduo

I also think Tianli fell for Xingyuan. It's already obvious in this chapter, according to her reactions after testing Xingyuan asking would she fell for her if she is so kind to Xingyuan. Xingyuan friendzoned her.

And we have also: "Don't worry girl, you are not my type, you are too childish for me!" - but I think Tianli already feel something for Xingyuan. It's not about her bruised and challenged ego, "convincing" her to start to feel something more than friendship.
I don't think that she intentionally wanted to harm Xianyuan, outing her.
Possibly she was hurt and tried to talk with someone, and accidentally slipped.
It could be: "a friend started liking the girl" (talking about herself, and someone connected it with Xingyuan, not knowing that Tianli was "the friend").
I don't think Tianli is revengeful or intentionally malicious character.

last edited at Feb 11, 2024 6:59PM

Nanase is gorgeous in recent chapter. She looks so stylish and mature with glasses.
I like her shoes.

It's interesting how Nanase and Yuni are completely mismatched in their styles. And Yuki matches in her clothing style with Nanase.
I think the author made it all intentionally, through visualization.
Yuni looks like intruder between Yuki and Nanase in this chapter, that I felt sorry for her.

last edited at Feb 6, 2024 1:26AM

I hate that all of this had to happen to you. Thank you for sharing your story.

Don't worry, it was a part of my journey. It was not easy for me to share and talk about it, especially in public, but I wanted to give some "signal" to people that I exist, and here I am.
I still have to fight to get my real name. Sometimes we must find a way to make our own name and correct all misplaced things given to us by birth and heritage. We are our own persons.
I am actually very thankful to you for your kindness, and for talking with me.

I had a habit to buy beer cans, trying to drink as usually, but when I noticed that I'm throwing out almost full cans day by day, I just stopped to buy them to save my money

"Throwing out", I meant throwing away, throwing in garbage almost full cans of beer, not vomiting (because I could not drink them, it was just some habit of buying what I knew I needed before)

Oh, that was correct already. "throwing out" and "throwing away" are more or less the same thing. Vomiting is "throwing up". Phrasal verbs are a bit of a pain for people learning english as a second language, aren't they?

Uh, I really messed up, ha ha. Yeah, thanks for letting me know. It's so true what you say!

I can see now and imagine how hard could be to our translators here...

I still think there is more what truly shocked Koto, not just Aya's disappearance and lost love. And it must be connected with her writing and "wishful thinking".
She stopped to write completely, turning to play tennis???
It's not simple for someone to leave things they love. That's why I sad last time that her current behavior reminds me of feeling sense of guilt.
But now, after Aya appeared again, she could feel relieved (and that's what Erika counts on)

last edited at Jan 29, 2024 11:30AM

I'm very interested how the author will present this story and explain phenomena when someone is completely pulled out from time and returned again

I certainly could end up being totally wrong, but at this point I'm not certain that the author ever will present any explanation for Aya's disappearance/reappearance at all, except maybe something hand wavy at the end like "the mysteries of Tanabata, star-crossed lovers, something, something . . .".

I wouldn't mind it. Just, I found few things possibly connected with some "revelations" how and why Aya disappeared.
First is mystery about conversation of Aya and Erika at the day of the festival.
Then, Koto's dream (or real memory?) that she saw Aya that day.
And the third, Aya does not remember that day at all (it's some kind of amnesia, because that day really did happen in reality for all of them).
Those are my arguments, why I think that we will find out something more about mysterious disappearance of Aya. Maybe not about mystery itself, so you can be right anyway. But something will be revealed to us, for sure.

Which is fine. This could well end up being a very good story by just concentrating on the relationships among the characters--other manga series have featured weirder premises than this without worrying too much about the nuts and bolts of how those premises work.

Yes. You are right here. I also totally enjoy this story already focused only on relationships between characters. More important is to accept (new) reality in which you find yourself, without thinking much about past. We all have strange things happened to us, if that "work" wants to stay hidden from us, we can't do nothing to change it.

There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy, after all. Or so I am given to understand.

You are wise.
I enjoyed very much reading your thoughts. It's really cool attitude that you shared. And helpful to me personally to see some things from a different perspective. Thanks.

For me, Hotaru was tragic character until Yuma did not find her at the end. She felt like a burden to Yuma, with all her crybaby phases in childhood.
She felt like she is stopping Yuma from finding friends, and later she felt like distracting Yuma from her "real happiness" what she assumed is with Takeda.
She was secretly in love with Yuma from their childhood.

All those NTR situations from the beginning started as preparation of Yuma to be ready for sexual intercourse with Takeda.
Always protected by Yuma, she wanted to return the favor.
Hotaru wasn't cunning, bitch, or anything evil. She probably have had bad experience knowing how first time can be painful and wanted to help her friend,
and in same time she acted like careless bitch to hide the fact that her sexual (and emotional) interest in Yuma is genuine.
She was tempted, but always thinking that for Yuma it all must be "just practicing", meaning nothing, she acted the same to hide her love.

She slept with Fujiwara to stop him ruin Yuma's chances with Takeda (believing that Yuma is fully interested in Takeda)
She actually sacrificed herself for Yuma, staying in that abusive relationship to protect her.

She was typical lesbian who would sacrifice her own happiness for a sake of her "straight" BFF to be happy with some guy.
Luckily Yuma was gay, chased her and found her, and we have the happy end.

last edited at Jan 25, 2024 2:49PM

The time travel hasn't been addressed (yet), but going around saying you've been spirited away for seven years ala Urashima Taro or Rip Van Winkle is a surefire way to get locked up in a mental ward. And what middle school would enroll a 21 yo?

So, in effect, Koto and Erika (and the two people from the drama club) are the only people who'll accept her and believe her.

Now, what the author is doing is exploring what consequences it has. On her relationship, on her daily life, what is she supposed to do now, etc.

That's so true. There's no place where someone can go and report to the laws that something mysterious, inexplicable, paranormal happened to them. Even Erika, Koto, and other witnesses can't do nothing except to accept the truth.

What is very interesting, Aya was spirited away physically and spiritually at once. She even does not remember one whole day (day of Festival is completely erased from her memory and we know that she does not remember her conversation with Erica on that day).

I'm very interested how the author will present this story and explain phenomena when someone is completely pulled out from time and returned again, because that is what happens to persons who experience death. It's not the case with Aya, not in "usual" way how it happens, but it has some similarities (and differences) which I want to point on, from my perspective.

Usually the cases of "spirited away" persons nobody else can notice.
And it happens in much shorter time than 7 years like with Aya.
State when it happens is called tardemah (deep sleep, death or death-like state when awareness is disconnected from the body, a state what splits someone in two, etc.) I found the word researching about after death experiences, and its complexity with many definitions fits the best and covers all what I know from my personal experience:

In reality tardemah-like state is presented (mostly) as gender dysphoria (awareness of transgender persons is actually feeling of disconnection with their bodies; there is a split in two, like between their gender (awareness) and assigned sex (body).

In other cases, tardemah (deep sleep) is state of lucid dreams (our awareness is awaken and we are aware that our body is sleeping)
In this state we often can experience sleep paralysis.
Or we can free connect with our supraconsciousness levels (higher states of awareness) and have meaningful dreams-visions which can have healing effects to us, or give us important directions or info.

Next level, lucid dream state when body sleeps, but our awareness is disconnected from the body and can "move around" by itself (similar state with clinical death, but body keeps its functions, it's just sleeping deeply and we can often see our body "from above")

Next level, state of "prophetic visions" (awareness is disconnected from the body and can travel through time, in past or future, and we can see and experience key moments important to us, or even look at the timeline of our life if we want).
(This often happens to people who experience deeper state of clinical death)

The deepest level of tardemah is death (of the body)
All functions of the body stopped to work, but our awareness is completely awaken and cut off from the body and becomes pure energy with feeling of self (and others). Our awareness expands to the max, we clearly know and understand everything (that state is not quite possible to explain using words, it's another dimension for us here)

Usually, persons who experience clinical death are passing through few (lower) levels of tardemah described here, or some of us are living it in reality (through gender dysphoria), but it's very rare to come back from the deepest level. We all are passing through all of these levels (in sleep or when we die), but we don't remember the last level, because when we are born, our brain is still undeveloped and we must learn everything from the beginning. So we can't remember "the other side" of life.
I'm probably one of the rarest persons who returned from the deepest level, and my brain was already developed enough to remember, and my knowledge and experiences were saved that I did not have to learn from the beginning. So, I can give some of my insights to people, and it's truly authentic.

Comparing my strange experience with what is happening to Aya, it's very similar:

• Aya can't take any legal actions trying to prove or explain what truly happened to her, nor she can get a proper help or understanding from laws and society (It was THE SAME for me! If someone did read my comment on Boyfriend Sometimes Girlfriend, they know what I'm talking about).

• Aya lost memory on one whole day (me too, in my "spirited away" situation, I can't reconstruct in my memory one whole day)
  After return and not existing in continuum of time, nothing is same anymore.
  Even shorter period of "non-existence in time continuum" can cause disorientation in time. Imagine what 7 years can do to Aya keeping her the same after everything around her drastically changed!
  (I still have a problem with concept of time after 7 years from my returning, but in the beginning it was more intensive and more harder to orient than now)
  It's so real and very correctly presented in manga through Aya, you are basically a child after returning. Others will not see any differences in your appearance, but for you everything changed. To me Aya is kind of metaphor for my personal state and how I truly felt after experiencing all those strange and inexplicable things.

• people can't relate to Aya (and me) according to very rare or unusual situation (or they can be just helpless like Koto and Erika, not knowing exactly how to behave in such situation)

I hope that my explanations can bring people closer to understand some not quite usual, but not impossible situations.
People like Aya really exist, practically left on their own after experiencing something very rare, what we could call "supernatural", since we don't have better words or better awareness about it.
That's why I'm very curious how the author will present this story until the end. It really resonates with me.
And I'm glad to see people engaged to this story genuinely interested to understand situation and find solutions.

In my opinion, person who could help Aya now is Erica (introducing her to the troupe, and possibly open the door to Aya for acting, to do what she was doing the best)
It's very important for Aya to find some purpose in her current situation, not just part time job. What Aya truly needs is to start self-growth again.
She is now like an uprooted plant, transplanted in new soil after 7 years of hibernation. Finding only a part time job would be like putting that tender plant into concrete.

last edited at Jan 25, 2024 1:58PM

I was for so long very reluctant to comment here openly as trans guy, because of all those circumstances in rl. I suppose additional pressures are make me feel like a snail.
It would be really pity if people here become hostile toward me.

Dynasty is ~generally~ very trans-positive. I can say that most people here will be welcoming to you. That said, if anyone tries to give you shit about being a trans guy (or asexual, or whatever), I and others will come to your aid.

Thank you! I'm glad to hear that I have your support. Anyway, I can handle and deal with people even if I'm alone.
I have "dead nerves" and it's hard to provoke me easily.
Usually when I see mean comments addressed to me (usually indirectly) I think: "Oh, another mosquito is buzzing around trying to bite me". That's all "damage" they can do.
I passed through a lot, and if death wasn't strong enough to get rid of me, surely some mean comments are completely ridiculous.
(If you continue to read, you'll see why)

I would like just to have some enough safe space to rest from my battles in reality (but I won't put my guard down even in my sleep until I turn the whole world into safe place for everyone oppressed now)

Whoa, calm down, you don't have to change the world by yourself! There's plenty of us out there, we're all working together to build a better society, locally and internationally. So if fighting ever becomes too much, take a moment, breathe, leave the fight to us for a while, until you recover. It will be all right.

After figuring out about myself, I contacted LGBT in my area (still 4 letters in that time) to ask for some directions. And received very transphobic and unhelpful answer from some guy who continued to use wrong pronounces after all I said clearly in my mail.
I felt terrible seeing that someone who should be my people closed the door to me. I thought: "OK, I'm on my own now. I'll go my way without any support of others!"

My "parents" also did not support me. Someone of them poisoned my food after seeing that I won't give up under their pressures.
After (some kind of) divorce I was living in my city one year with my kids, taking care of them alone, "parents" bought house in some village and allure me to come to live with them. Little did I know that it was a trap to suffocate my transition in perfidious ways.
After poisoning (7 years ago), I realized it would be smarter to keep it for myself, stay where I know my enemy, than go somewhere where my enemy could be anyone.
(especially when you are trans person, already marginalized and discarded by society, what can you do when your word already means nothing? To whom to speak and how to prove, being alive, that someone killed me? Anyone would take me as an insane person)

I moved in some two-rooms storage next door, in very bad condition.
There was no water for 2,5 years, damaged walls, only outer roof.
I had to leave every luxury to keep my life safe.
I was living in inhuman conditions, appalled for months, almost speechless. Probably with some terrible PTSD (my body passed through the most terrible distress of dying), and I passed through all it by myself.
After recovering, I started to work on that place, and turned it slowly in very comfortable place for living.
I fixed walls, made new door with my own hands, some window too, got water after 2,5 years, air con, etc.
All those handy works without previous experiences.
I worked on myself in same time, without having any friends or real supporters.

For me, the most important thing was taking my life in my own hands.
Yeah, I became poor, so what? Better poor and still alive than rich and dead. When I'm alive I can work on everything to change my situation.
I saw that I'm actually very capable to overcome anything what life throws in my face, and my self respect grew a lot.
It was like living in very much war-like conditions, but for me it all was connected with my personal growth. I was someone sheltered and maybe a little bit spoiled, constantly obstructed by others to grow.
New reality gave me a chance to discover real me, to see that I'm capable to do life-changing things while having just a little.
I don't just look like some trans man who is transforming by hormones, I'm becoming visible for who I am inside.

Now I think, if I'm still here after all, maybe there is some reason why I'm here now and not buried under the ground? Maybe some day I could do something to change the world?
I'm smart enough to find my own way and contribute.

I'm very thankful to you and all the others who are fighting in your own way for the same goal as me. I'm strong individual who finds my own ways, so, however strange I am, please let me do it my way.
We'll meet "somewhere in the middle"

I hope I will be forgiven talking this time not particularly about manga.
I just wanted to introduce myself to people on the forum, since I am complete outsider and not a member of any community and nobody knows me here.
I'm just someone who loves to read same things you love too, and sometimes to express my thoughts about it as everyone else.

I also hope that sharing my personal struggles and how I did overcome them can encourage other people who are struggling, not to give up from themselves even the situation is forcing them to hide for now. Trust me, just one moment is enough to change everything. At first it can look bad, but it always turns in something wonderful.
Believe in your moment. It always comes when you are ready.

I also have some correction to make to be more precise what I really said here:

I had a habit to buy beer cans, trying to drink as usually, but when I noticed that I'm throwing out almost full cans day by day, I just stopped to buy them to save my money

"Throwing out", I meant throwing away, throwing in garbage almost full cans of beer, not vomiting (because I could not drink them, it was just some habit of buying what I knew I needed before)

I don't think it was that common. I've been around since 2014/15 (this is my second account). There have always been transphobes on the internet (and there will always be), but dynasty had relatively few of those, and I never had to fight alone.

Yeah, I was also present years before subscribing here. It's not like I'm ignorant or that I don't know about people from our community, I just want sometimes to interact personally here with people.

edit: correction of some mistakes made by typing fast

last edited at Jan 22, 2024 1:20PM

Sorry, I haven't read the entire topic, but I will say that the MC could be gender-fluid or even gender-apathetic. I know personally, I'd love to be able to flip between bodily configurations freely, based entirely on whim. The MC did express that he's not exactly comfortable with the situation, but his love for his GF outweighs that. At this point, it really is just "wait and see".

Thank you very much for sharing your personal POV. What you say is very interesting and very possible.
As I said above in some of my comments, at this point nobody who commented is wrong. Everything what EVERY commenter said is completely valid. We all are recognizing situations according to our own experiences or struggles.

For me who is forced to be complete outsider and solo in my battles with people and society, and as someone who lives in an appendix of the world where I am cut off and can't meet any openly queer person, this discussion is very important and educative.
I'm very interested to see and hear what other people have to say sharing so many different opinions, experiences, and possibilities.
And this is exact point of the story where we all can do it and won't be wrong, however the author turns the storyline.

So, my personal thanks to everyone who commented and will comment to share personal POV's or express themselves here.

I have no idea what the chapter six gag is supposed to be about but I had a good laugh. Just wa-bang, pan off the forehead for absolutely no reason.

Probably jealousy (or envy) for Miharu's cooking skill because she tried to do exactly the same thing and failed

(but I doubt that in manga MC as trans guy will really be the case if it is yuri ending)

We don't know that yet? I see this isn't tagged as either yuri or het, probably because mods are waiting to see which way this story goes.

I also think the same. What is the most interesting detail, we ALREADY have yuri (what we see is two girls are kissing)
And why we don't have tag yuri? Because of not knowing exact gender identity of MC for now. Or, if he identifies as man, yuri tag would be wrong, whatever we see with our own eyes.
I can say from my pre-transitional personal experience from my so-called marriage with cis man, we perfectly looked from outside like any normal het couple. But actually it was TOTALY INVISIBLE TO OTHERS GAY MARRIAGE, hahahaha
And it was approved by society and everyone who saw "the picture"
(well, I played a role of a woman from the outside, but we never had that typical connection male-female, man-woman like other het couples, something always was off). When I finally figured out and came out to him as transgender man, he said: "You know, you might be right", but he could not accept it. Or if he could a bit later, it was already too late ( I was not sure is he really accepting me or the apartment given to me to live there).

Great examples how (gender) identity truly is important (especially for understanding ourselves and other people).
If we look just "the picture", it can trick us.
That's why I'm stubbornly pointing on and on, on importance of what is inside "the shell". On importance of inner being, self-awareness, psyche, emotions, mindset, everything what is abstract and invisible but constantly present. And it's knocking, knocking until one day is strong enough to break that shell and come out. Nobody should suppress it, neither we who have it, nor strangers who don't have it but want to mess with our life anyway.

While I agree, I don't expect this story to go either way. It'll probably be just "I don't care about gender so long as I can be with you", without any deeper discussion of gender identity, much like Nya-chan predicted. Just "i guess i'm a girl now, that's life, huh?"

Yes, I understood Nya-chan's arguments. Maybe author indeed does not have in mind nothing related to gender identities. We'll see...

Unfortunately, we don't have many safe and trans friendly places to talk openly without being exposed to mockery or additional discomforts. For me, who is living in very hostile environment where laws don't recognize transgender people in transition, only accomplished transsexuals, it's really important to feel safe to be visible.
We can only change name in some gender neutral but we can't change assigned sex in our documents. And, even I'm passing as a male now, until bottom surgery I won't be recognized. It's like people in transition don't exist. Or, if someone can't go all the way from any reasons, is doomed.
I had a few situations in bank and post where employers started to question my identity and there was a line behind me, like, 100 people (imagine, they see a male, but documents are saying female). It's public outing, and can be very dangerous. I felt very uncomfortable to be called out like that, but I shut up mouth of that employer.
I might be careful, but it does not mean I'm a coward and won't stand up for myself even threatened with violence.
I knew that choosing transition I will lose everyone, my "friends" and "family" and my privileges, but I am getting myself. He who lives in this body is precious to me and I won't give up of him until he is born in completely safe place.

I was for so long very reluctant to comment here openly as trans guy, because of all those circumstances in rl. I suppose additional pressures are make me feel like a snail.
It would be really pity if people here become hostile toward me.
I would like just to have some enough safe space to rest from my battles in reality (but I won't put my guard down even in my sleep until I turn the whole world into safe place for everyone oppressed now)

Maybe because I'm asexual also helps.

Ooo neat. I love finding fellow aceys in the wild. I'm gray-ace, myself.

O, that's superfine. I think I was gray before "day D" in my life (if you remember some of my previous comments to you (I think it was response to you) when I said that I might be asexual but not sure if I already was before "day D" or I just experimented or going with the flow)

I was switching (bf-gf-bf-gf-etc) hahahaha
But I think I didn't feel fully comfortable in any relationship, gender irrelevant. That's why I think I was in gray area in that time.
After "day D" (when I died and returned) it seems that I reached some kind of... nirvana? state. I lost my desires (not from depression, I did not lose my will and joy for life) -trust me, losing desire for alcoholic drinks during life-cut, was something wonderful. I had a habit to buy beer cans, trying to drink as usually, but when I noticed that I'm throwing out almost full cans day by day, I just stopped to buy them to save my money and stopped to drink alcohol. And never again I felt desire to drink again.
Really strange, I was an alcoholic drinking daily, and from "today to tomorrow" I wake up and I find that I'm not an alcoholic anymore. Great, just great, what else I can say?

Then, I am not suffering anymore (inconveniences in my life are really insignificant or turn to something better), I have expanded awareness of myself and others, and knowledge of many other things.
I don't feel sexual attraction to anyone (even not romantical, I'm just kind to people). It wasn't like that before...
But I enjoy a lot aesthetical aspect of sexuality (reading yuri manga is great example)
My dark side is like a shadow on the sunny day.

^Yeah, I completely get your points. Gender bender manga indeed makes those trans-like situations, and I'm just pointing on them from my perspective.
That's why I made a clear line telling that character is not trans (not showing any gender "issues" living regularly as a boy and you had similar perception), but he becomes trans or trans-like (by some supernatural force here)

Anyway is too early to see where story really goes.
But it is interesting to see very different opinions and arguments of people.
I'm taking all of them as valid, even if they oppose with mine.
We all are speaking the truth from our perspectives.
And that makes the thing superinteresting. Because nobody of us is wrong here. It's just great that we can exchange so many experiences and learn here a lot!

How cute they are together, really matching couple.
It's a pity that kiss was interrupted (obviously would not be an assault)

Well of this is what we are talking about then so be it

From my perspective the MC seems like a perfectly regular reserved boy. Who has neither shown any indication of not caring about genders nor being obsessed with them.

He lives with his grandpa and isn't very outgoing, desperately wants his romance to succeed, has a decent backbone, not used to being adventurous, bit of an overthinker.

Rather normal on most fronts

^This is what I'm talking about, my argument and very similar perception of the character.
And we have now supernatural element replacing this very regular boy into situation in which every trans guy finds himself.
Manga makes it look like "regression", contra transition (going backward of what usually happens in reality)

And this is very good example to show that every trans guy or girl, placed in right body assigned sex, would be just regular like any other cis person (like MC in his original form).
If you can catch my point and what I'm trying to explain to people.
You would not be able to find anything strange about them.
That's why transition is very important for majority of us and should not be denied or strictly controlled by some kind of "authorities" who are giving to themselves rights to make decision about our own destiny.
It's not human, it's degrading.

HayaH's argument is that the MC is becoming someone who has a male gender identity in a body typically considered female (i.e. uterus, ovaries, et cetera). It's a reasonable argument.

Yes. I explained it in other comment. There IS the difference in mindsets of men and women, and trans persons are closer to mindsets of opposite gender, than assigned.
If it is not true, there would be not feelings of gender dysphoria.
(simply, I'm observing MC "retrograde". Sometimes going backward is the way)

(must add where I live I can't change my name legally and it's really hostile area)

Oh, that's hell. I hope things get better. Please do take care and don't put yourself needlessly at risk.

Yeah, don't worry, I'm managing. I learnt to be very cunning to avoid obstacles and unnecessary explanations of myself to strangers.
Sometimes it's a thrilllll

I don't know how you can read the character as a trans man when they don't express any particular discomfort with the physical experience of being a woman except "it's hard to sleep with boobs" on the first night. They don't express anything akin to gender dysphoria when transformed into a girl. There's the initial shock of a supernatural event, a bit of confusion, but mostly concern for their gf.

We are in disagreement only because you are trying to define trans person through feelings of gender dysphoria and discomfort, what is not wrong. But is not enough.
You are lacking to observe abstract aspects of the character, his psychological and emotional state, his self-awareness and his mindset.
It is given through his inner monologues.
For myself, he is thinking and feeling more like any normal man (male) than trans girl in her awakening.
Also, considering initial shock and novelty of situation, we can't say that he is 100% aware what exactly is happening to him, what his priorities should be, etc.
What I want to say, he simply did not have time to digest and process everything, in such a short time. So, his reactions we can't consider as definite or completely valuable while he is under the influence of shock (similar like that he is under the influences of drugs).

I'm trying to make you more aware that we should not neglect that spiritual (abstract) aspect (psyche-emotions-awareness) in transgender "phenomena". It is invisible and abstract, but it is still present!
We can't neglect from where that awareness of being trapped in the wrong body comes, why it reflects through gender dysphoria (generally), etc.
For me, the main reason why someone is trans is the mindset (self-awareness, gender identity, "ghost of a boy or a girl who lives in body of opposite gender", call it however you want it IS abstract and invisible), not gender dysphoria itself (it's reflection of that "thing" we feel).
From personal experience, I'm someone who must make compromises because of life-circumstances and I have to live learning to diminish feelings of gender dysphoria as most as I can.
Maybe because I'm asexual also helps. I suppose if I'm a sexual being those interactions would amplify feelings of gender dysphoria, so I'm fine as I am. (also my death experience split my life in two parts and changed me. I am now more like someone split in two by circumstances (not DID, it's still me just "me before" and "me after" have some inexplicable differences)
This "me after" is more gender neutral and asexual version than "me before" who was typical trans guy who was bi and a little bit wild.
"Me after" also don't drink alcohols, but "me before" was an alcoholic, and it changed just in few hours like it never existed, without any treatments and cravings! It's really strange. I really can't explain.
And it just happened.

I want to tell you with those examples that gender dysphoria can be controlled, that you can actually learn to live with it, and diminish to almost non-existent without going completely through whole process of transition. So, it's about psyche (mindset), emotions, and awareness of self.
And from other examples, lets say that it was some kind of supernatural power which changed me completely. I died (of poison). I returned.
And nothing was the same after it...
That's why I can read MC as a trans man and understand supernatural element as something "possible", or consider those "superpowers" differently than other readers.
(but I doubt that in manga MC as trans guy will really be the case if it is yuri ending)

If the MC's gender identity is male then he's getting put through some kind of weird forcefemme conversion therapy by his gf and unlike real conversion therapy it seems to be working very well on him. That's a pretty disturbing narrative, a sinister tale of a man's identity being erased and rewritten without respecting his will, and I don't think the tone of the story is nearly that dark lol. i don't think I've ever seen any genderbender story go in that direction tbh.
If we instead read her gender identity as a woman, it's a tale of a girl having her egg cracked and getting to explore a wonderful new world where she feels like herself for the first time, and grows more and more comfortable with it. The tone of the series so far definitely seems more in line with that.

If you would believe, it's not that I'm disagreeing with you.
I'm completely aware that my theory is more toxic or dark than theory about trans girl awakening.
My point was just to awake awareness about trans guys who indeed can be in 100% female body, fall in love with a girl, etc.
I by myself experienced it and tried to identify myself as a lesbian, but I felt wrong because I was not aware of myself as woman, I just THOUGHT that I am woman by default. If you can make the difference and catch what I want to say.

I'm gonna continue using they/them for the mc for the time being, they're being presented pretty fluidly so far, but it looks like it's leaning feminine pretty hard lately.

I noticed. And it's fair. I'm using he/him because I still perceive him as a male (until it eventually changes I will adapt anyway)

last edited at Jan 18, 2024 9:08AM

edit: the fuck's going on in the comment bro??? what's people fighting for lol I'm trans and I think this manga speaks levels on a lot of issues related and does not harm anyone, so what's happening exactly?

Hahaha, some of us are "arguing" is MC "antigravitational" trans man (by turning supernaturally into the girl from his previous cis form, like some kind of reversal transition process) or trans girl who was male at the beginning but fulfilled her unconscious wishes accidentally (again in supernatural way)

last edited at Jan 18, 2024 4:52AM

The point is not that if you're finding the story compelling, you're obviously trans and should seek transition. It's that if the story speaks to you in certain ways it's worth figuring out what those reasons are, and working with people to help you on any journeys of discovery that might come along with it. The goal is not transition but a deeper understanding of what your own self-conception actually is, and that can't be done without exploring some ideas that might otherwise remain covered up in a bigoted society.

In most cases transition IS the only way. You, saying that you are cis, can't know it because you feel good on hormones which your body produces naturally. But try to live for some time just being misgendered and let others use wrong pronounces on you, and I guarantee that you will feel discomfort almost immediately being addressed wrongly. Imagine how is to live with same feeling for years or decades, or even whole your life.
Identity is about being addressed by YOUR REAL NAME, gender pronounces are just one step behind it.
And having REAL NAME is the most important thing for every person.
Because when someone calls you, you answer knowing it IS your name and YOUR destiny seal. Why would we, trans people, answer to others while being addressed wrongly? Why do we have to live destiny of someone else, being addressed by wrong name and forced by society and others to respond on "wrong call"? It makes us liars! (must add where I live I can't change my name legally and it's really hostile area)
Think about it deeply, because maybe nobody presented it to you like this, before.

For me transition was question of life and death. Without switching hormones and starting to be visible as man, I would die, simply wither.
If I tell you that I was even in some kind of marriage with two kids, simply vegetating and living on autopilot, until I figured out that I AM trans man, what would you say?
That I was simply "insane" to leave some from outside looking comfortable life and privileges to chase after some "illusion"?
After trying so hard to BE a woman and "fulfill my duties" I realized that I was just playing some role of woman, that it drains almost all my life energy.
And I was already mature and in my 30's, so you can't say that I was simply influenced with some kind of stories (like this manga and similar, as you say), when I even did not know what word transgender means, or that it exist! (My body was my grave in that time. Until I started to give birth to myself, becoming visible as a man)

But I'm telling you, after revelation, 24 hours was enough for me to decide that I will go all the way. To do it for myself (I was living for others to be happy, but I wasn't, and I simply owed it to myself)
For personal reasons (not health) let's say that I can't go all the way (at least for now).
So I decided only to take hormones without surgeries, that I can have complete control which system of hormones I will use and switch when I am forced by some hard life circumstances, or like when I saw that I'm starting to lose some hair on top of my head because of T, I simply switch (return on body natural hormones, let my hair grow again and I switch again on T).
And I can say that I feel better on T, like, million times.
I really tried so hard to be a woman, but I am NOT a woman!
Without transition and visibility of my real identity, I feel suffocated.
So, would you rather leave trans person to die, than let them transition?
You never experienced hell of puberty, when you would become aware that you are completely helpless to stop your boobs to grow, that you are turning into a woman! (I just did not have a word and knowledge to utter that my feelings are feelings of man in that time, but I knew always, like in an abstract way)

For that reasons I'm completely pro for giving kids hormone blockers, knowing the hell of wrong puberty from personal experience, and knowing that switching hormonal systems is completely manageable and safe. It's like programming your body, similar as computer. Body can work both ways, genitals are irrelevant for it, for which system of hormones you will use (that's why it's called replacement)
But, oh, people are so self-righteous and they care so much about bodies of others and what will someone do with their body, like that they own the body of that someone else. Oh, yes. What delusion.

last edited at Jan 18, 2024 5:33AM

And what about the girlfriend and the fact how much turned on she was with Akuzaki-girl?
It was my favorite detail and highlight from the beginning of the story.

(Actually, I would keep following this story just because of her, not because of male MC. Just sayin' to be known)