I love seeing what Japanese manga does with gender. Ada Palmer’s essay on anime and manga has some of the historical context for it, but you don’t need a history lesson to enjoy this fun volume. I particularly liked the seamless inclusion of a trans girl alongside the cross-dressing boys, highlighting the differences and similarities among the two, and the lack of moral panic surrounding cross-dressing and gender in general. When their identities get revealed, it’s not seen as betrayal or deception, but a shared way to bond. Makes me realize how engrained our expectation is for that betrayal part of the story—why? It’s not necessary. Imagine that, a world where gender isn’t so feared, policed, and politicized. How refreshing. It was great.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.