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A review by thelilbookwitch
Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare Vol. 1 by Yuhki Kamatani
4.0
Full review [here.]
TW/CW: suicide (not completed)
In this contemporary manga Tasuku Kaname may have just been outed at school, thanks to forgetting to clear his browser history and a nosey friend with a big mouth. On the verge of killing himself, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people at a local Drop-In center that are dealing with similar problems. Slowly Tasuku becomes a part of the group, and learns that he isn’t alone...
Of the few other explicitly LGBT themed mangas I’ve read, I think I still prefer That Blue Sky Feeling since it is much lighter than Our Dreams at Dusk. Both are important though. For someone looking for something with a lesbian coming to terms with her identity, I recommend checking out Kase-san and… It’s a really sweet series that doesn’t need to be read in order, but I think it adds extra flavor if you do.
There isn’t a Big Positive message here, and I think that’s okay. The “it gets better” movement shows the After of coming out, not the During. Our Dreams at Dusk shows the during, and the hurt both internal and external that Tasuku experiences at the hands of himself and his peers.
The Drop-in Center doesn’t function as a clinic or a therapy group, but as a community center. Something that is even more important. It gives connection to Tasuku, and the other members too.
This first manga tactfully explores Tasuku’s inner struggles, as well as some other character’s lives from the Center. There are many stages of being Out to people, and many ways people feel about it. Kamatani does a great job at centering those scenes on how Tasuku and other LGBT characters feel.
Overall, I think I’ll keep this manga in my YA collection, and the right reader will probably find it. It’s definitely heavy, but in some ways, I think that might make it more relateable. This manga isn’t for everyone, and I’d definitely recommend it for readers 13+, just because of the suicidal portion.
TW/CW: suicide (not completed)
In this contemporary manga Tasuku Kaname may have just been outed at school, thanks to forgetting to clear his browser history and a nosey friend with a big mouth. On the verge of killing himself, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people at a local Drop-In center that are dealing with similar problems. Slowly Tasuku becomes a part of the group, and learns that he isn’t alone...
Of the few other explicitly LGBT themed mangas I’ve read, I think I still prefer That Blue Sky Feeling since it is much lighter than Our Dreams at Dusk. Both are important though. For someone looking for something with a lesbian coming to terms with her identity, I recommend checking out Kase-san and… It’s a really sweet series that doesn’t need to be read in order, but I think it adds extra flavor if you do.
There isn’t a Big Positive message here, and I think that’s okay. The “it gets better” movement shows the After of coming out, not the During. Our Dreams at Dusk shows the during, and the hurt both internal and external that Tasuku experiences at the hands of himself and his peers.
The Drop-in Center doesn’t function as a clinic or a therapy group, but as a community center. Something that is even more important. It gives connection to Tasuku, and the other members too.
This first manga tactfully explores Tasuku’s inner struggles, as well as some other character’s lives from the Center. There are many stages of being Out to people, and many ways people feel about it. Kamatani does a great job at centering those scenes on how Tasuku and other LGBT characters feel.
Overall, I think I’ll keep this manga in my YA collection, and the right reader will probably find it. It’s definitely heavy, but in some ways, I think that might make it more relateable. This manga isn’t for everyone, and I’d definitely recommend it for readers 13+, just because of the suicidal portion.