おとなになっても（１０）

おとなになっても [Otona ni Natte mo] #10

by Takako Shimura

同居生活を始め、順調に関係を育む綾乃と朱里だが、この先の未来を共に生きていくために、二人で乗り越えなければならないことがある。綾乃は、心に残ったわだかまりを打ち明けるため、元・夫の渉と久しぶりに再会する。そして、不倫の恋を終わらせ自立を決心した恵利や、心を病む渉の母・依子、綾乃を慕う元教え子たちもそれぞれに前に歩き出す――。恋をしてもしなくても、妻になっても母になっても、いくつになっても、人生はままならぬもの。胸騒ぎの大人百合、ついに完結!!

Genres: Manga, Romance, LGBT, Yuri, Lesbian, Josei, Contemporary

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2023

About the author

Takako Shimura (native name: 志村貴子) is a manga artist primarily known for her manga works published in Japan which feature LGBT (especially about lesbian and transgender) topics. Originally from Kanagawa, she now resides in Tokyo.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

For nine volumes we have seen the rise and fall of various relationships and the struggles of these characters. Now, in the last volume, one of the best manga dramas in ages closes out by… cementing itself as one of the best manga dramas.

People make mistakes. It’s in acknowledging them and recognizing what was done wrong that we grow from them. I recognize that cheating in these stories isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it certainly happens in real life and this story is very real. And has no intention of glorifying what happened.

Largely because Ayano and Akari know that they’ve done things the wrong way. But the cheating wasn’t the start of things, far from it; it is a symptom of a very different set of circumstances and is merely an inciting moment that the entire series spins out from. In a way, this story is unintentionally rebuking the standard ‘get married and have kids’ route that so, so many manga are dead set on.

Not to mention, Akari in particular got punished and then some for both her transgressions and then her sexual orientation. Even Ayano calls her out for not telling her from the get-go that she was married, so it’s not like the story is treating it as sunshine and roses.

Akari’s real problems stem from her expected role in society butting up against her repressed sexuality. There’s no denying that she handles that problem poorly, but it’s not like she and Ayano get together and suddenly the world is right. It is, however, better for them. Not just because she escapes a rough domestic situation.

The way this wraps itself up is brilliant - it leaves no stone unturned, but it doesn’t have an air of finality, nor does it feel like it’s checking all the boxes. It also features a framing device, rooted in Japanese storytelling, that I found a very smart change of pace and a great use of the children wrapped up in this series’ events.

Everybody moves on. What they move on to is a whole other question. Even Ayano acknowledges that there’s no guarantee that she and Akari will stay together. But for now, they’re in love, and it counts for a lot. It is a reminder that it’s possible for good things to come from bad choices and I appreciate the story acknowledging that. Even if the path there is bumpier than it could have been had it gone another way.

Even the worst character in this story, by which I mean Akari’s former mother-in-law, is sympathetic to a certain degree. There’s more than a little here to suggest that she’s actually jealous of Akari for having the strength to leave her marriage more than anything else.

What a series. It is the most mature and adult take on yuri I’ve read and had such believable, flawed characters that all left an impression. It really hits all the things you’d want from a conclusion too.

There are no heroes here. We have real people, messy and complex as they come. Yes, I was happy that Akari and Ayano got together after all the adversity, but it wasn’t easy for them and they made some bad choices on the way. Yet they made good ones too. It treats life as life; sometimes it just happens and you have to move with it.

5 stars - this whole series was pretty much perfect. It takes a singular moment and spins out from that to look at the fallout it causes and manages a little romance and a lot of living. Brilliant and very highly recommended.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. MY EMOTIONSSSSS FUCK! Every character in this series got some type of closure. It felt real and honest and I really appreciate that. I’m so, so glad that I stuck it out with this series. Those first three volumes were not that great but keep reading and trust me! I did not expect to get so obsessed with this series but it was a ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Also there’s going to be a live action adaptation that premieres in April!!! I had no idea but I’m so fucking excited to watch it.

[rux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gotta be honest, there were moments I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with this series anymore because it felt like it was dragging for quite some time. In some volumes the focus would shift on the side characters' storylines that I, personally, couldn't care less about and the main story of Ayano and Akari wouldn't progress. So, I'm really glad this was the last volume and I really loved how everything fell into place.

Ayano's and Akari's relationship was a messy one but it felt pretty realistic, especially the way they would constantly have conversations about it, either the two of them or with the other people involved, and they never once tried to excuse or erase the fact that their relationship started as an affair. It's a pretty raw story about complicated relationships of any kind, internalized homophobia, coming out, being true to oneself, cheating and if sometimes it can be justified or if someone is automatically a bad person because they're a cheater.

There are some reviews of the first volume calling it "biphobic" which I completely disagree with and I feel like there are way too many people who got way too comfortable calling everything that comes from a lesbian "biphobic" these days even in the book/manga communities online, without even having the full story. Reviewers called this series "biphobic" because it involves a woman, Ayano, who had cheated on her husband, Wataru, with another woman, Akari. But we find out in this last volume that Ayano might not even be bisexual in the first place because she is faced, for the first time, with the question "Why did you marry Wataru if you knew you liked women?" TWICE. First by Wataru's mother, which Ayano didn't even answer to and second by her father which she answered by saying that she thought "it was the right thing to do". She never once tried to defend herself by saying she also likes men, not only women and that she loved Wataru at some point and that's why she married him. So Ayano might just be another case of a lesbian who struggled with comphet. And even though Ayano was to be a bisexual woman, I genuinely think this would be a pretty realistic depiction of how bisexual women are pressured into settling with men even though they deep down would much rather be with women.

[Albs · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2,5/5*

[Cameron Sant · Rating 4 out of 5]

My main takeaway is that this series was not a romance, it was about what happens when a woman chooses to walk away from her familial responsibilities to her in-laws by way of divorcing her husband. A lot of the push and pull of this ten volume series wasn’t Ayano’s husband and her maybe-girlfriend Akari fighting for her affections, it’s been between Ayano’s desire for Akari and the obligations she feels toward her husband’s family, the Okubos. (I.e. acting “immature” vs. being an adult, hence the title. The title is evoking “class S” tropes as well, of the idea that girls will crush on other girls as kids, in particular at girls’ only schools, but will grow out of it as adults and marry men. Ayano followed that path but it isn’t working for her.)

Familial obligation is personified in the imposing figure of her mother-in-law, who we learn this volume basically lost her life to familial obligation, caring for her grandparents then her husband’s grandparents then his parents then her children in succession, care that continues as long as her adult daughter, Eri, remains a shut in and a dependent. No wonder she finds Ayano’s attempt to leave the Okubos via divorce so strange and threatening. She suffers, so Ayano must suffer. She sacrifices, so Ayano must sacrifice.

I think the climactic moment of this series is a showdown between these two, which I won’t detail because I don’t want to use the spoiler tag, but I enjoyed it.

I think this series asks what do we owe those who we’ve established relationships with before? What happens when our feelings change, when others hurt us, or when what we thought was love was simply going along with a (heteronormative) narrative?

Great series, I enjoyed it.

[Robin G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this manga ends on a happy note, I have to say I was frustrated at the plot many times. I understand now that this manga is about adultery and the ripples that causes in a Japanese society. I detested many characters such as the sister-in-law or the mother-in-law, which made the read a bit tedious. I feel the manga is trying to touch many important subjects in Japanese society such as family responsibility and societal pressure, but in my humble opinion it is so superficial that it’s almost anecdotal. For example, when the two of them decide to move in together, it is mentioned briefly that landlords in Japan are reluctant to rent to “friends” which is absolutely veiled homophobia and boycott but no other mention of it. The struggles of being in a homosexual relationship are touched ever so slightly that at times I thought the message was confusing. Is it okay or not okay to be gay? People telling the main character to just say she’s into women, but then the discussion with the dad happens when he makes it obvious he doesn’t want to hear about it and two women can’t get married and yadda yadda.

The characters being absolutely lukewarm towards each other is also something I don’t get. The story starts because Ayano kisses Akari, which leads me to believe she’s passionated. But then when they move in together they sleep in separate rooms and there’s barely any action? I don’t remember Ayano having a separate bedroom than the husband.

Idk it was a bit of a mess but I loved the art, and I lowkey hated that the story got some motion right by issue 9… very slow burn if you can even call it that.

[edy · Rating 3 out of 5]

la verdad que esta historia no me ha aportado gran cosa y me ha parecido todo bastante meh

[Loki Wylde · Rating 4 out of 5]

*this review is for the series - not just vol 1.*
So a lot of people seemed to have some really negative things to say about the first volume... so let's address it.
Yes - There is cheating. It comes up a lot through out the entire series.
Yes - There is what could be considered biphobia.
There is also gossip, minor bullying, dysfunctional family dynamics and talks of abusive relationships ( nothing shown ).
There were also people complaining about the troupe of a woman who marries and then finds out later she is into women.

If the above listed things are hard 'no's for you then I recommend simply not picking this read up. But if those things are grey areas for you and you are open to experiencing a story that is culturally different and addresses many things from parental relationships and expectations, personal acceptance and ownership, a variant of agoraphobia and dips it's toes into a number of other things... then maybe give it a try.

That said - this was an interesting read. The way the initial cheating situation is handled is different than most stories I've come across. I'm not sure if it's due to culture differences and expectations or if everyone was just real chill cause there's only ever like... one big freak out in the series and it's not from one of the people you would expect it from. There are some very sweet moments sprinkled in and around this series.
I give it a 8/10 simply because there is a bit of lull in the story at times as the pace of it has been rather slow for me. But I think that overall this story achieves what it set out to do which is that life is messy and no one ever really knows what their future holds. So be true to you and make your choices to live a happy life even if it's not the easy path.

[Sergio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This turned out to be a more stressful read than I expected, which is on me for jumping right in without really looking it up, but still, I had a good time. More than a romance manga, this is a story about how messy divorce can be (especially in Japan, given its laws and familial/social expectations), the experience of lesbian individuals accepting their identity and trying to fit in and build a family, and the people around them, some caught in the fallout of one of several messy instances of cheating and divorce, some struggling with having to accept people who are sexually or romantically or socially nonconforming and some being nonconforming themselves. It does tend to get very soapy at times, and I think it meanders a bit towards the middle, but it ends solidly enough, the characters are mostly successful at being likeable while being flawed but not outright villainous and the whole thing is pretty breezy and easy to read.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

endings are hard. we've all read that series that is so gorgeous and sweet, then for one reason or another rushes it's final acts, and ends up ruining the journey, as well as the destination. thankfully, even though we're adults, winds its story up, without feeling like its rushing over its final arc. (i'm looking at you "if i could reach you").

over the years we got to know these two, how imperfect they are. the shock waves and effects of their relationship on themselves and everyone around them. every one feels developed, and you love and hate characters, that take up so few panels through out the entire series.

read this series if you want some drama in your yuri, if you want a little bitter sweetness, and, if you want your endings to be as sweet as your beginnings.

[malts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both Ayano’s and Akari’s families come to understand and accept their relationship, and a certain sense of closure is reached with Ayano’s ex-husband’s family, particularly her former mother-in-law and ex-husband. In addition, the strained relationships among the three students are finally resolved. As a final volume, it feels well and carefully concluded.

The emotional intensity between the two protagonists remains relatively consistent from beginning to end, so readers expecting the dramatic romantic highs typical of yuri manga might find it somewhat underwhelming.

However, when viewed as a story that thoughtfully depicts universal issues such as family dynamics and the nature of friendships—problems that could exist anywhere—it becomes a very engaging and compelling work.

[jude · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a cute little series!! i feel like it started meandering a bit towards the final volumes, but that could just be me having to wait longer between them and forgetting the details. i think everything wrapped up very nicely and none of the plotlines seemed rushed in this final installment, so that was nice. :3

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I am rating it 3 stars because even if it's very frustrating in many ways, and sometimes a bit confusing in its structure, I appreciated some of the questions and arguments raised. Seeing it with the lens of Japanese society, it is doing as much as it can in a very real way. Does it go in depth on most of those efforts? No, but it's already so much more than so many manga.

[Loz · Rating 4 out of 5]

a satisfying end

[Bentgaidin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of pat wrap-up, but still very good. I really adored them, and everyone's perspective as they worked through difficult stuff was very heartwarming.

[Sanne Blomme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final volume:

- Great ending
- Everyone has some sort of closure
- It was intertwined wonderfully

Their futures are unknown, but that's the best part…

[Snail · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Good!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great ending to a series I found myself enjoying a lot more than I'd have ever expected. Shimura has me out here happy crying in volume 10 of a series about cheating, just amazing.

[G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this series, lots of pros and cons. I liked that it dealt with more adult themes in the GL sphere but is everyone a cheater lol?! LIke damn, that's definitely an on - going theme here. I would have been happier with more focus on the main couple rather than branching out to every supporting character, felt like a bit of a cop out.

I don't regret reading it but I don't think it's a series I could recommend.